Even after deciding to have Maruzensky be his partner for next week's race, Mizuno still had major doubts about the rules.
"How are two people supposed to drive one car?" Mizuno spread his hands and asked the most important question.
There was only one driver's seat. How exactly were two people meant to drive together?
It couldn't seriously be that they were supposed to sit together, with one person holding the wheel and the other working the gas, right?
Sure, that would test how well the two of them synced up—but this was a race, a competition to see who could reach the finish line first. If they drove like that and failed to communicate in time on a turn, what then? What if they crashed?
And more importantly...
With the current state of his relationship with Maruzensky, driving in that kind of pressed-together, intimate posture would be a little too perverted, wouldn't it?
If someone with bad intentions snapped a picture of them like that and spread it around—and especially if it made its way to Tracen—then Maruzensky's reputation and Mizuno's life would both be in serious danger.
"Guh..." Mizuno looked at Maruzensky beside him, who was gazing back with those innocent eyes, and felt a headache splitting his skull in two.
"Kid, aren't you overcomplicating this?" Seeing Mizuno's thoughts heading rapidly in a very weird direction, Fujiwara shook his head and spoke up.
"Just because it's a two-person team doesn't mean both people have to sit in the driver's seat."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Mizuno turned to him and blinked, still not quite following.
"It's simple enough..." Fujiwara pointed at the wheelchair beneath Mizuno.
"You've modified this wheelchair yourself, and it drives in its own special way. So naturally, once the race starts, the driving is your job. You'll be the one racing the other competitors on the track..."
"As for Maruzen..."
"She can sit in the back seat and toss a few things at the other racers during the race to slow them down. Wouldn't that solve it?"
"Huh?" For a moment, Mizuno genuinely thought he must have misheard him.
What did he mean, toss things at the other racers to slow them down?
Was that seriously allowed in a proper race?
But when Mizuno saw Fujiwara's solemn expression, he gradually realized the man did not seem to be joking.
"Fujiwara-san... are you saying..." Mizuno's eyes widened in disbelief. "In next week's race... we can throw items at our opponents?!"
"Right." Fujiwara nodded.
"Right?!" Mizuno was stunned. He had not expected Fujiwara to just admit it.
So this was an item race?!
If someone suddenly whipped a hammer at you in the middle of a high-speed race, was that really not a problem?!
Thunk!
At that exact moment, a hard hammer happened to slip out from inside Fujiwara's vest and hit the ground with a dull thud.
...
Everyone stared at the hammer on the ground and sank into a strange silence.
"Heh heh..." Fujiwara gave a kindly smile, then bent down as if nothing had happened, picked up the hammer, and tucked it back away in one smooth motion, like he was long used to this sort of thing.
"Don't be nervous, kid. We're racers. Throwing a hammer or a banana peel at your opponent during a race is perfectly reasonable, right?"
"In what universe is that reasonable?" Mizuno stood there dumbstruck. All his cool fantasies about next week's race were smashed to pieces by that sudden hammer.
You actually brought a hammer as an item?!
What part of this was a normal race about speed? This was obviously a life-or-death vehicular duel!
"Don't worry, kid..." Sensing Mizuno's terror, Fujiwara patted him on the shoulder and reassured him, "Next week's event is a Tanabata-themed couples' fun race meant to deepen bonds between partners, so the organizers don't allow life-threatening items. At most, people will throw water balloons or pillows—just enough to mess with the others a little."
"So in your usual races, deadly items are allowed?" Mizuno was even more astonished after hearing that, and his admiration for Fujiwara deepened further.
No wonder Fujiwara could become Tracen's designated school-bus driver. A man who could place near the top in deadly races like these—someone who didn't even flinch at the thought of opponents hurling hammers at him—was hardly going to be scared of a few cute Umamusume students blocking the road.
And even if he really did get surrounded by Umamusume, his life still wouldn't be in danger. At worst, he'd just have to hand over the Trainer they wanted. Compared to the amateur racing group's lethal item races, that was downright safe.
"So... you've done it too?" Mizuno turned stiffly toward Maruzensky, who was still hiding in her cardboard box.
The moment he pictured warm, big-sis Maruzensky racing with a brick or something in hand, chucking it at other people, the image was so absurd he almost couldn't bear to think any further.
But Maruzensky frantically shook her head and defended herself timidly.
"I never did... I was always in first place... so I never needed to throw anything..."
"Ah... right." Mizuno broke into a cold sweat.
What Maruzensky said was perfectly true. It was just a little too much of a humblebrag.
If you left all your opponents so far behind they couldn't even see your taillights, then naturally there was no need to throw items at them—or worry about them throwing items at you.
The problem was, that only worked if Maruzensky still had the courage to drive...
But now Maruzensky was too scared to drive, which meant disabled Mizuno had to be the one sprinting ahead in his street-racer wheelchair.
And with Mizuno's current driving skills, he probably couldn't pull off the kind of run where he left everyone in the dust. There was no avoiding an item-flinging brawl with the other racers.
That meant whether Maruzensky could help out from the support position and throw a few items was going to be crucial to whether their team could win.
If everyone else could interfere with items while Mizuno's side could only stand there and take the hits without fighting back, they'd be at a massive disadvantage.
But Maruzensky could barely face people as it was. How was she supposed to throw things at strangers?
"If you need me to... I-I can do it!" Maruzensky realized that too and raised her hand on her own, saying she could manage.
"Really?" Mizuno arched a brow.
"I... I'll try..." Maruzensky lowered her head. Her voice grew softer and softer, thick with deep uncertainty.
"Mm. I believe you." Seeing Maruzensky force herself to be brave even though she was obviously scared, Mizuno's feelings grew a little complicated. He gently patted her on the head.
At this point, all he could do was give her all the trust he had.
Still...
Mizuno lowered his head and looked at the street-racer wheelchair beneath him, narrowing his eyes with a meaningful look.
He could talk all he wanted about trusting other people, but he still needed to keep a few backup plans in reserve, just like always...