...
Special Week's debut race was scheduled for Wednesday.
Thus, Lucian avoided assigning her any high-intensity training on Monday and Tuesday.
However, the others continued their usual routines.
Particularly Seiun Sky—under Lucian's supervision, slacking off was no longer an option.
Unless she trained until drenched in sweat, Lucian would push her to the absolute limit!
Of course, Seiun Sky didn't slack off either; in fact, she even began competing fiercely with Silence Suzuka.
During warm-up training, the two would each lead their own groups.
But after multiple sets of drills, when it came to the final set, both would go all out to compete for first and second place.
This was exactly what Lucian loved to see.
He enjoyed capturing their exhausted, determined expressions with his camera during the final sprint...
Specifically, the moment they charged toward the finish line.
He'd then turn those shots into memes and share them in online chat groups.
...
The night before the race.
Team training room.
Lucian finally finished preparing Special Week's racing uniform.
"Spe-chan, this is your racing uniform. Go ahead and put it on."
"Eh, this is for me..."
Lucian hadn't mentioned it to Special Week beforehand.
So when she received the outfit, she was utterly stunned.
"Trainer, do we all get racing uniforms when joining the team?" Seiun Sky eyed the uniform greedily.
She hadn't received a welcome gift from Lucian yet—hers was still being custom-made and would take some time.
"Of course not. All of your racing uniforms were custom-ordered by yourselves. They should hold special meaning for you."
"But Spe-chan didn't have time to order her own before her debut race, so I prepared one for her in advance."
Lucian knew Special Week's background.
Her birth mother passed away shortly after her birth, and she was entrusted to a human to be raised.
In a remote countryside ranch, she spent over a decade there—without formal training, without meeting other horse girls, and even without friends her own age.
While her financial situation wasn't dire enough to struggle with monthly food expenses, affording a custom racing uniform was likely out of the question.
Lucian worried that if he didn't prepare one, even if Special Week realized she needed it, she probably wouldn't spend the money.
In the anime, her racing uniform had also been prepared by Nishizaki Ryo.
Now that she'd joined his team, he had to take proper care of her.
"Trainer, thank you." Special Week clutched the outfit to her chest, deeply moved.
"I couldn't just let you envy others."
Lucian's offhand remark made Special Week freeze for a moment.
Beside her, Seiun Sky's face broke into a smile.
Silence Suzuka was genuinely happy for Special Week.
Only the simple-minded Haru Urara remained oblivious, still muttering to herself about what to eat for dinner.
"Try it on when you get back tonight. If you win this race, I'll take you to get a proper custom-made set later."
"Alright, training is canceled tomorrow. Everyone's going to watch Spe-chan's race."
...
The next afternoon.
Lucian drove the entire team to the racetrack.
Even though it was just a debut race for newcomers, the stands were packed. By the time they neared the parking lot, Lucian had no choice but to slow to a crawl.
"So many people..."
Special Week, competing for the first time, was extremely nervous.
Though she'd seen livelier scenes before, this was incomparable—because back then, she hadn't been the protagonist.
"Spe-chan, relax. Just run your hardest," Silence Suzuka reassured her.
"Suzuka's right. Even though you've only trained for a few days, you should have a rough grasp of your own rhythm and limits. I won't impose any tactics on you—once you feel the timing's right, just charge ahead."
Knowing the outcome, Lucian wasn't worried at all.
Glancing at the four of them squeezed into the back seat, he wondered if it was time to switch to a bigger car.
...
"Welcome, everyone, to today's race!"
"Who will emerge as the star of this debut race? Let's wait and see!"
"Next up, let's introduce the ten horse girls competing today."
...
The commentator's voice rang out as Special Week, now dressed in her racing uniform, stepped onto the track from the entrance tunnel.
The outfit Lucian gave her wasn't the one from the anime—he couldn't recall the exact design details, only that it was primarily pink and white.
White symbolized new beginnings, while pink represented innocence and romance.
The color scheme somewhat resembled that of a mythical unicorn.
It carried Lucian's heartfelt blessings and praise for the qualities Special Week inherently possessed.
Before entering the starting gate, Special Week glanced toward the stands where Lucian and the others were seated.
"Spe-chan, do your best! If you win, we'll feast at the Trainer's place!" Haru Urara shouted at the top of her lungs.
Silence Suzuka couldn't bring herself to yell, so she simply gave an encouraging look.
Seiun Sky smiled warmly in support.
Finally, Lucian.
The moment Special Week's gaze landed on him, he unfurled a banner.
On it, the words "Japan's #1" were written in bold, sweeping calligraphy.
"Right... I can't lose!" Clenching her fists, Special Week stepped into the starting gate with unwavering determination.
...
"All right, all horse girls are now in the gates!"
Just as the race was about to begin, Special Week, who had been focused on the commentator's voice, suddenly heard a taunt from beside her.
"Crush you!"
Special Week turned to see a white-haired horse girl wearing an eyepatch in the next lane.
She didn't respond but kept the girl in mind—Lucian had warned her to watch out for this one, named Dextrous Bailey.
...
"And they're off!"
"All horse girls have gotten an excellent start!"
...
Playing it safe, Special Week didn't adopt Silence Suzuka's runaway strategy from the start.
Instead, she positioned herself in the middle of the pack, ensuring she didn't fall too far behind the leader.
She clung closely to the horse girl in front of her, using her to cut through the wind resistance.
"This really does make it easier..."
Special Week recalled Lucian's frequent words: "As long as you stick to my training regimen, you'll keep growing stronger and breaking your limits."
Whether it was faith in Lucian or confidence in herself, she suddenly felt her strides grow lighter, and the pre-race nerves completely vanished.
Just as she settled into this rhythm past the halfway point, she sensed pressure building behind her—along with an irritating voice.
"Move! Get out of my way! All of you, fall back!"