"Grandma Heide, I'm back! Is lunch ready?"
The girl who stepped in had orange hair and blue eyes, petite and lively, with two soft ears perked high.
Her features were exquisite and her smile brimmed with youth—she could fairly be called a top-class beauty.
But her clothes clashed with that face.
An old blue-and-white tracksuit was flecked with snow, mud, and grass, and the collar, cuffs, and hems were worn to the point the original color was barely visible.
"Oh, Treve's back."
A kindly old lady poked her head from the sitting room, smiling as she called to the girl changing her shoes:
"Carrot spaghetti'll be ready soon, but you've got a friend here."
"Hi~ little sister Treve."
A blonde woman with a big grin peeked out too and waved. "Came to check on you."
"Intello, what brings you?" Treve looked puzzled. "Is it something with the academy squad?"
"I say, your home really ought to get a phone or computer. Otherwise every time I contact you I have to come visit—such a hassle."
Treve entered and eyed her friend sprawled without a care over a dining chair.
Intello was a full-fledged runner at France's Central Academy—also Treve's friend.
She was tall, with powerful legs—the academy's favored build nowadays—and one of those selected for the exchange trip to Japan.
"You know we can't afford that stuff."
Treve sighed and picked up Intello's phone from the table to look through it.
"Tracen sent over the exchange-team info. It's in my phone—you can read it. They also sent a race video; Noble Clan already has it. She'll probably watch it this afternoon."
As she finished, Grandma Heide came in with a steaming pot of pasta and thunked it down on the table.
"Uh… thank you, Grandma. I ate before I came; not hungry."
Intello waved off having a plate.
"Psh. You look sturdy enough but can't handle one plate of pasta?"
Grandma Heide rolled her eyes and served Treve.
Watching her dear granddaughter grab a fork and start slurping away, she nodded in satisfaction and left the dining room.
"Grandma Heide's tomato-carrot sauce pasta is really good," Treve said, face smeared red with sauce, still hawking it to Intello.
"I'll pass, thanks." Intello waved quickly, then remembered something. "What's your plan for the exchange trip?"
"…" Treve's fork slowed. Head lowered over the bowl, her ears drooped. She answered softly:
"The school… apparently doesn't plan to take me along."
"Eh? Then let's go talk to Noble Clan." Intello blinked, then suggested, "If it's her, she won't begrudge that bit of budget."
"Forget it, Intello." Treve stayed her friend's hand, shaking her head. "I don't want to trouble Noble Clan over this. It's just Japan—there'll be other chances."
"This isn't trouble at all?!" Intello pressed. "You were so eager to go that you'd be the dorm assistant just to join!"
"If Noble Clan really helps… that'd be abusing her position. I don't want to put her on the spot."
Treve shook her head, showing deep respect for Noble Clan.
"Ugh, you… You obviously have the ability, but the academy's on this big-frame fad and small, slim horse girls have lost so many chances."
They traded a look and fell into a wistful silence.
"Why's my girl look so glum?" Grandma Heide returned, hugging a giant ceramic pig.
Treve knew it: Grandma's coin bank.
"Treve, you want to go to Japan, right?"
Grandma Heide smiled, carefree. She put it on the table, pulled a hammer from behind her back, and brought it down!
A shower of coins and small bills flowed out with the shattering pig, spreading across the table—a considerable sum.
"Take this money."
Without hesitation, Grandma pressed the funds on her beloved granddaughter.
"…" Treve stared a moment, then flashed sunny: "Nope. I can't use that. Grandma Heide, better use it to get yourself dentures—dental work's pricey now."
"Hey, is this really okay?" Intello tugged Treve's sleeve. "Then you won't get to go to Tracen."
"True, I really want to see Japan's El Condor Pasa and Special Week. One lost narrowly to Noble Clan, and the other beat her at home. Watching those two races, I thought… Japanese horse girls are so strong."
"I want to run against them—and if I can, against others too. That's true."
Treve shrugged, relaxed:
"But next time. I'm still young; I haven't even had my debut."
"If you go, bring me back something tasty. I hear Japan has lots of specialties."
——————————
France Central Academy, training track.
Bathed in the winter afternoon sun, the track had long since been cleared of snow.
Now, Treve was doing warmups with several exchange runners. They chatted with smiles, the air full of energy and cheer.
"Treve, warm up your knees properly," said a redhead, correcting Treve's form. "Your body's so flexible; you're prone to leg and knee issues."
Though petite dorm assistant Treve wasn't an official runner, the six all adored her, so they included her in training whenever possible—which let her use the facilities for free.
They also pitched in to study Treve's running and body. Several privately said it felt like looking after a little sister.
"Okay~ Thank you, Laurel Crown," Treve smiled, working her legs more carefully.
"By the way, did you see the video from Japan? Noble Clan put it on everyone's computers."
Another blue-haired muscle-runner stretched her back and asked casually.
"It's here already?"
Ever nosy, blonde Intello stopped and ran to her bag for a laptop. "Then let's watch before practice."
"Come see—this is the seven-member Tracen exchange team's practice race. Let's see what's exciting!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you so much for reading until the end.
If you'd like to read more, you can Joining to my Patreon.
My Patreon:
patreon.com/Hydran_Tea
Chainsaw Man: The Covenant of Flame Demon [Ss2 150 Chapter ]
Uma Musume: Wait—you want me to pop my Christmas Hat Ultimate? [Ss2 140 Chapter ]
Honkai star rail:Invincible From the Moment I Started Playing as Jing Yuan [ 74 Chapter ]
The Problem Child Starts from Gensokyo [ 66 Chapter ]
FGO: Handcrafted Lostbelt, the Strongest is the Real History [ 37 Chapter ]
Honkai World: Kiana Doesn't Need Redemption [ 35 Chapter ]