On the day of the Yayoi Sho, the atmosphere at the racecourse was electric.
As a crucial G2 precursor to the Classic Triple Crown, this race drew countless eyes.
In the stands, Myriad Dreams sat with her teammates from Team Spica to cheer for Special Week.
At the same time, she kept a close eye on her good friend, Seiun Sky, and her classmate, King Halo.
Watching the three familiar figures preparing at the gates, Myriad Dreams felt a momentary conflict over who to cheer for specifically.
In the end, she simply pumped her fist and shouted a general encouragement: "Everyone, do your best!"
Inside the gates, Seiun Sky maintained her usual calm and breezy demeanor, as if the impending fierce struggle wasn't a race, but a morning stroll.
She even found the leisure to smile at a visibly nervous Special Week nearby.
"Relax, Spe-chan," Seiun Sky said, her voice carrying its signature lethargy. "Anyway, I'm just going to run this one nice and easy."
Looking at her relaxed expression, Special Week tried to calm herself down, but her heart wouldn't stop thumping.
This was the first step of her Classic series, after all!
Bang!
The moment Special Week took a deep breath to steady her nerves, the gates swung open!
In that exact instant, the cyan figure who had just claimed she was going "nice and easy" exploded forward like a cyan meteor.
With a staggering start speed, she was the first to burst out of the pack!
"Eh?!!"
Special Week's eyes went wide as saucers as she struggled to find her rhythm.
Watching that leading silhouette, she felt as if a thousand Uma Musume were stampeding through her mind.
She couldn't help but shout into the wind in total confusion:
"Didn't you just say... you were going to run it nice and easy?! Where is the 'easy' in this!!"
Her complaint was drowned out by the gasps of the crowd and the whistling wind.
King Halo, who had also made an excellent start, was momentarily startled by Seiun Sky's sudden burst of power.
However, she immediately composed herself, a sharp glint flashing in her dignified eyes.
"Hmph... a decent start, Seiun Sky. But this is only the beginning!"
Without hesitation, she adjusted her pace and bit hard onto Seiun Sky's heels, like a loyal pursuer refusing to let the gap widen.
From the very start, the race was injected with unexpected tension and intrigue, thanks to Seiun Sky's deceptive "leisurely declaration" and the thunderous start that completely contradicted it.
The race reached the halfway mark and entered the final corner.
Having steadied her mind and regulated her breathing, a flame of defiance ignited in Special Week's eyes.
She recalled her grueling uphill training. Her muscle memory awakened, her stride lengthened, and her legs became more powerful.
As if equipped with thrusters, she began a continuous acceleration on the outer track, closing in on the cyan figure ahead step by step.
Running in the lead, Seiun Sky keenly sensed the approaching presence behind her. She glanced sideways, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
'Spe-chan... she caught up this fast?'
She had thought that with her excellent sense of rhythm and lead advantage, she could at least maintain the front until the final straight.
She hadn't expected Special Week's pursuit to be so swift and determined.
The race entered the most critical final long uphill. This was exactly the segment Special Week had refined repeatedly during Spica's secret training!
'Now's the time!'
Special Week screamed in her heart.
Gritting her teeth, she poured all her strength into her legs, overcoming gravity and the burning ache in her muscles.
Her speed didn't falter for a second.
Amidst the deafening cheers of the spectators, Special Week relied on her targeted hard work and incredible willpower.
At the crest of the slope, she forcibly overtook Seiun Sky from the outside!
"The finish line!"
"With a tenacious display, Special Week is the first to cross the finish line of the Yayoi Sho! Seiun Sky follows closely in second place, and King Halo finishes a tight third!"
After crossing the finish line, Seiun Sky slowly slowed to a halt, her chest heaving from the exertion.
She looked at Special Week, who was currently receiving the cheers of the crowd.
In those eyes that usually held a lazy smile, a flicker of disappointment and gloom flashed uncontrollably.
Even her iconic, lively horse ears drooped subconsciously, betraying her true feelings.
That disappointment lasted only a few short seconds.
She quickly took a deep breath and shook her head vigorously, as if shaking off all negative emotions.
When she looked up again, her trademark carefree smile was back on her face.
She even took the initiative to walk up to Special Week and spoke casually:
"Congratulations, Spe-chan! That final uphill was really something, wasn't it~?"
The smile was as bright as ever, and her tone was just as relaxed, as if the fierce battle and that moment of loss had never happened.
Only those who knew her best could perhaps catch that fleeting flash of frustration hidden deep in her eyes.
In the stands, Myriad Dreams looked at her friend's forced composure and sighed softly.
She understood Sky, behind that leisurely attitude was a competitive spirit just as fiery as any other, and a vulnerability she didn't want to show.
She made a mental note to find an opportunity to invite this easygoing friend out to the river for a good day of fishing.