"Chiya, get out here already. We're heading to the press conference."
Two days before the Japan Cup, all the participating uma musume and their trainers were scheduled to attend a press conference, where they would eat while taking questions from reporters.
Fujiwara Chiya had not even gotten out of bed yet when Nase Fumino's phone call jolted him awake. He rubbed his eyes and let out a long yawn.
"Make sure you clean yourself up properly. There's going to be a live broadcast today," Fumino reminded him.
Chiya answered while squeezing toothpaste onto his toothbrush.
After washing his face and drying it off, he stared at himself in the mirror.
Smooth skin. A handsome face. A softness between his brows that was almost girlish. If he looked closely, he could even catch a trace of Shirayuki in his features.
Fujiwara Chiya pinched his cheek.
Amitabha. I cannot let myself keep getting more feminine. I'm going to become a proper, upright man. At the very least, I refuse to stand next to Shirayuki and get mistaken for her sister.
He changed outfits several times before finally picking something that made him look a little sturdier, then stepped out of his room.
Kiryuin Aoi and Nase Fumino were already waiting for him.
"Sorry to keep you two waiting."
"Good morning, Chiya."
"You're slow."
Their eyes swept over Fujiwara Chiya from top to bottom, carefully inspecting him for ages, yet neither of them could find a single place that needed fixing.
Could this man not dress just a little messier so I'd have an excuse to help him? Fumino thought gloomily.
"Where are Special Week and the others?"
"They went to find Shirayuki. They should be here soon."
As soon as she said that, there was a knock at Shirayuki's door. When it opened, Special Week and El Condor Pasa greeted her together.
"Good morning, Yuki-chan!"
"We're here to get you!"
The two girls beamed brightly as their gazes landed on Shirayuki.
"No matter how many times I see it, I still feel the same way…"
"Shirayuki's racing outfit really is so pretty!"
Maybe it was because her aura had grown more mature, but the elegant dress suited Shirayuki perfectly. Her round thighs were exposed beneath the skirt, while the white-and-indigo dress covered her chest and left her smooth back bare. The blue necklace resting against her back added the finishing touch. Anyone who saw her could hardly look away.
Racing outfits were designed around an uma musume's own traits and temperament, but Shirayuki's had clearly been ahead of its time. Only now, half a year later, had it become a perfect match for her presence.
Amazing. Who on earth designed this outfit?
And that back looks way too nice to touch. It looks smooth enough to slide down. I kind of want to try it.
El Condor Pasa could not resist reaching out and rubbing it twice.
"El?"
"Yuki-chan's body really is top-tier. I wonder which man is going to get lucky with you in the future. Just thinking about it makes me jealous."
"There's no way I'd let someone else get lucky…"
"Oh?" El Condor Pasa's lips curled into a wicked grin as she poked Shirayuki's soft little stomach. "Does that mean Yuki-chan plans to keep her body all to herself? Not giving it to anyone? So greedy, Yuki-chan. You want other people's bodies and your own too?"
"Well… anyway, I'm not letting some outsider have it."
Shirayuki coughed a few times.
"Shirayuki, I brought some snacks. We can eat them on the way," Special Week said excitedly, pulling out a bag of carrots.
"Spe-chan, where were you hiding those? I didn't even see them."
"Aren't we going to a banquet later? Do you really need to bring carrots?"
"Ah… right!" Special Week clapped her hands. "The restaurant means we don't need to bring our own food. Then let's eat them now!"
With that, Special Week stuffed a carrot into her mouth and handed one to Shirayuki too.
"What are you all still doing here? Tracen's car will be here any second."
Air Groove walked over in her racing outfit.
Every year, the uma musume were required to wear their racing outfits to the press conference. This year was no exception. Special Week and El Condor Pasa were dressed the same way.
""Air Groove-senpai.""
"All right, stop wasting time here. Hurry along."
"Yes!"
Once Special Week and El Condor Pasa had run off, Air Groove looked at Shirayuki, who still had a carrot between her teeth. She reached out and caught her by the hand.
"We still have a little time. We can walk over."
"…Mm."
"How are your preparations for the race?"
"Everything is going according to plan."
"Good."
"What about you, Air Groove-senpai? In this race, you're my opponent."
"I've been training with everything I have for the chance to race against you." Air Groove smiled. The corners of her eyes, shaded with red eyeshadow, slowly softened, giving her smile a charm all its own. "Racing against Shirayuki makes me nervous somehow. But more than that…"
"You're happy?"
Air Groove raised an eyebrow. Her long lashes fluttered twice like a fan.
"That's right."
"Me too, Air Groove-senpai." Shirayuki pressed a hand against her chest. "When I think about racing against you, my heart starts pounding. Uma musume really are mysterious creatures. No matter how different our thoughts may be in daily life, the moment we step onto the track, our minds become strangely aligned."
Even Orfevre would follow that rule.
"It took a while, but I'm really glad I was able to understand that."
Air Groove stared at Shirayuki's smile for a long moment.
Then she reached out, slipped one arm around Shirayuki's waist and the other behind her neck, and gently touched their foreheads together.
"Shirayuki, you are already a guide for other uma musume now. I hope you continue down the path you have chosen, step by step, until you reach a height no one can rival."
Her clear violet eyes gazed straight into Shirayuki's as she said, "From now on, you must become not only Japan's Empress, but the Empress of the world. I will watch you from the track. Show the entire world that beauty and strength."
"Yes. I understand."
Suppressing the urge to pull this adorable girl into her arms and shower her with affection, Air Groove took Shirayuki's hand and walked outside.
Special Week, El Condor Pasa, Nase Fumino, and the others were standing by the entrance. When they saw Air Groove, they waved.
"Looks like everyone's here." Fujiwara Chiya adjusted his tie.
"Then let's head out. This is the last feast before the race, so everyone had better eat their fill."
November twenty-sixth.
Japan's highest-level race, the Japan Cup, officially began.
This year's field consisted of seven overseas uma musume and eight Japanese uma musume. The lineup was every bit as dazzling as in previous years. Tens of thousands of spectators flooded into the venue, buzzing with excitement as they waited for the race to begin.
Despite having the home advantage, Japan had not won the race once since Katsuragi Ace and Symboli Rudolf's victories.
That was how wide the gap between Japan and the overseas competitors truly was.
Even uma musume who had reached the summit found it difficult to defeat their rivals on home turf.
Until this year.
Inside the competitors' waiting room, Fujiwara Chiya adjusted Shirayuki's outfit, smoothing down the indigo skirt before tightening her shoelaces again.
"Let's go."
Fujiwara Chiya knelt on one knee, cradling the girl's foot in his hands as he looked up into her beautiful blue eyes.
"It's time to prove yourself to the world."