Chapter 53: King Halo’s Path Forward

One day, after classes had ended, I decided to take a break in the cafeteria. But luck wasn’t on my side that day.

“Damn, it’s packed. Not a single seat open.”

The cafeteria was as popular as ever. The food there was not only better than anything you could find outside the academy—it was cheaper too. Naturally, that made sense, but still… this was a problem.

As I scanned the area for an open seat, someone suddenly called out to me.

“Hey, over here!”

The voice came from the terrace seating area. It was King Halo—one of the horse girls I had some sort of connection with.

“Thank you, King-senpai. The place is full, so this really helps.”

“You should really make sure to find a seat before ordering. When I saw you standing there with your coffee and cake, I didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh.”

In front of King sat the same kind of cake and drink as mine—though hers was paired with tea instead of coffee.

“Haha…”

“Well, whatever. You being scatterbrained is nothing new.”

“Ugh… I’ve been getting better lately, you know?”

“Hmm, I suppose so. You’ve been paying more attention to your appearance, and I’ve even heard people talking about your fan interactions recently.”

She took a sip of her tea.

King Halo looked picture-perfect sitting there, the wind gently stirring her hair on the terrace. The whole scene looked like a painting—truly elegant.

“Well, I’m glad to see you’re finally standing on your own. I can’t be looking after you forever.”

“Thank you so much, as always…”

Now then.

Since we were seated outside, I didn’t have to worry about anyone overhearing us. I decided to bring up something that had been on my mind.

“King-senpai, what are your plans after this?”

“Me? I’ve got training after this, of course…”

“That’s not what I meant. I mean, what will you do after this year’s senior class?”

Clink. Her cup made a small sound as she set it down.

A strange silence fell between us. I stayed quiet, while King stared off into the distance, deep in thought.

In real history, King Halo had raced for about four years. That meant there was a chance she’d continue for one more year here as well…

“Well, I suppose I can tell you. This year, I’ll be moving on from the Twinkle Series to the Dream Trophy Series.”

I see…

That brought up another question—what would her final race be? The Mile Championship? Or would she run in the Arima Kinen too?

“Will you be entering the Mile Championship, King-senpai?”

“Of course. I need to settle things properly with all of you.”

“Then that’ll be your final run—”

“It won’t.”

The moment she said that, I couldn’t help thinking, I knew it.

Even though King Halo had chosen the short-distance and mile route, she clearly couldn’t let go of running alongside the rest of her “golden generation.”

Unfortunately, among them, only Grass Wonder was competing at the mile distance.

Honestly, I understood how she felt all too well. If I had to move to middle or long distances and couldn’t race alongside Comp or Bourbon anymore, I’d be crushed too.

It couldn’t be helped—it was just another path to take. But deep down, you’d always think of the ones you left behind.

“In that case, King-senpai… does that mean you’ll be running in the Arima Kinen?”

Her eyes widened slightly at my question, but she quickly regained her composure. Then, with a knowing look, she replied,

“Sigh… you really are annoyingly sharp. Yes. My final run will be the Arima.”

“Well, with your popularity, I’m sure you’ll get plenty of fan votes. You might really make it in.”

“I know it’ll be a tough challenge for me personally. But I want to run. You understand, don’t you?”

When she said that, I couldn’t argue.

“If that’s your decision, King-senpai, then I’ll support you with everything I’ve got.”

“Hehe, thank you. Now come on, drink that before it gets cold.”

“Ah—right!”

I dug into my cake and took a sip of coffee.

Mmm… the cafeteria’s sweets and coffee really were on another level. No wonder people lined up for this place. With quality like this, anyone would recommend it.

Still, since it was usually crowded, I rarely got to enjoy it myself…

“You really do eat so happily, don’t you?”

“Well, everything here’s delicious! Honestly, I wanted to try all the new desserts at once…”

“You’ll get fat, you know?”

“That’s the thing—I don’t! If anything, I’m losing weight, so my trainer’s actually been telling me to eat more, especially after training.”

It was true. Even though I’d been eating more lately, my weight hadn’t increased at all. Actually, it used to rise a little, but recently, not even that.

Well, I had a pretty good idea why.

My Unique Skill—it burned through a ridiculous amount of energy.

“Since my running style’s all about mental focus, that might be why. After analyzing race footage, I end up craving sweets like crazy.”

“Honestly… if you collapse, it’ll be a disaster. You need to take better care of yourself!”

“Haha, sorry. But don’t worry—my trainer keeps a close eye on my condition.”

Coming to the cafeteria today was also part of maintaining that balance—getting some sugar before training.

Well, this alone probably wouldn’t be enough. I’d likely grab something sweet from the stash in the trainer’s office later.

I finished off the last bite of cake with satisfaction.

Ahh, that was so good. I wonder if I can get the recipe. It’d make a great treat for tea time. It goes perfectly with coffee, and I bet my trainer would love it too.

“So then,” King said suddenly, “are you free later today?”

“No, I’ve got training after this… Why do you ask?”

“I’m just in the mood to run with someone. How about a quick race?”

Hmm… running with King Halo didn’t sound bad. I could also use it as a checkup before the Mile Championship.

Still, I couldn’t just decide on my own. I messaged my trainer for confirmation.

“Oh, they said it’s fine. Then, shall we meet at the track? Give me about fifteen minutes to get ready.”

“Well, that’s just about right. I’ll head back and get ready too.”

I popped a few sugar candies into my mouth at the trainer’s office, changed into my tracksuit, and made my way to the track.

Oh, the trainer’s already here.

“Sorry for the sudden change of plans. I kind of ended up agreeing to a run on the spot. Is it okay with the training schedule?”

“No problem. Actually, I was planning to have you do a joint run or mock race around this time anyway. Perfect timing. The last one was short-distance, so I wanted you to regain your feel for the mile range.”

“Glad to hear that. I’d have felt bad if I couldn’t run, especially after King said she wanted to race together.”

I’d learned a lot from King—everything from the basics of being a horse girl, to racecraft, to running technique… even a few lectures about contracts, come to think of it.

Looking back, it really hit me how far we’d come. It didn’t feel like that long ago when we first met.

“Good, you’re not late. Let’s do a few light runs, shall we?”

Running alongside King was always mentally exhausting. She was surprisingly crafty for someone who called herself “first-class” and carried herself with such confidence.

People often misunderstood her because of that proud attitude, but her running was actually very delicate and strategic.

Well, that just proved how well she understood herself.

Like me, King was the kind who had to think through every step while running.

“Damn, she’s tough to deal with…”

I stayed right behind her, waiting for the perfect moment to make my move—but whenever I tried to shift position, King adjusted instantly.

She’d block my line just enough to stay within the rules, completely shutting down my strategy. It was maddening!

Lose track of your timing, and you’d just keep falling behind. In the end, I couldn’t pass her, and our first run was over.

“Ugh… that move of yours is brutal…”

“True. If I can pull it off in an actual race, it’ll be ideal.”

“‘If you can’?”

The way she said that made it sound like she couldn’t do it in a real race.

Was there some kind of problem with that tactic?

“It’s simple,” she said. “Can you stay focused on Mihono Bourbon ahead of you while also keeping track of whoever’s lurking behind?”

“Ah… yeah, that’s… tough.”

Now I understood. Yeah, no kidding—it’d be hell trying to manage that.

That’s probably why she showed me the move here, during training.

“Well, I know it works on you at least. If I’ve got the leeway, I’ll use it on you—so be prepared.”

“Ugh… go easy on me, please…”

“In an actual race, you’ll probably end up swinging wide and wasting all your effort anyway.”

“Yeah, that’s kinda my thing, so cut me some slack.”

There’s just something exhilarating about sprinting into open space with nothing in front of you.

When the path’s blocked, it feels suffocating. I guess that’s just how I’m wired. Even if I try to change, it never sticks.

“All right then, let’s go again. I’d wanted to work on some countermeasures for Mihono Bourbon, but…”

“Well, both you and I tend to run from the back, after all…”

King gave me a long, thoughtful look.

“Hey, why don’t you try running as a front-runner this time?”

“Eh? Sorry, but I’m terrible at that. I can’t handle having to watch both the front and the rear at the same time.”

“If you maintain the lead from start to finish, you’ll only have to watch your back. And if you go for a big lead, you won’t even need to worry about being chased down, will you?”

“Yeah, but still…”

“Besides, didn’t you go for a big lead back in the selection race?”

Oh, right—King had been keeping tabs on me since before the selection race!

Ugh, she’s got me there… fine, I’ll give it a try.

“All right, I’m ready when you are.”

“I got it already... Just don’t expect too much, okay?”

I stomped down on the ground—thud, thud—packing the dirt beneath my shoes and readying myself for the start dash.

Then, the moment the signal was given, I drove my legs into the earth and surged forward with all my strength.

“—!”

I heard King gasp behind me.

Acceleration meant for the final stretch—unleashed right at the very start.

I twitched my ears, searching for any trace of her presence. The sound of King’s stride was already fading behind me. Hm. If there’s that much distance, I shouldn’t have to worry about that creeping fear.

That said... how long can I really hold this pace?

“Halfway... there...!”

King’s footsteps were closing in—slowly but steadily.

Even as that sound filled me with dread, I kept pushing, keeping my pace steady as I ran toward the goal.

So this is... the world Bourbon saw, huh?

My pupils narrowed. My senses honed in on nothing but the race itself.

“You’ve come, huh, King.”

From her presence, I could tell—around six lengths behind. Not yet. I can still hold out.

I drew a slow breath, then exhaled, steadying my heart.

What flashed through my mind was the sight of Bourbon accelerating down the final stretch, and Seiun Sky’s form during summer camp. So that’s how they broke their opponents’ spirits...

I stomped the ground harder, matching King’s acceleration, refusing to let her close the gap.

“Just... a little more...!”

My stamina’s gotten a lot better lately. Maybe, just maybe, I can hang on...

I could feel King’s unease behind me. But of course, this is King Halo we’re talking about—she doesn’t quit there.

Summoning every ounce of strength, she charged right up behind me.

Damn... she’s not letting the gap widen!

“Ugh—ah!”

My body suddenly lurched.

My focus broke, and my sharpened vision blurred back to normal. My pace dropped sharply.

King Halo dashed past me in an instant.

In the end, it was King who crossed the finish line first.

I caught my breath and flopped onto the turf, staring up at the sky.

“Lux!? Are you all right!?”

“It’s fine, Lux’s trainer. It looked like she stumbled, but that’s not it. She just ran out of strength, that’s all.”

“I see... I’m glad to hear that.”

Damn it... I knew it. Running escape really isn’t for me.

Not that it’s a surprise—but still.

Even so, getting a glimpse of Bourbon’s world... that’s a big plus, isn’t it?

“Still, that gave me quite the scare. That opening dash, and then matching my acceleration at the end—I swear my spine froze.”

“Ahaha... From my side, having you close in that fast was what nearly stopped my heart, though...”

“But I’ve learned a lot from this. Let’s see... even if I get pulled away there, that kind of acceleration doesn’t last long. So in that case...”

Stat-wise, Bourbon and I aren’t that far apart. The difference is that her aptitude is all-in on escape, while mine’s all-in on closing. Maybe stamina, too.

Acceleration power should be about even... or at least I’d like to believe that. We’ve had plenty of neck-and-neck races—so it’s not a completely wrong read.

Thinking about it that way, using me as a “mock Mihono Bourbon” for practice... isn’t entirely misguided.

“All right, I think we’ve got something here. Seems like you gained a lot from that too?”

“Yeah. Though I’m not sure how much it’ll really work against Mihono Bourbon herself.”

The psychology of the escape type—reconfirming that was a huge gain.

Now all that’s left is to study some race footage and figure out how to disrupt her rhythm.

There’s not much time left before the real thing, but I should be able to turn this into something usable.

Before, I used to think there was no way to exploit Mihono Bourbon’s style.

But now, I know—she’s not a machine without emotions.

“Let’s both do our best.”

“Yeah, let’s.”

The two of us renewed our resolve.

The Mile Championship—the defining race of the latter half of the year—was right around the corner.