Chapter 11: Ivy Stakes!! Driven Forward by Encroaching Fear

10/12 – Tokyo Racecourse, Paddock

"And now, drawing 7 in Gate 7, Witolum Pedes makes her entrance."

"Her debut and her previous race, the Fuyo Stakes, were both flawless victories. She enters this race as the overwhelming favorite. Will she claim a spotless third straight win here at Tokyo Racecourse for the first time?"

"Her expression looks stiff, but that’s actually her usual state of deep focus. I’d say she’s completely locked in."

"In her debut she went for a runaway lead; in her last race she charged from the back—two completely opposite tactics, both ending in victory. For the other horse girls, it’s impossible to predict her strategy until the race actually begins. That makes preparing countermeasures pretty tough. Now then—what position will she take this time?"

"And next, in Gate 8, Grass Wonder."

"Her debut last race was also an incredibly strong performance. Her abilities are polished to a high level—hard to believe she’s still in the Junior Class. She’s been pushed as the second favorite right behind Witolum Pedes."

"She looked like she still had something left in the tank despite that powerful run. I’m excited to see what kind of race she gives us today."

"Tokyo Racecourse, today’s 9th race: the Ivy Stakes. Junior Class horse girls will compete over 1400 meters on turf."

"The fillies are loading into the gates smoothly."

"And the last one in is Grass Wonder, Gate 8."

The race begins! "They’re off! A bit of a scattered start."

"Who will take the lead?"

"From the inside, Number 3—Machikane Sorekara in the red saddlecloth—pushes ahead. From the outside, Number 6, Hyper Minimum, is cutting inward."

"And here she comes. Number 7, Witolum Pedes in orange, glides forward on the outside."

"Grass Wonder, watching from further out… does not follow. She’s not going for the front. Grass Wonder chooses a race from behind."

"Past the first 300 meters, Hyper Minimum has taken the lead."

"Right behind her is the highly anticipated Witolum Pedes. Today she’s not going for a runaway lead. She’s glued right behind Hyper Minimum’s tail."

"Grass Wonder sits in fifth position, watching from a slightly outside line."

"The pack is now heading into the third corner."

"Oh—Witolum Pedes looks unsettled. She’s checking left and right."

"And—there she goes. Witolum Pedes is going for it."

"In an instant she surges forward, passing Hyper Minimum on the outside to seize the lead. Witolum Pedes makes her move in the third corner."

"Ah—and she’s widening the gap fast. Already about five lengths ahead at the midpoint of the third corner."

"Grass Wonder still hasn’t moved. Still waiting."

"Second is Hyper Minimum, with Koei Tenkafubu pressing from the outside. Behind them comes Machikane Sorekara."

"From the third to the fourth corner, Witolum Pedes widens her lead to about eight lengths. Hyper Minimum holds second, choosing not to chase the leader and running her own race."

"Grass Wonder, sitting on the outside of the rear group, trails the leader by about twelve or thirteen lengths. Can she close the distance in the stretch? Still no movement."

"Now, the leader Witolum Pedes clears the final corner and enters the stretch. 500 meters to go. Will she leave the rest behind again and win in dominant fashion?"

"Just as the chasing pack enters the stretch—she makes her move. Grass Wonder launches! She sweeps forward from the outside in one burst. Is she aiming for the front?"

"But—but Witolum Pedes accelerates as well. The gap between them doesn’t shrink."

"300 meters remaining. They climb the hill. Witolum Pedes pushes to widen the gap further. Grass Wonder has shaken off the rest and moves into a clear second."

"Hyper Minimum looks spent. From behind, Koei Tenkafubu comes up the inside."

"200 meters left. Grass Wonder may not reach her. Machikane Sorekara rises into third, but the leader is Witolum Pedes!"

"Grass Wonder is extending her late kick, but Witolum Pedes shows no signs of fading. Witolum Pedes is simply too strong."

"Witolum Pedes crosses the finish line! That’s her third straight win."

"Far behind, Grass Wonder takes second. Third goes to Machikane Sorekara."

This past week has been annoyingly troublesome.

It wasn’t just because I hadn’t trained for a whole month, which made everything feel extra tedious.

The truly terrifying part? My trainer actually had the audacity to make me run uphill.

I was tricked into agreeing because he said, "The course will change, but the distance remains the same." As a result, I was forced to run up slopes twice every day.

But that life ends today. For the next two weeks at least, I’ll finally get to live freely and comfortably.

Today’s race was the Ivy Stakes, held at Tokyo Racecourse—meaning I barely had to travel at all.

And there was another thing: I would be racing alongside Grass-chan.

I found this out during casual conversation over a meal with King-chan and Spe-chan. When Grass-chan realized we would be in the same race, she smiled and said,

"Please go easy on me."

Spe-chan, in her usual innocent way, said it was nice to be able to run together. But from my perspective, I could see a burning blue flame of pure fighting spirit glowing deep in Grass-chan’s eyes.

What’s more, her phone wallpaper briefly caught my eye—it displayed the date: 10/12, today’s race.

I could feel something extraordinary about her, yet at the paddock and when entering the gate, Grass-chan appeared calm. There was a sense of concentration, but no terrifying fighting spirit.

It wasn’t until the race actually began that I truly felt it.

My plan this time was simple: follow the lead horse girls and then surge past them at the end.

I was running from a relatively outside lane, but I managed to move up smoothly.

All that remained was to accelerate and overtake in the straight. But as I was thinking that, I sensed something behind me.

I hurriedly checked around and saw Grass-chan directing her gaze in my direction.

…Or maybe I only thought I did. It’s hard to actually look behind you during a race.

In the end, unable to resist that pressure, I decided to go to the front even though it was still the third corner. Just as I was about to reach the straight…

I imagined being attacked from behind with a naginata.

That vision suddenly popped into my mind.

I ran as if escaping from it—and that’s how I crossed the finish line.

Somehow, this race felt particularly exhausting.

It was the kind of fatigue you might feel after completing a horror game.

Still, my trainer praised me afterward, saying that today’s winning live had sharper movements and more resonant vocals than usual. I can’t say I completely understand, but being praised isn’t exactly a bad thing, so… I’ll take it.