Chapter 2: Gotta Get a Trainer's Attention!

A horse girl's top speed clocks in at 70-80 km/h—and even during regular races, maintaining 50-60 km/h is basically the bare minimum.

In other words, if I wanted to live authentically as a horse girl, I had to get used to insane speeds.

And for a former human like me? That was Trial #1.

"Guh—the wind resistance is too much!!"

Gasping for air, I braced myself against the fence of the empty training track.

The sheer force of the wind while running was brutal. My gorgeous hair got wrecked, keeping my eyes open was agony, and random chunks of turf flying at my face made me flinch like an idiot. Worst of all? At high speeds, all I could hear was a deafening "WHOOSHWHOOSHWHOOSH" of wind—and with horse-girl hearing, it was impossible to focus.

I'd been practicing moving my ears to compensate, but all I could manage were pathetic little twitches. No way to fold them back like the pros. Probably something they drilled into elite racers at horse-girl preschool or whatever.

Honestly? I was close to giving up before even hitting full speed.

...But then I remembered my secret weapon.

I pulled out my UmaPhone and checked my reflection.

"Aaaaaah—I'm SO PRETTY!!"

Gray hair! Puppy-dog eyes! Squishable cheeks! A petite, slender frame! I was unstoppable. Seriously, I was ludicrously cute—like some otaku's ultimate fantasy. That smiling face? Nuclear-grade adorable. Past-me would've squealed like a teakettle.

Instant motivation boost. I was too beautiful for this world. Too powerful. Suddenly, energy flooded back into me—limitless energy. "Just you wait, trainers. I'll trick you all into falling for me!"

"Alright... back at it!"

After chugging some sports drink, I returned to the track.

First things first: I had to conquer my fear of full-speed sprints.

"Hah—!"

I started slow, building momentum down the straightaway. My cornering was still sloppy, but once I hit the home stretch—I kicked into high gear.

The horseshoes on my training shoes dug into the turf. My upper body lurched backward from the force, but I forced myself into a forward lean—

"—!!"

The moment I took that first explosive step, my human instincts screamed, "ABORT! ABORT!" The speed was terrifying. My eyelids instinctively squeezed shut, and I felt myself slowing—

"M-maybe I’m just... not cut out for this..."

At the last second, I chickened out.

I finished the lap at a jog, each step smaller than the last, before stopping where I’d left my drink.

"Dammit...!"

Frustration boiled over. The next Selection Race was less than a week away—and here I was, still paralyzed by fear!

How many days had this cycle repeated? Eight. Eight days of pathetic hesitation since the last race. "I’m not a kid anymore. If it’s gotta be done, just DO it!" But no matter how much I pep-talked myself, the fear wouldn’t budge.

My legs locked up. Past a certain speed, my brain screamed danger and slammed the brakes. Unlike a rollercoaster, there were no safety harnesses. Unlike a car, no metal shell to protect me.

"Hey, wanna sprint at 80 km/h in just a T-shirt? Oh, and no guarantees you won’t eat dirt!" Who the hell would say yes to that?! Unless I fully became a horse girl in mind and soul, this wall felt insurmountable.

"............"

I checked my selfies again for a dopamine hit, then steadied my breathing. One more try. Just one more. If brute-force repetition was the only way, so be it.

Wiping off sweat, I launched into another sprint. Built up speed, took the final turn—

Then, just as I was about to push into full throttle, a voice cut through the wind.

"Suzuka-san, try this dessert! It’s so good! Wanna bite?""Ah, um... I’m watching my weight, so I’ll pass...""Aww, but it’s delicious~!"

That lively, unmistakable voice—Special Week—alongside the calm, refined tone of Silence Suzuka. They must’ve been walking nearby.

But—desserts? While I’m here grinding, Spe-chan’s out casually snacking with her senpai?

A bitter itch crawled up my chest. Special Week already had a trainer. For her, the Selection Races were over—just training until debut now.

In other words, she was miles ahead of mobs like me. Maybe this was a "reward" for her hard work, or just a casual break...

But to my ears?

It just pissed me off.

Not that I hated her. But this frustration—this gnawing irritation—was different from the shame of losing.

Was this anger?

Hearing Special Week’s voice—had it really pissed me off that much?

Pathetic as it was… I was jealous.

That simmering frustration smothered my fear, surging straight into my legs. No hesitation left. The terror was drowned out by sheer emotion. I tore through the wind, kicked off the turf, accelerated like a rocket—and finally hit full sprint speed.

"……!!"

The world of a full-speed dash was dazzling. My vision flickered, overwhelmed by an indescribable rush of euphoria and freedom. No sound. No sensation.

This… this feels amazing.

The sheer joy of tearing across empty green turf—now I get it. Now I understand why Silence Suzuka was so obsessed with leading the pack. This was a high only racers could know.

By the time the adrenaline shot through my core like lightning, I was already blasting down the homestretch.

Slowing to a stop, I stared at the sky, chest heaving.

"I… I did it…"

I’d grasped it. The feeling of a final spurt—the heat that burned away fear, the raw exhilaration. And… maybe, just maybe, front-running suited me. I still didn’t have the guts to fight in the pack, after all…

My vision wobbled, but I wasn’t out of breath. Just high—drunk on endorphins.

I’d broken through the wall. I’d actually done it!

"Hell yeah—HELL YEAH—!"

Too pumped to stop, I took off again. And again. Chasing that high, that perfect sprinting rush, until—

The next day, I could barely move.

---

With my fear of speed conquered, I moved on to Phase Two: race-specific drills.

Before worrying about fundamentals, I needed to master the course itself.

First up: Starts.

I "borrowed" an unused starting gate from the training grounds (read: stole it) and practiced explosive launches.

Turns out? I’m naturally good at starts. While some horse girls panic in the gates, my human brain handled it fine. Front-running instincts confirmed.

Next problem: Corners.

The Selection Race was 2000 meters—four brutal turns. To win, I had to hug the inner rail without losing speed.

Easier said than done.

Lean too close? Crash into the fence and break your legs. Too wide? Waste precious distance. The sweet spot was a razor-thin margin of error.

And holy shit, it was hard.

At high speeds, centrifugal force threw me outward. Slow down? Get overtaken. Fight the momentum? Knees explode. No good options.

The compromise? Moderate speed, tight line. Save my stamina for the final stretch.

"Like this…?"

I’d gotten decent at cornering—but the final turn was the real killer. During the Selection Race, Spe-chan had taken it at full throttle, even if it meant drifting wide.

Speed vs. efficiency. A gamble I wasn’t ready to make.

Bigger issue? No one to practice with.

The only "friend" I could ask was Guri-ko (Green Teatan). Yeah, yeah—"Apollo-chan, you’re kinda using me, huh?" But hey, she’d benefit too! Racing alone vs. with someone? Totally different.

(…Also, I may have accidentally befriended Maruzensky the other day. I yelled, "Guri-ko, look! It’s Maru-zen-senpai! She’s SO COOL!" and we somehow bonded over dead slang. No way I’m asking her to spar, though. She’d obliterate me.)

"Anyway—Guri-ko! Get over here! We’re doing tandem drills!"

She showed up in Tosen Academy’s god-awful tracksuit, grumbling about me being "a demanding little gremlin."

Worth it.

“So, I just have to run alongside Apollo-chan, right?”

“Yep. Seriously, thanks a ton. I’ll treat you to some chimi next time!”

“…Geez, you’re so hopeless.”

Her words were prickly, but Guri-ko’s ears and tail didn’t lie. Her ears were twitching like crazy, and her tail was swishing all over the place. Wow—emotions really do just leak out, even if you try to hide them. Am I like that too without realizing it?

“Oh, and—later’s fine, but…”

“Hm?”

“Running side by side is nice and all… but how about we go all out, just once?”

“What do you mean?”

Guri-ko suddenly said something weird, making me tilt my head.

“Just what I said. A 2000-meter match race. You and me.”

“Wha—”

The sudden mention of a match race caught me off guard. Sure, I’d been craving some real, race-style training, but… right now? If we did a match race, Guri-ko’s a sashi-type, so I’d naturally end up taking the lead. In that sense, it’d be good practice for setting pace while staying in front. Yeah, let’s give it a shot.

“I’m not gonna lose to you, Guri-ko.”

“Ooh, that’s what I wanted to hear~”

“Big talk, huh?”

“Ah! Stop it, that tickles! Ahaha!”

I tickled Guri-ko’s side. She was a 160cm chestnut horse girl, swaying right in front of me, with a sweet scent that made me want to mess with her even more. But since, well, I’m a guy on the inside, I figured I should probably show some restraint.

Actually, tickling her side made me notice something.

“……”

Guri-ko’s body was seriously trained.

I could feel it—beneath that soft skin, solid muscle. No doubt about it, that was core strength. And not just a little, either—it was dense. Looking closer, her thighs were toned, and subtle muscle was hidden even in her slender arms.

I hadn’t realized until now… are all central-rank horse girls like this? If so, my body’s totally lacking. I see it in the mirror every day after my shower, but compared to Guri-ko, I’m way too skinny.

I eat as much as Spe-chan and train hard every day… but I guess things like muscle definition and body structure really are about talent.

Still, I was getting excited about how strong Guri-ko really was as we began our side-by-side training.

After about an hour of running together and getting warmed up, we made eye contact—no words needed. It was time for the match race. At least, that’s what Guri-ko’s eyes were saying. Probably mine, too.

“All right then, on your marks~”

We stood next to a makeshift finish line—really just a tree branch—and got into our starting positions. I was on the inside, Guri-ko on the outside.

“The moment this rock hits the ground, we start, got it?”

Guri-ko picked up a stone about the size of a fist and tossed it high into the air. It flew in an arc, set to fall inside the fence line.

We may be roommates, but there’s no way I’m losing to Guri-ko. I’ve always preferred Bourbon over Guri-ko snacks anyway!

“!!”

Thud.

The moment the rock hit the ground, I was already in motion—instinct kicking in before thought. There was no jostling for position; I slipped into the lead, and Guri-ko settled right behind me.

They say the first 1000 meters should clock in just under a minute. I replayed all the escape-runner race footage I’d watched on UmaHo in my head, carefully managing my pace.

Every now and then I glanced back during the corners—Guri-ko seemed to be struggling a bit with her turns. Probably pushing her speed too much. Meanwhile, I was easing up a little and sticking close to the inside rail, minimizing my losses.

I wonder if this is good enough…? With that vague thought in mind, I passed the first 1000 meters right on the mark—exactly one minute, according to my body clock. The gap between Guri-ko and me was about four lengths. Is that… normal? Too close? Acceptable because of the slow pace? Honestly, I had no idea. Also, I was running out of breath.

As I focused on my cornering, we entered the final turn. Is it time to kick into the last spurt? I couldn’t think clearly anymore. Ah, screw it—whatever happens, happens!

I widened my turn and went all out with my finishing dash. Timing-wise, this was right around when Seichan’s signature skill would kick in. I gave it everything I had, sprinting blindly with all my might. There was no time to look back. I mean, two minutes of nonstop running at full power? That’s just insane… Of course it’s exhausting!

“UAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!”

Screaming as I ran, I passed the 200-meter mark. Amid the sound of the wind cutting past my ears, I could hear powerful footsteps gaining on me. Crap—so this is the pressure a front-runner has to deal with?!

N-no worries! I’m a stayer! I might not have speed or power, but when it comes to stamina, no one’s beating me!!

I pushed forward with everything I had, stretching my neck out desperately. Stretch… stretch… chest forward—

“F-finish!!”

Guri-ko crossed the line first. It was a photo finish, the kind only the two of us could really judge—a win by a nose. She threw her fist in the air, shouting in triumph.

“…!”

All the strength drained from my body. Guri-ko was a proven racehorse girl, chosen for her team through the selection races. Even knowing she had the skill, losing still stung. No—stung doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Guri-ko, aka Green Titan, was a much younger girl. Me? Physically a kid now, sure—but mentally, I was still a full-grown adult. And yet I lost, even after giving it my all… to a little girl. I had no words.

“Uuhhh… So frustraaaating!!”

“H-huh? Apollo-chan?!”

“So frustraaaating!! Next time I won’t lose!!”

Tears started pouring out. I was turning into Winning Ticket over here—emotions just overflowing and refusing to stop. I’d thought of myself as a composed adult, but somewhere along the way, my spirit must’ve synced up with this new body.

So this is what it means to really want to win…

“Y-you were really going all out, huh…”

“Of course I was…!”

“…Let’s call it a day for now, okay?”

Guri-ko said that, narrowing her jade-green eyes with a slightly unsure expression. I couldn’t cry forever. She’d come all the way out here just to help me—run side-by-side, even do a full-on match race. There’s nothing wrong with showing frustration… but making her feel bad about it wasn’t what I wanted at all.

I wiped my tears and forced a smile.

“Someday, I wanna race you in a big-time event.”

“Ahaha, that sounds fun.”

“And when I do, I’m totally taking you down—so be ready.”

“Ooh, now you’ve got me fired up.”

Guri-ko was quick to bounce back—or maybe she just picked up on how I felt and matched it, slinging her arm around my shoulder. I’ve really got a good friend, huh…

With the setting sun at our backs, we headed home. The selection race was just around the corner. I had rivals, I had a training ground, and more fighting spirit than I knew what to do with. Honestly, I had everything I needed.

I have to win the next selection race. For the sake of my two dreams.

…I’ll take all this frustration and unleash it in that race!!