Chapter 99: Bakushin Bakushin Bakushin Bakushin! Bakushin Bakushin Bakushin Bakushin!

Sakura Bakushin O. A model class representative and a headstrong horse girl whose catchphrase is "Bakushin!" With overwhelming aptitude for short-distance races, she possesses the skill to dominate the turf at an unrivaled speed.

Though well-mannered, she can be pushy and a bit loud in her words and actions. That said, true to her role as class rep, she can’t ignore someone in trouble.

Yes. Sakura Bakushin O. is a kind horse girl who would undoubtedly lend a hand to those in need—whether she succeeds or not.

…Or maybe she just recklessly agreed to Tomio’s request without thinking. Alternatively, Tomio might’ve lost his mind and made a mistake in choosing the instructor.

The moment she enters the room, Bakushin O. puffs out her chest and places her hands on her hips. I can’t help but be suspicious. Yet, even under skeptical gazes, her confident smile doesn’t waver. Just looking at her grin makes me hear phantom words: "I belong here! Because I’m the class rep!" She’s so unnervingly composed that I decide to ask Tomio for clarification.

"…Why Bakushin O.? Why not Helios? Or Maruzensky? Or Suzuka? Or, since this is about long-distance, Palmer? Or even Double Trigger…? There’s gotta be someone more suited for this, right?"

"Nope. She’s the perfect choice—a short-distance specialist."

"I see~ …Wait, what?!"

A short-distance specialist is the right pick…? Did I mishear? Please tell me I did. I can’t comprehend why a stayer would need a sprinter as an instructor.

Unless… is this a reference to how the racehorse Sakura Bakushin O. had more of a long-distance bloodline? Nah, horse girls don’t care about bloodlines. The only thing that matters is bonds.

"At first, I tried asking Silence Suzuka, Ines Fujin, and Mihono Bourbon. But Suzuka’s busy in America, Fujin’s working part-time, and Bourbon, Maruzensky, and Double Trigger all had prior commitments. So, Sakura Bakushin O. ended up being the target."

"That doesn’t explain why it’s Bakushin O.!!"

"You’ll understand soon."

I get that the others were unavailable, but still… What the hell is this?!

As I stiffen in confusion, Tomio welcomes Bakushin O. and signals me to return to the sofa. With a full-on Bakushin Smile, she grabs a marker and starts writing on the whiteboard.

Under the words "Ultra-High-Speed Explosive Front-Running"—a title that reeks of idiocy—she begins scribbling notes. The fusion of Instructor Sakura Bakushin O. and the "ideal front-running" strategy already fills me with dread.

"The reason I called Sakura Bakushin O. here is simple: to teach her exceptional running style. To put it bluntly—I want Apollo to master a short-distance running form while utilizing his boundless stamina!"

Thus, the principle of "Ultra-High-Speed Explosive Front-Running" (or "Ultra Front-Running" for short) was revealed: a brain-dead, muscle-headed theory of running long-distance with a short-distance form.

…Tomio must be exhausted. I should call Tadzuna-san immediately and report this disaster.

"Tomio… you tired? Want me to give you a lap pillow and pat your head?"

"No, I’m not tired!! If we apply the Bakushin Theory to long-distance, victory is guaranteed!!"

"…………"

I get it now. He probably had his sights set on Bakushin O. from the start, but somewhere along the way, he got too infected by the Bakushin mindset.

Well, if the Tomio I trust says so, I might as well give it a shot. Let’s see what this Bakushin Theory is all about.

"Alright. Instructor Sakura Bakushin O. and I will now explain the basics of Ultra-High-Speed Explosive Front-Running. First, Bakushin O. will speak freely, and I’ll add details afterward. Feel free to ask questions anytime."

"Got it. Bakushin O., thanks in advance for today!"

"Yes! Let’s do our best!"

Bakushin O.’s running is undoubtedly top-tier, but her teaching skills are a complete unknown. Given her usual hyperactive demeanor… I can’t help but feel uneasy.

Sitting stiffly on the sofa, I watch as Tomio pulls up a monitor and starts operating it. Bakushin O., for some reason, is now holding a scholar’s cap and a laser pointer, looking fired up.

Either way, opportunities to learn from Bakushin O. are rare. I steel myself and prepare my notes.

On the screen, Tomio plays footage of Bakushin O.’s dominant win at the Sprinters Stakes. With overwhelming acceleration, she left the other horse girls in the dust, winning by a whopping four lengths—a massive margin for a 1200-meter race. This victory, along with being the first back-to-back winner of the Sprinters Stakes, cemented her reputation as the strongest sprinter.

While the original Sakura Bakushin O. raced as a front-runner, this world’s version took the lead from the start and never looked back, not even letting Biko Pegasus in second place catch a glimpse of her shadow as she set a record time.

Handed the remote, Bakushin O.’s expression softens nostalgically. This must’ve been a memorable race for her too. Just as I think the usually loud Bakushin O. has gone quiet, she coughs awkwardly, as if to hide her embarrassment.

"Ahem! Trainer asked me to focus on two things: ‘How to run as a sprinter’ and ‘Key points when front-running.’ So, let’s get started!"

As Bakushin O. raises a finger, the Sprinters Stakes footage begins playing. She immediately points the laser at the screen and starts explaining. I grip my pen, ready to take notes—but her explanations are frustratingly vague.

"First, the early race—run as hard as you can! Use Bakushin Acceleration to secure the lead! Short-distance races end in a flash!"

Bakushin Acceleration?

……Oh, I see.

"Oh, we’re at the mid-race phase! The pace stabilizes, and you might feel tempted to relax—but keep accelerating with Bakushin Fighting Spirit!"

"…………"

Her vocabulary is way too abstract for me to grasp. I can’t let this opportunity go to waste—I perk up my ears, listening intently. Just as the race reaches its climax, she drops a useful keyword.

"Final stretch? More like Bakushin Stretch! Never look back—just keep maintaining your initial speed! Trying to adjust your pace too much will tire you out!! Stay at top speed from start to finish!! If you maintain the lead you built from the beginning, no last-minute sprint can close the gap!!"

"!"

Bakushin Acceleration and Bakushin Fighting Spirit were nonsense, but this? This makes sense.

In short: "If you build a lead early and maintain it while running at the same (or higher) speed as a late-charging horse girl, that gap won’t disappear."

This was the strategy Bakushin O. used in the Sprinters Stakes—a front-heavy race style resembling "lead-and-hold." Though, it only works because it’s a sprint…

I ponder further. Why did Tomio choose Sakura Bakushin O. over Silence Suzuka? I need to figure that out myself.

If it’s about "lead-and-hold," Suzuka is far more skilled. Tomio knows that. Yet, he picked Bakushin O.—a front-runner specialized in short-distance.

Why?

—Think harder. The answer Tomio prepared is right there.

"…Bakushin O., could you explain the early race phase again?"

"Of course! I’m the class rep, after all! Ask as many times as you need!"

I’ll admit, I underestimated this at first—but there’s more depth here than I thought. I wet my dry lips with my tongue and stare intently at the monitor.

After rewinding to the starting gate, I ask for slow-motion playback. Bakushin O. fumbles with the remote before setting it to 0.25x speed.

"Alright, let’s go over the start again—"

"Ah, wait! Bakushin O., I have a question about the start! Can you pause the footage?"

"Hwah?! O-Okay!"

Footage before and after the gate opens. While Bakushin O is momentarily confused by the halt, the race begins, progressing in a jerky, frame-by-frame motion. At around 0.5 seconds after the start, there's no gap between Bakushin O and the other girls. If anything, the horse girl on the far outside seems to have nailed her initial dash, appearing to pull ahead of Bakushin O.

Yet, in the very next instant—Sakura Bakushin O accelerates and seizes the lead. Just as her pink racing suit claims the front, the footage freezes, and Bakushin O's piercing gaze turns toward us.

——This is it.

This is the difference between us front-runners and Bakushin O.

First off, Suzuka and I excel at starts. The moment the gates open, we leap to the front, disrupt the race, and dominate all the way.

But what about Bakushin O? Her starts aren’t particularly strong or weak—just average. And yet, she always takes the lead.

I’ve had the lead stolen by other front-running horse girls before. Even when I didn’t lose it outright, I’ve been caught in messy early scrambles that left me exhausted.

Sakura Bakushin O? That never happens to her. There’s never even a hint of an early struggle. Unless she deliberately chooses to hold back, she always snatches the lead and never lets go until the finish. And she does this despite being surrounded by sprinters who go all-out from the start, burning through stamina without reserve.

What’s the difference?

——Her acceleration? Raw speed? Power? Explosiveness? Spring in her legs? Running form? I don’t know. Maybe everything’s different—or maybe nothing is. The only way to find out is to ask, so I hesitantly pose the question to Bakushin O.

"——Bakushin O, are you good at starts?"

"I think I'm average!"

"Then—how do you always take the lead?"

"Hmm! That’s a tough one!"

Bakushin O rubs her temples as she ponders. Then, as if struck by an idea, she asks for permission to go off on a tangent.

"It’s hard to answer right away, so can I tell a bit of a weird story!?"

"Eh? Oh, sure."

"Trainer, you’re okay with this too, right!?"

"Yep, go ahead."

"Bakushin O… what kind of weird story?"

"It’s a boring personal tale, but I think it’ll answer your question!"

"……?"

I don’t fully grasp her intent, but… if the answer lies there, then I’ll listen. Fidgeting with a laser pointer, Bakushin O begins recounting her past in fragments.

"As an exemplary class president, I believed I had to set an example for all students… so once, I thought about trying long-distance races!"

It’s a fairly well-known story that Bakushin O once considered long-distance racing and even followed a long-distance training regimen for a few days. Alongside that, there’s also the rumor that her trainer talked her out of it.

"In the end, I never ran a long-distance race, but during training, my trainer told me something! ‘You don’t have the aptitude for long-distance, but as a sprinter, you have an unusual amount of stamina’—that’s what he said!"

"……?"

"Which means, my running style forcefully converts that abundant stamina into explosive acceleration!! In reality, even sprinters need plenty of stamina!! Stamina and speed are two sides of the same coin!! So my little detour wasn’t entirely wasted!!"

"——!"

——A blind spot. I never considered that sprinters needed stamina too. I’d assumed it was solely a stayer’s trait, but thinking about it, of course it makes sense.

As I struggle to hide my astonishment, Bakushin O delivers another critical strike.

"To sum it up like this!! If we sprinters are gas-guzzling sports cars, then stayers like you are fuel-efficient hybrids!! In other words, Apollo’s trainer—isn’t he trying to make you run ultra-long distances with a gas-guzzling style!?"

——The moment I process those words, it feels like a direct punch to the skull. I glance at Tomio, and he nods repeatedly, grinning from ear to ear.

Running long distances with a sprinter’s style. If that could be achieved, it’d undoubtedly make me unstoppable.

But… doesn’t that mean even more stamina consumption? So… I’ll have to train my stamina even harder?

Pulling my ears back with a grimace, Tomio—sensing my thoughts—jumps in with reassurance.

"We’ve been hammering stamina training ever since Dubai ended, right? You might’ve thought any more would be overkill, but the reason I’ve trained you to handle 10,000 meters is precisely for this."

"Wha—!? You can run 10,000 meters now!?"

"But Apollo doesn’t know how to run inefficiently. That’s where we’ll need Sakura Bakushin O to teach her directly."

"...I see."

I have no aptitude for short distances. But perhaps I can mimic the running style unique to sprinters.

Burning stamina at an excessive rate, maintaining overwhelming speed to shake off the competition—then, in the final stretch, unleashing the fastest closing speed to secure a dominant victory. With my current stamina-monster physique, it might be possible. If my stamina holds, that is…

"Sakura Bakushin O, thank you. From here, let’s head to the track for practical training."

"Okaaay!"

"Yes! Understood!"

And so, we left the trainer’s room and stepped out onto the sun-warmed track.

After warm-ups on the turf, the training began immediately. Since sprinters and stayers share the same fundamental form, my focus was mastering inefficient running.

But "inefficient running" wasn’t so simple. My stayer instincts—the ingrained habit of efficiency—made it frustratingly difficult.

"No!! You’re still hesitating, Apollo!! Aren’t you subconsciously holding back!?"

"I-I’m trying to go all out…! Hah… hah…!"

——No matter how many times I attempted it, I always defaulted to my usual front-running style. Fast, yes, but not enough

—this level would only lead to defeat against rivals like Kaitofu Taro or an evolved Special Week. To surpass legendary horses, I had to break my limits and embrace recklessness.

After analyzing the issue… it seemed my long-distance habits were sabotaging me. Even when I thought I was sprinting, my body unconsciously conserved energy. Granted, my "top speed" in long races was fast—but a sprinter’s top speed was on another level entirely.

As I knelt, catching my breath, I noticed Tomio watching me after checking the timers.

...If my current mindset wasn’t working, I needed a paradigm shift. Time to tap into that emergency-overdrive instinct.

——For example, what if I imagined Tomio collapsing at the finish line? Without a second thought, I’d sprint at full throttle to save him.

...Back when "he" was dominant, I’d always fueled my competitive drive with romantic fervor. Even now, with "her" in control, that logic might still apply.

I’d commit to this delusion. Use my feelings for him to shatter the subconscious barrier—forget racing, forget strategy. Just run.

"Bakushin O, one more time, please."

"Got it!"

Bakushin O raised her flag, signaling Tomio. The moment my foot struck the ground—I hallucinated the love of my life crumpling to the earth.

Even knowing it was fake, the vision seared me with visceral dread. What if Tomio collapsed and was hospitalized? How could I live with that emptiness? The thought was unbearable—but it was exactly the trigger I needed.

"—Ugh—h—!"

——I burned my love into fuel. A pitch-black flame erupted in my chest, igniting a frenzy of emotion.

In that instant, my acceleration transcended all prior limits. Wind whipped at my face. My jersey flapped wildly. Bakushin O’s distant shouts faded as Tomio—500 meters away—suddenly loomed closer.

My muscles boiled. Brain cells danced at speeds beyond experience. My calves, honed through relentless training, bulged like a beast’s, roaring at this unknown sensation.

——So this is a sprinter’s world.

I wanted to bask in the euphoria, but it ended too soon—I blew past Tomio in a flash. Yet the afterglow lingered, a thrill like galloping through open fields for the first time.

An electric sprint. How exhilarating. Slowing to a stop, I grinned at Bakushin O and Tomio as they rushed over.

"Apollo, you smashed your record!! Hell yeah!!"

"That was amazing! Now you’re a Bakushin-style stayer!!"

"Bakushin O… Tomio… Thank you. I think I’ve finally grasped it!"

Despite running only a few hundred meters, my heart refused to calm. Part of it was the inefficiency, but this wild pulse—it was also the thrill of breaking into uncharted territory.