"2400m on heavy—are they trying to kill me?" Stardust Illusion fretted in the lounge.
She checked her stat page again and again.
Stardust Illusion—Base Stats:
Speed 459
Stamina 280
Power 194
Guts 191
Intelligence 170
(Complete stats in the author's note—no padding the word count before putting it on the shelf.)
Compared to half a month ago, she'd gained about 60 total.
Toyama's hill plan clearly worked; judged purely by numbers, this rivaled a typical support-card boost.
But it didn't solve the problem: 2400m brushes long distance, and today's muddy turf pushes the stamina benchmark higher still.
If she didn't find a way, her frontrunning consumption might leave nothing for the final kick.
Her eyes slid to a new golden skill in her list: Big Eater.
That's right—though she hadn't spent PT points, a month of relentless feasting had somehow "eaten" her a new golden stamina-recovery skill.
But there was a catch.
Big Eater only triggers with a 'stalker/pressing' style!
What now—switch to pressing in this race?
She eyed the "Pressing B" on her footwork line, thinking.
With pressing, she wouldn't be clueless—between imitating Tokai Teio and Oguri Cap and what she'd learned, she was confident she could manage a decent pressing run.
But…
Should she?
She laid a hand over her heart and felt its beat through her clothes. She didn't know what to choose, and murmured:
"If pressing would do, why… why is my heart telling me to lead?"
"…To see that boundless view ahead again—am I wrong to want that?"
"Of course you're right," a voice answered.
She looked to the door. At some point, a horse girl on crutches had opened it and finished her sentence.
"Hi. I'm Ines Fujin—your senior," the sunny girl waved.
"Ines Fujin?" Stardust Illusion knew the first horse girl Toyama had handled, recently rumored on the brink of recovery.
But why was she here?
"You're torn, aren't you?" Ines sat beside her, voice gentle.
"On paper, choosing to lead in this race is throwing yourself into stamina hell—no chance."
"But I succeeded," she said, cheeks faintly red with embarrassment, yet kept coaxing. "Did Trainer Toyama say anything?"
"She said… run however I want this time. She believes in my choice."
"She told me the same. Even with the data screaming against a runaway, I chose it."
"Afterward, many said my stubbornness caused my injury—that I might never run publicly again."
"If it were you—would you regret choosing a runaway?"
Stardust Illusion imagined it: in the Japanese Derby, fleeing all-out, leaving everyone behind and winning…
Every spectator in the stands would swing their arms for her; every mouth would shout her name.
What an honor…
That's the glory she craved—Stardust Illusion's winner's shine!
"I would never regret it," she answered, firm.
"You're right," Ines smiled, seeing the resolve return. "An all-out runaway without your whole soul poured in will only end halfway. Let others worry about consequences."
Stardust Illusion saw the unshakable confidence in Ines's eyes—no hint of regret.
She really was willing to stake everything on the runaway.
Even if she herself wasn't sure; even if it meant burning out her career—Ines never wavered.
This is… a true runaway runner.
Seeing Stardust Illusion had grasped it, Ines changed topics. "That's enough on style." She produced a worn notebook.
The cover was scuffed and the corners bent.
Stardust Illusion flipped it open. It was packed with notes—techniques and sensations for leading.
Yes, there were plenty of baffling sound effects and cute doodles.
But she could feel it—every line was Ines Fujin's own experience.
Even skimming, she could almost see Ines running before her, every technique fully displayed.
"This…"
She hesitated, holding what was essentially a runaway manual.
"What's wrong? I wrote it in bed when I couldn't move, after I heard two juniors had joined—meant as a meet-and-greet gift."
Ines ruffled her hair and stood, hobbling for the door. "Use the time left to read. I wanted to give it to you and Bourbon earlier, but Trainer Toyama wouldn't let me—"
"Who knows what she's thinking. Anyway, do your best!"
"Mm!" System chimes rang in her head. Stardust Illusion nodded, carefully paging through. "I won't let anyone down in this race!"
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