The next day, Seiun Sky strolled into the classroom, greeted Shirayuki like nothing had happened, then flopped face-first onto her desk and went straight to sleep.
Business as usual.
Apparently, Seiun Sky hadn't heard what Chiya said yesterday.
At least, that was the official story.
Shirayuki had definitely seen her ears twitch. Of course, it could have just been an instinctive reaction. Cats did that, right? When they heard something in their sleep, their ears turned toward the sound on their own.
Probably.
Maybe.
…Yeah, no. Shirayuki wasn't buying it.
She had no idea what Seiun Sky was plotting now. That girl might look like a lazy cloud drifting wherever the wind took her, but under that sleepy, relaxed exterior was a mind sharper than almost anyone else's.
Either way, Shirayuki had already told Seiun Sky her biggest secret.
The debt she owed her for making her wait had been paid.
Whatever Seiun Sky chose to do next was Seiun Sky's business.
"Tomorrow is the event race. I hope all of you remember to finish your homework while you're resting," the teacher said before leaving the classroom.
The event race.
The trainer race Director Akikawa had mentioned.
Apparently, it had been created so the uma musume could see their trainers' competitive spirit and personal charm.
Shirayuki could already picture the nightmare waiting for them at the racecourse. Faced with an endless track, every adult there would surely be dragged back to the trauma of university fitness tests.
How is that supposed to show off charm?
That's just public execution!
"I heard this race is called the Trainer Cup. Apparently, they've held it before."
The students around her began whispering.
So Director Akikawa had been this whimsical even before?
"I heard from a senpai that one trainer won five events."
"Seriously? That's amazing. Who?"
"They didn't say the full name. Just the surname. Fujiwara."
Shirayuki's ears swayed.
Fujiwara.
The same surname as his.
Granted, it was a fairly common surname in Japan. There was Fujiwara Chika from the neighboring high school, and Fujiwara Takumi, the tofu delivery guy from town.
Still, after hearing that the previous champion had been a Fujiwara, Shirayuki somehow felt a little more confident.
Even if Chiya lost, maybe it wouldn't be that embarrassing.
The day passed in the blink of an eye.
And soon, the Trainer Cup arrived.
Fujiwara Chiya stood in front of the mirror and looked himself over.
For the first time in quite a while, he had taken off his trainer uniform and changed into sportswear. Compared to his usual outfit, this was much more comfortable. Loose. Soft. Easy to move in.
Since Chiya paid attention to his diet and exercised regularly, his body had not fallen out of shape. Even after two years, the clothes still fit him perfectly.
"Chiya, let's go. Time to head to the racecourse."
Katsumura Youta called to him as he passed by the door.
Chiya adjusted his collar a few more times, then followed him out.
The two chatted along the way.
"Since Director is holding this kind of race, I won't hide it anymore, Chiya." Katsumura Youta crossed his arms with a solemn expression. "Back in high school, I was in the track and field club. Not only that, I was the ace."
"Oh?"
"Countless girls cheered for me back then. Some even confessed to me. But because I wanted to act like a cool, aloof ikemen, I turned them all down." Katsumura Youta stared into the distance, his eyes full of regret. "Looking back now, I really was an idiot."
Chiya wanted to comfort him.
Unfortunately, he also felt Youta was absolutely correct.
After thinking for a moment, Chiya patted him on the shoulder.
"It's fine. You'll get used to it."
"That does not comfort me at all!"
"In this race, I'm definitely going to reclaim my past glory!" Katsumura Youta clenched his fists. "Just watch, Chiya. I'll show you why they used to call me the Wind Man!"
All one hundred eighty-six trainers, thirty-two instructors, and one hundred forty-four teachers of Tracen Academy had gathered on the training grounds.
Meanwhile, nearly two thousand uma musume filled the stands.
Their cheers were even louder than ordinary spectators. Somehow, they had forcibly created the presence of a crowd ten thousand strong.
Before the race had even begun, some trainers were already visibly nervous.
For most of them, this was their first time being watched by so many people. The pressure was no joke.
Fujiwara Chiya, however, was already used to that feeling.
Compared to an official race, this crowd was still small.
He glanced at Katsumura Youta beside him.
The man's legs were trembling nonstop.
Naturally, he absolutely could not let anyone see that he was panicking.
Especially not the uma musume.
Katsumura Youta cleared his throat and put on a calm, composed expression.
Cold sweat kept forming on his forehead.
"Welcome, everyone, to the annual Trainer Cup!" Hishi Amazon's energetic voice boomed across the grounds. "I'm your host, Hishi Amazon! I'm sure all the trainers, instructors, and teachers you admire have already arrived on the racecourse!"
The stands exploded with cheers.
"That's right! After watching you all race through storm after storm, today it's their turn to stand on the track! Let them experience the atmosphere of a race too!"
"By the way," someone muttered nearby, "why do the teachers have to participate too?"
"Trainers are technically teachers as well. Strictly speaking, this should be called the Teacher Cup. But since it's a Tracen event race, Trainer Cup sounds better."
Chiya had wanted to say this for a long time, but Director Akikawa really did love stirring things up.
"Now then! The first race, the eighteen-hundred-metre mile race, begins now!"
At Hishi Amazon's command, the entire audience erupted.
If anyone was happiest about the trainers racing, it was naturally the uma musume.
Sitting in the stands, Shirayuki looked around at the girls nearby. Every single one of them was shouting "Trainer!" with the passion of die-hard idol fans.
"Onii-sama! Do your best!"
A familiar voice pierced through the roaring crowd.
Not far from Shirayuki, Rice Shower was cheering with all her might, her fair cheeks flushed as she struggled to catch her breath.
Rice, even you?
Looking at the uma musume around her, each one louder and more excited than the last, Fujiwara Shirayuki once again felt the terrifying heat of their enthusiasm.
For some reason, she had the distinct impression that these uma musume might rush onto the track at any second and tear the trainers apart.
This is terrifying.
What kind of school is this!?
Shirayuki swallowed.
She felt like she had been thrown into a pack of wolves.
Dear trainers, please protect yourselves while you're at Tracen…
"What an incredible sight."
At some point, Seiun Sky had appeared beside her, lazily scratching her head.
"Sky-chan, you came to watch too?"
"If Trainer is competing, then of course I have to appraise him properly." Seiun Sky gave a sleepy smile. "I'm actually pretty curious who's stronger between Trainer Kiryuin and Chiya."
"It's not like they'll necessarily be assigned to the same race…"
"Maybe not."
Seiun Sky smiled and sat down beside Shirayuki.
At the same time, the race assignments were completed.
Fujiwara Chiya.
Second race.
Lane three.
Kiryuin Aoi.
Second race.
Lane five.
Seiun Sky had actually guessed it right.
Shirayuki pinched her chin, her brows tightening.
She had no idea how Chiya was supposed to deal with Kiryuin Aoi, that humanoid uma musume.
Beside her, Seiun Sky quietly studied Shirayuki's face.
"Actually, I am Shirayuki's second pair of eyes."
Those words echoed in Seiun Sky's mind.
As she watched, Shirayuki's expression seemed to overlap with Chiya's.
What Shirayuki sees is what Chiya sees…
Seiun Sky had thought about it all night.
In the end, a bizarre idea had popped into her head.
It was so bizarre that, even though the person himself had admitted it, Seiun Sky still wanted to treat it like a joke.
So she needed proof.
She needed to see it with her own eyes.