Because Seiun Sky had blocked her line of sight, Fujiwara Chiya's movements were forcibly thrown off.
With the whole track cut from view, he could no longer tell what was happening behind him.
And in that tiny moment of hesitation, the bespectacled trainer behind him surged forward.
"Uooooh!"
With a shout like he was entering his final sprint, he blew right past Fujiwara Chiya's side.
Bro.
We're only five hundred metres in.
We haven't even hit the halfway point yet.
Why are you already burning your whole life away?
The reaction from the stands, however, was shockingly enthusiastic. Fujiwara Chiya could hear plenty of people yelling at the top of their lungs.
"Trainer, you're so fast!"
Fine.
As long as everyone was having fun.
While the race on Chiya's side continued, Seiun Sky finally lowered her hands.
Mejiro Dober, seated beside Shirayuki, glanced over in confusion.
"What are you two doing?"
"We're playing Red Light, Green Light with Shirayuki," Seiun Sky said lazily. "If she can't see, she turns into a statue."
"Hah?"
Mejiro Dober stared at Seiun Sky's unreadable smile, completely unable to figure out what she meant.
Once Dober's attention drifted away, Seiun Sky leaned close to Shirayuki's ear and whispered.
"So this is your secret?"
Shirayuki gave a small huff.
Sure enough, Seiun Sky had heard what was said that day.
"Shirayuki is Trainer's eyes, and Trainer is Shirayuki's eyes…" Seiun Sky murmured. "I thought I'd only heard that in a dream."
Trainer had not lied.
The truth really was that ridiculous.
Eyes…
What I see is what you see.
No, it probably isn't just vision. Trainer's movements changed a lot just now. The two of them aren't connected only through their eyes.
From the track, the announcer's voice rang out.
"Trainer Chiya has been overtaken!"
Seiun Sky leaned back against her chair.
"Let's talk after the race."
She smiled faintly.
This was not the right situation for a proper conversation.
By the time the race reached the one-thousand-metre mark, Fujiwara Chiya felt like his lungs were on fire.
"Hehe, Chiya! The real match starts now!"
Kiryuin Aoi's voice rang out with terrifying confidence.
Then her speed rose again.
How is that possible!?
Kiryuin, you're human, right?
You're not an Uma Musume, right?
How do you still have anything left in the tank!?
Fujiwara Chiya watched in horror as Kiryuin Aoi pulled farther and farther ahead.
Soon, the gap widened to seven lengths.
An escape runner?
No.
An escape human.
Or maybe a humanoid Front Runner.
No wonder she managed to train two excellent Front Runners. She had been one of them all along!
"It's Trainer Kiryuin! It's Trainer Kiryuin! She's so strong! Eight lengths, nine lengths… A huge lead has opened up! A huge lead has opened up in the Trainer Cup! She is a legend among humans! A humanoid Uma Musume!"
The stands erupted.
Cheers rolled across the racecourse as the crowd shouted Kiryuin's name.
After this race, Kiryuin Aoi would probably become famous throughout Tracen.
With an overwhelming lead of thirteen lengths, Kiryuin Aoi crossed the finish line.
A full four seconds later, Fujiwara Chiya finally crossed after her.
He stopped, gasping for air, then turned his head.
Only then did he realize the others had been left so far behind that they were nowhere to be seen.
"Second place, Trainer Chiya!"
The eighteen-hundred-metre race had successfully concluded.
Fujiwara Chiya lowered his gaze to his legs.
They were still attached.
Unfortunately, human athletics did not have an official eighteen-hundred-metre record. Otherwise, he genuinely wanted to know where his time would rank.
"That was a wonderful race, Chiya."
Kiryuin Aoi walked over. Crystal-bright sweat glistened on her face. Even though she had crossed the finish line several seconds ahead of Fujiwara Chiya, she somehow looked to be in better shape than him.
Terrifying.
And this was only a race between humans.
Uma Musume races were even more brutal than this, packed with prodigies blessed with extraordinary talent, monsters just like Kiryuin Aoi.
When I face people like that…
Can I really win?
For a moment, Fujiwara Chiya felt as though he could see himself suffering a crushing defeat somewhere in the future.
Still panting hard, he took the hand Kiryuin offered him and uttered a very classic line.
"Next time… I won't lose."
"Hehe. Same here."
Kiryuin was in a very good mood.
After the race ended, Fujiwara Chiya headed to the competitors' lounge to rest.
On Seiun Sky's side, the conversation could finally continue.
"Looks like my trainer was still one step above yours, Shirayuki."
"Next time there's a race, athletic students and Uma Musume can sit at the same table."
"Trainer Kiryuin is a genuine human," Seiun Sky said, placing both hands behind her head.
Silence lingered for a moment.
Then, at last, the two of them returned to the main topic.
"Trainer's movements just now…" Seiun Sky said. "That means Trainer can see what Shirayuki sees?"
"That's right."
"And Shirayuki also has Trainer's field of vision?"
"More or less."
"Then can he hear our conversation?"
"He can."
Seiun Sky slowly raised her head.
"In that case… what's the difference between talking to Shirayuki and talking to Trainer Chiya?"
"There isn't one."
The air fell silent again.
"Shirayuki is… Trainer Chiya?"
"You can understand it that way."
"I see."
Seiun Sky murmured those words.
A few seconds later, she closed her eyes.
Her breathing became soft and even.
…
"Hey! Why are you sleeping!?"
Shirayuki stared at Seiun Sky, who had suddenly started dozing off, and shook her shoulders.
A nose bubble popped.
Seiun Sky opened her eyes halfway.
"Shirayuki… Trainer Chiya…"
"I just told you my biggest secret, Sky! No matter how you look at it, you should at least react somehow! What do you mean, suddenly falling asleep!?"
Shirayuki shook Seiun Sky again, but the girl lay limply against her body.
"Seii-chan, you see, is very stupid," Seiun Sky mumbled. "I don't understand things that are too complicated. What Shirayuki just said has already gone beyond Seii-chan's range of understanding. So… I'll sleep. If I fall asleep, I don't have to think about anything."
"Don't run away from reality! You're the one who asked!"
But no matter how Shirayuki pushed, pulled, or shook her, Seiun Sky stayed motionless, like an oversized doll.
"Shirayuki, what are you two doing?"
Hearing the commotion, Mejiro Dober looked over curiously.
Around them, the stands were filled with the excited voices of the Uma Musume, loud and chaotic.
"Sky-chan's sleepiness acted up. I'm trying to wake her."
Shirayuki shook the large Seiun-cat in her arms.
Seiun Sky's face looked completely peaceful.
"It's kind of impressive that she can sleep in this kind of environment."
After fooling Mejiro Dober again, Shirayuki pinched Seiun Sky's nose.
Seiun Sky immediately switched to breathing through her mouth.
So Shirayuki covered her mouth too.
Seiun Sky's face slowly flushed red.
Even then, she still refused to wake up.
"If you don't get up, I'm going to play a prank on you. Do you hear me… Sky?"
Seiun Sky's brows furrowed slightly.
Then they relaxed again.
Damn it.
At least give me some kind of reaction.
Get angry. Question me. Anything is fine.
What are you doing lying on me and playing dead?
As Shirayuki continued shaking her, memories of Seiun Sky's time with Shirayuki and Chiya rapidly surfaced in her mind.