Once concentration reached a certain threshold, one could enter the zone.
After studying Kyoei March's training, Shirayuki was certain of it.
The zone could be developed.
Gold Ship had not lied.
She had simply been telling the truth in the most misleading way possible!
That said, entering the zone through meditation was far harder than doing it in a race. Under normal circumstances, who could keep their mind completely empty? Even a monk sitting beneath a temple bell was probably thinking about lunch. Anyone with no stray thoughts at all would already be halfway to enlightenment.
And as for someone as rough around the edges as her?
Impossible.
"Shirayuki."
A voice brushed against her ear.
The next instant, Fujiwara Shirayuki was hugged from behind.
She turned her head and saw a familiar flash of green.
Hayakawa Tazuna.
Her hands, as usual, showed no intention of behaving. She gave Shirayuki's chest a light squeeze while gently nipping at her ear.
"Uwah~!" Shirayuki yelped. "Tazuna, we're in the hallway!"
"It's fine. Everyone's gone to lunch. You're the only one wandering around here."
Tazuna's voice was soft, almost teasing.
Compared to the conflicted look she had worn when she first learned Shirayuki's true identity, her current behavior was bold enough to make one question if that hesitation had ever existed.
Unlike with Fujiwara Chiya, though, even if someone saw her being affectionate with Shirayuki, they could simply pass it off as sisterly closeness. No strange rumors would spread.
Which was exactly why Tazuna enjoyed being daring with Shirayuki in public, and even more daring with Chiya in private.
Two different flavors of the same indulgence.
"Chiya can feel this too, can't he? He can, right? Hehe~"
As she spoke, Hayakawa Tazuna licked Shirayuki's ear.
A shiver raced across Shirayuki's entire body.
"Okay, enough. I'm working here. Stop distracting me!"
Switching into Fujiwara Chiya's tone, Shirayuki wriggled free.
"Ara, working overtime? My apologies." Hayakawa Tazuna lifted the lunchbox in her hand. "I came to bring you a bento. I'll head over right away, so wait for me just a little longer."
Originally, Hayakawa Tazuna had planned to make one for Shirayuki as well.
Unfortunately, Shirayuki's appetite was a bottomless pit.
A normal bento would not even count as a mouthful. If Tazuna wanted to feed Shirayuki properly, she would need to drag over an entire food cart.
After some serious consideration, Hayakawa Tazuna reached a conclusion.
She could capture Chiya's stomach.
Shirayuki's was beyond human reach.
"Got it. Hurry over."
Shirayuki touched her damp ear.
Tazuna's saliva was still there.
If Tazuna kept licking her like that, she might start coughing up hairballs one day.
"Oh, one more thing. I was planning to look for you anyway."
Hayakawa Tazuna slipped back into her professional smile.
"Your racing outfit is ready."
"What!?"
Shirayuki's heart thumped hard.
A racing outfit.
The special outfit an Uma Musume wore in G1 races.
They were made with the finest craftsmanship and materials currently available. Dirt-resistant. Wear-resistant. Soft, durable, and unbelievably light. Wearing one was said to feel almost like wearing nothing at all.
And every Uma Musume's racing outfit was designed around her personality and racing image.
Each one was unique.
I finally have my own racing outfit!?
What does it look like?
Shirayuki's excitement surged at once.
She could barely wait to try it on.
They said an Uma Musume wearing her racing outfit would feel as if confidence itself had wrapped around her.
"I don't know the exact design either. Director only just received the notice."
"Are we picking it up today?"
"Tomorrow."
Shirayuki clenched her fist and silently cheered.
"What about Dober-nee and the others? Are their racing outfits done too?"
Just as she asked, a faint noise came from farther down the corridor.
It sounded like someone had just passed by.
Shirayuki glanced over, but saw nothing.
"Mejiro Dober's and Meisho Doto's are already finished. Rice Shower and the others are in the second batch, so they'll probably have to wait a few more weeks."
"Then I'll pick theirs up first tomorrow. Anything else?"
"No…"
Hayakawa Tazuna paused.
She opened her mouth, then quietly closed it again.
Looking at the eager girl in front of her, Tazuna felt a strange unease.
Shirayuki was this excited over a racing outfit.
It was almost as if even Chiya's heart was starting to become that of an Uma Musume.
That alone was not a problem.
As long as he remembered that while he was an Uma Musume, he was also a man, and still Fujiwara Chiya, then everything was fine.
But if even his heart turned feminine, if he truly became nothing more than an Uma Musume…
Then Hayakawa Tazuna would have to take special measures.
After parting ways with Hayakawa Tazuna, Shirayuki pinched her chin and thought back to the racing outfits she had seen on other Uma Musume.
Every single one had its own striking character.
I finally have gear that belongs to me!
Shirayuki hoped it would look cool.
Ideally, something like Narita Brian's.
She really liked that wild, untamed racing outfit.
Just as she prepared to head for the cafeteria and satisfy her taste buds, another odd sound came from the end of the corridor.
Shirayuki stopped.
Her ears twitched.
She turned toward the sound and spotted a shadow moving.
After a moment's hesitation, Shirayuki walked closer.
"Meow~"
A cat's cry.
A second later, she saw Mejiro Dober crouched on the ground, holding a small black kitten in her arms.
"There, there. Good kitty."
Mejiro Dober held the kitten's tiny white paw and murmured to it gently.
"Dober-nee."
At Shirayuki's voice, panic flickered through Mejiro Dober's eyes.
She raised her head. The smile on her face looked just a little strained.
"W-what a coincidence, Shirayuki. You're here too."
"I was about to go eat. Isn't that Director's kitten?"
Chiya often saw it perched on Director's shoulder.
The cat was practically an accessory, clinging to her all day without fussing or causing trouble.
"It suddenly darted out just now. It even had a butterfly in its mouth."
"It probably ran off to play. Let's take it back later. Director might be looking for it."
"Okay."
Mejiro Dober held the kitten in her arms, and the two of them stood up.
On the way back, Mejiro Dober asked, "Shirayuki, I think I heard Miss Hayakawa's voice earlier. Were you two talking about something?"
"Mm. Our racing outfits are finished. She said we can pick them up tomorrow."
"I see. That's wonderful."
Mejiro Dober smiled.
For some reason, her voice sounded strange to Shirayuki.
As if she were holding something back.
Wait…
Did Dober hear what we were saying earlier?
The conversation between her and Hayakawa Tazuna?
Even if she had, it should be fine.
They had not said anything that serious. There was no way it would expose her relationship with Chiya.
Maybe she had just grown too jumpy lately because of Seiun Sky.
That girl kept drifting back and forth between her and Chiya.
That afternoon, Fujiwara Chiya was in charge of everyone's specialized training.
When he came to Mejiro Dober, she spoke in a quiet voice.
"Trainer, there's something I want to discuss with you."
"What is it?"
Mejiro Dober told him what she had been thinking.
Fujiwara Chiya froze.
"You still want to increase your training volume? But Dober… it's already very high."
"It's fine, Trainer."
Mejiro Dober's tone left no room for argument.
"My body can still handle it. I want to become stronger."
Her fingers curled tight.
"Strong enough that no one can ignore me."