So… she'd matured?
Staring at her long, fair fingers, Xingyun Liuge rose to her feet. Her first impression was that her line of sight had become much higher. The second was that her chest suddenly felt noticeably heavier.
She reflexively reached up and touched it.
Mm. Soft. Nice.
Though touching herself like this felt a little strange.
Xingyun Liuge quickly lowered her hand and went into the bathroom to inspect herself properly.
Soaking in the old-fashioned bathtub, she let out a soft sigh.
"So this is what it means to really live a second life…"
Back when she'd gotten hit by that cosmic truck of fate, one of her thoughts had been, I never even got to see what I'd look like when I grew up.
Who would have thought she'd grow up overnight? It was all a bit sudden.
Was this what a horse girl's full bloom was like? Xingyun Liuge had no idea, but she did not dislike it.
From today on, she was no longer a tiny little thing. She was a proper young woman now.
That meant she would not need anyone feeding her anymore.
From now on, she ought to be the one feeding others.
Even just eyeballing it, she was sure she was over one meter seventy now. Compared to the many horse girls who were only around one-fifty or one-sixty, she practically stood out like a crane among chickens.
Of course, that still did not compare to the European and American horse girls. Most of them were already over one-sixty, and one-seventy was common enough. The same was true over in the UAE.
"Maybe it's because Japanese people like them small? If you get too tall, they start calling you a giant or the Tokyo Tower…"
Cupping a handful of warm water, Xingyun Liuge watched it slowly slip through her fingers.
But that was human society, and she was a horse girl. It had nothing to do with her.
She adjusted her balance slightly, preparing to head straight for New York to set up some training races.
Belmont Stakes day was only a few days away. She had to make the most of her time.
Xingyun Liuge did not really care about the fact that she had suddenly grown up. If she had to name an inconvenience, it was only that her center of gravity had changed, and her viewpoint was higher than before. But those were things she could get used to with a little time. There was no way she would miss out on the third crown because of something like that.
Besides, according to the research she had done, full bloom marked the point when a horse girl entered her prime. She ought to be even stronger now.
At this point, she felt like she could probably punch a cow to death.
The random dice had refreshed, and she wanted a champion who was both fun and useful.
But after thinking it over, Xingyun Liuge decided to wait a little. She wanted to wash her face first, rinse away the bad luck, and bring in some good luck instead.
By the time she had dawdled through all that, the sky had already brightened.
Because Xingyun Liuge had not shown up for morning training, both Fujimasa March and Oguri Cap found the session strangely dull. They finished early and came back, planning to invite her to breakfast.
Chihaya Yui thought it was odd too. Xingyun Liuge was always punctual. Still, she did not overthink it, assuming the girl had simply run herself tired and slept in for once. So she sat in the hotel lobby, flipping through her notes while waiting for Xingyun Liuge to come downstairs.
Unexpectedly, Fujimasa March and Oguri Cap returned, yet Xingyun Liuge still had not come down.
A little worried, Chihaya Yui decided to go up and check on her, afraid something might be wrong.
The two horse girls eagerly volunteered as escorts.
They wanted to see Xingyun Liuge's room too.
The thought that they might get a glimpse of her sleeping face made both of them excited, and they silently thanked her for her foresight. If she had not left an extra room key with Chihaya Yui, they never would have had the chance to go in.
Apparently, both of them had forgotten that they could have just visited her room normally. It was not like she was guarding against them. They probably could have even asked to sleep over.
"Xiaoge, are you awake?"
After opening the door, Chihaya Yui, suspecting nothing, headed straight for the bed. She failed to notice that the bathroom light was still on.
The first one to see Xingyun Liuge was Fujimasa March.
It was only a casual glance, yet she immediately caught sight of a strikingly full curve, and the droplets of water rolling down from the girl's hair.
Xingyun Liuge had come out in too much of a hurry to dry her hair.
Fujimasa March's mouth fell open on the spot. Her body leaned back slightly, her face full of utter disbelief, as though she were asking: Where did the tiny little Xingyun Liuge go? And where did this tall, full-grown Xingyun Liuge come from?
Full bloom usually altered a horse girl's height, but not her facial features much. From the face, the brows, the lips curving upward, Fujimasa March could tell at a glance—
This was Xingyun Liuge.
But hadn't Xingyun Liuge said she had already gone through full bloom?
Did that mean she had fought her way through fierce competition and won three crowns before fully blooming?
Fujimasa March could not say a word.
At that moment, she understood even better why Xingyun Liuge had been so determined to race overseas.
She had been that strong before reaching full bloom. Now that she had, wasn't she practically charging straight toward an undefeated Triple Crown?
No—she was already charging straight toward one.
Noticing Fujimasa March's strange reaction, Oguri Cap followed her line of sight—
and froze.
There was a strange woman in Xingyun Liuge's room, wearing nothing but a bathrobe.
Terrifying. This was truly terrifying.
Could this woman be planning to do something bad to Xingyun Liuge?
Had those two women from last night actually been her accomplices?
As Xingyun Liuge's good friend, Oguri Cap felt it was her duty to protect her. So she stomped forward in a huff, not even realizing that she was unconsciously releasing pressure as she advanced.
She intended to grab this mysterious woman by the collar and demand an explanation.
But the closer she got, the stranger things seemed.
Why did this woman smell more and more like Xingyun Liuge?
Since when had her tiny little best friend turned into such a tall, full-grown woman?
Oguri Cap furrowed her brows, deciding that the situation was not simple at all. She grabbed Xingyun Liuge's hand and began sniffing all over her to confirm the truth.
Then Fujimasa March brought her down with a crushing headlock, and chaos erupted.
"…Anyway, this is because my full bloom just finished."
At that moment, Xingyun Liuge quite literally stood head and shoulders above everyone.
Among the girls from Kasamatsu, probably only Chihaya Yui, Fresh Shine, and Norn Ace could compare to her now. Everyone else looked like little hills by comparison.
Though if they were comparing height, only the European and American horse girls could really match her.
"There probably isn't any problem. Let's get ready and head to New York today."
Her tone was so casual that it sounded like she was merely suggesting a trip across town.
"Um… before that, could you loosen up a little?"
Chihaya Yui shakily raised a hand.
Xingyun Liuge had hugged her enthusiastically, and because of the height difference, Chihaya Yui's face had ended up pressed right into a valley of astonishing softness.
She could barely breathe.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 147)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter185)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter105)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter215)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 185
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 170
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/1
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 206
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 190
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/23
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 106
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 125
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 105
I Can Copy Unique Skills 90
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 90
My Harem Is Indescribable 80
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 86
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 81
Still playing traditional Honk 65
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 65
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 57
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 45
Transmigrated as Sukuna 59
Checking In in Demon Slayer 59
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 73
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 45
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 36
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 40
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 60
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 30
Why did they assign me to Uma 35
MYGO Beauties 43
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 30
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 31
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