At the end of February, on this Sunday just before March began, it was a day of immense importance for racing fans all across Japan.
At Tokyo Racecourse, crowds of fans had gathered, watching reporters and staff already moving about the grounds. Their faces were tense, but their eyes burned with anticipation. Last year, they had finally welcomed two horse girls who had managed to win G1 races on the international stage.
But those had not been middle-distance races.
And now, at the most important distance of all, they were about to personally send off a horse girl chosen by their shared dream—one who would carry all of their hopes across the sea, to challenge the world-renowned horse girls waiting on the other side.
This first stop was not yet the destination of that dream, but it would be a vital station along the way.
Whether their confidence would soar or collapse… everything depended on this one journey.
The breathing of the crowd grew heavier and heavier. Before them lay the course at Tokyo Racecourse, where just two weeks earlier they had witnessed a regional horse girl claim the JRA's first G1 of the year.
February Stakes—the victory of Meisho Opera. In a straight fight, the local circuit had defeated Central outright, earning the applause and respect of everyone present.
Could this be an omen as well?
Could Overtake Trap, another horse girl who had also come from the "local" side, go abroad and win a direct showdown in the same overwhelming fashion?
No one dared say for sure. Even if Dubai's turf was said to resemble Japan's more than Europe's did, nobody dared make sweeping declarations.
If there was such a person—
The crowd's gaze fixed forward.
That man finally appeared.
Even though he usually dressed casually for interviews, this was the first time they had seen him before the cameras in a suit and tie.
Standing tall and straight, he drew so much attention that even the three assigned horse girls beside him were almost overshadowed. The fans grew even more excited.
In just a moment, right here, this man and his horse girl would make their declaration before the overseas campaign began.
Overtake Trap rubbed her arms. Her racing uniform still seemed to shine with the lingering brilliance of her Autumn Triple Crown, glittering in the sunlight. There was no trace of nervousness in her eyes—her gaze was filled only with the dazzling figure of Terumi Shinji beside her.
She had already been stunned when they met that morning.
And now, seeing him dressed like this again, she only felt more dazzled. No matter how many times she looked, she was sure she would never tire of it.
As she smiled to herself, she thought again how fortunate she was to have met a trainer like him—someone who made her feel proud in every possible way.
As the reporters took their places and all those eyes turned toward them, she edged even closer to him. King Halo and Narita Brian at her side could not possibly compete with her here. They were teammates accompanying them, and though they would offer their blessings later, from this moment on, this stage belonged only to her and Terumi Shinji.
With that thought, Overtake Trap reached out and took Shinji's hand.
The reporters captured the moment at once. Flashbulbs burst one after another. Shinji, caught off guard, tried to tug his hand free, only to realize she was holding on shockingly tightly.
There was no way he was pulling away.
He glanced sideways at her profile and found himself genuinely curious what she intended to say later. She had insisted the night before that it was a secret and refused to tell him anything.
It was probably something too embarrassing for her to say aloud—otherwise, with Overtake Trap's personality, she would have told him already.
So he let her lead him forward, hand in hand, until they stepped onto the raised platform that resembled a winner's podium.
The restless murmur of the crowd died away.
This was the same horse girl who had once plunged the grandstands into silence—but now, in a different role and for a different reason, she had become someone who could silence every person before her simply by standing there.
The host slowly held out the microphone. The unfamiliar woman looked at Overtake Trap with open admiration. This was the brightest star in Japanese racing now—without question.
"The send-off ceremony will now begin!"
At the host's announcement, the chant of Overtake Trap's name surged up at once.
It was as if the crowd wished to make up for the roar they had failed to give her in full at this very course back in autumn. They shouted all the harder now.
Overtake Trap only smiled faintly. She made no extra gesture.
That day had taught her too much. She had seen everyone clearly then, and now, even surrounded by this uproar, she remained completely composed.
Out of the corner of her eye, she looked at the man standing beside her.
Their hands had already separated, and suddenly she felt the urge to hook her arm around his.
But with so many cameras in front of them, she still lacked the courage.
She fretted inwardly over it, her tail swishing from side to side, brushing Shinji over and over until he let out a helpless sigh.
He took it as a sign that his horse girl was simply happy about the crowd's wholehearted recognition.
Still, there was no need for that tail to be quite so forceful. Even through his clothes, a few strikes had stung.
"Then, Overtake Trap, please say a few words to all the fans."
At the host's prompt, the grandstands gradually quieted once more.
This was the traditional segment of the send-off ceremony. The fans all looked at Overtake Trap's face, some so overcome with excitement they nearly seemed ready to faint.
Overtake Trap, however, noticed none of that.
She took the microphone, paused for a moment, and then suddenly turned to face Terumi Shinji.
"Thank you, Trainer."
The moment was unlike anything anyone had seen at any previous send-off ceremony.
Even Shinji looked at her in surprise.
Her expression was utterly sincere, and her reddened eyes suggested she had been swept up by far too many memories.
And among those memories there had surely been pain—enough that Shinji's own gaze softened.
"If not for you, there would be no me standing here today. I believe my results and my performances have already served as my answer to the fans, so what I want more is to say one thing to you, properly and sincerely."
"You've always treated me so well. If I said it casually in everyday life, it would never feel formal enough."
She was explaining why she had chosen to say this here, on this stage.
Stubbornly, she lifted her chin.
But perhaps because of embarrassment, perhaps because of shyness, perhaps because she truly was overwhelmed—tears still slipped from the corners of her eyes, and she turned her face aside slightly.
Did that make her look fragile? She did not want others to see it.
She would take everything her trainer had given her, and use it to show the world her own strength—and his worth.
That side of her should belong to her trainer alone.
The fans in the grandstands had no complaints at all.
Just as Overtake Trap herself had said, they had not gathered here because they needed some thrilling speech from her.
It was her races, her achievements, the things she had already done, that had brought them here.
She had long since made her declaration—back when she crossed the finish line at Nakayama.
So the crowd merely answered with applause.
That was their way of showing they understood. Of showing they agreed.
Shinji's eyes widened slightly.
Overtake Trap suddenly stepped closer.
Because of the difference in height, he found himself looking into eyes filled with an emotion he did not recognize.
He could not tell exactly what it was, only that it stirred something restless in him.
"I should have said this the very first time you invited me. Maybe this thank-you came late. But this year, I'll make sure it no longer feels late."
The girl's vow brushed over him more softly than spring wind.
He saw that her face had already taken on a rosy flush, as lovely as cherry blossoms about to bloom.
So he raised a hand and gently stroked her head.
Her hair slipped through his fingers, carrying a faint fragrance, and she narrowed her eyes in contentment.
Then, very lightly, she nuzzled into his palm—
Touching its warmth.
And plucking at the strings of his heart.
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