Kasamatsu Racecourse.
Most horse girls in Kasamatsu made their debut here.
And today, Oguri Cap's debut race would be run on this very track.
"Uh… feels like there aren't many people here to watch," Suro said, glancing around.
The stands were practically empty.
"Well… it is a local horse girl's debut race," Kitahara explained from the side. "The attention is naturally a bit lower."
"If it were a Central horse girl, it'd probably draw a lot more interest."
"Is that so…" Suro nodded, then turned to Oguri Cap.
"Oguri, how are you feeling today?"
The gray-haired girl's lips curled up, her face bright with excitement.
"I feel great! And the shoes you got me are really good…!"
Oguri lowered her head to look at the black running shoes on her feet, clearly pleased.
Before the race, Suro had asked Zhanxin Guanghui to help pick them out for her—and the quality was undeniably top-tier.
Oguri had said she didn't need something that expensive, but Suro had vetoed her on the spot.
She was the horse girl he'd invested in—how could he save money on running shoes?
Buy them.
Buy the expensive ones.
A true gacha whale never hesitates when it's time to spend.
Suro had handed Zhanxin Guanghui 500,000 yen and told her to pick Oguri's shoes.
What he hadn't expected was that even with half a million in hand, Zhanxin Guanghui still chose the pair Oguri was wearing now.
"This is the best value-for-money model! Only 120,000 yen, and it hits the top performance level on the market!"
"120,000 yen…" When Suro heard that, he was devastated.
He'd thought she'd blow the entire budget. Instead, she'd only spent 120,000?
Sigh… why wasn't this kid more of a spendthrift?
Of course, Zhanxin Guanghui had no idea what Suro was thinking.
She'd simply picked the most suitable running shoes for Oguri. That was all.
It wasn't like there weren't pricier pairs—this one just had better cost-performance.
In any case, Oguri's shoes were basically as good as it got.
At the very least, she wouldn't lose because her shoes were holding her back.
Back to the present—
Suro stared at the black shoes on Oguri's feet, feeling complicated.
He'd bought them to lose money in the first place.
For him, the "best outcome" would've been Zhanxin Guanghui buying some flashy, useless luxury pair.
Instead, she'd chosen something that genuinely fit Oguri—indirectly raising Oguri's strength.
Which was not good news for Suro.
But it didn't matter!
Victory was still on his side!
Shoes could only influence a race so much—what mattered most was the horse girl's own ability.
A horse girl's strength accounted for 99% of winning and losing!
It was fine—Fujimasa March was here!
She'd take care of it!
"Oguri, just run your race today," Suro said, patting the girl on the shoulder, his tone gentle. "Even if you lose, I won't blame you."
Oguri looked straight into his eyes and nodded solemnly.
"I'm going to win."
Seeing her determination, Suro didn't say anything else.
Then he noticed Fujimasa March stepping onto the track as well, and one eyebrow lifted.
Mm-hm!
Those long, powerful thighs—could kick me dead in one strike!
Strong. Powerful. Absolutely—
For the sake of my losing-money plan, you have to win, March!
—
One by one, the horse girls entered the track and began warming up.
Fujimasa March spotted Oguri and walked over to talk.
"At last, I get to face you properly, Oguri Cap."
She looked thrilled. The opponent she longed to battle was right in front of her—how could she not be excited?
She was certain of it.
If she beat Oguri Cap in the debut race, her own strength would rise to another level.
And then she'd be one step closer to her dream—entering the Tokai Derby and taking first place!
"You are…?" Oguri asked, looking faintly puzzled.
In her memory, this was the first time she'd ever seen Fujimasa March.
"Oh? You don't remember me? Looks like Mr. Suro didn't mention it to you…" Oguri's reaction surprised Fujimasa March. She didn't remember the time they'd trained together?
"It's fine if you don't remember. You only need to know this—me, Fujimasa March, is the one who's about to defeat you!"
She smiled with absolute confidence.
But the very next second, a chill ran down her spine.
"Mr. Suro… you know Mr. Suro?"
Oguri still looked plain and unremarkable as ever, but her blue-green eyes fixed on Fujimasa March without wavering.
That feeling just now…
Fujimasa March narrowed her eyes slightly. Oguri's attitude had become noticeably more serious.
Why?
Because of Mr. Suro?
If she used Mr. Suro to provoke Oguri… would Oguri take this race even more seriously?
"Yes," Fujimasa March said. "I know Mr. Suro."
"What, he didn't tell you?"
There was a clear edge of provocation in her words.
"…If Mr. Suro didn't tell me, he must have his reasons," Oguri said seriously.
"So what exactly is your relationship with Mr. Suro?"
"Who knows?" Fujimasa March turned her head, her gaze drifting to the edge of the track—toward Suro. "Maybe it's a closer relationship than yours."
"Closer than mine…"
Oguri lowered her head and murmured.
Oguri Cap was a very simple horse girl.
As long as she could eat her fill and run, she was happy.
Now, one more thing had been added to her idea of happiness: wanting to repay Suro.
She didn't overthink complicated things.
But that didn't mean she was dull or insensitive.
On the contrary—Oguri was an unusually perceptive girl.
At least…
When she heard Fujimasa March say her relationship with Suro might be closer than Oguri's…
Oguri felt a sting in her chest.
And when something hurt, she needed to let it out.
So—
"I'll defeat you."
Oguri looked at Fujimasa March and declared it with absolute seriousness.
In this race… you're the one person I don't want to lose to.
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
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If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
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If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it