Akasaka Rin was pacing excitedly around the comntary booth—this was her very first ti comntating on a Grade 1 race, and what's more, the Japanese Derby, one of the Classic Triple Crown events.
After Dream Weaver's popularity skyrocketed following the Satsuki Shō, Rin—who had been covering her races since her local track days—had started to catch people's attention.
Recognizing her sharp skills and the almost storyworthy connection she shared with Dream Weaver, Rin was invited to join the comntary team for the Japanese Derby as a guest.
Once again, the main comntator would be Sugimoto Kentaro, who had also called the Satsuki Shō.
While Rin buzzed around the room full of energy, Sugimoto could only gaze out the window with a worried look.
Last ti, the Satsuki Shō had to be moved from Nakayama Racecourse to Tokyo Racecourse due to an earthquake. Now, with dark clouds looming heavily outside, it looked like the Derby might be hit by a downpour.
In a top-tier race like this, track conditions make all the difference—especially on a rainy day. If any of the Uma Musu missteps on a turn, it could lead to a serious, irreversible injury.
Orfevre was the Japanese racing world's hope to break the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe curse, and Dream Weaver, who had defeated her, now carried that sa level of expectation.
If anything were to happen to these two promising stars in this Derby…
Just the thought of it made cold sweat drip unconsciously from Sugimoto Kentaro's forehead.
He couldn't even imagine the shockwaves it would send through the racing world.
'Maybe I'm just worrying over nothing,' he thought. Every Uma Musu who makes it to this level has top-class talent. They should be able to handle their pace, even in the rain.
Sugimoto Kentaro let out a long breath and tried to steady himself.
anwhile, out in the stands, spectators were gradually filling the seats.
Among them was Tagami Kan.
Thanks to his press pass and hours spent waiting outside, he'd managed to be among the first allowed in.
Truth be told, since he'd already bought his ticket in advance, there was no real need to rush in early.
It was just a bit more waiting in line, after all. There was still plenty of ti before the athletes entered and the race began—enough to adjust his cara settings from his seat.
But this was Dream Weaver's race. Dream Weaver, running in the Japanese Derby—a local hero stepping onto the stage of the Triple Crown, aiming for a title only a handful had ever claid.
How could Tagami not be fired up? How could he not want to enter the venue as early as possible?
The photos and articles he'd published after the Satsuki Shō were well-received, and even earned him praise from his boss.
But honestly, he didn't care about any of that. What he wanted was to be there in person, using his cara to capture every shining mont of Dream Weaver's career.
Eagerly, he stared toward the tunnel where the athletes would erge. A strong wind swept across the gloomy skies, but it couldn't extinguish the fire burning in Tagami's heart.
Not far from his seat, the group from Kasamatsu Tracen also filed into the stands. They found their seats one by one and, just like Tagami, fixed their intense gazes on the athlete tunnel.
They knew perfectly well that there was still ti before the race began—Tagami knew it too—but they just couldn't contain their excitent.
"It's like a dream," Koutarou Haibara said emotionally. "When I first brought Little Dream to our school, I never imagined we'd see a day like this."
Since Dream Weaver had arrived at Kasamatsu Tracen, everything had changed. Not only had everyone at the school regained their fighting spirit, but just as she'd promised, they'd even pulled a champion from a prestigious school down from her throne.
In the past, when he'd been struggling just to keep Kasamatsu Tracen afloat, Koutarou would never have dared to dream like this.
Back then, his biggest hope was that Oguri Roman would make it to Central Tracen—just to let everyone know that the na of Kasamatsu still existed.
He never imagined he'd live to see one of his own students step onto a stage like the Japanese Derby.
The thought brought tears to the old man's eyes.
"If you're going to cry, at least wait until Little Dream wins," his daughter Chizuru said with slight exasperation as she handed him a handkerchief. "What's the point of crying now?"
"I just couldn't help it," Koutarou replied. "We've watched Little Dream grow from her debut all the way to where she is now."
Hearing this, the others from Kasamatsu nodded in agreent.
Even Chizuru, who'd been teasing her father a mont earlier, felt a pang of emotion. They'd all been there—from the days when only a handful of spectators showed up at Kasamatsu Racecourse—watching Dream Weaver rise to this very stage.
Thinking of that, Chizuru couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Nanno Sumire. She and Dream Weaver were so close—it must have been hard for her to miss such an important race.
But then Chizuru shook her head with a soft smile. Sumire choosing to race in the Haneda Hai, held on the sa day as the Derby, couldn't be a coincidence.
She and Dream Weaver must have made so kind of promise to each other.
At that very mont, inside Ōi Racecourse, Nanno Sumire quietly clenched her fists.
The Haneda Hai was established during local racing's golden era as a challenge to central racing—intentionally scheduled on the sa day as the Japanese Derby, a symbol of rivalry.
Now that local racing had declined, the Haneda Hai had also fallen in prestige.
But it was still a Grade 3 premium race—the most important step for local Uma Musu aiming for the central circuit. It was even held at Tokyo's Ōi Racecourse.
Almost instinctively, Sumire glanced in the direction of Tokyo Racecourse.
Right now, she and Dream Weaver were in the sa city, but at different racetracks, competing in two very different races.
It was the promise they had made to each other last year.
Dream Weaver would win the Japanese Derby, making the nas of Kasamatsu and local racing echo throughout the central circuit once more, forcing those elite schools to take notice.
And Sumire would win the Haneda Hai, showing local Uma Musu that even if they weren't born geniuses, they still had a purpose on the track.
Sumire took a deep breath. For her, the Haneda Hai was what the Derby was to Dream Weaver.
They both had fierce competitors. They both had reasons they couldn't afford to lose.
'I will win.'
'So you better win too.'
Sumire whispered the words in her heart just as the announcer's voice rang out—
"Number five—"
"From Kasamatsu, the Uma Musu Nanno Sumire!"
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T/N: HI3 x HSR Fanfic Up!
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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