To become today's champion, what did Celestial Weave have to give up...
Not knowing about the Winner's Live, not knowing how to dance—these were probably just the tip of the iceberg. Narita Top Road pressed her lips together, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions as she looked at the bewildered Celestial Weave.
Never mind choosing a song, did she even have a song she liked?
In her life so far, besides racing, what else was left?
For some reason, Narita Top Road suddenly felt a pang of sadness and subconsciously grabbed Celestial Weave's hand. "There's still some time before the Winner's Live begins."
"So... so..." Narita Top Road looked at Celestial Weave's confused face, her grip tightening. "Let's practice together! Let everyone know, let everyone see! Yume's performance!"
"Oh, okay." Seeing the tears welling up in Narita Top Road's eyes, Celestial Weave instinctively agreed.
Once she nodded, Narita Top Road pulled her out of the locker room and ran towards the dance studio.
Horse girls are born to run, but if a life has nothing but running, isn't that...
...just too pitiful?!
Narita Top Road gritted her teeth, making a silent resolve. She would make sure Celestial Weave had a perfect performance on stage.
Soon, she burst through the doors of the dance studio, pulling Celestial Weave with her. Admire Vega, who was already waiting inside, opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by Narita Top Road.
"Hime! Do you have any song recommendations?!"
"Huh?"
Before she could ask any more questions, Narita Top Road had already taken out her phone, swiped a few times, and handed it to Celestial Weave. "These are a few songs I recommend. Yume, listen to them for reference first!"
Celestial Weave obediently took the phone and started listening. Meanwhile, Narita Top Road ran over to Admire Vega's side.
Seeing the drastic change in her classmate, Admire Vega frowned, completely baffled. The winner was Celestial Weave; she should be the one choosing the song.
As if reading her mind, Narita Top Road pulled her into a corner and explained in a low voice.
A few minutes later, after understanding everything, Admire Vega let out a soft sigh. Unconsciously, she recalled the scene she had witnessed on the track today. She felt a bit envious of Saint-King Halo, who could cheer for her sister from the stands. She turned to look at Celestial Weave, who was listening to music in the corner.
Yume? If she were my sister—
She shook her head, temporarily setting aside her overflowing emotions, and walked straight towards Celestial Weave. "Prepare yourself."
"Huh?" Celestial Weave looked up, confused, only to see that Admire Vega had already taken off her jacket, revealing her training clothes underneath. She flexed her wrists, her eyes as sharp as if she were about to step onto the racetrack.
"There's only an hour left until the performance."
"Let's begin!"
Narita Top Road had also changed into her training clothes at some point. She clapped her hands, her warm smile returning, though her eyes remained firm.
During the practice that followed, Narita Top Road was in charge of teaching the basic moves. Her explanations were meticulous, breaking down every turn and every arm movement into its most fundamental parts.
Admire Vega was in charge of correcting the details. Her eye was sharp, and she could immediately point out any awkwardness in Celestial Weave's movements.
"Relax your shoulders more."
"This turn needs to be smoother."
"Your eyes, watch your eyes! You're not on the track. They need to be softer."
Having never done any of this before, Celestial Weave was clumsy at first. But her years of training had not been in vain. With her excellent body control, her dance moves quickly became more fluid.
Time flies when you're focused.
Admire Vega, who had been keeping an eye on the clock, looked at the now sweat-drenched Celestial Weave and nodded silently. She went to the corner of the dance studio, picked out a towel and a bottle of water, and tossed them to her. "It's about time. This is good enough."
Celestial Weave's ears twitched, and she instinctively reached out her right hand to catch the items. She wiped her flushed face with the towel and then drank more than half the bottle of water in one go.
After catching her breath, she finally had the chance to ask the question that had been on her mind. "Why are you helping me like this?"
Narita Top Road caught the towel and water Admire Vega threw to her, wiping her sweat as she smiled. "Because this is your first... and only, debut stage!"
Admire Vega walked over and added, "The stage is an important part of being a horse girl."
For Celestial Weave, who had poured all her thoughts into the racetrack and was obsessed with winning, she couldn't understand why they placed so much importance on the stage.
Unlike other horse girls, her reason for stepping onto the track had never been about a love for running. She fought so hard to win for one reason and one reason only: to wake her mother from her hospital bed.
In her eyes, everyone on the track was an enemy, an obstacle to be surpassed. This was precisely why her demeanor changed so drastically the moment a race began.
In Celestial Weave's world, all horse girls who stepped onto the track were blades forged through fire. Only the one who fought to the very end could shine with the most brilliant light. She had to enter with the determination to cut down everyone else to be worthy of victory.
This was a racetrack, a dueling ground. One horse leads, ten thousand horses are left in the dark. To forge the sharpest blade, you must cut down all enemies.
There is only one winner.
This was why she couldn't understand them.
Narita Top Road was one thing; they had had a pleasant chat before the race and got along well after. In her heart, they were already friends. Off the track, she could still treat her as a friend.
But Admire Vega was different. She had never spoken to her. To Celestial Weave, her impression of Admire Vega was still frozen on the racetrack—an opponent to be cut down, to be surpassed.
She couldn't understand the importance of the stage to horse girls, nor could she understand why Admire Vega would help her.
Looking at her stubborn gaze, Narita Top Road seemed to understand something and said hesitantly, "Yume, horse girls are born to run... but..."
Before she could finish, Admire Vega stopped her with a look. She turned to Celestial Weave, looked her in the eye, and said, "Just think of it as the spoils of victory."
"Next time, I will win it back."
Celestial Weave looked into Admire Vega's purple eyes and saw something familiar. She subconsciously said, "We really are a bit alike."
We both have reasons we can't lose.
For some reason, hearing this, Admire Vega's body visibly stiffened, and she turned her head away unnaturally.
Narita Top Road looked at the two of them, blinked, and for some reason felt left out. She joked in a mock-plaintive tone, "Sorry I'm not like you—"
To her surprise, Celestial Weave smiled and said "Mhm," but before Narita Top Road could even protest, she continued, "Because Top Road is Top Road."
"Top Road is a kind person."
Hearing this, Narita Top Road also turned her head away unnaturally and mumbled, "What's that supposed to mean..."
Watching the two of them turn away for some reason, Celestial Weave was a little confused.
Just then, a staff member pushed open the door. "The three contestants, please head to the waiting area immediately... eh?"
The staff member, seeing this rare scene, was also stunned for a moment. After observing for a bit, she quietly reminded them again and slowly closed the door.
Five minutes later, the eager audience was waving their glow sticks in front of the Winner's Stage, creating brilliant streaks of light in the darkness.
As the lights danced, the stage lights came on one by one, revealing three figures on the previously empty stage.
The three, now in their stage costumes, shone brightly under the lights. All eyes were guided by the lights to converge on Celestial Weave.
Standing in the center of the stage, she nervously gripped the microphone. Even though she had practiced, facing so many people was still nerve-wracking.
"You should try being this nervous when you're being so direct with people," Narita Top Road's soft mumble came from her side. Celestial Weave instinctively looked over and saw her sticking her tongue out.
Beside her, Admire Vega gave a silent nod of agreement.
Though she didn't know what Narita Top Road was talking about, Celestial Weave's nervousness inexplicably subsided. She placed her hand on her chest and spoke to the audience, whose lights seemed to illuminate the entire night sky.
"I am Celestial Weave."
The lights in the darkness cheered, as if responding to her.
"The song I will be performing for you is—"
"Neo-Aspect!"
As her words fell, the spotlights went out and then lit up one by one. Brilliant blue and purple halos of light, like pillars, illuminated the entire Tokyo Racecourse, finally converging on the stage to light up the three figures once more.
Celestial Weave stood center stage, her red-ribboned ponytail swaying to the beat, her skirt flaring with her steps. Though her movements were still a bit hesitant, her eyes, reflecting the lights from below, showed no trace of confusion.
The electronic intro cut through the night like a shooting star. She took a deep breath and brought the microphone to her lips.
"Utsukushiki inochi no enrei (The captivating beauty of life)"
"Tsumugareta shirabe umareyuku michi (A melody woven on the path of becoming)"
"Believe me this is the right way"
—Her voice was clearer than she expected.
Her tense shoulders gradually relaxed under Narita Top Road's encouraging gaze. Celestial Weave stepped sideways, and in her peripheral vision, she saw the audience in the front row waving their light-up signs frantically.
She reached out her hand towards her supporters.
"Nobasu te wa nani mo tsukamenai mama (My outstretched hands grasp at nothing)"
"Ikitsugi mo umaku dekizu (Unable to even catch my breath properly)"
"Hieta kuchibiru damarikomu (My cold lips fall silent)"
In a trance, she remembered the feeling of being struck when she first heard this song in the dance studio. The pressure and anxiety that had accumulated over the years erupted through the lyrics.
"Into darkness…darkness…"
Beside her, Narita Top Road and Admire Vega provided timely harmonies.
"I feel loneliness…loneliness…"
"Your voice…kokoro no uragawa ni fureta setsuna (Your voice…the moment it touched the depths of my heart)"
"Find a way find a way"
The reason she had worked so hard, the love her mother had given her—all of it poured out from her heart as she sang.
"I know loved one loved one"
"Mou ichido tsunagou te wo (Let's hold hands once more)"
At that moment, the stage effects exploded. Holographic stars flowed beneath her feet. Celestial Weave suddenly ripped the red ribbon from her ponytail and held it in her hand.
"I hold you"
"Beautiful prouder"
"So beautiful braver"
"So beautiful brighter"
"Hokori takaku kanadetai (I want to perform with pride)"
"Ah on stage!"
"Sing away sing away"
The drumming reached a crescendo. She shouted into the microphone, the ribbon streaking like fire across the camera lens, setting the entire stage ablaze. The lights, as if ignited, instantly changed from blue-purple to orange-red.
"Miseyou arata na sugata wo (I'll show the world a brand new me)"
Narita Top Road and Admire Vega exchanged a glance and then moved to her side.
"Wo wo wow…"
As they sang the final harmony, they took her hands.
When the last note fell, a wave of cheers erupted from the audience.
Under the restored spotlights, Celestial Weave saw the blue ribbon on Saint-King Halo's ears shaking violently in the crowd. She was about to wave in that direction when she felt a touch in her palm. She instinctively turned her head.
"Perfect," Narita Top Road mouthed silently, then gestured with her head for her to look at Admire Vega.
Noticing the gesture, Admire Vega immediately dropped her previous expression, but Celestial Weave could still see the slight upward curve of her lips.
"So this is what it feels like... to stand here."
A feeling that something was about to begin filled Celestial Weave's heart, leaving her slightly dazed. Through their joined hands, she suddenly felt she was beginning to understand what the Winner's Stage meant to horse girls.
It wasn't until Narita Top Road took her hand to bow to the audience that she snapped out of her trance.
-------
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