Chapter 1157: No. 62: Just Start Running and It's Done

NO. 62: But as long as you start running, it's over.

7400 meters, a length that even past long-distance races like the Arima Kinen (4800m) could not reach.

But this is precisely the long-distance limit set for ordinary G1 races after the association's reform.

Indeed, after the race reform, there are hardly any long-distance races held at various federations' racetracks; in fact, long-distance races are rare to begin with, and even among the well-known G1 races, only the Kikuka Sho, Arima Kinen, and the now Tenno Sho (Spring) which has become the Terra Sho.

In this regard, many young trainers and lower-class horse girls think—it's just rehab, there's no need to do this, right?

Choosing this track specification may be overly intense, but that is obviously for ordinary horse girls.

It has been said that late-career horse girls and early-career horse girls are like two different worlds, and retired horse girls who maintain their condition are even more of an oddball among them.

Ordinary track lengths cannot fully display their all-out effort; a 7400-meter course may seem excessive, but it is actually a suitably standardized test paper.

It is enough to show the level after students' review.

However, in such a segment, some students often lack experience.

Even if they have the ability to solve problems, they lack time management, stubbornly cling to overly early difficult questions, wasting too much time, and may not even have a chance to see the later questions they could confidently answer.

Of course, in the realm of paper tests, this counts as a low-level mistake.

After being told a couple of times, they correct it; if they have a painful realization, the correction lasts even longer.

But in the domain of horse girls' running practice, such allocation planning is an excessively common yet extraordinarily abstruse field.

Physical allocation on the track is often the first lesson horse girls face in actual competition, and also a lesson that accompanies their entire career.

Such a lesson varies with the track conditions each horse girl chooses—dirt, grass, sand, or mixed, not to mention long, medium, and short distances.

At this moment, Narita Hakujin is precisely facing such a lesson.

And among the spectators present, not a few can see her disadvantage.

"It seems this race wasn't initiated by Senpai Hakujin; Senpai Qianming also wants to do something big, right?"

"Why ask me about this? Your slick trainer knows her better than I do."

He glanced subtly at Dazhenhan's Ayaka Sakata, then looked back at the black figure in the race, inevitably adding a hint of worry to his eyes.

For a moment, she even felt a bit ashamed, because Hakujin's problem should have been helped overcome by a trainer like her.

Just thinking that she had once tried to hint to Trainer Lindun to put more thought into handling the horse girl, while she herself had neglected Hakujin's training in this regard, her mood grew even more gloomy.

——

Early stage, Turn 4.

Now, Representative Qianming is running ahead, a horse-length lead, appearing quite stable.

In a two-person race, the one leading undoubtedly bears all the pressure, and Qianming, who consistently favors a chasing style, rarely finds herself in a position to lead or set the pace.

One could even say it's the worst match; this free-spirited girl never likes bearing the burden of guiding the herd.

At this moment, she is indeed not the type to run up front.

The reason she's ahead is not because she's too fast, but because Hakujin has slowed down.

The fallen grass blades wail mournfully, the sorrowful wind whirls in a frenzy.

At first glance, this scene appears immensely powerful, but to Hakujin it feels too light.

Without a doubt, she hasn't yet decided how much force to exert here, or what speed to achieve.

Impatience.

The unfamiliar distance is like an unfamiliar jungle; the most interesting prey is not present now, only a beast threatening her life drives her to run, making her unconsciously follow its pace, unconsciously torn over whether to quicken her steps.

This is not a forest hunt, or rather, she herself is being hunted by the forest.

Qianming Representative.

From the very start, this defied many expectations: it wasn't that Hakujin recruited her as a stepping stone, but she herself dragged Hakujin into running, even throwing out a near‑threatening remark, forcing herself to step onto this unfamiliar battlefield so as not to burden Aomo.

Since then, I've become the prey, haven't I?

An excellent hunter should also know when they might become the prey; Narita Hakujin is surprised that Qianming seems to have an unusually keen interest in Aomo Lindun, and even more surprised by her choice of course.

Of course, by now these are not the most important things to worry about.

What matters most is still the running this woman is displaying right now.

Could she also be planning a comeback?

To make a comeback, she arranged a run in front of everyone to build momentum for the future?

This...

No, this doesn't seem like something Qianming would do...

The stern, aloof Narita Hakujin is actually not indifferent to everything; at least while many seniors were still on the track, active on screen, and even as a first‑year high school student, Hakujin likewise watched their runs.

Moreover, the centralized campus design of Chuo Tresen's middle‑high school and university gives underclassmen ample chances to witness the seniors' presence on campus.

Thus, for Narita Hakujin, Qianming is not entirely unfamiliar.

After she later joined the student council, Qianming would often appear alongside the president, indirectly showing up in the eyes of her slack‑off vice‑president self.

This is not only not completely unfamiliar, but even gives a bit of one‑sided understanding.

In that understanding, though the other is quirky and imaginative, she uniquely dislikes using petty tricks.

And her trainer, who has retired to become a housewife, is an honest, straightforward fellow who is always polite.

No…… What am I doing with these…?

Stepping on this annoyingly heavy grass, each step feels as if water splashes onto her pants and clothes; Narita Hakujin watches the figure ahead, long brown hair flying freely, and feels even more irritable.

Especially when her source energy unconsciously activates alongside her running, inadvertently giving her golden eyes a gleam, allowing her to see the faint flow of source energy on the other's body, and to sense that the other's information is being released like water, held back.

A feeling of being looked down upon also wells up from her heart.

She really shouldn't be thinking about these things!

The venue brings displeasure, the prey also brings displeasure; running, Hakujin feels a suffocating gloom, and finally realizes she has been indulging in idle fantasies.

She actually cares about those noises, actually engages in these superfluous thoughts.

This is completely unlike her usual self—no boiling blood, just being led by the venue and prey in the hunt, leaving her heart with only one thought at this moment.

Speed up.

What rhythm, what allocation plan.

None of it matters!

Just need to immerse in the longing run.

Just go hunt that bold, leaping prey.

Run, slay, until the day thirst is quenched!

Beneath the dark clouds, in the black-haired runner's eyes, golden light blazes.

And behind her, countless shadows stir in that inconspicuous shade.

Oh, finally the fighting spirit has risen.

…

A horse's length away, a bend enough to run side by side or even overtake, but at that moment she heard the other's words, seemingly carrying a smile.

She merely replied with those bright eyes, silently answering the joy in his pupils.

No surprise, no dissatisfaction, not even hostility.

No need to think, no need to talk; in that indifferent eye there is only pure intent to lock on.

Chengtian Bai Ren, begins the hunt.