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Just a little further, c’mon, Haru Urara grit her teeth and urged herself forward.
This was her very first G1 race and she had come so far, she had to make it to the very end – and as a winner.
The cold and rain did not go together. It made the mud hard and tacky under foot but too much power, straight through the meniscus and into the soft, slurry of soil. It was so gross and it hindered even more but the dirt was where Haru Urara belonged. This was where she felt most free and comfortable to run how she wanted to run but for the first time ever, victory was within her grasp.
She just had to attain it.
Even if her body ached, even if the cold air of February bit her face and made her not want to smile as her breathing turned so ragged. She had used up so much force and energy to get from behind the pack all the way through to second place – the highest she had ever run!
But she knew, if she could just try a little harder, run a little faster then maybe… Maybe she could come first.
Before that, however, there ran one Uma Musume: Taiki Shuttle.
Taiki Shuttle was a giantess of an Uma Musume, bouncy blonde hair and a can-do attitude. They were friends and had been for a while, from their junior year all the way to senior. All thanks to the Unity Cup and it was there that they usually ran as companions rather than rival competitors.
So this was a different experience: to see Taiki Shuttle from behind rather than the sidelines where Haru Urara cheered her little heart out for Taiki Shuttle to do fantastic in her race. She always did. Now, Haru Urara could see why with her own two eyes: the sweat slipping down her back, the angular muscles of it, even, her scarf that was fettered by the wind and her stride… Oh, her stride was enough to create earthquakes with every touch down of her boot.
It was intimidating.
Everything about her was bigger and more boisterous than Haru Urara. She was the kind of Uma Musume who did great on both turf and dirt but she was better at the former and the latter didn’t stop her. Hence today, they were duking it out in the front of the sprint pack. Taiki Shuttle was a formidable rival but she had a heart of a gold and unlike Haru Urara, this was far from her first G1 race. It may as well be a jog around the park for her but she took it seriously.
Way more seriously than Haru Urara and that just inspired her to finally knuckle down and pick herself up by her bootstraps. She could do it. She knew she could do it if she tried hard enough and she tried harder than anyone. She launched forward, she found a second wind that she didn’t know she had inside of her and she tried to tear through the last two hundred metres of the sprint race. She smiled and felt stoked enough to pick up some speed and the whole crowd was cheering for her. Her Trainer was the loudest of all.
But it was all for naught.
Despite Haru Urara’s best efforts, she couldn’t fight the February blues and pull off more than a silver result. It was, of course, her first second place in a G1 race but still. The victory rang hollow as Haru Urara crossed the finish line in Taiki Shuttle’s bootprints.
Ahead of her, Taiki Shuttle preened for the audience and cameras.
She was so naturally charismatic with that huge grin of hers flecked by freckles and relatively pearly whites. She waved hello to all the folks at home and then turned around. She saw Haru Urara. Their eyes met and oh.
Haru Urara was thunderstruck. Not by jealousy but by something else. Taiku Shuttle only had eyes for her and they were so proud.
“Hey, teammate!” Taiki Shuttle called to her. “Get in ‘ere!”
“Huh? Oh, uh me?” Haru Urara was startled by the volume of Taiki Shuttle’s voice.
“Of course I mean you, Haru, now get in ‘ere!” Taiki Shuttle encouraged her with a pump of her muscles and as impossible as it sounded, an even bigger smile than before.
Haru Urara nervously obliged. She skedaddled closer, jogged up to Taiki Shuttle and then thwomp.
Before Haru Urara could even blink, she was picked up by Taiki Shuttle and put on her shoulders. Haru Urara’s legs dangled as she suppressed the urge to fight the height she achieved. She was so not used to being this far off the ground – is this what Taiki Shuttle saw all the time?
If so, it was magnificent. The people, the furthestness of the fields, and the blueness of the skies. Haru Urara looked around. Even though Taiki Shuttle’s fans had overloaded the volume of the stadium, Haru Urara could still see that she was adored just as far and wide. Her – their? – Trainer clapped raucously to see them both get along. It made Haru Urara blush.
She glanced down at Taiki Shuttle who replied, “Whaddya think? Nice view, eh? You earned it.”
“But I only came second…” Haru Urara quibbled.
“Don’t sell yourself short, you are growin’ quicker than a weed these days. You always put in one hundred and ten pa-cent, I swear, so enjoy it. Lookin’ so down in the dumps ain’t for a cutie like you.” Taiki Shuttle told her.
Haru Urara’s stomach did a somersault. Her cheeks burned redder with her humbleness as it turned into embarrassment. She… She needed to decide how she felt and what Haru Urara realised in the end was that she wasn’t upset that she hadn’t come first. That was a genuine promise.
“I know, I know, I just want you t’ get a taste fer it.” Taiki Shuttle teased. “‘Cuz I reckon, our next G1 will be a hootin’ and hollerin’ thrill if you keep racin’ like that an’ who knows? Maybe you’ll be in first next time.”
Haru Urara smiled, she gently placed her hands on Taiki Shuttle’s neck and shoulders. Partly for support and partly to hug her, kind of.
“You think so?” Haru Urara asked.
“I’d say I know so but I’m not gonna make it easy for ya, haha.” Taiki Shuttle told her.
“Then… Then I’ll look forward to it.” Haru Urara said. “I’m gonna run my bestest yet! You’ll see!” She sounded pumped.
“That’s what I like t’ hear!” Taiki Shuttle howled.
“Yeah!” Haru Urara echoed enthusiastically.
She pumped her other arm the same way Taiki Shuttle had – to show off the muscles that she very much did not have unlike the other, taller and blonder Uma Musume. Still, it made them two peas in a pod and the crowd in the stands couldn’t get enough of it. They were basked in enough adoration to turn the grey and wintry day to splendid sunlight.
And this was well before the idol concert to follow, it was sure to only get happier and louder from there with microphones and music.
But first: Taiki Shuttle had to put Haru Urara down and she obliged. She shimmied her shoulder and Haru Urara yipped in surprise. She was manhandled and grabbed as gently as possible but it was still quite rough.
Taiki Shuttle held her out in front of her and Haru Urara’s stomach did another somersault. Her legs dangled above the ground, the tips of her joggers didn’t even graze the ground as Taiki Shuttle looked her deep in her eyes. For the first time ever, they were completely and utterly eye level. It was dizzying.
“Haru,” Taiki Shuttle added on, quieter than before, beneath the din of the racecourse, “just so you know… Team Carrot Pudding wouldn’t be the same without ya. Yer a dear friend, and a heck of a rival, I hope you know that.”
“I-I think you're one of my bestest friends ever, Taiki.” Haru Urara exclaimed.
She had long admired Taiki Shuttle: she was a destructive force on the field, Haru Urara couldn’t help but look up to that. But she was also a good friend. She always fed Haru Urara first at her parties to help her grow up big and strong with good nutrition. She had a loud and bawdy laugh that Haru Urara found hilarious and hearing her laugh made even the most unfunny of jokes an absolute humdinger.
Likewise, Haru Urara couldn’t imagine Team Carrot Pudding without Taiki Shuttle either: she was a shooting star, as golden as the badge that she wore. If anything, between the two of them, with all the losses that Haru Urara had racked up, she was the one who could more easily be replaced or left behind in the dust. Even if she was the one who had named the team. Is this what they called a crush? Haru Urara wasn't so sure as all she knew is that it felt great to be able to call Taiki Shuttle her friend, her rival, her teammate, her everything.
Finally, whilst feeling all these funny things in her tummy as all this probable crush burned so bright for Taiki Shuttle inside of her, Haru Urara was let down but Taiki Shuttle still didn’t let her go. They were hand in hand as first and second in the February Stakes but more than that, they were teammates and the very best of friends and maybe something else too which wasn’t strictly rivals either.