Snow Fate: An Uma Musume Fan Story

3. Junior Year - Where Dreams Comes True

November - Week 4 - Monday

When I opened my eyes that morning, I saw the ceiling of the room. Since it was the first time that I slept outside Monbetsu's dorm I thought that I slept in the wrong room.

- What is this sweet smell?

I looked to my right, just to see what was producing that sweet smell and almost jumped in surprise when I saw Pretty sleeping at my side on my bed.

I... I'm in Tracen Academy...

I cautiously left my bed, making sure that I wasn't making too much noise. Silently I change my clothes and leave the room. Since it was very early in the morning, I decided to do some early training.

I have to work hard to achieve... something.

I went down stairs, walked to the entrance, put on my shoes and left the dormitory. I started running, feeling the cold air of the dawn over my skin as my light shoes echoed with the rhythmic tap of my run on the sidewalk. I started to remember what happened yesterday, remembering what I was feeling there watching the Japan Cup.

Victoria were awesome... everything is possible, right?

I was considering being a support horse girl, so I wouldn't have to face off my failures and mistakes of the past, but slowly I was realizing that giving up on my dream would be another mistake.

- Ayaka! Wait there!

As I looked back, Pretty was running right behind me. I slowed my pace and waited for her to reach me, so I would get back running.

- Pretty?! Did I wake you up?

- No, I woke up right when you closed the door of our room.

She laughed sweetly and deep breathed as she was feeling relieved of something. Her expressions were smoother than yesterday and her actual expression was showing some kind of relaxation that she didn't have yesterday.

- I love doing those early runs, it calms me down... If it's what you are thinking, Ayaka.

- H-huh?

- I'm good at reading people... especially the ones who are trying to read me.

- Y-yeah... it seems you are good at this.

We continued running until we reached the riverside where I stopped running, at that point I just wanted to know what else I could do.

- Pretty.

- Huh? What is it, Ayaka?

- Do you want to race here against me? I just wanted to know how I am doing so far.

- Sure! There is a bridge down the river, we can run until there.

- Call it a deal!

We lined up and, with a wave of my head, we started running along the riverside. It felt good to run with someone, actually I was missing that since it has been a while since the last time I did something similar.

But it was clear that we had our differences. In the first seconds, Pretty got the lead and pulled a gap. Even if she slowed down so we could keep almost together, it was clear that my speed was way inferior to hers.

I can't even reach her... is she really a junior student like me?

When we reached the bridge and stopped running, I could feel something awkward about that growing inside me, slowly I was realizing that I was envious of Pretty, she was faster and stronger than me, clearly she had a talent for that.