“Grr…”
A low growl, like an angry cat’s, came from behind her.
“I told you, stop following me. Nothing really happened between President Rudolf and me…”
“But you lied to me…”
Lord Sunset walked ahead, with Tokai Teio trailing behind her, cheeks puffed out.
If she had known this would happen, she never would have lied to the girl. Teio was so easy to fool, yet she held such a grudge. Sunset had only taken one cup of her Thicker, Richer, Extra-Honey Hachimi Drink. Did Teio really have to stick to her the whole way?
Though, granted, lying to her had been wrong.
Earlier, to distract Teio, Sunset had lied and said she liked the same flavor of Hachimi Drink too. But the moment Teio actually handed the drink to her, Sunset folded instantly.
As expected of something thicker, richer, and extra-honey. With just one sip, Sunset felt as if she had seen her mother in heaven. She was as beautiful as ever.
“I’m sorry, okay? This Hachimi Drink of yours really is a little too sweet…”
Looking at the barely touched Hachimi Drink in her hand, Sunset’s mouth twitched.
Forget it. Wasting it would be bad too. Sunset remembered that this drink cost over a thousand yen. Converted at the rate of one hundred yen for 3,600 meters, that was over forty thousand meters.
What a shame. One more sip—
So sweet! No good! I’m dying!
“Mm, if you don’t want it, give it to me!” Seeing Sunset’s incredibly vivid reaction, the furious Tokai Teio tried to snatch the Hachimi Drink back from her.
But things that ended up in Sunset’s hands were not so easily taken away. Even though Tokai Teio bared her teeth and brandished her claws, all she could do was watch as Sunset firmly protected the drink.
Even if she did not like it, something she had gotten for free was still hers now. Not giving up so much as a single hair was a virtue.
“Come on, I’ll pay you back for this cup, okay? So can you stop following me already?”
“No! Not until I stop being mad!”
“Then when are you going to stop being mad?”
“When Prez invites me to the amusement park herself.”
“So you won’t leave before then?”
“That’s right!”
Good grief. Was this girl planning to come freeload food and drinks at her place? You really could not judge an Umamusume by appearances. So she was a mooch too.
A mooch saw mooches everywhere. Sunset really needed to reflect on the state of her soul.
She was starting to want to ask BOSS Okino for help. Maybe if BOSS contacted C.B.-san, and C.B.-san contacted Symboli Rudolf, they could quickly get this little troublemaker taken away…
Still, it would be better to resolve this privately if she could. Sunset did not want C.B.-san to know she had tricked an innocent little Umamusume out of her drink. Although Teio was only one year younger than her, it still sounded embarrassing.
“Are you done being mad?”
“No.”
“Really not?”
“Really.”
…
And so, still carrying on that utterly pointless conversation, Sunset and Teio arrived at her orphanage.
At the orphanage entrance, Sunset spotted a rather special, tiny figure. The girl was swaying back and forth by the gate, glancing inside from time to time.
Sunset looked around and thought she glimpsed the faint outline of bodyguards nearby.
“Dia-chan?”
Hearing someone call her, Dia-chan quickly turned around.
“Ah, you’re Su… that person… um…”
It seemed she could not remember Sunset’s name. Dia-chan’s little face flushed red with embarrassment.
“Haha, what brings you to Sunset-oneechan’s place today? Are you here to see Kita-chan?”
“Ah, yes! Sunset-oneechan!”
Seeing Dia-chan’s face brighten again, Sunset subconsciously reached out, wanting to pet her ears. But then she seemed to remember something and pulled her hand back.
She really did want to rub those little ears, but if her hand got cut off for it, that would be one hell of a loss.
“If I remember right, Kita-chan should be home today. I’ll take you in to find her.”
“Thank you, Sunset-oneechan!”
As she spoke, Sunset took Dia-chan’s hand and was about to walk through the orphanage gate.
“Wait! Did you forget about me? Also, Lord Sunset, do you live here?”
Tokai Teio, who was on the verge of being forgotten behind them, hurried forward to assert her presence.
She had been observing this orphanage for a while now. Although she found it hard to believe, the Umamusume in front of her did seem to live here.
If that was the case, then Tokai Teio, who had always been warmhearted and kind, felt rather guilty about the childish tantrum she had just thrown.
Growing up in an orphanage, enduring hardship every day, earning admission to Tracen Academy through her own efforts, only to be harassed by wicked classmates and even blocked at her own front door. Tokai Teio imagined a story like that.
Wait. In that story, was she the villain? Tokai Teio’s conscience instantly pricked at her. Though it was all just her own imagination.
“All right, Tokai Teio-san. I’m very sorry for lying to you earlier. The next time I see you, I’ll treat you to a Hachimi Drink too, and then we’ll call it even, okay? Stop clinging to me and hurry back to school to find President Rudolf. She might still be at the dorm.”
Waving her hand, Sunset once again tried to persuade Tokai Teio to leave.
Tokai Teio’s eyes wandered for a moment. Then, as if resigning herself, she abruptly lowered her head.
“I’m sorry! I was the one being unreasonable earlier!”
“Huh?”
Faced with Tokai Teio’s sudden apology, Sunset was abruptly at a loss.
What happened? When did I reform her? Why is she suddenly apologizing to me?
Although she was completely bewildered, that did not stop Sunset from taking advantage of the opportunity.
“Well… since you think so, let’s just leave it at that. Haha… Then, bye!”
Sunset waved at Tokai Teio and brought Dia-chan into the orphanage.
…
“I’m back! Where’s Kita-chan?”
Hearing Sunset call out, Kita-chan, who had just been forced by Mrs. Higashino to grind through her textbooks, looked extremely happy. With a little whine of delight, she threw down her book and ran over.
“Onee-chan! And Dia-chan!”
“Mm, Kita-chan!”
Standing quietly off to the side as she watched the two little Umamusume play, Sunset wore a peaceful smile.
This Friday, Kita-chan had gone to participate in volunteer work as usual and met Satono Diamond again. After the activity ended, the two seemed to have exchanged contact information.
They had clearly only met for the first time last week, yet they were already very close. But that was fine too. With an Umamusume her own age as a friend, Kita-chan might be much happier.
So as not to disturb them, Sunset left them there and went off on her own.
“Sunset, you’re back early today?”
Auntie Wada, a caregiver passing by, greeted Sunset warmly.
“Mm. Trainer told me to rest a bit today. Auntie Wada, are you going to the supermarket?”
“Yes. There’s a sale at the supermarket today, so we need to buy some daily necessities we’re short on.”
Auntie Wada showed Sunset the shopping list. It had been written by Director Higashino.
“Then why don’t I go buy them? I still have plenty of strength right now anyway!”
Waving her arm, Sunset, who had nothing to do, indicated that she was full of strength.
“That works. I’ll need to help make dinner soon, and we’re a little short-handed. Then I’ll leave the supermarket shopping to you, Sunset.”
This was not the first time Sunset had been asked to do something like this. Auntie Wada deftly handed Sunset the list and the money she had prepared, then walked back to the kitchen.
“Then I’ll go and come back quickly!”
Setting the Hachimi Drink casually aside, Sunset took the list, slung her little basket over her back, and stepped out of the orphanage gate.
Then she saw that Tokai Teio was still standing awkwardly by the side of the orphanage.
Tokai Teio looked up at Sunset. The two stared at each other, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on both their faces.
This is a fan translation of 迫于生计，赛马娘登上赛场！ by 扶风三尺 Rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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