Chapter 1: First Interaction

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Diego had not noticed you, unlike how you noticed him. You had not attracted his attention, you just blended into the background along with all the other worthless racers. He was not a person to care about getting to know others. He would only interact with people if he could use them.

You had mounted your mare as you gripped the reins. Your eyes narrowed in front of you in determination. No matter what happened, you would survive the 1st stage, a full 15,000 meters. Fireworks exploded in the sky and all the horses and riders sprinted forward simultaneously. The Steel Ball Run had finally begun!

You had never felt so exhilarated in your life. The wind whipped your hair around all over, and you had gotten accustomed to the heavy thump of Land Slide running. Being the oldest child meant that you had been living a sheltered life, with only the most expensive of dresses and other materials. Your parents have tried multiple times to marry you off to another wealthy family; thankfully somehow it always backfired. You didn't know who was looking out for you but you thanked them.

You quickly wiped the sweat from your forehead. Who knew that simply riding a horse could take so much effort? But your top priority was making sure Land Slide would be able to last the rest of the way. The finish line was a mere 1000 meters away, but horses were dropping around you like crazy. You took a deep breath as you kept murmuring into your mare's ear.

"You got this girl... just about 3 more minutes of running. Then you can rest for a bit, and I can scratch behind your ears like I always do..."

Ahead of you were the 5 contestants that the reporters wouldn't stop screaming about. Gyro Zeppeli, Johnny Joestar, Pocoloco, Sandman, and Diego Brando. There was no chance in hell that you would be able to surpass those 5, at least not now... and you weren't going to push Land Slide for no reason. As long as you survived, that was good enough for you.

Woosh! The deafening screams and cheers of the crowd blocked out all other noises. You had finished just a little bit after the 5, but you were so frazzled and tired, you didn't even know what you placed. You just felt so relieved that you had made it! Immediately hopping off, you checked Land Slide for any injuries. Breathing another sigh of relief, you nuzzled her face close to yours.

"Great job girl. I knew you could do it!"

You relished in this for another moment before you heard the boom of the announcer's voice.

"Err... apparently, there has been a change in the decision. The contestant Gyro Zepelli, according to our judges, had interrupted the race with a weapon. As a result, second place will be raised to first place."

You looked over to the said man, and boy, did he looked pissed. But you couldn't blame him, you would be too.

"The first place prize now goes to Sandman! Second place, Dio, Diego Brando. Pocoloco placed third, and Johnny Joestar placed 4th. And placing 5th is..." the announcer paused, a hint of surprise and almost disbelief in his voice.

"(Y/N) (L/N)!"

There was a significant decrease in the amount of noise. Suddenly, you could feel dozens of pairs of eyes on you. Well, shit. Almost immediately, you could hear the angry shouts of other men protesting.

"Really? A woman?! There's no way that could be true!"

"The tramp must have cheated somehow!"

"I couldn't be beat by a small little thing like her!"

More people looked stunned at the fact a petite woman like yourself would enter a potentially deadly race like this. But you didn't even notice. You were in your own world. You couldn't believe that you snatched 5th place! Even though technically you were 6th... but that didn't matter now! Maybe you did have a chance-

You were snapped out of your thoughts as the announcer once again spoke.

"Everyone, please calm down. We can assure you that Miss. (Y/N) did not cheat in any form or way..." his voice drowned out as the only thing you could focus on now were the looks on the other racers. Some anger, some surprise, and a few curiosity. You squirmed self-consciously in the eyes of so many people. Maybe you should clear your head... some water and food would do you good. You quickly shuffled over to the table, eyes on the ground, when you felt something hit you square in the face. Quickly looking up to see what was in your way, your heart almost stopped.

It was the one and only Diego Brando.

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More plot! I'm trying to build up the story and then delve into the interactions between Diego and reader. Don't worry! The fluff will come soon! Please tell me your thoughts so far!

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