While Kuroha and Fujimasa March were refining their training together—
Not far away, several figures stood on the platform overlooking the training field. They were trainers from Kasamatsu Academy.
Shibasaki held his notebook, looking exasperated as he tried to fend off a musclebound man who kept teasing him.
Another man behind them suddenly looped an arm around Shibasaki's neck and pulled.
"Shibasaki, your coaching skills aren't even as good as a rookie's. Look how well March is running now!"
Even as local trainers, they could clearly see how much lighter and more fluid Fujimasa March's stride had become in such a short period.
"Damn it, Kitahara, you punk..." Shibasaki, his face reddening from the chokehold, broke free and locked arms with the other man in return. The two started a childish bout of neck-wrangling, neither willing to let go.
Eventually, the mock scuffle died down, and the group of trainers fell silent, their gazes fixed on the track below.
It was Shibasaki who spoke first.
"Looks like I can't let myself lose to you, Kitahara."
"Hah?" Kitahara scoffed. "Lose to me? Since when have you ever beaten me?"
"..."
"What? You thinking that kid's training skills are so good you want to let March transfer to his team? Lost confidence in yourself already?"
"...Kitahara, you bastard. If Oguri Cap were still in your team, maybe that line would be convincing," Shibasaki replied with a dry laugh.
On the other side, a female trainer spoke gently.
"Are you seriously thinking of letting March transfer, Shibasaki?"
Shibasaki looked down at the track, scratched his head, and exhaled slowly.
"Since her debut, March's record stands at 2 wins out of 11 races."
"I know. It's my lack of ability."
As local trainers, they were painfully aware of their limits. Kasamatsu was no Central Tracen Academy or Nagoya Tracen Academy with their robust educational systems. This was a backwater of backwaters.
All they could do was curb the girls' laziness and teach them the basics. Compared to truly capable trainers, they simply couldn't match up.
"I want March to be like Oguri Cap, to step onto a bigger stage, maybe even Central. But I'm not capable of getting her there."
Now, this trainer named Kuroha—his file made it obvious. He had his sights set on the Central stage. He wasn't from the same world as them, who were already withering away in this forgotten corner.
"In that case, we'll talk to March tomorrow. At the very least, let's get her opinion."
The muscular man patted Shibasaki on the shoulder and said in a gruff voice.
The trainers discussed the details, one comment after another, then left the training field.
...
Below.
The gray-maned girl felt the wind slicing past her ears.
It was light. Unbelievably light!
Her physical strength hadn't improved much, but the feeling of running was completely different.
She had maintained the same pace as always, but for a much longer distance—and she still had plenty of stamina left. Her breathing was smoother, her stride more effortless.
Her legs—ones she thought had already hit their limit—now felt capable of explosive power.
Suddenly, she saw Kuroha waving to her in the distance, and her eyes sharpened with focus.
Bang!
Her right foot slammed into the earth, and the explosive power of a racehorse surged through her spine, channeling into her legs and driving her forward like a bolt of lightning!
In just a few seconds, she crossed over 200 meters with ease. Kuroha clicked the stopwatch.
"12.53 seconds. And that's after all the training you've done tonight. Very impressive!"
As Fujimasa March walked over, Kuroha smiled and held up the timer for her to see.
Fujimasa March looked at the bold digits on the screen, and for some reason her eyes welled up. She bit down hard, forcing it back, and bowed deeply before Kuroha.
"Thank you, Trainer Kuroha!"
Seeing her suddenly bow so formally, Kuroha was caught off guard, clearly flustered by the unexpected gesture. He quickly reached out and pulled her up.
"N-No, no need for that. I'm a trainer—it's perfectly normal for me to help a horse girl improve through training."
He placed his hands on her shoulders and helped her stand. March pursed her lips tightly and said nothing.
"Alright, it's getting late. I'm heading back," Kuroha said, giving her shoulder a firm pat. "Don't overtrain. Rushing things won't help you improve faster. Rest when you need to. Go on, head home."
With that, Kuroha turned and left the field.
Fujimasa March stood frozen, watching his retreating figure. Then she glanced back at the track behind her. After a long moment, she crouched down, covering her face with her hands, and let out quiet, muffled sobs.
It was the release of a frustration that had been bottled up for too long, finally finding an outlet.
…
Back at the dormitory, Kuroha opened the system panel again. As expected, the Horse Girl interface had once more reverted to "None."
"Looks like they're only temporarily recorded while I'm coaching them."
Kuroha pondered to himself. It seemed this golden finger still had many hidden features waiting to be discovered.
…
The next day.
Kuroha had gone to bed early and woke up refreshed. After a quick wash-up, he made his way to the Trainer's Office.
"I'll exchange a few tips with the senior trainers, then head out to the training field and pick out a cute little horse girl to raise."
He was still planning his future ambitions as he opened the door—only to see Shibasaki standing there in a formal suit, looking solemnly at him.
"W-What's going on?"
Completely lost, Kuroha braced for what he assumed would be some kind of stern lecture from his senior—
But instead, Shibasaki performed the traditional greeting: a deep bow!
"Please, Trainer Kuroha, let Fujimasa March transfer into your team!"
"..."
Kuroha stared at him, stunned, needing a few seconds to process the words.
"Huh?"
——
"You're saying you don't want March's talent to go to waste, and she agreed to the transfer as well?"
Only after Shibasaki's full explanation did Kuroha understand what was going on.
He then turned to look at Fujimasa March, who had been quietly sitting in the corner the whole time.
The gray-maned girl panicked when their eyes met.
Shibasaki had already explained the pros and cons to her this morning, but there was still a thorn in her heart.
"He must think I'm someone who just chases after strength… a shallow, ungrateful horse girl…"
Nervous and uneasy, she met Kuroha's calm gaze, then bit her lip and stepped forward. Just as she was about to speak, the boy beat her to it.
Kuroha, seeing the flushed rims of her eyes and her tightly pressed lips—her clearly conflicted expression—understood immediately what was weighing on her.
He chuckled softly, then stepped forward and extended his hand to the cute gray-maned girl in front of him.
"Fujimasa March, would you like to join my team?"
March's ears shot straight up, her tail wagging like crazy. Her crimson eyes began to tremble. She looked up, almost in disbelief.
This resilient horse girl could barely suppress the tremor in her voice.
"Thank you, Trainer!"
[Horse Girl Recorded: Fujimasa March!]
[Congratulations, Host! Achievement unlocked: The Trainer's Journey Begins (Your team now has one horse girl)]
[Reward: (Skill) Arc Teaching]
(End of Chapter)
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