Without any surprises, Tamamo Cross and Super Creek both secured victories in their debut races.
And both won beautifully.
Moreover—as always—after their races ended,
It was oddly peaceful. No trainer attempted to recruit them, allowing them to easily leave the track and return to Kitahara's side.
After coming back to him, whether because of the victory or some other reason,
Tamamo Cross had fully returned to her usual self, casually chatting with him about all the weird things happening at Tracen. Aside from her hand, still hidden in her pocket, nothing seemed off at all.
Seeing her back to normal, Kitahara's lingering worry dissipated completely.
After chatting briefly with her and Super Creek, he took them out for a celebratory meal. After finishing dinner, they parted ways without incident.
Everything was completely normal.
But after separating, Tamamo Cross quietly watched his retreating figure, eyes slightly lowered,
It was unclear what thoughts filled her mind.
After attending Tamamo Cross and Super Creek's debut races, Kitahara returned to his dorm. Despite consciously suppressing it, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
Although the number of Uma Musume under his care had grown steadily, keeping him increasingly busy, the income from their victories was also rapidly climbing.
Currently, because many had yet to debut—and with the ongoing costs of physical conditioning, plus the appetites of three particularly voracious eaters—he hadn't managed to save much money yet.
But it was clear that in the near future, as more of them debuted and secured wins, his income would grow dramatically, likely accelerating faster and faster.
Additionally, he'd already acquired most necessities. Even future extra expenses wouldn't cost much.
If things continued at this pace, he wouldn't need three years—maybe just a little more than one—to achieve the financial goal he'd originally set, likely surpassing it by a wide margin.
Yet even this wasn't what pleased him most.
What truly delighted him was that, despite the sharp increase in income and victories by his Uma Musume, his reputation wasn't improving. Instead, it was steadily deteriorating.
Perhaps other trainers might consider this a bad thing.
But for Kitahara, nothing would please him more than shouldering even more blame, dragging his reputation even lower.
The reason was simple:
The worse his reputation became, the less likely he'd be targeted by other Uma Musume or their families.
And when the time eventually came to leave—if he lacked a suitable excuse—he could always claim the stress had given him depression and use that as a perfect justification to run…
Yes, even though he'd built a sizable team and faced increasing responsibilities,
Kitahara still hadn't forgotten his original goal. The idea of escaping at the first possible chance had never left his mind.
But despite those original intentions, remembering the softness of lips and warmth against his cheek, and those quiet promises he'd made,
Kitahara shook his head lightly, thinking he might have to delay his eventual escape plan after all.
With these thoughts in mind, he returned to his dorm.
Considering three more upcoming races—two of which were official competitions—
Kitahara didn't slack off upon returning home.
Instead, he immediately started planning for the races ahead, followed by reviewing caregiving techniques and delving deeper into researching his "bridge."
Thus, busying himself with various tasks, the afternoon quickly slipped into evening.
Kitahara stretched lightly, neatly stacking three organized documents on his desk, and was about to head out to the cafeteria for dinner.
Just as he stood, still deciding what he'd like to eat, he heard the sound of a key turning in the lock. Moments later, Hayakawa Tazuna appeared, wearing a gentle smile.
Since she'd recently moved in, Kitahara had given her a spare key, so he wasn't surprised to see her entering directly.
But he was curious: Wasn't her next scheduled treatment later tonight? Why arrive now?
Luckily, before he could voice the question, Hayakawa-san spoke first:
"Kitahara-san, you've been taking such good care of me lately. If possible, I'd like to treat you to a meal as a thank-you. Do you have time now?"
Considering Hayakawa-san's request, Kitahara thought for a moment before agreeing.
After all, he'd indeed invested considerable effort in her care lately; repeatedly declining would seem inappropriate.
Having agreed, they went out together, casually chatting about Hayakawa-san's health regimen as they walked.
However, after walking for quite some time, Kitahara suddenly realized night had already fallen, yet they hadn't reached their destination.
"Hayakawa-san, we haven't gotten lost, have we?"
"…No."
Hayakawa-san's footsteps faltered slightly.
"I drove here last time, so I didn't realize how far it was. Unfortunately, my car was sent in for repairs today. I'm really sorry about this…"
"No worries," Kitahara replied cheerfully, completely trusting her explanation. "Though after walking so long, I'm feeling pretty hungry. I might order a lot, so I hope you won't mind."
Hearing Kitahara's easygoing reply, Hayakawa-san smiled gently.
"Of course. As long as you enjoy it."
With that, they continued on their way.
Kitahara didn't mind the inconvenience; after sitting all afternoon, stretching his legs was rather refreshing.
Just before entering the restaurant Hayakawa-san recommended, however, a small doubt arose in Kitahara's mind:
Strange…didn't I just take her car in for repairs recently? Why's it in again so soon…?
Perhaps the previous repair missed something, or maybe a new issue cropped up.
Dismissing these thoughts, Kitahara shrugged it off and stepped inside the restaurant with Hayakawa-san.
The meal itself was unremarkable, just a normal dinner accompanied by casual conversation about work and Hayakawa-san's care—no different from a meal shared between ordinary friends.
If anything stood out, it was that the food quality was excellent. Neither of them could find anything to complain about.
—Except, perhaps, the prices.
The unexpected happened just as their meal was ending.
Planning to head back after chatting a bit more, Kitahara was suddenly interrupted by distant rumbling. Within minutes, the sound outside escalated from a gentle drizzle to a roaring downpour.
A thunderstorm?
Glancing out the window, Kitahara and Hayakawa-san decided they'd wait until the rain stopped—or at least lessened—since neither had brought umbrellas.
"If only we'd driven here," Kitahara sighed.
Hayakawa-san's eyes flickered briefly, but she calmly changed the topic.
Time continued to pass.
Initially, Kitahara assumed the heavy rain would quickly subside. Yet, after waiting a considerable while, it showed no signs of easing; if anything, it grew stronger.
If we wait longer, it'll be too late…
Checking the time, Kitahara thought about running to a nearby convenience store in the rain to buy umbrellas, then squeezing onto a train back.
Waiting much longer risked missing Hayakawa-san's optimal care window.
Sharing his thoughts with her, Hayakawa-san gently disagreed, suggesting they wait out the rain.
"Is there something urgent you need to do tonight, Kitahara-san?"
"No, but care treatments have optimal windows. Outside that timing, effectiveness drops significantly…"
"It's fine," she reassured softly. "You've already done so much for me, and I feel noticeably better lately. Waiting a bit longer won't hurt."
Pausing briefly, she added warmly:
"Besides, this rain is heavy and cold. If you got sick, wouldn't the consequences be much worse than delaying treatment slightly?"
Thinking her reasoning sound, Kitahara agreed to wait longer, continuing their idle chat as the rain hammered down.
After a while, still waiting for the rain to lessen, a notification suddenly popped up on Kitahara's phone:
The local train service has been suspended.
Not solely due to the weather—the nearby station was undergoing renovations. Normally operating fine, heavy rain posed a safety risk, making suspension understandable.
Kitahara hadn't known this beforehand, having missed the evening weather forecast predicting heavy rain.
But he knew: with trains stopped, getting back would be tough. This area lacked frequent taxi traffic, and in this weather, hailing one was practically impossible.
Now what?
As Kitahara frowned, pondering his options, another unfortunate message arrived:
"Excuse me, if you two don't need anything else, we're preparing to close for the night…"
Kitahara glanced up, realizing they were the restaurant's last guests.
Fortunately, noticing their lack of umbrellas, the staff kindly offered two from storage, allowing them to leave comfortably.
Normally, Kitahara would've felt grateful—but with no taxis or trains, even having umbrellas couldn't get them home.
Considering alternatives, he quickly messaged some trainer acquaintances with cars, who initially agreed enthusiastically.
Yet, once Kitahara mentioned he was with Hayakawa-san and their location, each suddenly had urgent business or got dragged away by their Uma Musume partners, leaving no one available.
It felt…odd.
Confused, Kitahara remarked jokingly to Hayakawa-san about the strange coincidence and asked if perhaps her contacts could help.
Hayakawa-san merely smiled calmly, pretended to message several friends she knew were definitely unavailable, then apologetically reported no luck on her side either.
Finally, with restaurant lights turning off around them, Kitahara sighed, making a reluctant decision:
"Let's see if there's a hotel or inn nearby. If all else fails, we'll just have to stay somewhere for tonight."
Hayakawa-san nodded, and both began searching their phones for nearby lodging.
Immediately, one good and one bad piece of news appeared simultaneously:
Good: A highly-rated hotel, conveniently close, was available—indeed, the only lodging nearby.
Bad: It was a love hotel.
Kitahara's expression turned complicated upon realizing this. Still, complicated or not, it remained their only realistic option.
Fortunately, Hayakawa-san wasn't a shy young girl prone to embarrassment. Hearing Kitahara explain the situation, she calmly agreed to the suggestion.
Truly, mature women are on a different level from those little troublemakers...
With admiration in his heart, Kitahara opened the umbrella and walked with Hayakawa-san to the hotel.
Upon arriving, before Kitahara could relax, an even worse announcement awaited them:
"You two are just in time," the receptionist greeted with a knowing smile. "We have exactly one double room left."
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T/N: THIS Is.... all a coincidence guys :D