[More like Japan's Number 1 Supreme Racist]
After spending the whole afternoon eating and drinking with Oguri Cap, it was already night by the time they finished dinner at a seafood restaurant. She rubbed her now round belly in satisfaction and let out a happy sigh.
"Mm… it feels like it's been ages since I last ate this much."
Patting her stomach in a rather unladylike way, she grinned contentedly."Usually I only eat until I'm about seventy or eighty percent full for the sake of training, but this time I ate until ninety percent. It feels so nice!"
"Kitahara, should we start sightseeing now?"
"…Huh?"
Kitahara, who was in the middle of calling the waiter for the bill, froze and gave her a helpless smile."Aren't we already sightseeing? What exactly do you think sightseeing means?"
"Eh? Sightseeing… I usually went with my mom on family trips. We'd always go to hot springs."
Oguri tilted her head in confusion. "Other types of trips… I haven't really tried them before. Before coming to Hokkaido, I even asked Tamamo and the others for advice. They said traveling can mean all sorts of fun things."
"So spending all afternoon eating doesn't count as having fun?"
"Eating and drinking definitely count as fun when you're traveling!"
The waiter arrived just then. Judging by the stunned look on her face, it was clear yet another person had fallen victim to the shock of Oguri Cap's bottomless appetite.
Kitahara had seen that look many times today already. Calmly, he pulled out his credit card—again—and once the waiter left, he thought for a moment before turning to her.
"Well, if you'd like to actually visit some scenic spots, we can go check them out later tonight or tomorrow."
He pulled out his phone and brought up a simple travel guide he'd saved earlier, then handed it to Oguri.
"Look here—if we're just staying in Sapporo, places like the Clock Tower, Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill, or the Sapporo Dome are quite famous."
"As for hot springs, Jozankei Onsen is great."
"There's also skiing—Teine Ski Resort is nearby."
"If you want both skiing and hot springs, the Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort is ideal. It's a bit far from the city, but close to Jozankei and even has lodging nearby."
"And if you're thinking of all of Hokkaido, there are even more options."
"You can check them all out on the phone."
Oguri clumsily operated the device.She wasn't very good with electronics. Back in Kasamatsu, she had used an old phone passed down from her mother, and it had taken her a long time just to learn how to make calls properly.
After moving to Tokyo, she'd switched to a smartphone like the others, and only recently learned some basic functions beyond calling.
For instance, she'd set her wallpaper to a picture of her mother and younger sister—something she managed after asking for help when they came to visit Tokyo.
Though she wasn't skilled, she was very earnest. She carefully scrolled through the travel guide, eyes full of focus. When she finished, she returned the phone thoughtfully.
"If we're going sightseeing… are there fun places in Monbetsu Town or Urakawa Town?"
Hm? Those two places…
Kitahara was surprised. Those happened to be two of his intended destinations.
In the parallel world, Special Week was born at Hidaka Taiyo Farm in Monbetsu, and Opera O at Kineusu Farm in Urakawa.
Those specific farms didn't exist in this world, but the towns did. Kitahara had asked Symboli Rudolf to check—both Special Week and Opera O had attended elementary schools in those respective towns.
Since it was spring break, both were still just little girls and hadn't started their new term. If he wanted to learn more, he'd have to contact the local Tracen Academies.
Before coming to Hokkaido, he had asked the local academies to help arrange a possible visit.The local branches were improving but still lacked resources and efficiency; the staff hadn't been able to give a clear answer at the time.
They'd said they needed a day or two to confirm. By now, Kitahara expected they'd have results.
He hadn't followed up yet—after all, he'd spent the whole afternoon eating with Oguri—but he planned to call once they returned to the hotel.
That's why her sudden mention of those two towns surprised him.
"Why do you want to visit them? I was actually planning to go there myself."
He hadn't mentioned this plan to her yet, but now he explained honestly:
"I learned through special channels that there are two very talented horse girls there. I wanted to drop by near the end of our trip to meet them."
In his view, with the kind of potential Special Week and Opera O had, it would be best for them to enter the Central Academy early. If they came to Tokyo soon, their futures could be even brighter.
Perhaps it was also because of seeing so many familiar horse girls at the entrance ceremony that he felt oddly sentimental about those not yet there.
"So it really was like that. I guess I wasn't mistaken."
Oguri smiled knowingly. "I overheard you at the airport in Tokyo when you were making a call…"
Halfway through, she waved her hands and touched her long ears apologetically."I didn't mean to eavesdrop, really! It's just… we horse girls have good hearing, so I accidentally heard."
"I heard you mention those towns and that you wanted to meet two little kids."
"Are you planning to invite them to Eisei?" she asked curiously.
"That's the idea," he admitted with a nod. "Your sister's upcoming enrollment reminded me—she'll join Eisei too, so thinking ahead about her future teammates isn't too early."
"I already have some ideas for her generation," he continued, recalling the pair of sisters he'd seen at the ceremony."And maybe I can start looking one generation younger too."
"Oh! Then we're thinking the same thing!"
Oguri beamed. "Before coming to Hokkaido, I wanted to bring Mom and my little sister, but they couldn't since she's starting school soon."
"At that time, I thought—my sister will need friends like Tamamo and Inari, partners to train and race with."
"I figured you'd already thought about that, and when I heard your call at the airport… ah, I wasn't eavesdropping! My ears are just really good!"
She rubbed them again nervously, as if worried he'd be upset.
Kitahara couldn't help but laugh at her flustered expression."You don't have to worry so much. Honestly, if you want to know about things like this, I can tell you directly. I just thought it might be hard for you to understand."
"Mm… I don't understand a lot of things," she admitted cheerfully, "but I'm really happy you said that."
Her smile softened. "So I guessed you wanted to find teammates for my sister—and I was right. Or, maybe not just that—you were already planning ahead for the next few years."
"I promised the Chairwoman I'd make sure you rested and enjoyed your trip, but knowing you, you'd be uncomfortable not doing your job properly."
"I don't want you to be uncomfortable."
"So I thought—if you're going to those two towns, I'll come with you."
"That way, you're technically still traveling with me, so it doesn't count as work."
"And that means I'll have completed the Chairwoman's task properly, and you won't feel uneasy!"
She looked so delighted with her logic that Kitahara suddenly felt deeply moved.
He knew his first assigned horse girl wasn't exactly the most thoughtful type—her main interests were eating, running, and racing.
She could barely stay awake in class, let alone think things through like this.
For her to consider his feelings this carefully meant she'd put a lot of thought into it, quietly and sincerely.
"…Thank you, Oguri."
He smiled warmly, reaching out to gently pat her head. Seeing her close her eyes and smile in comfort made his chest feel light.
"In that case," he said after thinking for a moment, "Urakawa doesn't have any hot springs, but Monbetsu does. The Monbetsu Onsen is quite famous—we could try that."
"Eh? There's a hot spring there too?"
Oguri's eyes sparkled. "Yay! I love hot springs! Back home, Mom and I used to visit one so often everyone there knew me!"
Her joy made him chuckle. After a brief pause, he took out his phone and dialed a number.
"I'll confirm with the local Tracen Academy, see if the horse girls I mentioned are at home."
"If they are, we can visit on the way to the hot spring."
"Mm-hm! Okay!"
As Oguri nodded enthusiastically, the line connected.
On the other end was the principal of Sapporo Tracen Academy, who brought both good and bad news.
The good news: Special Week was at home, helping her mother manage a small family ranch during the break.The bad news: Opera O had gone traveling with her father, who was on a business trip.
The first bit pleased Kitahara—meeting Special Week would be easy enough.The second was slightly disappointing, but he quickly accepted it.
If Opera O's father was a businessman here, that likely mirrored her horse owner in the other world—Takezono Masatsugu, also a businessman.
Takezono had entered horse racing only because he thought his childhood friend looked cool riding horses—a testament to how unreliable he was.
Even after Opera's big win in the G3 Mainichi Hai, he still didn't realize her potential and nearly didn't sign her up for the Satsuki Sho.
His entire team had been a mess: the trainer was okay, but the jockey was a total rookie.
And yet, Opera went undefeated that year, conquering older horses and claiming seven G1 titles—proving just how gifted she was.
"…Don't tell me Opera's dad in this world is just as unreliable?" Kitahara thought grimly."Or even worse—an entire circus of incompetence…"
No, he had to make sure she got to Tokyo as soon as possible before anything strange could happen.
Knowing she was traveling with her father made things tricky. He politely told the Sapporo principal that he was interested in meeting her and asked to be informed once they returned.
Given Kitahara's growing reputation and the backing of the Central Academy, the principal readily agreed.
"Looks like we'll just go to Monbetsu then."
After hanging up, Kitahara explained to Oguri,"You probably heard—I wanted to meet two girls, but only Special Week is home."
"Since Monbetsu has hot springs, we can visit her and relax there too."
"Got it!"
Oguri's eyes lit up. "I wonder if the hot springs here feel different from the ones in Kasamatsu."
The next day, with her full of excitement, Kitahara drove them toward Monbetsu.
Before leaving, he called Special Week's mother, who cheerfully welcomed their visit once she heard he was from the Central Academy.
Oguri had listened to the conversation and suggested they stop by the ranch first.
"Kasamatsu had ranches too, but Hokkaido's must be totally different. I want to see."
After settling into their inn near Monbetsu Onsen, they drove to the address given.
"…It doesn't look that different from the ones in Kasamatsu."
Leaping out of the car and shading her eyes, Oguri's excitement quickly turned to mild disappointment. Her long ears drooped."It's just woods, cottages, and a normal ranch."
Kitahara got out of the driver's seat, chuckling. "Well, a ranch is a ranch. What else did you expect?"
Indeed, before them was a fairly typical farm.
Dense forest lay in the distance—Hokkaido was still cool in late April, and the trees looked like early spring.Bare gray branches mixed with fresh green sprouts, while dark pines and evergreens dotted the scenery with vibrant life.
Closer by stood a small courtyard in an inverted U-shape—wooden roofs, sliding doors, and dark brown fences.Moss covered the shaded corners under the eaves, showing its age.
A dirt road led straight from the gate, flanked by fences waist-high.Beyond them stretched grasslands and cultivated fields—soybeans, corn, and pasture grass—merging into open grazing land.
About a dozen sheep grazed lazily, while several lean sheepdogs lay nearby, half-asleep.Hearing the car, the sheep stopped chewing to stare blankly, while the dogs leapt up, barking loudly.
"Eh? That's different."
Oguri's ears perked as she watched. "Kasamatsu's ranches didn't have many dogs. Why are there so many here?"
"Probably because Hokkaido's so vast," Kitahara guessed.
"The population here is under five million, but the land is over eighty thousand square kilometers. The farms are huge."
"In Kasamatsu, even a small one-person ranch is manageable, but here, without dogs, you might not notice if something happens to the herd."
Then he paused, thinking."Wait… if the dogs are barking, that means the owner's nearby. So—Ms. Aiko and Special Week should be close!"
He already knew from the call that Special Week's mother was named Aiko.
"Mm? Maybe… oh?" Oguri's ears twitched.
Like radar dishes, her silvery-gray ears turned almost 180 degrees, then both pointed toward the forest.
"What is it, Oguri?" Kitahara asked curiously. "Did you hear something?"
"Yeah, there's the sound of a car—and two sets of footsteps."
She pointed toward the trees. "They're coming from that direction."
"It's not that far, but not too close either. One of the footsteps I can't quite make out."
"But the other—it's a horse girl running."
"It feels… strong. Her strides are powerful. If she's about Little Oguri's age, her strength and speed are both a bit higher."
"…Then that must be Special Week," Kitahara said with a nod.
Hokkaido was vast and sparsely populated, filled with ranches that were scattered far apart. In this area, only Special Week's mother and daughter lived nearby, so if there were the sounds of little hooves running, it could only be Special Week herself.
"She's a bit younger than your sister," Kitahara mused after thinking for a moment. "Although your sister's a filly, and her strength and stamina are weaker than most colts since she hasn't gone through enough proper training."
"But if Special Week, who's younger, already has more strength and power in her stride, then her natural talent must be quite impressive."
"I think so too."
Oguri Cap nodded again, her ears twitching slightly before her expression turned a little regretful. "But it seems she hasn't had any real professional training. Her rhythm's uneven."
"It feels like… she's just running with raw strength — maybe even brute force."
"You can tell that just by listening?" Kitahara asked, surprised.
"Of course." Oguri twitched her ears again and pointed toward the forest. "The sound's closer now. She must have heard her dog barking and ran back. Probably part of her training."
Just as Kitahara was about to ask, a series of sounds came from the woods — the creak of wheels, the thudding of hooves, and that unmistakable running sound only a horse girl could make.
Compared to humans, horse girls also ran on two legs, but their strength and speed were in a completely different league. Even when they slowed down, the thump of their steps and the sharp whoosh of their stride were distinct.
As a trainer, Kitahara recognized it immediately.
The sounds grew nearer, mixed with voices shouting.
"—Ora ora! Go, Special Week! Don't lose to the little sheep!"
"—Okay! Mama!"
A strange chorus of voices. Kitahara followed the sound and soon saw an unusual trio emerge from the forest path.
On the left was a woman with striking golden hair and Western features. She wore a white helmet, a brown hoodie, and blue jeans — typical ranchwear — and was riding a small red scooter. One hand gripped the handlebar while the other pumped in the air as she cheered, shouting to someone beside her without looking ahead.
Next to her ran a sheep — not a slow, docile one, but a surprisingly swift and determined creature.
And on the other side of the sheep was a small horse girl.
She had short reddish-brown hair with a streak of white at her bangs, and a neatly braided strand of white tied behind her ears with a purple ribbon. Her white shirt and blue overalls were splattered with mud and grass — clearly, she'd been running for quite a while.
It was obvious she was racing the sheep under the woman's direction, and her speed wasn't much slower.
"That must be Ms. Aiko and Special Week," Kitahara muttered. "Is this how they train? Crude as it looks, it's… surprisingly effective."
His professional instincts kicked in, and he began to calculate subconsciously.
The sheep's running speed was around 40 kilometers per hour. The little Special Week wasn't yet properly trained, yet she could match that pace in these rough conditions. Her innate ability really was no joke — Japan's future ace indeed.
[My cute number 1 racist]
But to think that the horse girl who'd one day defeat Europe's best started her career racing a sheep… that was something else.
Kitahara couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
Then, his amusement turned into disbelief.
"…What in the world?"
The strange trio came closer — and suddenly, the woman named Aiko, too focused on cheering for her daughter, failed to notice the tree ahead and crashed right into it.
It was almost comical. She didn't even fall — just bounced off, rubbed her nose, and calmly took a bandage from her pocket to stick over the red spot.
Then she shouted cheerfully:"Don't mind me, Special! Keep running! Don't lose to the sheep! Win the grand prize in the 42nd 'Special Week Sheep Cup!'"
Even funnier was that Special Week didn't seem to notice her mother's collision at all — she just kept running full tilt beside the sheep.
When she heard her mother cheering, she yelled back confidently,"Okay, Mama! This time I won't lose to the sheep!"
A few hundred meters later, she suddenly stopped mid-run, tilted her head, and realized what had happened."Ah—!"
She turned and ran back in panic, tugging at Aiko's sleeve with worry.
"Mama, are you okay?!"
Should I be laughing that she's literally racing a sheep, or that her reaction time is about three seconds per thought?
Kitahara covered his face. "What a strange mother and daughter…"
Oguri Cap scratched her head beside him, frowning in confusion. "It's like… this happens a lot?"
As they spoke, the sheep ran past them without so much as a glance, turned sharply, and dashed toward the fenced yard near the house.
It leapt gracefully, snatched something red hanging from the gate — a carrot.
So that was the "championship prize" for the race.
How many times has that sheep won already…?
Kitahara sighed, watching the victorious sheep trot proudly back to the pasture, munching on its reward.
He shook his head, smiling wryly. "Yeah… I'd say this sort of thing happens pretty often."
By now, Aiko and her daughter were walking toward them. Halfway there, both froze briefly before Aiko raised her hand and waved energetically.
"Hey there! Hello! You must be…?"
"Hello! Are you Ms. Aiko and Special Week?" Kitahara waved back as he walked over."I'm Kitahara Jo, the one who called this morning. And this here is Oguri Cap. Thank you for accepting our visi—"
He froze mid-sentence.
Aiko's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, she scooped up Special Week under one arm, hopped back on her scooter, and zoomed straight toward them.
At two meters away, she made a perfect drift stop, the scooter skidding to a halt less than half a meter in front of them.
"Hi! Mr. Kitahara, hello!" she greeted, flashing a confident thumbs-up and a radiant grin. "Yup, I'm Aiko!"
Then she hoisted up her daughter. "And this is Special! Go on, say hi!"
Apparently used to being carried like that, little Special Week dangled calmly from her mother's hand, grinning.
"Hello, Uncle Kitahara! Hello, Big Sister Oguri! I'm Special Week! My dream is to become Japan's number one horse girl! Please take care of me!"
She kicked her legs in the air and smiled so wide her eyes curved like crescents.
Ah. Now I see why everyone calls her "Special Dummy." And I can tell exactly who she takes after.
In less than ten minutes, Kitahara felt like he'd aged ten years — he'd never wanted to sigh and laugh so much at once.
"Ah… hello, Special." He forced a stiff smile.
Oguri Cap, meanwhile, leaned closer, intrigued. "So your dream is to be Japan's number one horse girl? That's an amazing dream."
"Mhm! Because I promised both my moms!" Special Week balled her tiny fists by her cheeks, swinging her legs excitedly. "When Campaign Mama gave me to Aiko Mama, she said she hoped Aiko Mama could raise me to be a great horse girl!"
"So Aiko Mama's been training me ever since! I can run really fast now! I'll definitely be Japan's number one someday!"
Then, suddenly, she froze — eyes wide, purple pupils shrinking."Oh no! The 42nd Special Week Sheep Cup—I lost! The prize carrot—!"
She turned stiffly toward the gate, where the rope now dangled empty in the wind."My carrot! My champion prize! It's gone?!"
Her long ears shot up, then drooped sadly as tears welled in her eyes.
"Uuu… my prize carrot…"
Kitahara couldn't help but smile faintly. She really was simple, innocent, and irresistibly endearing.
Before he could speak, Oguri Cap knelt down with a gentle smile."Here, Special. A carrot."
She held out a fresh, glossy carrot seemingly conjured from nowhere. Seeing Special's face light up, Oguri added warmly, "Eat up. Champions need full bellies."
"For me?" Special gasped, then grinned. "Thank you, Sister Oguri! You're such a good horse girl!"
"You're welcome," Oguri laughed softly, though her cheeks flushed slightly as Kitahara and Aiko both watched her fondly. "I just like carrying snacks around. My little sister does it for me too."
From her coat pockets, she even produced another carrot and an ear of corn. "Want more?"
Kitahara could only cover his face again. Right. This family's snack habits make a lot more sense now.
Aiko laughed heartily, slapping her chest. "You're our guests today — no need to bring snacks! Let me treat you to a proper meal!"
"I drove the truck to the market this morning and bought all kinds of ingredients — sea urchin, tuna, salmon, scallops, cod crab, even lobster!"
"Yup! Mama's cooking is the best!" Special chimed in. "Especially seafood hotpot!"
"That sounds wonderful," Oguri's eyes sparkled at the mention of food.
Kitahara chuckled and bowed politely. "Then we'll be in your care, Ms. Aiko. And, uh… maybe you can put Special down first?"
"Oh—right!" Aiko laughed, finally setting her daughter on the ground. Kitahara then parked his car behind the ranch, next to a truck still dripping with seawater from its cargo.
While he did, Oguri suddenly spoke softly, her tone thoughtful.
"Kitahara… that 'Campaign Mama' and 'Aiko Mama' Special mentioned…"
She looked saddened. "That's what you told me about on the way here, isn't it?"
Kitahara paused, then sighed. "…Yes."
He had explained earlier — like in another world, Special Week's birth mother was the legendary Campaign Girl. She'd passed away shortly after giving birth, and Aiko, her close friend, had promised to raise her daughter to fulfill her dream.
Aiko had left her stable job at a large ranch, used all her savings to buy this small one, and dedicated her life to raising Special Week.
Though the place looked simple, its environment was clearly chosen for training purposes.
"She said she's self-taught as a trainer," Kitahara murmured, "and that she's done all she can. She wasn't sure why I wanted to meet Special, but she hoped I could guide her somehow."
"She also told me that Special's strong — she accepted her mother's death early, and she doesn't shy away from it."
Oguri listened quietly, eyes softening.
"Ms. Aiko said Special was ordinary," Kitahara continued, "but she's not. She's strong — and bright. And the reason she's like that is because of Aiko's love."
Oguri nodded gently. "She's like me then. I had one… no — she has two amazing mothers."
Through the car window, they could see smoke rising from the wooden chimney of the small house — white and straight, climbing toward the sky.
Oguri smiled faintly. "You know, Kitahara… I once said I became a racer because my mother wanted me to. Special's the same — she runs because her mothers dreamed it."
She turned to him, her blue eyes shining."With you here, I believe we'll both make those dreams come true."
"That day isn't far away, right?"
Kitahara looked at her, then up at the western sky — far, far beyond.
"…Yeah," he said softly. "It's not far at all."
[Its so peak]
(End of Chapter)