That bento at noon, although its name sounded very strange, tasted unexpectedly good.
In the afternoon, the number of people in the shop gradually increased. Aoi was in charge of the front desk, while Kazuo was called over by Kiryuuin.
"There's a batch of goods in the back this afternoon. Go help me move these things over here."
After tidying up the finished bento box and bringing it out, Kiryuuin still left a concise instruction and returned behind the curtain.
Kazuo followed the instructions to the street behind the shop, where a van was parked.
The bald uncle who got out of the car glanced at the name tag on Kazuo, then showed a hearty smile and handed over the delivery slip, saying:
"You're the person Kiryu called, aren't you? Come, sign here. And these boxes are all parts, so I'll trouble you to move them into the shop!"
The wooden box was heavy, and a clear clinking sound came from inside.
This wooden box weighed at least fifty catties. Following Kiryu's instructions, Kazuo slowly moved the items into the room behind the curtain.
The room had no view. Kazuo knocked a few times and then walked straight in, carrying the box.
In the approximately ten-tatami-mat room, various parts and blanks hung on the walls, and a pile of opened wooden boxes lay in a corner. Shelves held various tools and bottles of liquids, much like a laboratory. At a workbench nearby, Kiryuuin sat there, illuminated by a lamp, holding tools and seemingly tinkering with something.
"Um... I've brought the things over. Where should I put them...?"
Without lifting his head, Kiryuuin continued to tinker with his items, only freeing one hand to point to an empty space on the other side.
"Just put them over there."
Saying this, he continued to write something without a word.
Carefully setting down the heavy wooden box, Kazuo couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
"There are screwdrivers on the cabinet over there. You should know how to open the box, right?"
While continuing his work, Kiryuuin issued a second instruction.
"Mm."
Kazuo responded, quickly picking up a flathead screwdriver and prying open the nailed wooden box in no time.
The contents inside were finally revealed to Kazuo.
Various parts and fan-shaped iron blocks bundled together.
Kazuo had seen these items in his study materials—
"Horseshoes...?"
"Mm, to be precise, unfinished horseshoes."
At this moment, Kiryuuin stopped what he was doing, turned around, took off his goggles, and stood up, walking over.
"Mm... All the horseshoes delivered are newly cast. It looks like there are some good blanks among them."
Kneeling to the side, Kiryuuin picked up one of the horseshoes and weighed it in his hand, a satisfied expression on his face.
"Are all these used to add to racing boots?"
When Aoi had introduced Kazuo earlier, the running shoes displayed in the shop actually had no horseshoes; in short, they were semi-finished samples.
And these in Kiryuuin's hand were the most special component of the running shoes.
"Yes, but not entirely."
Kiryuuin stood up with the sample, "These haven't been processed, polished, or cut yet, so they can't be directly added to the running shoes."
Only then did Kazuo realize that what he had been tinkering with on the workbench earlier was a horseshoe detached from a running shoe.
"Is this… changing the horseshoe?"
"Hmm… but this is a semi-finished product; it still needs fine-tuning according to the original size. The horseshoe on this pair of shoes has become loose due to wear, so it was sent here for adjustment during this holiday, specifically to replace it with a new one. If a horseshoe becomes loose during a race, the consequences at high speeds could be unimaginable."
If such a situation occurred during a race, on one hand, it could cause the high-speed sprinting Uma Musume to lose balance and potentially fall directly due to immense inertia. On the other hand, a detached horseshoe could also cause secondary injury to other Uma Musume in the race.
"In the past, there were local races where the Uma Musume's running boots were not properly checked. In the end, during the final sprint, due to a detached horseshoe, the Uma Musume herself suffered a fracture, and several following Uma Musume sustained injuries of varying degrees."
Although Kiryuuin spoke lightly, thinking carefully about that scenario would make one genuinely shudder.
"Since then, the Racing Association has also issued regulations, requiring strict adjustment of racing boots before every race, and we here bear a great responsibility—"
As he spoke, Kiryuuin still had that lazy, unmotivated look, but he leaned back in his chair and looked at Kazuo.
"To diligently adjust them so that Uma Musume can best adapt to their running boots, and to prevent such situations from happening again."
This was a commitment to his profession; for them, the last thing they wanted to see was such a tragedy recurring due to their oversight.
After speaking, Kiryuuin put his goggles back on properly. New parts, samples, and molds had arrived, so he was clearly about to get back to work.
However, before getting too busy, he opened his mouth again to ask:
"I just heard Aoi say that while you're here to help, you're also preparing for the qualification exam in May?"
"Um… I'm still a probationary Trainer, I guess…"
Kazuo scratched his head, a little embarrassed. As a university colleague of Tojo, though he seemed casual and laid-back, he was clearly a person with real talent and ability.
Not to mention, looking at the precision instruments in this workshop and the accessories still being adjusted.
"Heh-eh…"
Kiryuuin murmured softly, then leaned back in his chair, turned his head, and said, "Since you're Ahua's student, then I'll give you some lessons for a week on her behalf, shall I? After all, she probably sent you here for that reason."
"Uh… what is it?"
Facing a bewildered Kazuo, Kiryuuin held up the horseshoe in his hand and said:
"To teach you knowledge in this area. I don't know if it will help with your qualification exam, but if you learn basic maintenance and adjustment, it probably won't be a bad thing for your future coaching career, right?"
Kazuo, finally realizing, first froze, then burst into a fit of joy.
With an excited expression, he directly bowed his head and solemnly requested, "Please give me much guidance, Kiryu-sensei!!"
Thwack—
The iron block in his hand lightly tapped him on the head.
"I told you before, call me Shop Manager!"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/TripleCrown07
If you guys wanna check it out.