The next morning, when Silent Suzuka curiously asked the young trainer from Kasamatsu what had happened in their room last night, Zhou Tai'an was vague.
He hadn't had a chance to discuss with Oguri Cap and Brand New Shine how to explain the "scream" from last night, so in response to her question, he just said vaguely, "There was a little accident, but we took care of it."
"I see," Silent Suzuka didn't press further, just continued to quietly lead the way—living up to her name.
Zhou Tai'an followed behind her, enjoying the slipstream, his run becoming easier and easier.
However, his attention was not on Silent Suzuka at all, but on what had happened last night.
"Although I thought separate bedrooms would be fine, I really can't account for all accidents," he muttered to himself. "It's a good thing I shut the door so quickly. Otherwise, it would have been even more awkward."
As for how to handle last night's accident, his current plan was to "wing it"—give it the cold shoulder treatment, pretend nothing had happened. After all, it was just an unlucky coincidence that he had walked in on them coming out of the hot spring wrapped in towels. He hadn't seen everything. And he hadn't done anything inappropriate.
He believed he had a clear conscience.
…
Silent Suzuka, running in front, was also talking to herself. "Before the scream last night, there was the sound of a door opening."
She had a good guess of what had probably happened.
But she didn't hold any ill will towards the young trainer behind her because of it.
After all, given Kasamatsu's financial situation, he had most likely used his own savings to help the Horse Girls he was training pursue their dreams.
Compared to the trainers at the academy who were obsessed with making money in the stock market, she had a much better impression of the man behind her.
Of course, in her heart, Tojo Hana, who had single-handedly recruited her to Team Rigil, was undoubtedly number one.
"I'm really looking forward to Zhou-kun coming to Central," she silently mused.
After their run, Zhou Tai'an and Silent Suzuka tacitly staggered their return times, heading back to the inn one after the other.
When Zhou Tai'an stepped into the inn's lobby, Oguri Cap, who had also just finished her morning run, was eating heartily, oblivious to her surroundings.
He noticed that many of the Horse Girls from Central Tracen Academy had their eyes on his gray-coated Horse Girl.
"Is it because of how she eats?" he wondered, but said nothing.
He first went back to his room to change into a fresh set of casual clothes, then returned to the dining room for breakfast.
And just as he left, the Horse Girls from Central all turned their gazes to his retreating back.
"He trained a local Horse Girl to that level?" Taiki Shuttle muttered. "That explosive power was terrifying."
"Yeah. If she came to Central, as long as her turf aptitude isn't a problem, she could definitely win a Graded Race next year," Fuji Kiseki chimed in. "And this is just her debut year."
"Then why doesn't our trainer consider scouting her for Central? A Horse Girl of her level... it's such a waste for her to stay in a local region," Taiki Shuttle didn't understand at all.
"Why don't you go ask our trainer," Fuji Kiseki said, confident that her own trainer couldn't have missed how stunning Oguri Cap's performance was during her morning run.
Tojo Hana listened to her Horse Girls' whispers without saying a word.
"If it were just Oguri Cap's outstanding talent, I would definitely want to poach her," her internal thoughts were much more turbulent than her expression. "But it's obvious her trainer is also very skilled. I don't have the confidence to train her better."
In fact, Tojo Hana felt that if Zhou Tai'an were to come to Central, he could poach the Horse Girls she had her eye on.
"Is he really just a trainer who was fired after his internship at the West Coast Tracen Academy?" At this thought, Tojo Hana frowned. "I'll give Symboli Rudolf a call later and ask. He was recommended to Kasamatsu by her. She should know some inside information."
After returning to the dining room, Zhou Tai'an simply sat down opposite Oguri Cap.
His appetite was usually small in the morning. He just had a fried egg, a few slices of bread, and a cup of coffee.
Oguri Cap, who had been eating with her head down, stopped, looked up at him, and then quickly looked away.
Brand New Shine, sitting beside her, had a faint blush on her cheeks. Last night's incident had clearly been a bit of a shock for the country girls—though if the roles were reversed, the outcome would probably be the same.
Zhou Tai'an, having decided on the cold shoulder treatment, picked up a slice of buttered toast and said, "Today, Oguri Cap and Brand New Shine, you'll go to the swimming pool in the morning, rest in the afternoon, and at 7:55 PM, after your warm-up, run one 400-meter lap on the training track."
"In other words, same as yesterday."
"I understand," Oguri Cap's tone was also as unchanged as usual.
If it weren't for the slight panic in her eyes just now, he would have really thought she was completely unfazed by last night's accident.
"Although I've decided on the cold shoulder treatment, I still need to observe their state of mind," he reminded himself. "If this causes any psychological issues for them, forget Brand New Shine, but if Oguri Cap is negatively affected, that would be a huge loss."
But psychological observation couldn't be done overnight. He tentatively set this as a task to be completed over the next month.
In comparison, there was something else more worthy of his attention today—
Back at Kasamatsu Tracen Academy, he had told Oguri Cap that he would visit her family.
Since it was a home visit, he couldn't go empty-handed. That would be too impolite.
But what gift was appropriate for a middle-aged woman was a difficult question for the young trainer.
"Should I go ask Sachiko-san?" The moment this thought appeared in his mind, it was extinguished.
"If I ask that, Sachiko-san will definitely get the wrong idea, right?" he shook his head and stuffed the slice of bread into his mouth.
After thinking it over, he felt that there was no one in the entire inn suitable to ask for advice on this matter. "I guess I'll just have to go out for a walk later while Oguri Cap and Brand New Shine are at the swimming pool and find some inspiration myself."
-------
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