Two hours later.
"What?!"
At the Mejiro training grounds, inside the trainers' room, Fumino's eyes were wide open. Her short, messy hair flew up with the intensity of her movements.
Just a moment ago, after Kuroha and Super Creek had chatted over tea and rested a bit, he had taken her straight to the prep room.
Then, Kuroha suddenly brought her out to the training ground.
The girl obediently lay down just as expected, one pillow propped under her, another positioned to support her body.
After a round of blush-inducing, heart-pounding massage, Kuroha fully confirmed Creek's current condition. He contacted Fumino, called her over, and explained everything about Super Creek to her in detail.
And that was how she ended up stunned on the spot, completely shell-shocked.
After the shock.
Fumino snuck a glance at Super Creek, who was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window outside, her back turned as she stared blankly inward. Fumino slowly forced herself to calm down. She resolutely sat back onto the sofa, her voice dry.
"Creek... has she really reached that point already?"
Kuroha replied coolly, "Yeah. I've been observing her condition for almost ten months now. At this point, we can already narrow down all the likely causes."
As he spoke, Kuroha paused, then asked, "Fumino, do you know what an 'athletic heart' is?"
"Of course I do."
Fumino nodded. "An athletic heart refers to a large heart with high function and high reserves..."
Before she could finish, she suddenly caught up, and her expression changed drastically.
"Wait!"
Kuroha nodded, his tone heavy. "It's exactly what you're thinking. That talent of Creek's is gone now."
Just like Little Creek, Super Creek also possessed an athletic heart.
Not to put too fine a point on it: as long as they're truly powerful racehorse girls, whether acquired through birth or training, they will develop this powerful heart.
Super Creek's near-perfect aptitude for long-distance races on the central circuit was, to a considerable extent, born from that strong, tenacious heart of hers.
Its terrifying muscular output and oxygen supply capacity gave her that almost inexhaustible stamina.
The difference was that Little Creek's heart made her body more fragile, whereas Super Creek's heart gave her overwhelming endurance.
As the Three Goddesses' blessing slowly faded and finally came to an end, it manifested concretely as a decline in physical function. In the smallest details, that was why Super Creek, who in the past wouldn't even break a sweat during training, now felt uncomfortably wrung out so easily. That was one of the fundamental reasons.
"If you trace it back along the line... yeah."
Fumino lowered her head, her hair falling to cover most of her face, hiding the sorrow pooling in the corners of her eyes.
Just like Kuroha, she hadn't been a central trainer for long. Her experience was still far from sufficient.
And Super Creek was the racehorse girl she had poured the most emotion into, and the one she was proudest of since she began coaching.
To the point that she had never truly considered that someday Super Creek would have to leave the stage.
Now, to be hit by this news so abruptly, it was really hard for her to accept.
After a brief silence, Fumino suddenly raised her head, a last flicker of hope in her eyes.
"Kuroha, are you really sure?"
Kuroha slightly shook his head. "If you two really want to run in the Tenno Sho (Spring), I'll do everything I can."
He paused, then spoke with a bit more weight.
"But you both need to understand something."
"Even if things go exactly as I'm envisioning... we still might not be able to win the Tenno Sho (Spring)."
"And in the Tenno Sho (Spring)," Kuroha calmly stated the fact, "Ardan will be running too."
The deeper meaning behind his words was obvious.
Even if you enter, there's still a high chance you won't beat my racehorse girl.
If that happens, you'll just end up in an even worse position.
"..."
Fumino didn't answer immediately. Instead, she stared up blankly at the ceiling, as if trying to swallow back the tears about to spill over.
In the end, she took a deep breath and stood up.
"I... I'll go check on Creek first."
With that, she stumbled out of the trainers' room in a daze.
Watching her retreating back, Kuroha lowered his gaze, picked up the tea that had already cooled a little on the table, and took a quiet sip as he waited for their answer.
She ran off.
"Bang—!"
The glass-like girl blasted through the preset finish line, kicking up a strong gust of wind.
"Your condition looks great, Ardan! You've already done ten sets, and the data is still very stable."
Beside her, the rookie trainer smiled as they handed her a towel and a bottle of water. "Looks like there's absolutely no problem for the upcoming race!"
"Thanks, trainer."
Ardan accepted it with gratitude, sipping the water as she glanced over at the other side of the training ground where two familiar figures stood.
"Trainer Nami and Super Creek?"
She blinked, a bit puzzled as to why they were here.
But.
This probably isn't something I can help with anyway. I should just trust my trainer!
In Ardan's heart, her own trainer was omnipotent.
Right now, her top priority was to fulfill her trainer's expectations of her: to take the Triple Crown!
"Alright, trainer!"
She clenched her fist hard, feeling the surging power inside her that seemed to well up endlessly, and once again Ardan launched herself down the track.
A short while later.
The trainers' room door opened. Kuroha looked slowly at Fumino standing in the doorway, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes.
Her expression was no longer as resolute as before. In its place was a kind of shattered determination.
She sat back down at the table, took the teapot herself, and poured into her own cup.
"Gulp, gulp—"
She downed the warm tea in one go, and a burning sensation spread through her chest.
Only after knocking back several cups did she slam the teacup down and exhale hard.
"Kuroha."
Fumino raised her head and met his eyes directly.
"I'll reimburse you at ten times the highest market rate for top-class recuperative care!"
"And no matter whether it's the treatment methods or the environment, we'll use the very best we can find. Money is no object, as long as Creek can be cured!"
Kuroha calmly reached out his hand and asked mildly, "Since when have I ever been greedy?"
"..."
Fumino froze for a second.
She stared blankly at Kuroha for a while, then slowly turned her head away. A long-lost, slightly relaxed expression appeared on her face, tinged with a bit of self-mockery.
"Right..."
"If I didn't even trust you..."
Kuroha chuckled softly at that, just about to speak, when he saw Fumino suddenly cross her arms over her chest, that faint shyness fully revealed.
Her face flushed red as she turned her head away, not daring to look Kuroha in the eye. She muttered in a tiny voice:
"Come to think of it, I totally forgot about it last year..."
"I didn't expect you of all people to be that... that intense during treatment..."
"H..."
Kuroha: "..."
Since when did rubbing a forehead during treatment get counted as H stuff?
Especially considering that just last night he'd gotten pinned down on the bed by one of his own racehorse girls...
An awkward silence slowly filled the office.
"Hey, hey—"
After a few seconds, Kuroha cleared his throat and defended himself with a straight face. "It's one of the best treatment methods available."
"I know, I know!"
Fumino huffed lightly, seemingly trying to cover up her embarrassment with that attitude.
She drew in a deep breath, as if steeling herself for something, then looked at Kuroha again and asked seriously:
"During this period, when Creek is undergoing treatment... can I stay by her side and watch?"
"..."
Kuroha raised an eyebrow. "You can, but what about your team?"
He didn't say it aloud, but Fumino's group had at least four Uma Musume.
And on top of that, there was the group of little girls newly brought up from the elementary division, who had only just undergone True Blooming. The squad size was easily heading toward six or more.
"I have three trainers over there who can handle things."
Fumino spoke softly. "Besides, my main priority this year was always going to be Creek. Don't worry."
"In that case, if you want to be there, then come and watch."
After thinking it over for a moment, Kuroha nodded in agreement.
(End of Chapter)
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