The car pulled up beside a rustic seaside tavern. Peach Waves tilted her head, puzzled.
"Grandpa… what is this place?"
Longjing smiled.
"Back when I was a trainer, I had a junior who heard about you and wanted to meet you."
Peach Waves gave a quiet "Oh," and began swinging her legs idly, waiting.
Soon, the tavern door creaked open and a man in a plaid waistcoat hopped into the front seat, a lollipop dangling from his mouth. He had tousled hair and a carefree grin reminding her of a certain someone.
"Hahaha, sorry I'm late, Senior! I forgot my wallet while drinking—classic me!"
Peach Waves blinked. Is this Spica's trainer? She glanced at him with mild suspicion.
Longjing didn't hide his annoyance.
"Driver, go."
Okino chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head. Then his eyes landed on Peach Waves.
"Whoa, is this the horse girl you picked up? She's adorable!"
"Don't say something like that with your tone. How old are you?" Longjing snapped, then turned to Peach Waves with a gentler tone.
"Starlight, he may seem unreliable, but he's actually a trainer at Central Tracen Academy."
Okino puffed his chest.
"Ahem, I'm not that bad! I've got decent instincts."
"He's got a good eye," Longjing admitted. "He might be able to help during your aptitude test."
Peach Waves nodded politely.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Peach Waves."
"Call me Okino. So, have you trained before?"
He popped the lollipop out of his mouth and gave her a once-over—until Longjing's glare made him look away.
"I've trained for a month with Grandpa," Peach Waves replied.
"Then you're already ahead of most beginners. A month with a senior like him is worth three with anyone else."
They chatted as the car rolled toward the testing facility.
At the venue, a team of five or six testers awaited, surrounded by strange instruments. Peach Waves was led into a room and seated.
"Miss Peach Waves, please remove your shoes and place your feet on the tester."
She complied, stepping barefoot onto a scale-like device. Numbers and graphs filled the monitor. The recorder scribbled furiously.
After a moment, the lead tester nodded.
"Now we'll move to the field. We'll test your performance across four distances: 1200m sprint, 1600m mile, 2400m medium, and 3000m long. You'll have rest intervals, and you only need to run at half strength."
Peach Waves changed into her training gear and stepped onto the grass.
Off the field, Longjing and Okino watched.
"Do you think she'll make it into Tracen?" Longjing asked.
Okino tossed his lollipop stick into a bin and rubbed his neck.
"Hard to say. It's not up to us—it's the student council that decides."
"Hmm…"
"But honestly, talent's just the icing on the cake. She's got something else—drive. Even if she's not admitted, she'll shine."
Longjing narrowed his eyes.
"What makes you say that?"
"Intuition. She's got that fire. She'll succeed."
After the tests, Longjing and Okino bowed to the testers and received Peach Waves' data sheet. They scanned the results—and froze.
"Her aptitude scores aren't high," Longjing muttered. "None of her distance ratings hit A…"
"But her times are incredible," Okino added. "She's faster than most horse girls her age—especially in medium and long distances."
He looked at Peach Waves jogging toward them.
"She's a hidden gem. A precious jade buried in the dirt."
"Too well hidden," Longjing sighed. "Some might overlook her."
"Then it's our job to polish her until she shines."
Peach Waves arrived, noticing their strange expressions.
"Grandpa, what are you two talking about?"
"Haha, nothing serious. Let's head home. I'll start your registration letter soon."
"Okay! You can try my grilled cold noodles tonight!"
She knew what they were discussing—her talent. But she wasn't worried. Her panel told the story. What mattered now was training hard and earning radish points.
That evening, Peach Waves prepared her signature dish. Under Longjing's curious gaze, she cracked eggs, fried sausages and tenderloin, rolled everything in a custom noodle wrap, brushed it with secret sauce, and sprinkled sesame seeds.
She plated it and handed it over.
"Here, Grandpa. Try it!"
Longjing took a bite. The egg blended perfectly with the dough, the tenderloin was juicy, and the sauce had a sweet kick with a hint of radish.
"Delicious! You've got real talent, Peach Waves."
He finished the bowl and set it down.
"Maybe I should pass the restaurant to you instead of Tian Si."
"Haha, I still have a lot to learn!"
"If you sell these at your stall, you'll be the talk of the street."
"Then I'll need a food truck and tools…"
"Say no more. Grandpa's got you covered."
"Hehe, thanks Grandpa!"
After cleaning up, Peach Waves returned to her room. But thanks to the energy candy, she felt no fatigue.