"...No hope? What does that mean?"
Bamboo Elegance asked another question.
"There isn't a single trainer left at Himeji Tracen Academy."
Hearing the black-haired horse girl's question, the man couldn't stop sighing. "But the Horse Girl Association has stipulated that starting this year, a horse girl needs a trainer with a 'license' to register her for a race."
"Oh, so you're saying I can't participate in my debut race, right?"
Bamboo Elegance nodded, having understood the man's explanation.
"...Then when you said you want me to save this academy, don't tell me you want me to become a school idol?"
"What are you talking about?"
The man waved his hand. "Horse girls have their own stage to fight on."
"But didn't you say Himeji Tracen has no trainers right now?"
"We don't have any now, but that doesn't mean we won't have any in the future."
The man once again extended a hand toward Qingzhu Fengya. "Bamboo Elegance, you... what have you decided?"
"My, my? Are you that eager to know a young maiden's inner thoughts, Mr. Chairman?"
Bamboo Elegance closed one eye, giving the tense man a playful wink. "But not yet. I won't tell you until I'm done asking what I want to know, okay?"
"Ask away."
The man answered without any hesitation. "As long as you agree, Miss Bamboo, I'm willing to answer any question and agree to any condition."
"Mhm, then I won't hold back."
A smile graced the black-haired horse girl's face. "Mr. Chairman, why do you care so much about Himeji Tracen Academy?"
"You said it yourself earlier, you only just took over as Chairman not long ago, right?"
"That question..."
The man murmured, then reached out and patted the desk.
Hearing the crisp sound of his hand hitting the wood, a nostalgic smile appeared on his face.
"...The previous chairman of Himeji Tracen Academy was my father."
As he said this, the man's voice grew gentle.
"My mother passed away when I was very young. My father was worried about me being home alone and unsafe, so he simply brought me here with him."
"My father... he would sit in this very chair, holding me, watching the horse girls of this academy train day in and day out."
The man's voice was filled with fondness as the memories were stirred.
"This room... no."
The man shook his head, correcting his earlier statement. "Every single corner of this Himeji Tracen Academy holds my precious memories."
"I not only want to protect the memories my father and I made in this academy, but I also want to preserve the memories of the horse girls who once studied here."
He said this, then turned to look out the window.
"...If one day an unsuspecting horse girl decided to come back for a visit on a whim, only to find the academy had long been shut down, she would surely be heartbroken, wouldn't she?"
He wants to protect the beautiful memories he has with his family...
The man looking out the window didn't notice that after he spoke, a hint of melancholy had suddenly appeared on the face of the black-haired horse girl before him.
In both of her lives, she had been raised by the charity of many.
Although those people had been very good to her, whenever she saw a child walking down the street holding their parents' hands, she couldn't help but fantasize that if she had parents of her own, the expression on her face might be even happier than that child's.
...Unfortunately, in any world, there is no such thing as "if."
"So, I beg you... no! You absolutely must help me!"
The man, who hadn't noticed the fleeting change in Bamboo Elegance's expression, pleaded with her: "...Please!"
"..."
...He wanted this academy full of memories to continue existing in this world.
Bamboo Elegance silently shifted her gaze to the wooden desk behind the man.
But, beautiful memories, huh.
Bamboo Elegance murmured silently to herself.
...As an outsider, can I also find my own precious memories in this world?
The black-haired Horse Girl wondered in confusion.
"...I understand."
After a moment of silence, under the man's surprised gaze, Bamboo Elegance nodded in agreement: "I'll help you."
"R-really?!"
The anxious man's eyes widened instantly upon hearing the black-haired Horse Girl's response.
Feeling as if he were floating, the man asked in a trembling voice: "...You're really willing?"
"Are you wondering if you're dreaming?"
Seeing the man staring intently at her, Bamboo Elegance added: "But... Chairman, your current expression is quite rude, you know?"
"Ah... Sorry!"
The man cleared his throat, raising and lowering his hands, appearing somewhat flustered.
"So... you really agreed?"
The stiff young chairman clenched his right fist, coughed lightly with it in front of his mouth, and cautiously repeated his previous words.
"Hmm? Chairman, do you want to hear it again?"
Seeing the man looking at her eagerly, the black-haired Horse Girl tilted her head: "I said I'll help you?"
"...Are you sure you don't need more time to think about it?"
Having calmed down slightly, the man actually tried to dissuade her after a brief silence: "Shouldn't you think it through carefully before giving me your answer?"
"No need, I've made up my mind."
Bamboo Elegance replied cheerfully: "Besides... becoming the savior of Himeji Tracen Academy sounds pretty cool, doesn't it?"
"I understand."
The young chairman stared at the black-haired Horse Girl's smiling face for a long moment: "Thank you."
"I'll walk this path together with you from now on."
"Um, Chairman?"
Hearing the man's words, Bamboo Elegance covered her face with both hands, pretending to be shy: "What you just said..."
"Oh, don't misunderstand."
Before Bamboo Elegance could finish, the man raised his right arm, cutting off her unfinished sentence.
"...I already have someone I love."
Showing the ring on his ring finger, the man's mouth unconsciously curved upward: "...We've even met each other's parents already."
"..."
Bamboo Elegance watched the man stroking his ring, feeling like she'd been force-fed dog food without warning.
"What kind of person is she?"
But soon, driven by curiosity, the black-haired Horse Girl asked.
"Lazy."
Without hesitation, the man answered Bamboo Elegance's question with a single word.
"Too lazy to cook, too lazy to go out, too lazy to put on makeup..."
With each item mentioned, the helplessness on the man's face became more apparent: "...Sometimes I even wonder how that woman manages to survive when I'm not around."
"...Aren't you exaggerating a bit too much?"
"..."
However, upon hearing the black-haired Horse Girl's words, the chairman first sighed, then shook his head while reaching out to pat her shoulder.