"I see. So your former charge entrusted this child to you. That must have been hard."
Silence Suzuka could never have imagined that what was meant to be a kind-hearted trip back to her hometown with her trainer for the New Year would lead to her encountering the one and only "threat" in her life.
Special Week. This little horse girl, also born in Hokkaido, had a background different from most. Her birth mother had died of intestinal necrosis during childbirth, risking her life to bring Special Week into the world. Before she passed, she entrusted her precious daughter to her former trainer, who was now Special Week's adoptive mother.
However, it was precisely because of her background that the little Special Week had shown a talent completely different from the past Suzuka from the very beginning. While Suzuka was still in a daze about her future before her development and meeting Kitano, Special Week, who knew her own story, had long understood her goal—to become Japan's number one horse girl!
This dream might have been naive, but there was no doubt that Special Week, instilled with this ideal by her two mothers, had been working towards this goal since she was a child. But now, she had encountered a small problem, one that might hinder her for the rest of her life.
"This child now wants to compete in the central races, which means she has to transfer from the Hokkaido horse girl middle school to Tracen Academy. With her talent, she shouldn't be stuck in the local leagues."
"But the problem is... I'm just a local trainer. I have no way to introduce her to the central league. Although President Rudolf from Tracen comes to watch the local races every year, relying on luck like that would be a waste of time for Spe-chan."
"Moreover... the tuition fees for Tracen... that's not really a problem, but I'm worried that after she enters, without a real trainer to guide her, it's really worrying."
"—Then let me help."
After the New Year, Kitano had taken Suzuka to visit Special Week's family. And during the process of being hosted by her adoptive mother, when she inadvertently poured out her troubles, he, without any hesitation, immediately gave the best solution to the troubles of this mother he had only met for the second time.
"What you're worried about is not the tuition fee, but that even if Spe-chan goes to Tracen, without anyone to guide her, with her personality, she might not adapt to the environment there, and without anyone to stimulate her potential, her talent might be wasted, right?"
"In that case, ma'am, I can tell you clearly that your daughter now has a central trainer."
At that moment, in the room, whether it was the sitting Suzuka or Special Week's adoptive mother in front of them, they were all startled by his words, which were like a pie falling from the sky for any horse girl. It could be said that his decision directly changed Special Week's fate.
Both of them knew very well that in Tracen, the term "contracted horse girl" was not a common one. It meant that a horse girl could receive one-on-one guidance from a trainer.
And such an opportunity was undoubtedly extremely rare. Because the number of central trainers was small, even at Tracen, there were generally no more than a hundred trainers. And how many contracted horse girls could one trainer handle? At most, only four or five. These central horse girls, even if they could dominate in the local leagues, were just ordinary in the central league.
Therefore, the position of a contracted horse girl was extremely important. It meant that an excellent teacher would do their best to develop your potential, an opportunity that would undoubtedly save you from many detours. And this opportunity, he, as a central trainer, had given to a country horse girl he had only met for the second time.
"Although Spe-chan hasn't fully developed yet, I can see her talent. Although I'm not a proper trainer either, but... if you believe in me, who can train Silence Suzuka, then feel free to let Spe-chan come find me at Tracen in the future."
"I may not be able to help her become Japan's number one horse girl, but if it's a Hall of Fame horse girl... I can still give it a try."
"—Spe-chan!"
However, just as Suzuka was watching him with both shock and surprise, for the first time beginning to doubt the judgment of the trainer she trusted, before she could react, Special Week's adoptive mother almost immediately shouted out the door, immediately calling over Special Week, who was still chasing butterflies outside.
"What is it, Mom? You and Trainer Kitano aren't—whoa!"
And when Spe-chan came in from outside, she didn't even have time to ask the reason before she was pulled into her adoptive mother's arms. The little horse girl felt her mother's excitement and tears of joy and asked nervously:
"Mom, why are you crying!"
"Spe-chan, you silly child, you're really a lucky one. There's always someone who extends a helping hand to you when you need it most. You're really a miracle."
The tearful adoptive mother looked at the child she had worked so hard to raise with a look of relief and surprise, as if she could already see her child standing on the G1 racetrack in the future. Her former charge, in heaven, would surely be ecstatic to see this scene.
"Spe-chan, come and get to know Trainer Kitano again. In the future, he will be your trainer at Tracen."
"From now on, he will be like your brother. You must respect him as you respect me, and listen to his words as you listen to mine, understand?"
...Like a brother to a trainer? That day, Suzuka, who had only been a bystander, was greatly relieved when she heard the words of Special Week's adoptive mother. Because this kind of relationship was still acceptable to her.
And even deep down, she had a slightly dark thought—after all, her trainer had only met Special Week for the second time, and she hadn't even fully developed yet. What if, what if her trainer had misjudged her? After all, it was not uncommon for excellent local horse girls to become just another runner in the central league.
However, in the following months, he did not rush back to Tracen with her. Instead, he chose to stay in Hokkaido. He planned to use the few months before her race to design some special training arrangements for Special Week, so that she could get on the right track earlier when she enrolled in Tracen in the future.
And it was in these short few months... that Special Week's performance completely shattered her last fantasy. Her actual performance told her a fact—just like when he had chosen the unfavored Suzuka, the person her trainer chose would never be a misjudgment.
When she first started training with him, Special Week had shown a talent and comprehension far superior to most of her peers. Having been trained by her trainer adoptive mother since she was a child, her foundation was extremely solid. And for the orthodox running style of "front-runner" and "mid-pack closer" that he had chosen for her, he often only needed to give a little guidance, and she would immediately realize her mistake and correct it in time.
And what impressed her even more was her huge appetite! Her appetite was so large that she, who had witnessed it, even once thought that perhaps only Oguri Cap-senpai could compete with her. And behind her huge appetite was her hidden, extremely strong stamina!
The "explosive escape" tactic, but the stamina that she, who could only exert her power in a very limited range, could not possess. He had praised her stamina more than once as being capable of winning "long-distance G1 races."
This made her feel a real threat—because all of Special Week's characteristics were things she did not possess. She even always felt that the reason her trainer was so optimistic about Spe-chan was to fill her own shortcomings in middle and long distances. Because she herself knew that the G1 races she could run within her adaptation range... were really too few.
But Special Week was different. She could handle both middle and long distances. Her final kick was also very solid, and her running style was more orthodox... This child was better than her in every way.
Even in the Classic Triple Crown races, she could only barely win one Satsuki Sho. Even the Japanese Derby, which was only 400 meters longer, was an insurmountable gap for her. But Special Week was someone who could truly challenge the Classic Triple Crown and had a chance to become a "Derby horse."
And she... could only do an explosive escape, could only linger in races between 1800 and 2200 meters... And in these few months, she, who was also receiving training from him, had only done two things: run alongside Spe-chan, and consolidate her explosive escape tactic.
And at that time, he seemed to have seen her anxiety and worry, and would often comfort her at night, saying gently:
"Don't worry about Spe-chan, Suzuka. Everyone is unique. You don't need to feel that her arrival will replace you. In my heart, no one can replace your position."
"You will always be my most cared-for first charge. Without you, I would never have made it to this day. So, please don't let her affect your condition."
"I'm still looking forward to the day when you and Spe-chan can race together in the same race, Suzuka."
...Liar.
Listening to his comfort, and as usual, resting her head on his back, the jealous Suzuka was once again motivated by his words. She suddenly understood that the only way to prevent Special Week from replacing her in the future was to have a fair and square showdown with her.
She knew very well that she now only had one G1 Satsuki Sho victory, and Special Week, who had more G1 races to challenge in the future, was very likely to tie or even surpass her current achievements during her classic year. Then only in a G1 race within her adaptation distance, a fair and square duel between her and Spe-chan could prove her strength.
To prove that only she could be her trainer's legs, to prove that only she could take him to see the view from the very front!
This position, she would absolutely not give it to anyone else!
And in her senior year, she, who was very clear about her own abilities, knew that she only had two G1 races left within her adaptation range—the G1 Takarazuka Kinen and the G1 Tennō Shō (Autumn).
And these two races would be the best battlefield for her and Spe-chan to have a showdown in the future! A battlefield where she could exert all her strength and make Spe-chan lose convincingly!
And what she had to do was to win these two G1 races this year. Only in this way, when facing the stronger and more talented Spe-chan in the future, would she absolutely not be afraid.
...
"Trainer-san, I must participate in the Tennō Shō (Autumn)! Please!"
In October, after winning the GII Mainichi Okan, she finally proposed her final goal to her trainer—the G1 Tennō Shō (Autumn). This was her last goal now, but it was also a race that her trainer, for some reason, had been deliberately avoiding all along.
Everything was as she had expected. After returning to the racetrack, her "explosive escape" tactic was completely consolidated, and she was invincible within her adaptation distance! Not only did she win several GII races, but she also created a huge lead of 11 lengths in one of them! This completely ignited the entire Japanese horse girl world.
And her most talked-about achievement during this period was in the G1 Takarazuka Kinen in June, where she defeated her admired senior, the "Empress" Air Groove! And she also won her second G1 victory after the Satsuki Sho.
And this time's Mainichi Okan, although not a G1, she also defeated two very dazzling juniors recently, Grass Wonder and El Condor Pasa. This once again further recognized her strength. For many fans who did not know the truth, and even some Tracen horse girls who did not see her shortcomings, she was the strongest horse girl in mile and middle-distance races of this era.
And now, when the soaring Suzuka, after winning the Mainichi Okan, cheerfully proposed her final goal was the Tennō Shō (Autumn), the face of this trainer, who had always supported her and respected her choices at all times, showed hesitation and doubt for the first time.
"...Suzuka, are you really sure you have to participate in this race?"
"You just won the Mainichi Okan. To challenge the Tennō Shō (Autumn) with less than a month of rest is a huge burden on your body. Can you... not go?"
"I can rest well. I think I can do it." And faced with his first obstruction, she was also a little surprised, but she still insisted on expressing her will. "I want to win the race, as long as you can be happy, can watch me continue to run."
The recent winning streak was undoubtedly a joy for her, not just the joy of winning, but she found that the previously sickly Kitano seemed to be in a much better mood with her winning streak. And she didn't know if it was because his mood affected his illness or other reasons, but she found that her trainer's incurable disease seemed to have improved! He could even stand up a few months ago!
The last time she went to the hospital for a check-up, the doctor was extremely surprised and said that for some reason, the bone cancer's impact on him was indeed decreasing, and even slowly alleviating—this gave her hope.
The girlish heart that had been put down because of his illness was now, with his gradual recovery, unable to help but ripple again.
Although this guess was very strange, she vaguely felt that perhaps, as long as she kept winning races, her trainer's illness would get better and better—perhaps one day in the future, his illness would really be completely cured, as long as she won enough races!
So she wanted to win this race. This was the last G1 race she could participate in and was confident of winning in the last few months of the year. She didn't want to give up!
"But I don't want you to win—Suzuka, I just want you to be well."
And that day, she was grabbed by the arms by the somewhat agitated Kitano for the first time. She looked at him with some panic, at his trembling pupils, and listened to the trainer she thought was omnipotent, for the first time revealing his fear:
"Suzuka... I know my reason may be hard for you to understand, but... I've dreamed, dreamed of you falling on the track of the Tennō Shō (Autumn). I... I'm very scared."
"Suzuka, you know, my worries have never been unnecessary. I hope you can win more races than you do—but this time, can you not go? Just for me, just this once, don't go to the race, can you?"
"Trainer-san..."
She was a little surprised to look at the nervous Kitano in front of her. After a moment of daze, a gentle and warm smile appeared on her face. This was the first time she had received a response from him since she had confirmed her feelings for him. And this response made her feel a secret joy from the bottom of her heart... but it inadvertently made her even more determined to win.
Just as Air Groove had said. Her trainer... actually liked her too. He just didn't dare to respond to her feelings because of his illness.
And now, perhaps she was the only one who could save him. If she couldn't respond to his feelings, if she couldn't save him... then what was the point of her running?
"I... must go, Trainer-san."
"I promise, I will come back safely. You just need to wait for my triumphant return in the stands, Trainer-san."
"...I understand."
However, faced with his charge's words, under her gaze, he was silent for a long time. Finally, with a long sigh that was either a sigh of fate or to put himself at ease, he for the first time actively embraced the charge in front of him, conveying all his suppressed emotions in this embrace.
"You must come back, Suzuka. I will always be watching you. Please, you must come back."
"...Then, can you agree to a small request of mine?"
And at this time, Suzuka, who felt an unprecedented warmth in her body and mind, looked at the trainer she liked and was most grateful for for a long, long time.
And finally, in front of him, she saw the blushing Suzuka slowly close her eyes. The shy girl tiptoed slightly and gave a light peck on the face of this inseparable person in front of her.
At that moment, if time could have stopped, she wished it could have stopped forever. This was the first time her and her beloved's hearts had truly touched without any barriers...
...But she didn't know that this would also be the last time.
She didn't expect that her separation from him would come so quickly, as if... fate had already arranged everything. And when fate wanted to take back what belonged to it, even if it caused her the pain of broken bones and torn muscles, the god of fate would not care...
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