"Ara, so this is the little star you brought back, Mr. Trainer? Her name is Muteki?"
In Kitano's dormitory at Tracen Academy, everyone except the busy Rudolf had gathered to see the new horse girl from the Mejiro family.
"She's already that tall without even being fully matured? As expected of the fine Mejiro bloodline," Mr. C.B. said, showing great curiosity and friendliness towards the newcomer. She reached out to pat Muteki's head. "My name is Mr. C.B. As you can see, I'm currently Mr. Trainer's assistant."
For some reason, C.B. felt a strong sense of closeness to Muteki from the first glance... perhaps because she sensed a familiar feeling in Muteki, one very similar to Kitano's.
However, Muteki didn't return the favor. She silently took a step back, maintaining her distance, and replied in her usual flat tone. "Hello, I am Muteki. And where I grew up, physical contact is something to be careful about unless you are close. So, please don't treat me like a child just because I'm younger."
"I am a horse girl. Even if I'm not fully matured, I aim to conquer G1 races of all distances. I am on equal footing with all of you... Only the trainer, and... Miss Ardan, who is looking after me, are people whose advice I will follow."
Muteki's calm words, combined with the unwavering determination in her voice, made all the horse girls present take her more seriously.
"She seems a bit like Spe-chan," Suzuka murmured, having been silent until now. She couldn't help but think of the Special Week from her memories. Special Week had also had that "keep your distance" aura, but Muteki had an added layer of resilience and tenacity, much like Kitano.
The fact that these rare qualities appeared in two people she knew, who had also formed a trainer-charge relationship... made Suzuka wonder if this girl, Muteki, was in the same situation as her.
But... Muteki didn't seem close to Mr. Trainer? Suzuka blinked, unable to make sense of the situation. She decided to give up for now and just treat Muteki normally. That couldn't be wrong.
"Hee hee, this little one is a lot like I was back in the day. You're a lucky man, Mr. Trainer," Tamamo Cross said, having come with Oguri Cap. In contrast to Oguri, who was eyeing Muteki with a slightly unfriendly, scrutinizing gaze, Tamamo was much more magnanimous. The only thing that bothered her... was that Muteki, who wasn't even fully matured, was already taller than her.
But she didn't dwell on it. Once she learned Muteki had Mejiro blood, it all made sense—wasn't it normal for that family of "fat foals" to produce another one?
"But I never thought I'd see you here again, Ardan. It's been a long time, hasn't it? Since we were active racers?"
"Yes, it has been a long time, Tamamo, and you too, Oguri Cap." As a former rival, though not on the level of the "Heisei Three," Ardan was familiar with them. She returned Tamamo's greeting warmly, then asked curiously, "But... I didn't expect you two to be on Mr. Trainer's team. Are you also his charges?"
"Huh? Haha! Nothing like that. I just followed Oguri here to freeload," Tamamo said with a wave of her hand. "Though we don't get to eat Mr. Trainer's cooking, Gold Ship and Nakayama's is pretty good too!"
"Oh! And Oguri, you won't believe it, Ardan, but she can cook! I just found out recently, she's been hiding it! You have to try her cooking this time!"
As she spoke, Tamamo's voice filled with an undisguised envy. She looked at the not-yet-matured Muteki, seeing a reflection of her past self, and sighed. "It's so nice. If only I had a reliable trainer like him back then. My path might have been much easier..."
Her words, however, cast a strange silence over the room. When Tamamo realized everyone was looking at her with peculiar expressions, she belatedly realized her words might have been problematic.
"Eh? Uh, I was just... reminiscing, you know? A slip of the tongue!"
"Wait, Oguri, why are you looking at me like that?! Did I say something wrong?"
The more she tried to explain, the more tangled she got. She noticed Oguri Cap's resentful expression. And besides Oguri, Suzuka, Festa, and Ardan all had a "so you're one of them too" look in their eyes, which made Tamamo feel even more cornered.
The most lethal gaze came from Muteki, who had been on the team for less than half an hour. From the moment Mr. C.B. had appeared, Muteki had sensed something was off with this team. Now, with C.B.'s hostess-like behavior, Tamamo's "unintentional" comment, and the sheer number of horse girls gathered around Kitano... she had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
At this thought, Muteki's small but powerful fists clenched tightly. A hint of warmth finally entered her sky-blue eyes, but it only made her gaze on Kitano's back even colder.
"It's alright, Tamamo. If you and Oguri Cap really want to join, our team would of course welcome you."
Just then, Kitano stepped in to save the flustered Tamamo. He seemed oblivious to Muteki's micro-expressions and walked over to her side. "While my abilities are limited, I will do my best to provide for every horse girl who wants to join my team. Experienced horse girls like you are exactly what my team is missing."
"Actually, on the way back from the Mejiro estate today, I did a lot of thinking," Kitano said, his gaze shifting to Muteki. Seeing his daughter's unfamiliar expression, he didn't change his attitude but instead respected her wishes and conveyed his feelings in his own way.
"This child, Muteki, and I... we both grew up without our parents. A large part of why I wanted to become a trainer was to be a guide for these children, and to be treated like family by them."
"Now, I understand. From now on, I will treat every one of my charges as a father would his own daughter. I will do everything in my power to pave the way for their dreams, to support them silently like a father."
"—Tch, who wants you as a dad? You're so troublesome," Nakayama Festa was the first to react. Though her face showed a hint of emotion, it was mostly embarrassment at being patronized by Kitano. She pretended not to care.
Suzuka's reaction was similar, but with more joy than shyness. She thought to herself, "Just a daughter... isn't quite enough, Mr. Trainer. I don't want our relationship to stop there."
However, unlike Suzuka, Oguri Cap seemed deeply moved by Kitano's words. Her resentful expression from before vanished, replaced by her usual calm. The constant twitching of her ears seemed to indicate that she was... quite satisfied with this new role.
But without a doubt, the one most touched by the "treat you like a daughter" declaration was the silent Gold Ship. Her body trembled visibly. The tallest horse girl in the room, besides Kitano, she subtly turned her head, pretending to wipe away a few tears from the corner of her eye.
Maybe... this isn't so bad. Maybe this is the best ending. What else do I need to verify?
Gold Ship took a few seconds to calm herself, soon returning to her usual relaxed smile. And as her mood shifted, she began to feel the strands of her hair, which she had been losing, slowly growing back, returning to their original color...
But with all eyes on Muteki, no one noticed Gold Ship's strange transformation.
And Kitano's words seemed to have had an effect. The horse girl, who had never known a father's love, finally unclenched her fists after a long silence. Her chestnut-brown tail swished back and forth as she calmed the storm in her heart.
"...Can we train now? I haven't done any basic training in a few days. I'm afraid I've regressed."
"Of course," Kitano immediately agreed. He had seen the subtle change in her, and his belief in expressing his love had paid off.
But at that moment, a sound like a cicada's chirp echoed through the dorm. Almost simultaneously, everyone's gaze turned to Oguri Cap, assuming the sound had come from her.
"—My stomach didn't make that sound. I'm a little hungry, but it wasn't me," Oguri Cap said, looking around in confusion, vehemently denying the stereotype. Just then, a slightly embarrassed voice spoke up.
"...It was me. I'm a little hungry," Muteki admitted.
"If you're hungry, we can have lunch before we train," Ardan immediately offered. Kitano, not to be outdone, nodded. "Then I'll handle the cooking. My body should be able to handle it now... Festa, Gold Ship, could you help?"
"I guess..." Nakayama Festa waved her hand. She had been about to tell him not to push himself, but seeing his eagerness, she knew he wanted to show off for Muteki and didn't want to spoil his mood. "But how much can Muteki eat? We usually cook a set amount. How many bowls of rice does she eat?"
"..." Facing the curious gazes of Kitano, Ardan, and the others, Muteki simply held up one finger. Kitano was surprised. "One big bowl?"
"...I eat continuously," Muteki stated flatly. Her three simple words landed like a mountain on Kitano and the others, leaving them breathless.
They realized she probably wasn't joking... This lunch, and all future meals, would now feature another formidable "opponent."
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