Kitahara Jo remained silent for a long while, and Nearl waited without a word. She knew he had already made up his mind deep down—all that was needed now was to give him time.
Sure enough, after a moment, Kitahara looked up at Nearl and slowly extended his hand. The movement was hesitant, betraying his uncertainty.
Seeing this, Nearl smiled and stepped forward, taking his tentative hand in hers. She gave it a firm shake—a silent agreement, a beginning.
Nearl believed it was alright to hesitate. What mattered was taking that first step. After that, she would be the one to lead the way.
The moment their hands met, Kitahara felt a sudden sense of relief, almost like, 'Well, the damage is done.' With this handshake, he had agreed to become this special recruit's trainer. There was no turning back now—might as well see it through.
He let out a quiet, self-mocking laugh, scrubbed a hand through his hair, and pushed himself up from the floor.
"You're quite forceful, Miss Nearl. Didn't really leave me any room to refuse, did you?"
"Haha. Thank you for not refusing my invitation, Mr. Kitahara. Thank you for agreeing to be my trainer."
Seeing him finally relent, Nearl released a soft sigh of relief. Now all the conditions for her participation were met—no missing pieces, no obstacles standing in her way.
"Don't say that. You're a special recruit, aren't you? It takes real talent to be selected like that. Any trainer would be thrilled to have you on their team. You didn't have to seek out someone like me."
"Please don't undervalue yourself, Trainer. Oguri still considers you a wonderful partner even now, and so do I. Besides, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Some of your qualities are exactly what I need."
Hearing that, Kitahara looked puzzled. He genuinely couldn't think of what he had to offer that someone like Nearl would need.
Noticing his confusion, Nearl simply shook her head. Now wasn't the time to explain. Instead, she gently steered the conversation elsewhere.
"I believe you'll understand the answer in time. For now, we have more pressing matters to attend to."
"Huh? What else is there to do right now?"
At that, Kitahara immediately set aside his earlier doubts, his single-track mind latching onto this new subject.
"The training room, of course, Trainer. As much as I enjoy a room filled with books, it's far too cluttered and crowded. We need to clean and organize everything today."
Noticing his blank look, Nearl gestured around them. The room was piled high with all sorts of clutter. Following her gesture, Kitahara felt a wave of embarrassment.
The place really was a mess. When it was just him, it hadn't mattered much—he wasn't the tidiest person by nature, and hardly anyone ever came by. He'd arranged things his own way, so long as he could find what he needed.
But now that he'd decided to become Nearl's trainer, this room would have to serve as their base. What was tolerable for him alone was far from acceptable when training a Uma Musume.
"You're right. It's time to tidy up."
Kitahara scanned the disastrous state of the room, his face clearly screaming 'What a hassle.'
"Miss Nearl, why don't you head back for today? Give me one—no, two days. I'll notify you once I've got the place sorted out."
Well, he'd said something at least somewhat confident (in his own opinion), but inwardly, Kitahara was already crumbling.
'How long is it going to take to organize all these books? Damn it, I shouldn't have just tossed them around. I'm terrible at this kind of work.'
"Don't joke like that, Trainer. An Uma Musume and her trainer are comrades chasing their dreams together, aren't they? If we're comrades who can entrust our dreams to one another, how could I let you handle all this alone? Let me help. I may not look it, but I've been helping with housework since I was little."
Before Kitahara could regret his attempt at sounding cool any longer, Nearl's voice reached him. To him, in that moment, she was like a beam of light—a kind-hearted angel!
And her understanding of the bond between trainer and Uma Musume moved him. After all, he too was a man constantly chasing his dreams.
"Well said, Nearl. Uma Musume and their trainers should be comrades pursuing dreams together. I can't think of a better way to put it. I'm glad you chose to be my Uma Musume. I have a feeling I'll learn a lot from you in the days to come. I look forward to your guidance!"
"I won't hold back. You're always welcome to ask me anything, Trainer. But for now, let's focus on cleaning the training room. Even for me, this might take a while."
"Haha… alright then, I'll start moving the books."
--+--
Time flew by, and before they knew it, the moon had risen to replace the sun, casting its soft, dim glow over the earth—calm and serene. In an atmosphere like this, one could finally unwind, releasing the tensions of daily life.
But Nearl was an exception.
Having just left the training room, she walked steadily back toward the dorm. Her footsteps were firm and rhythmic. Though light, each step decisively cut through the tranquil night, replacing it with a sense of passionate, steadfast purpose.
They had finally finished organizing the training room. They could have been done earlier, but Kitahara had kept getting in the way, slowing their progress.
Still, Nearl felt it was good that he had pitched in. Everyone starts off inexperienced. As long as the willingness is there, skill will come in time. She was willing to nurture that desire to help, even if it meant more work for her.
Nearl came to a stop in front of the dormitory. The main entrance was shut, secured by a sensor lock that required a student ID to open.
She took her student card from her bag and unlocked the door. Beyond it lay the Kasamatsu Tracen Academy dormitory. Truth be told, the dorm was quite spacious. Even though two Uma Musume shared a room, there was more than enough space.
"Room 226, 226… Ah, found it."
Nearl followed the room numbers until she found hers tucked in a corner.
Unlocking the door, she stepped inside.
And then she paused.
The room was clearly divided into two distinct zones. One side was neatly kept, with a bed and desk that radiated a youthful, feminine vibe. The other side, however, was haphazardly crammed with all sorts of things—a suitcase and spare mattress piled on the bed, assorted snacks, plenty of accessories, and rows of bottles and jars.
What's more, the other side was visibly dusty, clearly untouched by any attempt at cleaning.
Nearl shifted her gaze slightly and noticed a somewhat familiar Uma Musume staring intently at her from that side of the room, her expression seeming to say, "How did you get in here?"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.