"How is it?"
Oguri Cap scratched her head awkwardly, not quite sure how to answer in a "good" way.
"It's fine. Just say whatever comes to mind. Dorms, races, class schedules… even the cafeteria."
"Oh."
Oguri Cap thought for a moment, then answered seriously, counting on her fingers. "The cafeteria is great. I can eat until I'm full every day, and the ladies who cook are all really nice."
"And everyone here is really friendly too. Even though everyone's strong, it's fun being around them. The dorms are great too…"
As she spoke, she paused, like something had just crossed her mind. A faint trace of gloom flickered through those clear eyes—so subtle it was almost impossible to catch.
But in the next instant, it was replaced by excitement for the future. "As for racing… sometimes I win, sometimes I lose…"
"But being able to run is already really good. Anyway… living here has been… really, really happy."
"I see…"
Yayoi returned a big smile, but it didn't fully hide the thoughtful look that flashed through her eyes.
She'd caught that split-second dimness in Oguri Cap's expression.
"The Classic Triple Crown…"
Yayoi's brow tightened almost imperceptibly.
As Central Tracen Academy's chairwoman, she naturally knew Oguri Cap's entire career path—along with the greatest regret in it.
"Being able to run is enough," "Winning or losing is fine either way"…
The subtext behind those words was clear: there were certain races she didn't even have the right to lose.
Because of restrictions in the entry system, Oguri Cap couldn't compete in the Satsuki Sho, the Japan Derby, or the Kikuka Sho.
They were the peak that every horse girl dreamed of, yet for this ash-gray-haired girl, they had become an everlasting ache.
Even though the document allowing "additional registration" for Classic races had already been issued and was in trial operation…
Internal bureaucracy at the association was still too rigid. The process wasn't running smoothly yet, and plenty of people were still being turned away at the door.
"Resolve! When we get back, I'll have to put real force behind fixing this," Yayoi silently vowed to herself.
And it wasn't just that. There were plenty of other rotten policies that needed a hard knock—time to give those "old fossils" at the association, who sat on their seats and did nothing, a proper wake-up call.
These past weeks, her on-the-ground inspections across the world hadn't been for nothing.
Horse girl associations everywhere were pushing aggressive reforms—only Japan was still stuck in stiff, conservative inertia.
In an era where everyone was racing forward, moving slowly was the same as moving backward.
As chairwoman, she could not allow that.
Just then, the plane's announcement came on in a gentle voice:
"Ladies and gentlemen, we will soon be arriving at Narita International Airport. Please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for landing."
Yayoi came back to herself. She patted Oguri Cap on the shoulder, smoothed the slightly rumpled hem of her skirt, and stood to return to her seat.
Before she could even整理 her thoughts from the past few hours, a warm voice came from her side.
"Chairwoman Akikawa, how did it feel?"
Yayoi turned her head and saw Kuroha's face in profile—smiling, soft-featured, with a roundness that made him look almost harmless.
The orange-haired girl blinked, then her lips curved. "Respect! As expected of your horse girls, Trainer Kuroha. Every single one of them is impressive. Not just in ability, but in heart."
"Thanks," Kuroha said with a smile and a nod. Then his expression turned serious.
"For this overseas campaign, besides Oguri, Fumino and Super Creek will be coming with me too. As for the paperwork… I'd appreciate it if you could make things a little easier for us, Chairwoman."
At that, Yayoi's eyes slid toward the back.
She glanced at Super Creek, who had her leg wrapped in plaster and looked very "mobility-impaired."
Yayoi's eyes narrowed into a smiling crescent. Her folding fan tapped lightly against her palm.
"Approved! Of course. I'm not some inflexible old fossil, you know."
"As long as it's for the kids' future, I support this kind of tiny bit of willfulness more than anyone."
Kuroha and Yayoi's gazes met in midair. In each other's eyes, they read the same unspoken understanding.
Kuroha gave a small nod—accepting the chairwoman's leniency as a done deal.
The girl winked playfully at him, two sharp little tiger teeth showing, lively and adorable.
"Meow~"
The little cat on her head seemed to pick up on her mood and let out a thin little cry.
"…"
Kuroha couldn't help but laugh inside.
She was this important, and yet she still acted like a kid who never quite grew up…
Still, of course, this little act had never going to fool a chairwoman who looked carefree on the surface.
After all, she'd held the dedicated chairwoman position since Central Tracen was founded.
She'd even personally witnessed the most brilliant peak era of legendary, hall-of-fame horse girls on the level of the "Secretariat."
Her eye for things was razor-sharp.
"Vmmm—"
With a light vibration, the aircraft body dipped slightly.
The sharp squeal of rubber against runway was muffled by the thick cabin walls.
The massive private jet rolled along Narita's dedicated runway for a short while, then came to a steady stop on the tarmac.
"Arrived!"
Yayoi straightened up, her folding fan snapping open again with a crisp 啪. "Everyone, welcome back to Tokyo!"
As the cabin door slowly opened, the group filed out one after another.
On the tarmac below, as if copy-pasted, two lines of black-suited bodyguards who had been waiting for a long time bowed in perfect unison, their presence overwhelming.
"Welcome home, Chairwoman!"
"…"
Kuroha stared at the scene, at a loss for words.
He vaguely remembered that in the original timeline, Akikawa Yayoi—as Central Tracen Academy's chairwoman—didn't just have enormous authority.
She also seemed to hold some level of command authority over military forces.
So this was the horse-girl world.
Sure enough, when the underlying reality was that horse girls were built three times stronger than humans across the board…
Those standing at the very top could never be "weak," even if they tried.
Yayoi walked with light steps to the stretched luxury car, then turned back to Kuroha and the others.
She didn't bother with official platitudes. Instead, she waved her folding fan at the young women who were about to represent Central on the world stage, offering them her final blessing.
"Anticipation! Then I'll be waiting at Tracen for your good news!"
"Go stir up that wider sky until it flips upside down. Let the world see the elegance of Central's horse girls!"
With that, she slipped into the car.
The black convoy slowly started up and drove away from the airport.
Kuroha remained where he was, watching the convoy fade into the distance. Then he turned around and looked at his own horse girls and companions, their eyes just as bright with fire.
He didn't speak as grandly as Yayoi had.
He simply smiled, calm and steady. "Alright. Let's head back too."
"Yeah—!"
(End of Chapter)
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