"Ever heard of Kiryuin? One of the country's leading trainer families..."
"Not suitable." Listening to Hayato's words, Daiwa Scarlet was dumbfounded.
"Uh... even though she's the Kiryuin young lady, she doesn't have any spoiled princess attitude. She's really easy to talk to. If you're willing, I can introduce you."
SLAM!
"I said not suitable." She slapped the table hard.
"I see. Then there's another person who should be suitable. Among all the trainers, she has the most experience, and the uma musume she's trained are a truly ace team..."
He was talking about Team First's trainer, Riko Kashimoto.
This team didn't belong to the Eighty-Eight Constellations and only ran in the Junior Cup.
The Junior Cup wasn't unlocked yet, only the Dream Trophy existed. Those team members hadn't appeared either.
Kashimoto Riko came from the URA committee. Her athletic ability was probably the worst among all trainers, but her training expertise was really strong.
If Daiwa Scarlet was interested, Hayato wouldn't mind helping to ask.
"No no no, I'm a model student." She kept waving her hands, denying all her flaws. "I work really hard too."
"Trainer, no, Runaway Trainer, haven't you ever thought about recruiting me, signing a contract with me? I'm a bit selfish, my temper's not great, I say the opposite of what I mean..."
"Uh..." Watching Daiwa Scarlet frantically cover up, Hayato's face showed complete bewilderment.
So that's what this is about?
"Wait, Daiwa Scarlet, are you saying you want to join my team?"
"Obviously! Wasn't I clear enough? Aren't you a trainer? Is it that hard to tell me you want to recruit Daiwa Scarlet?" She was getting slightly angry now, her face flushed red from embarrassment.
"You could've just said so directly, couldn't you?" Hayato said with a bit of sweat. "That day in the library, didn't you refuse? You turned me down before I even invited you."
"That day... uh... because..." Daiwa Scarlet recalled that it did seem to happen. "Things change."
She put her hands on her hips, speaking righteously. "Even trainers this young lady has rejected would invite me a second or third time, persisting over and over."
Hayato looked at her proud, adorable expression and blinked. He seemed to get it now.
Hayato stood up right away, and before those uma musume who wanted to watch the drama could gather, he passionately invited Daiwa Scarlet. "Daiwa Scarlet, come sign a contract with me. I'll definitely make you the strongest Uma Musume, always taking first place."
His voice was loud, echoing throughout the entire cafeteria, drowning out all other sounds.
This formal invitation method looked just like a marriage proposal.
Is this guy serious?
"Huh?" Daiwa Scarlet looked at the surrounding uma musume. Her ears seemed to pick up sounds like "accept him," "agree already," "sign it, sign it."
What made it even more misleading was the elegant purple wooden box sitting on the table.
Sharp-eyed Uma Musume could guess at a glance what was inside.
"Another trainer and Uma Musume were about to step into marriage together."
"Isn't that the runaway Trainer? He and Daiwa Scarlet are a perfect match!" One uma musume held up her thumbs, tapping them together.
These uma musume probably weren't experiencing this for the first time. They knew quite a bit. Daiwa Scarlet covered her face with her hands, feeling utterly ashamed. If there was a hole in the ground, she'd crawl in and seal the entrance.
A petite uma musume carefully approached to remind Hayato. "Sir, sir, you haven't taken out the ring yet."
She pointed at the wooden box on the table.
Hayato glanced at those uma musume. Had she been misunderstood?
Afraid this would escalate into something worse, he put the box away and waved his hands. "No, no, this isn't a ring. It's my trainer badge. If you don't believe me, you can look at this."
Hayato showed her the unique Tracen emblem on the box lid.
"I'm talking about signing a partner contract with an uma musume, not a marriage certificate, so please don't misunderstand."
What should I say? How should I respond?
Daiwa Scarlet heard the sound of some nerve snapping. It seemed like a crisp "snap," her head overloading from thinking about too many questions at once. Then came a "boom" as the words she'd barely managed to organize exploded again.
The moment her hand reached over, Hayato grabbed it right away. Pulling her hand, he put away the trainer's badge and headed toward the cafeteria exit.
"Wait, wait, wait a second! I haven't agreed yet. I'm not ready..." Daiwa Scarlet started backing out.
"What's there to prepare for? Let's go sign the contract."
"Contract? Already? Don't we need parental consent?"
"I told you it's not a marriage certificate."
Even after the contract was signed, Daiwa Scarlet still hadn't snapped out of it, maintaining a dazed expression the whole time.
She hadn't expected it really, it wasn't a marriage certificate. Secretly relieved, yet also a bit disappointed.
[Exclusive contract with Uma Musume Daiwa Scarlet established. Halo Holy King affection +10, now at Level 1.]
[Daiwa Scarlet's personal profile unlocked. Can be viewed.]
Name: Daiwa Scarlet
Affection Level: 1
Brief Description: I am the absolute best, a proud girl filled with an unyielding spirit.
Self-Introduction: Hello, I'm Daiwa Scarlet! I'll do my very best to... oh, it's you. Hmph! My goal is only first place. I won't accept any other result.
Grade: Middle School Division
Dorm: Ritto Dormitory
Height: 163cm
Weight: Unknown, refuses measurement
Birthday: May 13
Increase affection to unlock more information.
[Mission Triggered...]
Mission Name: Queen's Goal
Mission Objective: Have Daiwa Scarlet win the Queen Elizabeth Cup.
Mission Timeline: Within two years.
Mission Reward: Legendary Skill Scroll.
Failure Penalty: Lose trainer status, leave Tracen.
The triggered mission was beyond Hayato's expectations. It wasn't about challenging Vodka to a duel or stopping Vodka's victories at the Derby and Japan Cup, but rather a very simple mission.
The mission looked simple, but the penalty was severe. He even wondered if failing the mission would lead to a breakdown.
To trigger a mission about dueling with Vodka, he'd probably need them to develop intense competitive awareness first.
Hayato wouldn't waste his time doing something like that anyway. He had no grudge against Vodka. Hayato didn't want to interfere with the normal course of events.
His current life felt pretty good. As long as he could ensure Daiwa Scarlet won all her races, that would be enough.
Vodka challenged the Derby after losing to Daiwa Scarlet at the Oka Sho. If she lost the Derby too, she'd experience over a year of straight defeats. That would be too cruel.
Since the timeline didn't completely follow the real world, this situation might change.
Btw, the illustration will be on the comment.