Original Title : 可爱的少女心,可是无所不能的哦
Author: 青空下的恩惠
"I'm begging you! Please save this Himeji's Tracen Academy Branch, it's about to be shut down!"
Bamboo Elegance, who had been enrolled for less than a week, was summoned to the Chairman's office.
The door to the room closed, and the black-haired horse girl stared at the young man standing straight before her.
Just as she was wondering why the Chairman had called for her, she saw the man in front of her take a step back, bow a full ninety degrees, and utter those words.
"Sorry, I think I was hearing things. Could you please say that again?"
The black-haired girl tried to escape reality.
"Please save this academy that's about to be shut down—"
"Okay, please wait a moment."
The black-haired horse girl cut the Chairman off mid-sentence, holding her hands down in a placating gesture. "Putting everything else aside for a moment, why would you think that I, a new student who hasn't even been here a week, could possibly do something like that?"
"Because you are our last hope."
Hearing Bamboo Elegance's question, the Chairman wore an embarrassed expression and silently averted his gaze.
"...What do you mean?"
Hearing the young Chairman's words, Qingzhu Fengya first froze, then a bad premonition welled up in her heart.
Wait, now that I think about it, I haven't seen any other horse girls besides myself these past few days. Don't tell me...?!
"You are, in fact, the one and only student at our Himeji Tracen Academy."
As if to confirm the dreadful feeling in her heart, the Chairman straightened up and sighed with a face full of sorrow. "The previous chairman of Himeji Regional Tracen Academy was getting on in years and passed the position on to me not long ago."
"Hold on, the only student?"
A shocked Bamboo Elegance's eyes went wide. "But when I registered, I saw that there were over twenty other students enrolled at this school!"
"Why is it that as soon as I arrive... it's just..."
As she spoke, the black-haired horse girl's face suddenly turned pale.
Don't tell me I accidentally picked up some kind of curse without realizing it?!
"Ah... you mean that."
Unaware of what was going through the black-haired horse girl's mind, the young man began to explain, "That's just because we forgot to update the academy's information."
"Besides, those students had already stopped coming to school, one by one, starting half a year ago."
As he mentioned this, the man's face was clouded with worry.
"...We had actually prepared to shut our doors for good if no students enrolled this year."
But as his gaze refocused on Bamboo Elegance, he took a joyful step forward and grabbed her hands. "...If it weren't for your timely arrival, Miss Qingzhu Fengya, Himeji Tracen Academy would have been completely empty!"
"We're so glad you chose Himeji Tracen! Thank you, thank you so much!"
...There's no way I can say it now.
Watching the Chairman act so ecstatic just because she had chosen this academy, Bamboo Elegance thought to herself in silence.
The reason 'it's just because this academy is closest to my home, so I can go home on weekends'—there's absolutely no chance to say it now!
"And! I went to see your training session the day before yesterday!"
The man grew uncontrollably excited as he recalled the sight of the black-haired horse girl running on the training grounds.
That speed... forget a debut race, she's more than good enough for a G2 race!
If it's her... maybe it's possible!
"So please! I implore you to consider my request!"
The man clasped his hands together with a smack in front of the black-haired horse girl, who was half a head shorter than him. "...As long as you agree! I'll grant you any request you have!"
"You said... you'll grant me any request?"
Bamboo Elegance repeated the words the man had just spoken.
After seeing him nod eagerly, the black-haired horse girl asked again, "Aren't you worried I'll take this opportunity to make some outrageous demand?"
"...We're already in this situation. Could there be any outcome worse than the school being shut down?" the man replied with a bitter smile.
Unable to recruit students—no horse girls participating in races—unable to apply for funding.
For the current Himeji Tracen Academy, it had become an unbreakable, vicious cycle.
If not for Bamboo Elegance, the academy known as Himeji Regional Tracen would have completely vanished from history three days ago, ceasing to exist.
But now, Bamboo Elegance's enrollment, and everything he had seen on the training grounds the day before, had rekindled the dying embers in his heart.
If it's her... she can definitely do it!
"Honestly, so this is the reason you called me here, Mr. Chairman?"
After meeting the Chairman's expectant gaze for a moment, Bamboo Elegance's tone became one of resignation. "...And that line you said when I came in was pretty baffling at the time, you know."
"A strange line? Wait, you don't think it was cool?"
Hearing Qingzhu Fengya's words, the man first froze, then an expression of disbelief appeared on his face. "...Like a guide in a video game who sets the protagonist on the path to save the world."
"..."
Qingzhu Fengya just stared at him in silence, which quickly made the young Chairman back down.
"...Alright, alright, I admit it's a bit childish for someone my age," the man muttered under his breath. He then looked up again at the black-haired horse girl standing before him.
"So, will you..."
"Wait, I have one more question."
Bamboo Elegance raised a hand, cutting the man off. "The students who were enrolled in this academy before, why did they choose to stop coming to school?"
"..."
The man fell silent upon hearing the black-haired horse girl's question.
He stood there blankly, seemingly pondering how he should answer, then let out a long sigh under her quizzical gaze and walked over to his office desk.
"'The Emperor.' You know which horse girl holds that title, right?"
"Of course."
Bamboo Elegance answered without a second thought.
Symboli Rudolf. Who in this world doesn't know her? Bamboo Elegance thought, before adding one last sentence in her mind.
...Though I'm not originally from this world.
But what does this have to do with Symboli Rudolf?
"That person... has been 'poaching' students from Tracen Academies all over the country."
The man leaned against the desk, subconsciously pulling a lighter and a cigarette from his jacket pocket.
But after seeing Bamboo Elegance staring at him, the man gave her an awkward smile and put away the cigarette held between his fingers.
"...Of course, the main reason is that this academy no longer has any hope."
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T/N : I didn't see anyone else translating this fic, so I decided to do this. Because the author also wrote "Why Are You Looking At Me Like That?!" (Curiosity)