When they took their seats at the interview table once more, Teruizumi Shinji could see it clearly: the reporters who had previously only shown interest in them because they were a hot topic were now openly showing admiration.
Once, Offside Trap had merely been Silence Suzuka's stepping stone, a usurper who had climbed to prominence by stepping over her.
But now, the girl had already become Japan's number one. The gap between her and every other Japanese horse girl in this race was as vast as the height of her standing in Japan at this very moment.
She was no longer a despicable villain to be cursed and reviled. Racing fans had crowned her with the title of hero.
The shutters kept clicking. The interview had not even begun yet. She and Shinji were only sitting there, but every reporter seemed ready to press their cameras right up against their faces, desperate to catch the slightest shift in expression.
They could be written as spirited founders of a new empire, or as humble new symbols of hope. If the journalists could pick up even the faintest hint, they could spin endless headlines and titles for the conqueror of the Japan Cup.
Unfortunately for them, the only thing they could see was the same calm expression on both master and student.
"Please keep quiet. Now—let the interview begin!"
At the host's announcement, one reporter could no longer hold back and sprang to his feet—only to be beaten to the question by someone in the front row who stood even faster. The same scene played out in several places at once, as if multiple reporters had all jumped up simultaneously.
"You first."
Shinji pointed to the reporter who had risen first in his line of sight. He even caught a trace of respect and gratitude in the man's eyes, which made him laugh inwardly.
"Trainer Teruizumi, now that you and Offside Trap have completely fulfilled the declaration you made before the race, may I ask whether next year you will, as the fans and racing supporters hope, go on an expedition to Europe?"
All eyes converged on him. The atmosphere fell instantly silent as everyone waited for his answer.
"After the race today, Masterpiece told us she would be waiting for us in Europe…"
As he spoke, a composed, confident smile curved at the corner of Shinji's lips.
"Over this period, the European runners have always held Little Yue in very high regard, and everyone has become good friends. I think that when a friend invites you, there is no reason to refuse."
The room immediately filled with the sound of pens moving across paper. Shinji's personal confirmation of a European campaign was absolutely the kind of news that could electrify racing fans.
"I'd also like to ask Offside Trap: how do you evaluate the performances of the other competitors in this race?"
"If I'd broken from the gate a little better, I think it could have been an even more perfect race. A lot of the other runners were limited by the conditions and couldn't show their full strength, which does leave me feeling a little regretful…"
Offside Trap had seen the eagerness in the reporters' faces. She knew exactly what they wanted to ask—nothing more than whether, if not for the torrential rain, the gap between Japan and Europe would really have seemed so large. At that thought, a faintly mischievous light flashed in her eyes.
"If Doremi had been able to really let loose on better ground, or if some of the others had been able to activate their domains, I think I would have felt much more pressure."
By implication, she had denied the strength of the Japanese field, and a number of reporters froze.
But then they relaxed. Considering the kind of European runners who had come this time, it was only natural that Japan had fallen short.
Besides, this was Offside Trap speaking. What possible grounds did anyone have to question her words?
"One more question for Offside Trap: just now your trainer also said that you got along very well with the European runners. Could you describe that a little more?"
"They know how to respect others, and they took good care of me. Even though we were opponents, if they had good advice, they never hid it…"
"But before the race, the European runners were clearly arrogant—"
"I'm sorry, but I think I need to interrupt that question."
Offside Trap's gaze was perfectly serious. The reporter who had been cut off did not get angry; instead, he nodded obediently.
"It's impossible for everyone to treat everyone else by the same standard. If you're being treated like someone beneath them, don't rush to blame the other party for looking down on you. First think about whether there might be something wrong on your side as well."
"If I had to say it plainly, I was also confronted with two very different kinds of treatment. There were times when I questioned myself too. It wasn't until the kindness of my European friends that I realized the problem might not have been with me after all."
She made no effort to soften her words, and even Shinji was slightly surprised. At some point, his trainee had begun speaking more and more forcefully, almost like someone born to lead.
The reporter's eyes lit up, and he looked ready to pursue the matter further. But perhaps he remembered that the person at the heart of it was not someone who could be casually criticized, so he reluctantly swallowed the question.
"I'd like to ask Mr. Teruizumi: from the crushing defeat at Takarazuka Kinen to becoming Japan's number one today, there must have been not only Offside Trap's own efforts, but also your efforts as her trainer. Could you talk a little about your own work, and perhaps reveal something about how you trained your runner?"
The one asking wore thick glasses. Shinji could not clearly see his eyes through the lenses, but from the way the reporter's body was trembling slightly, it was obvious how nervous he was.
Everything really has changed, Shinji…
The system's sigh made him nod inwardly. Then he took the microphone, thought for a moment, and finally began.
"If I absolutely have to say it, then I think the most important thing for Little Yue and me was resolve. After Takarazuka Kinen, I was on the verge of being demoted to the middle-school division as a teacher because I'd gone too long without a trainee. Little Yue, meanwhile, had her career delayed—or rather, nearly destroyed—by three bouts of tendonitis…"
Those had been painful days. The years the two of them shared had been filled almost entirely with suffering.
"I think the fact that we ended up together was the best arrangement possible. We entrusted everything we had to each other. We shared the same goal, the same direction, the same faith. Of course I poured an enormous amount of effort into Little Yue's training. I worked out all kinds of plans and arrangements, both on and off the track, because I wanted her to make up as quickly as possible for the progress she had lost to injury."
At that point, Shinji paused and turned to look at Offside Trap.
Her eyes had long since been drawn completely to him, soft and luminous, trembling like autumn water under a breeze.
"But I have to emphasize, just as I have in every interview before this: the most important reason we were able to come this far is Little Yue's own effort. The one running on the track is always the horse girl herself. She decides her only career, while also deciding our future—which, for us trainers, is not singular."
"I think what matters is not how much effort I put in for her, but that I was fortunate enough to become her trainer…"
"I love this horse girl. I'm proud of her!"
Offside Trap's eyes grew even more unfocused, dazed under that gentle gaze. She leaned in, almost unconsciously. She could no longer tell where she was. Heat had filled everything around her.
She thought of the intimacy with which his former trainee had called his name, and the emotions she had been suppressing finally burst free.
"Shinji, I also lo—"
"As for the training itself…"
"Bzzzt—"
The faint sound of Offside Trap's voice through the speakers became completely blurred by Shinji speaking again and by the sudden burst of microphone feedback.
Covering one ear, Shinji looked at Offside Trap, pulled the mic away, and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
She snapped back to herself as if waking from a dream. Blankly, she looked at the reporters, some of whom were rubbing their ears while others wore twisted expressions. When she met Shinji's gaze, she slowly shook her head.
"Nothing."
[Negative Energy +100]
[Negative Energy +100]
Shinji was baffled. But when everything in the room seemed to settle back to normal and the reporters turned their attention to him again, he had no choice but to take up the microphone once more.
"As for the training itself…"
[Negative Energy +70]
His voice stalled briefly. He drew a breath and continued.
"Because of her injuries, I place more emphasis on Little Yue's recovery and conditioning. The most important thing is training efficiency, not training volume. I usually arrange sessions that aren't too difficult. The goal is still to awaken those sensations that were buried by her injuries."
"?"
Offside Trap stared at him in shock. Shinji's face did not redden in the slightest. He simply looked at the reporters with perfect composure.
And the reporters believed him. Given Offside Trap's circumstances, that sort of broad description of her training did sound plausible enough.
That's not how it is at all!
Don't let him fool you!
But the reporters obviously could not hear the indignation in Offside Trap's heart. They were already focused on their final question.
"One last question for Mr. Teruizumi: will Offside Trap be aiming for the Arima Kinen next?"
Shinji shrugged. He did have plans to pursue the Autumn Triple Crown, and there was a high chance they would run in the Arima Kinen. But that would still depend on careful observation and planning after the race.
"We'll see how the fans vote first."
His answer drew a wave of good-natured laughter from the reporters.
Everyone knew that the only true deciding factor in whether Offside Trap would run in the Arima Kinen was the camp's own decision.
"Then we'll look forward to your decision, and to the runner's wishes…"
As he said this, the reporter instinctively shifted aside to make room—and only then realized that Teruizumi Shinji and Offside Trap were no longer what they had once been.
They no longer needed to leave early.
They were the conquerors of the Japan Cup. They were the heroes of the racing fans.
They were meant to sit there, and there was no longer any reason for them to give way to anyone.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
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Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 132)
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TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
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I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter165)
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Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
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From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 95
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 155
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 125
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 105
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 62
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 80
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 80
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 62
Uma Musume: I Want All 65
I Can Copy Unique Skills 53
Summoning an Evil God, but the 41
Supernatural Multiverse 45
My Harem Is Indescribable 35
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 46
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