The interview booth at Kyoto Racecourse was a first for both Saint King Halo and Teraizumi Shinji, and it left the young trainer feeling unexpectedly reflective.
Less than a year ago, he had been a trainer who did not even have a single G2 to his name.
And now, with the sole exception of Chukyo Racecourse, he had already stood in the interview rooms of the other four major racecourses, becoming one of Japan's best-known rising young trainers.
Maybe that was what choices did.
If he had chosen differently back then, perhaps he would have risen to fame sooner, and perhaps he would not have had to endure so many twists and turns. But regardless of whether the road had been smooth or difficult, to Teraizumi Shinji, it had all been invaluable experience.
As he sat there thinking that, several familiar faces began to appear one after another, and once their eyes met, it was almost impossible for him not to smile a little.
It was hard to keep up a stern, serious atmosphere in front of these "old friends," and for the first time he began to understand why every time one of Tojo Hana's runners won a G1, her interviews always felt so harmonious. Perhaps one day, he would become like that too—no longer saying anything especially shocking, no longer creating so many controversial headlines.
Then again, considering the sort of girls he had taken on as trainees, maybe his interviews would always retain exactly the kind of chaos these reporters loved.
When the host announced the start, the interview began in a far more relaxed atmosphere than expected.
At his side, Saint King Halo—who had still been a little nervous during the last interview—now carried herself with much more composure.
After finally seeing the mother she had never known, after finally learning the truth of those past years, she had changed. Whether human or horse girl, sometimes growing up really did happen in an instant.
While he was thinking that, the microphone was pushed toward him.
Saint King Halo was looking at him with a faintly puzzled expression, though Teraizumi did not miss how red the tips of her ears had become.
She had obviously noticed his gaze, but was forcing herself to keep a calm face.
"Trainer Shinji?"
A reporter he recognized well enough called out to him, and Teraizumi could only respond with an apologetic smile. He had drifted off for a moment during the question—his first genuine lapse of attention in an interview.
Still, for a winner, a small slip like that only added a little color to the occasion.
"I'd like to ask, Trainer Shinji—in this race, we saw Saint King Halo choose a sweeping move from the outside in the final stretch, tearing apart the field with an astonishing finishing burst. Was that a tactic decided before the race, or the result of the runner's own judgment in the moment?"
"That was her judgment in the moment," Teraizumi answered. "And to be honest, this race surprised me as well. The original plan was for her to choose her acceleration timing based on how the other runners in front of her were moving around the third and fourth corners. When I saw her holding back for so long, I really was worried."
A number of reporters showed visible surprise.
This was the first time Teraizumi Shinji had said something so... soft in an interview.
"But looking at it now, Halo's choice was the right one. She believed her finishing speed was the fastest in the field, and she trusted that even with only the last four hundred meters left, she could still pass everyone ahead of her. That kind of determination, that kind of confidence—I'm happy not just because of how stunning the result was, but because of what it says about her mentality now."
Several reporters' eyes lit up at once.
Teraizumi had framed it differently. Even if he was simply praising his trainee, he had also handed them a fresh angle for their stories.
They could already imagine the headlines.
A miracle finish. Absolute trust. Mental transformation.
They were going to write her into the heavens.
Teraizumi knew full well what they were thinking, and found it quietly amusing. As he watched several of them scribbling furiously, another reporter had already turned her question toward Saint King Halo.
"Saint King Halo, this race has effectively shattered the outside world's doubts about your ability at long distance. As the winner of the Spring Shield—the victor of Japan's longest G1—what would you like to say?"
Saint King Halo turned to look at Teraizumi. He had already pushed the microphone back toward her.
For some reason, she thought of the middle stages of the race, that moment when she had clearly felt her stamina beginning to run thin.
His gaze had always been like this.
A gaze that gave her strength.
"In truth," she began, "there are still a lot of things I need to improve. Through this race, I learned a great deal about long-distance racing—about what I still lack, and about what the other runners did so well."
She closed her eyes for a second.
"During the run toward the third and fourth corners, and even before entering the final straight, the situation was honestly dangerous. But I was able to stay calm and wait for my chance to win. As for those doubts... I already knew about them before the race. But I wasn't really that concerned."
She tightened her grip on the microphone before continuing.
"I've always said that the race I wanted most to win was the Japanese Derby. Maybe that's the price of growing up. I paid the highest tuition in the race I wanted most."
She let out a small breath.
"So if there's something I want to say now, it's this: there will always be discussion before and after a race. There will always be twists and setbacks during a race. But in this one, in the next one, and in every race after that, I'll stay calm and seize my chance to win."
The reporter who had asked the question looked genuinely startled.
She had not expected Saint King Halo to change this much between the Osaka Hai and the Spring Tenno Sho.
"I'd also like to ask," another reporter cut in, "from before you even debuted, you were always under an intense spotlight. And along the way, you've endured a great deal of controversy. Looking back on your career up to this point, is there anything you want to say?"
It was one of the hottest topics surrounding her now.
The conflict between Saint King Halo and so many trainers.
The trainers had attacked her with her pedigree, her background, with Sayonara Halo, with her performances. And Saint King Halo had answered them with the long-awaited G1 victory she had delivered.
The reporters all wanted to know what she would say now that she had won again.
"Something I want to say..." she murmured.
Her hand tightened around the microphone. The perfectly composed look on her face twisted ever so slightly, becoming shy.
Her gaze almost slid toward her trainer, but stopped itself every time it tried.
The reporters caught it immediately.
One or two of them even raised their eyebrows toward Teraizumi.
He did not care in the slightest. In fact, he turned openly to look at Saint King Halo, making the flush on her face deepen all the more.
"No matter what anyone outside says," she said at last, "I'll keep walking forward with my trainer. We'll break through every doubt and prove that we are the right trainer and the right horse girl for each other."
Three bursts of negative energy exploded in rapid succession.
Teraizumi blinked despite himself, and the reporters—sharp as vultures—caught even that tiny reaction.
"Then, Trainer Shinji, do you have anything you'd like to say in response?"
One especially mischievous reporter fired the question off at once, almost as if egging him on. The grin on her face, the eager expressions of the others nearby, drew a helpless smile from him.
"A response, hm..."
He could feel the expectation radiating from the girl beside him. Even though she was not looking directly at him, her attention had gathered on him completely.
So he answered in a tone that was half serious and half teasing.
"I wish her every success."
Another burst of negative energy immediately followed.
"Trainerrr~"
Saint King Halo's protest came out soft, embarrassed, and just a little aggrieved.
Join here to read ahead.
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