For some reason, the unusual nature of the room made Tang Han think of a basement.
Just look at it: there was a bed, and the soundproofing was excellent. It was the perfect place to lure someone in and then "jump" them to your heart's content.
Fortunately, Hayakawa Tazuna was a trustworthy friend, so Tang Han was not especially worried about being "had."
After Tazuna asked the waiter to bring in four extra chairs, everyone took their seats and began eating.
"Tang Han Trainer, isn't that a bit inconvenient?" Tazuna said, the corner of her mouth twitching.
She had noticed that even while eating, Tang Han refused to remove his Doctor's Coat. He looked like a trash can, simply pouring food through the tiny gap between his collar and hood, giving absolutely no chance for anyone to see his real face.
Tang Han hesitated for a moment. "Yeah, it is a little inconvenient."
"Then…"
"But fortunately, I'm a chuuni. This kind of unconventional way of eating suits me perfectly."
"..."
Seeing that Tang Han was still deliberately hiding his true appearance, Tazuna knew it would be inappropriate to press further, so she let it go.
Everyone continued eating in silence.
But this silence was not what Tang Han wanted at all.
Come on, say something. Ask some questions. If you don't ask, how am I supposed to help solve your problems? How am I supposed to complete my task?
"You can all raise any doubts or questions you have," Tang Han said. "Sometimes the person involved can't see the answer clearly, but an outsider can. A problem that has troubled you for a long time may look very easy to someone else."
Those words struck a chord with Kiryuin Aoi, because she happened to have a question she simply could not figure out.
"Alright." Kiryuin Aoi nodded and spoke first.
"There's something I don't quite understand…"
"My 담당 horse girl, Happy Miko, is very talented. She took first place in the selection race, and even then, she still had energy left. That wasn't her limit."
"But in today's friendly race, during the final stretch, Miko wasn't able to bring out the performance she should have had. It even felt as though she had regressed compared to before."
Tang Han pointed out, "Maybe it wasn't that she regressed. Maybe it was because Minamikai was blocking her path."
But Kiryuin Aoi shook her head.
"I know Trainer Hiroshima intentionally had Minamikai block her. That was obvious—I saw it too."
"But during the selection race, Minamikai also got in Miko's way, and Miko still managed to overtake her. So I don't think that's the issue."
"So I suspect the problem was that I changed Miko's running form on my own. What do all of you think?"
Kiryuin Aoi looked expectantly at the others.
"Sorry…" Gangmen Guantong scratched his head awkwardly.
"I didn't notice Happy Miko's running form at all. During the race, my eyes were only on Daisy."
"Mm…" Daisy, sitting beside him, lowered her head shyly.
Tang Han was stunned.
This guy's got guts. At this rate, there will probably be a missing person notice for him before long.
"Tang Han Trainer, what do you think?" Kiryuin Aoi asked.
She had a feeling that although this trainer's behavior was extremely strange, he might secretly be some kind of hidden master.
First of all, there was the outfit he wore. The fabric was exquisite, and it even had the bizarre effect of erasing his presence. There was no way he was not an important heir of some great family.
Second, there was the rate at which his horse girl had improved.
Back during the selection race, Kiryuin Aoi had not focused only on the girls at the front. She had observed all of them, which meant she had noticed Urara too—the one in dead last, trailing the ninth-place runner by six lengths.
Yet after only a few short days of training, Urara had managed to stay right on Happy Miko's heels, only two lengths behind. That kind of progress was absurd, like cheating.
And lastly, there was his temperament. He was calm and kind. Unlike Hiroshima Baozha, who got irritable the moment something displeased him, being near Tang Han Trainer gave people a strange sense of reassurance.
Kiryuin Aoi had a hunch that Tang Han Trainer might become a formidable rival for the rest of her life.
"Uh…" Tang Han scratched his head.
"I'll say it again. It was because Happy Miko's path was blocked."
"Minamikai's side-to-side movement isn't as good as Happy Miko's, but she was able to predict Happy Miko's direction and shift ahead of time, so she successfully blocked her."
"The solution is to learn how to fool your opponent."
"Fool?" Kiryuin Aoi and Happy Miko beside her both looked confused.
"Sorry… I don't really get it…"
Seeing that words alone were not enough to make them understand, Tang Han decided to demonstrate it in practice.
"How about this—we'll play a little game. It's called You Overtake Me… uh… no… I Overtake You… wait, that doesn't sound right either…"
Tang Han had a strong feeling those names would be misunderstood, so he racked his brains and finally came up with a better one.
"Dribble Past the Defender!"
He took two cups and walked over to Kiryuin Aoi, handing one of them to her.
"Let's pretend we're playing basketball. These two cups represent you and me. You've got the ball, and I'm standing in front of you, blocking your way. Try to break through my defense."
"Alright." Kiryuin Aoi took the cup and agreed.
The two of them placed the cups upside down on the table and began.
At first, Tang Han was able to block her.
But after only a few seconds, Kiryuin Aoi used a reverse feint—pretending to go left, then suddenly slipping right—and successfully got past him.
"Good. Game over. You win," Tang Han announced.
"That's it? That simple?"
"Yep. That's it. Just that simple." Tang Han spread his hands.
"But what was the point?" Kiryuin Aoi asked, puzzled.
Tang Han continued, "Now imagine my cup is Minamikai, and your cup is Happy Miko. Just now, Happy Miko successfully broke through the defense, right?"
"Then why couldn't Miko do the same during the friendly race?" Kiryuin Aoi asked.
"Because you are not actually Happy Miko," Tang Han explained.
"A horse girl and a trainer do not think in the same way. Something you can think of, she may not be able to think of."
"You could think to use a reverse feint to break through the defense, but Happy Miko couldn't. She's a rather straightforward girl."
Kiryuin Aoi instantly understood what Tang Han was trying to say.
"I see. So because Miko is too straightforward, when nobody was targeting her in the selection race, she could break through on her own. But in the friendly race, when Minamikai deliberately blocked her, her movements were predictable, so she could never bring out her true ability."
"Because I'm not actually Happy Miko, I naturally couldn't understand what she was thinking or what kind of situation she was in. So I mistakenly assumed the problem was with the running form."
Tang Han nodded. "Exactly."
Kiryuin Aoi turned to Happy Miko, who still looked lost.
"Miko, now I'll play with you."
"Okay."
"I'll be in front. You try to get past me."
Well, there it was again—the original phrasing that sounded very easy to misunderstand.
After playing for a while, Happy Miko gradually learned how to use reverse logic to break through someone blocking her path.
"How is it?" Kiryuin Aoi asked.
Happy Miko thought for a moment, then nodded. "I think I kind of get it."
Ding! Side Quest Complete: Friendship Training
Description: Become friends with a fellow trainee trainer and train horse girls together.
Reward: Doctor's Coat duration extended by three days.
Tang Han was surprised.
Oh? So it's completed already? Just playing a game with them counts as training together? That was easier than expected.
He had thought this side quest would be like the earlier apology quest, something that would take half a day or require risking his life to complete. He had never expected it to be this easy.
Had the Barbaral System turned over a new leaf?
Only then did Tang Han realize that the Barbaral System had been strangely quiet for the past few days. Not only had it stopped handing out trap quests, it had not even argued with him. It was almost as though it had died.
Tang Han: Hey, hey, you there?
Tang Han: Bro?
Tang Han: System?
Tang Han: Son?
Tang Han: Grandson! Get your ass out here right now for your grandpa!
But no matter how Tang Han called for it, the Barbaral System that usually tried to mess with him gave no response at all.
How strange. Where on earth had it gone?
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 138)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter155)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter98)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter172)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
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
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 158
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 144
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 100
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 165
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 140
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 120
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 69
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 90
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 95
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 70
Uma Musume: I Want All 80
I Can Copy Unique Skills 65
Summoning an Evil God, but the 52
Supernatural Multiverse 65
My Harem Is Indescribable 50
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 55
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 40
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 50
Still playing traditional Honk 30
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 27
What Should I Do After Switchi 24
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 35
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