Kitahara's last sentence gave Taro a thought. He quickly took out a case file.
"Yes, we don't need to rush."
Gesturing for everyone to look at the plan, he said excitedly, "There are only three major schools of thought in psychological treatment, and many of the therapies have commonalities."
"Specifically, Tony Bianca's treatment method is the same as Tamamo Cross's—'desensitization therapy,' which is a type of 'cognitive behavioral therapy.' Her treatment plan after returning to Italy will definitely help Tamamo Cross!"
Hearing this, Kitahara and the others were excited. After further confirming Tamamo Cross's treatment plan, they arranged her subsequent training and competition schedule.
Two days later, on the training grounds.
Looking at Komiyama beside him, Kitahara frowned slightly.
"Junior, are you serious? I mean, about signing Tamamo Cross up for the Naruo Kinen on December 6th."
The "Naruo Kinen" in the game is not in December but around June. However, in this era, the schedule had not been changed, and it was still held at the end of the year.
After discussing the arrangements for a few of the girls, Komiyama seemed convinced that Kitahara was right and that Tamamo Cross would definitely recover within a month. She immediately signed her up for the "Naruo Kinen."
This was a G3 race, the highest level Tamamo Cross could participate in after her 5-race losing streak.
Kitahara was very worried about this.
If Tamamo Cross lost again, it would be her sixth consecutive loss, and her sixth race would be a major stakes race.
Without a doubt, if she really lost again, losing a lot of fans would be a minor issue; she would definitely be suspended from racing by the URA Association.
There are thousands of talented girls who want to prove themselves. There is no reason to give an opportunity to one who has repeatedly failed.
If she was really suspended, even if she recovered from her PTSD, she might develop other psychological problems because of it. This is what Kitahara was worried about.
"Of course, I'm serious. Were you joking, Senpai?"
Looking over with a smile, Komiyama's naturally cheerful face gave no clue whether she was joking or serious. "You said Tama-chan could get better in a month, so I believed you and signed her up for a race a month from now. Is there a problem?"
"Or are you actually joking, Senpai…?"
"That kind of reverse psychology won't work on me."
Easily seeing through Komiyama's intentions, Kitahara frowned and waved his hand. "I admit I wanted to comfort you then, and I also believe that Tama-chan's mental fortitude is no worse than Tony Bianca's, so a full recovery in a month is very likely."
"However, the date for the Naruo Kinen is fixed, but Tama-chan's 'one month' is not."
"It might be less than a month, or it might be a few days more, or even a month and a half is possible."
"What if she really needs a month and a half to get better, and you plan to let her go straight into a race? Don't you know about the risk of suspension?" His tone became stern in the end.
"...Well, you and Uncle Musaka are really alike, Senior."
A humorous look flashed in her curved eyes. Komiyama didn't seem worried at all.
"Sometimes I feel like you're not in your late twenties but in your late fifties, just like Master Musaka."
Frowning again, Kitahara was about to tell Komiyama to be serious, when she herself got serious.
"Your vision has never been limited to Japan, has it, Senior?"
Kitahara was slightly taken aback but didn't hide anything.
"You could say that," he nodded. "You can call it big ambitions or huge goals, but for a long time, I've hoped that our girls would one day shine on the world stage."
Komiyama looked at Kitahara for a while, and her eyes showed admiration.
"What you said that day was really true, wasn't it, Senpai?"
"Our girls will have the chance to challenge top races like the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and even stand at the pinnacle."
"Am I right?"
Without denying it, Kitahara nodded again.
"That's what I'm thinking, and that's the direction I'm working towards."
"I knew it. Hehe, it's funny that I thought you were joking at first. After all, challenging the world and standing at the top seemed so unrealistic."
Komiyama chuckled and sighed softly, then took a deep breath. "But then I thought about it, and I talked to Kyoko-san and Yuzahara-san, and that's when I realized you were serious."
"You've been doing this from the beginning; your sights have always been set there."
She suddenly raised her arm, pointing her index finger straight at the sky.
"You want our girls to stand at the top of the world."
"Even though you're just a local trainer, you've been collecting top international training methods, race data, information on girls, and even industrial operations from the start."
"And you've been building your team subtly."
"I happened to talk to Yusahara-san, and he made it very clear that our trainers are structurally behind the rest of the world."
"Training in Europe and America isn't done by a single trainer but by an entire team. Tony Bianca is a perfect example of this."
"When Yusahara-san talks about international top girls like Tony Bianca, he never talks about their trainer; he always talks about their team."
"You've been doing this for a long time, haven't you, Senpai?"
"You discovered Light-chan's technical talent and made her a researcher for the team."
"Kyoko-san has exceptional medical skills and talent. She could easily have a successful career at any hospital in Tokyo, but for some reason, she followed you to the countryside like Kasamatsu."
"And Ms. Tomano… I accidentally overheard Oguri Cap and Light-chan talking and found out that she's probably in charge of the team's business side? To be honest, I never thought of these things. I only thought of using prize money, allowances, and salaries to buy the best training equipment for Tama-chan, but I never thought of operating with capital."
"But you did, Senpai."
"I even wonder if Yusahara-san and I coming to Kasamatsu were part of your plan."
"Yusahara-san said that European and American teams have several trainers. You didn't plan to find us two to be your assistants, did you?"
"If that's true, if you have such a big ambition and such strong confidence to achieve it, why don't you have the confidence to cure Tama-chan within a month?"
"Okay, I admit that signing Tama-chan up for the 'Naruo Kinen' was too reckless. So here's the deal: I know I'm too inexperienced compared to you, Senior. So, the decision-making power for this race and all the treatment will be in your hands."
"I'll listen to whatever training plan you say. If a month from now, she's really not ready, we can just cancel the registration. Since Tama-chan has a medical diagnosis, it's not suitable for her to race. This way, there's no risk of suspension."
"Anyway, I trust you, Senpai."
She looked at Kitahara intently, awaiting his answer.
Kitahara was deep in thought.
Some of the things Komiyama mentioned were things he had thought of, like Light-chan's technical talent and the commercial side.
Some were coincidences, such as Kyoko being recommended by old man Kuko, and Komiyama and Tamamo Cross being the same. Taro Yusahara and Inari One came to assist, and these were all things he had not foreseen.
But Komiyama had reminded him.
If he wanted to provide the girls with the best training conditions and living environment, one person wouldn't be enough.
Before, when he was working alone, Kitahara had to train, arrange races, study for exams, and find time to follow international news and plan for the future. He wished a day could be two days long, to the point where Oguri Cap had to supervise him to rest.
Now, with Komiyama's reminder, he might consider a collaboration, or rather, a team.
Kitahara nodded and was about to say something when Light-chan ran over in a hurry.
"It's not good! Mr. Kitahara! Tama-chan and Inari are arguing again!"
(End of this chapter)