Kitahara and Komiyama were talking at one end of the training field. Oguri Cap and the others had originally been practicing on the track, but by now they'd already run to the other side.
Taro Yuzuhara and Kyoko Miyamura weren't around either.
With two assistant trainers and a doctor helping out, Kitahara's training setup really was like running a team now. The two of them were in charge of organizing training data and preparing the upcoming medical training equipment, while Kitahara and Komiyama focused on the hands-on training.
So then, why, with everything so nicely arranged, are you two—Tama and Inari—arguing again…
Carrying this exasperated thought, Kitahara and Komiyama followed Belno Light at a run to the other end of the field.
They hadn't even gotten close when they heard a loud, rapid-fire back-and-forth—one voice with an Edo accent, the other Kansai.
Inari One (1.39 meters) and Tamamo Cross (1.40 meters) were each being held back—Oguri Cap had one in her arms, Super Creek had the other. The two of them glared at each other across a few meters, shouting insults as they squirmed.
"Haa??!!! If you wanted to talk to me, you could've just said so in the first place, you idiot!"
"The one calling someone else an idiot is the real idiot, you know?! Blah blah blah blah!"
"Ugh—shut up already! You little shrimp!"
"Hah?! Who're you calling a shrimp?!"
"You're so short—of course you're a shrimp!"
"How the hell do I look like a shrimp?!"
"By every measure, you're a shrimp!"
"Y-you… you're a shrimp too! You're not taller than me, are you?!"
"I-I… I'm totally taller than you! How tall are you?!"
"I—I'm 1.40 meters! Hah?! Taller than you, huh?!"
"1—1… so what if you're taller?! Let's see who's faster then!"
"Just what I wanted to hear! Bring it on! I—hey, Oguri Cap, put me down already! I told you to stop carrying me like this!"
"Hey! You too! Put me down! I'm going to settle this with this little shrimp right here and now!"
While the Edo and Kansai accents clashed like drawn swords, bits of Oguri Cap and Super Creek's attempts to mediate slipped in between.
"Tama, don't be angry, and don't fight. Fighting is bad."
"Um, everyone's looking this way now, so maybe you should stop… Mr. Kitahara, please hurry! It's getting worse… Ah! Mr. Kitahara! You're finally here, hurry—"
Kitahara was a little winded. If he hadn't been training for the Central exam all this time, he'd be completely out of breath by now.
"Fuuuh—"
He took a deep breath.
"Put the two of them down."
He waved his hand helplessly.
"Kitahara…"
"Mr. Kitahara…"
Oguri Cap and Super Creek both looked uncertain, but at his words, Tamamo Cross and Inari One finally noticed Kitahara and Komiyama. The arguing gradually died down.
Tamamo Cross stopped first.
"Uh… um… hahaha, uh, Komiyama, have you eaten yet?" She averted her gaze, grinning sheepishly as she scratched her head, clearly aware she'd done wrong.
Komiyama narrowed his eyes, staring silently at Tamamo Cross. Somehow, the surrounding air seemed to twist and darken.
"…Sorry. I was wrong…" Tamamo Cross deflated instantly.
"…Hey, old man, d-don't tell Taro about this, okay? If Taro hears, he'll tell Big Sis, and if Big Sis finds out…"
Inari One also wilted, fiddling with the fox mask on the side of her face, quietly pulling it to cover more of her cheeks. Her voice turned muffled and weak.
"If Big Sis hears, she'll come storming from Oi all the way to Kasamatsu, and you… you don't wanna see a terrifying Big Sis like that, do you, old man…"
…?
Wait—are you actually trying to threaten me right now?
Kitahara almost laughed out of sheer disbelief.
But mostly, he just had a headache.
This wasn't even the first time Tamamo Cross and Inari One had gotten into a fight.
Their feud had been simmering ever since something Inari blurted out when they first met.
"Eh? Which one of you is Oguri Cap? Ah, it's you, right? I remember in the video it looked like a tall one."
Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap were both gray (roan) bloodlines, both with silvery hair. Their accessories were completely different, of course, but Inari One had been so busy singing and dancing during the video call she hadn't paid much attention.
That one offhand comment made Tamamo Cross blow up on the spot—and the two short girls had been at each other's throats ever since.
"S-short… so what if I'm short, huh?! I—I grew up poor! I didn't have enough to eat! I couldn't grow taller—how's that my fault, huh?! You idiot!"
"Hah?! I didn't even mean to pick a fight with you… Okay, fine, I accidentally called you short, but I can apologize, can't I?! You cussing me out right away is way outta line! Besides, I wasn't rich either growing up! What's so great about being poor?!"
"Who said I was bragging, huh?! As expected of an idiot!"
"Urrgh—you—you… you piss me off so much! You shrimp!"
"Shrimp…?! You're the shrimp! You're short too! I'm not listening, not listening—bounce-back, bounce-back!"
"Bounce-back to you! You're the idiot!"
"Not listening, not listening! You're the shrimp!"
"Bounce-back! You're the idiot!"
At the time, Oguri Cap and Super Creek had to physically pull the two feral little gremlins apart. Luckily they'd been there.
Because, sure, they were short—but these were horse girls. Top-tier, powerful horse girls.
If one of them put her weight behind a single kick, that was easily a ton or two of force. A casual kick or even a swing of the arm was enough to do damage no normal human could ever withstand.
So even with Kitahara, Komiyama, and others present, none of them dared get too close to two small, furious, possibly-dangerous champions.
That first-meeting misunderstanding had eventually been smoothed over, thanks to the trainers' guidance and Oguri Cap and Super Creek's persuasion.
"So… what, were you two sworn enemies from the start or something?"
Head aching, Kitahara gave a wry, helpless smile. "What was it this time?"
As he asked, his gaze shifted from Tamamo Cross to Inari One, then finally lingered on Oguri Cap and Super Creek.
"We just finished our run and were cooling down," Oguri Cap said honestly, "and we started talking about the last time we all went to the movies together."
"Inari got really interested and kept asking which movie it was, so we told her it was Godzilla. She said she wanted to see it too."
"And then…" She scratched her head. "I don't know how, but somehow Tama and her started arguing."
At this point, Super Creek, ever considerate, added gently, "It's really our fault, too."
She gave Tamamo Cross an apologetic look. "Oguri and I were chatting with Inari and ended up ignoring Tama, so Tama got a little…"
"Ahahaha wow what a nice day it is, huh? Haha, I'm kinda hungry, how about we get something to eat?"
Tamamo Cross suddenly slapped her hands over most of her face and started mumbling nonsense.
Got it.
She felt left out, got upset, didn't know how to say so, so she started a fight instead.
Seriously… a grown young lady acting like an elementary school kid.
Last time she even went "bounce-back, bounce-back"…
Is she really an elementary school kid?
Kitahara was speechless for a moment, then sighed and waved a hand.
"All right, got it. Not exactly a big deal."
"How about this: train a few more days, and when it's finally time for a break, I'll take you all to the movies together. Sound good?"
"But…"
He'd just gotten to the part about the break. Before the excited horse girls could cheer, Kitahara's expression sharpened.
"But since you fought, you did disrupt training. So you're getting extra practice as punishment."
All four pairs of long horse ears instantly drooped in unison.
Seeing this, Kitahara chuckled—but kept a little suspense in his tone.
"What exactly the punishment is, I'll tell you tomorrow. For now…"
He said the words that made the "famished foursome" snap to attention, ears pricking and eyes shining.
"Let's go eat. That's it for training today."
(End of Chapter)