Although the commotion surrounding Daijin's incident had passed, most people attributed all the causes to her breakthrough under immense pressure.
Hardly anyone would have thought that Daijin's transformation actually stemmed from one person, her mother, and her former homeroom teacher working together… The true reason behind Daijin's matter was only known by a small number of people in the academy.
Therefore, Kazuo did not attract too much attention in the academy. Most people's impression of him remained that of a rookie Trainer who Xiao Hai Wan had chosen against all odds, someone who was good for nothing except luck.
However, Kazuo didn't care about what others thought. After all, to him, it was just as Yoshida had once told him.
A Trainer is an existence who silently watches from behind the athlete. They will protect them when necessary. Similarly, even if they succeed, they should not be blindly arrogant, as it is a mutually beneficial relationship. He himself was not so great as to claim all the credit.
Or rather, he wasn't qualified to do so.
If he had to say, all he did was give her a push from behind, smashing open the door that had always locked her inner world.
Just like Onizuka Eikichi, the Great Teacher, he used a sledgehammer to break down the wall of reality for his students, and at the same time, he also chiseled open the wall in their hearts.
Guiding her to see the light, and then everything would fall into place naturally.
Of course, being able to help others itself gave him a sense of satisfaction.
After all, more or less, boys also have those chuunibyou moments where they want to be an unsung hero.
.
As usual, Kazuo arrived at the office with his bag.
Sitting in their small corners, some were typing on keyboards, some were making calls for business, and others were comparing students' grades.
Everyone was busy with their own affairs as usual. After all, they were all leaders of their respective teams, and besides managing their own team's affairs,
They also had to participate in and interfere with various matters concerning the Uma Musume, more or less.
In short, it was the same as before.
No one would bother with him, the newcomer. Even though Xiao Hai Wan had chosen him, he hadn't earned it himself; instead, he had received the goddess's favor.
To be honest, many male Trainers were quite jealous of Kazuo, but he himself was simply oblivious.
Following his usual habit, Kazuo placed his bag on the desk and was about to take out a general theory book to read when
Someone unexpectedly came to his desk.
A gentle tap on his desk. He looked up to see Tojo standing before him, having arrived at some point.
She looked down at Kazuo with a cold expression and said:
"Come out with me."
With that, she walked straight out of the office. Everyone else's gaze immediately focused on him, their eyes conveying nothing but "You're finished."
"…What happened?"
Could it be because of the performance review?!
Kazuo's heart tightened. He hadn't done anything to displease her, had he?
If he failed the performance review or something, would he be directly fired!?
Daijin wasn't advised to leave, but he was going to be fired instead?
With this uneasy feeling, Kazuo slowly followed her. Stepping out of the room, he saw Toujou Hana standing alone in the corridor.
"Come with me."
It was very concise, completely unwilling to waste another word.
She turned and walked away directly. The two arrived at the balcony at the end of the corridor. There were no other people to disturb them, only the two of them.
"You've been at the academy for over three weeks, and many people in the academy know that you're not a Trainer, and weren't even qualified to be hired. Many of them have also reported to the higher-ups to have you dismissed."
Toujou Hana looked at the academy's Horse Racing track and said coldly.
Kazuo's heart sank, thinking, "This is bad." If things continued this way, he might truly lose his qualification before even starting.
But how could he give up now?
Realizing what Tojo wanted to say, Kazuo immediately clenched his fists, his expression instantly becoming serious.
"I won't—"
"Regarding your dismissal, Sasaki, Trustee Yoshida, and I have all explicitly stated our opposition."
Kazuo had expected Toujou Hana to definitely use this as an excuse to make him leave the school, but to his surprise, the person who had previously disliked him so much was now choosing to stand by him and even willing to speak up for him?
...Is today April Fool's Day?
Seeing Kazuo staring blankly at her, Toujou Hana took a deep breath, stood firm, and bowed deeply, apologizing sincerely: "I'm sorry, I apologize for my previous attitude towards you."
"Eh, Miss Toujou, are you doing this for..."
The sudden change caught Kazuo completely off guard.
Toujou continued, "I once thought you were just opportunistic, and naturally wanted to sneak into the academy. We are teachers, so I was absolutely unsupportive and distrustful of you before."
Regarding this matter, it was already evident from the interview venue.
As for Kazuo being able to skip the final interview and come directly to the school, Kazuo knew without thinking how Toujou viewed him.
Pulling strings, using connections—
"I once wanted to make things difficult for you, to make you retreat from the academy on your own."
"But I am also aware of your attitude and what you have done, so I must apologize for my previous attitude."
"Even if your qualifications are not enough now, from a Trainer's perspective, you have indeed done many things that many Trainers have not been able to do."
"I'm truly sorry for misunderstanding you before."
Toujou Hana was such a rigorous and serious girl. In fact, as Kazuo's superior, her actions were understandable, as from a teacher's perspective, Kazuo indeed lacked the necessary qualifications.
However, she could correct her attitude and face her own mistakes.
This also made Kazuo realize at this moment that he had actually met a good person, a leader who was outwardly cold but kind-hearted and responsible.
Apologizing to one's subordinate is itself a rare occurrence.
Especially in Japan, where seniority is clearly defined, even if a superior makes a mistake, in many cases it will be handled coldly, ignored, or even worse, blamed directly on the subordinate, with countless instances of passing the buck.
But as a subordinate, a junior, even if one suffers a loss, one must endure it alone.
This is Japan's rather unique institutional culture.
From large workplaces to small student clubs.
Newcomers as juniors cannot defy their seniors, and it is precisely because of this ingrained concept that 'gekokujo' (overthrowing the superior) stories like 'Hanzawa Naoki' resonate with the public.
Therefore, seeing Toujou put aside her pride and sincerely apologize to Kazuo,
besides shock, there was also a hint of warmth and emotion in his heart.
"Please don't say that. From Miss Toujou's perspective, I am indeed not mature enough to stand on my own. Therefore, to receive Miss Toujou's recognition is also an honor for me. Moreover—I am very aware now that as a Trainer, I am still far from enough."
Although Miss Toujou did indeed leave him to his own devices, she also did not create any trouble for him. In fact, because of Toujou Hana, he had so much free time to allocate to studying and recharging.
And this time, the two of them formally shook hands and made peace, feeling relieved.
Toujou also looked deeply at Kazuo upon hearing this.
"Hmm, it's great to have your understanding, but—you still can't let your guard down. Although Sasaki and I both recognize your potential, you don't even have a qualification certificate yet. While we can vouch for you, the Chairman cannot make a clear statement."
Toujou Hana straightened up, adjusted her glasses, and said:
"So, you must pass the qualification exam in May. Only then will you gain everyone's respect."
Her words paused, and Toujou Hana's aura instantly changed. This was the extremely oppressive manifestation of her seriousness.
"To ensure that you can successfully become a Trainer. As your instructor, I will now seriously and thoroughly guide you. Are you ready?"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/TripleCrown07
If you guys wanna check it out.