Returning to academy life, the experiences of these past few days became a journey for Kazuo during this period.
After all, he had made new friends, gained a more systematic and intuitive understanding of the Horse Racing system from his seniors, and watched a Horse Racing match up close.
He learned various knowledge related to Horse Racing and also saw Symboli Rudolf's active performance in the Triple Crown on TV.
His relationships with the Uma Musume deepened, and it also helped Rice Shower take a step forward.
Upon returning to the academy, everything went on as usual. The students studied and trained in an orderly fashion, while Kazuo continued to learn and fill in gaps by Tojo Hana's side.
If there were any changes—
At the academy, Daijin no longer avoided him as before. Rice Shower, instead of running off without a trace, would now personally greet him when she saw him.
In between, Kazuo also took Xiao Hai Wan to the Food Research Club. After the documents were issued, he was considered a semi-club advisor. Fine Motion and Eishin Flash naturally welcomed the new members. It's worth mentioning that Kazuo also met McQueen, who was 'coincidentally' visiting there.
As for the other member who had not yet appeared, Kazuo still hadn't seen them.
In the mornings, he attended lectures and interned. At noon, he would search for new dishes with Fine Motion in the cafeteria. In the afternoons, Kazuo would generally continue reviewing in the library, and in the evenings, he would continue with practice exams.
Everything proceeded in an orderly manner. Just like that, time flew by, and it was the second Sunday in May.
Kazuo woke up very early that day. After preparing his identification and stationery for the exam, he left Koji, who was dead drunk, on the bed and headed out alone to the exam location.
This year, the Tokyo area exam was held at Tracen Branch School, and it took about an hour to travel from the Main School to the Branch School.
Before he left, Kazuo's phone received messages from many people.
Messages from Xiao Hai Wan, Daijin, Hayakawa, and even Rice Shower and Fine Motion, all without exception, encouraged him and wished him good luck on the exam.
But the most amusing one was from Koji.
The message, edited last night, read:
"Good luck with the exam! Normal performance is victory. Once you're done, we'll have a party to celebrate properly! (P.S. I might get drunk, so I'm sending you this message in advance, junior.)"
If that's the case, then don't drink so much... Kazuo couldn't help but sigh, a wry smile on his face. With a senior like this, how could he possibly be nervous? Sitting on the train, his eyes slightly closed, the knowledge and key points in his mind seemed to be directly imprinted in his memory—
...No problem.
After several twists and turns, he arrived at the Branch School. Since the exam center was set up in the outermost teaching building, Kazuo didn't have the leisure to tour the Branch School. Instead, he went straight to his exam room.
Something interesting happened before the exam. Although he was taking the exam at the Branch School, Kazuo truly hadn't expected Aoi to be the invigilator, and she was even in charge of their exam area.
Aoi, holding the exam papers, walked into the exam room and gave Kazuo a very subtle wink.
What a coincidence—
However, the exam was his own crucial battle. Now, he only needed to calm down and perform to the best of his ability.
Drip—
As the pointer slid to 12, with the examiner's command, the exam officially began.
"To Asama-kun's successful completion of the exam, cheers!"
Room 412 was very well-prepared tonight, with various snacks and drinks, clearly set up for an adult drinking party according to Qing Dormitory custom (as Koji put it).
Koji raised his beer and chugged it. Today, he seemed even more energetic than usual. In Room 412, Koji, Kazuo, and Hayakawa were seated as always—
Of course, today, Qing Dormitory's Room 412 also had a 'rare guest'.
"I have to say, Asama's definitely smarter than Okino."
Tojo Hana, holding a chilled beer, sat next to Hayakawa, shaking her head and sighing.
Compared to Koji's unrestrained drinking style, she and Hayakawa were both the type to sip their beer slowly.
Koji wasn't pleased to hear this. He glared and grumbled.
"Hey! What are you talking about! No matter what, I passed on my first try!"
"Barely passing on the deadline, you really worked hard, didn't you—"
The two of them seemed to be at odds right now, but Kazuo and Hayakawa saw it clearly. These two seemed to enjoy bickering whenever they met, but compared to before, their relationship had already softened. Although Kazuo didn't know what happened between them during this Golden Week, judging by how things looked—
It wasn't hard to understand.
However, Kazuo's mindset was also very relaxed at this moment.
After the exam, upon returning to Qing Dormitory, Hayakawa brought Tojo Hana to their room.
Tojo had asked a friend for this year's practice exam and did it herself. She then went over the answers with Kazuo. Since he had been tutored by Tojo Hana, Kazuo's answers matched hers ninety percent of the time.
This basically meant that Kazuo's successful passing of this exam was a sure thing.
So, the so-called adult drinking party was held right there in Kazuo's room.
"But it's truly unexpected. This year's debate topic was 'Horse Racing equipment's impact on the race'. I remember Asama-kun was working at a Horse Racing equipment store during this time, right?"
Hayakawa sighed a little, but then, with a change of thought, she asked curiously.
Kazuo himself hadn't even thought about that point.
He rubbed his nose and smiled, saying:
"Yes, Tojo introduced me to Manager Kiryu-in's place to learn for a while, but I really didn't expect the last question of this exam to be about that..."
"Regarding this, Kiryu also called me. Even he came to inquire about your situation. It seems you left a very deep impression on him... However, even if it's luck, it still requires capital. If you hadn't dedicated yourself to learning these things, how would you have had the opportunity?"
Tojo Hana took a sip of beer and continued, "Some people always envy others' luck, but they overlook that when luck favors, only those who work hard can truly seize it. Asama, you have indeed been very diligent during this time. You should successfully pass the test, and you'll probably receive your electronic certificate and identification code in a few days."
"Eh? That fast?"
Kazuo's eyes widened in surprise.
Koji waved his hand and said, "The review process is very quick now. The paper certificate and badge might still take a month, but if you pass the exam, the electronic certificate and identity code will be issued in just a few days. With that, you'll already be a formal Trainer."
"A formal Trainer…" Kazuo mused with a sigh, but then, as if something else came to mind, he scratched his cheek and looked at everyone, saying,
"By the way, I haven't thought about what I should do next…?"
PS:
Epilogue
"What to do…" Koji took a sip of beer and said, "Isn't it just getting the certification code and registering?"
Before he could finish, Toujou Hana immediately rolled up a magazine from the floor and swung it at his head.
"Is that what he's asking? Even if you're clueless, there's a limit, right?"
Toujou Hana rarely showed such an attitude. Kazuo remembered her as always being serious and unsmiling. Toujou Hana, in this private setting, made Kazuo feel both novel and approachable.
She glanced at Kazuo, then picked up her beer and said, "In short, after achieving your initial goal, you haven't seriously considered what you should do next, have you?"
After all, his previous goal was to become a full-fledged Trainer, and now he had one foot in the door. However, he was clearly still somewhat confused about what else he needed to do, or rather, what he *should* do, after becoming a Trainer.
A change in identity would make everything different. Although he had interned beside everyone for a while, if he had to take the lead himself—
"In any case, shouldn't you start by recruiting your own Uma Musume?"
Hayakawa-san pondered for a moment before giving her answer.
"Yes, indeed. A Trainer, no matter what, can only be called a Trainer after signing an Uma Musume."
Koji said, teasing, "However, I don't think Kazuo really needs to worry about this, do you? After all, there was a rare situation of a reverse nomination even before he became a Trainer, right?"
He was teasing about Xiao Hai Wan and himself again, but Kazuo shook his head with a wry smile and said,
"You guys should stop making fun of me. That was just an accident—but I'm really grateful that Xiao Hai Wan chose me."
After all, throughout this, Xiao Hai Wan was like a source of strength, constantly supporting him forward.
At the same time, guarding his sister's dream, with the encouragement of Daijin, Fine Motion, and Rice Shower, he never stopped. Now, having reached this milestone, he looked back and realized how far he had come.
"Then—after you become a Trainer, how about formally inviting her again, seriously?"
Koji rarely put away his smile, staring at Kazuo with a serious expression. This was his suggestion from a Trainer's perspective, and the other two also wanted to see his reaction.
Hearing this, Kazuo nodded without hesitation, saying, "Yes, regarding this, I had already thought about it."
She had gone against everyone's opinions to choose him as her Trainer, so when the promise was fulfilled, he should also properly convey his conviction.
The three of them, seeing Kazuo's pure conviction, couldn't help but nod in approval.
Excellent Trainers and Uma Musume always achieve greatness together. Perhaps Kazuo himself didn't even know that their high compatibility was enough to unleash even greater power.
This was also why several people generally favored the combination of Kazuo and Xiao Hai Wan.
Supporting each other,
Encouraging each other,
Relying on each other,
Trusting each other.
They had reached this point, yet this was just the beginning. Next, they would continue to move forward.
"With Asama-kun's potential, I think he could also try to recruit a few more team members, couldn't he?"
Hayakawa-san added. As Secretary-General, she was very familiar with Kazuo's affairs. In her opinion, Kazuo was a very responsible person, whether it was regarding Daijin or Rice Shower. He always tried his best to help others.
Subtly, he had actually slowly established an image among the students as a new but incredibly diligent and responsible Trainer.
Perhaps he didn't even realize that, without knowing it, he had transformed from an unknown rookie into a presence that everyone in the school often discussed.
The change had actually already begun—
"Recruiting multiple team members…"
Kazuo scratched his head in a troubled manner and said, "Wouldn't that be bad? Choosing too many Uma Musume to be their Trainer, can I really handle it?"
Even he didn't quite believe he really had the ability, like Toujou Hana, to guide a dozen Uma Musume.
Did he really have the energy to help every single Uma Musume?
After all, in his eyes, perhaps he should wholeheartedly be responsible only for Xiao Hai Wan—
Being responsible for his Uma Musume, fulfilling her expectations, he wanted to lead her to the Central stage, to step onto the victory platform… "The aptitude you've shown suggests you have the ability to try interacting with more Uma Musume, but—"
At this point, Toujou Hana paused slightly, a complex expression on her face that Kazuo couldn't decipher.
"You must be cautious about this choice. Because no matter what happens… no matter what, signing means taking on the responsibilities of the other party. When choosing your team members, you must always remember this…"
These words made the atmosphere in the room a little heavy. Toujou Hana just kept her face down, drinking silently, as if something was weighing on her mind.
Koji, watching her like this from the side, couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
It might take a very long time for Toujou Hana to move past this—
However, he truly had no right to say anything to her.
After all, he himself hadn't moved past it yet.
"This profession isn't as glamorous as it seems. On the racecourse, we are always the ones watching. Often, the Uma Musume bear more of the burden. As Trainers, the support we need to provide is often not on the racecourse, but in daily life. I think you must deeply understand this, right?"
Koji's words deeply resonated with Kazuo. Uma Musume were like barometers, requiring careful nurturing.
"My opinion is that Asama-kun should recruit more team members. Aside from the increased funding and income after forming a team, it also allows for quick accumulation of experience and trying out various races. If you want to grow quickly, you need to make such a decision."
"But… wouldn't that lead to neglecting one for the other?"
Kazuo still seemed a bit hesitant—
But Koji drained his beer, placed the glass on the table, and chuckled, "If you can't overcome even this, when do you plan to solve this problem that you'll inevitably face? And—I think you probably have other candidates in mind besides Xiao Hai Wan, don't you?"
— —!
Flashes of the past kept replaying in his mind, like a camera frantically flickering.
"All Trainers aspire to guide exceptional athletes; none are willing to give them up. Similarly, they fiercely compete for athletes with immense potential. It's true that the minimum requirement to form a team is to recruit five members, and there's a risk of being spread too thin. However, if managed properly, I believe it can foster healthy competition within the team, don't you agree?"
Yes... Koji was right.
He would always face this day; to become an excellent Trainer, he would inevitably guide more athletes.
Deep in his heart, he yearned for such a future... At this moment, several candidates' figures had already appeared in Kazuo's mind.
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