"Hm? Haido, you know him?"
Lisi watched Haido Star's unusual reaction and asked in confusion.
"Ah… y-yeah…"
Haido opened her mouth and stammered a few sounds, but under her trainer's scrutinizing gaze, she finally caved and nodded obediently.
She gave a short explanation of the relationship between Kuroha and the two sisters.
"Mmm…"
After hearing it, Lisi fixed her gaze on the fidgeting girl in front of her—who was unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers—and her tone turned a little… complicated.
"So you're saying this trainer, Kuroha… used to be your neighbor in the same residential complex back in Tōkō?"
"And he used to take you and your sister out to play all the time, and even called you two 'the old fox's right-hand'?"
"Then he graduated from the trainer academy four years early, and went abroad to continue his studies?"
"Mm-hm! Yes!" Haido nodded rapidly, eyes sparkling.
"And then…"
Lisi tilted the phone in her hand, smiling like she was amused by her own thought. "He just messaged you and said he'll come find you right after he lands, right?"
At that, Haido hurriedly scratched her increasingly warm cheek, eyes darting away as she tried to explain awkwardly.
"Um… the location wasn't sent by me. Star sent it. I only just saw it."
"…Then why were you grinning so happily just now?"
"Nee-san!"
Haido panicked and cut her off, cheeks puffing up. "I was just laughing because the news was funny, okay? It's not because he's coming that I'm happy!"
"…Alright. Whatever you say."
Lisi didn't bother exposing the clumsy lie. She turned with a faint smile and started to leave.
After a few steps, she stopped and looked back.
"Since Kuroha is coming over in a bit, do you want me to have the kitchen prepare something to serve him?"
"No need!"
The girl's tsundere voice snapped out immediately. "If he's coming here, then he should be the one bringing gifts! Since when does the host have to prepare things for a guest like that!"
"Fine, fine." Lisi waved a hand, smiling as if it didn't matter, and walked into the gym.
The door closed behind her, leaving the girl alone on the lounge chair.
Haido lifted her pale, slender hand and covered her burning cheek.
She kept insisting she didn't care, but the ponytail behind her was already betraying her—happily swishing left and right as it lightly smacked the chair back.
Clearly, that adorable ponytail was nowhere near as calm as she was pretending to be.
…
Once she was out of the gym, Lisi glanced back at the tightly shut door, the smile on her face slowly fading.
She pulled out her phone and typed keywords into her browser: "Central Tracen Academy," "Kuroha," "Oguri Cap," and more, digging for more detailed information.
The more she found, the more serious her expression became.
In the end, the capable, middle-aged woman stared at the data on the screen and let out a soft sigh.
"The Grey Monster… and Central Tracen Academy's strongest trainer, huh?"
"Truly impressive for someone so young."
To be honest, she'd been a little worried just now—worried that this "childhood friend" Haido talked about might be the kind of opportunist who'd scrape together a bit of achievement and then come sniffing around to trick Haido Star into joining him.
Because as the older sister, Haido was certainly strong, but her talent was, at best, solid and ordinary.
Star was different.
That kid was in a completely different world than her sister.
Have you ever seen an elementary-school horse girl who hasn't even debuted yet casually outrun three still-active regional horse girls?
Star could.
She was genuine heaven-sent talent—destined to stand at the top of the world, even to dominate an era as a top-tier horse girl.
Lisi had always believed that, and because of it, she'd protected Star with extreme caution.
She and the sisters' parents were very close friends.
There was no way she'd just let the two of them be taken away by some unreliable trainer, only to have their bright future dragged into the dark.
But now, looking at the phone in her hand—at Kuroha's dazzling team record, flashy enough it almost felt blinding—her certainty wavered.
"If he's really that capable…"
Lisi put the phone away, gazing out at the grass field beyond the window as she murmured to herself.
"Even if Star really joined his team… it honestly wouldn't be a bad deal at all."
…
Europe, Ireland, Dublin Airport.
As an international flight from the Far East touched down, a group of five people dragged their suitcases out of the terminal.
Their features were clearly different from the Irish around them, carrying an unmistakable foreign air.
The young man at the front stopped by the roadside and made a call.
Not long after, a black business sedan—reserved in advance—rolled up to the curb. A typical Irish, middle-aged driver leaned out from the seat and waved enthusiastically at the young man.
"Ojisan, County Kildare—Gildtown Manor."
Once the luggage was loaded and everyone was seated, the young man in the front passenger seat pulled the door shut.
"Oh, Gildtown, yeah? Hold tight!" The driver nodded like he understood immediately.
As he started the car, he studied the handsome, composed foreign young man in the passenger seat through the rearview mirror.
And then the four girls in the back—each with her own distinct look, all unmistakably foreigners at a glance.
While driving, he couldn't help asking, "You're a trainer, right?"
Kuroha tilted his head slightly, watching the foreign streets slide by outside the window. He chuckled lightly and answered, "Yeah. I'm a trainer."
"Heh, I knew it!"
The driver laughed smugly, then smacked the steering wheel hard. "Then you're here for next month's Irish Champion Stakes, yeah?"
His face was full of pride—clearly proud that his country's race could draw so many elite competitors from around the world.
"Lately the airport's been packed with tourists and horse girls from everywhere. It's been lively as hell!"
Naturally.
In this world, no matter the country, horse-girl racing culture was thriving.
Aside from a small minority who'd fallen out of step with society, most people were intensely devoted to horse-girl racing.
Just watching these girls run could fill spectators with an overwhelming sense of resonance and emotion, and make them want—deep down—to cheer them on.
And because of that, spectators weren't hostile toward top horse girls from other countries.
The stronger, the better. That was what made it exciting.
That pure competitive atmosphere could even make some fans look downright bloodthirsty—like they were watching a ritual offering.
Kuroha kept a polite smile and didn't take the bait, only listening quietly.
The driver didn't mind. After years behind the wheel, he was used to foreign trainers being cautious.
They loved hiding intel, but that didn't stop him from enjoying himself.
"…So you're staying at Gildtown for lodging and special training, then?"
The chatty driver said excitedly, "That place has the best training grounds in all of County Kildare! I've even heard a lot of famous retired horse girls live there for retirement."
"I've got a friend who delivered goods inside once—he even ran into a legendary retired horse girl. She was my idol!"
"And Gildtown isn't too far from Leopardstown Racecourse either, and the environment's great. Looks like you did your homework!"
"Too kind…" Kuroha's mouth twitched slightly.
"Hah, come on, come on!" The driver laughed without restraint. "I just hope you and your horse girls give us a spectacular race!"
And just like that, Kuroha and the overly friendly driver chatted the entire way.
Well—mostly the driver doing all the talking—but Kuroha still managed to pick out quite a bit of useful information from the flood of words.
For example: the current form of several local Irish entrants for next month's stakes, and how excited local fans were about a certain hometown favorite.
"He's definitely enthusiastic," Kuroha thought with a quiet, helpless sort of amusement. "His mouth is just… way too loose. He's basically selling out his own side."
…
County Kildare, outside the gates of Gildtown Manor.
"We're here! Good luck to you lot!" The driver waved goodbye to Kuroha.
"If you need a car anytime, call me. I'm on standby!"
As the rumble of the engine faded into the distance, the manor's heavy gates finally swung open.
The world returned to silence.
Kuroha stood by the roadside, waving a hand through the lingering exhaust.
Then he turned toward the vast, magnificent manor grounds ahead—endless green grass stretching out as far as the eye could see.
The warm glow of sunset fell across the manor's antique buildings, painting them with a thin line of gold.
He took a deep breath, then looked back at Fumino, Oguri Cap, and the others. Straightening his collar, he said:
"Alright. Let's go in."
(End of Chapter)
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