WebNovels

Chapter 3 - Dreams, Goals and Prayers

-Interview at the Chairman's Office

Though my words and actions weren't exactly outrageous, I'll admit they weren't flawless either. Maybe not as bad as CB-chan claimed, but still—provocative enough to raise eyebrows at the academy.

So, I decided to take the initiative and get to know the school better—starting with an interview.

I entered the school and was guided to the chairman's office by her secretary, Tazuna Hayakawa.

She wore a green outfit and a matching hat. She asked me to call her "Tazuna," so I addressed her as "Tazuna-san." I had the odd feeling I'd seen her before—probably during my research on active horse girls.

"We've arrived," she said.

"Oh, thank you."

As I was lost in thought, we reached the chairman's office.

"Chairman, I've brought her."

"I know! Come in!"

"Excuse me."

A cheerful voice welcomed me inside.

There, seated with a cat on her head, was a girl—no, a woman. I recognized her from my research: Yayoi Akikawa, the chairman of Tracen Academy.

Still… why the cat?

"Welcome! Have a seat."

"Yes, thank you."

And so, the interview began.

That said, the questions weren't anything unexpected.

"You'll be living in the dormitory. Is that alright?"

"Yes, that's fine. As you may know, I come from an orphanage, so I wouldn't mind living with another horse girl rather I would be quite happy if so."

"Any concerns about academics or racing?"

"Not particularly. My teacher at the orphanage made it clear I couldn't race unless I excelled in my studies, so I've developed good study habits. As for racing, I still have prize money left from amateur competitions, so I'm not worried financially."

"You'll be expected to follow school rules. Any questions about them?"

"No, I understand. They're necessary."

The questions were standard, but I could feel genuine concern behind each one. The chairman was quite kind and caring.

"Lastly, I'd like to ask—why do you want to enroll at Tracen Academy? What's your goal?"

My goal?

That was easy.

"I want to be horse girl that both my seniors who crave the path for us and the juniors that would continue can be proud of—aa well as becoming someone who gives hope to horse girls who choose not to follow or run."

After I said that, the chairman suddenly opened a folding fan which read『WELCOME』.

"I understand your spirit! Thank you for coming! Welcome to Tracen Academy!"

And just like that, I was officially enrolled—without worry.

(Elsewhere, After the Interview)

After the blue-haired horse girl had left, chairman Yayoi Akikawa gently closed her fan.

"Well, Chairman? What did you think of her?" asked Tazuna.

"Hmm… she was a little different from what I'd heard."

"Not just a little."

"True."

When I first heard she was dominating amateur races, I sent a scout to invite her. But the scout came back with a less-than-glowing report.

"She's arrogant, but not that talented."

"She's not worth the tuition."

"She said she'd win her debut easily and pay it off."

"She doesn't even have the makings of a proper racehorse, let alone a contender."

Tazuna hadn't been impressed with the scout either, so she did her own digging—and managed to speak with the orphanage director.

"That child is a good girl. Never selfish. But she's always seemed unsure of herself as a horse girl. She's the only one here like that. I think she held back so she wouldn't hurt the other kids. That's why she stopped asking for things."

The director smiled gently as she spoke of Black Traitor.

"But once, she did ask for something. She said she wanted to race. I could tell she'd been training for a long time. I asked her why. I expected her to say something like, 'It looks fun,' or 'I admire them.'"

"But she said she wanted to earn money for the orphanage. I think she felt guilty for breaking things all the time. But that's normal for a horse girl."

In the end, the director let out a deep sigh.

"She's trying too hard. I think she'll be fine even if she doesn't get into the academy. But I believe Black Traitor runs for others. If you allow her to enroll, please take care of her."

Yayoi believe the director was not lying but the scout was from URA. Calling him a liar outright wasn't an option.

So, they sent Black Traitor to the Unregistered Match to test her ability—and interviewed her to assess her character. Her admission had been more uncertain than anyone realized.

"I think she's a good horse girl after all," Yayoi said.

"Well, yes. But the tuition issue was real."

"She said she'd earn it through racing."

"She did meet the scout's conditions."

"Still… now we have to let her win her debut."

That promise still stood.

In an emergency, she had her own savings—but it wasn't right to expect a poor horse girl to pay her own tuition.

"…We need to establish a scholarship system."

"Agreed."

Yayoi clasped her hands and offered a silent prayer to the Three Goddesses.

"Please… let Black Traitor's school life be a happy one."

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