"Nice to meet you, Trainer Kitano Ryuichi. These two are the vice presidents of the Student Council — Air Groove and Narita Brian."
After introducing himself, Rudolf Symbol reluctantly pushed down the questions in his heart, then introduced the two "right-hand women" standing behind him.
"Hello — 'The Empress' Air Groove, and 'The Shadow Roll Monster' Narita Brian."
Kitano was, of course, very familiar with the two girls. He even knew their nicknames by heart; after all, he had watched them rise to prominence.
"Hello, Trainer Kitano."
Air Groove's expression was a little peculiar. As she looked at Kitano Ryuichi, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had seen him somewhere before. Air Groove had a slight fear of men — being alone with unfamiliar men made her stiff and uncomfortable, let alone initiating contact with them.
But for some reason, she felt an inexplicable closeness toward the man in front of her. As if they had known each other for a long time, as if the distance between them was naturally easy to close.
She didn't say this out loud, though. What she failed to notice was that Narita Brian beside her had a similar reaction — she was also staring at Kitano with a subtle, searching look, as if trying to recall where she might have met him.
For context, Narita Brian's social anxiety was far worse than Air Groove's. She looked cold on the outside, but she was actually extremely timid — she covered most of her face during races because she was afraid of being frightened by her own shadow. You couldn't expect her to act close with strangers at all.
Yet something felt different now.
Narita Brian narrowed her single visible eye at Kitano — who was shaking Air Groove's hand — and found him unexpectedly pleasant to look at.
What in the world was going on?
"Hey, you shook hands with Air Groove, but you're not going to greet me? I'm also a vice president, you know."
Seeing Kitano shake hands with Air Groove but not her, Narita Brian felt a faint irritation for reasons she couldn't understand. With the blade of grass still between her lips, she stuck out her hand.
"I'm Narita Brian. If you need anything in the future, you can come to me or Air Groove."
"Please take care of me."
Kitano was a little surprised — the Narita Brian he remembered was someone who never grew close to anyone except people she was familiar with. Yet she had taken the initiative to shake hands. He chalked it up to her simply being in a good mood today.
When Narita Brian felt the warmth of Kitano's hand, her slightly furrowed brows relaxed just a bit. She even glanced at Air Groove with a tiny, smug expression.
She herself had no idea why she did that. Air Groove, watching the whole thing, wanted to complain about Brian acting like a child, but kept quiet.
"Alright, since everyone has introduced themselves, I think it's time we get to the main topic."
Rudolf finally spoke. Her gaze had been subtly fixed on the hands of Kitano and Narita Brian, and only after they separated did she continue:
"Before we entered, we heard some voices from outside the door. Did something happen?"
"It's nothing serious. It's just that Trainer Kitano's requirements for his first horse girl seem to contradict the suggestions we provided."
Tazuna, standing beside them with a gentle smile, explained:
"Our opinion — mine and the Director's — is that since Trainer Kitano is currently the youngest trainer in Tracen Academy, he must have talent. If he could instruct a horse girl with strong potential, they could complement each other, and it would help his future performance."
"But Trainer Kitano is… very pragmatic. He wants to start with some of the more ordinary students. That's fine too, but we think he should consider this more carefully."
"The first horse girl a new trainer takes on is extremely important. In a sense, she represents the trainer's initial reputation. For trainers who will eventually form their own teams, the first partner's strength and achievements largely determine the overall quality of that team."
Rudolf Symbol took the matter very seriously. When she heard the words "first assigned horse girl," her eyes brightened slightly. As student council president, she began explaining calmly and logically the importance of this position.
"Most horse girls have intense competitive spirits. Strong horse girls attract other strong ones to join their team. So the first partner cannot be chosen carelessly."
"Exactly, exactly."
Everyone except Kitano nodded in agreement. Even Kitano had to admit Rudolf's reasoning was flawless. He couldn't find a good reason to refute her.
"…Honestly, I don't think I have the ability to train some prodigious horse girl."
Kitano finally waved his hand and spoke honestly:
"You might not believe it, but all I'm good at is written exams. Everything I know about training came from other people teaching me. I barely have any hands-on experience."
"The few times I tried to make training decisions on my own, things went wrong. Honestly, the horse girls might be better off training themselves. Someone like me has no business teaching a genius."
"So please, Chairman—just assign me any girl you're not optimistic about. Just don't give me a prodigy. I'm afraid I can't handle it."
Kitano wasn't exaggerating.
In earlier loops, he didn't believe in fate—but after experiencing unforgettable failures with several horse girls, he no longer trusted his own ability at all.
He could teach, yes. He understood how training increased stats, what drills improved what—that much he had learned.
But that knowledge… came from Rudolf and the other horse girls who had taught him step by step.
This wasn't a game.
Game training was for fun.
Real horse girl training was incredibly serious—one mistake could cause injury and ruin a girl's career.
He could handle the basics.
But the most important part—the tactics, the reading of races, the battle strategy—he was terrible at.
It wasn't modesty.
It was fact.
He had watched countless excellent horse girls race, but each had her own style. Most of their strategies were self-made. Kitano would copy them, but copying ruined the horse girl's natural rhythm—making it hard for her to even win.
A real trainer customizes tactics for each horse girl. Kitano had none of that talent.
This wasn't a game where you choose "front-runner" or "closer" and let the girl figure it out. Every situation required the trainer to predict and plan ahead.
"At the end of the day, I'm not talented. I'm not worthy of being called a genius. At best, I'm mediocre."
Kitano sighed with self-mockery.
The moment he said this, the office fell silent.
He looked up and realized that Air Groove, Narita Brian, Tazuna, and Akikawa were all staring at him with extremely serious expressions. Their eyes made his attempt at a self-deprecating joke feel suddenly hollow and alarming.
"—Tracen Academy has no mediocre trainers, nor mediocre horse girls."
Rudolf's harsh voice cut through the silence.
At some point, she had seated herself in the director's chair, legs crossed, speaking with solemn authority:
"Trainer Kitano. You are the youngest trainer ever hired by Tracen Academy. That alone proves your talent. I do not know where your 'mediocre' self-evaluation comes from, but I hope you stop belittling yourself."
"You are the youngest trainer we have ever seen—and you represent Tracen Academy. I hope you can show confidence, and more resolve."
"You are a trainer of Tracen Academy. I can assure you—your talent far exceeds what you believe."
Rudolf's tone was firm.
But seeing the flicker of bitterness on Kitano's face, her sternness softened. After a long pause, she spoke gently:
"I'm sorry… I may have gotten a bit emotional earlier."
"No, President, you're right."
Kitano smiled bitterly and shook his head. "I suppose I really am quite disappointing."
Her reprimand had shaken him.
He couldn't help thinking that the Rudolf he once knew would have scolded him the same way.
So much time had passed, and he had barely grown at all…
Maybe it was time to change.
"That's not true, Trainer Kitano. You're just… a little lost."
Rudolf hurriedly corrected herself, anxiety creeping into her voice:
"The matter of choosing your first horse girl—take your time. There's no need to rush."
"For this week, just focus on familiarizing yourself with Tracen Academy. Air Groove I'll leave this to you."
"I understand."
Air Groove nodded. Then she looked at Kitano, her expression softening unusually.
"Trainer Kitano, this way please. I'll show you around Tracen Academy."
"You'll be living and working here from now on. There will be many things awaiting you. I'll make sure you get used to everything."