At the moment Kitano noticed King Halo's expression of obvious anger, he realized that the "sarcasm" he had been using a moment ago had unexpectedly backfired—this "mulberry" had suddenly turned ferocious, even though he had originally meant to blame himself as the "locust tree"…
"Ms. Air Groove, let's go visit the high school division. I think I've already gotten a good understanding of the middle school."
"…Alright." Air Groove also noticed that their conversation had likely been overheard by King Halo, and it had clearly angered the proud young lady. Seeing Kitano looking so embarrassed, Air Groove thought carefully and decided not to try to defend him.
Perhaps it was better to let the young lady approach him herself… Although Air Groove thought King Halo and Kitano didn't seem to get along well, she felt that this proud young lady might unexpectedly motivate their new, gloomy trainer a bit.
It might even be fine for King Halo to become Kitano's first assigned horse girl. Air Groove considered this plan feasible. After all, King Halo had both talent and diligence—she just needed to adjust the direction of her efforts. With Kitano as her trainer, they could complement each other perfectly.
Thinking this, Air Groove decided not to intervene in the matter between Kitano and King Halo. Instead, she was curious to see if these two completely opposite personalities could eventually achieve true complementarity.
At least for now, it seemed that Kitano's first candidate for horse girl assignment was becoming clear.
"We need to go upstairs for the high school division, Trainer Kitano. This way, please."
Air Groove led Kitano toward the high school floor. After they had left for a while, the teal-haired horse girl who had been sleeping at the desk suddenly turned to King Halo and said:
"King halo, don't be too mad! Also, Seiun-chan thinks that what the trainer said is right! If you train in your strong areas, you'll definitely become stronger than everyone else!"
"—Only focusing on what I'm good at? What kind of top-class horse girl would that make?"
King Halo scoffed, tossing her hair. "A true top-class horse girl must master everything: sprints, miles, middle distances, and long distances. That's what being truly elite means."
"That gloomy guy doesn't understand anything. Just wait—I'll make him see what a true top-class horse girl is."
"Ah… King Halo is so cool."
"—Seiun Sky, please stand up and answer this question." The teacher on the podium, seemingly fed up with the two girls' laziness, issued her first warning.
As for why the teal-haired girl was called Seiun Sky… it was because she always slept in class. The teacher noticed King Halo's diligence and dedication, so if there were problems, she naturally assumed Seiun Sky was leading Saint Aura astray.
King Halo watched as her friend reluctantly stood up, stammering and gesturing for her to give the correct answer—but King Halo wasn't in the mood to help her friend.
That guy… why does he seem familiar? King Halo didn't know why she had this feeling, but when she heard Kitano's words and looked over at him, she almost instinctively frowned.
For some reason, the first time King Halo saw Kitano, she felt inexplicably angry. That anger was soon followed by a wave of sadness, almost making her tear up—but thankfully, she held back. Crying here would have been too embarrassing.
Now, however, the anger Kitano's words stirred in her left no room for tears. Instead, it ignited a fierce, stubborn resolve. She thought to herself:
"Just wait. I'll show him what it means to be a top-class horse girl recognized by everyone."
"I won't be a horse girl who's only good at one thing. I'll prove it to them, I absolutely will."
"I absolutely will."King Halo silently repeated in her mind. Yet she didn't realize where this sudden surge of determination and indignation came from. Even before her debut, her talent and lineage already made her one of the most anticipated horse girls at Tracen Academy.
Underestimation and ridicule had never been part of King Halo's life. Yet thinking of them now made her furious.
Even if King Halo tried to analyze it, she probably wouldn't understand. At this moment, however, she had already set her sights on one competition.
—The Japanese Derby. The classic race all top horse girls in Japan aim for. King Halo resolved to target the Japanese Derby, to prove her top-class, all-around ability, and make everyone see her in a new light.
And… she also wanted to prove to her mother that she was capable of standing on her own.
"…So, Trainer Kitano, if King Halo were your assigned horse girl, what kind of races would you have her participate in?"
"Well… although I think the possibility is low, if I had to guess, I'd suggest that King Halo focus more on sprints and mile races."
Facing Air Groove's question, Kitano recalled his previous round with King Halo. To be honest, he no longer wanted to take her on as a trainee—not because he disliked her, but because he knew he couldn't persuade her.
In the previous round, when Kitano Ryuichi became King Halo's trainer, he had tried everything to explain that her strengths lay in sprints and mile races. Yet King Halo had completely ignored his advice and insisted on aiming for the Classic Triple Crown instead.
Although the Triple Crown is the race every top-class horse girl dreams of, King Halo's talent in middle distances truly wasn't as strong as her sprint and mile abilities. Perhaps her initial undefeated streak—winning three out of four races—made her overconfident, dismissing Kitano's concerns as unnecessary. The more Kitano opposed, the more she resisted his guidance.
So Kitano had no choice but to help her run the Triple Crown, and what happened next… was history repeating itself.
The Satsuki Sho saw Seiun Sky take the win, the Japanese Derby ended in a disastrous 14th place,
This experience made the current Kitano Ryuichi give up on personally coaching King Halo. He knew he couldn't convince her. Since he couldn't, it was better not to interfere and risk doing harm. Instead, he decided to find her a trainer she would actually listen to—or help guide her a little.
Air Groove no longer wanted to witness the slow destruction of this proud young lady's ego… he had felt the helplessness once and didn't want to experience it again.
"Ms. Air Groove, if possible, please convey my opinion to King Halo," Kitano said, hoping for a small chance. "I'm not saying she has no chance at other distances, and I know she won't willingly give up the Triple Crown. But if possible, she should limit long and middle-distance races if she wants to win."
"Also, if you can, Ms. Air Groove, please help choose a trainer she respects and will listen to. I think it would really help her."
"…I'll pass it on." Air Groove remained silent for a moment, then gave Kitano a subtle look and slowly nodded.
This man… really isn't a prodigy, right? He can instantly see King Halo's strengths and even understand her personality? They had only just glanced at her from afar.
Air Groove wasn't certain yet, but Kitano didn't realize that his single suggestion had strengthened her resolve to hand King Halo over to him for guidance.
…Once she returned to the student council, she would request King Halo's training records to see if she truly excelled in sprints and miles as Kitano had suggested. A comparison with her past performance would clarify everything.
If it was true… Air Groove couldn't help but glance at Kitano and silently make up her mind.
"Regarding the high school division, there are very few horse girls without trainers, and most have already participated in many races, some nearly graduating. Finding a suitable horse girl there would be difficult."
Just as Air Groove had prepared to introduce Kitano to the high school division, the class dismissal bell rang, interrupting their conversation. The previously quiet hallway soon filled with horse girls slowly exiting classrooms, creating a lively, noisy scene.
"…It seems this isn't the best time to tour the high school division."
Seeing the hallway bustle, Air Groove sighed and told Kitano, "Trainer Kitano, let's go check out the recreation area instead. It's lunchtime, and it's inefficient to look for a suitable horse girl right now."
"Then let's go to the recreation area first." Kitano had no objections, and as the two headed downstairs