"Sorry to keep you waiting. Have you been here long?"
"Nah, I just got here myself. Don't sweat it."
The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, and the city's neon lights were beginning to cut through the darkness. Shopfronts across the district were flaring to life, competing for the attention of the evening crowd. Tucked away among them was an izakaya that glowed with a soft, unassuming light—neither too loud nor too humble. It was here that two trainers from the Central branch met. They had decided to skip the high-end bars favored by Tojo and Okino in favor of something more grounded.
Once seated, they started the night the right way: with a carafe of chilled sake. It was just the two of them—Minamisaka and Mejiro Rampage.
"Gah… that hits the spot."
"It certainly does," Minamisaka agreed, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Let's get some spring rolls, tatsuta-age, teriyaki potatoes, and the stuffed peppers with chicken tsukune," I rattled off to the server.
"And I'll have the chicken nanban and a side of fried rice, please," Minamisaka added.
"Right away."
The server hurried off. Once they had both taken their second long sip of sake, Minamisaka broke the comfortable silence.
"You have a good eye for locations. This place is excellent."
"I can't take the credit. Su-chan—my grandmother—actually told me about this place. Apparently, she sneaks off here whenever she's in town."
"Speed Symboli-sama?" Minamisaka looked genuinely surprised. "She frequents a place like this?"
"Yeah. The owner tells me they're quite fond of her. I should probably tell her to watch her tab."
It was hard to imagine the legendary Speed Symboli in such a commoner's haunt, but looking around, the place had an air of hidden quality beneath its simple exterior. I took another sip of sake, letting the warmth settle in.
"I have to say," Minamisaka remarked, "I didn't expect to be having drinks with my former student quite so soon."
"That just shows you how fast I retired. But hey, as far as I'm concerned, it's a win-win. I get to drink without feeling guilty about my training schedule."
"The way you say that makes it sound like you've been drinking since you were a child…"
"If I'd had the money back then, I would've spent it on food and rent," I joked.
"Fair point."
The conversation flowed easily as the alcohol began to work its magic. Soon, the table was covered in small plates of steaming food, and the shop's bustling atmosphere provided a perfect backdrop for a relaxed evening.
"So," Minamisaka said, setting down his cup. "Should I treat this as a simple night out to reward ourselves for our hard work, or is there something on your mind?"
"Drink however you want. It's on me tonight."
"I can pay my own way, Rampage-san," he replied firmly. "I'm not so desperate that I have to let my former student pick up the tab."
"Spoken like a man with pride. I bet that creep Okino would've started ordering the expensive stuff the second I offered."
"It's… hard to deny that."
I wasn't going to push it. I knew about "adult pride," and besides, as a Horse Girl, I was likely to eat three times as much as he was. The bill was going to be substantial regardless.
"Well, I know it's poor form to talk shop when we're supposed to be relaxing," I said.
"I don't mind. In fact, for a working professional, the best way to find a solution is often to vent about it over a drink. It's how the world goes 'round."
"Heh. In that case, sorry, Minami-chan, but you're about to hear a rookie trainer's first real grievance."
"I'm all ears. Boss! Another round of sake over here, please."
"Coming right up!"
I picked up a spring roll, using the crunch of the first bite to steady my nerves before diving in.
"Look, I'm 'technically' a trainer now. A sub-trainer, but I have the license."
"Yes, that's correct."
"In my position… is it actually okay for me to take on a dedicated charge? An exclusive contract?"
I nodded toward him. Minamisaka went silent for a moment, resting his chin on his hand as he thoughtfully chewed a piece of chicken nanban. He swallowed, chased it with a sip of sake, and then looked me in the eye.
"Legally and procedurally? There is no issue whatsoever. The sub-trainer system was actually designed, in part, to prevent talented girls from being rejected by inexperienced trainers. Someone with your pedigree… you'd have no shortage of applicants. If you signed a contract, she wouldn't belong to Canopus or Nemesis—she would be your Horse Girl."
"So it really is like that."
"The Chairman would likely be your biggest supporter," he added. "She's been itching to let you run your own team for months."
The industry was suffering from a chronic shortage of capable trainers. The academy was constantly looking for experienced hands to shoulder the burden of the student body. However, running a team—or even a single girl—was a massive responsibility that many were hesitant to take on.
"But," Minamisaka continued, his tone turning serious, "you're already the Chief of Nemesis and my sub-trainer at Canopus. On top of that, you're spearheading the URA Finals. Isn't that too much for one person?"
"I've got the Finals under control for now. As long as the URA board doesn't decide to be difficult, we're on schedule. If they do get difficult, I'll just have to break a few metaphorical legs."
I'd already secured the cooperation of all fifteen regional training centers, from Obihiro to Saga. The only hurdle was the final synchronization with the Central branch. If the URA tried to act high-and-mighty, I'd just take to my livestream and let public opinion do the heavy lifting.
"It's not the workload, Minami-chan. It's… the weight of it. I found someone. A real 'golden egg.' But I started worrying—am I the right person to raise her? I'm still a rookie. Maybe it would be better for her if Hana-san, or Okino, or even you took her on? A trainer carries a girl's entire destiny on their shoulders."
A trainer is a Horse Girl's other half. They are the ones who decide whether a girl reaches her peak or ends up broken on the sidelines. A single wrong decision or a botched training menu can change a life forever. I was used to making those decisions for myself… but for someone else?
"I don't think that matters," Minamisaka said softly.
"...Come again?"
I stopped mid-bite, a stuffed pepper halfway to my mouth. I looked up to find him smiling—that same calm, gentle smile he always wore.
"At its heart, the relationship between a Horse Girl and a trainer is a three-legged race. No matter how hard you try, your strides will eventually fall out of sync. But when that happens, you can stop. You can adjust. You decide on the signal, you share the timing, and you put in the work together. Anyone can bring that risk of failure down to nearly zero if they are willing to communicate and adapt. In my opinion, the only difference between a 'good' trainer and a 'bad' one is whether they are willing to do that."
"Is that why you threw those hellish menus at me?" I asked with a smirk. "Because you knew I'd adjust?"
"Exactly. I knew that with a girl like you, you would never let yourself fall."
It was the kind of advice that was helpful and unhelpful all at once. He was only able to do that because his intuition was off the charts. He'd read me perfectly. And yet, I realized I'd never doubted him. I'd complained about his menus, sure, but I'd never once suspected they were wrong. I'd believed in the meaning behind the work.
I felt like he was telling me to find that same rhythm with my own student.
"...Thanks, Minami-chan. I think I was just overcomplicating things."
"Fundamentals are important. That's the Canopus way, after all."
"Right. I think I'll make my move. She's a freshman, so I've got time to take it slow… maybe."
"A freshman? My, you certainly move fast."
"Don't say it like that. You make it sound creepy."
"My apologies," he laughed. "Boss! A bottle of your best for the lady, as an apology."
"How about we switch gears? I have some Kuro Kirishima shochu," the owner suggested.
"Perfect. Let's do it."
The night continued, the sake and shochu flowing as easily as the conversation. By the time the bottle was half empty, the last of my hesitation had vanished.
"I've decided," I said, clinking my glass against his. "I'm going to do things my way. As a trainer, too."
"That sounds like the Rampage I know."
The sound of our glasses meeting was clear and bright—a sharp, pure note that seemed to echo the clarity in my heart.
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