After silently firming up his resolve, Kitahara didn't beat around the bush. He came right out with it.
"Then, I'd like Super Creek to be my assigned Uma Musume, to join my team. Would that be allowed, Ms. Hayakawa?"
As he said it, Kitahara suddenly felt like laughing.
Because, according to the original story's plot, he should have been facing the event where "Kō Seijin steals away the gray-haired girl," and from that point, he and Oguri Cap would part ways.
Yet thanks to his deliberate avoidance, not only had he not run into Symboli Rudolf — the "Kō Seijin" of the story — he'd actually flipped the script, coming to Tokyo, to the Central Academy, to "steal" someone himself.
Good grief.
So I'm the "Kō Seijin" now.
What does this make me — Kitahara Seijin, stealing Super Creek?
Amused at the thought, he didn't feel even a little guilty about it.
Over more than half a year, through local tracks and central ones, among Uma Musumes and trainers, domestic circuits and foreign, through chance encounters and deliberate study, he'd gained a decent grasp of the industry's inner workings.
Maybe he hadn't dealt much with overseas racing — and what he had was mostly through magazines, videos, and online sources — but domestically, with firsthand experience and dedicated study, Kitahara was confident he was already a professional by any measure.
Under those circumstances, just from a trainer's standpoint, he believed he could give any horse girl proper training, care, and race planning to maximize her talent while minimizing her risk of injury.
And beyond that trainer's perspective was his advantage as someone who had foreknowledge.
He knew these horse girls' futures, knew their weakest points, the injuries they were most prone to, even the tragedies they were "fated" to suffer.
He also knew the current systemic problems plaguing the industry — not some immutable curse, but outdated ideas born of a lagging era. Those were the true root of it all.
He could prevent the misfortunes that were supposed to happen to them — and maybe even change the state of the whole industry.
I don't know if it's the chains of the era or fate's cruel joke — but now that I'm here, the races you deserve to win, I won't let you lose.The suffering you were meant to endure — I'll make sure it never happens.And it starts with Super Creek!
Though that resolve burned in his heart, Kitahara knew there were still obstacles ahead.
Ideally, he wanted Super Creek to join his team now, so he could start training her properly and prevent the tragedies to come.
But the URA Association's current rules were rigid — they allowed local Uma Musume and trainers to move up to Central, but not the other way around. His idea might well be blocked by bureaucracy.
So he waited for Tazuna Hayakawa's answer.
With his heart quietly hoping, he glanced back — saw the horse girls chatting happily together — and hoped that one day, his team could always have this kind of warmth.
If Ms. Hayakawa said it was fine, then he could have a proper talk with Oguri Cap, Belno Light, and Super Creek together…
But the answer Tazuna gave left Kitahara silent.
"I'm afraid that wouldn't be in line with regulations, Mr. Kitahara"
Her tone had gone dry, her gaze briefly wandering, like someone who'd made a mistake and couldn't quite meet his eyes.
Hearing the refusal, Kitahara was quiet for a moment — but not disappointed.
Not in line with regulations… well, nothing to be done about that.I'm not a Central trainer yet. If I want to work with Super Creek, I'll have to think of another way.
He didn't feel crushed by this setback. Tamamo Cross's gentle refusal earlier had already prepared him mentally.
And it wasn't as though he was entirely against the URA's rules — he simply knew, thanks to his foreknowledge, that this was an age about to change rapidly.
This era would soon be flooded with extraordinarily talented horse girls. If the system couldn't adapt quickly, the outdated parts of the old rules would only hold the new age back.
"No need to rush," he murmured, lowering his head slightly.Slowly, he raised a hand, watching his fingers curl, as though seizing the lines of the future.
"All of this will change eventually — these rules"
He hadn't spoken loudly, but Tazuna's hearing was excellent. She caught every word.
"Actually, Mr. Kitahara, you really don't have to rush," she said after a moment, her tone softening, like offering comfort.
"With your ability, it's only a matter of time before you're accepted into Central."
"From what I know of Super Creek, if you use this training opportunity to let her know how you feel, she'll likely agree to wait here for you."
"In that case…" Kitahara thought for a moment, then gave a confident smile."I'd better put everything I've got into today's training, then."
"Do your best — I believe in you, Mr. Kitahara!" Tazuna clenched her fists and gave a spirited little pump in front of her, her tone full of encouragement.
Then suddenly, her expression shifted.
"Oh — right. Maybe we can't officially add Super Creek to your team yet, but we can handle it practically."
"Practically?" Kitahara blinked.
"It's simple," Tazuna said, a sly smile curving her gentle face.
"We just arrange for Super Creek to take an extended leave."
"Ordinarily, not being valued by trainers or instructors would be a sad thing for her."
"But now, with an outstanding trainer like you taking interest, the fact that no one else values her actually becomes a good thing."
"She can request leave from the Academy under the pretext of resting in the countryside — and conveniently, no one will stop her."
"That way, she can unofficially take part in your training."
"And as it so happens," she added, raising her hand beside her cheek like a little girl, flashing a 'V' sign and winking at him,
"the person in charge of approving leave requests for un-debuted horse girls…"
"Is me!"
For just a moment, Kitahara went a little dazed at Tazuna Hayakawa's unexpectedly playful gesture.
Ever since arriving in this world, he'd been living alone. At the Academy, apart from brief interactions with colleagues, most of his time was spent training and managing Oguri Cap and Belno Light.
Horse girls all had charming, beautiful appearances — Oguri Cap and Belno Light included — but day-to-day, Kitahara had never had any romantic thoughts about them.
How to put it… one was an airheaded natural, the other innocently adorable. Beyond treating them like younger sisters or juniors, nothing else really came to mind.
But while he had wondered if Tazuna Hayakawa might also be a Uma Musume, she had no ears or tail, and neither Oguri nor the others had ever called her one — without realizing it, Kitahara had simply come to see her as an ordinary woman of his own age.
And truly, Tazuna Hayakawa did look like a young woman in her twenties, not much different in age from Kitahara himself.
But he quickly snapped out of it — he'd picked up the key point in what she'd just said.
"So, what you mean, Ms. Hayakawa…" He hesitated, a bit incredulous.
"We could keep Super Creek's enrollment and registration intact, but have her take leave to come back with me… to Kasamatsu?"
"Then, when I'm accepted into Central, we could make her official on my team?"
(End of Chapter)