"I see… So this is what you're troubled by…"
Koji had opened another can of beer at some point, and then—
Slap—
Another slap.
"So what was all that long build-up for, you idiot!!"
Infuriating—
"Alright, simply put, is this what you're troubled by?"
After the commotion, Koji still listened seriously to Kazuo's worries.
"Let's put that aside for now. Speaking of which, I heard from Hayakawa-san," Koji took a sip of beer and glanced at Kazuo, "you had an argument with the B-group Trainer?"
"Because they were there, clearly not understanding Daijin at all, discussing this and that based on their own opinions, denying her efforts, saying she had no hope and wouldn't have a good future or whatever…"
"That's too much, isn't it?"
Koji interjected.
"Isn't it? Shouldn't Trainers be a profession that gives them hope? If they say such things… what do they take other people's everything for…"
"…I see."
Koji slowly took a sip of beer, then placed it on the table and slowly stretched.
"You think they're acting like jerks, right?"
"Yes—"
"Then what are you?"
The sudden question made Kazuo freeze.
What… "Who do you think you are? To talk back to your seniors? They might be wrong, but your perspective also has issues."
Koji slowly pushed his bangs back, combing his hair backward.
"…Trainers are not gods. Priests give people hope; we are just ordinary people, and you're not even a Trainer yet."
"Blindly giving hope is an irresponsible act. Admittedly, for an Uma Musume, trust is paramount, but equally important is whether one has thought about taking on that responsibility."
"Isn't that very contradictory? Giving hope… but not being able to give it blindly… Then what is the purpose of a Trainer's existence…? And what exactly is the relationship between the two?"
"I'm sorry, you'll have to figure that out yourself, but I can help you analyze the problems that arise from it."
"Why do you care about Daijin? Is it just out of pity for her?"
Koji's question was very sharp.
"For losers, that kind of pity for the weak hurts them even more. Although I don't know much about the Daijin you're talking about, she must have put in a lot of effort to get this far, even to Tracen Academy, right? Even if people talked about her, she still made it to where she is now."
Daijin... a solitary figure under the night sky. Was he... really just pitying her?
Kazuo was at a loss for words.
Koji continued, "Uma Musume are ships, and Trainers are lighthouses. We are just ordinary people, and all we do is watch over them from behind... No matter how much we say before a race, at the moment of the final race, all decisions are left to them... For us, all we can do is guide them onto the correct course."
"Are Trainers great?"
Koji chuckled self-deprecatingly, "I don't think so..."
"You said the other party doesn't understand Narita Daijin... Then do you understand Narita Daijin? How much do you understand? What kind of athlete is she, what does she like... what are her goals... and what can she do... her talent, her ability, the potential you can unearth."
"How much do you understand her...?"
A series of questions, and all Kazuo could respond with was silence.
"..."
"Can't answer? But—at least you did one thing right, you're trying to understand her... So now that you understand this, I want to ask you one more question—"
"What do you want to do for her? Is it simply out of pity that you're doing this? Or, from a Trainer's perspective, do you believe she has ability, and do you genuinely acknowledge her?"
"Half-hearted concern will not only not help her, but will harm her instead."
"I... I'm not saying this out of pity for her. Daijin possesses her own possibilities... Although it sounds irresponsible to say this, I don't yet know what exactly is giving me this feeling, but I truly intuitively believe that the places she can reach are far beyond this."
Koji didn't speak, but instead narrowed his eyes and carefully scrutinized Kazuo.
A feeling, huh...?
"Hmm... making blind boasts might get you kicked to death, you know!?"
"I'm not joking... and I'm not just saying it... I want to be Daijin's Trainer, even if I'm not qualified yet... but I will help her, help guide her onto the right path. Even if she ultimately chooses someone else... even then, I will answer without hesitation, this resolve is completely devoid of pity."
He couldn't help but recall the first time he saw Daijin run. That's right... looking back—
It was a stirring from the bottom of his heart, pure excitement and a sense of wonder... In subsequent interactions, he saw more sides of her... But—
From beginning to end, what he regretted was that her talent had not been recognized.
That's right, he wasn't pitying her!
Seeing Kazuo like this.
Koji didn't speak; he just sighed inwardly.
He never imagined a newcomer would have such resolve. His growth rate was truly too fast, and his gaze was starting to look somewhat decent.
Hmm—
Koji couldn't help but burst out laughing, then pulled out a business card from his pocket and threw it to Kazuo.
"Since you have such resolve, what more can I say? If they all say no, then go for it and prove them wrong. You support her, let Daijin prove it to everyone, and shut up those who doubt her."
"What is this...?"
Kazuo took the business card and saw that it seemed to be the address of a local junior high school.
"Aren't you going to guide her? What can you do if you don't understand her? This is the contact number for her junior high school homeroom teacher. I happened to know a teacher there, and when Hayakawa mentioned it to me, I looked it up on a whim."
"I understand, thank you, Koji."
At this moment, Kazuo didn't even bother to rest, directly picking up the business card and walking outside.
Meanwhile, Koji, who remained in the room, held a beer and dialed a number.
The phone rang only once before it was answered.
"Alright, I give up, that kid really has something. Just as you expected, he really made up his mind. As you said, I gave him the business card as well."
He, Koji, had lost this bet completely, but strangely enough, even though he lost, he felt incredibly relieved.
"Hmm... Then, as the bet said, you owe me a meal next time, right?"
The voice from the other end of the phone was undoubtedly Trustee Yoshida's.
"Regarding that, please be merciful. A regular izakaya will do. Please don't choose a high-end sushi restaurant in Ginza or something... I'm a jobless good-for-nothing now."
If prostrating himself could exempt him from punishment, he might have already tried to do so.
.
Stepping out of the dormitory and standing in the hallway, the quiet night was silent all around.
Looking at the string of numbers on the business card in his hand, Kazuo, as if having made up his mind, slowly dialed the phone.
After a busy tone, a slightly tired uncle's voice sounded.
"Who is this...?"
"Hello, I'm Asama Kazutomi, a teacher at Tracen Academy. Regarding Narita Daijin, who was in your class... there are some things I'd like to understand. Is now a good time?"
--+--
T/N: Although I'm an inexperienced Editor, I do have a Patreon account! Although it seems like I don't have many supporters right now, my webnovel will be released in full every day, and the advanced chapters will be uploaded to Patreon.
It may not be worth it now, but who knows, it might be different in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/TripleCrown07
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