"Hey, why did you suddenly think of calling me, kid?"
The old man's lazy voice came from the other end of the phone, but at this moment, the only person who could clear his doubts was this man.
"Oh? You have something to ask me?"
Yoshida, lying on the massage chair, slightly opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Koji, who had come with him to enjoy the massage service at the Lake Motosu camp villa, pointing to the phone in his hand to indicate that Kazuo was the caller.
"Alright, what's the problem?"
Yoshida could hear the young man's conflicted tone on the phone, so he adjusted his posture slightly and listened attentively.
Although he was usually a free spirit, when it came to serious matters, this old man, who had lived for most of his life, could often provide the most correct views and solutions.
"A student from the Elementary School Division of our Tresen Academy, named Rice Shower. And, this is what has happened recently…"
While Aoi took the girls to the bathhouse for a soak, Kazuo specifically went to the quiet balcony to call Yoshida.
Although Kiryuuin told him to think for himself, Kazuo felt that he should listen to the old man's opinion at this moment.
After all, this matter did not only concern him; especially after learning about Rice Shower's family background, he felt even more strongly that he needed to get involved.
As an Academy teacher, as an elder colleague from his part-time job—
"…Hoh, I see, so that's how it is? Speaking of which, I also remember her mother… I see, she's her child."
Yoshida nodded thoughtfully, and couldn't help but exclaim, "That's truly a personality completely opposite to her mother… Haha, this is really interesting."
After hearing Kazuo's description, Yoshida's attitude made him feel a bit embarrassed.
"Is this the time for sarcastic remarks? What do you think about this matter, old man?"
"Ahem… Before that, I want to ask you again, who are you to her? This is clearly a family matter. They say even an upright official finds it hard to settle a family dispute, and a teacher, no matter what, shouldn't interfere too much in a student's family affairs, should he? Especially since you're still only provisionally appointed."
Although Yoshida's words were sharp, they were indeed reasonable. Kazuo had already prepared himself for his retorts before calling him, but on this matter, he truly had a reason not to back down.
"This matter started because of me. Even if I don't get involved in their family affairs, I want to be able to help her with this, at least to make up for something in this matter…"
"Make up? This wasn't entirely your fault, so why talk about making up? Meaningless charity and sympathy are fatal poisons to others."
Yoshida snorted and continued, "Instead of thinking like that, you should think about how to guide her to overcome it herself. Didn't I tell you? The lighthouse and the ship—only by guiding her when she is lost can she truly grow, right?"
"Guide… how exactly should I do that…"
"That's something you should worry about yourself. You're the teacher,"
Yoshida grumbled, but then immediately added, "At least, right now you need to think about what she needs, or what she needs to understand. Isn't the fundamental problem rooted in her insecure personality, always timid and retreating?"
"That's the crux of the problem. She needs to change, otherwise, your help now is only temporary. What will happen next time she makes a mistake? Will she evade or cry?"
Kazuo was somewhat silent, and couldn't help but recall the times he had met Rice Shower; she would always attribute mistakes to herself and lament that she had brought misfortune to others… Once, twice… countless times, in such repeated "mistakes," she seemed to have lost her self-confidence, attributing everything to the troubles she brought upon others due to her own misfortune… This was related to her family, and also to her parents.
"In short, one thing you need to do is to make her face these problems directly. That's enough. The rest, if she has the corresponding resolve, will be resolved easily without help."
After Yoshida finished speaking, he seemed to remember something and asked, "Speaking of which, are you still working part-time outside? Koji, where did you say this kid was working?"
Koji, who was enjoying a massage nearby, closed his eyes and hummed comfortably, "At Grand BLUE. Old man, you know that place, right? It's Kiryuuin's family's. The Manager Kiryu-in here in Tokyo is my old roommate, Kiryu, right?"
"Didn't Ahua recommend Asama to go there to study and work part-time? He was introduced there."
"…Oh," Yoshida thought for a long time, then seemed to realize and patted his head, saying, "I see, he's the eldest son of the Kiryuuin family, huh… I didn't expect that after all these years, he's still supporting Horse Racing athletes in his own way…"
Kazuo was a little surprised; he hadn't expected that even Yoshida knew Manager Kiryu-in, and his tone even carried a hint of admiration…?
"Speaking of which, Manager Kiryu-in also told me not to blindly protect others and keep them in their comfort zone…"
"Don't question that kid's views. When it comes to clear moral choices, he can give reasonable answers."
Koji also agreed, laughing from the side, "Indeed, Kiryu's everyday words can be ignored, but in critical moments, he is certainly reliable."
"Indeed, he was much easier to teach than you. He could infer from one example and grasp connections, making teaching him much simpler than you."
Yoshida had once taught at the Academy as a visiting lecturer, and he had a very deep impression of these few people.
So at this moment, he lay on the side and retorted.
But now Koji was displeased. He glared and said, "What do you mean 'much easier to teach than me'? He's in Horse Racing supplies now, how can you compare him to me?"
"Didn't he initially have the second-highest professional course scores in your Trainer Academy, second only to Tojo? If he hadn't chosen to inherit the family business, he would certainly have achieved ace-level success as a Trainer. You know, going back three generations in the Kiryuuin family, who among them wasn't a renowned Trainer?"
The two continued their bickering, and Kazuo had already hung up the phone. Their squabble was not something he needed to consider, but one point Yoshida mentioned made him very concerned.
He himself hadn't expected that the usually easygoing Manager Kiryu-in was once a very capable prospective Trainer… Should he let Rice Shower overcome it herself…?
Kazuo muttered thoughtfully, as if he had grasped something crucial.
Vaguely, he also understood the principle that the others were trying to hint at, for him to realize on his own.
And, the method that could help Rice Shower make a change.
-----------------------------
I've just uploaded up to 40 chapters in advance on Patreon!
If you enjoy this story, please supporting me on Patreon!
👉 [patreon.com/TripleCrown07]
Thank you so much for your amazing support!