After waking up, Zhou Tai'an habitually checked the reward he received for winning the debut race with Oguri Cap in the dream world.
"Yesterday was my first race in the dream. It can't be just another point of Affinity with Oguri Cap, right? That would make racing pointless," he muttered as he called up the interface in his mind.
[Oguri Cap's Debut Race Victory. Reward: Kayano Running Shoes + Matching Empress Plate Horseshoes.]
"Uh... I'm not a Horse Girl. I don't think I can use these, can I?" Zhou Tai'an's mouth twitched as he looked at the reward he had won last night. "Let's see where they put this stuff."
He was about to get out of bed when his foot hit something.
He quickly retracted his leg and peered over the side of the bed. There was a tightly sealed box with a pair of horseshoes on top.
Just by looking at the box's pink color, he made a judgment: "This is definitely not for me."
He reached down, placed the horseshoes on his bedside table, and then brought the shoebox closer to examine it.
"This shoe size... Japanese size 27.5. That's exactly Oguri Cap's size," he noticed, shaking the box. "Then I'll just give these shoes and horseshoes to her."
Since it was a prize he and the dream world's Oguri Cap had won together, it was only fitting to give it to the real Oguri Cap.
…
After a quick breakfast, Zhou Tai'an carried the shoebox and horseshoes to the academy.
Oguri Cap's debut race was at 10:50 AM today. Since it was only a 10-minute walk from the academy to Kasamatsu Racecourse, Zhou Tai'an had designated the academy gate as the meeting point yesterday.
He stood at the gate holding the box, ignoring the curious glances from passersby.
"Just giving a gift to Oguri Cap and not Brand New Shine might make her feel left out. I'll make it up to her later," Zhou Tai'an muttered to himself as he waited for his two Horse Girls.
Just as he finished his thought—
"Trainer!" The two Horse Girls ran out of the academy, one after the other.
Zhou Tai'an looked them over and saw that they clearly hadn't done any morning training. He breathed a sigh of relief. "If they had done a serious morning workout on race day, I'd have a real headache on my hands."
After the two Horse Girls stood before him, Zhou Tai'an handed the box to Oguri Cap.
His gaze fell on the shoes Oguri Cap was currently wearing. "I see your shoes are about worn out, so I got you a new pair. The size should be right. We'll head to the racecourse a bit early, get the horseshoes fitted, and then you can wear them and get used to them."
"..." Oguri Cap took the shoebox from her trainer, stunned.
After a long moment, she gave a slight bow and said, "Thank you, Trainer."
First, the question "How does Trainer know my shoe size?" flashed through her mind, followed by gratitude that Zhou Tai'an had bought her a pair of shoes without saying a word.
"I haven't even run a single race yet, and Trainer has already given me such a gift..." she said, noticing a receipt taped to the side of the shoebox.
"Kayano running shoes, and a pair of 'Empress Plate' horseshoes. The total is 100,000 yen," Brand New Shine also saw it and read it out loud.
"The prize money for this debut race is—" Oguri Cap looked at her trainer.
"850,000 yen," Zhou Tai'an provided the answer. "Second place gets 320,000 yen."
"That means I have to win so that Trainer doesn't lose money on this," the thought surfaced in Oguri Cap's mind.
She hugged the shoebox tightly, met Zhou Tai'an's gaze again, and swore, word by word, "Trainer, I will absolutely win today's race!"
"Alright, even if I hadn't bought you these shoes," Zhou Tai'an pressed his forehead, "you still need to win, Oguri Cap. After all, our goal isn't just to win at Kasamatsu."
Then, he turned to Brand New Shine. "I'm sorry I didn't buy you shoes. I noticed yours are still quite new."
"It's okay!" Brand New Shine waved her hands with a smile. "My family owns a sporting goods store. I got a pair of running shoes from home before I enrolled, so it would be a waste if Trainer bought me a pair."
"I'll make it up to you with a gift later," Zhou Tai'an promised.
"You don't have to," Brand New Shine replied in a low voice. "I'm already grateful that you weren't put off by my lack of talent and let me join the team."
Zhou Tai'an didn't know how to respond to that. In truth, he had only let her join because it was Oguri Cap's wish.
"Let's head to Kasamatsu Racecourse now," Zhou Tai'an quickly changed the subject.
After arriving at the racecourse, Oguri Cap first found a staff member to help fit the horseshoes to her new shoes, then eagerly put them on.
After changing, she jumped a few times, did a few high-knees on the spot, and then stopped. Her eyes widened as she looked at Zhou Tai'an. "These shoes fit so well..."
"That's good. Get used to them, Oguri Cap. Do a little warm-up and get ready for the race." Zhou Tai'an sighed in relief. "Today is the first step in our short-term plan. Show them everything we've worked on this past month. You'll have no problem!"
"I will absolutely win!" Oguri Cap clenched her fists. After changing into the pink running shoes, her confidence had grown even stronger.
…
After Oguri Cap left to prepare for the race, he glanced at Brand New Shine and said—
"You should get ready for your race too. Your debut is at 11:25."
"There's still more than two hours," Brand New Shine pouted. "I want to watch Oguri's debut race with you, Trainer, and then I'll go."
"Alright, suit yourself." Since today's debut was, in all likelihood, Brand New Shine's last race as a Horse Girl, Zhou Tai'an didn't refuse her request. "You can also use this chance to observe the track conditions at Kasamatsu Racecourse today and figure out how to grab the lead."
"You should at least experience the feeling of running in front of everyone once, right?" he teased with a raised eyebrow.
"Even if I finish last, it's okay?" Brand New Shine took the bait. "As long as you don't think I'm embarrassing the team, Trainer, I have no problem."
"Finishing last isn't embarrassing," Zhou Tai'an shook his head gently. "Winning through dishonorable means is the most embarrassing thing."
-------
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