"Click."
Kuroha opened the door to the villa.
"I'm back."
"Traaaainer—!"
A long, drawn-out shout came from the living room.
"Why are you only back now! I'm about to star—"
Before she could finish, Tokai Teio's bouncing figure shot out from around the corner of the entryway.
However, the moment she saw the two little ones standing behind Kuroha, her voice stopped dead.
Tokai Teio tilted her head, and the ponytail behind her swayed along with her mood.
Although Mihono Bourbon and Rice Shower didn't know Tokai Teio, they still very politely bowed and greeted her.
"Hello. Nice to meet you. My name is Mihono Bourbon."
"I… I'm Rice Shower. Sorry to intrude."
"Eh? Ah… oh…"
Tokai Teio looked a little intrigued.
After all, just a few days ago, she had been about the same height as them.
She walked up, stood in front of Mihono Bourbon and Rice Shower, and, feeling her "above-average" height, wiped her nose smugly.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Tokai Teio, the horse girl who's definitely going to become an undefeated Triple Crown winner someday!"
After that, she carefully scooted up to Kuroha's side and lowered her voice.
"Where did you pick up these elementary-division kids?"
Kuroha was speechless.
"Don't be rude."
He reached out and pushed down the little head that had leaned in, then helplessly explained,
"Remember how I told you to head back first just now? I met them at the training grounds. They haven't eaten yet either, so I just brought them back."
"Oh!"
At that, Tokai Teio smacked a fist into her palm in sudden realization. "I remember now."
Kuroha pinched Teio's cheek, which was clearly in show-off mode, half laughing, half exasperated. Then he turned his body slightly and gave the two nervous kids a gentle smile.
"Come on in. No need to be so stiff. Just treat this place like your own home."
"Yes! Thank you for your hospitality!" Mihono Bourbon answered immediately.
Rice Shower was still a bit shy and murmured softly, "S-sorry to intrude…"
They entered the main hall.
On the sofa in the living room, a stunning, mature beauty in a loose grey tank top and cool shorts was lounging with a very relaxed posture.
Her glossy brown hair hung down freely, and a pair of long, pale, eye-catching legs were propped up on the coffee table.
Remote in hand, she flipped through channels on the TV, half-watching the news.
And on her lap, a cute, soft-tempered girl was lying sprawled out.
Whatever she had done last night, she was clearly drowsy now.
She was comfortably using the older woman's thigh as a pillow, looking like she was about to drift off at any moment.
Seeing the two salted-fish sprawlers on the sofa, Kuroha could only feel helpless.
This New Year's holiday, most of the horse girls who usually filled the place had gone home to spend the holidays with their families.
After all, it had been almost a year since many of them last went home.
Obey Your Master had already flown back to White Eagle before this.
Mejiro Ardan and Mejiro McQueen had gone back to the Mejiro family's main estate in Hokkaido.
Fujimasa March had gone with Oguri Cap back to Kasamatsu to be with their families.
Inari One had returned to Oi before Christmas, though Oi and Central were both essentially within Tokyo, so she would often pop back over when she was bored, but she wasn't a permanent New Year fixture either.
The one who ended up staying was Maruzensky.
After officially confirming her relationship with Kuroha a few days prior, she had simply moved in with both herself and her bed.
Now she was spending New Year's with him together with Sakura Chiyono O.
In daily life at home, the two of them generally existed in two stable modes:
A "lazy salted-fish" mode where they refused to move a muscle.
And a "perfectly housewifely" mode where Kuroha didn't need to lift a finger and every bit of housework was taken care of to perfection.
"Oh~ Kuroha-kun, you're back."
Seeing him come in, Maruzensky put down the remote. Her aqua-blue eyes curved into crescent moons as she greeted him out of habit.
"I've already prepped the ingredients for you. They're in the kitchen… hm?"
Before she could finish, she noticed the "little tails" trailing behind Kuroha.
"My my~" Maruzensky sat up, a smile of interest spreading across her face. "Kuroha-kun, you brought home more adorable little horse girls?"
Kuroha nodded with a smile. "Maruzensky, these are horse girls who are planning to join my team for training soon. I'll be relying on you to look after them."
Maruzensky glanced at Kuroha, then at the two little horse girls beside him who still looked as delicate as porcelain dolls even with a bit of dust on their clothes. She couldn't help but nod with a bright smile.
"Sure, leave them to me."
…
Once Kuroha rolled up his sleeves and headed into the kitchen to cook, Maruzensky called Sakura Chiyono O over to help wash Mihono Bourbon and Rice Shower up properly.
Afterward, she held their hands and had them sit down on the sofa.
Looking at the two little ones sitting at attention beside her with such serious faces, Maruzensky couldn't hold back a chuckle.
"No need to be so tense. Want some juice?"
Rice Shower's small head bobbed up and down like a pecking chick. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's.
"Thank you…"
Mihono Bourbon kept a perfect, standard sitting posture and answered without a hair out of place,
"Juice contains vitamins and sugars, which are beneficial for replenishing energy after training. Thank you for the suggestion. Please give me a glass."
"Pff—"
Tokai Teio, who had been a little sulky about the trainer's attention being stolen, couldn't help but burst out laughing at such an excessively earnest reply.
She scooted over next to Mihono Bourbon and tilted her head, studying her.
"So your name is Bourbon?"
"Yes, Teio-senpai."
"Senpai…"
Tokai Teio froze for a moment, looking slightly dazed, but quickly snapped back.
"No, no, haha, I'm still a horse girl in the elementary division myself. I just went through True Blooming at New Year, and Trainer hasn't registered me as active yet."
"Teio-senpai… hasn't debuted yet?" Rice Shower asked in her soft, fluffy voice.
Tokai Teio nodded. "That's right. According to Trainer's plan, I should debut sometime before this year's summer camp."
"…"
Maruzensky watched this lively little cluster in front of her.
What especially caught her eye was the way the two newcomers, though obviously nervous, had started to relax a bit under Tokai Teio, the resident social terrorist's guidance.
A hint of warmth surfaced in her blue eyes.
Another two members of the new generation of horse girls, huh…
Maruzensky thought.
They didn't look particularly special right now, but with Kuroha-kun's eye for talent, there was no way these two were ordinary.
Once the girls had chatted for a while, she clapped her hands lightly to draw everyone's attention.
"Alright, since Kuroha-kun is still working on lunch, why don't we take the chance to introduce ourselves properly?"
She smiled. "I'm Maruzensky. Mm… I guess, you could say I'm a horse girl of Team Chasing Light now."
It should be fine to say she was a Chasing Light horse girl anyway.
"Heehee, I just introduced myself, but I'll say it again. I'm Tokai Teio~" Teio said with a bright grin.
Hearing that, Mihono Bourbon immediately straightened her back. Still with that completely deadpan expression, she spoke in her usual flat tone.
"Yes. My name is Mihono Bourbon. I'm currently enrolled in the elementary division."
She paused for a beat, then announced the earth-shattering second half in the same monotone.
"My goal is to win the Classic Triple Crown."
(End of Chapter)
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