The next day, Hong Kong, a certain private beach.
This was a training site Kuroha had specially reserved through his connections. It included a vast stretch of open turf track, plus a private beach directly connected to it.
For the next two months, this place would become the exclusive training ground for everyone in Chasing Light.
Although Hong Kong and Central only differed by a little over an hour, it was still summer vacation.
If he forced everyone to start running laps the moment they landed, he would just look like some sleep-depriving, vibe-killing tyrant with no sense of romance at all.
So Kuroha simply waved a hand and told everyone to enjoy themselves today.
Balancing work and rest was the true essence of training.
…
"Hahaha! McQueen, I got you!"
"Yah! Oh, so you dare challenge the great Inari! Take this, my Divine-Speed Splash Technique!"
At the seaside, bright laughter rang out without end.
The horse girls, who normally wore tightly buttoned race outfits or training gear, had all changed into refreshingly cool bikinis.
Swimsuits in every color wove together under the sunlight into a vivid, dazzling scene.
They chased each other across the white sand, laughing and shrieking as they played.
Those youthful, energetic figures gleamed in the sun, brimming with life.
Under a beach umbrella not far away, Kuroha wore sunglasses and lounged comfortably on a deck chair, holding a cup of iced coconut juice.
Through the tinted lenses, he watched his girls playing around, a satisfied, almost fatherly smile spreading across his face.
"This is what summer should be…"
As he was savoring the moment, a long shadow suddenly fell over him, blocking the light above his head.
Kuroha paused, tugged his sunglasses down slightly, and looked up.
The first thing that entered his vision was a pair of long, straight legs—so pale they seemed to glow in the sunlight.
His gaze moved upward, catching a slender waist and a daring, light-purple fabric hugging her curves, and then—
Nase Fumino's composed face.
This purple-haired beauty, praised at Central Tracen Academy for her cold demeanor and princely aura as "Prince-sama," was now wearing a bold, black-and-purple bikini.
It was a bikini skirt with side drawstrings, and as the sea breeze stirred, the hem lifted faintly, the curve of the side slit appearing and vanishing like a tease.
Her balanced figure—usually hidden beneath neat uniforms—was displayed without reservation.
Her delicate collarbones, rounded shoulders, and the refined face now faintly flushed.
It was, frankly, dangerously alluring.
"H-How is it…?"
Noticing Kuroha's stare, Fumino shifted awkwardly. Her hands instinctively tried to cover some exposed skin, only for her to realize that doing so felt overly timid.
She had always been traditional, the type who wore her academy uniform buttoned all the way to the top.
After all, with a nickname like "Prince-sama," her everyday style could not possibly be anything but conservative.
Showing this much skin like she was today was a first in her life.
Especially… in front of this guy.
"Ahem."
Fumino cleared her throat twice, trying to use a cool voice to hide her embarrassment, but her eyes kept flicking away, refusing to settle.
"Why are you staring at me like that? Today… do I look weird? Or ugly?"
Kuroha snapped out of it.
He took off his sunglasses and looked straight at her with those deep eyes.
Only after he'd stared enough to make her turn her face aside in embarrassment did he grin, giving her a thumbs-up, his praise sincere and wholehearted.
"You look great. Really great."
"And it'd be even better if you wore this every day."
"…In your dreams."
Fumino stiffened for a split second, the tips of her ears turning red all at once.
She huffed as if nothing had happened and, taking advantage of the moment, lay down on an empty chair beside him.
As she stretched out, her curves traced an enticing line across the deck chair.
She let out a long breath, as if trying to calm her racing heart.
"So," she asked after a pause, finally forcing her voice back into something resembling normal. She turned her head to look at Kuroha. "What are you planning to do next, about Oguri Cap's special training?"
Kuroha drew his gaze back and leaned into the chair again, smiling at the distant sea.
"First, we shore up Oguri's fundamentals."
"As for Kitahara and Ginjirou-sensei…"
He hesitated, choosing his words, then shrugged.
"I know it sounds disrespectful, but when it comes to fine-detail polishing in basic training, they're… still a bit…"
"In any case, Oguri's current running style is still strong thanks to her talent, but in practice it has too many flaws and hidden risks."
"Mm." Fumino nodded lightly.
She didn't dispute him. She only looked at him with a weary sort of helplessness.
"Sometimes I really don't know what your brain is made of."
"To me, Oguri's running already looks like top-tier Central level."
"Even if there are some weaknesses you can target, it's not like it's all flaws the way you describe. You're far too strict."
"Strict? Maybe." Kuroha chuckled softly. "But since I'm here, I'm going to do it right. Overseas campaigns aren't the same as Central, not even close."
"For these two months, I'll have you train alongside Oguri with me. You can study my training logic while you're at it."
Fumino raised an eyebrow and turned her body slightly, looking at him.
"Aren't you afraid that once I learn everything, I'll raise an even stronger horse girl someday and defeat you?"
"Ha." Kuroha shook his head lightly, his tone calm, yet overflowing with absolute confidence. "If you really can learn from me and surpass me…"
He paused, then looked at her.
"That would only prove I got complacent and stopped improving. If I lose like that, I deserve it."
"…" Fumino ground her teeth, annoyed. "So what you're saying is, even if I beat you, it wouldn't be because I'm strong. It'd be because you got lazy, right?"
Kuroha froze, then waved a hand, exasperated.
"Ahem. No, that's not what I meant."
"Take Aoi Kiryuin, for example. She's been learning for a year and a half, and she can only grasp some basics so far."
"If you can learn it all, and even surpass me, that naturally means you're very strong."
"Hmph. That's more like it."
Satisfied, the purple-haired beauty let out a tsundere little snort.
She rolled over, turning her back to Kuroha, leaving behind a smooth, bare back and the elegant line of her hips.
But where Kuroha couldn't see, Fumino's face flushed with two streaks of pink, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly.
Surpass you, huh? Just you wait.
After a while, she asked in a muffled voice, "By the way, when are you planning to officially start training?"
Kuroha paused, his gaze drifting again toward the girls in the surf, splashing and laughing so hard they'd practically forgotten where they were.
He chuckled, put his sunglasses back on, and settled into the chair with complete comfort.
"In a few days."
"It's a rare vacation. Let them have some real fun first."
(End of Chapter)
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