Chapter 590

She handed over the reins, pointed to the beautiful White Horse, and smiled, "Would you like to try riding it, Shoko-chan?"

"Is it okay?" she asked him expectantly.

Through the explanation just now, she already knows who the owners of the two horses are.

"Of course!" he readily agreed, but reminded her of safety, "However, be careful when mounting the horse."

"Mo~ Chihaya- san, are you saying I'm too short?"

"How could that be? You still have room to grow."

"..."

Neither of them chose to sit behind her and ride with her, because the sense of freedom they felt while riding on their own was completely different from the feeling of being protected by someone else.

However, that doesn't mean they did nothing; at least they've been closely monitoring both sides.

As she gradually got used to it, Makinohara Shoko dared to speed up a little. The breeze brushed against her cheeks, and the feeling of not having to exert much effort made her feel as if she were truly experiencing "flying".

A gentle mix of contemplation and emotion, along with joy, excitement, and wonder, clung to her playful face.

However, unlike her, her parents' posture and expressions on the other side were hard to decipher—whether it was happiness and relief for her, or worry and anxiety for her falling...

After waiting for about half an hour, Okita Sawa decided to take her leave. "Sorry, I should probably head back now!"

"Is there something you need?" Makinohara Shoko asked in a bright voice as she returned from her rounds.

"Yes! Because Sabure hasn't had breakfast yet, she must be starving!" She stroked the brown mane on the horse's side apologetically, her eyes gentle.

I'm sorry, Sabure, for keeping you with me until now.

She had long regarded this animal, which had been with her since childhood and was practically her first companion in equestrianism, as family—no, she should say she treated it even better than her own family.

She's currently going through a rebellious phase, and her attitude towards her father is quite arrogant and rebellious.

"Um, Mr. Chihaya, has the Radiant Sanctuary had breakfast? If not..." Although her own food probably didn't suit its daily diet, she felt it was still necessary to ask.

"No, thank you. We both came out to digest after breakfast."

"Oh, that's good!"

After saying that, she gracefully mounted the horse, her thighs and hips easily opening to an obtuse angle, the movement fluid and seamless.

Thankfully, I was wearing safety shorts underneath...

She adjusted her black top hat and winked at the two of them.

"Goodbye! Mr. Chihaya, Shoko-chan! And the Radiant Sanctuary!"

"By the way, I live at a temple near the West End. Come visit me next time, Shoko-chan!"

After spending time together, she also grew to like this girl, who seemed like a sensible and adorable younger sister.

Because she was an only child, she never really had a concept of siblings.

Chapter 533 The Legendary Jockey and Two Gifts

"Okay~ if Sawa- san doesn't mind!" Makinohara Shoko Yamato Nadeshiko gently, placing her Hands in front of her.

"Of course I don't mind! You might as well come bother me all you want!"

Okita Sawa felt completely melted by her cuteness; how could someone so young be so mature and adorable?

Ah, even though she's so small, she seems to be a bit taller than Rika... Hmm~ that child really is...

The thought that her friend Miyamoto Raika's height was 5cm shorter than Makinohara Shoko's 150cm made her fall silent.

If only I could be 10 centimeters taller than her, God really has a cruel sense of humor.

She sighed softly to herself, feeling a shadow fall over her mood once again. She knew she had to start dieting immediately when she got back, eating less and exercising more.

"Miss Sawa." Just as she was about to turn and leave, Himemiya Chihaya called out to her.

"Huh?" Okita Sawa looked back, puzzled.

After Himemiya Chihaya's cloud-colored brows furrowed slightly. Something that could have been thought about slowly was now forcing her to make a decision right now.

Fine, let's go for it!

If this can help them achieve their dream... Good luck, Radiant Sanctuary!

After a brief silence, under their gazes, he said earnestly, "Keep striving for your dreams!"

Okita Sawa smiled, pursing her lips. "Of course!"

"If you become a rider—I'll let you ride the Radiant Sanctuary into the race!"

Her beautiful eyes widened slightly, and after a brief surge of emotion, she nodded emphatically. "I understand! I will work hard! I will strive to retire from the Radiant Sanctuary!"

"Yes, I hope you can stand on the podium with it at the G1 match."

"Eh?!" Okita Sawa nearly fell off her horse, quickly grabbing its neck. "Um... Chihaya- san, even if I get into the NAR Local Horse Racing Training Center, I'll still have to study for two years to graduate..."

"Even after I graduate and get my license, I still need to win more than 100 races locally before I can apply to participate in the JRA (Local-to-Central Jockey Transfer) rider exemption trial."

"Only after qualifying can you participate in Listed Race, Open Race, Conditions Race, Newcomer Race, Non-Winner Race, Grade 1 Win, Grade 2 Win, and Grade 3 Win. You need to accumulate 31 wins to be eligible to ride a G1 horse..."

What are you babbling about...? That's probably what someone hearing this process for the first time would think.

But that's reality; in professional competitions, nothing is ever simple or straightforward.

Even Thoroughbred, which are professionally bred horses that are all speed champions, need to have a track record to enter G1, let alone the riders.

In terms of speed alone, the Thoroughbred is the strongest of all horses, even stronger than any thoroughbred—but it lags behind in other aspects.

Because they are the product of special breeding, they are relatively delicate. Coupled with high-intensity training and competition, they debut at the age of two or three and retire around the age of four to six.

Even if they have a few years, they can only run twenty or thirty races at full speed (including pre-race training and preparation).

Under normal circumstances, it will be very difficult for Okita Sawa to realize her dream in Japan. She probably won't even pass the entrance examination in a few months, let alone anything after that.

Even without going through the two-year local training program, just considering the subsequent local exams, accumulating achievements, transferring to the central exams, and accumulating achievements again... normally it would take at least five years.

After all, a horse's value and the number of races are precious, and not many horse owners are willing to give a strong horse to a newcomer whose ability has not yet been proven.

Those who are slower may not meet the performance requirements before the age of 30 and will not be able to enter the Central Tournament.

But—there are always exceptions, especially when he wants to do it.

"It's alright, when that time comes, the Radiant Sanctuary and I will help you." He smiled mysteriously, his meaning completely unreadable. "And soon, an example will be presented to you to show you your dreams."

"Example?"

"Yes, my sister."

"Huh? Chihaya- san, you have a younger sister?" X 2

Both of them, who were in the audience, were surprised, as it was the first time they had heard of it.

"Yes," he said, feigning regret. "You know, with my qualifications, it's impossible for me to become a jockey, but she can. She's even a little bit taller than you."

"Ah..." Okita Sawa blinked, stunned on horseback.

So, the fact that he rides the Radiant Sanctuary for walks suggests he must really love horses, right?

But due to his physical limitations, it was even less likely that he would become a professional jockey.

Her situation was actually a little better than his...

"Feel sorry..."

"There's absolutely no need to apologize, and as I've already said, I like my current job too." He shook his head dismissively, a cold smile playing on his lips.

Ha~ Does the fact that Sakurakoji Talent and Himemiya Chihaya aren't good enough mean that Ogura Asahi isn't good enough?

Okay, that really won't work—unless we have to resort to special methods.

His usual transformations, no matter what, are just about controlling his joints to make himself appear shorter, but the quality is never compromised.

Regardless of the form, multiple forms are multiple forms; how tragic...

Fortunately, he now has a solution!

By the way, the minimum age for jockey exams is 16, and I, Ogura Asahi, have already met that requirement!!!

Even though they can get fake household registrations, it seems a bit strange that they care so much about age... Oh well, never mind, it's not important!

He immediately registered for the local exam, took it two months later, and passed all the tests.

Ah, this time he will not only create the reputation of an invincible warhorse, but also the prestige of an invincible jockey!

Hey~ here's the question, why is he allowed to directly take the exam?

It's not that he cheated or used connections; it's just that besides formal academic training, there are indeed two other ways to obtain a jockey's license.

One option is to obtain a professional cyclist's license from abroad and then apply for temporary or lifetime licenses in your home country through public channels, which may require retaking the exam.

The other option, which he was about to take, was to become a qualified stable apprentice. After at least a year of learning and doing odd jobs, he would be recommended by a qualified trainer and directly qualify for the exam.

But neither option is easier than going to school; in fact, they might be more difficult, especially the second one!

Let's set aside the question of whether the horse trainer would agree to recommend you to prevent you from ruining his reputation if you fail.

How can your one or two years of menial work experience compare to someone's two or three years of professional training?

For example, in written exams, to facilitate understanding, schools may even offer professional equine anatomy courses to help you better understand the structure of a horse's body, which would be more difficult to comprehend if you simply read the book yourself.

Of course, the exam won't test anatomy; it will only require you to understand various aspects of a horse in order to make judgments.

The problem lies in the execution of movements such as walking alone, walking side by side, walking slowly, and walking quickly. Without the guidance of a professional teacher, you won't even realize you're doing it wrong, and you'll only get worse with practice. How can this be overcome?

However—he said all this not to let you know how difficult the road is, but rather... to let you know how awesome he is.

Is rote memorization and comprehension difficult for him? No.

If you bring Hiromachi Nanami and the others, they can probably finish reading and memorizing all the instruction books for you in one night.

Is practical equestrian skill difficult for him?

Hahaha! Don't forget, compared to his academic studies, he's actually more of a martial artist!

She's just usually so gentle and polite, rarely taking action, which often makes people forget that about her, the complete opposite of Tsurumaki Kokoro... When you see her, is the first thing that comes to mind her physical fitness or her learning ability?

"In short, she will be taking the professional qualification exam in a few days."

"So fast?! Did they enter school right after graduating from high school?"

"No, she chose a different way, as you know."

"Ah..." After a little explanation, Okita Sawa understood.

Yes! There's that method too!

Even if you can't get into school this year, there's always next year... If all else fails, you can always try this method!

She wouldn't give up until she had tried every method imaginable!

She didn't come to her senses until she heard Sabure's slightly agitated snorting from between her legs.

"Ah, sorry! It seems it really is hungry, I have to go back now! I had a great chat today, goodbye~ Chihaya- san, Shōko- chan!"

Goodbye~ X 2

Watching her and Sabure's figures speed away across the sand, Himemiya Chihaya thought of something and looked down to meet Makinohara Shoko's large, blue-black eyes, which were also looking up at her.

Then, another thought popped into my head: the Chinese characters are all pronounced "xiangzi," so was Toyokawa Shoko this cute and polite at her age? Probably.

Hey~~ that's why age is such a thing.

Of course, Shōko's pronunciation is sakiko, which is different from Shoko's shoko.

"Shoko-chan ~"

"Nani~ Chihaya- san~"

Makinohara Shoko responded in a gentle and serene voice, as always, a kind and understanding Nadeshiko, although this Nadeshiko's age was somewhat problematic.

"Do you want me to help you woo Miss Sawa?" Well, that's a Little Devil.

"Do you think I'm the type to rush into a relationship with a girl I've just met...? Anyway, we were talking about Miss Sawa's dreams, now I'd like to talk about yours~"

"Huh?"

Seemingly not expecting him to say that, her teasing expression instantly crumbled.

"I mentioned it last time, didn't I? It was about Santa Claus," he reminded me.

"Ah~ Come to think of it, there seems to be such a thing." She pressed her index finger to her chin, put her other hand behind her back, and looked like she had just remembered.