A Different Way of Learning

Having thought it over, Anjing Zhen nodded.

"I think I understand. How about this—we'll try something simple first and get a clearer picture of where you are right now."

Switching to English, he slowed his speaking speed and asked clearly, "Little Kita, can you tell me what kind of training you usually like best? Try saying it simply in English."

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Kitasan Black froze for a moment. She blinked nervously, desperately searching her mind for vocabulary as she tried to piece together a sentence in fits and starts. "I... like... morning... running? In the... park. The air is... good."

(I-I like... running... in the morning? In the park. The air is... very nice.)

Daiwa Scarlet also grew interested and followed up in English, "What about the weather? Do you prefer sunny days or rainy days for training?" (What about the weather? Do you prefer training on sunny days or rainy days?)

Daiwa Scarlet spoke rather quickly, and Kitasan Black had trouble following her. She caught the keywords "weather" and "training," but did not quite understand the full sentence.

She looked to Anjing Zhen for help.

Anjing Zhen repeated the question in Japanese. "She's asking whether you prefer sunny days or rainy days when you train." "Oh! Sunny!"

This time, Kitasan Black answered almost without thinking. Then she smiled sheepishly and added quietly in Japanese, "Because... the track gets slippery when it rains..."

Both Anjing Zhen and Daiwa Scarlet laughed.

Now that he had a more direct understanding of Kitasan Black's current foreign-language level, Anjing Zhen nodded thoughtfully.

His gaze fell on Kitasan Black's slightly tense shoulders. After pondering for a while, an idea suddenly flashed through his mind.

He remembered that Kitasan Black came from a musical family. Having grown up surrounded by music,