Let's Eat First (Two extra chapters for the New Year)

Kitasan Black had never expected Senior Oguri Cap to encourage her.

It wasn't that she hadn't seen this senior before; she had even heard of her legendary career.

It was just that in her impression, this senior always appeared cold and aloof, as if she were unapproachable. She hadn't expected that actually interacting with her would feel so surprisingly kind.

Unconsciously, after being stunned for a moment by the encouragement, she hurriedly chased after her, wanting to offer a word of thanks.

Catching sight of the two figures not far ahead, she nervously took a few steps, only to suddenly hear the two seniors chatting casually.

"Senior Oguri, do you know that junior?"

"No."

"Then how did you know she hasn't run her Debut Race yet, and that she has issues with controlling her power?"

"It was written on the computer and on paper. It must have been written by her trainer."

"Is that so? I really didn't notice..."

"Hmm... but it feels like her power is indeed very strong."

"Feels like...?"

"Do you remember my Daily Crown race?"

"Of course I remember! Senior Oguri is the first Horse Girl to achieve a consecutive win at the Daily Crown! But which one are you referring to?"

"The second one."

"The 'G2 Race of the Year' one?"

"Yes. The feeling that junior gave me just now was a bit like meeting Inari."

"Senior Inari? Really? If we're talking about power levels in our generation, aside from you, Senior... I think only Senior Inari is the strongest, right?"

"That's about right."

"In that case, that junior is truly outstanding. If she has that level of potential... wait, but I remember your Debut Race..."

"Yes, I only finished second."

"...You can't use the word 'only' to describe that, okay? Besides, your record in the local circuit was 10 wins out of 12! That's monster-level, okay?!"

"That is why I said that having poor control over one's power for the time being is not a major problem. Who knows, that junior might be even more outstanding than me and win her first race."

"More outstanding than you? Hehe, well... let's go deliver the food, Senior Oguri. Where is the next stop?"

"Let me see... over at the Hongo Dormitory."

"The old dormitory... Great! Then let's do what we did before and see who gets there first! Senior Oguri, be careful not to spill the food!"

"Don't worry, I might get lost, but there won't be any problems when it comes to running."

"Great! Then three, two... one!"

In an instant, within Kitasan Black's stunned gaze, the figures of the two seniors ahead blurred and vanished in the blink of an eye in front of the trainer dormitory building.

Only then did she react, realizing that without even noticing, she had followed the two seniors all the way here.

Power control, huh...

Biting her lip, she turned the words over in her mind. After hesitating for a long while, she turned and headed toward Anjing Zhen's private room.

Along the way, she kept replaying the conversation between the two seniors.

She could tell that when Senior Oguri Cap mentioned someone potentially being more outstanding than her, Senior Aoba Recall had awkwardly changed the subject, clearly not agreeing with the sentiment.

This was not hard to understand, nor hard to accept.

From any perspective, a Horse Girl as dazzling as Senior Oguri Cap only appeared once every few decades. She hadn't even experienced her Debut Race yet, let alone compare herself to such a Horse Girl.

Moreover, even such an outstanding senior hadn't taken the championship in her debut. Since she herself had never received high praise from teachers or trainers at the academy, winning this race would likely be even harder.

But this somewhat dejected thought only flashed for a moment before she turned hesitant and then invigorated.

The desire to become an outstanding Horse Girl stemmed both from the promises she made to her father and Grandpa when she was young, and from witnessing the various miracles created by her idol, Tokai Teio.

Whether she could become a miracle like her idol, she didn't know.

But she knew very well that if she didn't even have the will to chase after it, and if she were timid even before her Debut Race, then her father, Grandpa, her idol, and even she herself would be disappointed and unable to accept it.

What's more, she now had a trainer, and both her idol Tokai Teio and Senior Oguri Cap had said that her trainer was quite outstanding.

Since that was the case, as long as she listened carefully to his guidance and completed every training session, her Debut Race, and the next race after that, in a down-to-earth manner...

Even the "Triple Crown," which a Horse Girl only had one chance in her life to win, or the Arima Kinen, which symbolized the highest honor of the year...

She had the potential to become a champion.

Yes! That's it!

Little Kita, you cannot lose heart before you've even started!

Secretly encouraging herself, she rushed back into the living room of Anjing Zhen's private room in one breath. Before she could even stand still, Kitasan Black said loudly:

"Trainer! I've made up my mind. From now on, no matter what you instruct me to do, I will listen carefully and follow it to the letter!"

Slurp.

While eating ramen, Anjing Zhen was suddenly startled by a Black Shadow darting in front of him, causing him to nearly choke; he hadn't even caught what Kitasan Black had just said.

"...So, what did you just say?"

"I said..."

Taking a deep breath, Kitasan Black bowed sharply.

"Regarding future training and races, no matter what instructions the trainer has, I will definitely, definitely, definitely listen carefully and follow them all in a down-to-earth manner!

"Please believe in me, I will surely become a Horse Girl that makes you proud, Trainer!

"This is my promise! Kitasan Black's vow to her assigned trainer!"

Anjing Zhen fell silent for a moment, glancing at the computer and manuscript paper on the coffee table, then sweeping his gaze toward the entryway.

It was highly likely that after following those two Horse Girls out, she had overheard some idle chatter or had been worrying about her power control.

She was quite simple-minded.

Still, it was nice—that kind of spirit.

"So, you mean you'll listen to whatever I say, regarding training and races, that is?"

After a moment of thought, Anjing Zhen asked.

"Yes! This is the promise and guarantee I make to you, Trainer!"

Kitasan Black replied in a loud, spirited voice.

"Oh, very energetic."

Nodding, Anjing Zhen gestured toward the coffee table with his chin.

"Then let's eat first."

"Okay... eh?"

Kitasan Black froze. She had expected Anjing Zhen to offer some words of encouragement or immediately schedule a training session, not tell her to eat.

Slurp.

"A horse that can travel a thousand li... cough, forget I said that."

Slurping his ramen, he had been about to quote On Horses, but suddenly remembering he had checked earlier and that the essay didn't exist in this world, Anjing Zhen corrected himself:

"Regardless of what you heard or thought just now, whether it's racing or training, you can only do them well if you're well-fed.

"Also, don't be so impatient; you need to learn to settle your temperament over time.

"Eat first. I'll arrange your training later; there's no rush.

"For the next few days, I need to go to the hospital for a follow-up, handle some matters regarding your Debut Race, and buy some training equipment.

"During these few days, please ask your classmates to film your running sessions from the sidelines, and bring them for me to see later."

By this time, Kitasan Black was already holding her lunch box.

"Only film the training? Do you need anything else recorded?"

"No need, I just need to confirm some Training Situation details."

Shaking his head, Anjing Zhen continued:

"Also, if it's convenient, it would be even better if you could film your leg movements separately."

It just so happens to be the first day of the New Year, and I happen to be writing about a Matsuri Maiden.

In that case, I'll add two extra chapters. Happy New Year to all my readers.

There will be two more chapters during the day.