Chapter Summaries

Kitasan Black and her friends visited Saburo Kitajima’s home and prepared a year-end meal together. The cooking ended with a table full of Osechi-ryori and steaming Zoni.

• Spring and Autumn Equinox was stunned by the Kitajima residence, then nervously greeted Saburo Kitajima, who welcomed her warmly.
• Kitasan Black announced that she and her friends would cook the year-end meal, and Saburo Kitajima’s family agreed to let them take charge.
• Kitasan Black assigned cooking and table-setting tasks while Anjing Zhen assisted her with practiced coordination.
• Agnes Tachyon’s attempt to prepare a fish sent it flopping across the counter until Daiwa Scarlet caught and subdued it.
• Agnes Tachyon switched to arranging tableware, while Daiwa Scarlet, Almond Eye, Kitasan Black, and Anjing Zhen completed the meal preparations.
• The group finished preparing Osechi-ryori and steaming Zoni, filling the dining table with food.

At a family dinner, Kitasan Black’s relatives and friends shared stories about her kindness, while Anjing Zhen deflected her embarrassment by telling stories of his own early mistakes. Saburo Kitajima then asked Anjing Zhen about Kitasan Black’s proposed overseas campaign, inviting him to explain his plans and seek advice.

• Daiwa Scarlet, Almond Eye, and Spring and Autumn Equinox recalled Kitasan Black’s helpfulness, prompting her family to share stories about her childhood and school days.
• When Kitasan Black grew embarrassed by her father’s teasing, Anjing Zhen shared stories about his own rookie Trainer mistakes, and Kitasan Black realized he was helping her feel less awkward.
• After dinner, Saburo Kitajima praised Anjing Zhen’s guidance of Kitasan Black and asked whether they were considering an overseas campaign.
• Anjing Zhen confirmed that Kitasan Black strongly wanted to race overseas, explained why he believed it was important for her development, and asked Saburo Kitajima for his thoughts and advice.

Anjing Zhen told Saburo Kitajima about the obstacles to taking Kitasan Black overseas, and Saburo promised to support the plan and help persuade sponsors. Meanwhile, Kitasan Black suggested the girls visit Trainer Yasui’s hometown as their first team activity of the New Year.

• Anjing Zhen explained that overseas racing could disappoint domestic fans, concern sponsors, and complicate Ono Trading Company's situation.
• Saburo Kitajima encouraged Anjing Zhen to plan boldly, offered to speak with sponsors, and promised to help clear other obstacles.
• Kitasan Black, Agnes Tachyon, Daiwa Scarlet, Spring and Autumn Equinox, and Almond Eye played Karuta and discussed their holiday plans.
• Spring and Autumn Equinox worried that Trainer Yasui had changed his mind about their agreement because he kept ending calls, and Kitasan Black and Agnes Tachyon reassured her that he was busy.
• Kitasan Black proposed that the girls visit Trainer Yasui’s hometown together and called it their first team activity of the New Year.

After Kitasan Black celebrated New Year with family, Anjing Zhen and several groups of friends, she realized she still wanted to see his hometown. She wondered whether to ask him for one more shrine visit, just the two of them.

• Kitasan Black and the others played Hanafuda with Anjing Zhen and Saburo Kitajima before agreeing to go to Hatsumode together.
• Kitasan Black visited shrines with her family, Anjing Zhen's group, and several other circles of friends over the New Year.
• After returning from another shrine visit, Kitasan Black counted up her outings and decided she had kept all her plans.
• Kitasan Black imagined Anjing Zhen's hometown and felt drawn to see the places he had described.
• Kitasan Black realized she had rarely spent time alone with Anjing Zhen and considered asking him to visit a shrine with just the two of them.

Kitasan Black excitedly made plans with Anjing Zhen for a New Year's shrine visit, then enjoyed spending the next day with him. As they walked together, she asked whether his recent busy schedule was related to the Overseas Expedition.

• Kitasan Black invited Anjing Zhen to visit a shrine with her, and he agreed to meet the next day.
• Kitasan Black rolled around the living room in a cushion until Mom caught sight of her and teased her about being excited for an outing.
• Kitasan Black disguised herself with a cap and sunglasses, met Anjing Zhen, and joined the New Year's shrine-bound crowd with him.
• Kitasan Black complained to Anjing Zhen about being recognized in public, and he praised her for earning people's affection through her achievements.
• Kitasan Black asked Anjing Zhen whether his many meetings and phone calls were connected to the Overseas Expedition.

Kitasan Black reflected on Grandpa’s advice to seek support and decided she wanted to help Anjing Zhen with his growing workload. After she told him Spring and Autumn Equinox feared he had abandoned their agreement, Anjing Zhen admitted he had delayed following up and revealed he had received other inquiries and invitations.

• Saburo Kitajima advised Kitasan Black to treat expectations as support, prepare seriously for each race, and rely on her team and seniors when needed.
• Kitasan Black realized she wanted to share Anjing Zhen’s burdens and asked whether there was anything she could do to help.
• Kitasan Black told Anjing Zhen that Spring and Autumn Equinox worried he no longer wanted to sign an agreement with her because he had not followed up.
• Anjing Zhen explained that year-end reviews, Overseas Expedition planning, and sponsor meetings had delayed their discussion, and admitted the delay was his oversight.
• Anjing Zhen revealed that he had also received inquiries and invitations from other parties, prompting Kitasan Black to ask what they were.

Anjing Zhen explained that he could not responsibly evaluate other Horse Girls because his schedule was already focused on Kitasan Black’s overseas expedition, Almond Eye’s debut, and his promise to Spring and Autumn Equinox. Kitasan Black learned that Almond Eye might debut later in the year, then offered to become Anjing Zhen’s assistant or secretary.

• Anjing Zhen told Kitasan Black that parents had asked him to evaluate their children, but he lacked the expertise and time to take on more Horse Girls.
• Anjing Zhen said his main plans were preparing Kitasan Black for her overseas expedition and Almond Eye for a possible debut, while keeping his promise to Spring and Autumn Equinox.
• Kitasan Black was surprised to hear about Almond Eye’s debut preparations, then pulled Anjing Zhen through the crowd after drawing curious looks.
• Anjing Zhen explained that Almond Eye might be ready to race in the latter half of the year and that he, Agnes Tachyon, and Yamato planned to tell her after the new term began.
• Kitasan Black offered to explain Anjing Zhen’s workload to Little Bun and suggested that she become his assistant or secretary.

At the shrine, Kitasan Black revived her wish to become Anjing Zhen’s assistant secretary, even after he initially dismissed the idea. Anjing Zhen took her renewed request seriously and began considering it, leaving his answer pending as he bought her taiyaki.

• Kitasan Black imagined herself as a capable assistant secretary, but Anjing Zhen said the role required skills she had not yet developed and told her to focus on training and racing.
• Kitasan Black and Anjing Zhen visited the shrine, made wishes, and Kitasan Black drew a Great Blessing fortune.
• Kitasan Black took the good fortune as encouragement and, while walking through the shrine grounds, told Anjing Zhen she still wanted to try assisting him.
• Anjing Zhen realized Kitasan Black was serious, considered how to respond, and bought her a steaming taiyaki while she waited.

Anjing Zhen warned Kitasan Black that becoming a Trainer required extensive knowledge and could distract her from racing, but her determination persuaded him to offer a carefully limited chance to learn. He proposed letting her observe and record data during Almond Eye’s foundational training, as long as Kitasan Black kept up with her own training and followed his decisions.

• Anjing Zhen explained the demanding qualifications and responsibilities of Trainers and said Kitasan Black’s racing career had to come first.
• Kitasan Black felt frustrated but reaffirmed that she wanted to try, asking Anjing Zhen to teach her.
• Anjing Zhen teased Kitasan Black about her earlier nervousness before praising her growth and resolve.
• Anjing Zhen agreed to let Kitasan Black learn under strict conditions, including that the experience could not interfere with her training or races.
• Anjing Zhen suggested that Kitasan Black observe and record data while he planned Almond Eye’s foundational training.

Kitasan Black eagerly studied exercise physiology on the team’s drive to Anjing Zhen’s hometown, determined to become his assistant and worried about disappointing him. The group continued toward Tokoname City as Anjing Zhen encouraged her to rest and Agnes Tachyon teased her about her schoolwork.

• Kitasan Black accepted Anjing Zhen’s conditions for observing, learning, and helping with records under his supervision.
• Anjing Zhen agreed to Kitasan Black’s proposal for a group visit to his hometown, and the team set off for Tokoname City after New Year.
• Daiwa Scarlet drove while Agnes Tachyon, Spring and Autumn Equinox, and Little Anzu chatted during the journey.
• Kitasan Black studied her introductory materials in the car, and Anjing Zhen used a diagram to help her understand how glycolysis connected to the Citric Acid Cycle.
• Anjing Zhen told Kitasan Black to stop reading for her eyes’ sake, but she worried she would disappoint him if she could not memorize everything before his quiz.
• Agnes Tachyon teased Kitasan Black about her schoolwork, while Kitasan Black privately realized she studied so hard because she wanted to help Anjing Zhen and get closer to his world.

Anjing Zhen eased Kitasan Black’s study pressure by finding a way to honor his promise to quiz her only after they got home. The group arrived at a Nagoya wagashi shop, where Kitasan Black could keep studying before the promised questions.

• Daiwa Scarlet and Agnes Tachyon criticized Anjing Zhen for giving Kitasan Black difficult material and expecting her to master it so quickly.
• Anjing Zhen asked Kitasan Black how much longer she needed to memorize her current section, and she estimated an hour.
• Anjing Zhen suggested stopping at a wagashi shop in Nagoya, and Agnes Tachyon pointed out that studying there would technically mean Kitasan Black had not gotten home yet.
• Kitasan Black happily put away her notebook for the drive while the group admired Nagoya’s sights and discussed visiting Kasamatsu.
• Daiwa Scarlet followed Anjing Zhen’s directions and drove the group to an old wagashi shop on a quiet Nagoya street.

Anjing Zhen brought Kitasan Black and the others to a confectionery shop in Nagoya, where they unexpectedly met his mother, Kikou Misuzu. The group shared desserts and jokes while Kitasan Black explained that she was studying to become Anjing Zhen’s assistant.

• Kitasan Black reviewed her notes at the shop while Almond Eye, Spring and Autumn Equinox, Agnes Tachyon, and Daiwa Scarlet helped quiz her.
• Anjing Zhen recognized his mother, Kikou Misuzu, behind the counter and introduced her to the girls.
• Misuzu greeted the Horse Girls and asked them to call her “Sister Misuzu,” then noticed how much Spring and Autumn Equinox resembled Kitasan Black.
• Agnes Tachyon teased Anjing Zhen about being so serious compared with his easygoing mother, and Misuzu joked that he had no sense of humor.
• Misuzu noticed Kitasan Black’s study materials, and Kitasan Black explained that she hoped to become Anjing Zhen’s assistant and was preparing for his test.

Kikou Misuzu helped Kitasan Black study at a wagashi shop in Nagoya, where the lively group made her work through difficult material with surprising speed. Afterward, the group arrived at Anjing Zhen’s childhood home, leaving Kitasan Black curious about the place where he grew up.

• Kikou Misuzu revealed that she had raced as a Horse Girl and offered to help Kitasan Black with her studies.
• Kikou Misuzu, Agnes Tachyon, Daiwa Scarlet, and Anjing Zhen helped Kitasan Black review her notes, and she quickly memorized most of the material that had troubled her.
• Agnes Tachyon noted that the lively environment seemed to improve Kitasan Black’s memory, while Kikou Misuzu rewarded her with water sheep jelly.
• Anjing Zhen and Kikou Misuzu brought the group to Anjing Zhen’s traditional wooden childhood home after the trip from Tokyo.
• Kitasan Black looked around the house and wondered what Anjing Zhen’s childhood there had been like.

Anjing Zhen’s friends wondered why his father seemed so restrained toward him, and Agnes Tachyon suggested that Anjing Kouichi might have left training to support his son’s future from a different role. Anjing Zhen realized his parents may have quietly made sacrifices for him, and Kitasan Black concluded that they loved him deeply despite expressing it differently.

• Anjing Kouichi welcomed Anjing Zhen and the girls, then returned to preparing dinner with Kikou Misuzu.
• Kitasan Black and the others questioned why Anjing Kouichi did not seem especially affectionate toward Anjing Zhen.
• Agnes Tachyon explained that Anjing Kouichi’s reserved manner might reflect his personality and years as a Trainer, and Anjing Zhen described his father’s career change to the Local Racing Association.
• Kitasan Black wondered whether Anjing Kouichi had changed careers because of Anjing Zhen, and Agnes Tachyon explained how veteran Trainers sometimes step back to support the next generation.
• Daiwa Scarlet and Agnes Tachyon suggested Anjing Kouichi had made room to support Anjing Zhen and care for the family, prompting Anjing Zhen to reconsider his father’s intentions.
• Kitasan Black told Anjing Zhen that his parents loved him deeply, even if they expressed it differently.

At dinner, Anjing Zhen's parents shared stories about his childhood and praised Kitasan Black's ambition to become a Trainer's assistant. Afterward, Anjing Kouichi offered Agnes Tachyon and Daiwa Scarlet his records from years of working in Local Races, leaving them eager to examine the data and Anjing Zhen aware of his father's quiet support for the team.

• Kikou Misuzu told the guests that Anjing Zhen had been a quiet, mature child who trained athletically and collected trophies while preparing to become a Trainer.
• Kitasan Black said she wanted to try becoming a Trainer's assistant, and Anjing Kouichi and Kikou Misuzu encouraged her.
• Anjing Kouichi heard about Agnes Tachyon's research and Daiwa Scarlet's work, then offered them his notes and case records from the local circuit.
• Agnes Tachyon and Daiwa Scarlet eagerly accepted Anjing Kouichi's offer, and Anjing Zhen realized his father was supporting the team.
• Anjing Kouichi described how rain at Kasamatsu Racecourse and summer heat around Nagoya affected equipment, acclimatization, and health management.

Agnes Tachyon, Daiwa Scarlet, and Anjing Kouichi discussed how Local Races experience could help the team prepare for the Overseas Expedition by adapting training, equipment, and nutrition to different racecourses. Meanwhile, Kikou Misuzu led the curious girls to explore Anjing Zhen's childhood bedroom.

• Agnes Tachyon and Daiwa Scarlet asked Anjing Kouichi about his records on horseshoes, footing, and nutrition at Local Races.
• Agnes Tachyon argued that experience adapting to different racecourses could help the team personalize preparations for overseas races, and she and Daiwa Scarlet discussed possible applications.
• Agnes Tachyon, Daiwa Scarlet, and Anjing Kouichi went into the study to continue their discussion, leaving Anjing Zhen surprised by his father's enthusiasm.
• Kitasan Black and Little Anzu teased Anjing Zhen about inheriting his parents' traits, and Kikou Misuzu playfully protested Little Anzu's remark.
• Kikou Misuzu proposed searching Anjing Zhen's bedroom for childhood secrets, then led Kitasan Black, Almond Eye, and Spring and Autumn Equinox upstairs to explore it.

Misuzu showed Kitasan Black, Almond Eye, and Spring and Autumn Equinox Anjing Zhen’s old school notes, childhood photos, and treasured Oguri Cap posters, helping Kitasan Black recognize how long he had been devoted to his work. When Misuzu mentioned an upcoming Kasamatsu Racecourse event featuring Oguri Cap, Anjing Zhen asked about Exhibition Race registration, and Kitasan Black wondered if he wanted her to coach Almond Eye to race against the legend.

• Misuzu brought out Anjing Zhen’s carefully preserved school notes and showed the girls how diligently he had studied.
• Misuzu shared childhood photos of Anjing Zhen, and Kitasan Black recognized the same focused expression he had worn when they first met.
• Kitasan Black reflected on how Anjing Zhen’s composure and professionalism had been built through years of dedication, and he shared a quiet look with her.
• Misuzu revealed Anjing Zhen’s Oguri Cap posters and mentioned an upcoming Kasamatsu event with an Exhibition Race or autograph session.
• Anjing Zhen asked about the Exhibition Race’s registration requirements, and Kitasan Black guessed that he wanted her to coach Almond Eye to race against Oguri Cap.

Anjing Zhen proposed that Kitasan Black coach Anzu for an Exhibition Race against legendary seniors, but Anzu’s excitement gave way to unfamiliar anxiety. He postponed any decision until they could visit Kasamatsu Racecourse and see what the event was like.

• Anjing Zhen suggested that Kitasan Black coach Anzu for an Exhibition Race, giving Kitasan Black practical coaching experience and Anzu a chance to face senior racers.
• Kitasan Black worried that she might not be capable of coaching Anzu, while Anzu’s initial enthusiasm faded as she imagined racing legendary seniors.
• Spring and Autumn Equinox cheered at the prospect of seeing Oguri Cap, then worried about how Anzu would handle the race.
• Anjing Zhen reassured everyone that the race was only an idea and suggested visiting Kasamatsu Racecourse before discussing it again.
• Anjing Zhen later led Kitasan Black, Almond Eye, Spring and Autumn Equinox, Agnes Tachyon, and Daiwa Scarlet out to say their goodbyes.

Anjing Zhen took Kitasan Black to the oden stall, where she guessed he wanted to discuss the Exhibition Race and admitted she had come to Nagoya to understand him better. He concealed his emotional reaction and began explaining his plans for Almond Eye.

• Anjing Zhen showed Kitasan Black the neighborhood and took her to the oden stall after she left the inn to join him.
• Kitasan Black guessed that Anjing Zhen wanted her to guide Almond Eye and run in the Exhibition Race with Senior Oguri Cap and the others.
• Anjing Zhen showed Kitasan Black the unfinished message he had been writing about his Exhibition Race ideas.
• Kitasan Black told Anjing Zhen she had come to Nagoya because she wanted to understand him and get closer to his world.
• Anjing Zhen quietly refilled Kitasan Black's tea, regained his composure, and began discussing his plans for Almond Eye.

At breakfast, Anjing Zhen’s mother teased him about Kitasan Black, prompting him to recognize that his growing feelings might require an honest conversation. Meanwhile, Kitasan Black prepared to talk to Almond Eye about coaching her, but struggled to find the right words.

• Kikou Misuzu teased Anjing Zhen about bringing Kitasan Black home, while Anjing Kouichi praised Kitasan Black’s racing ability.
• Anjing Zhen recalled Kitasan Black’s wish to get closer to his world and decided he needed to reconsider their relationship and speak honestly with her.
• Anjing Zhen told his parents he planned to show Kitasan Black and the others around Nagoya City, and Kikou Misuzu insisted on joining them.
• At the inn, Spring and Autumn Equinox, Almond Eye, and Kitasan Black enjoyed udon and local dumplings for breakfast.
• Kitasan Black considered how to approach Almond Eye about coaching her, but hesitated over how to present the challenge.