Homecoming

"Koichi, we'll head back first, then."

"Go ahead. We can all get some proper rest for a while now."

Although Koichi wanted to check on his uncle first, he still had to stop by home.

Judging by the time, Megumi Mitsumori was probably about to arrive too. He would drop off his things, then go pick her up.

"All right! Hahaha!"

Hitachi Yosuke laughed as he walked through the ranch gates.

With Golden Masterpiece taking first place this time, he had received a sizable bonus too.

To him, it was a completely unexpected windfall.

Unfortunately, he hadn't had a chance to explore the ancient capital during this trip to Kyoto. That would have to wait until his next trip to Osaka.

Meanwhile, the small vehicle towing Golden Masterpiece drove straight inside.

Now that the race was over, Golden Masterpiece would spend a short stretch out at pasture.

Racehorses generally needed a rest after competing; it was just a question of how long.

As for Danon Blue, the next race had already been decided, and it would also take place at Kyoto Racecourse.

So Danon Blue and the groom had stayed there.

"Four of us went, but only two came back."

Koichi shook his head, then climbed onto the bicycle he had left at Aoe Ranch.

He carried all the local specialties he had bought on his back.

Earning those two million had been anything but easy, and he felt that it wouldn't take long to spend every last bit of it.

Time to go home.

Hokkai Ranch.

"Young Master Koichi, what do you think of the banner I prepared for you?"

Standing at the entrance, Miku Kuchiki pointed at the strip of red cloth hanging over the gate.

The master, who was overseas, would surely be delighted by this unexpected first-place finish. Unfortunately, he couldn't come home yet.

"Take it down, please. We don't need anything like that."

Koichi sounded a little embarrassed.

Fortunately, hardly anyone passed by their ranch. If someone took a photo and posted it online...

He would die of embarrassment.

Although he didn't spend much time surfing the internet himself anymore, Hitachi Yosuke had told him about the horse racing fans online.

It would be better to keep a low profile for now.

"Oh, okay."

Seeing that the young master's reaction wasn't what she had expected, Miku Kuchiki instantly deflated.

She had seen other households do the same thing.

"Come on. I brought you all plenty of specialties from Kyoto. You can pick first."

After spending so long in Kyoto, Koichi still felt much more comfortable back home.

Now that he had a body that never gained weight no matter how much he ate, he could enjoy food without worrying.

"Really?"

The moment she heard she could choose her gift first, Miku Kuchiki perked right back up.

She was genuinely happy that Koichi had taken first place this time.

"Of course."

Neigh!

Gold Ship, who was grazing outside, let out a neigh.

Had those two two-legged creatures seriously not noticed me?

"Good afternoon, Gold Ship."

Koichi greeted Ship, who was standing beside the fence.

For the coming stretch, he would definitely be focusing most of his attention on Gold Ship.

After all, training a racehorse well was no easy task.

As for Asho, he would stop by whenever he had some free time. The race in March was still a long way off.

That's it?

Then Koichi and Miku Kuchiki continued toward the office, chatting as they walked.

Still standing by the fence, Gold Ship blinked.

Having been pampered from an early age, the young horse had never experienced anything like this.

Then Gold Ship turned indignation into an appetite.

I'll eat you out of house and home!

"Young Master Koichi, congratulations!"

"Young Master Koichi, can I have this?"

"I want this one. Give me that!"

Unlike the gloomy atmosphere last time, all the ranch employees were cheerful now.

News of Koichi's first-place finish at Kyoto Racecourse had long since spread throughout Hokkai Ranch.

Two million in prize money-that was more than a year and a half of their wages!

Yet the young master had earned that much in just two months. Miku had even said that he would earn more in the future.

They hadn't been able to see any hope before, but things were different now.

"All right, that's it for today."

Seeing that everything had been handed out, Koichi sent them back to their posts.

He actually thought these employees were quite genuine. Bad news brought them down, while good news made them happy.

"Everyone, get back to work. The young master needs his rest!"

Standing beside Koichi, Miku Kuchiki spoke with all the authority of a housekeeper.

Who knew how much hardship Young Master Koichi had endured to claim first place? And today, he had come straight back after getting off the plane.

"Then we'll get back to work, Young Master Koichi."

"Go ahead."

Koichi nodded.

He really didn't have much experience running a ranch, nor did he have much energy left to spare for it.

These employees were all valuable assets to their ranch.

"Miku, I have an important task for you."

"Just say the word, young master. I guarantee I'll get it done!"

Miku Kuchiki declared.

Sure enough, I'm the subordinate the young master values most.

He had given her a task as soon as he came back.

"Go pick someone up for me. She's at the foot of Sapporo Tower right now."

Sitting beside the heater, Koichi really didn't feel like moving anymore.

He had gotten up very early to catch his flight today. Although he had slept a little on the plane, he hadn't slept well.

"Sapporo?"

"You got your driver's license recently, right?"

Koichi still needed to confirm that before she set off.

"Yes! Should I take the little car?"

Miku Kuchiki nodded.

She had gone through quite a lot to get that license.

"Then I'll leave this to you. I'll send you her photo in a moment."

Koichi yawned.

Miku really was useful, after all.

Cars were fairly cheap in Japan, especially in rural areas like theirs, where parking was free in many places.

Their ranch wasn't particularly wealthy, but owning a few vehicles was still no problem.

"Young master, should I leave now?"

"Just head straight there, then treat her to a bowl of ramen. You'll still have plenty of time to come back to the ranch after you finish eating."

Koichi glanced at his LINE messages.

She really never gave him a moment's peace.

She had managed to get lost even with navigation on her phone. Fortunately, Sapporo had a fairly recognizable landmark.

"No problem. Leave it to me!"

Miku Kuchiki turned and ran outside.

As for the person she was supposed to pick up, she had already more or less guessed who it was. It was probably the trainer the young master had mentioned finding for Ship.

"That takes care of just about everything. I can get a little sleep now."

Koichi stretched, then lay down on the sofa and started playing on his phone.

As for his prize money this time, it would still take a while to arrive. After all, forty million was no small sum.

(End of chapter)