Akikawa Yayoi stood by the car door, gently fanning herself with a folding fan, her face lit up with a bright, energetic smile.
"It's been a while, Chairwoman Akikawa," Kuroha said with a smile as he greeted her.
"Chairwoman."
Beside him, Nase Fumino also nodded respectfully.
Behind them, Tokai Teio, McQueen, Oguri Cap, and the other horse girls all looked a little stiff when they saw the highest-ranking leader of Central Tracen Academy, and they hurriedly dipped their heads in acknowledgement.
"Bold! Hahaha, no need to be so tense!" Yayoi laughed twice. With a sharp snap, she closed her fan and pointed toward everyone.
"As Central Tracen's top horse girls, you should take more pride in yourselves. Heads up. Chest out!"
With that, she didn't bother with small talk. She turned and waved a little hand. "Let's go! Don't just stand around here. We're heading inside first."
As soon as her words fell, the previously quiet airport lobby suddenly flooded with a group of people.
Big, broad-shouldered men in crisp black suits and sunglasses poured out, their faces cold and severe like "Terminators."
They quickly formed two neat lines, hands clasped behind their backs, creating a clear corridor for the group to walk through.
"This is…?" Staring at the scene like some kind of underworld handoff, everyone exchanged looks, momentarily at a loss.
Yayoi, on the other hand, strode forward first and said without looking back, "Relax. They're from the Hong Kong Horse Girl Association. Just security, that's all."
"…" Kuroha's eyelid twitched.
Looks like the local "home team" really was giving the chairwoman the full VIP treatment.
…
Ten thousand meters up, inside the private jet.
Only after stepping into the cabin did everyone understand what "premium, top-tier, and impeccably high-end" really meant.
The space was wide and comfortable, and every seat was so large it might as well have been a single bed.
Overhead storage, power outlets, and entertainment screens were all there—each seat even had its own vanity mirror.
With no outsiders watching, the chairwoman who'd looked so commanding outside finally showed her relaxed side.
She completely abandoned appearances, melting into the soft leather seat with a long, satisfied sigh, looking utterly content.
The little cat on her head stretched too, then lazily flopped back down.
Kuroha sprawled out in a seat on the other side, rolling over and idly kicking his legs a few times to get comfortable.
"Question! Trainer Kuroha."
Yayoi stretched, then turned her head toward him, flashing adorable little tiger teeth as she smiled.
"I heard from Rudolf that, for this year's fall season, you're planning to send Oguri Cap on an overseas campaign, right?"
"Yeah. I've already taken care of the process and all the related arrangements," Kuroha said with a nod. It wasn't exactly something worth hiding.
"In the second half of this year, I'm planning to have Oguri run international races in both Europe and Hong Kong. The goal is three G1s."
"Ohh, I see." Yayoi nodded, then looked out at the clouds with a hint of emotion.
"These past two years… Central Tracen has really changed a lot."
"But it's been changing in a good direction."
She pulled her gaze back and looked at Kuroha and Fumino, her expression sincere. "Praise! It's thanks to the hard work of you new-generation people."
"If it weren't for you, Central would probably still feel lifeless and stagnant."
She looked like an adorable little girl, yet she was speaking with complete seriousness about weighty topics.
The contrast hit like a wave of unexpected charm, and the cabin mood loosened up along with it.
"You're giving me too much credit. I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do," Kuroha said, shaking his head instead of claiming the achievement.
He understood perfectly well that even without him, this era would still regain its spark once Oguri Cap, Inari One, and Super Creek—the "eternal three titans"—rose to prominence.
All he'd really done was push that process forward a little, letting the dawn after a long night arrive sooner.
After "The Emperor," Rudolf, Central had gone years without a single truly noteworthy star.
When things got suppressed to the limit, a rebound was inevitable.
From here on out, Central would only produce more and more star horse girls.
"Objection! Trainer Kuroha, you can't sell yourself short," Yayoi said, folding her arms and nodding with exaggerated seriousness. "You're the best trainer Central has right now!"
Then, as if she remembered something, her eyes flicked to the right a few times.
Her gaze landed on a figure who was happily chatting with Inari One.
"Concern! Super Creek-san, is your leg still not better yet?"
At that, Super Creek—still wrapped up in a plaster cast like she was "injured"—visibly froze.
She forced an awkward laugh, then instinctively patted the thick cast.
"Y-yes, Chairwoman… The doctor said recovery is slow, so I'm not allowed to remove it yet."
"Is that so…" Yayoi's pale blue eyes lingered on Super Creek's leg for a long moment, then she suddenly said, "Suggestion! Want me to introduce you to a few doctors? Their skills are excellent. Maybe they can help you recover faster."
"N-no, that's okay!" Super Creek hurriedly waved her hands, smiling gently as she refused. "Trainer Kuroha already arranged everything for me. I'll just follow the treatment plan step by step. I don't want to trouble you, Chairwoman."
…
Kuroha and Fumino watched Yayoi happily bouncing around, interacting with their horse girls like she was having the time of her life.
They exchanged a helpless look, then shook their heads.
The flight itself was a bit boring, but the chairwoman definitely wasn't.
In just a few hours, she'd found a way to chat with practically everyone, like an energetic kid who never ran out of battery.
Right now, she was curled up beside Oguri Cap's roomy seat, the two of them cozily sharing little snacks the flight attendant had brought over.
Crunch.
Oguri Cap swallowed a carrot chip, her usually blank eyes now sparkling. "This is good."
Yayoi bit into one too, making a crisp little sound, her eyes curving into crescents. "Delicious! It really is!"
"But when we get back to Tokyo, I'll take you all to try a special horseshoe cake. Sweet, but not heavy. Even better than this."
"Really?" Oguri Cap tilted her head, ears twitching.
"Guarantee! Of course. I'm the chairwoman—I wouldn't lie!"
As she spoke, maybe because her hands were bored, she casually gave Oguri Cap's long leg—covered in black tights—a light squeeze.
The firm, springy feel in her palm made Yayoi's eyes shift slightly. "Oguri-san, I heard you transferred to Central from a local track."
Oguri Cap nodded, still chewing. "Mm. After I came to Central, I was on Ginjirou-ojisan's team for a while. Later I followed Trainer Kuroha."
Hearing that, Yayoi stopped eating and looked up at Oguri Cap's face, her tone turning a bit more serious.
"Question! Then… what do you think of Central?"
(End of Chapter)
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