"Ugh... still can't find them... It seems that even if I thought my face looked better, it still makes the Uma Musume of this world feel annoyed just by seeing it."
After tiring himself out for half a day, Ikezoe still returned empty-handed. He sat by a flower bed, his mood quite low. After all, for Ikezoe to accept the fact that his appearance wasn't appealing to people would be quite cruel.
Coupled with the fact that he would definitely be spending a large chunk of his life within Tracen Academy, if his face prevented him from properly training Uma Musume, that would be extremely problematic... Ikezoe didn't want to be in an environment where he was constantly disliked by others.
"Maybe... it's because of these injuries on my face? Seriously Orfevre, you really were merciless. Just thinking about that kick still makes my wounds hurt, even now."
Whether it was a lie made to comfort himself or not, Ikezoe sat there, planning to rest for a while. He truly was exhausted. He had tried many times to recruit several different Uma Musume but failed spectacularly every time. He was now even starting to doubt his own appearance.
At the very least, after he transmigrated, not only did he become younger, but his body also seemed to have better fitness too. As a Jockey, Ikezoe's physical test results were good, but even so, he ran around almost half of Tracen Academy, going back and forth trying to recruit any Uma Musume that caught his interest. Although he didn't succeed even once, with his previous physique, he shouldn't have just felt tired.
And that kick from Orfevre... that kick was truly powerful. From Ikezoe's extensive and personal experience of being kicked by a Racehorse and falling on his back, that kick truly held nothing back. It was a genuine kick, no less powerful than the Racehorse version of Dream Journey's attacks back in the day.
You have to know, a Racehorse's kick is not something to be taken lightly. Ikezoe was truly lucky to have been relatively injury-free in his previous world, even if he had extensive experience and preventive measures to survive against them time and again. It was a miracle that he was even alive today.
If a real Racehorse's kick landed on a person, it would truly send them flying. And not just flying—if a kick landed on the stomach, the intestines might even be kicked out. Although not many people die from a Racehorse's kick, it's not unheard of... even if they were in another world, it was most likely the same for Uma Musume.
But even after Ikezoe was kicked by Orfevre like that, he surprisingly only had some superficial injuries... You have to know, he was in a panic at the time and didn't have the time or the composure to perform any professional protective moves. Being kicked with such power would most likely result in a broken back in the best-case scenario.
"Did my body also get stronger after I transmigrated? Would I truly not be as easily injured by Orfevre's kicks anymore? Is this also a gift from the heavens?" Ikezoe found it quite strange, but at the same time, he also felt a bit annoyed... Being gifted this body seemed to be telling him that he wouldn't be kicked any less by Uma Musume in the future... "But I really don't want to train Orfevre again... Our relationship was already quite strained last time. If I went to talk about being her Trainer now, it would be so awkward... I'm afraid she might just kick me again..."
"Ugh... I just want to find Curren Chan. If Curren Chan were here, it would be great. I've asked so many of these Uma Musume, but no one seems to know..."
And just as Ikezoe was muttering to himself, he didn't notice that a cute silver-haired Uma Musume's little head suddenly peeked out from behind him. She noticed Ikezoe's back facing her, and a mischievous smile appeared at the corner of her lips. (T/N: Ask and you shall receive)
The silver-haired Uma Musume quietly approached, maintaining a devilish smile. Suddenly, she covered Ikezoe's eyes. Before Ikezoe could react, a sweet voice immediately said,
"Hehe, it's not that easy to get information about Curren-chan, you know? Curren-chan is very cute! If I casually reveal my whereabouts, I might just get mobbed by enthusiastic fans at my door, you know~"
"But, to specifically look for Curren-chan right away? That new Trainer's taste must be really great! Could it be... that he's a fan of Curren-chan? Even though Curren-chan is an Uma Musume, I'm actually better at being cute~"
With that, the silver-haired Uma Musume, who called herself "Curren-chan," also released her hands from Ikezoe's eyes. She skipped over to Ikezoe's side, bending slightly to reveal a perfect angle, showcasing her exquisitely carved, cute face in its entirety.
"Ta-da~ It's Curren-chan, what a surprise! Hello, new Trainer~"
"Curren... Chan?" However, after being slightly startled by the beautiful silver-haired Uma Musume in front of him, he immediately noticed the familiar name.
It was a name that Ikezoe was familiar with, referring only to a single Racehorse.
"—Curren Chan? You are Curren Chan?"
"Eh? You didn't know how Curren-chan looked? Looks like you're not a fan of Curren-chan after all~"
However, although Ikezoe called out Curren Chan's name, his surprised reaction and the obvious shock on his face at Curren Chan's true appearance quickly made Curren Chan realize that he had never seen her before.
This made Curren Chan both a little disappointed and a little curious. Disappointed that this Trainer, who had been inquiring about her, wasn't her fan. It seemed that Curren-chan's cuteness still hadn't spread throughout the world yet, and she needed to work harder~
But at the same time, Curren Chan was very curious. Since he wasn't one of her three million followers on social media, why was this new Trainer—one of the three new Trainers who had recently become well-known at Tracen Academy—so eager to find her?
"So, Trainer-kun, why are you so eagerly looking for Curren Chan? Curren Chan is very curious~"
Even with some doubts in her heart, Curren Chan maintained her "cute" persona. But soon, Ikezoe snapped out of his shock at Curren Chan's cuteness as an Uma Musume.
Curren Chan has come before me? How can I not seize this great opportunity!
And Ikezoe, who was never short on courage, immediately reacted. He instantly stood up and, with great solemnity and joy, grabbed Curren Chan's hand, not noticing Curren Chan's startled expression. He immediately bowed and said,
"I'm here to invite you to become my Uma Musume, Curren Chan!"
He was truly moved! In fact, Ikezoe was so moved that he almost cried in front of Curren Chan. For almost two whole days, he was kicked by Orfevre, then disliked and refused by every Uma Musume he met. It was no joke to say he was almost at the brink of a mental breakdown. And at his lowest point, his long-awaited Curren Chan finally appeared!
True love! As expected of my beloved and most obedient Curren Chan! After two days of pain and suffering, Ikezoe finally found a path to "redemption" in the form of Curren Chan.
His favorite Racehorse had come to help him escape the encirclement of dangerous Uma Musume like Orfevre and also deliver a GI win to the President!
Of course, Ikezoe couldn't just say that his true purpose was to escape from training dangerous Uma Musume. His mind worked quickly, and he immediately replied,
"Curren Chan, I see your talent. I can confirm that you are definitely incredibly talented in sprint races. I wish to become your Trainer and bring you to the stage of GI Races!"
"I have enough confidence to make you dominate Japan's short-distance GIs. I ask of you, are you willing to become my Uma Musume?"
Ikezoe was determined to use all his might to get Curren Chan to become his Uma Musume. However, his over-enthusiasm and the confidence he had in Curren Chan made Curren Chan slightly stunned.
He said she had the talent and ability to run GI? She? Curren Chan?
"B-but... Curren-chan always felt that compared to racing, I'm better at being cute, you know..."
..."Huh? Isn't that the pervert..." (T/N: Insert the Speed "why you trying not to laugh" gif)
However, at this moment, Orfevre, who was passing by, unexpectedly caught sight of Ikezoe and Curren Chan. And as she looked closer, she saw Ikezoe holding Curren Chan's hand, bowing with an extremely sincere expression.
"...Tsk."
For some reason, Orfevre clicked her tongue quietly upon seeing this, and a rather unpleasant feeling welled up in her chest... even though she didn't know why she felt unpleasant.
"That guy finally found someone to be his Uma Musume too, huh? I wonder how strong she is. I'll find a chance to race her sometime," Orfevre muttered to herself, her tone carrying a hint of unusual ferocity. Then she quickly left the scene.
She needed to run a few laps on the track to vent this unpleasant feeling in her chest.
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When I was reading this for the first time, the first thing that came to mind was the Sukuna screaming for Mahoraga for help image but replacing it with Ikezoe and Curren Chan.
Ikezoe Kenichi: CURRENNN CHANNNNNN SAVEEEE MEEEEEEE!!!!!
Also, by the time this chapter is released, Part 2 of Canto 9 of Limbus Company should be coming out tomorrow. Super duper hyped for it!
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.