"Director, I'm coming in now?"
The Director's secretary stood outside, gently knocking on the door.
Only when the sounds inside returned to silence did Ms. Tazun open the wooden door and enter the room.
"Tazun? What is it?"
Inside the room, the Director, who from her physique looked like a little girl, sat nonchalantly behind the desk, looking at her.
— But unfortunately, all her efforts so far had been meaningless.
"...Director, can't you finish all your work before slacking off?"
Looking at Akikawa Yayoi, who was feigning composure, Ms. Junkawa, who had casually closed the door, said.
"Refute! What's the point of slacking off after all the work is done?!"
Akikawa Yayoi snapped open her fan: "…Of course, it's only meaningful to slack off while working!"
"…Director, can you repeat what you just said?"
The green-hatted devil's face showed a benevolent smile: "I didn't hear clearly just now."
"…Sorry!"
Seeing the benevolent smile on Ms. Junkawa's face, Akikawa Yayoi flipped her fan, and the words 'Sorry' appeared on the fan's surface.
"…Everyone in the Student Council has handled most of the documents for you, so at least be serious."
Looking at Akikawa Yayoi, who was covering her face with an open fan, Ms. Tazun sighed, then walked to her side and placed the newspaper she was holding in front of her.
"This is…?"
Looking at the newspaper placed beside her hand by Ms. Junkawa, Akikawa Yayoi picked it up in confusion.
"Himeji Tracen Academy's Uma Musume accelerates in the middle stage, winning the Newcomer Race in one fell swoop?"
First, she read the main headline that first caught her eye, then Akikawa Yayoi's gaze shifted downwards, stopping at the color photograph at the end.
Hmm… this Uma Musume?
"Does she look a little familiar?"
Ms. Junkawa, seeing the thoughtful expression on Akikawa Yayoi's face, pressed on: "…Do you still remember her?"
"Hmm… I remember this child's name is 'Seiun Sky'?"
Akikawa Yayoi, finally finding memories related to the Uma Musume in the photo, relaxed her furrowed brows and said with sudden understanding: "So this child went to Himeji Tracen."
Three years ago, she and Ms. Junkawa and the Three Goddesses had a dream, asking them to help take care of Seiun Sky after she enrolled.
But only now did they know that the child had joined Himeji Tracen Academy.
Although they couldn't take care of her as the Three Goddesses had requested in the dream, it was, after all, the child's own choice.
"But… this child's strength seems quite good?"
Akikawa Yayoi, holding the sides of the newspaper, looked at the black-haired Uma Musume in the photo, whose action was frozen in a smiling wave to the audience. Akikawa Yayoi rested her chin on her hand, seemingly deep in thought.
"Curious! Tazun, let's go see this child together!"
Akikawa Yayoi opened her fan again.
"Meeting that child…"
Ms. Junkawa was somewhat tempted.
To be honest, she was also quite curious about what was special about the child whom the Three Goddesses personally entrusted them to take care of in a dream.
But before that…
"Director, please deal with all these documents in front of you before we talk about this."
…First, finish all the work of the Director of Central Trese Academy before discussing it.
Ms. Junkawa silently thought to herself, looking at the other party's ears, which were folded back like an airplane's ears.
"…Wait a minute!"
But the room hadn't been quiet for long when Akikawa Yayoi, suddenly remembering something, put down her pen again.
"Director, no matter what you say this time, I won't believe it, okay?"
Looking at Akikawa Yayoi, who had once again shifted her gaze to her, Ms. Junkawa spoke first: "…Even if you say you're about to burst and need to go to the restroom, I won't agree."
"Denial!"
Akikawa Yayoi opened her fan again: "This matter! Is extremely important!"
"You just don't want to work, do you?"
Looking at Akikawa Yayoi, who was staring intently at her, Ms. Junkawa sighed helplessly: "…What excuse have you found for yourself this time?"
"Protest! I'm not the kind of person who only thinks about slacking off!"
Akikawa Yayoi flipped her fan, protesting.
"Tazun! Does the Student Council have this newspaper?"
"Student Council…?"
Ms. Junkawa thought for a moment, then immediately understood what she wanted to say: "…You mean the Student Council President might try to poach her after seeing her at Himeji Local Tresen Academy?"
"Good!"
Akikawa Yayoi nodded.
…Previously, when he went to a local Trese Academy to poach Oguri Cap for Central, his overly aggressive attitude caused some dissatisfaction among those involved in the matter.
Although his personality has softened a lot in recent years, after seeing this newspaper, given his past record with Oguri Cap, it's hard to guarantee that he won't go to Himeji Tracen Academy and poach Seiun Sky for Central.
If he really did that, Himeji Tracen would surely protest to the Uma Musume Association, right?
Recalling the series of troubles that would follow, Ms. Junkawa couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
"…I'll go talk to that child later."
…
"Achoo—!"
Seiun Sky, sitting on a stool with her legs crossed, watching Saito Asuka write black characters on a white board, felt an itch in her nose and couldn't help but sneeze.
"Are you catching a cold? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Do you want me to make you some medicine?"
Seeing Seiun Sky sneeze while covering her nose, Saito Asuka stopped and looked at her worriedly.
…The current Seiun Sky is the treasure of our Himeji Local Tresen Academy.
Even if she just scrapes her skin, or feels a slight discomfort anywhere on her body, he feels deeply pained.
Let alone getting sick!
To make the only Uma Musume of Himeji Tracen Academy feel pain?
If he made her feel pain… he would directly fight to the death with the other party!
"Hmm… it's fine."
Seiun Sky, stared at intently by Saito Asuka, rubbed below her nose, then, after a brief thought, a smile appeared on her face.
"I feel… like some pretty girls were just talking about me~?"
"…"
Saito Asuka didn't respond, he just opened his mouth.
Should I say, 'As expected of you'?
Saito Asuka suppressed the urge to retort and once again shifted the topic back to the unfinished matter.
"…So, next, I plan to have you participate in the Classic Triple Crown races."
The man wrote the final stroke on the board, then looked at the Black-haired Horse Girl: "What do you think?"
"Huh? I don't really understand, Trainer, you can just decide~?"
Seiun Sky, entrusting all race participation matters to her Trainer, replied in a lighthearted tone: "I trust Trainer."
"…"
Saito Asuka fell silent again.
Trust me, huh…
Saito Asuka, feeling the weight of that sentence, scratched the back of his head.
Since that's the case, he can't let down this expectation!