Only after wiping every piece of equipment down until it gleamed did the horse girl finally finish tidying everything away.
Today's training hadn't made her feel any stronger.
But at least she hadn't regressed, right?
Using that thought to console herself, she finally found the time to look over at her roommate.
Her roommate had clearly been waiting impatiently for ages. The moment she noticed her glance, she perked up and asked excitedly, "Are you done cleaning up?" The question made the girl both helpless and faintly amused, and she nodded.
Watching her roommate's ears bounce happily up and down, she found herself feeling a little envious.
Sometimes she truly didn't understand it. Her roommate had no notable results, didn't train especially hard, and plainly had very little room left to improve. Yet she always managed to look so happy.
If she could, she suddenly wanted to be like that too.
She was tired.
"Little Drum, let's go! The fireworks festival is about to start!"
Sansho Drum finally snapped out of her daze. Oguri had given up her time today just to keep her company through training—something even Trainer Tahara had never done. She had to make sure Oguri enjoyed a wonderful evening.
The girl rose slowly to her feet. The soreness in her body nearly twisted her expression, but she forced herself to put on a soft, gentle smile.
"Let's go~"
Even though there was still some time before the fireworks began, the area around the launch grounds was already growing crowded.
That, however, did nothing to diminish the girls' excitement.
The three trainees clustered around Teruizumi Shinji, pushing their way inward bit by bit.
Shinji looked rather helpless. A little earlier, only Offside Trap had been openly brimming with excitement, while Narita Brian and King Halo had both kept it more restrained, showing only the occasional flicker of anticipation.
Who could have guessed that the moment they arrived, all three girls would, as though of one mind, start trying to press as far to the front as possible?
Even Narita Brian, whose eyes always seemed fixed solely on racing, was now scanning the night sky, as if trying to predict where the fireworks would bloom.
Even though all she had to do was wait for them to start, she insisted on searching for them in advance.
Seeing that, Shinji finally felt a weight lift from his heart. When Offside Trap and Narita Brian had met earlier, things had still felt awkward. He didn't know what had happened, but as their trainer, he had keenly sensed that there was some issue between the two of them that he would need to mediate.
In the end, though, the girls had spared him the trouble and worked it out themselves.
They were huddled together now. Shinji could still sense a few lingering differences, but at the very least, things were harmonious.
His gaze passed briefly over Narita Brian's face.
Ever since all traces of the blessings had been stripped from her, her condition had been poor. The sudden plunge in her strength had badly shaken her confidence, and that was something even Shinji could not easily fix.
Her leg instability also meant he couldn't throw her straight back into full training. That half-resting, half-recovering state only made matters worse.
But today, the firmness and quiet dignity showing through her features felt like an unexpected blessing.
"Trainer, don't just stand there and let us do all the work carrying you forward. Put in a little effort too!"
Offside Trap had noticed Shinji slacking. He was practically leaning on them and waiting for them to carve a path through the crowd. She knew it wouldn't really make much difference whether he put in effort or not, but she still wanted him to take part.
"Alright~"
Shinji agreed with exaggerated resignation and put in a little strength, really just humoring her.
That was enough to make Offside Trap's brows curl into a pleased smile.
This was what being pampered by her trainer was supposed to feel like. This was how he should be. She really had been overthinking things before.
Beside her, King Halo pursed her lips and simply focused on keeping her balance. The crowd was packed so tightly that getting any farther in would only become harder, and she was starting to feel a little troubled. She disliked squeezing into such dense crowds, and with more and more people pressing around them, she was also worried that Shinji might get jostled later.
She had half a mind to suggest that staying here to watch would be good enough.
But when she saw Offside Trap and Narita Brian still trying every possible way to push further inside, she held her tongue.
The combined strength of the three horse girls proved effective after all. At the very last moment before the fireworks festival began, the four of them managed—through effort and sheer physical power—to reach the front rows of the viewing area.
Letting go of Shinji, the three girls all lifted their heads toward the sky.
Tonight there was only a crescent moon, and the stars were hardly bright. Ordinarily, it would have been a rather unimpressive night sky.
But for the fireworks about to bloom, it was perfect.
Once they burst forth, their radiance would flood the heavens, and nothing else would contend with them.
Watching the staff make their final preparations, Shinji slipped both hands into his pockets. The night wind felt strangely less cold than before. Perhaps the gathered crowd had lent some warmth to the night itself. He tilted his head up.
The scene before him felt deeply familiar, and he could not help falling into memory.
Letting go of so much pain did not mean the beautiful parts of the past vanished with it.
At least, that was how it was right now.
Looking at the three trainees standing before him, Shinji's lips curved faintly upward.
The three girls seemed to have already begun making wishes, he guessed boldly.
Offside Trap's was probably to win even more races next year. Her past had made her obsession with victory run very deep. Shinji doubted there was another horse girl in all of Central Tracen with a stronger drive to win than hers.
As for King Halo, he felt hers was the easiest to guess. It was probably something like becoming a truly first-rate horse girl, surpassing her mother, and the like.
Narita Brian's was likely to win one more G1. After all, that was the very reason she had thrown herself recklessly into becoming his trainee.
Shinji could not hear their inner voices, so he could only amuse himself by imagining them.
Unbeknownst to him, after making their wishes, all three girls stole a glance at him.
Next year, I'm going to win even more races… and get even closer to Trainer!! — Offside Trap
Next year, I have to earn Mother's recognition and become a truly first-rate horse girl… and I'll make Trainer understand that I can be one of his greatest assets!! — King Halo
Win one more G1, Narita Brian. Don't let Shinji down. You have to work for the growth of this team too. — Narita Brian
He had guessed all of them right.
And yet, he had also missed something in every one.
Shinji didn't know that. What he did see was that the fireworks were finally ready.
Then, with a sudden crack, fire shot upward before their eyes, illuminating every face beneath the sky.
With a shrill whistle, the first firework streaked into the heavens.
A burst of dazzling color exploded across the darkness, instantly lighting up the entire night sky.
The stars and moon withdrew before it. Romantic hues danced across the heavens, reflected in the vast celestial river overhead.
Shinji crossed his arms over his chest. He could see the shifting lights in the three girls' eyes, but chose not to interrupt them.
Instead, he spoke softly in his heart.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 139)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter171)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter100)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter184)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 168
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 156
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 105
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 185
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 160
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 150
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 76
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 97
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 116
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 75
Uma Musume: I Want All 93
I Can Copy Unique Skills 79
Summoning an Evil God, but the 55
Supernatural Multiverse 75
My Harem Is Indescribable 68
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 70
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 66
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 69
Still playing traditional Honk 49
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 53
What Should I Do After Switchi 42
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 50
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 38
Transmigrated as Sukuna 35
Checking In in Demon Slayer 40
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 55
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