By the time their flight touched down back in Japan, Offside Trap was still fast asleep.
With the armrest between them raised, she had simply leaned against Teraizumi Shinji's shoulder the whole way, occasionally making a tiny sniffling sound in her sleep. If he hadn't already confirmed she really was asleep, Shinji might have started wondering whether she was faking it.
Looking out through the narrow window at the tarmac beyond, at the familiar sky of home, Shinji gave the top of her head a small push.
"Mmm…"
She let out a soft, unwilling murmur.
That reaction made him chuckle despite himself, and only then did Offside Trap slowly pry open her still-drowsy eyes.
"What is it, Trainer?"
Her voice was soft and syrupy, carrying the sweet helplessness of someone only half awake. It was a scene unique to waking from sleep—but Shinji didn't react much to it. He only pointed out the window.
"I'm not looking."
Thinking he was trying to show her some scenery again, Offside Trap promptly tightened her arms around his and tried to sink back into sleep.
Then Saint King Halo spoke from nearby, her tone mixed with too many complicated feelings to count.
"We're here."
Offside Trap's eyes flew open at once.
Saint King Halo's expression matched her voice exactly—layered, conflicted, impossible to untangle at a glance. But Offside Trap had no time to examine it. Her face turned scarlet in an instant.
Not just Saint King Halo and Narita Brian had seen her like that. Judging from the passengers filing off the plane, the others had probably seen it clearly too.
She glanced at the people around them, only to find them smiling in that knowing way adults did. Many of them were racing fans returning from Dubai as well. A few young women even gave her a thumbs-up.
[Negative Emotion +60]
[Negative Emotion +50]
The system notifications rang out back to back, though the lazy system didn't even bother specifying who they came from this time. Shinji stood up with a helpless expression.
"Let's go."
When they stepped out of the airport, Offside Trap still hadn't quite recovered from what had happened on the plane. Her expression remained awkward and flustered.
Then she caught sight of the two waiting outside: Hayakawa Tazuna, all smiles, and Rudolf Symboli, her expression gentle.
It had been an overwhelming success. Before the race, although nearly everyone believed Offside Trap could win the Dubai Sheema Classic, Japan's poor record abroad had still left a lingering fear that some strange curse might strike and cause her to underperform.
But the strength she displayed in the race, that same familiar air of domination, had put every racing fan's heart firmly at ease.
At last, Rudolf Symboli had encountered a horse girl who had fulfilled the wishes Japanese racing fans had cherished for so long. Even if there had once been misunderstandings between them, and even if this girl was not one she herself had chosen—
Even so, at this point, all Rudolf felt toward Offside Trap was recognition, and apology.
"Welcome back."
It was Rudolf who spoke first.
Offside Trap blanked for a moment before nodding.
Her odd, slightly stiff reaction immediately caught Tazuna's attention.
"Do you have a fever?"
She shot Shinji a reproachful look, clearly assuming he had failed to take proper care of his horse girl. Then she hurried over and laid a hand against Offside Trap's forehead.
A second later, confusion crossed her face.
Not because Offside Trap's forehead was cool—but because when Tazuna had first asked, it had seemed to get even hotter.
"She doesn't have a fever. Something… happened just now. She's still embarrassed about it."
Only after hearing Shinji's explanation did Tazuna finally relax. Taking Offside Trap's hand in hers, she found that it, too, was just as warm as her face. That only convinced her further that whatever had happened must have been mortifying.
"Let's head back to the academy first."
"Okay."
Shinji raised a brow when he saw the business van Tazuna had brought.
He had to find some way to keep this car for the team.
The drive from the airport to the academy did not take long. After such a long flight, a little more travel hardly mattered.
And yet, as they arrived, the atmosphere around Tracen Academy itself seemed brighter than before. Perhaps it was only because Offside Trap had just won an international middle-distance G1, but the whole campus felt festive. Even the flowers and plants seemed more alive than usual.
As Shinji stepped through the gates, he finally felt a sense of release. Though the trip had not been all that long, it had still left a distinct impression on him.
This overseas campaign had taught him a great deal. Even though his horse girl had won so smoothly and naturally, so free of danger that it almost seemed effortless—looking back, he could still identify plenty of places where the arrangements could have been better.
There were many things he could have handled more cleanly.
He stopped walking abruptly.
Offside Trap, who had been behind him busy replying to Shijiaji's messages, walked straight into his back. She rubbed her nose lightly and looked up at him in confusion, wondering whether her trainer had something to say.
In truth, he had only been caught by a sudden burst of reflection and regret, the kind that came from realizing too late how certain things could have been done better. But when he turned and saw Offside Trap looking at him, he had nothing ready to say.
"So… after this, take a few days off. I'll let you know when training resumes."
He forced the line out simply because he couldn't think of anything else to say, then strode off toward the trainer dorms, leaving Tazuna and the three horse girls behind.
His pace was a little too quick.
Shinji only felt that he needed to hurry back and write down his notes while everything was fresh. But to the women watching him go, it looked as though the exhaustion had finally caught up with him and he was rushing off to collapse into bed.
A smile slowly spread across Offside Trap's face.
She knew exactly what kind of person her trainer was. When he set out to prepare for a race, he devoted all of his mind and effort to helping his horse girl. He would make every possible arrangement, leave no stone unturned.
So of course he would be tired.
Watching the path where he had disappeared, Offside Trap turned to her teammates and the secretary, said her farewells, and then headed off as well.
Seeing the way he had hurried off, the sleepiness she thought had faded returned all at once.
She was going to get some good sleep too.
Watching Tazuna and Narita Brian leave as well, Saint King Halo's lips curved into a bitter smile.
The encouraging words Tazuna had just given her still lingered, but the truth remained unchanged. Over this stretch of time, she had raced in countless practice races, crossing paths with more unfamiliar opponents than she could count.
She had certainly learned a great deal. Yet whatever trace of pride or self-satisfaction she had managed to build up was shattered the moment she saw that figure cross the finish line so effortlessly.
To make someone like that your goal—
Perhaps this was simply how painful it was. Every time she felt she had improved, she only discovered that the other person had advanced even further.
The images from those practice races rose one after another in her mind. Saint King Halo knew she ought to sit down and sort through them properly, to reflect on everything.
She licked her lips.
Though she had not exercised at all, they felt oddly dry and cracked, so dry that she almost wanted to bite them open.
She knew exactly why.
But she had no one she could say it to, and no words she could bring herself to speak.
So Saint King Halo merely looked toward her dormitory building, then slowly began to walk.
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 150)
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 (Chapter190)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter105)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter225)
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 195
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 170
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/5
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 225
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 210
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/30
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 115
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 130
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 105
I Can Copy Unique Skills 100
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 90
My Harem Is Indescribable 85
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 90
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 100
Still playing traditional Honk 69
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 75
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 60
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 71
Checking In in Demon Slayer 75
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 80
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 66
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 58
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 65
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 63
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 59
Why did they assign me to Uma 55
MYGO Beauties 56
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 45
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 49
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 36
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 35
The Uma Musume Who Became 30
I'm Definitely Not the King of 25
After Maxing Out Every Class 25
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