Teraizumi Shinji turned around to look at the woman asking if he was Teraizumi Shinji, puzzled at first. But seeing the delight shining in her eyes, he nodded.
"Wow, it really is you!"
Her next words were full of excitement. She only realized she had been too abrupt after grabbing Shinji's arm and shaking it several times.
"I… I'm a fan of Narita Brian. We have a small fan club, all cheering for Narita Brian. I'm the club president."
She was clearly the sort of deeply devoted fan. Shinji could tell she was being sincere, so he gave her a gentle smile. Since she supported one of his girls, it probably was not anything troublesome. Most likely, she wanted to ask about Brian's future plans.
And sure enough, after hesitating briefly, the woman spoke again. A trace of hope flickered in her eyes, and the hand lightly clutching Shinji's sleeve trembled.
"Hello, Trainer Teraizumi. I wanted to ask… when is Brian likely to come back?"
Her question was understandable. Ever since Narita Brian had entered the latter half of her time under Tojo Hana, she had barely raced at all—and even when she did, her results had been poor.
Without being able to rely on the enhanced strength granted by blessings anymore, Tojo Hana had indeed failed to create any truly precise training plan for Narita Brian. Her fans had long since stopped daring to imagine what it would look like if Brian ever won another G1. Then, at the end of last year, they were suddenly given news that rekindled their hopes.
Kochab.
A team name no one had ever heard before, which pretty much confirmed it was a newly formed team.
"My name is Metsugi Chiho!"
Seeing Shinji hesitate for a moment, the woman quickly added her name.
When the members of the club had first learned that Narita Brian was transferring to Kochab, they had actually grown even more anxious. Even Tojo Hana had effectively "given up" on Brian—so even though they loved and supported her, could a move to a new team, under a new trainer, really change anything?
What made it worse was that, for all their devotion as fans, there was nothing they could actually do for their idol.
But as they looked deeper into Kochab, that anxiety gradually began to turn around.
Teraizumi Shinji—if this had been two months earlier, maybe they really would not have known his name. But after Offside Trap's stunning performance in the Autumn Tenno Sho, and then her victory over the foreign powerhouses in the Japan Cup, racing fans had already remembered the name Teraizumi Shinji. A trainer with results would never stay buried, especially not a rising young one.
Fans paid just as much attention to trainers as they did to the girls. A man who had taken a horse girl who had never even won a graded stakes race, raised her to the level of that peerless escape run in the Autumn Tenno Sho, and then to the strength to seize the Japan Cup—Shinji's professional ability had already begun spreading through racing circles and earning real recognition.
Naturally, the members of the club were no exception. They had started to hope that Narita Brian, like Offside Trap before her, could overcome the obstacles in front of her and finally reach the far shore of her dreams.
"Please, you have to let her realize her dream!"
The woman suddenly bent forward in a deep bow, her voice firm enough to draw the attention of quite a few diners in the restaurant. Shinji hurriedly stepped aside, then patted her on the shoulder, motioning for her not to do that.
Metsugi Chiho was obviously too emotional. Feeling all the eyes that had turned toward them, Shinji could only sigh inwardly.
Then he exchanged a glance with Kuronuma. The other man gave a slight nod, and Shinji pointed to the chair beside him.
"Sit down first."
This woman clearly adored Narita Brian. Back in Brian's prime, that would not have been surprising at all. But this was now a later generation. Her era had long passed, and so many new, powerful horse girls had appeared since then.
For her to still have such loyal, unwavering fans was no small thing. Even people who had once loved Narita Brian very much would often have lost that perseverance after waiting so long.
"At first, I really didn't know whether Brian coming to you would turn out to be a good thing or a bad thing…"
She was the sort of person who was almost too honest. She made no attempt to soften what she was saying.
"Because even though Offside Trap's performances in the Autumn Tenno Sho and the Japan Cup were incredibly, incredibly dazzling… Tojo Hana is still absolutely the best trainer in Japan when it comes to honors and past achievements."
That awkward smile of hers nearly made even the stern Kuronuma laugh. She wore an apologetic expression, but what she said was so blunt it was hard to respond.
Shinji could only shake his head.
"But then there was Arima Kinen, and your results this year with Saint King Halo. Maybe… maybe you really are the trainer who can bring Brian back to the top."
Starlight shone in her eyes as she spoke of the girl who had once stood at the summit after her Triple Crown—those glorious days of the past, the peak of Narita Brian's honor, and also the reflection of this woman's own youth.
"So… when is Brian likely to race again? Mainly because we haven't even seen any news about her in the mock races."
Hearing the question, Shinji slowly shook his head.
He did not want to crush the hopes of such a devoted fan, so after a moment's thought he answered carefully.
"Brian's return will probably be in the autumn. For the first half of this year, I want to spend more time helping her find her rhythm again—more communication, more adjustment."
At those words, the light in Metsugi Chiho's eyes dimmed.
It was not just that she was desperate to see Narita Brian race again.
More than that, she was worried about Brian's condition.
Just as the system had said, Narita Brian was fighting against time itself. That was exactly what worried Metsugi Chiho—Brian was a horse girl of the old era. How much longer could she keep running on this stage? The glory of the past was already far behind her. If she was to start over now, she had to seize every possible opportunity she still had.
And the earlier her comeback race came, the more chances there might still be.
Of course, she had no idea how difficult Brian's current condition really was. She only lowered her head.
The excitement and joy she had shown moments ago were gone. It was as if, in the end, Brian's transfer had not changed much at all compared to her time in Rigil.
They still could not see that gallant figure return to the track.
"Please, both you and Brian, do your absolute best. We're all hoping—desperately hoping—to see the day she overcomes time itself…"
That heavy, heartfelt wish from a fan was something Shinji could only accept on Brian's behalf for now. If Brian herself had been here, the weight of that expectation would probably have put tremendous pressure on her, compelling her to answer it somehow.
Unlike the fans of Offside Trap and Saint King Halo, who showed up from time to time, Narita Brian's fans had only grown more earnest with the passage of time and the fading of her results and glory. And in those rare moments when they did meet her side of the world, they poured all of that feeling into it.
"We'll do our best," Shinji said.
And he could already see Metsugi Chiho's eyes beginning to redden.
"I'm counting on you!"
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 155)
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 (Chapter200)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter110)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter230)
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 200
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 180
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/5
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 230
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 220
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/30
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 120
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 135
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 110
I Can Copy Unique Skills 100
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 100
My Harem Is Indescribable 90
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 95
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 105
Still playing traditional Honk 69
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 80
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 70
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 75
Checking In in Demon Slayer 80
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 85
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 70
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 65
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 70
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 70
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 65
Why did they assign me to Uma 65
MYGO Beauties 65
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 55
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 65
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 45
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 45
The Uma Musume Who Became 40
I'm Definitely Not the King of 45
After Maxing Out Every Class 45
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