As an unofficial event, the relay race generated a level of excitement no less than any major Twinkle Series Race. The moment it ended, reporters and fans both inside and outside the venue expressed their passion through crowding, constant phone calls, and nonstop commotion.
Kitahara had seen plenty of big scenes before, but this one still caught him slightly off guard—though after thinking about it for a moment, it felt perfectly natural.
The return of Symboli Rudolf and that group of legends was itself an enormous talking point.
Back in their active days, they had been national idols. Even after retirement, they hadn't faded from public memory; on the contrary, nostalgia and lingering regret had given them a unique kind of popularity.
The same was true for the horse girls of the Eisei Team during their active years.
The appeal of a showdown between top-tier competitors transcended any specific occasion. For many spectators, the most important thing was simply being able to watch a race—watching their beloved horse girls run freely. Which race it was didn't really matter.
As long as they could see her—see them—still running, that was enough. Many fans felt this way, and that same emotion was clearly conveyed to Kitahara and the others.
Tokai Teio and the rest delivering such brilliant performances only added an unexpected layer of delight on top of those first two expectations.
In fact, Kitahara realized somewhat belatedly that ninety-nine percent of the people in this world were different from him.
They had no idea what kind of talent those five youngsters in the final leg actually possessed.
"The strongest long-distance runner," "the indomitable Emperor," "the Triple Crown horse of the Shadow Band."
Mejiro McQueen, Tokai Teio, and Narita Brian were all hall-of-fame–level talents. Even if the future development of this world were to change somewhat, their potential was absolutely beyond doubt.
"The genius of the uphill," "from pitch-black assassin to glorious hero"—Mihono Bourbon and Rice Shower hadn't quite made it into the hall of fame, but no one would ever call them weak.
After all, an undefeated double crown wasn't something just anyone could achieve, and defeating a hall-of-fame horse from behind certainly wasn't either.
Kitahara knew all of this—but the people of this world, even the many experienced horse girls, did not.
In this world, common sense was still based on judging a horse girl's talent only after "full-scale development." It was unavoidable that people lacked understanding of earlier-stage horse girls.
Because of all these factors, the post-race arrangements ended up being different from what the team had originally planned.
According to the pre-race schedule, everyone was supposed to celebrate together afterward—eat good food, have fun, and rest for a couple of days.
The celebration venue had already been arranged: the training camp estate.
But now, while the other trainers and horse girls did go to the estate to celebrate and rest, Kitahara instead had to attend a "temporarily convened" press conference together with Akikawa Yayoi and Symboli Rudolf.
To be honest, Kitahara felt that maybe he was the only one who thought this was "temporary."
Hadn't he just seen the petite chairwoman get so excited by the reporters' nonstop questions that she climbed onto a chair and started speaking at length?
She even smoothly brought up plans for future competitions—the very draft she'd shown on the helicopter.
That had to have been planned long ago, right?
But then again, maybe it really was somewhat impromptu.
After all, when first faced with the interviews, Symboli Rudolf had looked a bit stunned. It was only afterward that she seemed to adjust, relying on her professionalism as student council president.
So the real situation was probably that Akikawa Yayoi had prepared two plans.
If the relay race response was average, they'd just celebrate normally.
If the response was as enthusiastic as it was now, then taking the opportunity to push forward plans for the future of horse girls was indeed an excellent choice.
Under normal circumstances, Kitahara would have been very enthusiastic about a press conference like this—he might even have spoken proactively.
Promoting the development of the industry had always been his dream, and he had always worked toward it, cooperating with Akikawa Yayoi on many initiatives.
But right now, his mind was completely elsewhere—back at the vacation estate.
The other horse girls didn't have any major problems.
Super Creek, Mejiro Ardan, Tamamo Cross, Inari One—after such intense competition, they were certainly tired, but after Miyamura Kyoko's examination, it was determined that there were no serious issues and that rest would be enough.
So they were fine.
Tokai Teio and the others were in roughly the same condition.
The only exception was Oguri Cap's state.
Ever since the race ended, she'd become completely spaced out—like a giant mochi ball made from overcooked glutinous rice.
Whether it was Kitahara himself, Super Creek and the others, Symboli Rudolf and her group, or even the juniors—no matter who went to talk to her or tried poking and squishing her, she only responded with dull "mm" and "ah" sounds.
Like she'd turned into an oversized chibi figurine.
It didn't take Kitahara long to think of some possible reasons.
It was most likely a mental issue.
From Kasamatsu until now, she had never lost an official race.
She had lost in practice races—like routine test runs, or that exchange meet in Europe—but those weren't the same as official races.
Back then, she'd simply wanted to run and compete.
This time, although it still wasn't an official race, her mindset had changed.
It probably started back when they went to soak in the hot springs at Kasamatsu—she'd begun to care about winning and losing.
Or rather, not just winning and losing, but about performance.
It was a very subtle distinction.
Caring about winning and losing was simply competitive spirit.
Caring about performance meant that, instinctively, she believed she would win—the only question was by how much.
Under that latter mindset, whether in official races or other competitions, feeling frustrated by a loss was completely natural.
To confirm this, Kitahara even swallowed his pride and asked someone suitable.
That person, of course, wasn't Oguri Cap—expecting clear answers from a "mochi" was far too much.
He asked Symboli Rudolf.
Asking a legendary emperor about her few defeats was admittedly like poking a sore spot.
Her immediate reaction upon hearing the question did make Kitahara break out in a cold sweat.
But he couldn't think of a better person in such a short time, so he took the risk.
Fortunately, after glaring at him with barely concealed killing intent for a long while, Symboli Rudolf still gave him an answer.
"Probably," she said. "I mean, I think your thinking is correct, Kitahara."
With a hint of reluctance, arms crossed and face turned aside, she continued:
"Once an unbroken winning streak is shattered, the mental gap can lead to any number of poor performances. Oguri Cap's case is actually relatively mild."
"As for me back then… ahem…"
"Anyway, she's currently experiencing a psychological barrier called 'frustration.'"
"I know why you're asking me—you want to know if there's any experience you can share with her, but…"
"I honestly don't have any particularly good solutions."
"This kind of mindset, whether from my own experience or what I've learned, can really only be overcome by oneself."
"Of course, your encouragement, comfort, and other forms of support are still very important."
"If I remember correctly, Tamamo once had a very severe psychological issue too—it even affected her race performance. I remember Komiyama mentioning it once."
"She said it was ultimately resolved using your approach."
"Oguri Cap's current condition shouldn't be as serious as Tamamo's was."
"So for you, this shouldn't be a problem. In the end, it's up to you, Chief, Kitahara."
The problem had been thrown back to him—but Kitahara hadn't expected Rudolf to solve it in the first place. He'd only wanted to understand similar experiences.
Guiding horse girls through psychological issues was a trainer's required course. Over their careers, horse girls would inevitably face setbacks of various kinds—being ignorant of coping methods was absolutely unacceptable.
The issue was that solving it required time—time to communicate and to think through the right approach.
Kitahara really wanted to deal with this immediately, but was delayed by this "temporary press conference."
So now, wearing a formulaic smile, mechanically nodding under the constant flashing white lights of the press cameras, all he could think about was when this would finally end.
"…Hey, Kitahara. Hey…"
A low call pulled him back from his anxious frustration. He followed the sound and saw Symboli Rudolf leaning her head down toward him.
He glanced to the other side.
Akikawa Yayoi was still standing on a chair, happily waving a fan and responding to a reporter's question.
Since it didn't seem like there was anything for him to do over there, Kitahara lowered his head as well.
"…What is it?" he asked quietly.
"Do you have any thoughts…? About what that reporter asked earlier," Symboli Rudolf replied just as softly, answering his question with one of her own.
"…What did they ask?" Kitahara hadn't been listening at all.
"It was about new competitions, clubs, and potential candidates…"
Briefly and concisely, Symboli Rudolf explained the interview so far.
Kitahara quickly understood—the topic was an extension of the draft Akikawa Yayoi had shown on the helicopter.
Founding new competitions was Yayoi's idea, one Kitahara strongly supported, as did Symboli Rudolf and the other insiders.
But the details required a lot of careful consideration.
Any kind of competition involving horse girls was inseparable from URA Association regulations, which in turn represented the operational rules that sustained the entire industry.
Only exciting races could attract enough fans, which then supported ticket sales, Winning Live stages, merchandise, endorsements, and the rest of the industrial chain.
That was how the industry maintained sufficient funding to function.
Going back to the beginning—exciting races required horse girls with outstanding strength and talent.
In Kitahara's view, if "full-scale development," "domain formation," and related research could be completed and widely promoted, then such horse girls would never be in short supply.
But that took time—something impossible at present, especially in the eyes of most people.
Every year, only around 7,000 girls even had the potential to become horse girls, and only one in a hundred of those could appear in Twinkle Races. This meant that at the active level, hosting consistently exciting competitions was inherently difficult.
To put it bluntly, if spectators entered a race full of excitement only to find the competition no better than what they themselves could run, complaints against horse girls might be rare—but shouts of "refund!" directed at the URA Association would definitely be plentiful.
At worst, it could even damage the popularity of the Shining Series itself.
That was something the URA Association, trainers, horse girls, and fans all wanted to avoid.
Akikawa Yayoi had considered this, which was why she limited the scope of implementation to Central Tracen Academy.
The specific format had also been decided—taking inspiration from other sports industries to form "clubs."
In Kitahara's view, this was an excellent idea.
With sufficient resources, using the "club" format would allow them to bypass the URA Association and host competitions independently. Audiences would naturally distinguish "club events" from the "Twinkle Series."
Trainers had considered this idea before, and mainstream overseas training models were essentially club-based.
The reason it had never been clearly implemented was simple: outstanding horse girls were too difficult to discover.
In most cases, a trainer finding even one exceptional horse girl was already impressive. Someone like Kitahara, operating on this scale, was practically cheating.
"Talent scouts" were rare—and in a world without horses, only horse girls, that remained true.
With too few outstanding horse girls, hosting competitions in a club format was simply unrealistic.
As Kitahara listened to Symboli Rudolf and quickly sorted through the plan's key points, he also noticed that at this press conference, the reporters' attention seemed focused almost entirely on the concept of "clubs."
"Forgive me for the blunt reminder, Chairwoman Akikawa, but you seem to have been avoiding the topic of 'clubs,'" a reporter said at this moment.
One reporter had just finished speaking with Akikawa Yayoi when another stood up and brought up "clubs" again.
From his follow-up questions, it was clear that he had already asked similar things before.
"If, as you say, a sufficiently large 'club' can be developed based on Central Tracen Academy, that would indeed be wonderful news for everyone who loves horse girls."
Leaning forward, the reporter fixed his gaze on Akikawa Yayoi, his pen flying across his notebook.
"In terms of funding, venues, and systems, I believe everyone here shares my confidence in your preparations."
"But…"
"Club members—specifically, the horse girls who would compete?"
"We all know how rare outstanding horse girls are. Otherwise, the Twinkle Series wouldn't have struggled to expand worldwide."
"If there aren't enough horse girls, what's the point of forming such clubs?"
"Would you draw from active racers or retired ones?"
"In that case, wouldn't the URA Association object?"
"And participating in two series simultaneously would be a heavy burden on the horse girls' bodies. Have you considered this, and do you have solutions?"
This rapid-fire barrage of questions clearly resonated with all the reporters present. Their gazes shifted between Akikawa Yayoi and the standing reporter, nodding and writing continuously.
Not only the reporters—even among the staff maintaining order and providing services, many were horse girl fans, watching the interview with thoughtful or expectant expressions.
Kitahara had to admit that this reporter wasn't the type to chase sensationalism or take things out of context. He had clearly done serious research, analysis, and had a deep understanding of horse girls.
His questions went straight to the core of Akikawa Yayoi's proposal, without any unnecessary fluff.
And only then did Kitahara recognize him.
Isn't that Fujii Sensuke?
Well, if it was that horse-girl-obsessed journalist, then it made perfect sense.
Kitahara had known this full-time horse girl reporter for a long time and knew exactly how much he loved horse girls.
He never missed a competition and seized every opportunity to interview—basic behavior for Fujii Sensuke.
There had even been a funny incident once during casual chat.
Recently, Fujii Sensuke had gone shopping with his girlfriend and run into an active horse girl. He immediately ditched his girlfriend to conduct an interview.
The interview itself was very fruitful—but he got dumped afterward.
After all, leaving your girlfriend alone for one or two hours on a date, forgetting she even existed, and then rushing back to the office to write an article—someone like that was lucky to have had a girlfriend at all. Getting dumped was only natural.
"Ah… Sensuke, that guy… honestly, he goes straight for the most critical questions…"
Recognizing the familiar reporter, Kitahara couldn't help but chuckle quietly.
"Yes, he's the one who asked the chairwoman about 'clubs' before," Symboli Rudolf replied softly.
"'Clubs' are a great design—even I find it appealing."
"But Fujii is right. Without suitable and sufficient horse girls, even the best design is just a castle in the air—meaningless."
"The chairwoman has already answered him before, though only with official phrasing like 'internal academy matters, no comment.' Anyone who understands knows that this… ahem, basically means the details haven't been fully worked out yet."
Symboli Rudolf lightly covered her face.
"As a result, we ran into Mr. Fujii… uh, such an enthusiastic reporter. There was really nothing we could do about it…"
"Y-yeah… things like long-term planning, there's no way you can explain everything in a single press conference…"
Kitahara muttered under his breath.
"And besides… how's Oguri Cap doing? I still don't even know…"
"I really wish this press conference would just end already so I can head back…"
Hearing this, Rudolf Symboli showed a look of understanding and reassurance. She reached out and lightly patted Kitahara's arm, lowering her voice.
"Just endure it for now. It may drag on for quite a while, but Oguri Cap shouldn't be in any danger…"
As soon as she said that, she noticed Kitahara's gaze flicker. He lowered his head, reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone—and his brow immediately tightened.
"…Did something happen?"
As she asked, Rudolf felt an inexplicable sense of awkwardness.
Her intuition told her that the thing she had just casually mentioned—Oguri Cap—might actually have run into trouble…
Before she could ask further, her own phone began to vibrate.
She quickly took it out to check.
"Wrap things up on your end as soon as possible. Oguri Cap said she wanted to go for a walk, but we lost contact with her shortly after."
It was a message from Maruzensky.
Her brow furrowed just like Kitahara's. Without much thought, Rudolf could already guess that what he received was probably a very similar message.
The message came suddenly, but when you thought about it, it wasn't completely unexpected.
Oguri Cap had been in a confused state earlier—but she wasn't clueless. She could understand that her daze came from feeling defeated.
That feeling was one Rudolf knew very well. She had gone through the same thing back then.
The difference was that Rudolf had chosen to shut herself away indoors, while Oguri Cap chose to "go for a walk."
That "walk" was clearly meant to be alone. Just like Rudolf in the past, Oguri Cap probably felt that some time by herself might help her sort things out.
Under normal circumstances, Maruzensky probably wouldn't have sent a message. After all, in her long career, her close friend had never lost.
But because today's relay race was so spectacular, the fans' enthusiasm was at a fever pitch. There was no guarantee that nothing unexpected would happen.
Safety wasn't the concern. As one of the best active horse girls of this era, Oguri Cap certainly had the ability to protect herself.
The real issue was her mental state.
With Oguri Cap's popularity, she would draw attention wherever she went. If someone asked her how she felt about today's relay race, it could easily stir up thoughts she didn't need right now.
That was likely why Maruzensky had sent the message—and why Kitahara had received one as well.
The message Kitahara received was much simpler.
"brother, is the press conference still not over?"
It was from Komiyama Katsumi.
On the surface, it looked like a simple inquiry.
But Kitahara had just been thinking about Oguri Cap, and Rudolf Symboli had mentioned her at exactly the wrong moment.
He couldn't help but start connecting the dots—wondering if something had happened back at the estate that required him to rush over.
For example… Oguri Cap.
If it had just been speculation, he might've brushed it off. But when he caught sight of Rudolf Symboli frowning out of the corner of his eye, he was completely certain.
The checkups for the other horse girls were all normal.
The only one with anything unusual was Oguri Cap.
"…Rudolf, you jinxed it."
Even though he knew Oguri Cap was probably fine physically, Kitahara shared Rudolf's concerns and couldn't help sighing inwardly.
This wasn't the time to complain anyway. The most important thing was to get back as soon as possible, figure out what was going on, and—ideally—figure out where Oguri Cap might have gone.
So without hesitation, Kitahara instinctively stood up, preparing to leave the press conference.
He had never been particularly interested in these events, and with his mind fixed on his horse girls, he had no patience left to spare.
However, while he and Rudolf were quietly talking and checking messages, the interview was still ongoing.
His sudden movement startled Akiyama Yayoi mid-response—and completely misled the reporters.
"…C-could it be?!"
Fujii Sensuke, who had been pressing for answers, saw Kitahara stand up and immediately assumed he was about to speak. He became visibly excited.
"Does Chief Trainer Kitahara have something to say about the club concept?!"
"That would be fantastic!"
"Chief Kitahara is already one of the top trainers in the industry—does that mean you will be the one in charge of this club?!"
"And will you also be responsible for selecting the club's athletes?!"
Fujii Sensuke was quite familiar with Kitahara. Many reports on Eternal Team's training, competitions, and corporate projects had gone through him.
Privately, they weren't as distant as typical trainer–reporter relationships, so Fujii didn't bother with honorifics and spoke directly.
Under normal circumstances, Kitahara would have answered patiently.
But with anxiety weighing on him, he didn't even process the question properly and responded irritably without thinking.
"What responsibility are you even talking about…?"
The moment he said that, the interruption snapped him out of it. He realized that with both Chairman Akiyama and Student Council President Rudolf present, abruptly leaving would be extremely inappropriate.
No matter what, those two were major figures. Walking out like that would put them in an awkward position.
"Sorry—I lost my composure. I've just been too busy lately."
This wasn't his first public slip-up. Kitahara quickly adjusted and began forming a response.
"Responsibility…"
"You mean the club, right?"
Using a question to buy time was a classic press conference trick. Reporters eager for answers would usually repeat the question, giving him time to organize his thoughts.
As expected, Fujii hurriedly replied.
"Yes! The club Chairman mentioned earlier—my question is…"
By the time the familiar question came back around, Kitahara had already connected the dots.
At its core, the key issue of this so-called club was whether there were enough capable horse girls.
That…
Wasn't that simple?
I can think of dozens off the top of my head.
Even if they haven't fully matured yet, just adjust based on relay race formats and data—designing suitable events would be easy.
Take today's relay race. If Mejiro McQueen can run—and run well—
Then Mejiro Ryan, Mejiro Palmer, Daiwa Scarlet, Agnes Tachyon, Ikuno Dictus, Taiki Shuttle…
Why couldn't they?
Likewise—Tokai Teio, Rice Shower, Mihono Bourbon—
Twin Turbo, Winning Ticket, Nice Nature, Sakura Bakushin O, Matikane Tannhauser—
Wouldn't they all work?
And further down the line—Biwa Hayahide, Narita Taishin—
Narita Brian, Hishi Amazon, Marvelous Sunday, Sakura Laurel, Meisho Doto…
What's the problem?
Is building a club really that difficult?
Why are they still arguing about it?
With anxiety coloring his thoughts, Kitahara almost blurted out the names he'd just thought of.
But suddenly, he snapped back to reality.
He had been misled by today's relay race.
He knew the strength of McQueen and Teio—but the rest of the world didn't.
Only after the relay race did others start to notice.
And those girls had been training with Eisei Team beforehand, so no one would think too deeply about it.
But if he revealed too many "ahead-of-time" insights all at once… that would be troublesome.
That was close.
Luckily, he hadn't spoken impulsively.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and thought carefully about what to say next.
Fujii was already holding his pen mid-air, notebook clenched tightly, staring at him with wide eyes and an open mouth.
Just like Oguri Cap waiting for the cafeteria to open.
The other reporters looked the same.
Akiyama Yayoi, whether out of trust or prior planning, had already stepped down from her chair.
She dusted it off, sat back down leisurely, opened her fan to reveal the bold black characters "Chairman", and peeked over the edge expectantly.
Seeing that the chairman hadn't stopped the shift in focus, Rudolf Symboli—though still worried—remained silent, watching attentively.
"If I were to be responsible for the club, it would be my honor."
After the opening line, Kitahara glanced at Akiyama Yayoi.
Leave it to me. I can handle this.
That was what his eyes conveyed.
"Announcement."
Without standing, Akiyama closed her fan and turned to the reporters.
"As for the preliminary plan for the club, the leading proposal is to name it Eternal."
"That is, reorganizing Chief Kitahara's Eisei Team into the Eisei Club is currently the preferred option."
This was practically a direct personnel announcement.
Compared to her earlier evasiveness, this alone counted as major news. The reporters immediately stirred—especially Fujii, who was itching to ask more.
Kitahara didn't give him the chance.
"As for club members, I already have a preliminary plan."
"Conservatively estimated, we can form no fewer than four teams."
"Each team will consist of at least five members."
"If we adjust the structure—say, ten members per team—the number of teams will decrease, but the total number of horse girls will remain the same."
"In other words, at least twenty."
"And none of them will be active racers."
The reporters' agitation spread instantly—but Kitahara continued without pause.
"We can increase both the number of teams and participants."
"As for competition quality, I'm confident it won't be lower than today's relay race."
"Details still need to be finalized—such as candidate intentions, physical condition, resource allocation, trainer assignments, and so on."
"But my team and I are confident we can handle it."
"So for now, please continue to follow the horse girls, Tracen Academy, and the Eisei Team."
"We will hold a more formal press conference later."
The situation was spiraling out of control.
"Do you already have a confirmed roster?!"
"Are you absolutely sure no active racers will be reassigned?!"
"Does Eisei Team have enough trainers and technicians?! Will you recruit externally—what are the requirements?!"
"Are you certain the competition level won't fall below today's relay race?! Today's event rivaled top-grade races—are you planning to create a new series separate from the Shining Series?!"
"What is URA's stance on this?! How do you plan to coordinate regulations?!"
The reporters were practically surging forward. If not for staff blocking them, microphones, recorders, and cameras would've been shoved right into Kitahara's face.
Thankfully, they weren't—so he could still speak clearly into his microphone.
"I already said—more details will come later. Some questions simply can't be answered right now."
"Besides…"
He paused slightly.
"Isn't today's news already enough to cover your performance quotas for the next few months?"
The question was sharp.
The reporters fell awkwardly silent.
And honestly—he wasn't wrong.
A brand-new horse-girl club, possibly the first in URA history.
Discovery of new rising stars.
A competition format different from the URA series.
Any one of these would be enough to secure a reporter first place for the month.
Still, having their industry incentives stated so bluntly felt… uncomfortable.
Kitahara noticed the awkwardness—and saw Fujii giving him frantic looks.
"…Sorry. I really am exhausted. That was rude of me."
After apologizing again, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Still, I'm honored by Chairman Akiyama's trust."
"And I will lead my team with everything we have to complete the club's establishment."
"To show my determination—let me announce the tentative name of the tournament series."
"Youth Cup."
"Vigor, brilliance, boundless spirit—this is what I want the participating horse girls to feel."
"Let's call it the Youth Cup. You can report it that way."
At this point, Kitahara felt he was losing control entirely.
So he simply nodded firmly toward the reporters, then to the composed Akiyama Yayoi, and finally to Rudolf, who had regained her calm after a brief hesitation.
"Sorry. I'm not feeling well today. Thank you for your understanding—I'll take my leave."
After apologizing for the third time, he turned and quickly exited the press hall—now a powder keg ready to explode.
Everyone along the way recognized him, and he encountered no resistance as he rushed outside.
He pulled out his phone and called Komiyama Katsumi.
"Have you found Oguri Cap?"
He asked bluntly.
"Oh—Brother, you're done already? Uh—ah—no, we haven't found her… ah! I said it out loud!"
Faintly, he could hear Yuzuhara Taro and Miyamura Kyoko complaining in the background.
A moment later—
"… Brother, sometimes it's okay if you're a little dumb…"
Hearing her pitiful tone, Kitahara almost laughed in frustration.
So now it's my fault for figuring it out?
With no patience to scold her, he spoke firmly.
"Enough. What exactly happened?"
It was a rare serious tone—one he usually only used when arranging races.
Komiyama's voice immediately became more subdued and honest.
"Well… after the race, Oguri Cap was pretty down. She didn't even seem interested when we invited her to the banquet…"
His heart tightened.
Honestly—believing Oguri Cap wasn't interested in food was harder than believing he could outrun a horse girl.
But the next part eased his tension.
According to Komiyama, Oguri Cap did eat quite a lot.
Slightly less than usual—maybe ten percent less—but still the most overall.
[World hunger solved]
Afterward, she told Belno Light, "I'm really full. I'm going to take a walk to digest," and left the banquet hall.
Worried, Belno Light tried calling her—but found her phone turned off. That's when everyone panicked.
"…That's about it. We've all been searching everywhere."
Komiyama's voice was full of anxiety.
"The kitchen, dorms, training grounds…"
"The training island, even Nagoya…"
"Someone even wondered if she'd go back to Kasamatsu, so people went there too—but we haven't called Lady White Narubi yet. Didn't want to worry her."
"We figured that for horse girls, Kasamatsu isn't actually that far—at normal speed, it's only a few dozen minutes."
"So Maruzensky and Ramonu headed that way."
"Brother… what do you think is going on with Oguri Cap?"
Kitahara was silent for a moment.
"I know you're anxious—but listen to me. Don't panic."
"How can I not panic?! She looked like that after the race—how could anyone stay calm—eh?! Wait!"
Komiyama suddenly got excited.
"Did you figure out where she went?!"
Instead of answering, Kitahara asked calmly.
"If I remember right—because of the race, Oguri Cap, Tokai Teio, Maruzensky—all the participants—didn't touch their phones all day, right? And the days before that, too?"
"…Yeah, that's true, but—"
"Then it's fine."
Kitahara's voice turned confident.
"Oguri Cap won't break that easily. If she said she was going for a walk—then she really just went for a walk."
"As for why no one can reach her—simple. Her phone ran out of battery."
"If you think about it, Oguri Cap's personality…"
"Forgetting to charge her phone? I'd be more surprised if she didn't."
"Especially with the recent race preparations."
"Come to think of it—didn't Tamamo, Inari, maybe even Teio—have low battery too when they went looking for her?"
"…That actually sounds right… Tamamo's phone really—"
Komiyama paused, then grew anxious again.
"But that explanation still feels kind of flimsy…"
"It is. Which is why—"
Kitahara had already reached the building entrance and waved down a taxi.
"I'm going to check the place she's most likely to be."
"…Brother, are you secretly from a shrine or something? How do you know everything…?"
Komiyama asked in disbelief, then hurriedly added.
"So—where did she go?!"
"That's easy."
Kitahara smiled instinctively.
"Fall where you fell—stand back up there."
"I think that's exactly the kind of girl Oguri Cap is."
"Today's race venue…"
"You didn't exclude that first, did you?"