[We are getting too close to the raw, so I will have to stop the bonus releases for awhile, the author hasn't write for a few days so he may be sick or something]
With Kuroha's official return, the already-under-the-surface Hong Kong horsegirl scene finally hit a breaking point.
As the first-ever Hong Kong Mile Championship, it was also the Hong Kong horsegirl association's first time receiving certification as an International Grade 1.
For this debut, the Hong Kong media practically went all-in.
From the giant screens on street corners to the TVs in dim sum shops, promotional clips for the race rolled almost nonstop all day long.
Far East, Ireland, Singapore, Malaysia…
Top horsegirls from all over the world had been invited.
And among all the buzzwords, besides "first-ever," the one mentioned most was—
"Grey Monster."
"A miracle from the Far East!"
"A terrifying force that swept two European G1s!"
"Chasing Light's head trainer personally takes command—swearing to claim this Pearl of the Orient!"
The front pages of every major paper were practically monopolized by that gray-white silhouette.
The top favorite—there was almost no debate.
…
And yet, none of the outside noise made it into Kuroha's Hong Kong training grounds.
Here, it was so quiet it felt like only the wind, breathing, and footsteps remained.
Kuroha stood trackside with a stopwatch in hand, gaze sharp, locked tightly onto the figure on the course making final pre-race adjustments.
"Pick up your cadence a bit more, Oguri Cap."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to Oguri Cap's ears.
"Didn't we cover this at summer training camp? Sha Tin's turf is similar to Central's—don't bring your Europe running habits over here. The grass here is firmer, with faster rebound."
"Don't stomp with brute force. Learn to borrow the ground's reaction force…"
"Yes!" Oguri Cap shouted back from the track.
She quickly adjusted her breathing and stride. The heavy thud of her steps turned lighter and lighter within seconds, as if she'd become a gust skimming across the grass.
These were techniques she'd learned already—her body just hadn't instinctively adapted to the subtle differences between tracks yet.
Now that Kuroha had pointed it out, a conscious adjustment erased that discomfort with ease.
Earlier, when Nase Fumino had been serving as her temporary trainer, she'd been dazzled by Oguri Cap's sheer strength and condition—and hadn't noticed that tiny flaw.
It wouldn't have stopped Oguri Cap from winning the qualifiers, but with Kuroha here, there could be no imperfections in the main event.
…
Off to the side, Fumino watched it all, fingers tightening around her notebook.
But soon enough, she sighed as if resigning herself. "Yeah… there's no way I'm catching up to Kuroha in just a few months. I'll take it slow…"
Back then, she hadn't even reacted in time when Super Creek's peak phase ended and her physical condition started dropping at an alarming rate.
Asking her to spot something as microscopic as Oguri Cap being slightly off—right away—really was too much.
…
The high-intensity training lasted three days.
On the afternoon of the fourth day, during a rare rest period, Kuroha didn't let Oguri Cap sleep in the dorms.
Instead, he drove her—still looking completely lost—to bustling Central in Hong Kong.
The car stopped in front of a high-end bespoke tailor shop, its decor antique and dignified, steeped in the weight of years.
"Trainer… are we buying clothes?"
Oguri Cap looked at the display window—fine suits and delicate cheongsams—and scratched her head in confusion. "But I already have clothes to wear."
"Just go in and you'll see." Kuroha smiled mysteriously, offering no explanation as he tugged her along inside.
In the shop, an elderly grandmother with reading glasses and silver hair seemed to have been waiting for them.
When she saw Kuroha enter, she smiled and nodded, then picked up a measuring tape and walked right up to Oguri Cap.
"Arms up. Breathe in. Relax."
Her hands were fast and professional. The tape slid swiftly across the girl's shoulders, waist, arm length, and the lines of her legs.
"Um…" Oguri Cap stood there obediently like a doll, letting herself be arranged, her eyes and ears full of oversized question marks.
Nearby, Kuroha leaned against the counter, watching the girl—someone who possessed power great enough to shake the world, yet looked adorably blank in front of this grandmother.
Then his gaze shifted, sweeping over several design sketches already laid out on the table, and the corner of his mouth lifted.
"…All set."
A little over ten minutes later, the grandmother put away the tape and tools, studied the data in her notebook, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Don't worry, Mr. Mo. It'll be finished within seven days."
"Much appreciated." Kuroha dipped his head slightly.
When they stepped out of the tailor shop, the sunset spilled across Hong Kong's streets, dyeing the whole city in gold.
Kuroha held Oguri Cap's hand as she followed behind him, happily licking at a popsicle she'd been given—having already tossed her earlier confusion to the back of her mind.
"Don't you want to know what the measurements were for?" Kuroha asked softly, fingers laced with the girl's delicate hand.
Oguri Cap shook her head without hesitation. "I don't know, but if Trainer's doing it, then it must be right."
A naturally airheaded girl who poured most of her brainpower into eating and running, she wasn't sensitive to little everyday details like this.
"With Trainer here, everything will get solved."
That was the one pure thought echoing inside her simple head.
"…All right, then." After a few seconds of speechlessness, Kuroha sighed with a helpless smile.
He reached out and ruffled the ash-gray girl's head, then led her toward the parking lot.
"…"
Staring blankly at the back in front of her—the one that somehow made her feel inexplicably safe—Oguri Cap suddenly shook herself, took two big bites to finish the popsicle, and then tightened her grip around that warm hand as she followed with light, quick steps.
…
Training continued, and time flew.
Before long, under the gaze of countless eyes, the International G1—the first Hong Kong Mile Championship—was about to open its curtain.)
(End of Chapter)
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