Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 244 The Last Summer of Kyushu

When I woke up, the ceiling was light green, and I couldn't figure out where I was for a moment.

Then, he remembered that he was in Kyushu.

I slept in late, which was a rare treat, and in doing so, I missed the hotel's breakfast.

"How about charcoal-grilled yakitori for lunch?"

"No izakaya will open at this time."

"So Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine is right next door! Let's go check it out later!"

"This 'next door' is not close at all."

"Adventure, oh adventure—"

"I'm fine with it. How about the club president comes along too?"

This was a conversation that took place on the second day after we arrived in Saga, during our morning meeting.

Having already finished breakfast, Rachel Ho and Kikuchi were excitedly scrolling through their phones, planning their next day's itinerary.

"I'll skip this part, you guys go have fun."

I really admire their ability to act.

Although it was supposed to be a cloudy day as predicted, the temperature was still muggy today.

If possible, I really don't want to do anything that makes me sweat in this kind of weather.

It would be best to avoid even going out.

The two women quickly set off again to begin their adventure in northern Kyushu.

After seeing them off, Kitano leisurely walked towards a convenience store not far from the hotel.

Lavid, on the other hand, went back to his room and took a nap.

I've been thinking about doing that for a while now.

However, there will be a pre-match meeting with the stables later.

I arrived at the convenience store just before I started sweating profusely.

I planned to have a light breakfast, so I chose a rice ball with nothing but salt and seaweed.

In Saga, the rice balls have seaweed wrapped around most of the rice like a blanket.

It is said to be a specialty of Saga that is worthy of being called a famous product.

Although it tastes no different from ordinary salted rice balls.

After quickly finishing breakfast, we headed towards the bus stop following the directions on the map app.

If you take the Nagasaki Main Line, you have to go to the other side of Tottori City, and then walk quite a distance after getting off the train.

As for the taxi option, it was ruled out first, assuming there was plenty of time.

"It's really inconvenient here in Kyushu."

This somewhat explains one of the reasons why horse owners are reluctant to send their horses to Saga.

Compared to Monbeku, the horse breeding ground, or Oi, which is closer to Tokyo than Tokyo Racecourse, it's not easy for horse owners from outside Kyushu to make the trip.

While pondering these thoughts, I also quickened my pace through the summer streets where the temperature was gradually rising.

The mahjong parlor across the street wasn't open yet, so Kitano walked to the vending machine and bought a drink for after his meal.

Most of the flavors were ones I couldn't understand, so I just randomly picked one.

He unscrewed the bottle cap and took a big gulp.

While it's not so bad as to be unpalatable, it's not something that would make you want to buy it a second time.

From Kyushu to Hokkaido, it's as if they've all agreed to stuff vending machines with all sorts of locally produced, oddly flavored drinks.

In a sense, this can be considered a nationwide strange tale.

Because of the somewhat awkward timing, there weren't many passengers on the bus.

We swayed and staggered all the way to West Nagasaki. When we arrived at Saga Racecourse, the security guard was dozing off, just like the last time we came.

As if sensing something, the uncle reluctantly opened his eyes.

"name is?"

The exact same problem as last time.

After answering, the uncle yawned and pointed to a spot behind the door.

"That's a parking area for horse owners. You can park there next time you come."

Although I had some doubts about whether the so-called dedicated parking area was the same as the designated chairman's seat for the horses, I still thanked the uncle for reminding me. As I walked past the empty grandstand towards the stables, I ran into Tobita, the rider, who was finishing his morning training.

"Good morning, President Kitano."

The young rider on horseback forced back a yawn and greeted him.

It must be tough working out in Saga.

After passing through the long, narrow path to the stables, Hattori was tidying up the hay that had been spread out to dry outside the stables.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two walked side by side toward the interior of the stables.

I stopped in front of Noah's stables, where the railings were covered with all sorts of amulets.

"These were all sent by our fans."

Hattori pointed at the amulet and said with a smile.

"You're really popular, Noah."

As he spoke, Kitano turned his gaze toward the interior of the stables.

The deer-haired horse appears to be several sizes larger than it was a few months ago, and its hindquarters muscles have become fuller.

However, the horse's body still looked somewhat loose.

Anyone who looks at him for the first time would probably still mistake him for a middle- and long-distance racehorse, just like a father.

"Noah is in very good shape and his momentum is great."

Hattori patted the head that the deer-haired horse offered, showering it with praise.

They are calm and collected in normal times, but have a strong fighting instinct during competitions.

This kind of character is exactly the ideal quality for a racehorse.

“He was like this when he was on the ranch. Even without anyone teaching him, he could quickly understand what he needed to do in the moment.”

Gently patting the deer-haired horse's neck, Kitano nodded in agreement.

Because of the hot weather, Noah's mane was tied into small black balls, with a small white and green ball tied at the top, which was more for decoration.

After taking a group photo, Kitano couldn't resist patting the head of the deer-haired horse.

After letting him touch her for a while, Noah gently pushed his palm away.

"If you keep touching it, you'll mess up your hairstyle."

Even when he was still on the ranch, Noah seemed to care a lot about his image.

I really don't know who she learned this from.

After that, I received a text message from Tobita saying, "I'm so sorry, I'll have to be a little delayed."

So Kitano and Hattori set off for "Tsuki".

On the way, the two continued their previous conversation.

"Noah's leg strength is still more than enough after last week's training, and he performs exceptionally well in chase situations."

During the final pursuit training session before the competition, a free riding style was adopted.

Even when paired with an older stable horse that was several years older and had more experience on the dirt track, Noah delivered a performance that was highly anticipated.

"I've watched the video. Tobita-kun and Noah both performed amazingly."

Kitano's tone also became somewhat expectant.

Upon arriving at the ramen restaurant, Hattori loudly ordered the deluxe set meal as soon as he entered.

Kitano, who had just eaten breakfast, opted to order a ramen bowl.

Soon after, Tobita also rushed over.

After apologizing and sitting down, the young rider ordered a glass of iced water.

The three of them ate as they got down to business.

"Today's race has four full turns, which should give Noah a significant advantage."

Tobita's voice was soft, but his gaze was very firm.

"That's right, and because it's a competition with only six teams leaving, their strength can be showcased very well."

Hattori-sensei bit into the ramen and swallowed it, then nodded in agreement.

After taking a sip of ice water, the rider raised his head.

"President Kitano, um—"

(End of this chapter)