Having trained real horses, why are we now training racehorse girls after time-traveling?

"—27! I'm still two months away from turning 28!"

On the other side, Naze Fumino's extremely unwilling voice slowly fell. Perhaps because she was by her father's side, she was somewhat relaxed. This was the first time Wada had heard Naze Fumino speak in such a biting tone.

"Are you finished talking? Shouldn't you go out for dinner? Honestly—Father, you're such a busybody. Trainer Hetian, don't listen to my father's nonsense. When he's in a good mood, he always talks a lot."

"Hehe... It seems my daughter doesn't like me as her father at all. She talks about a lot of men who are close to her."

Mr. Nase didn't seem to mind at all, and then, without hiding his true feelings, said to Wada, "Don't let her appearance fool you, she's actually just like me; when she gets excited, she can be quite talkative, which is why she doesn't often get drunk..."

"—Father!"

"Alright, alright, I won't say anything more—let's go eat together after it's ready, junior."

"Yes..." Wada was also completely confused... The way this father and daughter got along... was really something he hadn't expected.

Well, that's fine too. It actually proves that Ms. Naze Fumino is indeed completely different from Takeyuki. Wada felt much more at ease because of this, and relaxed a lot about his safety and this rare vacation.

Chapter 188: Did Mr. Nase expose Fumino's disguise?

“Raging Waves… I still find it very strange no matter how I think about it. Don’t you feel the same way?”

"Hmm? What do you mean, opera classmate?"

"That's it, you know—Ryuji and Trainer Nase, what is it that you haven't told us?"

Meanwhile, still in their hotel in Kyoto, the Good Opera, Raging Waves, and the Tresson Academy team were still staying at the hotel, preparing to rush back to the Tresson Academy's Shinkansen early the next morning. However, that night, the Good Opera, who was in the same room, couldn't sleep all night, but not because of his classic triple crown.

It's already very late, and even the celebration of the three crowns is over. After all, it wasn't a formal celebration. The real celebration ceremony will have to wait until we get back to Treson Academy. This is just a small reward for now.

Moreover, even if Good Opera doesn't say it, everyone knows that Good Opera is a bit distracted these days. Perhaps because Wada isn't around, she's not in the mood to celebrate her triple crown, so she hasn't made a big fuss about it.

Inside the room, Good Opera was still worried about Hotaru being "borrowed," and couldn't help but turn to Nutao beside him and ask:

"Nu Tao, aren't you worried about Ryuji's situation? Ryuji hasn't made a single phone call since then. What on earth is he doing with Trainer Naze's father?"

"Hmm... I don't think there's anything to worry about, good opera classmate."

However, at this moment, Nu Tao was unusually calm. Originally, the opera singer thought that Nu Tao, who lacked a sense of security, would be more uneasy and worried about what might happen to He Tian. But to her surprise, Nu Tao was calm.

"The trainer... after all, he's with Trainer Naze and her father, isn't he? I think nothing unexpected should happen, since Trainer Naze's father is there too."

If Wada and Naze Fumino had gone to the hot springs alone, it wouldn't just be Good Opera that would be nervous; Nutao would definitely be the first to stand up and stop them. But the situation is different now, and Nutao smiled slightly and said:

"Since it's Nase's father who's looking for the trainer, there must be something very important to discuss. I think it's best if we don't disturb them."

"Besides, with a father present, I think the trainers and Nase trainer... must have been quite reserved, right?"

"...That's what they say." However, Nu Tao's explanation did ease Hao Geju's tension a little. Thinking about it, it made sense; with a father present, he probably wouldn't be able to relax. Even if they went to a hot spring, nothing should happen.

After all, no father would want his daughter to be taken advantage of by other men, right? That should be basic common sense, shouldn't it?

However, seeing the still somewhat uneasy expression on Good Opera's face, Nu Tao narrowed his eyes slightly and almost murmured:

"Besides... the trainer clearly likes students who love opera the most..."

Speaking so softly, Nu Tao's voice was so clear that even Hao Geju, a horse racer, couldn't hear it clearly. But before Hao Geju could ask any further questions, she saw Nu Tao turn over and fall asleep on her own. Beside her pillow, there was still the cat-shaped pillow that Wada had given her.

Seeing that even Nu Tao seemed so at ease, Hao Gongju felt too embarrassed to press further. He simply lay back down on his bed, and after a long while, murmured to himself:

"...It should be alright, right? After all, there's a father figure there."

……

"Ah—as expected, drinking sake while eating sashimi is so satisfying. This is one of the great pleasures of the Japanese."

"Haha, junior, don't be so reserved. Drink more! Today is to celebrate your racehorse girl winning the triple crown, so it's okay to be a little unrestrained!"

"...In the end, you're just making excuses for drinking, Father."

Meanwhile, inside the room, Wada, Fumino Nase, and Mr. Nase, who had already finished their bath, were sitting together. On their table were a variety of hot spring fare, including the usual fish and salad, as well as onsen eggs and several cold dishes. They could even order a sukiyaki, which was very convenient.

Mr. Nase also took the opportunity to order a lot of sake. This old man from the Showa era naturally preferred the Japanese specialty sake to beer. Wada and Fumino Nase also drank some, and their faces were slightly flushed.

"Alright, you guys continue, I'll take my leave now." Feeling that she had drunk enough, Naze Fumino quietly got up and walked towards another room.

"Father, and Trainer Wada, don't drink too much. We're leaving very early tomorrow, so don't sleep too soundly with a hangover. Otherwise, we might leave you all alone in Kyoto."

After saying that, Naze Fumino entered the room and locked the door. At that moment, Mr. Naze turned to Wada, who was standing to the side, and said:

"Don't let what she says fool you. If we really get drunk tomorrow, she'll carry us all back to Tokyo, even if she has to. She may be a bit sharp-tongued, but I can guarantee that she's definitely not a bad person."

"Junior, how have you gotten along with my daughter these past few days? Has my troublesome daughter done anything to make you think she's a bad person?"

"...To be honest, yes, there is. In fact, a long time ago, I even thought that Ms. Nase was from the shakudai (a Taiwanese entertainment company)."

Perhaps under the influence of alcohol, Wada unknowingly revealed some of his true feelings, saying to Mr. Naise, "But later I believed that Ms. Naise was no longer one of the people on the other side of the stage. She did a lot for our team, and she did a lot for Good Opera and The Raging Waves. Without her, it would have been very difficult for The Raging Waves and Good Opera to win."

"After all, Mr. Nase, wasn't it because of Ms. Nase that you were willing to help me?"

"Hehe...you're half right, junior." Mr. Nase smiled faintly upon hearing this, and after finishing his cup of sake, he spoke to Wada, word by word:

"Part of the reason I came to help you is that I wanted to see what kind of people are around my daughter, but one genius newcomer alone is not enough for me to get through this."

“Junior, you don’t know yet, do you? Fumino is indeed a member of the organization—at least, her name is on the organization’s personnel list.”

"?!"

However, Mr. Nase's words startled Wada and Nase Fumino, who was about to go to sleep in the room. But before Wada could react, Mr. Nase waved his hand and said first:

"Don't be nervous, junior. Fumino has already left the club, just a month ago."

“A month ago… that was…” Wada gradually recalled that a month ago, when he went out to play with Hao Geju and Nutao, Naze Fumino left alone.

Wada guessed that Naze Fumino must have gone to see the people from the shadai at that time, but he didn't want to believe that Naze Fumino was from the shadai. He just thought that the people from the shadai were trying to bribe Fumino. But now, what Mr. Naze said was what shocked Wada so much.

“Yes, a month ago.” Mr. Naze nodded and said, “She actually joined the club the day she left Treson Academy. As far as I know, the club offered Fumino good terms to become a trainer for the club.”

"Among them was the opportunity to study abroad, which Fumino valued very much—but I knew that this opportunity was just an empty promise from the trainer. Several years have passed, and Fumino has been preparing. She has always believed that one day she can also study abroad and become a world-class trainer."

"She foolishly believed it for four years, wasting her precious youth on empty promises... until she met you, junior."

"So, after Fumino left the club, I became determined to meet you, junior. I want to know just how amazing you are, someone who could persuade Fumino to give up her ideals in just a few days, even though I, as her father, couldn't do it."

Chapter 189: My daughter is now in your care.

“I… I’m not that amazing, Mr. Nase. I didn’t even know that Ms. Nase had given up so much for our team.”

Facing the smiling Mr. Nase before him, Wada realized the seriousness of the situation. Feeling deeply apologetic, he put down his wine glass, moved off the table, and bowed deeply to Mr. Nase, saying:

"I am so sorry, I have made Ms. Nase give up her future. I am truly sorry!"

"...There's nothing to apologize for, junior. As I just said, this is just an empty promise. The chances of it being fulfilled are extremely low. However, for Fumino, if she wants to go abroad, she must get a letter of recommendation from the central government. And who else besides Shetai has that kind of resource?"

Mr. Nase shrugged calmly and said gently, "Actually, the reason why Fumino places so much hope on the company is probably because of me as her father... She probably saw that even though I became a so-called legendary trainer, I ultimately did not get the qualification to go abroad, and she realized that if she wanted to break out of Japan, she had to rely on the company's resources."

"This idea... is correct in Japan. In today's society, with its class system, we are forced to rely on certain forces and stand with the community."

"But... as a trainer, I didn't want my daughter to go down that path. Because of this, we had a long period of cold war. It wasn't until that day that I dared to call her."

That day was the same day that Wada and Naze Fumino went out drinking—it was quite a coincidence, really. Mr. Naze had just learned that his daughter had returned to Treson Academy and joined some kind of team, and he had finally mustered the courage to talk to her about it when he unexpectedly met Wada for the first time.

From that moment on, Mr. Naise, who had been keeping an eye on his daughter's news, was surprised to find that his daughter, who had been stubborn at the beginning, was changing again and again. At that moment, he knew that his daughter had probably met someone who could change her life.

That's why he made up his mind to meet Wada and see what kind of magic this team and its racehorse girls possessed that could change his stubborn daughter.

And as it turns out, all of this was not unfounded. The bond between Wada and the opera rekindled a long-lost passion and emotion in this man in his fifties—the most heartfelt pride a trainer felt for the rise of a racehorse girl.

He was then convinced that his daughter had come to the right place, and that she might be able to find her original aspirations as a trainer within this team.

"My silly daughter decided from the moment she decided to go abroad that she would never participate in the work of a trainer again."

"She may seem aloof, but she is actually a very sensitive person. She understood this from the very beginning, from the Super Cove. So, after making her decision, she never intended to let any racehorse girl become her responsibility again."

"She was afraid... that if she invested too much emotion, she would be reluctant to leave, so she might as well avoid contact with other racehorse girls and be able to leave with a heart of stone."

Mr. Naze was overwhelmed with emotion at his daughter's decision, while Wada listened attentively and gradually fell silent.

Clearly, Wada could understand Naze Fumino's choice. Since she had decided to leave from the beginning, it was normal for her to choose to avoid things that might make her hesitate.

If it were Wada, and one day he were to go abroad alone while leaving behind his beloved racehorse girls in the country, Wada would also be very conflicted. But in the end, he felt that he would still choose to stay because he couldn't bear to part with his beloved opera and the raging waves.

Of course, Wada personally thinks this option should be reversed. Good Opera is the one who has the opportunity to study abroad, while he... to be honest, Wada is only studying with Fumino Naze now in order to quickly become a trainer worthy of Good Opera, or at least, a trainer worthy of taking Good Opera to the Arc de Triomphe.

He doesn't aspire to great success; he only hopes to stay by the side of Good Opera for as long as possible. But if Good Opera ever gets a bigger stage, Hotan will certainly be willing to let go, but Good Opera will not choose to leave Hotan.

This is not just Wada's boasting; he knows opera so well that he is certain of it.

Just like Ikezoe and the Golden Master, and Imai-senpai and the Golden Ship, if they encountered the same thing, they would definitely choose the same option as Wada. But in the end, their racehorse girls would still choose not to leave, just like the Good Opera.

This is also the problem that Naze Fumino is struggling with. She understands herself and these lovely racehorse girls, which is why she chooses to treat them coldly. Apart from Super Bay, no one can know the tenderness deep in Naze Fumino's heart.

Fortunately, Fumino Nase has a good father who always wants to help his daughter get out of this misconception, which is the best way to do justice to his daughter's talent and ability.

"In just a few months, Fumino left the club and chose you, chose this team. I also noticed the potential of your team, and what I value most is the bond between you and Uma Musume."

“Fumino is really changing, and for that, as her father, I should thank you.”

As he said this, Mr. Nase bowed deeply to Wada very solemnly and said sincerely, "Thank you for rescuing Fumino."

“Mr. Naise…please don’t say that. I…we didn’t actually do anything.” Wada gazed at the old man bowing to him, feeling a pang of sympathy. He was also a man in his forties, and of course he knew how much pressure a middle-aged Japanese man was under to make such a gesture.

It's clear that Mr. Nase truly cherishes his daughter, but unfortunately... it seems difficult for Miss Nase to understand her father's true feelings now.

"No, you did nothing, but you did more than I, as your father, have done."

"Therefore, I would like to ask you for a favor, Ryuji Wada," Mr. Nase said, then solemnly addressed Wada:

"Help this incompetent father of mine... take good care of my silly daughter. As a trainer, she knows a lot, but in some ways, she doesn't understand anything yet. There are many things that you need to guide her and change her."

"I can't always be by her side, and as her closest male friend, I hope you will take good care of her."

"In return, I will do you a great favor. I guarantee it with my name, Kunihiko Nase. I will always owe you and your team a huge favor. When the time comes, I will do everything I can to help you."

"Please, I only have one daughter."

Mr. Nase's words were very solemn. If Ikezoe were there, he would have felt the same way. Golden Journey had said similar things to Ikezoe. Although the tone was slightly different, the sentiment of cherishing family was the same. No one who doesn't truly love their family would say such things.

Faced with Mr. Nase's entrustment, after a long while, Wada silently nodded and said softly:

"Although I may not be able to guarantee anything... please rest assured that Miss Nase will definitely not be wronged here with me."

"There may be very little I can do to help Miss Nase, but I will definitely help her in any way I can."

"...That's good, that's good."