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

"...Here, I am your trainer, at least for now."

When faced with Nu Tao's question, He Tian smiled slightly and replied, "Besides, you already have the answer in your heart, don't you, Nu Tao? The other you... should have told you everything she knows, right?"

"...So, Trainer, were you... really my mortal enemy?"

Upon hearing this, Nu Tao stared at He Tian in disbelief. Just as He Tian had said, the other Nu Tao had told her almost everything she knew, which made Nu Tao somewhat unable to believe that her most respected trainer was actually her mortal enemy in another world.

Teaming up with a good opera troupe had been a burden that had weighed on her for almost two years... That's what "Nu Tao" told her back then. Nu Tao didn't know why, but she felt that this title sounded demeaning to Hotan.

However, Nutao still couldn't accept that her beloved trainer, the one who nurtured her, painstakingly comforted her, and gave her the most precious courage, was once her rival and her enemy.

"An mortal enemy... I wouldn't call him that. At least I think good opera really doesn't mean you any harm."

He Tian was somewhat helpless at Nu Tao's description; it was indeed a standard third-person perspective answer. However, it made sense. No matter what, he had suppressed Nu Tao for two whole years with his "Good Opera" before finally allowing her to rise to prominence once. It all seemed full of targeting and malice.

"You and opera are just rivals, and so is my opinion of The Raging Waves."

“You were the strongest opponent that Good Opera and I faced in that era, Raging Waves. Do you remember when we first met, I chose you to surpass Good Opera?”

"...So that's what you were thinking back then, trainer."

However, now that she knows the truth, Nu Tao recalls their first meeting, and many of her doubts become clear. The trainer, who already knew about her potential, completely mastered the strategy for Hao Geju, which led to her victory. This allowed her to train Hao Geju with ease later on, and the mutual affection between them grew rapidly...

Everything was now clear. Knowing this, Nu Tao retreated back into the covers, muttering to himself:

"So... I'm still in second place..."

“Nu Tao, I know there are some things you might find hard to accept if you knew them, but I really never intended to see you as a substitute for good opera.”

Wada seemed to know what Nutao was thinking at this moment, and immediately said, "Perhaps that was what I thought at first, but ever since I saw you at the Chrysanthemum Appreciation, pushing yourself to the limit for a good opera, even giving up victory, I knew that good opera cannot achieve just that."

"You are yourself, Nutao. Don't overthink things. You've already let go of this obsession, haven't you?"

"...Trainer, have you gotten over your obsession with opera?" Nu Tao asked, still sullen. This question caused Wada to fall silent for a rare moment before finally speaking:

“I don’t know… but I’m trying. I know I can’t rely on good operas forever. My current position is a false honor for me. I don’t have the ability to deserve this honor. I also know that if I can’t step out of the shadow of good operas, I won’t grow.”

"This time, I'm just helping myself, helping me and Good Opera fulfill our long-cherished wish. When Good Opera and I, together, have made up for the regrets we missed, I can move on with a satisfied heart and without any lingering resentment."

"I'm trying to become a trainer worthy of good operas and worthy of you, Nutao. Please believe me in this one thing."

Wada knew that if he didn't step out of the shadow of good opera, he would never improve. He also knew that his lack of progress over the years might have been largely due to not being assigned particularly good racehorses, but he was also very clear that he himself was a major contributing factor.

He was full of confidence in the GII and GIII races, but when he got to the GI race, he couldn't help but think of good operas. When he thought that the racehorse he was riding was not a good opera, he felt flustered, fearful and nervous, so much so that he couldn't perform to his full potential.

Hotan gave courage to Good Opera, and Good Opera also gave courage to Hotan. Hotan himself knows that he is far from emerging from the glory or shadow that Good Opera brought him.

Good Opera is well aware of this, and Wada knows that Good Opera has always encouraged him to leave his own responsibilities and fully develop into an independent trainer and an independent jockey.

But the knot in his heart remained untied. Only when he truly reached a new height with good opera, a height without regrets, could he be completely at peace... Perhaps this was his weakness.

He Tian's words prompted Nu Tao to slowly peek out from under the covers. Nu Tao stared at him silently for a long time before finally asking:

"Then... trainer, can I... be your second-in-command?"

"Huh?" Wada asked, somewhat puzzled.

"After you, the trainer, left Good Opera Classmates and completely emerged from their shadow..."

"Can I become your true 'racehorse girl'?"

At this moment, Nu Tao finally straightened her back and puffed out her chest. The not-so-thick blanket was draped over Nu Tao's body, but a slender curve could still be faintly seen. At this moment, the originally timid girl used all her courage to say what she thought was her greatest "confession".

"I may not be able to be your number one trainer, and I may never be able to compare with the status of my good opera classmate in the trainer's heart."

"But I hope that you will always remember me, trainer. I hope that I will always be the second most important person in your heart."

"Trainer, I... am probably the second person in this world who likes you the most."

At this moment, Nu Tao gently took He Tian's hand, with a tenderness completely different from the rudeness of her previous self. Her eyes were slightly wet with tears, and her face was flushed with shyness. She spoke her heart to the most important person in her heart, word by word.

Chapter 278: The Raging Waves' "Small Punishment" for Hotan

It's hard to believe that in this day and age, in a not-so-spacious but enclosed room, a beautiful and usually timid racehorse girl is shyly but persistently confessing her long-held love to the trainer she admires—this scene can only be described as beautiful.

At least compared to the fact that "wildness" clearly dominates the majority, suppressing love to the point of distortion, and then forcing it to erupt, it is undoubtedly much better to first establish a fait accompli and then force your trainer to marry your racehorse girl.

Nu Tao's approach was undoubtedly mild, so mild that some horse racing girls might think, "Isn't this kid a bit too easy to talk to?" At this moment, the other self in Nu Tao's mind, who had been defeated, shook his head in disbelief at this scene.

"Am I a fool in this world? This kind of statement is really not something a famous general like Nutao would say."

“Where would a racehorse girl say whether she can be ‘second’ or not? If you’re going to compete, compete for first place! What’s the point of a race if you’re not competing for first place? Besides, this isn’t even a race; it’s a battle of whoever strikes hardest.”

"How can you put yourself in second place from the very beginning? You have a huge advantage right now. As for the other me, if you just sit here comfortably in the 'backup' position, you'll never get to be the first to enjoy the benefits."

"Waaah—no, don't bother me, go away!"

However, faced with the intrusion of another version of himself, Nu Tao, having learned from his previous experience, unusually became impatient and interrupted the other party. After being shouted at by Nu Tao, "Nu Tao" fell silent and quietly retreated.

It seems that, whether it's a fine opera or a raging torrent, their attitudes toward their other selves are surprisingly consistent... They all find it extremely difficult to accept a self that is clearly themselves but whose personality and way of dealing with people are completely different, as if it were a reversed version of themselves.

Of course, this wasn't what bothered them the most. It was that another version of themselves, just like them, showed a tremendous interest in Hotan. This interest, due to their "wild" side, was almost immediately reflected in their horse racing, which was hard for these reserved racehorse girls to accept.

However, the reason why they hate their other self so much is probably because the reserved racehorse girls find that their other self is more capable of dominating them and even has the tendency to "have already made love" if it weren't for them getting in the way. This is something they can't accept.

They all want to pursue the person they love with their true feelings, rather than winning through coercion like another version of themselves—even if they did win that way, they wouldn't be happy.

The trainer is a gentle person, and they should respond in the same way. This is the unspoken thought of Nutao and Good Opera.

At this moment, Nu Tao finally took this step. She grasped He Tian's hands with both of hers, her eyes filled with tears, and looked tenderly at the first person who had given her support and courage, revealing her heartfelt feelings.

"Trainer...can you accept me like this? Like this, willing to be second place."

“Raging Waves…” However, Wada really felt he shouldn’t have answered properly. How could he not be moved by the gentle racehorse girl’s heartfelt confession? How could he not soften his heart? Anyone in this situation would have fallen into deep thought, but he felt he was already one of the most resolute people.

But there are still things he needs to hold onto, and there are still... people he cannot let down.

“Raging Waves…you don’t need to be like this, you don’t need to be influenced by the thoughts of another version of yourself. You are yourself, Raging Waves.”

“You don’t need to be my second best. You… deserve a better life. You will definitely find someone who loves you more than I do. When you grow up and leave Treson Academy, you will find that there are actually many, many people who are better than me.”

"You will meet someone who loves you more than I do. Then, you won't need to be second. You will have someone in the world who loves you the most... It might take some time before you meet them, but..."

"—I don't need them, trainer, I don't need those."

However, Nu Tao interrupted He Tian's words, suppressing her embarrassment as she grasped He Tian's hand and, mimicking her other self, placed He Tian's hand on her left chest. She forced herself to endure the instinctive shame brought on by the touch and said, word by word:

"Trainer...can you feel it? My heart is beating so fast I can hear it myself."

"I may not be as good as my opera friend, she is the person who likes you the most in the world, and no matter what, I can't match the extent to which my opera friend likes you..."

"But you really are the person I like the most in this world. You are my number one, my trainer."

"So...don't leave me, my number one, my courage, my...favorite trainer."

"It's okay if you treat me as number two, because you are the number one I have and cherish the most."

As they talked, Nu Tao couldn't help but step forward and hug He Tian. She didn't use much force—if she wanted to, she could have roughly pressed He Tian's face against her chest, but she didn't. She hugged He Tian gently, as if she were holding a little lamb. It was as if she could break free from her embrace with just a little force.

But who could do that? Who could refuse the words of this lovely racehorse girl? Wada wanted to refuse, but when he opened his mouth, he felt as if he had a fishbone stuck in his throat and could not say a word for a long time.

"—You could have had a much happier life, Nutao."

“Everything I have is right here, Trainer.” Raging Waves said with his eyes closed and a smile, “I’m just expressing my true thoughts, Trainer. I don’t intend for you to accept me. Perhaps… I’m the one who’s wrong.”

"Fate played a cruel trick on me, leading me to meet someone who wasn't meant to be mine. But before I even realized it, I had already given him my heart. Trainer, no matter what, you are the one who has given me everything I have today."

"So... at least for now, I'll let you belong to me temporarily. Please forget about my good opera classmate for now. Right now, I hope you only have eyes for me."

Perhaps it was because of another part of herself that Nu Tao also became more wild, or perhaps it was truly He Tian who bestowed courage upon Nu Tao, allowing her to completely forget her shame after enduring a series of shocks, finally enabling her to do some things she really wanted to do.

And so, the next moment, Nu Tao met He Tian's gaze, closed his eyes, and, suppressing his embarrassment, lightly pecked He Tian's lips like a dragonfly skimming the water.

The young and innocent racehorse girl knew nothing of technique or romance; she only knew that this was the limit of what she could do, and the best way to express her feelings besides words.

Then, she opened her small mouth and gently bit Hetian's neck, leaving a shallow tooth mark.

"...This is punishment, trainer. You're only telling me all this now, and you've made me so strange, making me...uncontrollably want to do all this."

"Please be prepared, trainer. My rival for good opera will always be me, whether it's on the field or in love... I will never give up so easily."

After leaving a light tooth mark, Nu Tao smiled sweetly at He Tian and looked at the faint tooth mark on He Tian's neck. For some reason, Nu Tao felt extremely happy, with a feeling of victory rising from the bottom of her heart, which made her very joyful.

Perhaps, even racehorse girls use scent to categorize their belongings? At this moment, the aura of fine opera that clung to Wada seemed to have also acquired the scent of a famous general's raging waves.

Chapter 279: Good Opera: I almost got my house raided?

"...So, you said yes? You just accepted Nu Tao's confession like that?"

"I don't think so... but I felt that my reaction at the time was no different from agreeing..."

However, after some time, still in Wada's room in the team room, the scene had changed dramatically. The person sitting on the bed was not the famous general Nutsou, but Hao Geju, while the person kneeling on the ground was still the same, still Wada Ryuji.

After the matter between Hetian and Nutao came to an end, Nutao slowly regained his senses. After recovering, he belatedly realized what he had done and ran away in embarrassment. Hetian, on the other hand, pondered for a long time before deciding that this matter... needed to be known by Good Opera.

Hiding it? That's a joke; there's no way it could be hidden. Wada had never even considered that possibility. After all, he was someone whose fate was intertwined with the opera in front of the three goddesses. Although their so-called "spiritual communication" was sometimes effective and sometimes not, it could still be considered a meeting of minds.

Not only that, but don't forget that Good Opera awakened its other half earlier than Raging Waves. Although the two Good Operas have now merged, Good Opera doesn't seem to have fully awakened all of its memories. However, its "beast" side has been completed.

The bite that Nutao gave Hetian on the neck—not to mention anything else—Good Opera would definitely sense that its "private property" had been touched by another racehorse girl, and it would certainly question Hetian. If things escalated, it might even lead to a complete break between Good Opera and Nutao.

It would be better for him to take the initiative and tell Good Opera the whole story. In any case, he was already prepared to accept all the emotions that Good Opera might bring.

Therefore, he decisively chose to tell Good Opera the whole story in the form of a dogeza (a deep bow), and Good Opera listened calmly to the whole process.

And now... what makes Wada nervous is that Good Opera is very calm, eerily calm. But Wada doesn't dare to look up at Good Opera now... because without a doubt, Good Opera is staring at Wada with the same look it gives trash.

Good Opera sat on the bed, looking down at Hetian. At this moment, she actually had a bit of a tyrant's feeling. Looking at the kneeling trainer in front of her, she didn't say a word. Her crossed legs trembled slightly, proving that this tyrant was not calm at this moment.

What made Good Opera even more unhappy was the aura emanating from Wada. Just as Wada said, Good Opera could smell it from a distance. The scent of the famous general, Fu Tao, clung to Wada, and this scent made Good Opera's "wild" side very uncomfortable.

"Raging Waves... My most beloved subject, you not only covet my throne, but also attempt to seduce my queen..."

"Fine, very well, you despicable woman, I'll make you pay the price."

However, despite this, Good Opera wouldn't go looking for a fight with Raging Waves; that would damage team camaraderie. Besides, Good Opera probably didn't think it could beat Raging Waves...

There are many ways to pay a price, just as there are many ways to declare sovereignty. Although a good opera might feel great about crushing a raging storm on the field, that would be a completely different matter from the present. Even if it vents anger, it doesn't prove anything.

"Long Er, stand up."

"Uh……"

The unexpected calmness of the words made Wada very uneasy, but he still obediently stood up. Good Opera also got up from the bed, patted Wada on the shoulder, and said with a smile: