The way Uma Musume looks at me is so scary!

She spoke hesitantly.

"Have we... forgotten someone?"

Upon hearing this, Oguri Roman, who had been clinging tightly to Minamino Sumire's waist, looked up with a start and said.

"I think I forgot to call Kitahara..."

After hearing her say that, everyone remained silent for a while before Kobayashi Kaze spoke softly.

"It's all because he had too few scenes, so everyone forgot about him."

"So it seems like we don't have that many scenes."

"I even made A-Meng's winning outfit! It's definitely better than that watermelon weirdo's!"

"You guy!"

Seeing that they started fighting again after only a short while, Minamino Sumire, who had been being stared at intently by Oguri Roman, sighed and patted the hand on her waist helplessly.

"Alright, since no one can convince anyone else, let's stick to the original plan and go find A-Meng together."

"But this time, everyone really has to go."

"We need to snatch the Golden Ship back from those horse racing girls, and then... we should also call over the Golden Master. Of course, this time we should remember to call Kitahara."

After she finished speaking, she looked at everyone to make sure there were no objections before nodding and making the assignments. Oguri Roman first called Kitahara to explain the situation, and then the horse racing girls went together to rescue the golden ship.

She stayed behind with the teachers, constantly keeping an eye on Xiu Xingmeng's location.

After he finished speaking, he clapped his hands, signaling everyone to disperse.

But for some reason, all the racehorse girls' eyes never left Minamino Sumire. They didn't say anything, but silently lifted Minamino Sumire up and ran towards the direction where the golden ship had been captured.

"Hey! I need to stay here and oversee the overall situation!"

"Who would be fooled by you a second time, you cunning fellow!"

Watching the racehorse girls disappear into the distance, Koutarou Haibara stroked his round chin and said with a sigh.

"This is youth."

Chizuru Haibara wasn't going to give her that much face. She looked at the racehorse girls who had already disappeared from sight and said helplessly.

"I think it's because they're used to being wild in the countryside, and they don't seem to repent even when they're in the central government."

Sato Takeru, who had remained silent until now, finally chimed in with a comment.

"Looking at the scene of the Golden Ship being captured just now, is it possible that the horse racing girls in the central government are actually quite wild...?"

The three of them fell silent for a moment and decided it was best to leave the matter aside.

As Haibara Koutarou watched Xiu Xingyu searching for the Golden Ship like a headless fly in the crowd, an indescribable emotion flashed in his eyes. He then slowly spoke to Haibara Chizuru.

"Chizuru..."

"what?"

"Go and talk to A-Meng. She doesn't have a trainer yet, right? This is your chance."

Haibara Chizuru opened her mouth in surprise. She had initially wanted to invite Hideyuki directly because she was in a moment of passion, but Minamino Sumire had just made that plan, and as her teacher, she hadn't objected. How could she just go ahead and invite the racehorse girls as soon as they left?

"It also……"

She instinctively wanted to say that it was too despicable, but was interrupted by Koutarou Haibara's laughter.

“After all, Xiao Jin and the others are students from the Central University. Mu Cao often comes to the school to play with them. Being in the same school, they will always have a chance to talk.”

"But you're the trainer. Are you willing to watch Meng be chosen by another trainer?"

Upon hearing her father's words, Chizuru Haibara imagined it for a moment and then clenched her fists so tightly that she didn't even notice her nails turning white.

For her, the existence of Xiuxingmeng was special.

From his initial attempt to dissuade others from training at the Kasamatsu training ground, to being inspired by Hideki Yume at the Kasamatsu racetrack, to feeling timid when facing the Golden Master, and then rising up again because of Hideki Yume's victory.

Chizuru Haibara was able to emerge from that abyss of despair entirely because Yume Hideaki, like a hero, pulled her out of it.

So even when Xiu Xingmeng fell into a coma in the other world, she did not return to a state of despair. Instead, she rallied her spirits and used the knowledge she had learned in the Central and Golden Houses to help the local area to recover.

This is because it was a promise that Xiu Xingmeng had made with them.

The thought of making such a unique dream of embroidered stars a responsibility for other trainers was excruciating to Chizuru Haibara, as if her heart was being torn apart by a thousand cuts.

Having already built up so many bonds and traveled so far, why must we watch Xiu Xingmeng, under someone else's direction, once again meet that same fate?

"Go ahead, you were her trainer back in Kasamatsu, weren't you?"

"We all believe in you and that you can create another miracle in the real world."

Takeru Satoh, who was standing nearby, patted Chizuru Haibara on the shoulder encouragingly.

Seeing his daughter's expression gradually change from hesitation to determination, Koutarou Haibara grinned and silently walked behind Chizuru Haibara, aiming at the position of Hideyuki in the crowd and pushing her towards it.

"Go ahead, don't let the same regret repeat itself a second time."

As her father pushed her into the crowd, Chizuru Haibara stumbled for a moment, even tripping over a gap between the bricks, which made it even harder for her to control her direction.

As she watched the ground approach, Chizuru Haibara closed her eyes in despair.

Did I really expect my first meeting with A-Meng in real life to be so embarrassing?!

But after a few seconds, Chizuru Haibara, who should have fallen heavily to the ground, did not feel any pain. Instead, she felt as if she was being supported by a warm force.

"Are you okay?"

A familiar voice came from above. The usually eloquent Chizuru Haibara suddenly became mute, and after hesitating for a while, she responded somewhat stammeringly.

"No...it's okay, thank you."

She slowly raised her head and looked up. Under the bright lights all around, the girl's face seemed to be coated with a soft halo.

Even those deep, ink-black eyes were now bathed in the warm firelight, radiating a captivatingly gentle glow.

Looking at Xiu Xingmeng, Haibara Chizuru said subconsciously.

"Hello, my name is Haibara Chizuru."

The girl paused for a moment, then smiled and replied.

"Hello, my name is Xiu Xingmeng."

Chapter 137 Moved but Rejected

As Xiu Xingmeng looked at Haibara Chizuru, her thoughts unconsciously drifted back to the time when they first met. At that time, Haibara Chizuru was still trapped in the mire of self-loathing, casually dressed in a tracksuit and holding a bag of junk food. Her eyes were as gloomy as a vampire who hadn't seen the sun in a long time.

But when she met Haibara Chizuru again in the real world today, Xiu Xingmeng discovered that she had changed a lot without her realizing it. Her lazy sportswear had been replaced by a professional suit, and the junk food in her hand had been replaced by that familiar training book.

The trainer badge hanging from her chest gleamed in the lamplight, shining like the unextinguished dream of Chizuru Haibara before she entered the Golden Clan.

Unlike her first encounter with Kasamatsu, Chizuru Haibara is still a trainer at the Central Training Center, her eyes still burning with a remarkable flame.

Xiuxingmeng is very happy to see Haibara Chizuru like this.

What she didn't know was that the flame burning brightly in Chizuru Haibara's eyes at that moment was not a dream at all.

Although both are flames burning with the determination to move towards a goal, Chizuru Haibara's current goal is not a particular victory, but right before her eyes, the dream of embroidered stars reflected in her eyes.

Her father's words echoed in her ears. When she met Xiu Xingmeng again, Haibara Chizuru was no longer bewildered as before, and said with a resolute expression.

"Starry Dream Girl... are you here to visit the festival too?"

Although her eyes were resolute, Chizuru Haibara was actually incredibly nervous when she saw Hoshino again. After stammering out those words, Chizuru wished she could slap herself twice.

Why am I saying such nonsense?! Why am I so nervous that I'm stuttering like this?!

This is her first encounter with A-Meng in reality, so why is she behaving even worse than she did in the other world?!

At least back then I could speak fairly fluently!

Chizuru Haibara blushed with embarrassment and anger, but to Hideyuki, it only appeared more intense under the lamplight.

Xiu Xingmeng tilted her head, somewhat confused.

Could it be that Chizuru stutters in real life? She recalled the conversation just now, when Chizuru Haibara seemed to have paused a bit.

Before Xiuxingmeng could ask any questions, Haibara Chizuru coughed dramatically, pretending nothing had happened, and spoke again.

"As a racehorse girl, you must always remember Tresson's motto. To achieve the goal of being the best and outshining all others, you must train hard and never forget your goal, even during leisure time."

After speaking in a serious tone, Haibara Chizuru remained silent for two seconds. Realizing what she had just said, her heart pounded wildly as if a giant were crashing into the ground.

Why bring out such grand principles at a time like this?! Has my brain fried today?!

Even the three adults watching from the sidelines couldn't help but sigh and slap their foreheads, not understanding why Haibara Chizuru had made so many mistakes today, turning what was supposed to be a perfect reunion romance into such a strange comedy.

Faced with Chizuru Haibara's sudden words, Hideyuki was also stunned for a moment before answering hesitantly.

"Okay...okay?"

She genuinely couldn't understand why Haibara Chizuru's context was completely disjointed.

Could it be that the real-life Chizuru Haibara is a trainer who stutters a bit but takes things very seriously?

Before Xiu Xingmeng could come up with an answer, she saw Haibara Chizuru take a deep breath and then exhale, repeating this several times before slowly speaking while patting her chest.

"Okay, everything before didn't count because I was too nervous! What follows is the first thing we said after introducing ourselves!"

Looking at the resolute expression on Haibara Chizuru's face, Xiuxing Meng nodded subconsciously.

"As you can see, I am the trainer from the Central Committee."

"I've been watching you quietly all along. With your talent, the Niigata Junior Championship is just the beginning."

Although she only learned about Xiuxingmeng yesterday, Haibara Chizuru believed that the person in the dream was also herself, and that the person who had been paying attention to Xiuxingmeng at that time was of course the same person all along.

Therefore, her tone was very serious, and even Xiu Xingmeng could not detect any falsehood, which surprised her that the connection between her and Haibara Chizuru had actually been formed before the script mission even started.

"Here, I would like to extend a formal invitation to you."

"I hope... to become your trainer and spend the rest of our time together, and my goal is—"

"Naturally, it's that glorious classic triple crown!"

After saying that, Chizuru Haibara reached out her hand to Shizuka Yume, her eyes sparkling in the firelight.

However, after saying these words, Haibara Chizuru's eyes were no longer filled with simple obsession with Xiuxing Meng; they were mixed with many complex emotions, including regret, hope, longing, and determination. At this moment, Haibara Chizuru's desire to invite Xiuxing Meng to take on a leadership role was not as simple as it seemed.

She believed in miracles and that Xiuxingmeng had the strength to win the Classic Triple Crown. Since God had given her and Xiuxingmeng a miracle, why couldn't they move toward that goal again?

The Japanese derby will not be their end; the ultimate peak, symbolizing glory and brilliance, is the future that she and Xiuxingmeng are heading towards.

Hearing her extremely enthusiastic words, Xiu Xingmeng was stunned for a long time. The enthusiasm in Haibara Chizuru's words was even more intense than the crowd. The lights lit by the shops on both sides of the road seemed to become Haibara Chizuru's followers, surrounding her and lighting up her with even more dazzling brilliance.

Together with past partners, to make up for past regrets in the real world and reclaim their glory and brilliance—how could Xiuxingmeng not be excited and thrilled by such an invitation?

Her lips trembled, and she almost couldn't suppress the boiling heartbeat as she agreed in one breath.

Xiu Xingmeng took a deep breath, slowly closed her eyes, and pondered in the darkness for a long time, long enough for her burning heart to cool down before she finally responded.

"I need to... think about it some more."

She really wanted to accept Haibara Chizuru's invitation, but Xiuxingmeng's reasons for refusing her were so unbreakable.

She couldn't explain the sudden surge in her attributes and the breakthroughs she made after each script mission.

That's not the kind of improvement that can be achieved in a single training session. Even a world-class master with exceptional physical talent could never achieve that.

Chapter 138 Shining Star

"Is it……"

"Chizuru Haibara said in a low voice."

It's rare for a racehorse girl who won the G3 Grand Prize Race to still not have a trainer. Chizuru Haibara could find out this by simply asking her colleagues.

Xiu Xingmeng has already rejected so many trainers, so why would she accept someone she just met?

Not to mention my previous embarrassing performance.

Chizuru Haibara's eyes dimmed slightly, but her fighting spirit quickly rekindled.

Despite the many difficulties and setbacks she faces, she will never give up. As long as Xiu Xingmeng doesn't have a trainer, she will persevere.

She wanted to prove to Xiuxingmeng that Haibara Chizuru was the trainer who understood Xiuxingmeng best and was most suitable for her!

After composing herself, Chizuru Haibara smiled and changed the subject.

"I saw you running around in the crowd earlier, were you looking for something?"