The mediocre trainer doesn't want to reopen

However, this time, facing Kitano's invitation, the Holy King felt inexplicably nervous - Kitano did not often invite her to meet him, because the two of them had many opportunities to be alone, and there was nothing they needed to talk about alone.

But this time... the Holy King felt that he must take this meeting seriously. This conversation might directly affect her future, and... his future.

"Well, it's been a long time since I last saw you. I should dress a little more formally. I don't want that guy to think that I'm no longer top-notch in front of him."

……

At seven o'clock in the evening, Kitano was already waiting in the restaurant. Kitano was quite familiar with this restaurant - it was the restaurant where he rejected Rudolph when he wanted to "confess" to him.

But now, Kitano felt the same nervousness that Rudolf had felt back then. This time, what he was going to do to the Holy King was similar to what Rudolf had wanted to do to him.

In a sense, this was Kitano's first "active confession." While he likely wouldn't be like Rudolph, whose intentions were practically written on his face, Kitano simply wanted to test the Holy King's attitude, so he could prepare for how they would interact in the future and whether or not to tell him about his upcoming marriage.

"The Holy King should be here soon, right?" Kitano was also a little nervous, as if checking the time on the phone in his hand. Although he believed that the Holy King was not a person who was unpunctual, he was now eager to face the Holy King as soon as possible to prevent his uneasiness from continuing to occupy his heart.

Just when Kitano was anxious, suddenly, accompanied by the sound of high heels, a beautiful figure finally appeared at the entrance of the restaurant, and Kitano immediately looked up at the other party.

The person who came naturally had the aura of the Holy King, but she was a little different from usual.

The Holy King took off her school uniform and put on an extremely mature black dress. The dress revealed her proud cleavage, and the hollow design on the back exposed part of the Holy King's jade-white back. Although the design of the dress was simple, it added a sense of nobility to the Holy King.

At this time, Kitano finally realized what was happening - it turned out that the Holy King was also a beautiful horse racing girl, but she was usually relatively friendly in front of him most of the time.

"What's wrong? This dress doesn't suit me?"

After sitting down in front of Kitano, the Holy King saw that Kitano was still staring at her intently. For some reason, she felt a strange sense of shame, but she still pretended to be calm and said, "Or have you finally realized that I am still that first-class horse racing girl beside you?"

“It’s really… eye-opening.”

Kitano didn't know how to comment for a moment, and at this moment, the Holy King had already picked up the menu and called the waiter to start taking orders in order to remain calm and hide his shyness.

"Please give us this horse girl limited set meal, and give him one of your best-selling products. Also, we don't drink alcohol, so please give us your best-selling non-alcoholic beverage."

The Holy King first instructed the waiter, then turned to look at Kitano. Seeing that he had not changed his clothes specifically for this "date", he said jokingly: "You took the initiative to ask me to come here, and I, a first-class person, changed my clothes specifically for you, but you still act like this?"

"Even if you're my top trainer, I'd be dissatisfied with your attitude. Try your best."

"This time my change is not external, but internal." Kitano was well aware of the Holy King's "disdain", and he did not come here unkempt. Of course, if Kitano was really sloppy, the Holy King would not be able to stand it and would definitely help him tidy up his house himself.

Kitano definitely didn't have time to change into a new set of clothes this time, so he had already thought of a response strategy and said softly to the Holy King, "You'll know later."

"Then I look forward to it."

The Saint King paused for a moment, then raised his hands holding the menu to conceal his blushing cheeks. Meanwhile, the waiter beside him smiled and asked, "I've noted it down. Is this all you two want?"

"Another ice cream boat, French vegetable jelly, and sirloin steak medium rare. I'd also like a sashimi platter, and..."

——The Holy King has a little habit. If something happens in a restaurant that makes her feel embarrassed or shy, she will divert her attention by ordering food.

And judging by the amount of dishes she ordered this time...it was obvious that her shyness and nervousness this time would not be so easy to divert attention.

Chapter 387: Holy King: Are you planning to propose to me?

After the Holy King gradually calmed down, Kitano and the Holy King realized belatedly that they had ordered too many dishes, filling up the table in front of them, which was not very big to begin with - but now Kitano and the Holy King had no time to think about these problems.

Now they all seemed to be eating with their heads down, very quiet, silent and polite, but they were all confused and waiting for the other to speak first and break their silence.

And they both realized that once the current silence was broken, it would completely change the delicate relationship they had maintained until now. Whether to move forward or retreat to the starting point would be decided at this moment.

But because of this, whether it was the Holy King who had noticed something and was a little uneasy and silent, or Kitano who had a plan in mind and wanted to cherish this last bit of tranquility, the silence lasted a little longer.

However, they also knew that this atmosphere could not last long and would be broken sooner or later. Kitano had already made up his mind and could not continue to remain silent like this.

So, when the two of them finished their appetizers and started to put down their knives and forks for the main course, Kitano put down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth with the tablecloth, and then said, "Um...Saint King, I have something to tell you."

"That's the one……"

"You're a little weird today."

Before Kitano could speak, Saint King Halo wiped his mouth with a napkin without leaving a trace. His eyes, gleaming with a glittering luster, stared at Kitano. He pretended not to know what Kitano was up to and said, "You look ridiculous today. It feels like you're deliberately making this all ambiguous."

"I even feel like... you're planning to propose to me? Is this just my illusion? Or... do you really plan to do so?"

Saint King Halo deliberately used this phrase because she was aware of the uneasiness. She knew Kitano too well. This man would never act like a troublemaker, but if his behavior was different from before, it meant he must have made up his mind.

But…the Saint King also knew that this man definitely wasn't coming to propose to her. Deep down, this man was just like her, afraid of being rejected by others.

However, when facing these external pressures, the Holy King would use her strong exterior to protect herself. But Kitano couldn't do that. He could only hold on and say that he didn't care until he was crushed by these pressures.

Therefore, the Holy King could conclude that Kitano did not have the courage to propose to her, nor did he have the courage to confess his love to her. He was afraid of being denied and rejected, so he would not do such a thing.

The Holy King said this deliberately to ease the atmosphere so that Kitano could take back what he was about to say. In this way... perhaps this peaceful life could last a little longer.

It's a pity that the Saint King Halo, who claimed to be the person who knew Kitano best, guessed wrong this time. She still remembered the Kitano of the past, but forgot the Kitano of today. Obviously, he is no longer the timid and unconfident person he used to be.

Therefore, facing the Saint King's teasing, Bei Ye was slightly stunned, but then he said calmly: "What if I really am proposing to you? Saint King, will you... agree to me?"

"what?"

However, the Holy King had never expected Kitano to answer like this. Such a possibility had never entered her mind, and she was completely at a loss for words. She simply stared at Kitano with a slightly bewildered expression.

"Are you serious?"

"What? Do I look so unethical?" Facing the Saint King's question, Kitano was determined to achieve his goal. He showed no intention of backing down and continued, "If I truly had this thought... then Saint King, would you agree?"

"No, I just think that you can be so... honest sometimes."

The Holy King was obviously not used to Kitano like this, and she realized it belatedly - doesn't that mean that Kitano is proposing to her now?

No, no, no... This is just a hypothesis, right? He only said "if," after all? So, that meant he wasn't officially proposing to her yet. He was a very casual person with his own affairs, but if he truly made up his mind, he definitely wouldn't be as casual as he is now.

At least... he should have prepared the wedding ring, but it seems that he is not ready to actually propose to her.

So, what did he mean by that? He wasn't ready to propose to her, but he was using such an assumption?

Was he... talking about the future? Or was he seeking a relationship with her with the intention of getting married?

For a moment, Saint King's mind was filled with a thousand thoughts. She found herself surprisingly calm after receiving this news. She wasn't as shy as she had imagined, as if she would really agree to Kitano's proposal if she just thought about it.

But... just this one thought was like a thorn in her throat, stuck in the throat of Saint King Halo, making her unable to speak it out for a long time.

Why, something that I thought was very simple, why does it seem... very difficult?

Isn't it just about marrying this man? Accepting his proposal is all. She didn't hate this guy anyway. She knew in her heart that it was almost impossible to find another man like him who could walk into her heart.

I... had already made up my mind that if I couldn't find another man in the future, there wouldn't be anything wrong with being with this guy.

At least, they get along easily and happily. Isn't that enough?

But why did she still feel uneasy?

The Holy King was thinking this in her mind, but she didn't notice that the knife and fork in her hand were almost relying on muscle memory to cut the steak in front of her into pieces, and then put it into her mouth. After a while, a piece of steak had gone into the Holy King's stomach, but she didn't even notice it.

And she didn't even feel satisfied, so she extended her spoon to the ice cream boat and started to put the whole bowl of ice cream boat into her mouth one bite at a time to relieve her current stress.

Kitano, who had not received a response from the Holy King for a long time, could not help but open his mouth - he wanted to say, even if you don't answer, don't just keep eating like this, you are about to have a classic year, if you gain weight because of this meal, what will happen to your classic triple crown in the next few months?

But Kitano also knew that this was the Holy King's way of eliminating his own stress and emotions - always unconsciously doing other things to divert her attention, so that she could always keep thinking calmly.

"Let me think about it for a moment."

After a long while, the Holy King's response finally caught Kitano's attention. After eating half of the ice cream boat, the Holy King put down the spoon in his hand, turned to look at Kitano, and said with a bit of inexplicable emotion: "Well, how should I put it? Actually, you're not that bad. As a first-class trainer of mine, I must admit that you actually fit my view of choosing a partner."

"Until now, there has not been another man who can catch my eye. Facing your... proposal. I have no reason to refuse... but I want to think about it again."

"I still have things I must finish. If I complete our long-cherished wish, I will consider accepting it."

Finally, under Kitano's expectant gaze, the Holy King didn't refuse as he had done before, but chose to accept. Although he was only considering accepting, it made Kitano happier than Renheyuan's previous answer.

Perhaps it was because the Holy King vaguely sensed that her answer this time would affect her and Kitano's future, but at least this time, she didn't choose to refuse, and this finally put Kitano's heart at ease.

"So, Holy King, how long do you think it will take you to answer me?"

"After this year's Japan Derby."

The Holy King was also somewhat curious. Why did Kitano seem so anxious? But in reality, wasn't she anxious too? Everything had happened so quickly that the Holy King hadn't had enough time to think about countermeasures. Everything was decided on the spur of the moment.

But the Holy King also sat down and made a decision. If she couldn't make up her mind after this year's Japan Derby, then she would probably really doubt whether her feelings for Kitano were true.

"So, can we now focus our full attention on the matter at hand?"

"Really? This incident has even upset me, a top-notch player... You know I've been working hard for the Japan Derby lately, right? You should also act like a top-notch trainer and give me some good advice so that we can win the Japan Derby first."

"If you can't even win the Japanese derby, I'll reconsider your proposal. Be prepared."

"Okay, I understand." Faced with the words of the Holy King, Kitano, who was now much more relaxed, also agreed. After all, since the Holy King had indirectly agreed to his "proposal", then the difficulty of telling her about Aldan and Rudolf should be much smaller.

I just need to hint at it indirectly. I believe the Holy King will be more receptive to such things... After all, she is now one of them.

But...why was the Holy King still eating non-stop? Was she still so nervous?

However, at this moment, facing the Holy King who was still emotionally unstable, with a pair of horse ears lying limply on his head and his tail wagging shyly behind him, Kitano couldn't help but feel that the bill for today's dinner... might not be reimbursed.

Chapter 388: Ulala's approval, the two are like a couple

"Walk slower... Is that okay? I really don't need a taxi?"

"I'm fine... As a top-notch horse girl, how could I take a taxi back home? And in such an ugly state? You should at least pay a little attention to my situation."

An hour and a half later, Saint King Halo walked out of the restaurant, but he was staggering with the support of Kitano, and he did not forget to cover his slightly bulging belly with one hand, looking extremely uncomfortable.

Not surprisingly, after ordering a large amount of food and eating a lot of food to relieve her stress, Halo of the Holy King eventually finished all the food. However, the final result was that Halo of the Holy King, as a horse girl, was naturally full.

Even after she finished eating, Saint King Halo didn't realize that she had eaten too much. It was not until she was about to pay the bill that Saint King subconsciously wanted to stand up, but she stumbled and almost fell. Only then did Kitano and Saint King notice her bulging belly.

Yes, a bulging belly. This might be incredible to an ordinary person like Kitano, but for Uma Musume, it is not something that is difficult to understand.

Compared to the "horses" in Kitano's understanding, the horse girls' appetites are still much smaller. Except for special cases like Oguruma, Kitano has never seen a horse girl whose appetite can really match that of a "horse".

However, the special physiques of Uma Musume do allow most of them to have appetites that ordinary people can't match. They can also do many things that humans can't do - for example, if they eat too much, their stomachs will really bulge out like the exaggerated ones in anime.

Just like the Saint King's aura now, she had a bulging belly because she ate too much. When Kitano was helping the Saint King out of the restaurant, they ran into another couple in the elevator. Seeing them, they were both very cautious, afraid of being touched by the Saint King's aura, and they stared at them with an ambiguous smile...

Obviously, the Saint King's attitude was terrible. But Bei Ye didn't have any good solutions. After all, he couldn't let the Saint King vomit out what he had eaten.

The two of them walked outside, and at night, the cold wind that had not yet faded in January made Saint King Halo shiver uncontrollably. Even though Uma Musume's physique made her body temperature slightly higher than that of ordinary people, she still felt cold.

"You, why do you want to change into such revealing clothes when it's so cold?"

Noticing the coldness of the Holy King, Kitano took off his coat without thinking and was about to put it on the Holy King. However, his action caught the Holy King's attention and he was slightly startled.

"You—wait a moment."

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Kitano didn't expect the Holy King to subconsciously take a step back, but he still took off his coat. Without a second thought, he stepped forward and put one on the Holy King, covering her exposed shoulders and back. He asked curiously, "You look cold... Is there any need to be so nervous?"

"Thanks."

Tightening his still-warm clothes, the Saint King knew his reaction was a bit too intense. However, this familiar behavior caused the already terribly upset Saint King's heart to race for a moment before he gradually calmed down.

Is it because I accepted this guy's "proposal"? I feel like this is different from the way we usually are.

This guy is actually quite a gentleman, and he's quite caring. Although I noticed this before, it seems now... this guy always seizes the right opportunity to help.

Thinking of this, the Holy King couldn't help but tighten her clothes again. However, when she just wanted to take a few steps, the strange feeling from her abdomen made her face look ugly again.

"Be careful." Fortunately, Bei Ye, who was standing by, reacted quickly and supported the Holy King in time. His eyes followed the Holy King's high heels, then looked at the Holy King's palms covering his swollen abdomen, and he also said in time: "It's not easy for you to walk in high heels like this... Let's go to a nearby store and buy a pair of flat shoes."

"Can't we just go back?" The Holy King couldn't help but ask, clutching his aching abdomen. Hearing this, Kitano shook his head and chuckled, "Look at how uncomfortable you are. You ate too much, and you don't want to take a taxi back—of course you can't take a taxi, or you'll vomit."

"Since you're going to walk back, you need a pair of shoes suitable for walking. High heels are definitely not an option if you don't want to vomit halfway or see your feet."

"It just so happens that there's a shoe store right here." Kitano cast his gaze towards a shoe store not far away and, while also supporting the Holy King, said, "Let's go buy a pair of shoes. I'll pay for it this time. How about it be a return gift for paying for your meal?"

"Do I still need this little bit of money from you? Really, you underestimate me."

The Holy King expressed deep disdain for Kitano's behavior of pretending to be wealthy despite having little money. He then took out a black card inlaid with gold thread from his small bag and handed it to Kitano, saying, "I'll leave the shoe selection to you. I have high hopes for your taste. Don't let me down."

"Yes." Seeing that the Holy King took out a black card so easily, Kitano did not resist too much. After all, this young lady had used this black card to help Kitano settle the huge bill just ten minutes ago.

This is what a young lady is like... With just a card, she doesn't have to worry about money at all. How enviable...

Thinking about this, Kitano suddenly realized that there were quite a few young ladies in his team who had black cards... Aldan, Zenshin, Rudolph, Sirius... Maybe the Emperor and King Jin also had one.

As horse girls, they were so rich, so why were I, as a trainer, so poor? Kitano couldn't figure this out.

……

After a while, the Holy King, who had changed into flat shoes, was supported by Kitano and walked step by step towards Tresen College. Along the way, many passers-by looked at the Holy King with a bulging belly and Kitano who was supporting him with kind eyes. Gradually, even the Holy King felt embarrassed and covered his whole body with Kitano's clothes.

"I can't let other acquaintances see this ugly appearance." The Holy King muttered in his heart, but the hand that was holding Kitano's shoulder showed no sign of loosening.

At this moment, looking at the man beside her who had been coordinating with her steps and supporting her step by step, the Holy King's eyes were lost in thought for a moment, and he couldn't help but think: