The mediocre trainer doesn't want to reopen

Could it be that it was just a little bit off...that guy was right?

No, impossible. Saint King Halo gritted his teeth and subconsciously locked his gaze on his trainer's location—he was indeed there, standing up and clapping as usual, his expression unrecognizable...

But for some reason, Saint King Halo felt a sense of humiliation. She gritted her teeth and chose to endure everything that was happening in front of her.

Just like that, in the second half of May, in the Japan Derby, Saint King Aura faced off against his two old friends again, but this time the result was shocking.

"Holy King Halo! Unbelievable! Holy King Halo faced the 2400-meter Japanese Derby, but due to its overly fast pace in the early stages, it lost momentum in the second half and came home in a crushing 14th place! This was its worst result yet!"

"The Japanese Derby was won by Tokushou! In just one month, Tokushou found her form and redeemed herself! She's become this year's "Derby Girl"!"

Impossible...I don't believe it.

I don’t believe I can’t win. I definitely can. I will definitely win!

However, everything that happened afterwards seemed to be a punishment for Saint King Halo, as if it was punishing her for her rude words that day, as if the three goddesses themselves had bestowed the punishment on her. Every day that followed, Saint King Halo made her pay the price for not listening to Kitano's words that day.

In order to avenge her previous defeat, Saint King Halo chose the Kobe Shimbun Cup after the Japan Derby. Her trainer wanted to say something but stopped herself before she could utter the first word. Saint King Halo glared at her and she immediately shut up.

The final result was that she returned as the most popular, but lost in third place.

In the Kyoto Shimbun Cup, Saint King Halo competed with Special Week in the same competition. Saint King Halo fought hard against Special Week, but still fell short and finished second.

Chrysanthemum Appreciation... She was exhausted and finished fifth, but watched Qingyun Tiankong win the championship with an unprecedented momentum as the escape horse that led the entire race, becoming the two-time champion horse girl.

At this point, the classic triple crown career of Saint King Halo came to an end with her being the only one without a victory. She witnessed Special Week becoming the Derby Horse Girl and Qingyun Tiankong becoming the Double Crown Horse Girl.

And finally, with the last race of the classic year, the Arima Kinen, Saint King Halo completely exposed her inability to adapt to long distances. On that day when she returned home in sixth place with a crushing defeat... she collapsed.

That day, she vanished from Tresen Academy without saying goodbye. When her roommate, Ulala, discovered the Saint King's disappearance, leaving behind a note that simply read, "Don't look for me, I'm gone," the racehorse girls at Tresen Academy spontaneously began searching the academy and even Tokyo for any trace of the Saint King's aura.

Everyone seemed to be aware of the danger and what the Holy King Halo was going to do... However, the first person to find the Holy King Halo was the person she least wanted to see during this period.

That day, when her trainer found her, she was standing on the Tokyo Bay Bridge, looking up at everything. As if she was taking in all the beautiful scenery in front of her - suddenly, her waist was hugged and she was forcibly pulled away from the fence.

“Ugh?!” Immersed in the beautiful scenery, the Holy King’s aura had never imagined that someone would attack her, especially a horse girl like her. Just as she was about to kick back reflexively, she heard the person behind her sternly shout, “Holy King! What are you doing?! Are you giving up?!”

"You—why is it you?!"

Saint King Halo hadn't expected that it was his trainer who hugged him. He was furious, but then he felt wronged. He gritted his teeth and said, "Why did you come to me?! Didn't I say I don't want to see you?! Let me go!"

"I admit it, I admit you're right! I should have done exactly as you said, otherwise I wouldn't have been losing for the entire year! So what if I admit you're right?! Don't you think I'm humiliated enough already?!"

"Do you still want to see me humiliated? What else do you want me to say? I'm sorry! Isn't sorry enough?!"

However, as she spoke, Saint King Halo began to cry. Her mind recalled all the humiliation and unwillingness she had experienced in the past year. She wanted to break free from that man's arms. As a horse girl, she could do it with just a little effort.

But... as he held on tightly, the resistance of the Holy King's Halo became weaker and weaker. In the end, only slight twitching and sobbing were left.

"Let me go... let me go..."

"Don't hold me anymore...let me give up like this..."

"Giving up is easier than anything else, Holy King, but is giving up just like that really what you want?"

He hugged Saint King Halo's waist, gently rested his head on Saint King Halo's slightly twitching shoulder, and whispered in her ear: "Look at me, I didn't give up even though you questioned me so much. I've been watching you, from the Gaoyue Sho to the Japan Derby, and then to the Chrysanthemum Sho and Arima Kinen... I know very well that you never gave up, just like I never gave up on you."

"Saint King, haven't you always said that I'm a third-rate trainer? Perhaps that's true. I'm still a third-rate trainer until now."

"A third-rate... Even if the horse racing girl he trusts fails again and again, I still believe and pray that she can win the next race... Even if she fails again and again."

"Holy King, you're a first-rate horse girl. You wouldn't let a silly, third-rate trainer like me down in this area...right?"

"..." As the other party's voice fell, the sobbing sound of Saint King Halo gradually became much lighter. He felt that Saint King Halo's body was no longer struggling, and carefully let go of the arm that was around her waist.

The next moment, Saint King Halo slowly turned around, tears still on her face. She stared at the person in front of her with piercing eyes. After a long while, she murmured, "Do you still believe that I can win?"

"Of course—if possible, I'd appreciate some advice from a third-rate trainer like you." He smiled softly, grasped the hand holding the Saint King's aura, and said word by word, "As long as you're willing to keep running, I'll always support you... whether you succeed or fail, it was like this before, it's like this now, and it will be like this forever."

"So, don't think about death, okay? Holy King Halo."

"..." Saint King Halo stared blankly at the man in front of her. This was the trainer whom she had scolded once before and planned to never meet again, but he still supported her so foolishly. Perhaps he was really her first and only supporter who would never leave her from the beginning to the end. But what made her laugh even more was that the other party mentioned "death"... She slowly understood why the other party was so nervous at the beginning.

Idiot... She didn't want to die at all, she just wanted to leave. She was waiting for a flight to Europe... She wanted to leave Japan, this place where she had lost all face, and go to Europe to prove herself.

She just wanted to take one more look at the place before leaving... but now it seems... the plane ticket is no longer necessary.

"That's it, even though you're only a third-rate trainer, you've passed the test."

Saint King Halo swallowed back the words she wanted to say. She really wanted to say "I'm sorry" solemnly, but in the end, she couldn't say it.

She felt that instead of using words, it would be better to express her apology through actions. Facing this man who had now begun to merge into her heart, Saint King Halo had for the first time felt the urge to be nicer to him.

"Come to think of it, you've been my trainer for a year now, and I didn't even know your name."

"Because we haven't spoken to each other for a year since our breakup." He chuckled as a matter of course and said it. Saint King Halo thought about it carefully and it seemed that this was indeed the case.

Only after the Yayoi Award did she accept him as her trainer, but before she could ask his name, he broke up with her because of that incident, and the Holy King Halo really didn't have the chance to ask his name.

However, it is not too late now. Let them put the past aside and get to know each other again.

"I am the Holy King Halo, a horse girl who wants to prove her bloodline... To live up to the reputation of a first-class family, I will continue to run."

"My name is Kitano Ryuichi, a third-rate trainer who will support you in achieving your dreams."

"Well, please give me your guidance."

At this moment, the two of them held each other's hands, as if the two hearts that had only just met had finally taken their first difficult step.

Chapter 199: I feel like I owe him a lot

Early in the morning, Kitano woke up from the bed in a daze. It was not because he had slept enough. If he wanted to sleep to his heart's content, it would feel like he would need at least twelve hours. He was really tired recently.

He was awakened by a feeling as if he was about to lose his balance. After waking up in a daze, he found that he had changed to sleeping on his stomach with one hand hanging directly off the bed, and he stayed like that all night.

"Are my sleeping postures that bad? I actually fell asleep like this?"

Kitano got up from the bed. It certainly didn't feel good to sleep on his stomach all night. He felt a tightness in his chest. He sat on the bed for a while before he recovered a little. He shook his head and finally got up.

He always feels so tired... getting heavier day by day. Maybe after this period of time, he should take a good vacation.

With this thought in mind, Kitano slowly opened the door. At the moment Kitano opened the door, Saint King Halo, who was sitting in the hall and pondering the design of the winning suit in front of him, immediately met Kitano's gaze.

"Good morning." Saint King Halo was the first to break the silence, but he immediately turned his head away unnaturally, and said with a tone that was difficult to describe, "You're up so early. I thought you would sleep in longer..."

"I went to bed early yesterday." Kitano also agreed. He was now somewhat glad that he did not take off his clothes when he fell asleep yesterday. Otherwise, if he had run into the Holy King's halo as soon as he came out, something embarrassing might have happened.

"However, Holy King, you came very early today, and I was so sound asleep that I didn't even notice you coming."

"Ah... um."

However, facing Kitano's words, Saint King Halo's reaction made Kitano feel a little strange. He only saw Saint King Halo kept his head turned away, not daring to look directly at Kitano, and his tone was a little hesitant, as if he had something to hide.

This made Kitano subconsciously check his clothes, thinking that his zipper was not zipped up or his belly was exposed, which made the Holy King embarrassed to look at him, but after checking, there was no problem at all.

Is the Holy King... a little strange today? Kitano also noticed this. The Holy King's current appearance... reminded Kitano of that time in the previous round when he and the Holy King were traveling in the hot springs. The Holy King's yukata was not wrapped properly and the whole thing fell off. The atmosphere of the next few days of the trip was extremely awkward...

But what happened this time? They had never slept in the same bed, nor had they ever seen each other naked. What had he done to make Saint King Halo feel so embarrassed?

"Go wash up quickly, it stinks."

Saint King Halo seemed to sense Kitano's confusion, but she didn't know how to describe her feelings at the moment. She reluctantly turned her head slightly and said in a calm tone, "I brought you breakfast... It's from the cafeteria, but my cooking is top-notch and you don't get to enjoy it every day, so just eat it with gratitude."

"Oh."

Okay, this is the right smell. Kitano felt relieved when he heard that, and went to the bathroom to wash up.

And at the moment Kitano left, Saint King Halo turned her head and looked in Kitano's direction. Her cheeks were subtly a little rosy, and her eyes no longer had the harshness and arrogance of the past, but were replaced by complexity and unstoppable tenderness.

That dream... was so real. It was as if Saint King Halo was reliving his life as a firsthand witness. The humiliation of falling from the top of a mountain to the ground, even being trampled on, the feeling of enduring humiliation... made Saint King Halo believe that all of this was real.

Although she didn't know why she was defeated miserably, nor did she know how the horse girl named "Special Week" in the competition had defeated her so many times, nor did she know why she and she became friends...

But at this moment, the Holy King Halo was more concerned about his trainer in the dream, the name he called himself, "Ryuichi Kitano".

At that moment, although she did not see the face of the person in the dream clearly, when the name came out of her mouth, Saint King Halo finally realized what the familiar feeling she felt from the person in the dream was.

Indeed, they were so similar! This unshakable personality, the way he always cared about others no matter how much he was wronged, and the words he said when he finally tried to persuade someone—all matched Kitano Ryuichi's impression of the Holy King's aura.

And the moment she woke up, the dream that she had begun to believe in now made her feel uncertain.

Why did his name appear in my dream? Was that person him? But their experiences were completely different from my current reality? Could this be a parallel world?

Have I ever done anything so excessive to that guy?

Such complex thoughts caused the current Saint King's aura to fall into confusion. Her feelings and personal experiences made her rationale believe that everything in this dream was her own personal experience, and that perhaps somewhere, she really had met Kitano in the same way as in her dream.

However, the sentimental side of Saint King Halo seemed unwilling to admit such an experience - at least, in the dream, his attitude towards Kitano in the classic years was really not commendable. As a third-party perspective, Saint King Halo himself could not bear it.

However, reason told Saint King Halo that the behavior in his dream was indeed something he could do. If the other person was not Kitano, but someone he was not familiar with, then Saint King Halo would definitely treat him in this way.

But...it was precisely because of this that the Holy King did not want to admit it. She did not want to admit that she would do such an excessive thing to Kitano.

He had ignored the other party for a whole classic year, and just when he was about to give up, the other party pulled him back - if this was really the case, then apart from anything else, Saint King Halo himself would be condemned by his own conscience.

This is also the reason why Saint King Halo doesn't dare to look directly at Kitano now. Her reason and emotion are constantly fighting. Even though she thinks Kitano doesn't remember the past at all, the fact that she remembers it makes her feel a little at a loss as to what to do.

Thus, such a strange scene appeared.

Saint King Halo clearly did nothing to Kitano this time, and she even knew that Kitano didn't remember it, but she still seemed to be guilty and trying to atone for her past experiences, and began to improve her attitude towards Kitano.

After she woke up this time, she immediately packed up all her things, ran to buy breakfast for Kitano, and made coffee for him... She even started designing the winning suit here early in the morning, for fear that her unnecessary actions would disturb him.

What happened to me? Saint King Halo rubbed her eyes, and her mind kept echoing about the dream... The more she thought about it, the more she felt that her conscience was not right.

"Did I really do these things...did I really do them?"

"How am I supposed to face him then... I didn't do anything this time, but why do I feel like I owe him so much..."

Just as Saint King Halo was mumbling to himself, looking like he had a headache, Kitano, who had already finished washing up, came out. Seeing Saint King deep in thought, he immediately asked, "Saint King, don't force yourself. If you can't think of anything, just relax."

"Wooah! Oh, you, you came out."

When Saint King Halo heard Kitano's voice, his heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason, but he managed to regain his composure. He watched Kitano's figure slowly approach, but couldn't help but turn his head away and said, "No, there's nothing I can do... The winning uniforms are my job as captain. If I can't let everyone wear the best-designed winning uniforms, it would damage the reputation of my first-class family."

"But I'm more concerned about the condition of my teammates. The key for you now is to train well while ensuring safety." Kitano opened the lunch box that Sheng Wang had brought and said to Sheng Wang, "So don't put too much pressure on yourself. Take your time. I believe you will do well."

"Oh……"

However, Kitano's words also made the Saint King's cheeks slightly red. For some reason, when he thought that Kitano now had no idea about those things, but he cared so much, it had a completely different effect on the Saint King now.

Although she was happy about Kitano's concern in the past, she turned the concern into a way to strengthen herself and become more resilient.

But now... because of the influence of those dreams, when the Holy King listened to it again... he felt a kind of joy rising in his heart, and also... a trace of guilt, which made him want to have better thoughts about him.

Such a strange thought made the Holy King a little overwhelmed. She looked cautiously at Bei Ye, who was eating with his head down. After a long while, she asked a little unnaturally, "Hey, I have something to ask you."

"Hmm?" Kitano raised his head and stared blankly at Saint King Halo, but only saw Saint King Halo's expression unnatural. He asked, "I, I actually know that my personality is not very likable. I usually like to contradict you during training... Tell me the truth, do you have any opinions about me during this period of time?"

"If you have any, tell me everything. I am also a first-class horse girl. I still have the moral integrity of self-reflection. Tell me, I won't blame you."

"..."But the words of Saint King Halo made Kitano's expression suddenly interesting. Kitano even felt that he didn't recognize Saint King Halo. How could this little ancestor make a mistake?

This is not something that the Holy King Halo would do. Based on Kitano's understanding of her, the Holy King always admits his mistakes and corrects them rather than admitting them. If the Holy King knows he is wrong, he prefers to make up for it with actions rather than verbal explanations.

But the way she's acting now... is it because of some rumors? Someone out there is saying that they're not getting along?

"Although I don't know what happened, but Holy King, I have never been angry with you."

Although Kitano was a little confused, he still answered the question of Saint King Halo solemnly and said softly, "At least not yet. Saint King, you are not the kind of person who makes trouble for no reason. If you have your own opinions, they must be reasonable. Besides, it is actually normal for a person in charge to quarrel with a trainer."

"No relationship can be strengthened without quarrels. But what's more important is that after a quarrel, we can reconcile. The best relationship isn't one that never quarrels, but one that can still get along even after quarreling."

"This relationship is just like ours now, Holy King. Do you understand what I mean?"

"That sounds like something you would say."

Kitano's answer was within Saint King Halo's expectations, but in fact, she herself knew very well that she had not done well - when Kitano and Ulala were together, she heard Kitano's opinions about her, but now he did not mention a word in front of her.

Why don't you say a few words about my faults? If so, don't you think I will have to correct them secretly?

What a… uneasy guy. Saint King Halo smiled at Kitano, and her ears drooped slightly, just like her heart at this moment… a little softened.

Chapter 200: Beiye's test of the Holy King: What if I leave you one day?

After breakfast, as there was still some time left, Kitano enjoyed the blended coffee made by Saint King Halo's extremely rare and exquisite coffee skills, and then walked towards the training ground with Saint King Halo.

"Hey, you, your tie is crooked. Didn't you notice it when you looked in the mirror?"

Before leaving, Saint King Halo suddenly called Kitano. Kitano subconsciously looked down. Probably because he had not taken off his clothes last night, his tie was a little wrinkled.

Saint King Halo really couldn't stand it. She had a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder of cleanliness because she was born in a wealthy family. Although she was not as powerful as the Mejiro family, Saint King Halo lived a rich life and had servants and nannies at home, so she had always been used to cleanliness and tidiness.

Although Saint King Halo's life skills were close to zero, he was stubborn in this area. Unable to bear it any longer, she stepped forward and untied Kitano's tie.