A little while later, Kitano and Hayakawa Tazuna entered the Director’s office like they had done it a hundred times before.
Which, in Kitano’s case, was not even that far from the truth.
And just like in the previous loops, waiting for him inside was the Director of Tracen Academy— Director Akikawa Yayoi.
“Welcome!
Trainer Kitano Ryuichi!” Director Akikawa stood with her usual dramatic flair, her fan in hand and her voice brimming with confidence.
“You are the only trainer from this year’s Central Trainer Academy class to graduate successfully!
Not only that, you have broken Tracen Academy’s record as its youngest trainer!” She snapped her fan shut.
“Therefore!
I have high hopes for you, Trainer Kitano!
I hope you seize this chance and contribute greatly to the careers and achievements of Tracen Academy’s Uma Musume!
That is all!” Director Akikawa Yayoi was an Uma Musume.
A very, very tiny one, at that.
The kind who looked more like she belonged in an elementary school field trip than behind the desk of Japan’s most prestigious Uma Musume academy.
That said, Kitano still had no idea whether she had once been a racing Uma Musume.
Back in his previous life, fans had loved theorizing that Akikawa Yayoi was actually “Northern Taste.” There were clues.
There were rumors.
There were entire threads full of people arguing like their lives depended on it.
But after this many loops, Kitano still didn’t know the truth.
Same with Hayakawa Tazuna.
Was she really “Tokino Minoru”?
Plenty of hints pointed that way, but hints were not proof.
And Kitano had never been brave enough to ask.
Because seriously, what was he supposed to say?
“Director, by any chance, were you called Northern Taste back when you were a racing Uma Musume?” Yeah.
No.
That was his boss.
In a Japanese workplace, asking that kind of question was less “bold curiosity” and more “career-ending speedrun.” Kitano was close enough to Tazuna that their relationship had shifted from senior and junior to drinking buddies, but Director Akikawa was different.
To him, she was a good boss.
A little childish sometimes.
A bit willful here and there.
But still, a good boss.
And honestly, one of the biggest reasons Kitano kept dragging himself back to Tracen Academy loop after loop was simple.
Being a Central trainer in the Uma Musume world was an absurdly good job.
Kitano had spent several loops starting out as a local trainer, so he knew exactly how wide the gap was.
Local and Central weren’t even in the same league.
The base salary alone was several times higher.
The pension, medical insurance, and benefits were all excellent too.
He had even done the math.
If he retired at Japan’s normal retirement age, he could live out the rest of his life as a comfortable middle-class citizen.
Maybe even with some extra savings on the side.
And that was before counting the perks.
At Tracen, plenty of expenses could be claimed through Central: running shoes for assigned Uma Musume, the terrifying cost of race outfits, trainer expenses on campus, meal allowances, and even a single dorm room assigned for free.
No rent.
No water bill.
Not one yen.
For someone at Kitano’s level, there was no better job in this world.
And the reason he liked Director Akikawa as a boss was just as simple.
She was generous.
Submit a reimbursement form?
Approved without a glance.
Ask for leave?
As long as he had a proper reason and it didn’t interfere with his assigned Uma Musume’s training or races, she usually waved it through.
High salary.
Good insurance.
Easy reimbursements.
A boss who didn’t nickel-and-dime him to death.
Of course Kitano liked her.
Sure, Director Akikawa had occasionally asked him to do things that were definitely not in his job description.
But Kitano’s attitude had always been, You pay me this well, so sure, boss.
Whatever you say.
No complaints.
Besides, the tasks themselves were harmless enough.
Sometimes he helped tend the vegetables in her garden.
Sometimes he accompanied her and Tazuna to business dinners.
On a few occasions, he had even carried the Director back to the academy after one of those dinners.
Normal workplace socializing.
Probably.
The most troublesome request had been helping Director Akikawa secretly set up a small rest room in the school building without Tazuna finding out.
It was meant to give the overworked Director a comfortable place to nap when her overtime started multiplying like a cursed spreadsheet.
As for why Tazuna couldn’t know?
Kitano assumed the Director didn’t want her to worry.
Tazuna lived pretty far from the city center.
If she stayed too late, she wouldn’t get enough rest herself.
To Kitano, who had spent his previous life as a corporate drone dealing with unreasonable bosses, that barely even counted as unreasonable.
Director Akikawa treated him well.
So he didn’t mind helping her out.
And most importantly, she reimbursed every yen.
Right.
He was getting sidetracked.
In the end, Kitano and Director Akikawa were still just boss and subordinate.
A perfectly ordinary workplace relationship.
There were lines he had no business crossing.
Even if he had ever considered clinging to a rich older woman for an easy life, he didn’t have the guts.
Don’t ask why.
The answer was simple.
A crushing inferiority complex born from being single since birth.
Across all those loops, he had never once managed to win over any of his assigned Uma Musume.
Where was he supposed to find the courage to aim for his boss?
“Mm…” While Kitano’s thoughts wandered off into increasingly pathetic territory, Director Akikawa was studying the young man in front of her.
He was a little handsome.
More than that, the longer she looked at him, the more strangely familiar he felt.
Not in a “I’ve seen this face before” kind of way.
More like… something in her chest softened just by having him there.
“Curious!
Trainer Kitano, have we met before?” Director Akikawa tilted her head.
“For some reason, when I look at you, I feel…” She stopped herself just in time.
Happy from the bottom of my heart.
There was no way she could say that out loud.
This was supposed to be their first meeting.
If she said something like that now, it would sound way too easy to misunderstand.
Like some kind of love-at-first-sight confession.
The thought alone made her cheeks warm.
Director Akikawa quickly opened the fan she always carried and hid the lower half of her face behind it.
A dignified Director could not be this visibly delighted over the arrival of one rookie trainer.
Calm down, Akikawa Yayoi.
You are the Director.
Unfortunately for her, that tiny gesture did not escape Hayakawa Tazuna.
They had worked together for too long.
And the moment Tazuna noticed the Director acting like that, a strange little spark of urgency flickered in her chest.
She stepped forward at once, smiling as naturally as she could.
“Director, perhaps it’s because you looked over Trainer Kitano’s registration documents yesterday?
His photo was attached, remember?
That may be why he feels familiar.” “Doubt!
Is that truly the case?” Director Akikawa still didn’t sound entirely convinced.