When the time came for his self-defense class that evening, Nakajima Shin changed into his gym clothes and headed to the banquet hall, now cleared of all tables.
But instead of the dozen or so trainers who had passed the evaluation, he found only Daiichi Ruby waiting for him.
“Good evening, Trainer Nakajima.” Daiichi Ruby greeted him.
“Hello, Daiichi Ruby.”
He glanced around again to make absolutely sure no one else was there, then asked, “Where did everyone else go?”
“Everyone else withdrew.
You’re the only one who stayed.”
“…”
They were forced out, weren’t they?
The corner of Nakajima’s mouth twitched slightly.
“Yesterday, your mother spoke with me.
She said you thought I’d be a good fit as your trainer.
I’d like to know why.”
“I was just about to explain.” Daiichi Ruby stood straight and offered a slight bow.
“First, I apologize for misleading you yesterday.
I told you to stay to motivate the others, but in truth, I wanted you as my trainer.
That’s why I kept you around to observe.”
“That idea formed after I learned your trainee was Tokai Teio, and understood why you agreed to take her on.
After discussing it with my mother, she reached out to you directly.
Please forgive any inconvenience caused last night.”
Nakajima shook his head.
“It’s fine.
But did signing Teio really catch your attention that much?”
Daiichi Ruby nodded.
“My family needs someone like you.”
Someone like me?
A fool?
Nakajima couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly at himself.
He wasn’t trying to put himself down, but let’s be real: without a system advantage, anyone willing to do that kind of thing back then was practically insane.
Especially when drowning in debt.
Anyone who’d still take that route was a fool among fools.
But he just couldn’t stand seeing it.
If someone had to force a smile when they desperately needed to cry, how painful must that be?
All he could do was help her face it, let her cry it out, and walk beside her through it.
Of course, he could only do that because the consequences were within his tolerance.
Otherwise, his goodwill was pretty limited.
If he couldn’t even take care of himself, how could he help anyone else?
His thoughts raced, and he looked back at Daiichi Ruby.
“So…
you want me to be your trainer now?”
“If you’re willing, then yes.” She nodded.
“I don’t mind, but I need to be upfront about one thing,” Nakajima said plainly.
“I need money.
Once I’ve earned enough, I’ll retire.
So I probably won’t be your trainer for long.”
Daiichi Ruby’s brows furrowed slightly, confused.
“I understand needing money, but leaving once you’ve earned enough…
are you planning to do something specific?”
He nodded.
“I want to open a ranch.
Once I have the funds, I’ll hang it up.”
“But you haven’t lived on a ranch before, have you?
Why would you want to run one after retiring?”
“Because it’ll bring me happiness.
Well…
it probably will.”
“…”
Daiichi Ruby stared at him in silence.
Her expression didn’t change, but inside, she felt a pang of disappointment.
She had hoped he’d be the Fire of Scorpio she aspired to become, which was why she’d taken an interest in him.
But hearing this, it felt like a dream shattering.
And yet, was it really unexpected?
After all, the Fire of Scorpio she wanted to emulate was just an obscure snippet from an ordinary fairy tale.
If older readers stumbled upon it, they’d probably feel nothing, skimming past it like a resume and moving on.
But for her, it left a deep, indelible mark.
Long ago, there was a scorpion that survived on small insects.
One day, it encountered a weasel and nearly got eaten.
The scorpion fled for its life, but just as the weasel was about to catch it, it slipped and fell into a dry well.
No matter how hard it tried, it couldn’t climb out.
As the water rose and death neared, it prayed to the heavens: “I have consumed countless lives without thought.
That is why I’m being chased so desperately today, and ended up in this pit.
Ah, well, I’m doomed anyway.
I’ll offer my life to the weasel, so it may live one more day.”
“God, please hear my plea.
Let my death not be meaningless.
Let my life bring happiness to others!”
When the prayer ended, its body ignited with a fierce flame, illuminating the darkness around it.
It became the eternal Fire of Scorpio.
This was the Fire of Scorpio from The Night of the Galactic Railroad, and it was exactly what Daiichi Ruby wanted to become.
As the sole heir of her family, she had dreamed since childhood of becoming their pride, joining the ranks of her ancestors, and being looked up to by future generations.
She wanted her running to bring even greater glory to the clan.
But her legs refused to cooperate.
If it weren’t for her mother, who rallied every resource the family had to find a way for her to run again, she might have already lost her purpose.
So to repay them, to ensure the Gorgeous Clan’s legacy wouldn’t crumble in her hands, and to make the mother she revered proud, she had to become the Fire of Scorpio.
For over a decade, she had carried the family’s expectations and the weight of her duties on young shoulders, executing everything flawlessly.
Impeccable.
A horse girl like her needed a trainer worthy of the Gorgeous Clan’s name, someone who could understand, support, and walk the path alongside her.
She had initially thought Nakajima Shin far exceeded her standards, that she might even have something to learn from him.
But now, he seemed different from what she’d imagined.
After a moment’s thought, Daiichi Ruby nodded firmly.
She would choose him as her trainer and stop the evaluations.
The family evaluations had been running for over half a year.
Finally finding someone who met her requirements, even if he didn’t perfectly match her ideal, was enough.
She didn’t need to demand that others conform to her own standards just because she held them.
Her focus now had to be on debuting this year.
Mejiro McQueen, who back-to-back won the Spring Tenno Sho for the Mejiro family.
Orfevre, the dazzling new star of the Gol clan.
Satono Diamond, racing across Hong Kong and Japan for the Satono house…
Daiichi Ruby thought of the wave of geniuses emerging from the major families over the past two years, her left hand tightening slightly.
With new faces rising to represent every major family, she had to step into the spotlight quickly as the Gorgeous Clan’s sole heir and make her mark.
With a trainer secured, it was time to debut.
As for Nakajima’s plan to leave and open a ranch once he had enough money…
It would take some time, right?
There would be a way to make him want to stay.
“For the time being, I ask that you walk this path with me.” Daiichi Ruby extended her hand first, and they shook.