Chapter 6: Offer

Just like that, a full week slipped through Ren's fingers.

He sat alone on a wooden bench near the central plaza, his head leaned back against the headrest, staring up at the vast blue expanse of the afternoon sky. High above, a few wispy clouds drifted lazily in the breeze, utterly indifferent to the existential crisis unfolding on the ground.

Being a trainer is insanely hard, Ren thought, letting out a long, heavy breath that ruffled his bangs.

For seven straight days, he had thrown himself into the deep end. He had scoured the training tracks, reviewed student records until his eyes burned, and crafted meticulously detailed, tailored training regimens for every promising runner he approached. He had made sure to be polite, professional, and entirely respectful of their boundaries.

And yet, every single attempt had ended in the exact same way: a polite decline, a nervous laugh, or a blunt "I'm holding out for a bigger team."

Ren reached up, running a tired hand over his face. What was he actually missing?

Appearance-wise, sure, he was completely average—a face that blended effortlessly into any background. But as a coach, he had drawn on a mountain of real-world sports science and gaming knowledge, designing routines that optimized stamina recovery, stroke efficiency, and pacing adjustments. He wasn't offering generic boilerplate advice. He was handing them gold-standard blueprints.

Yet to the students of Tracen Academy, blueprints meant nothing when handed over by a total unknown who lacked a single recorded victory or prestigious lineage.

At this rate, Ren mused bitterly, I'm heading straight for option B.

Becoming an assistant trainer under a senior staff member wasn't a death sentence—Tazuna had made that clear. But it meant lower pay, less autonomy, and pushing his personal goals into the indefinite future. And worse, it meant watching girls like King Halo burn themselves out from the sidelines while established trainers stuck to their rigid, conventional methods.

Ren closed his eyes, the cool breeze washing over his face. In the quiet solitude of the afternoon, a sudden, sharp pang of homesickness struck his chest. He wondered what his parents were doing right now. Did they think he was missing? Had they found his room empty, his phone lying face down on the bed with the Umamusume app still open on the home screen?

They must be worried sick, he thought, a tight knot forming in his throat.

The wooden slats of the bench creaked softly beside him.

Sensory instinct warned him someone had taken a seat just a foot away. Ren opened his eyes, turning his head to the side.

A flash of vibrant green caught his vision—the pristine green cap, the crisp suit jacket, and the flawlessly neat necktie that seemed practically printed into his brain.

Tazuna.

Ren immediately straightened his posture, wiping the exhaustion from his face as he offered a polite nod. "Miss Tazuna. Is there something I can help you with?"

Tazuna didn't answer right away. Instead, she mirrored his earlier action, lifting her chin to gaze quietly up at the open sky. The sunlight caught the dark green fabric of her cap, casting a gentle shadow over her calm, perceptive features.

After a quiet moment, she turned toward him, her clear, amber eyes locking onto his with a brilliant, reassuring smile that felt altogether too knowing.

"Trainer Ren," Tazuna began smoothly, her voice carrying its signature warmth. "Would you perhaps consider taking on a role as an auxiliary trainer attached directly to the Student Council?"

Ren froze. He opened his mouth to give a quick, polite response, but the words caught in his throat.

A trainer... supporting the Student Council?

His mind immediately began churning through the implications. The Student Council at Tracen wasn't just an administrative club—it was the heart of the academy's hierarchy, governed by the legendary Symboli Rudolf herself. To be assigned directly under their oversight wasn't a demotion to assistant status, nor was it a standard stable assignment.

It was a completely unscripted middle ground.

Ren stared at Tazuna, his eyes narrowing slightly as he weighed the sheer weight of the offer. "The Student Council? Miss Tazuna... why would the Council need a rookie trainer like me?"

"You are the perfect candidate, Trainer Ren," Tazuna replied smoothly, turning her head back toward him. "The Director has taken notice of you recently, and as it turns out, you meet almost every single requirement for this position."

Ren blinked, entirely caught off guard. The Director?

Tazuna leaned back slightly, her gaze drifting toward the central courtyard ahead. A few groups of student Umamusume were strolling past, laughing and chatting in the bright afternoon sun—some carrying gym bags, others playfully racing each other toward the dorms.

"If it is a matter of qualifications, you have already demonstrated them, Trainer Ren," Tazuna said softly, a warm, reassuring smile gracing her lips.

Ren studied her face closely. There wasn't a trace of corporate platitudes or polite deception in her expression; her clear amber eyes held pure, unmistakable sincerity. He realized in that quiet second that Tazuna wasn't just delivering an official administrative errand. She was actively throwing him a lifeline.

But why? he wondered, his mind racing through every interaction he'd had since arriving in this world. What did I even do to earn this? Was it treating King Halo's legs on the track?

Before he could voice the dozens of questions burning in his throat, Tazuna smoothed down her dark green skirt and stood up from the wooden bench.

"You likely have a great deal to consider, so I will not bother you any longer, Trainer Ren," she said, giving him an authoritative yet gentle nod. "The offer will remain open. Whenever you are ready to accept, simply report directly to the Director's office."

Ren rose to his feet as well, offering a deep, respectful bow. "I see... I will think it over carefully, Miss Tazuna. Thank you. Truly."

Tazuna offered a final, pleasant wave, her heels clicking softly against the stone pavement as she turned and strolled back toward the main administration building.

Ren sank back onto the bench, staring at the empty spot where the academy secretary had been sitting just moments before.

Auxiliary Trainer for the Student Council...

He leaned his elbows on his knees, steepling his fingers beneath his chin as he carefully broke down the proposal.

It was a radical departure from the standard "join a team, recruit a starter, win the Debut Race" pipeline he knew from the game. But as he looked out over the courtyard at the bustling, vibrant lives of the students, a quiet resolve settled in his chest.

In a normal stable, he would be limited to one or two trainees, constantly fighting for track time and credibility. But directly attached to the Student Council? He would have the legitimate authority to step in when he saw a runner burning out and the leverage to back up his methods.

A noble deed? Ren never considered a single thing he had done to be noble.

At the end of the day, it was just his own selfish desire to help. And if he was being completely honest with himself, there was a hidden agenda buried beneath it all. As a former player who had spent countless hours staring at these girls through a flat smartphone screen, of course he wanted to get closer to them now that they were breathing the same air.

He was standing in a living, breathing reality, wielding insider knowledge about their futures, their weaknesses, and their deepest insecurities—information he had no right to possess. At times, it made him feel like some kind of calculating, manipulative bastard playing a game with real lives.

If the Three Goddesses actually exist in this world, Ren thought, tilting his head back to gaze at the drifting clouds above the courtyard, why on earth did they drag someone like me here?

He let out a short, quiet laugh, shaking his head to scatter the absurd thoughts.

Maybe I'm overthinking things again.

Tazuna had hit the nail right on the head: his mind was cluttered with far too much noise. The offer to support the Student Council wasn't going anywhere by tonight. Instead of rushing to the Director's office with a chaotic head, he needed to go back to his faculty room, eat a proper dinner, get a good night's sleep, and walk in tomorrow morning with absolute clarity.

A quiet, genuine smile finally touched his lips as he adjusted his vest and turned his steps toward the residential block.

A short distance away, partially concealed by the shadow of a stone archway, a pair of sharp crimson eyes followed his retreating form.

King Halo stood quietly, her hands clasped lightly over her purse. Her wavy brown hair rustled softly in the late afternoon breeze.

It had been a full week since the accident at the mock races. A full week since the it happen unyielding way this unknown trainer had stood up to the pushy rookies on her behalf. Her leg had recovered completely within two days thanks to his quick intervention—a fact her doctors had noted with quiet surprise.

For seven straight days, she had carried a small, carefully rehearsed speech in her heart. She had intended to find him, adopt a perfectly composed, first-rate posture, and deliver a formal, elegant expression of gratitude.

Yet every single time she saw him walking through the campus—looking stressed, buried in clipboard notes, or quietly sighing on a bench—the courage completely drained out of her. A proud girl like King Halo wasn't used to owing people favors, especially to a stranger who had seen her at her absolute lowest and weakest moment.

She watched him walk away now, his shoulders slightly lighter than before, a rare, relaxed smile on his face.

King Halo let out a long, quiet sigh, her shoulders dropping slightly in defeat.

"Not today either, it seems..." she murmured softly to herself. 

She smoothed down her skirt, turned on her heel, and began her walk back toward the dorms.

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The morning air was crisp and invigorating, carrying the faint scent of freshly cut grass from the main turf fields.

Ren walked through the grand entrance gates of Tracen Academy, his hands resting casually in his trouser pockets. He had spent the previous night turning Tazuna’s proposal over in his head, weighing every pros and cons until his mind finally settled into absolute clarity.

He was going to accept the auxiliary position with the Student Council.

Though... Ren paused for a fraction of a second near the central courtyard, glancing toward the secondary training tracks where a few uncontracted runners were already running warm-up laps. Should I try pitching to one more student before heading inside?

He chuckled softly to himself, shaking his head as he resumed walking. No, let’s not push my luck. Securing the Council position first gives me legitimate standing. The scouting can wait until I'm officially onboarded.

Around him, the campus was bursting into vibrant life. Dozens of student Umamusume trotted past in their crisp navy school uniforms or standard gym tracksuits, chatting brightly with friends, checking schedules, or laughing as they raced each other toward the main building. Their faces were alight with the boundless energy of youth, unburdened by the cold anxieties of adult life.

Ah, youth, Ren thought with a fond, nostalgic smile. Youngsters sure are energetic... Wait, what am I saying? I’m still in my twenties! I'm not an old man yet.

Standing near the double doors, clipboard in hand as she warmly greeted arriving students, was Hayakawa Tazuna. Her signature green cap caught the morning sunlight, and her smile was as bright and professional as ever.

"Good morning, Trainer Ren," Tazuna called out smoothly as he approached, stepping aside from the flow of traffic to welcome him.

"Good morning, Miss Tazuna," Ren replied, offering a warm, genuine smile.

As they fell into a natural rhythm, chatting about the day's scheduled track maintenance and the upcoming mid-term evaluation reports, Ren found himself comfortably slipping into the casual banter of trusted colleagues. Having spent countless hours navigating her menus and reading her dialogue boxes back in his old world, talking to Tazuna felt second nature.

"...and if we adjust the second-period track rotation, the uncontracted cohorts will have plenty of clearance," Ren noted offhandedly, leaning against the stone pillar. "Though knowing how meticulously you organize the master schedule, Miss Tazuna, you probably already factored that in three days ago."

Tazuna blinked, a pleasant glint of surprise illuminating her amber eyes as she nodded approvingly. "My, Trainer Ren, you certainly possess an impressive grasp of administrative logistics. You seem to know how I operate almost inside and out."

Ren froze.

A cold droplet of sweat suddenly traced down the back of his neck. Ah. Shifted into fan mode again. Getting too comfortable around a living legendary secretary is dangerous!

Ren cleared his throat into his fist, quickly steering the conversation back on track. "Ahem—well, I try to pay attention to details! But more importantly, Miss Tazuna... regarding the offer you mentioned yesterday?"

Tazuna tilted her head slightly, her smile widening. "Yes?"

"I’ve made up my mind. I would be honored to accept the auxiliary position supporting the Student Council," Ren said, his tone firm and decisive.

"Oh, already? That is wonderful news," Tazuna said, giving a satisfied nod as she made a quick note on her clipboard. "In that case, you may proceed straight to the Director's office on the top floor to formally report for your new duty. She is expecting you."

"Understood. Thank you for everything, Miss Tazuna. Have a pleasant morning," Ren said, offering a polite bow.

"You as well, Trainer Ren. Best of luck," Tazuna replied, waving gently as he turned toward the grand double doors.