Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 19 What is Responsibility
"Feel sorry."

That was all Ochiai could say from his horseback.

Meda Hirama is in great shape and performs great on the field.

Then, the reason for failure can only be attributed to oneself.

"Not at all."

Kitano bowed deeply.

It was noticeable as early as when he appeared in the circle that Megumi Hirano's condition was well adjusted.

The match arrangement is also very reasonable.

Whether it is the trainer, assistant trainer, trainer or rider, they all tried their best.

Well, there's nothing to complain about.

"Thank you for your hard work."

He said.

Then, he patted Mudaiheima's head again.

“You’ve worked hard too!”

The reed-haired horse let out a breath of hot air, and sweat kept dripping from its body.

He seems to be in a low mood. Is he also unwilling to accept the failure?
After loosening his tight tie, Kitano continued walking along the same route as last time.

"I'm sorry I didn't let you see the victory you were expecting."

Passing the edge of the stands, he spoke to the cheering fans behind the banner.

"That's not the case, Master Kitano!"

"It's a shame, but Pegasus ran really well!"

"That's right! Pegasus's running form is dazzling!"

"The pre-game meal-scattering segment was also very cute!"

"Just finish the race safely."

There was a bit of chaos, with various responses coming in.

Kitano was slightly touched by their words.

How strange.

Obviously, most of them are just young people who don't know much about horse racing, but they can have such great enthusiasm for a horse that was completely unfamiliar to them.

"Anyway, thank you all for your support today."

He then began to sign autographs for the supporters.

"Master Kitano, if that's about right, it's fine."

It was not until the staff reminded him repeatedly that he took back the pen somewhat embarrassedly.

"Thank you for your hard work, Trainer! You did a great job too!"

A supporter patted Ogawa Masaru's shoulder to comfort him.

Although he didn't know what Ogawa Katsu had done.

“I’m not a horse trainer.”

Xuhe Sheng's face turned slightly red and he quickly waved his hands to deny it.

"What about the stable boy?"

“I’m not a stable boy either.”

He followed Kitano as if escaping.

"Master Kitano!"

As Kitano was walking out of the stadium, a middle-aged man with noticeably thinning hair called out to him from behind.

"you are."

Kitano's tone was a little hesitant.

He really didn't recognize the man in front of him.

"I'm Kimura Keisei from Xinsheng Ranch. Just call me Kimura."

"I was at the game just now. What a pity! We were so close to winning."

While talking nonstop, the man enthusiastically handed over his business card.

【New Life Ranch Co., Ltd.】

【Representative: Keio Kimura】

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Kimura." After glancing at the information on the business card handed to him, Kitano also gave him his own business card.

"Please take care of me!"

[Make friends with 100 people in the industry: 100/100 (Completed)]

[Reward: Silver Amulet × 1]

Kitano closed the two lines of text that popped up in front of him and put away the business card.

"Then I won't bother you anymore."

Taking his eyes off Ogawa Katsu's somewhat depressed face, Kimura smiled and said nothing more.

"Newborn Ranch. Is it great?"

After Kimura left, Kitano turned around and asked.

"It's just because they have more people and more advanced equipment."

"When it comes to horse training, Dad is much better than them!"

Ogawa Sheng looked a little unconvinced. After a pause, he continued, "However, judging solely by their pedigree, the foals produced by their ranch are indeed better than ours."

At the end, there was a hint of unwillingness in the boy's tone.

"That's it."

Kitano nodded and didn't say anything else, as if he was thinking about something.

"Larger ranches organize auctions of fine goods for related parties every year. If Mr. Kitano is interested, you might want to attend."

Although somewhat displeased with Kimura's blatant poaching of his ranch's major clients, Oga Katsu still earnestly offered his advice: "As for the goods offered through public auctions and pre-selection, they are actually not much different from the foals produced by small ranches outside, so there is no need to waste this money on unpalatable horses."

"Thank you, Asheng."

Kitano patted the boy's shoulder and said.

"But at least in the near future, I have no plans to buy a new horse."

Kitano was telling the truth.

If I exchange all the amulets I have for cash, I'll probably have about 20 million yen.

If you put all your energy into your horse ownership career, you might be able to accomplish a lot of tasks in one go.

But he didn't intend to do that.

In addition to the items that can only be purchased in the mall, there are other considerations.

The longer he became a horse owner, the more he felt the difficulty of maintaining this identity.

Just as the old man who left a message in the "X" comment section that day said, no matter what the matter is, it will involve a considerable amount of energy.

Increasing the number of racehorses owned simply because one has more money is not a responsible act for either the parties involved or the racehorses themselves.

"Ah?"

As if he was a little surprised by Kitano's address, Ogawa Masaru looked up at him in surprise.

But soon, the boy scratched his head and said, "It doesn't matter. After all, Mr. Kitano has helped us a lot."

"Asheng is the one who taught me a lot from the beginning. Pegasus has also been taken care of by you all this time."

Even though the other person was a boy nearly ten years younger than him, Kitano did not look down on him.

He sincerely felt that it was remarkable that the other person could master so much knowledge about horses at such a young age.

"If you don't mind, it's okay to call me by my name in the future."

He said this in an earnest tone.

Ogawa Masaru's care for Medaipei goes beyond the level of duty or responsibility.

Even Kitano, as an outsider, could easily sense the boy's genuine love for horses.

It is not due to system tasks or the so-called social calculations.

I just simply hope to become partners with each other.

"That's unreasonable! If Dad hears this, he'll definitely teach me a lesson!"

Ogawa Masaru waved his hands exaggeratedly.

"How about just calling by last name?"

Kitano asked with a smile.

"It still won't work! But Mr. Kitano, if you have any questions about horse racing in the future, just come to me."

"If it doesn't work, I can always ask Dad for help, haha!"

Ogawa Katsu also laughed, and the two walked out of the somewhat stuffy arena side by side.

(End of this chapter)