I'm in Teresin, dedicated to playing badly

"According to Mr. Jiutang, it was Miss Clover who went too far back then. She spent all her time climbing trees to steal birds' nests and going down to the river to catch fish, but she just wouldn't study and even tried to drag him along."

"After that, in this competitive relationship, the two gradually became familiar with each other and their relationship improved little by little, but Mr. Hisadou's attitude towards her was never good."

"Because he felt that Miss Clover's attitude towards studying was too lax, and that if she continued like this, she would become a useless person in the future."

"But every time Miss Clover heard him say that, she would cover her ears, shake her head, and repeat 'I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear it'."

"After this happened many times, Mr. Hisadou realized he couldn't persuade her, so he simply asked her what she wanted to do in the future. She couldn't just wander around aimlessly for the rest of her life, could she?"

"Miss Clover said that she felt a little guilty when she was asked the question, so she wanted to answer quickly and get through it. She told him that she wanted to be a racehorse girl."

"She thought Mr. Hisadou would be angry because she was a rather petite horse girl, and her physical qualities were not only not good, but not even average. She knew she couldn't be a racehorse girl, and she was just trying to appease Mr. Hisadou."

"But on that day, Mr. Hisadou was not angry. After a long silence, he said that he would become a trainer."

"Miss Clover was very surprised at the time, because when Mr. Hisadou talked to her about his aspirations before, he said that he wanted to become a policeman. She didn't know why he suddenly wanted to become a trainer."

"Because I think that if a certain idiot didn't have me taking care of him, he would probably die of stupidity—Miss Clover said that this was Mr. Hisadou's original words."

It took Miss Clover a long time to realize who the idiot he was talking about was. She kicked him and ran away.

"And then, from that day on, Mr. Hisato began to study even harder."

"Because although Treson has had exceptions in the past, such as hiring underage trainees to be specifically responsible for their childhood friends, those were based on the premise that the other party was capable of being a trainer."

"So Mr. Hisadou wants to study hard to skip a grade and become Miss Clover's personal trainer as a peer."

"Miss Clover was very happy at the time, even though it meant that he could not be by her side for the time being, but they could always be together in the future."

"But it was at this moment that the accident happened."

"On his way home from school one day, young Mr. Hisadou was targeted and kidnapped by human traffickers."

"Because he was studying very late, there was no one else around at the time, except for Miss Clover, who wanted to visit him."

"She chased after him without hesitation, and the other party was so frightened by her identity as a horse girl that they didn't even realize she hadn't even begun to become a full-fledged character yet."

"Then, during their escape, due to the darkness of the night and their extreme panic, the traffickers failed to see the road ahead and rushed over a steep slope that was more than ten meters high."

"Mr. Hisadou was also pulled down by them, and Miss Clover jumped down after him to protect him."

"She held him and used her years of experience climbing trees and going down rivers to protect Mr. Jiutang's safety. He was not even hurt when he landed, while the other traffickers were all dead."

"After surviving, Mr. Hisadou was very excited and was about to say something to her when he noticed her bloodied legs and her pale face due to excessive blood loss."

"Mr. Hisato said he doesn't remember what happened after that."

"But according to Ms. Clover, Mr. Hisadou, who hadn't trained since preparing to become a trainer and whose two weak hands were tied together, couldn't even bend her by one hand, carried her for more than ten minutes to the nearest populated area more than a kilometer away, and then fainted. Even after he lost consciousness, he kept calling her name."

"But even so, he still couldn't save Miss Clover's legs."

"At a height of over ten meters, without any special features, and having to support the weight of two people, it's already a miracle that she survived, thanks to the protection of the three goddesses."

"Afterwards, Miss Clover did not regret it at all, and said that even if she were to go back to that time, she would jump down without hesitation, because there were things there that were more important than running or even her life."

"After that, Mr. Hisadou wanted to give up his goal of becoming a trainer, but Ms. Clover dissuaded him."

"She said she could no longer run and wanted to see Mr. Jiutang witness the other children running on her behalf."

"That's a lie, because Miss Clover never wanted to become a racehorse girl from the beginning. She just wanted to be with him. And now she just doesn't want him to give up all the efforts he's already made because of her."

"So later, Mr. Hisato became a trainer, from a newcomer to a senior, and then to a legend."

"His reputation grew, his income increased, and the students he mentored became more and more outstanding with each passing year."

"But the only thing that hasn't changed is that he calls Miss Clover every night, visits her at least once a week, and he hasn't missed a single visit, even during his busiest times."

"And this continues to this day."

After the story ended, the people in the room fell silent.

Rudolf seemed to want to say something, his lips trembling a few times, but in the end he only sighed.

As for Shinji Kitahara, after a moment of silence, his gaze gradually became serious, and then he raised his head.

"Can I go see Miss Four-Leaf Clover?"

"this......"

The medical staff member looked somewhat embarrassed, then glanced at Rudolf's symbol beside him.

Rudolf was silent for a moment, then exchanged a glance with Shinji Kitahara before sighing.

"Take us there."

"......it is good."

Chapter 90: The Nature of the Black Market

A moment later, Shinji Kitahara and Rudolf met the four-leaf clover girl.

She lay in bed, clearly over forty years old, but looked only a few years older than Rudolf. Her expression and demeanor were quite lively, making her appear even younger.

However, contrary to her lively personality, she was covered in a bunch of medical equipment and IV tubes.

The jump more than 20 years ago not only damaged her legs, but also caused various injuries to her internal organs and other parts of her body. If it weren't for the support of Treson Medical Technology, she probably wouldn't have lived to adulthood.

Moreover, it wasn't just medical care. During the period before Hisato became a trainer, he had little income, and neither of their families were wealthy enough to afford the exorbitant medical expenses.

After Treson learned about their situation, the then-chairman generously waived all fees, saying that he could pay them back when he had income in the future. This is how Clover was able to survive to this day.

Moreover, the room wasn't just filled with four-leaf clovers; there was also another horse girl who had appeared in Kazuya Hisadou's records, guarding her bedside.

He was the one who almost jumped over the wall with Hisadou Kazuya, the one who used to be in charge.

When Shinji Kitahara entered, they were chatting. Then, upon noticing a stranger enter, they all looked over.

"Eh, Chairman Rudolf?"

Clover blinked and then moved her gaze to Shinji Kitahara.

"And Mr. Kitahara? What brings you here?"

Upon hearing the name "four-leaf clover," Shinji Kitahara paused for a moment.

Rudolph is one thing, as an undefeated treble champion and a frequent television presence, it's normal for Clover to recognize her, but he...

"Miss Clover, do you know me?"

"Ah."

The four-leaf clover nodded, looking delighted.

"Kazuya used to talk about you a lot. He recently said he was really happy to be your colleague, but it's a bit of a pity he's been so busy that he hasn't been able to visit you much... Did Kazuya send you here?"

"......no."

A slightly embarrassed smile gradually appeared on Kitahara Shinji's face.

"We just visited a trainer who was also hospitalized here, and then we thought that Kazuya also comes here often, so we thought we'd come and check on him..."

Shinji Kitahara's gaze swept over the pile of medical equipment on Clover's body, finally settling on her face, which was filled with joy and happiness, and he sighed inwardly.

Then, he sat down and started chatting with the four-leaf clover.

Having just reviewed Hisato Kazuya's information before coming, Kitahara Shinji knew quite a bit about Hisato Kazuya's side, so he used these things as topics to chat with her.

He wasn't too reserved, and his conversation was like that of Kazuya Wakudo, a longtime friend, with all sorts of banter and jokes.

During the conversation, he often made Clover laugh, and then said that Hisadou was just that kind of person, and always called her an idiot, even though he was the one who was more idiotic.

After chatting for a while, Shinji Kitahara told her that he felt it was a bit inappropriate to come without telling Kazuya Hisadou, so he hoped she could help keep it a secret.

Clover didn't think it was a big deal. After all, both Rudolf and Kitahara Shinji were figures that Hisadou Kazuya often mentioned and praised. That idiot certainly wouldn't care about such a trivial matter.

But seeing Shinji Kitahara's sincere expression, Clover thought about it and finally agreed to keep it a secret for them.

After that, Shinji Kitahara subtly steered the conversation in the direction of the topic, asking what Hisadou Kazuya had said to her, and the answer she received was about some of his past activities.

Finally, after talking for about an hour, the conversation ended when medical staff entered to perform routine checks and care on Clover, and Shinji Kitahara took his leave.

But after leaving the ward and walking back, the smile on Shinji Kitahara's face slowly disappeared, replaced by an extremely complicated expression.

Rudolf, standing beside him, also wore a solemn expression.

"Trainer Kitahara, what do you think...?"

“Kudou Kazuya definitely has a problem. Even if he has nothing to do with ‘that matter,’ there must be something else going on.”

Shinji Kitahara spoke with a firm tone.

Before arriving, he had already speculated about Hisadou Kazuya's motives, such as being threatened by people in the hospital, people in the hospital needing organ transplants, or something else entirely...

But now, after hearing Clover and his story, he began to realize that things were probably not as simple as he had thought.

To be honest, if Hisato Kazuya were also a scumbag, or even just an ordinary person, Kitahara Shinji wouldn't think this way.

The problem is, he is Kazuya Hisato.

That was Hisato Kazuya, a man of unwavering will, whose love for horse girls far surpassed that of ordinary people, and who was extremely responsible.

Although through his conversation with Clover, Shinji Kitahara was able to confirm that Kazuya Hisadou had taken good care of her after the accident.

Even now, whenever he is mentioned, his eyes light up with genuine happiness, a smile unconsciously appears on his lips, and even his mind seems very young.

But the problem is, he took good care of her, but what about himself?

He has no wife or children and doesn't have much contact with his family. Every day, he fulfills his duties as a trainer at school, then calls Clover on the phone after returning to his dormitory to cheer her up, and then takes time each week to visit her.

Did you notice something was wrong? This person is constantly giving to others, and is extremely resistant to giving back.

If he hadn't heard the story of him and the four-leaf clover, Shinji Kitahara might have thought that he had some lofty ideals or was a fanatical follower of the three goddesses.

But after listening, Shinji Kitahara suddenly realized that the driving force behind Kazuya Hisado might be different from what he had previously thought.

It wasn't because of faith, nor because of ideals.

It's a feeling of guilt.

Furthermore, through the casual conversation just now, Shinji Kitahara also learned that the horse girl who was guarding Clover earlier was the same one who almost forced herself on Kazuya Hisato. She had said more than once that she could accept the relationship between him and Clover, and that it was okay for the three of them to be together. She even took the initiative to take care of Clover.

Clover was also happy to share Kazuya Hisadou with that horse girl, after all, she had gone through that, and it was clear that the other party genuinely liked Kazuya Hisadou, and she had persuaded Kazuya Hisadou to accept her more than once.

But to the two of them, Hisadou Kazuya always has only one answer.

"I've already ruined one person's life, I can't ruin another one."

This answer aroused dissatisfaction among the two, and they even formed a united front, often deliberately ignoring Hisato Kazuya or making sarcastic remarks in a veiled manner when he came.

Even so, Hisato Kazuya's attitude did not soften in the slightest.

More than twenty years have passed since that night, it was not his fault, he had done his best, and everyone felt that he had tried his best.

But he alone remained in that night, still holding that battered figure in his arms, unable to escape the shadow of regret and self-blame.

He was very good at disguising himself and never revealed his true emotions to outsiders.

Even in this hospital room, the only place where he could feel at ease, he would only reveal a little of his true thoughts when he was forced to answer.

He has already ruined one person; he can't afford to ruin another.

He had suppressed his feelings for over twenty years and had never opened his heart to anyone.

She even pushed herself to the point where, even though the other party had completely accepted everything about her, including the four-leaf clover, she was still in a difficult situation.

Furthermore, she had developed strong feelings for him over the past three years, and Clover fully agreed to and even supported their relationship.

When the other party tried to break through his mental barrier in the most radical way, he punched his brother hard, almost sending him to the factory on the spot.

Shinji Kitahara doesn't believe that someone like that doesn't have some kind of mental problem.

Especially after hearing Clover say that the other party had been mentioning his name frequently several years before he joined the company, a seemingly outrageous conjecture arose in his mind.

Perhaps, Hisato Kazuya was not threatened or tricked into participating in the horse girl hunt, but rather participated voluntarily.

However, I'm afraid he doesn't intend to profit from this, but rather for some other purpose.

Human traffickers and horse hunters are quite similar in nature; they are all devoid of humanity and profit by persecuting the weak.

Then, after joining the 'black market', although he appeared to be in charge of the horse girl hunting, he actually used the name of horse girl hunting to send them one by one to the pre-arranged execution platform in order to alleviate his guilt.

And the person responsible for personally carrying out the execution was probably Shinji Kitahara.

If this is true, it can also explain to some extent why the group of horse hunters followed him closely, because someone was deliberately targeting him and wanted to use him to get rid of those people.

If we extrapolate further, there are probably more than one person like Kazuya Hisato in the 'black market'.