Chapter 30 – Somehow, I’ve Become the One Doing the Hiring
“So anyway, I’d like to find someone who can help out, even if it’s only during the busy season.”
After wolfing down breakfast, I brought it up in the living room of the farmhouse.
Grandpa sipped his miso soup without even looking at me.
“I’ve told you over and over. You’re the ranch owner now. Do whatever you want.”
“I’d like some wisdom so I can do whatever I want.”
“Wisdom?”
“Yeah. I don’t really want to spend too much money, so… got any good ideas?”
That was the honest truth.
Grandpa thought for a moment before muttering,
“About fifteen minutes from here, there’s an agricultural high school. They raise racehorses there too.”
“Oh?”
“They’ve got an equestrian club, and every now and then there are students looking for ranch work as part of their practical training.”
“Oh.”
“Go talk to them. Explain the situation.”
Oh.
That was…
actually a really good idea.
“You think someone would really come?”
“No idea.”
“You don’t know?”
“But if they’re already used to horses, it’ll make things easier. At least you won’t have to start by teaching them not to stand behind one or not to yell suddenly.”
“Oh.”
That was certainly true.
There was a huge difference between hiring someone with no experience and someone who already knew horses to some extent.
Heck, there might even be students who knew more than I did.
“But…”
“Hm?”
“If you’re hiring a high school student, take responsibility. If you pull anything weird, I’ll beat you.”
“…What exactly do you think I’m going to do?”
“I’m just saying.”
Don’t say something like that just in case.
Still…
That wasn’t something I needed to worry about.
I wasn’t looking for that kind of excitement in life.
◇
And so…
“Nice to meet you. My name is Yayoi Sakurazaka.”
A neat-looking girl with beautiful black hair had come to the ranch.
I’d heard she was serious, belonged to the equestrian club, and was interested in racehorses.
“Nice to meet you too. Thanks for agreeing to help.”
Everything had come together surprisingly quickly.
It was incredibly convenient, and I was grateful.
“Not at all. Quite a few members of our club come from ranching families, and since it’s only during the busy season, it’s easy to balance with school.”
Wow. She really was serious.
The school had already approved everything too; it seemed they were treating it more like practical training or an internship.
I really couldn’t have asked for more.
“Alright, let me show you around.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
Since it was my first time hiring someone, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, so I started with a tour.
When I showed her the stable, she let out an impressed, “Ooh~,” which made me a little happy.
“I’ve actually wanted to visit Sakurai Ranch for quite a while.”
“Not Gold Farm?”
The fact that she even knew our ranch made her seem like a real racing enthusiast.
“Because this is Stonebreak’s ranch.”
…Huh?
“Did someone call me?”
Stone, who’d been out in the pasture, wandered over to the fence and poked her head out.
“Wow! It’s really Stonebreak! Nice to meet you!”
I noticed she didn’t immediately rush over to pet her. She definitely knew how to behave around horses. Still, it was a little unexpected.
“Are you a fan of Stonebreak?”
I’d assumed she had come because of Tenzan Sakura.
“Yes! Oh, um… I studied up on Tenzan Sakura and Mister Crown too.”
Oh.
“I watched the Turquoise Stakes two years ago on TV, and I thought she looked so cool.”
“Heh. This little girl sure has good taste.”
Well…Stone was obviously pleased.
She leaned her head closer to Yayoi.
“You can pet her if you want.”
“Really? Nice to meet you, Stonebreak.”
“Hmph. Do your best.”
Stone snorted proudly while clearly enjoying herself.
Then, from beside her, Crown let out a very displeased voice.
“What’s with this brat?”
…Is he jealous?
“Crown, no treats for you.”
“What!?”
Instant response.
“I haven’t even done anything!”
“If that’s the first thing you say after meeting someone, you’ve done enough.”
Yayoi-chan looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“Um… Saku-san… are you talking to the horses?”
…
Oh.
Right.
Most people would get hung up on that.
I thought for about a second before answering.
“Well… you’ll get used to it.”
“‘Get used to it’!? What does that mean!?”
Now that was a familiar reaction.
It had been a while.
These days, even when I said something to the horses, both Grandpa and Okabe-san just gave me a look that said, “Well, that’s just Saku.”
Yayoi looked back and forth between me and Crown.
“…Wait… seriously?”
“…Probably.”
“‘Probably!?'”
“I think I can hear them.”
“‘Think’?”
“But it’s useful.”
“…I get it.”
“…You do!?”
I was the one who was surprised now.
“I figured… that’s just how things turned out.”
“You accepted that awfully fast.”
“I go to an agricultural high school.”
What kind of universal excuse was that?
Still…that was honestly a relief.
If she’d demanded, “Please explain exactly what’s going on!” I wouldn’t have known what to say.
◇
“And over there are this year’s foals.”
“Wow…”
Yayoi kept her serious expression, but her eyes widened slightly as she looked at them.
This year’s foals had absolutely no hesitation toward newcomers.
“Who’s thaaat!?”
“Don’t knooow!”
“Sakuu! It’s somebody new!”
“Treats!?”
“Can we eat her!?”
“A new human!”
“She’s not a treat. This is Yayoi. She’ll be helping us from today.”
All six foals came swarming over.
Yayoi instinctively took one step backward.
“W-Wow… they’re all coming over.”
“This year’s foals are especially friendly.”
“They’re adorable…”
“They are. But let your guard down and they’ll bowl you over.”
“…Eat me?”
The foals crowded her from both sides.
Soon she was hopping around on one foot trying to keep her balance.
“Yayoiii!”
“W-Wait, whoa, whoa—”
She lost the battle.
With impressive form, she landed flat on the ground.
Yep. Exactly as expected.
“You okay?”
“I-I’m fine…”
Covered in grass, Yayoi quickly got back to her feet.
The foals, meanwhile, showed absolutely no remorse as they shoved their noses toward her.
“Yayoiii!”
“You’re the one who knocked Yayoi-chan to the ground.”
“Hellooo!”
Your timing is terrible.
Brushing the grass off her clothes, Yayoi laughed awkwardly.
“They’re adorable, but they have absolutely no sense of personal space.”
“They seem to like you.”
“I see… then I’ll do my best.”
What a good kid.
I was seriously grateful.
◇
By evening…
after the day’s work was done, Yayoi finally seemed to relax.
She was diligent, listened carefully to every explanation, took notes, and never acted recklessly.
She approached the horses calmly.
She’d been a little stiff at first, but being in the equestrian club, she already understood the basics—where to stand, how to move around horses, and how to watch her footing.
To be honest…she’d been an enormous help.
“So, how was it?”
“It was three times harder than I expected.”
“Sounds about right.”
“But it was five times more interesting than I imagined.”
“Oh. That’s good.”
“And…”
“Hm?”
“I started wondering if the horses at school talk too.”
“They probably do.”
When I said that, Yayoi-chan laughed.
“I just can’t hear them.”
“Honestly, sometimes it’s more peaceful that way.”
“I think I realized that today.”
The way she nodded so earnestly suited her perfectly.
“You were a huge help today. Would you be willing to come again?”
If she said no, I was confiscating the foals’ treats.
Yayoi immediately straightened her back.
“Y-Yes! If I’m not causing any trouble.”
Thank goodness.
“Great. Then we’re counting on you. We’ll work out the detailed schedule through your school.”
“Yes! I look forward to working with you!”
Doo-doo-doo-doo!
Yayoi has joined your party.