"Trainer-san, why are we even here?"
Scarlett asked Okino as she and most of Team Spica (minus Gold Ship who was selling Yakisoba around the stands, Silence Suzuka who was still in America, and Meijiro McQueen who was still recovering from her recent injury) sat in stands set aside for the Tryout Races.
"What do you think, I'm scouting," Okino replied.
"You said the same thing last time we were here, and you didn't end up scouting anybody," Scarlett deadpanned.
"Scarlett-san's right," Special Week, an Uma with a short brown bob with a white bangs, agreed. "Before you even had a chance to scout anybody, all of them were already taken."
"Things will be different this time, I'm certain," Okino said.
"I don't see a problem in us watching," Tokai Teio, a petite girl with long brown hair tied into a ponytail, happily commented. "It's fun watching these races, since everybody puts their all into it."
"That's true," Vodka agreed. "But it still feels pointless if we don't get a new member out of it."
"It looks like Group C is all ready to go!" A female announcer declared, drawing their attention to the track.
"Isn't that the male Uma? It looks like he's up next."
"Really? Why is he even trying out? It's like he's trying to embarrass himself."
"What was the academy even thinking, bringing one to this school? Everyone knows that male Uma don't have what it takes to compete."
Countless Uma and Trainers around them commented upon noticing Kurofune within the group.
"They're so annoying," Scarlett frowned before turning to Okino. "Hey, Trainer-san. Why are male Uma looked down upon like this?"
"I'm not too sure where it came from, but it's widely believed that male Uma are much more prone to injury and females, so they're generally difficult to train up to race standard," Okino explained. "To further enforce this belief, there hasn't been a single male Uma who has managed to win a G1, let alone a G2 race."
Okino removed the lollipop in his mouth for a moment before sighing.
"That's why many view male Uma's as defects."
"But he managed to get accepted to Tracen Academy, so he should be able to run, right?" Special Week asked.
"We won't know that until we see it ourselves," Okino stated as he placed the lollipop back into his mouth.
<><><><><><><><><><>
Kurofune and Agnes Digital were lined up along with the other Uma in their group in their respective gates. The racing gates usually weren't on the school track, but are installed specifically for this day, before being removed once again.
'It's time.' Kurofune took a deep breath. 'I just need to stay calm, run with all my might, and win.'
Upon the confirmation from the staff member stationed near the track, the announcer began speaking.
"The wait is finally over! The third Tryout Race featuring Group C will begin in 3! 2! 1…!"
—Thunk!
The gates opened, signalling for the Uma to begin running. Kurofune darted out the gate, pacing himself as he assessed the situation around him. He currently found himself at the center of the pack, with six other Uma, including Agnes Digital, in front of him. Behind him, he counted around five. As he ran, he could hear the announcer commentating on the race.
"Leading the pack around the first turn is Spring Sunday! Trailing shortly behind her is Gale Driver in second, Harold Dawn in third, and Agnes Digital in fourth!"
The pack was quite close together, with each racer being within a single length away from the next. It was still anybody's race.
'Now's not the time to overtake though. It's far too early to make a move.'
The racers soon make it to the second corner, marking the near halfway point of their 1600 meter run. The state of the race remains the same as none of the runners have decided to make their move yet. However, as the group approaches the hill at the 800 meter mark, the leader, Spring Sunday, decides to make her move.
"Break away…" Spring Sunday muttered under her breath as she began widening the gap between her and second place.
"Spring Sunday has begun her spurt, widening the gap between her and Gale Driver by one length, two, three!" The announcer shouts.
Spring Sunday is the first to make it to the hill, easily ascending it as he tries to widen her lead even further.
'She's fast.' Kurofune thought as he ascended the hill with a bit of difficulty. 'Damn…I need to focus.'
The racers began descending the hill as they approached the third corner, with Spring Sunday managing to maintain her three length lead. The announcer continues to commentate as a development happens.
"Oh, but what's this!? Someone is quickly closing the gap created by Spring Sunday!? And it's not Gale Driver! It's…Agnes Digital!"
"Tch…" Spring Sunday clicked her tongue as she looked back to see Agnes Digital quickly close the distance.
"Win! Win! Win!" Agnes Digital began shouting as she quickly caught up to Spring Sunday. "For the precious Umamusume-chans!"
Though her reason may be put under question, there's no denying that her will to win was only motivating her to run faster, managing to use this motivation as fuel to pass Spring Sunday and begin widening the gap.
"Spring Sunday reign has fallen as Agnes Digital takes the lead at the final corner!" The announcer exclaims.
"She's fast," Vodka's eyes widened in surprise. "She managed to easily take the lead even with that gap."
"Go! Go!" Teio happily cheered.
"300 meters remain! Agnes Digital is in first! Spring Sunday in second! Harold Dawn in third!" The announcer commentated. "But no one seems to be able to catch her! Her lead is growing more and more! Three lengths, four, five!"
"I'm so close!" Agnes Digital smiled as she saw the finish line in the distance. "Just a little more, my precious Umamusume-chans—!"
She paused, a sudden feeling of dread overcoming her. It was coming from behind her, but what? She was so much further ahead than the other runners. How could this—?
"You seem comfortable," Kurofune stated as he rapidly closed in. "How about we spice things up a bit, rival?"
"What? But how? Where did he even come from?" Agnes Digital was shocked.
"I can't believe it! It's Kurofune! Kurofune just shot out from the crowd and is rapidly closing the gap between him and Agnes Digital!" The announcer exclaimed. "What incredible speed!"
"Where did he even come from?"
"Wasn't he in the middle of the pack, how'd he make it to the front?"
The spectators were all confused by this recent development. However, Kurofune didn't care. He focused all of his attention on his running.
'200 meters left. Agnes Digital is only around a single length ahead of me now.' Kurofune assessed. 'I might not be able to catch up in time if I don't speed up even more, so I'm putting my all into this!'
—WHAM!
Kurofune pressed his foot onto the ground hard, generating more power into his running as he took off, accelerating even more.
"It's the final stretch! Agnes Digital and Kurofune are neck and neck! Who will win! 100 meters to go, 70, 50, 30, 10!"
"Win! Win! Win!" Agnes Digital chanted again as she put her all into one last spurt.
"Come on!" Kurofune grit his teeth as he put his all into one last spurt as well. He manages to briefly overtake Agnes Digital as the two cross the finish line at practically the same time.
"It's a photo finish!" The announcer exclaimed. "But it looks like Kurofune has managed to overcome Agnes Digital by a nose, making Kurofune the winner of Group C with a time of 1:35:83!"
"Yosh!" Kurofune pumped his fist into the air as he basked in the taste of victory.
The roars of the crowd were deafening, as none of them were expecting the race to come down to the wire like that, much less for a male Uma to actually end up as the winner.
"..." Okino was stunned, the lollipop in his mouth falling out as it went agape.
"That's like a whole second faster than the time ran by Air Shakur in Group A!" Vodka exclaimed.
"What!? Really!?" Scarlett was shocked. "And I thought that time was freakishly fast too!"
"Trainer!" Teio turned to Okino. "You have to recruit one of them!"
"...Oh. Not sure about that," Okino replied.
"Huh? Why?" Teio asked.
"The other trainers will probably recruit them before we even get there. Especially Team Rigil," Okino explained.
"But we're practically the second best team at this school, shouldn't we get priority?"
"You would think that we would, but that's not how it works unfortunately," Okino stated. "And besides, it's not like we need a new member. We already have a bunch of fast Uma in Team Spica anyway."
"You're so unreliable," Teio sighed.
Back on the track, Kurofune was approached by Agnes Digital, who was still breathing heavily.
"Don't think this is over yet!" Agnes Digital declared as she pointed at him. "Next time, I'll be the one who claims the glory of victory and the attention of all the Umamusume-chans!"
"That's not what I'm after, but I'm always up for the challenge," Kurofune replied with a smirk. "Though you shouldn't expect to win next time either."
The rest of the Tryout Races flew by, with countless of notable Uma's showing their worth on the track. Afterwards, countless trainers swarmed the track, scouting the Uma who they found fit to join their team. Out of the four classmates, most of them had been scouted by a team.
Except Kurofune, who was completely alone. Not a single trainer had gone over to scout him, while even Tap Dance City managed to get scouted, even with her bad performance during her Tryout Race.
As much as he hated to admit it, the reason was obvious.
'Nobody's willing to take the risk of raising a male Uma.'
While not all trainers had the same goals, they all have a similar desire to build and raise a successful Uma. It's counterintuitive to potentially raise someone who would likely end up getting injured. And even if they realistically wouldn't end up getting injured, not many people take the time to actually learn that fact since they don't require trainers to learn that fact.
Kurofune sighed.
'If that's how it is, I don't really have a reason to stand around here.'
He decided to just leave, losing hope that he would end up getting scouted today. He made sure to grab his things before deciding to go home. However, before he could exit the school through the front entrance, five masked Uma of various shapes and sizes, each of them wearing sunglasses, stood in his way.
"May I help you?" Kurofune raised an eyebrow.
"Scarlet! Vodka! Spe! Teio! Get'em girls!" The tallest of the bunch, with long silver hair, shouts.
"Right, Gold-Ship-san!" One of them replied as she held up a sack.
"What the—?"
Before he could finish his sentence, he was thrown into a sack, before being carried away by the group against his will.
'What the hell is going on!?!?'