Chapter 5: What's It Like to Have Trained the Entire Student Council? (1/2)
"A pleasure to meet you for the first time, Trainer Kitano Ryuichi. These are the Student Council Vice Presidents, Air Groove and Narita Brian."
After introducing herself, Symboli Rudolf managed to suppress her confusion and proceeded to introduce the "left and right hands" of her Student Council to Ryuichi.
"Hello to you both. The 'Empress' Air Groove, and the 'Monster with the Shadow Roll,' Narita Brian." Ryuichi was, of course, very familiar with the two of them, rattling off their nicknames with ease. After all, he was the one who had watched them rise through the ranks.
"Hello, Trainer Kitano."
Air Groove's expression was also a bit strange. She looked at Kitano Ryuichi, feeling as if she had seen him somewhere before. Air Groove's personality was slightly androphobic; she felt uneasy being alone with unfamiliar men, and her expression would become stiff, let alone actively initiating contact.
But for some reason, she felt a strange sense of familiarity with the man before her, as if they had known each other for a long time, a natural feeling that it would be easy to get close to him.
Air Groove found it odd but didn't say anything. What she didn't notice was that Narita Brian, beside her, seemed to feel the same way. She was looking at Ryuichi with a rather peculiar gaze, as if trying to recall if she had ever met this man.
You have to understand, Narita Brian's social anxiety was far more severe than Air Groove's. She appeared cool on the surface, but was actually very timid. For a Uma Musume who had to cover most of her eyes during a race for fear of being scared by her own shadow, how friendly could you expect her to be towards a stranger?
But now, the situation seemed a bit different. Narita Brian squinted at Kitano Ryuichi, who was now shaking hands with Air Groove, and for some reason, found him surprisingly easy on the eyes… What's going on?
"Hey, you shook hands with Air Groove, not even going to say hi to me? I'm a Vice President too."
Seeing that Ryuichi seemed to have no intention of doing the same with her after shaking Air Groove's hand, Narita Brian felt a pang of annoyance for some reason. With a piece of straw still dangling from her mouth, she extended her hand.
"I'm Narita Brian. If you need anything in the future, you can come to me or Air Groove."
"A pleasure."
Ryuichi was a bit surprised that the Narita Brian he knew, who only warmed up to people she was close to, would actively offer a handshake. But he didn't want to waste her goodwill and just assumed she was in a particularly good mood.
As Narita Brian felt the warmth of Ryuichi's hand, her slightly furrowed brows relaxed a bit. She subconsciously glanced at Air Groove, her expression a little smug.
She herself didn't even know why she was acting this way… And Air Groove, witnessing all this, really wanted to comment on Brian's childish behavior, but held her tongue.
"Alright, now that everyone has introduced themselves, I think we should get down to business." Rudolf spoke up slowly at this point, her gaze lingering on Brian and Ryuichi's clasped hands. Only after their hands separated did she ask:
"Before coming in, we heard some voices outside. Did something happen?"
"It wasn't anything major. It's just that Trainer Kitano's requirements for his first assigned Uma Musume seem to contradict the advice we offered," Hayakawa Tazuna replied with a faint smile. "The Chairwoman and I both feel that since Trainer Kitano is the youngest trainer at Tracen Academy, it indicates he must have some talent. If he could train some of the more gifted Uma Musume, it would be a powerful combination and would also boost his performance record."
"But, Trainer Kitano is very… pragmatic. He intends to start with the more ordinary girls at Tracen. While that's also good, the Chairwoman and I feel it would be best for him to reconsider carefully."
"—The position of a new trainer's first assigned Uma Musume is extremely important. To some extent, it represents a trainer's initial reputation. For a trainer who will eventually build a team, the performance and ability of the first assigned Uma Musume largely determine the overall quality of that team."
Symboli Rudolf took this issue very seriously. When she heard the words "first assigned Uma Musume," her eyes lit up involuntarily. She immediately began to analyze the importance of this position from her perspective as Student Council President.
"Most Uma Musume have a strong competitive spirit, and a powerful Uma Musume will attract other powerful ones to join her team. Therefore, the position of the first assigned Uma Musume cannot be taken lightly."
"Exactly, exactly."
Everyone in the room, except for Ryuichi, nodded in agreement with Rudolf's words. Her analysis was impeccable, both logically and emotionally. Even Ryuichi had to admit that he couldn't find a good reason to refuse her argument.
"...Actually, I don't think I have what it takes to train a genius Uma Musume."
In the end, Ryuichi could only wave his hand and tell the truth. "You all might not believe this, but I really only have good test scores. My actual methods for training Uma Musume were taught to me by others. I have very little hands-on experience."
Chapter 5: What's It Like to Have Trained the Entire Student Council? (2/2)
"The few times I tried to make training decisions on my own, things often went wrong. It would have been better to just let the Uma Musume train themselves… With my skills, I really don't have what it takes to teach a genius."
"So, Chairwoman, just give me any girl you don't think much of. As long as you don't saddle me with a genius, I'll be fine. I'm afraid I can't handle the pressure."
Everything Ryuichi said was the truth. If he had been the type to defy fate in his first few loops, then after his experiences with several unforgettable Uma Musume, he had completely lost faith in his own abilities.
He could indeed teach Uma Musume, arrange their training schedules, and figure out which areas to focus on to improve their abilities—he understood all that. But this knowledge had been taught to him by Rudolf and a few other Uma Musume. Otherwise, it would have taken him ages to figure it all out.
This wasn't a game. The training methods in the game were purely for entertainment. In reality, arranging a Uma Musume's training program was a very serious matter. The slightest mistake could lead to injury, potentially with irreversible consequences. This was no joke.
He could handle the basics, but the most crucial aspects for a Uma Musume—grasping the race situation, formulating tactics… Ryuichi was still not good at those.
This wasn't modesty; it was a fact. Although he had watched so many excellent Uma Musume run so many races, their running styles and tactics were almost always self-developed. Each Uma Musume had her own strengths and weaknesses, and Ryuichi could only copy and paste. The consequence of copying another's running style was that it would disrupt the Uma Musume's own rhythm, making it difficult to even win a race.
Each Uma Musume's tactics and running style were tailor-made by excellent trainers based on their individual situations. Ryuichi's ability in this area was hopelessly inadequate. This wasn't a game where you could just pick a running style and let the Uma Musume do her thing. All sorts of situations and tactical responses needed to be predicted and planned by the trainer in advance.
"In the end, I have no talent. I don't deserve the word 'genius.' At best, I'm a hack."
Ryuichi said this with a hint of self-mockery. The moment the words left his lips, a strange silence fell over the office.
Ryuichi found it odd, then realized that Air Groove, Narita Brian, Hayakawa Tazuna, and Akikawa Yayoi were all staring at him with very serious expressions, which made his intention to brush it off with a self-deprecating joke instantly turn to apprehension.
"—At Tracen Academy, there are no hack trainers, and certainly no hack Uma Musume."
Symboli Rudolf's extremely stern words followed. At some point, she had sat down at the Chairwoman's desk, crossed her legs, and was now looking at Ryuichi with a solemn expression.
"Trainer Kitano, you are the youngest trainer to be hired at Tracen Academy. That in itself speaks to your talent. While I don't know where your self-assessment as a 'hack' comes from, I hope you will not sell yourself so short."
"You are the youngest trainer we have ever seen. More than that, you are a trainer of Tracen Academy. You represent the image of this academy. I want you to be more confident and show some drive."
"You are a trainer of Tracen Academy. I can tell you responsibly that your talent far exceeds your own imagination."
Symboli Rudolf spoke with great solemnity. Noticing the fleeting bitterness on Ryuichi's face, she couldn't help but soften slightly. After a long pause, she said gently:
"I'm sorry… I seem to have gotten a little carried away just now."
"...No, you're right, President." Faced with the current Rudolf, Ryuichi didn't know how to respond. He could only shake his head with a wry smile and say, "I seem to be quite a disappointment."
Rudolf's scolding just now had put Ryuichi in a daze. He couldn't help but think that the Rudolf he once knew would have surely berated him in the same way for his self-pity.
It seems that after all this time, I really haven't grown at all… I should pull myself together.
"That's not true, Trainer Kitano. You are just… a little lost, that's all."
Seeing Ryuichi's apparent sadness, Rudolf began to feel anxious again. She quickly tried to make amends, "The matter of your assigned Uma Musume… it can wait. There's no need to rush."
"For this week, Trainer Kitano, just focus on familiarizing yourself with the environment at Tracen Academy—Air Groove, I'll leave this to you."
"I'll handle it," Air Groove replied with a nod. She then turned to Ryuichi, who seemed to have recovered his composure, and showed a rare hint of gentleness.
"This way, please, Trainer Kitano. I will give you a tour of Tracen Academy."
"From now on, you will be living and working here. There will be many things you'll encounter, and I will help you get properly acquainted with the environment."
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