Junior Make Debut races are the first race for a horse girl, a full gate of nine competitors. It's a glorious stage for a horse girl, and for some, it's the first—and in some cases, the last—race of their career.
Naturally, only one horse girl can take first place unless there's a tie. Only the winning horse girl can move up to a higher class, while the defeated horse girls cannot advance until they win an un-won race.
Some horse girls become so disappointed in their own talent during their debut race that they leave Tracen Academy. Finishing in the top five, or at least placing, shows promise, but finishing outside the top five in a debut race means a low chance of winning even in un-won races.
One out of nine. Only a little over 10% of horse girls debuting this year will win their first race. And even if they win, they can't participate in major races unless they perform well in higher-class races.
It's the same in other sports, but it's about pushing others down to move forward. You need the ability and talent to do so, a lot of hard work, and even luck on your side to reach major races.
As a part of my training to become a trainer, I've watched many races. From G1 races to Make Debut, across all eras and conditions.
There were horse girls who were consistently called "winners" in major races, and some who kept losing every time. However, even the horse girls who kept losing in major races were still a select few, an elite among elites, just by being able to compete in them.
Make Debut is a much smaller scale than major races, but it's an important one for both the horse girls and trainers.
The race I chose for Urara to participate in was a short-distance dirt race. Urara can run a mile on dirt, but she's currently at a disadvantage compared to her short-distance abilities.
The race venue is Tokyo Racecourse, the distance is 1,300 meters on a counter-clockwise track. The race is for horse girls who entered Tracen Academy this year, just like Urara, and specialize in short-distance dirt races.
The weather has been nice for the past few days, and today is a cloudless, clear day. The good track conditions and weather are good for Urara, but the same goes for the other horse girls.
(The day has finally come...)
I brought Urara to Tokyo Racecourse and muttered to myself while watching the crowds of spectators gathering one after another, even though it wasn't a major race day.
Make Debut races are special for the spectators, too. The competing horse girls are still immature, but the spectators hope and anticipate the appearance of promising horse girls who will be successful in future races. The level of attention shows that horse girl racing is a well-established national pastime.
Around Tokyo Racecourse, food stalls lined up as if it were a festival, selling classic items like yakisoba and takoyaki. There were also carrot juice and grilled carrots for horse girls, and I saw several horse girls buying them.
"Hello, they're cheap, they're cheap. This is Gold-chan's special yakisoba. Right now, it's only 300 yen a pack!"
I saw a horse girl not only as a customer but also as a vendor. She had beautiful long gray hair, and her strong build was obvious even to a new trainer like me. The sight of a horse girl who looks like she would be a strong runner selling yakisoba is a sight unique to this world.
"Wow... it's like a festival, Trainer!"
Urara, who was walking beside me, was wagging her tail and looking around as if she were about to run off at any moment. She didn't seem nervous at all for the big race, and if I left her alone, she'd probably charge at a food stall and eat whatever she wanted.
"We can buy something after the race, okay? It would be a problem if you get full and can't run."
"Okay! I was so looking forward to today's race!"
Urara said this and happily hopped around. She seemed to lack a sense of tension, but that's better than being too nervous to perform her best.
Leading up to today, I had trained Urara as much as possible.
Not only did I have her run on the dirt course, but I also had her run on the woodchip course, on uphill trails, swim in the pool, do strength training, and stretch to keep her body flexible, all while being careful not to let her get injured and to increase her speed and stamina.
I also had her practice starting from the gate and, after desperately asking Kiryuin-san, had her run alongside Happy Meek to prepare for the real race. Since she would need it if she finished in the top three, I had her practice the bare minimum for the Winning Live dance as well.
The one miscalculation, a good one, was that Urara had grown more than I had initially predicted in the training plan I had set up. Since the incident where Urara ditched training, I felt like her growth had accelerated.
Urara had always been enthusiastic about training, but she had worked hard without a single complaint or doubt about the training I assigned her.
Also, the fact that Urara was my only assigned horse girl was an unexpected advantage. When I thought about it, it was a simple matter: having only one assigned horse girl meant I could pour all my resources as a trainer into her.
If I were in charge of multiple horse girls, the number of opportunities might increase. However, if the number of horse girls increases, the resources would be split. In that respect, I was able to focus all my efforts on training Urara. As a result, Urara's growth was more significant than I had initially anticipated.
In Team Rigil, a top team at Tracen Academy, Trainer Tōjō guides more than ten horse girls at once and still snatches first place in various major races. My training skills are insignificant compared to a monster like Trainer Tōjō, but I believe I've done everything I can to train Urara.
The culmination of my efforts will be revealed today in the form of the race's results. The results of my training as a trainer will appear in a clear form.
I stood beside Urara, who was laughing happily, and my body trembled. Was it from anticipation, or from another emotion?
"Hey! Gold Ship, you can't bother the food stall people! At least stick to selling at our mock races!"
"Oh, crap!"
I felt like I heard a senior trainer and the horse girl from earlier's voices behind me, but I didn't have the luxury of turning around to confirm it.
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"Now, the next race is the fifth race. The Make Debut, where a new star is expected to be born. The dirt distance is 1,300 meters, and the track condition is announced as good. There will be nine horse girls competing."
And so, Urara's debut race finally began. I folded my arms and observed Urara while listening to the male announcer's voice echoing through Tokyo Racecourse.
Unlike her usual practice jersey, Urara was dressed in a gymnastics uniform with her racing bib sewn on and bloomers. Unlike the other horse girls, she wore a red headband, but all the horse girls competing in the Make Debut were in gymnastics uniforms with either bloomers or shorts.
From the front row of the stands, closest to the course, I could see not only Urara but also the other horse girls. I knew who was competing beforehand, but I didn't know any of them personally, like Happy Meek.
Still, after gathering information, I found that half of them had better lap times than Urara. It was frustrating to see that even with an environment where I could focus on training only Urara, her time-based skill was only around the middle of the pack.
However, from what I could see, most of the horse girls were nervous. No matter how much they had trained, this was their first real race. It's only natural to be nervous for such an important race that could determine the course of their career.
Urara was the only one who wasn't nervous; she was waving to the audience with her usual smile.
"Oh! Trainer! Watch me, I'm gonna do my best!"
When Urara noticed me and waved, I waved back with a wry smile. I felt warm gazes from the surrounding spectators, but I didn't have the courage to confirm it.
"Go, Urara-chan!"
"We're cheering for you!"
"Yay! Thank you!"
But I heard a familiar voice and looked in that direction. I saw a few people from the shopping district, and I was quite surprised. It wasn't everyone I knew, but the greengrocer and others seemed to have come to support her.
(I'm happy for Urara as her trainer, but is their shop okay?)
I couldn't talk to them before the race, but when our eyes met, I lowered my head in gratitude. When I looked up, I took the race card for Urara's race out of my breast pocket.
Not only were the other horse girls skilled, but there were also unfavorable conditions for Urara noted on the card.
"That Haru Urara girl, she's bright and cheerful, but she's in gate one, lane one. It might be a good thing on grass, but it could be tough on dirt."
"What's with the sudden lecture?"
"Many people say that an inner lane is an advantage on a grass course. But that's for races with a certain amount of distance, and it's often a disadvantage in short-distance or dirt races."
"True. On a dirt course, there's a risk of getting a lot of sand thrown in your face in the inner lanes. The outer lanes are less risky, so they're more advantageous."
I listened to the spectators nearby and looked down at the race card. Just as the spectators said, Urara's name was listed in gate one, lane one.
In races, horses are assigned a gate number, and depending on the grass or dirt course and the distance, an inner lane can be an advantage or a disadvantage.
Urara was starting from the innermost lane since she was in gate one, lane one, which was an advantage in the sense that she would run a shorter distance compared to a horse girl starting from an outer lane.
However, on a dirt course, the inner lanes are more likely to have sand kicked up. This wouldn't be a problem for a horse girl who decides to take the lead from the start, but for Urara, who fights by chasing, there was a risk of getting sand in her face.
(I told Urara to be careful of the sand... Now it's a matter of what happens in the race.)
Most horse girls fight fairly in accordance with sportsmanship, but some intentionally kick up sand at the horse girls behind them, and in severe cases, even body-slam them.
I don't think any horse girls would resort to such dirty play in a Make Debut race, but it's possible for sand to fly up by accident.
"Gate one, lane one, Haru Urara, enters the gate with a smile. She's in sixth place in popularity, but she's a cheerful horse girl who always stands out with her smile in the paddock."
"She doesn't seem nervous at all. Most horse girls get nervous in their Make Debut, even the ones who go on to win major races..."
"This is her first race, but cheers are already flying in from the stands. Can she live up to the cheers? Next, gate two, lane two..."
After the fanfare, the announcer and commentators briefly introduced each horse girl as they entered the gate. At the same time, the spectators' voices began to quiet down, eagerly awaiting the start of the race.
"All horse girls have entered the gate. We are ready for the race."
I stared at Urara, who was poised with a smile on her face. Urara's face was full of excitement and joy, as if she were about to run at any moment.
A moment of silence filled the racecourse, and with a thump, the gates opened.
"And they're off! All horse girls have a clean start."
Urara's start was excellent. She didn't fall behind and succeeded in jumping out of the gate at almost the same time as the other horse girls. However, probably due to a difference in strategy, one by one, horse girls appeared to block Urara's path as she ran on the innermost lane.
(One taking the lead, three... no, four advancing... three chasing, including Urara... and one closing in...)
I checked where each horse girl was positioned and muttered to myself. At the same time, I wanted to click my tongue.
The advancing group was lined up to block Urara's path, and it would be a struggle for her to break through when there are so many of them.
"In the lead is number six, Chief Purser, followed by a two-length gap, with number three, Lead Novel, number four, Green Chouchou, and number five, Mini Daisy, fighting for second place. A little behind them is number nine, Kinder Schatz. About two more lengths back, number one, Haru Urara, number eight, Wiseman Lens, and number two, Feudal Tenure, form the middle group. At the very back is number seven, Beta Cubism."
(Yes! This is a good position!)
I made a small fist pump at the sight of Urara running at the front of the middle group. She wasn't surrounded by other horse girls, and she was in an excellent position to see the horse girls ahead of her.
The horse girls passed the first straightaway and entered the corner. Urara and the others made small adjustments to their positions, running around the corner carefully to avoid going too wide.
"Passing the large zelkova tree, they're heading to the fourth corner! The leader is still number six, Chief Purser. Lead Novel and Mini Daisy are in pursuit! Green Chouchou has fallen back slightly to fourth place! Did Kinder Schatz go a little too wide? The middle group, led by Haru Urara, is coming up on the inside!"
While listening to the announcer's voice, I kept my eyes on Urara as she ran. She kept running on the inside of the course, which was an almost ideal position for a chaser.
Ideally, I would want her to be more conscious of her positioning to break through on the final straightaway, but Urara was probably focusing on not going wide on the corner. Her experience running with Happy Meek might be coming in handy.
"Passing the corner, number six, Chief Purser, is in the lead! She's still running away, but the gap with the second place has narrowed to two lengths! Can she hold on? Or will Lead Novel overtake her!"
I clenched my fists and put all my strength into them. Perhaps because summer was approaching, Tokyo Racecourse was hot, and the race in front of me was so intense that my clenched fists quickly became sweaty.
Yes, this is it. This is what it is.
The thing that completely changed my perspective when I was a middle school student and started getting left behind by my peers was the sight of horse girls running. Now, the horse girl I'm training is running on the course, basking in the cheers of the spectators.
"Go..."
Before I knew it, a voice escaped my lips. I had been keeping my mouth shut because I knew she couldn't hear me anyway, and even if she could, I didn't want to disrupt her concentration, but it opened on its own.
"They've passed the 400-meter mark! Who will break through... oh! Haru Urara, who was running on the inside, accelerates here! She's moved up from fifth to third place! She's lined up with Mini Daisy! Can she catch the leader?!"
The final straightaway is where Urara's true potential shines. Urara, who had been running on the inside of the course, still had a look of composure and a smile on her face.
"Go... go..."
A grinding sound came from my clenched fists. My heart pounded, beating violently. Blood rushed through my entire body with a drumming sound.
"Haru Urara pushes forward on the inside! She's about to catch Lead Novel! But Lead Novel is also accelerating! Is Chief Purser in trouble?! The gap with the two behind her is already only one length! 200 meters left! What will happen?! Can Chief Purser hold on!"
The announcer's voice became more and more passionate, and the spectators' excitement rose. They all shouted their own words, sending passionate cheers to the horse girls.
"Urara! Gooooooo!"
Maybe it was because of them, but I couldn't help but shout. I didn't care if my throat tore; I raised my voice, hoping my cheers would reach her.
That's right, Urara—Haru Urara is an amazing horse girl.
At this pace, I was confident that she would pass the second place, overtake the leader, and cross the finish line first.
It's not a major race, but a Make Debut, the first race for all the horse girls competing. Yet, it made me this passionate.
I felt lucky to be involved in the training of such a horse girl. I was grateful to Urara for following me through all the training without a single complaint.
Our relationship was less than three months old, but Urara must have trusted me, too. As if she heard my cheers, Urara's eyes widened, and a big smile appeared on her face as she put more power into her legs.
Less than 150 meters left. Urara was already in second place. All she had to do was pass the leader.
"Huh?"
Urara's body suddenly veered to the outside of the course. It took me a few seconds to understand what was happening, but faster than me, the announcer let out a scream.
"What's happening?! Number one, Haru Urara, has swerved widely here and slowed down! Did she get sand in her face?! She's holding her eye!"
While the announcer's voice passed through my ears and out of my incomprehensible head, the horse girls who were running behind her passed her one after another, avoiding the swerving Urara.
"Chief Purser is running away in the lead! Lead Novel is in pursuit, but Chief Purser is running away! Beta Cubism is closing in, but will it reach... no! Chief Purser! Chief Purser barely holds onto her lead and crosses the finish line!"
The announcer's voice sounded so far away.
"Beta Cubism jumps into the finish line! Followed by Lead Novel! Mini Daisy is a little behind! Is Haru Urara okay?! She's running diagonally! Wiseman Lens and Feudal Tenure have crossed the finish line!"
Urara rubbed her eyes but desperately looked ahead and kept running. However, perhaps due to her sudden loss of speed, the horse girls who came from behind started crossing the finish line one after another.
"And finally, Haru Urara! Haru Urara has crossed the finish line! She's rubbing her eyes, but is she okay?! Oh, Haru Urara is waving to the stands with a smile. It seems she's okay!"
"She finished in last place due to an accident, but it was a good race. Just like Chief Purser, who took first place, she's a horse girl to look out for in the future."
The announcer and commentator were talking about Urara and saying positive things. However, my eyes were fixed on the result board, and I checked again and again that there was no "1" in the first through fifth places.
(Urara's number... number one... isn't there? Why?)
I'm probably more confused now than at any point in my life, including my previous one. I probably wasn't even this confused when I was reborn.
She was winning the race up until the middle. Urara's legs, when she made her final push, should have definitely caught the leader.
And yet, for some reason, the result was a ninth-place finish out of nine competitors. The horse girl who was in the lead probably didn't intentionally kick up sand at her. I don't think she could have been skilled enough to throw sand at Urara, who was running behind her, with the finish line so close.
In fact, Chief Purser, who took first place, was looking at Urara as if she didn't know what had happened. Many of the horse girls who finished in second place or below also looked at Urara with a sad but puzzled expression. It was so sudden that they didn't know why Urara had swerved.
(She... lost, didn't she...)
Urara, the Haru Urara I know, lost.
Yet, unlike the other horse girls who looked sad, except for the winner, Urara was waving to the stands with a smile. It was the smile I was used to seeing. It wasn't a sore loser's smile or one of resignation; she was genuinely smiling because she had fun in the race.
I stared at Urara for a few seconds, then looked up at the clear blue sky.
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"Oh! Trainer!"
After the race, Urara, who had changed clothes in the locker room, came running towards me. Since the race was over, she was in her private clothes, a pair of overalls, and had a bag with her gymnastics uniform on her back.
"...Urara, let me see your eyes."
At this moment, various emotions swirled within me. Still, my rationality told me that there was something I needed to prioritize as a trainer, so I first examined Urara.
I placed my hand on Urara's cheek and gently pulled down her lower eyelid with my thumb. Then I observed both of her eyes.
Urara's eyes were red, but they weren't red from crying. They were just red from getting sand in them.
I took out a bottle of eye drops for horse girls from my pocket and had her look up before putting the drops in. Urara is bad at putting in her own eye drops and closes her eyes when she tries.
"Oh... it stings so much."
Urara laughed as if she felt ticklish after getting the eye drops.
When running on dirt, it's inevitable that some dust and sand will get in your eyes. Urara understands this, and it's a common enough occurrence that I always have eye drops on me, but even though she understood, she must have gotten enough sand in her eyes that she was forced to close them.
If sand hits your eye at the moment you're about to accelerate to full speed, anyone would flinch. It's a good thing she didn't fall. If a horse girl falls while running at full speed, they could suffer more than a minor injury—lacerations, broken bones, or in the worst case, death.
After checking for other injuries besides the redness in her eyes, I let out a sigh of relief. Then, after a slight hesitation, I opened my mouth.
"Urara... how was the race?"
When I asked, Urara smiled while wiping her eyes.
"I ran so fast, and it was so fun! Racing is fun!"
"I see..."
When I heard Urara's answer, I felt my whole body become heavy. I let my gaze wander aimlessly and saw a horse girl who had probably competed in today's race.
She must have lost. The horse girl was walking and crying without any regard for the people around her. I was curious why there was no one who looked like her trainer beside her, but my thoughts quickly moved on to something else.
What's the difference between that horse girl and Urara? What's the difference between a horse girl who cries when she loses and Urara, who smiles even when she loses?
"But..."
Before I could ask if she wasn't disappointed, Urara spoke.
"I thought I was so close to winning."
"..."
I swallowed the words that were about to come out of my mouth. Urara's expression was her usual smile, but was it my imagination or a wish that it looked a little sad?
That's right, she could have won the race. If she hadn't gotten sand in her eyes, Urara would have shown me a run that was good enough to take first place.
It was an almost ideal race for a chaser. She was so close to winning. Urara had shown me the results of her training.
So, if there was anything to blame for this, it would simply be bad luck. She stumbled at the first step, but Urara's run was one that showed hope.
(Next time... I'll make sure Urara wins the next race...)
Urara—Haru Urara—isn't a horse girl who can't win.
In that case, it's my job as her trainer to make her win. Urara is a horse girl who smiles even when she loses, but it's also true that she has a desire to run fast and win races.
"Phew... Okay! Then Urara! Let's work hard again starting tomorrow so we can win the next race!"
"Yeah! Okay! I'll do my best!"
I raised my fist in a gesture of determination with Urara. I made a new vow that I would definitely make Urara win the next time.
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—It would be a while before I would come to know the harshness of the un-won races.
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