For a little over five days, I've been in charge of Rice Shower in addition to my duties as Urara's trainer.
To be honest, the last five days have been an incomparably demanding work schedule. Training Urara and Rice takes place from after school until dusk. With winter approaching and the sun setting early, we use night-lighting equipment, so on weekdays, it's about 3 to 4 hours a day. On weekends, we dedicate even more time to training.
This also meant that the rest of the time was my own. If I could get through the work from Tracen Academy as quickly as possible, I could use the free time to gather information and research for Urara and Rice's training.
I've been begging my同期 (peers) for information, carefully analyzing what they give me, and sifting through it for anything useful for Rice's training. I've also been watching race videos from Ms. Hayakawa, from Rice's debut to her win at the Kikuka Sho, so many times the screen might as well have holes in it. Of course, I'm not neglecting Urara. I'm figuring out what kind of training she needs for her next races, which races to enter, what kind of rivals she might face, and what their strategies are. I'm frantically gathering all this information, compiling anything useful on my computer, printing it out, and filing it away to take home and reread.
I get warnings from Ms. Hayakawa if I work too much overtime, so I'm doing unpaid overtime out of my own "self-effort." I think in my previous life, I would have hated overtime, but I need to gather this information and set a training plan as soon as possible, or it could affect not only Rice's training but Urara's as well.
But it feels like it's far from over. Honestly, the field of turf racing is just too vast. Because of that, there's so much information to collect that I'm completely overwhelmed.
"Ahhh... this vegetable juice and energy drink concoction is really getting to my stomach and brain..."
I muttered to myself, drinking a combination of vegetable juice for my health and a box-load of energy drinks I bought from the Tracen Academy shop. Of course, I'm following the proper dosage. It's no joke if a trainer collapses. But you know, energy drinks only reduce the feeling of fatigue, they don't actually get rid of it. The fatigue can just hit you out of the blue.
I had been in the shared trainer's space since before sunrise on Sunday, compiling information for Urara and Rice's training, but I called it quits at 10 a.m. Today is Sunday, so I have training with Urara and Rice.
However, I don't intend to train them today. I've asked them to come see me in their casual clothes. Although it's a holiday where we can have a long practice session, I have a little something up my sleeve for today.
"Oh, Trainer! Good mornin'!"
"Oh, good morning, Trainer-san."
When I arrived at the main gate of Tracen Academy, I saw Urara in her overalls and Rice in her casual clothes. I've seen Urara's casual clothes many times, but this is the first time I've seen Rice's.
She wasn't wearing her usual black hat, and her dark hair was decorated with a thin orange ribbon. Her outfit was a knee-length, dress-like coat in beige and black. Her shoes were black... loafers, I think? Her appearance was like something out of a fairytale or a picture book, and she was in many ways a contrast to the energetic Urara.
"Good morning, both of you. You're both in your casual clothes."
"Yep! So, Trainer, what are we gonna do today?"
Urara asked, wagging her tail. I grinned in response and looked at Rice.
"Before I tell you that, Rice... it hasn't even been a week since I became your trainer, but you're still saying things like 'it's my fault' or 'I bring misfortune to others,' aren't you?"
"Uh, yeah... I'm sorry."
The thing that bothered me about training Rice was her lack of self-confidence. On the other hand, she has a strong passion for racing and a good deal of pride in her own ability. That might be natural, considering the rigorous training she has done on her own, but she still makes a lot of comments about being unlucky or bringing misfortune to others.
Each time she says something like that, Urara innocently praises her and lifts her up. But Rice also thinks she's been a bother to me because of her excessive training, so her mood swings are a bit extreme. Also, as you might expect, she's afraid of other people's opinions. Ever since she prevented Mihono Bourbon from winning the Triple Crown undefeated, she worries she's being criticized every time something happens.
"I think a bad girl like that needs a punishment... what do you think?"
"Eh... p-punishment?"
Rice looked scared— wait, no she didn't? Huh? Was "punishment" the wrong word? It's not like I'm going to make her do some special training menu.
I cleared my throat, put Urara, who was trying to climb my back saying, "Rice-chan isn't a bad girl!", back on my back, and composed myself.
"Today is Sunday... a holiday. You understand, right, Rice?"
"Y-yeah... but a lot of people are training, you know? I have to work hard to win races, so I should be training now..."
"I understand you're impatient, but it's important not to overdo it. I'd really like to give you a long rest, but... you want to run the Arima Kinen, right?"
Knowing the state of Rice's body, I've considered having her skip the Arima Kinen. From my assessment, she's at her absolute limit and will only recover to a point where she won't get worse, as long as she doesn't overdo it. However, I think her mental recovery is even more important than her physical recovery. Just like human athletes, a Uma Musume's mental state has a huge impact on her performance.
"Yeah... I'm still scared, but... I still want to run."
Rice nodded firmly in response to my question. Her fear of what the spectators will say about her, and her desire to run in races as a Uma Musume. Those two feelings are in conflict.
"I see... But Rice, I told you before, your body is in really bad shape. I understand you want to run as a Uma Musume, but as long as I'm your trainer, I won't allow you to overdo it... no, that's not right."
I remembered the way Urara had run in her maiden race and nodded.
"There are times when overdoing it is necessary, but it's best to do it as little as possible. But you're trying to overdo it when it's not necessary. You understand that, right?"
"...Y-yeah."
Even on a small stage like a maiden race, which seems insignificant compared to a G1, I saw a Uma Musume who was trying to win even if it meant pushing herself past her limits. That's why I can't deny the need to overdo it to get a win. Only she can stop herself when she wants to get a win that badly.
"I think what you really need right now is rest. But if that's what you want, I'll do my best to get you ready for the race while giving your body as much rest as possible."
"B-but that would be a bother to you, Trainer-san... and it'll take time away from training Urara-chan, so I'd be a bother to her too..."
Rice looked down, her voice weak. Urara immediately jumped off my back, took Rice's hand, and smiled.
"That's not true! I'm having so much fun training with Rice-chan!"
"Urara-chan..."
Tears welled up in Rice's eyes at Urara's words. I looked at the two of them and put my hand in my pocket.
"Getting back to it... If you say you're a bad girl, then a bad girl like you needs a punishment... or rather, a penalty. So..."
I pulled my hand out of my pocket with a rustle. I unfolded a piece of paper and held it out for both Urara and Rice to read.
"Your penalty is, no practice today! Rice, you're to go play with Urara! And on the way, you need to stop by the shopping street and buy the ingredients on this paper! When you get back, I'll make you a carrot hamburger steak for dinner, and finishing it will be the end of your punishment!"
When I made that declaration, Urara's eyes lit up and she pulled on my arm.
"Huh!? We get to go play with Rice-chan today!?"
"You bet. I wanted to go with you, but I've got some important work to do... Urara, what are the rules when you go out?"
"Don't follow strangers! Don't buy too many snacks! Watch out for cars! If anything happens, call Trainer right away!"
"Good girl, that's right. Do you have any pocket money left? Your wallet?"
I patted Urara, who had answered so energetically, and took her wallet. I checked the contents, but there was no money in it.
"You bought snacks at the shopping street again... I'll have to tell the old man at the greengrocer that Urara is only allowed three carrots a day next time I see him..."
Saying that, I handed Urara some pocket money. I gave Rice some too and then handed her an envelope with money for groceries.
"Rice... you can hold this money. I'll need a receipt for the groceries you buy."
"Huh? B-but what if I drop it...?"
"If you drop it, I'll just buy the stuff myself, so it's fine. Besides, you'll be with Urara, right? Urara will keep an eye on you."
When I said that, Urara patted her chest as if to say, "Leave it to me!" All things considered, Urara is pretty reliable... yeah, she's reliable, so it'll probably be okay.
"Then we're off, Trainer! Let's go, Rice-chan!"
"Eh, y-yeah... We're heading out, Trainer-san."
Urara took Rice's hand and started walking. Considering their age and height difference, Rice is the older one, but seeing Urara lead her along like that, I wonder which of them is the older sister. I watched them go, Urara humming a song as she walked, and Rice looking a bit confused but also a little happy. When I saw that there was no one around, I immediately moved.
"...Alright, let's go."
I went into a nearby locker room, put on the suit I had prepared, put on my glasses, and changed my shoes to leather ones before following the two of them.
I went to the trouble of wearing a suit, glasses, and leather shoes as a disguise. Since I'm usually in a tracksuit, I figured they wouldn't notice me even if they saw me. At first, I thought about following them with sunglasses and a mask on, but that would definitely make me look like a suspicious person, so I gave up on that idea. In a suit, I'd just look like any other businessman, so I wouldn't get reported. I even carried a business bag that I used for job hunting, so I looked like a textbook salaryman.
And so, I started my pursuit of Urara and Rice, but they were just communicating as they normally would, with Urara actively talking and Rice responding.
There's a reason I'm doing this, even though I have so much work to do to compile information for Urara and Rice.
First, to give Rice a break. If I had just told her to rest, she would have hesitated, but if she could go out and play with Urara, I thought she would have fun and get a mental refresh.
Second, to check on Rice's mental state. Rice has been met with negative attitudes from some fans for winning the Kikuka Sho, and I don't know how deeply that has affected her. So I wanted to see how she would react to her surroundings by having her go out. The physical injuries on her body are visible, and we can pretty much figure out the internal ones with modern medicine. But the mental wounds Rice has are not visible.
Third, to give Urara a break too. Urara has been working hard, and I think she's getting tired, though not as much as Rice. So I wanted to give her a refresh with Rice.
And finally, for my own refresh. It might not be a physical rest, but watching Urara and Rice play together would be a great mental break. I'm honestly a little tired. I could have gone and played with Urara and Rice, but they are both at that age. They might not be able to relax if their trainer is with them.
(Urara would be happy, but Rice would probably be too worried about me...)
That's why I decided to just watch Urara and Rice go out on their own. Besides, with future races in mind, there might not be many more opportunities for them to have a full day off.
In front of me, Urara and Rice walked hand in hand. Urara was in a very good mood, wagging her tail, and Rice looked like she was having fun too. The tail that extended from her casual clothes was swaying just like Urara's. People who passed by them were smiling, and some even greeted them. Urara would respond with a cheerful "hello," and Rice would give a modest greeting in return.
"Oh! It's a kitty-cat! Wait for us!"
"Whoa! Wait for me, Urara-chan!"
Suddenly, Urara saw a stray cat and started running. Rice, still holding her hand, was pulled along but quickly started running to chase the cat with Urara.
"!"
I immediately checked for cars. Urara and Rice would probably notice the sound of a car, but a visual check is important! Check confirmed! All good!
"Oh! They're selling crepes over there! Carrot crepes!"
"Whoa, Urara-chan!?"
Urara had been chasing the cat, but her interest shifted to a mobile crepe stand that had come to the park. Rice was just being pulled along, but I thought that having Urara lead the way was probably a good thing for Rice right now.
"Hello! Can I get two carrot crepes, please!"
Urara charged the crepe stand with a smile and bought two carrot crepes. She handed one to Rice, and they sat on a nearby bench and started eating.
(There's a lot of food for Uma Musume in this world, but I wonder what a carrot crepe tastes like...)
I've never had one, of course, but I wonder if the carrots are raw, or boiled? Or maybe grilled, just to be surprising?
As I thought about that, I watched Urara and Rice eat their crepes.
"It's so yummy, Rice-chan!"
"Y-yeah... It's really good, Urara-chan."
Urara bit into her crepe without a care for getting her cheeks messy, while Rice ate hers by nibbling at the edge. You could see the difference in their personalities just from that, and I made a note of it in the notepad I had taken out of my pocket.
(Rice is still a reserved type... speaking of which, what's her appetite like? If she's eating a single crepe at that pace, she might be a light eater... I'll have to check when I make her carrot hamburger steak later.)
Rice's small, slender build might be due to her being a light eater. Well, even though she's slender, her body is well-toned from training.
"Whoa... Urara-chan, you have cream on your cheek."
"Huh? Where? Rice-chan, can you get it for me?"
"Hehe... Look, right here?"
Urara had finished her crepe, but there was a glob of cream on her left cheek. Unconsciously, I had taken out a clean handkerchief from my pocket, but I stopped myself at the last second.
As I watched, Rice wiped the cream off Urara's cheek with her finger.
"Urara-chan, I got it all off."
"Wow, you did... mmm."
And then, for some reason, Urara put the finger with the cream on it into her mouth. She must have wanted to eat the cream. She's such a handful. No, that was a good move, Urara. That was a great punishment.
"...Hmm."
I muttered to myself for no reason and pushed my glasses up. There was no particular reason. Seriously, there wasn't.
Rice looked surprised by Urara's action but then smiled as if to say, "Oh, you!" That's right, Rice, you can't help it. Because that's Urara, you know?
"Excuse me, may I have a word?"
"..."
As I was observing Urara and Rice, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around to see two male police officers.
"Sir, what are you doing here?"
*(What!? Police!? Why!?) *
This is absurd! I look like a textbook salaryman right now! There's no reason for them to be suspicious! I'm not wearing a tracksuit, sunglasses, and a mask like a shady person!
"Oh, thanks for your hard work. I just came to the park to take a break... Hahaha, we both have it tough working outside, huh?"
I was panicking on the inside, but I answered with a smile. You look suspicious if you panic in situations like this. It's best to be calm and collected.
I was just carefully observing the two Uma Musume I'm in charge of, who were sitting on a park bench eating crepes!
"But it's Sunday, isn't it? This isn't a business district, so why are you here in a suit?"
(A very good point... Darn it, I guess wearing a suit on a Sunday makes me stand out. Japanese police are so observant!)
I wanted to snap back, "I'm working in a suit on Sunday!" but it didn't seem like that would go well. In fact, I might even get arrested for obstructing an officer.
I put my hand in my pocket and showed them my trainer license as if it were a business card.
"I'm a trainer, you see..."
"Oh? Ah, you're a Tracen Academy trainer. But why the outfit..."
I'm glad I had my trainer license. Since Uma Musume racing is a national pastime, trainers have a certain level of social standing. When I think about it, some of the senior trainers wear black hats, sunglasses, and a white tracksuit with no shirt on underneath, so their abs are showing. Compared to that, a trainer in a suit is pretty normal, isn't he?
"Oh, senior. That's Rice Shower over there. You know, the Uma Musume who won the Kikuka Sho."
"Ah... the one who stopped Mihono Bourbon's Triple Crown..."
The younger police officer who had been with the one who had spoken to me first noticed Rice and spoke up. I felt my eyebrow twitch at the senior officer's muttered comment.
Again, Uma Musume racing is a national pastime. That's why Uma Musume who participate in famous G1 races are famous and well-known. However, not many people know how much training Uma Musume go through and how much passion they have for racing. You could say it's just a matter of course that people only pay attention to who won, what record was set, or who is amazing.
—But that's exactly why I thought this was a chance.
"You think of her as the one who stopped Mihono Bourbon's Triple Crown, don't you..."
"Well, yeah..."
"Oh! That's Haru Urara! She's famous in the shopping district around here. I like her running. She's so bright and cheerful and works so hard. I was on the edge of my seat when she won her maiden race the other day."
Hey, young man, you know your stuff, huh? Let's go for a drink sometime... No, not that.
"Rice works hard, too. No, it's not just Rice; all Uma Musume work hard. They train so hard and run desperately to win races... That's just how all Uma Musume are."
It would have been easy to confront them and ask what they know about Rice's struggles. In fact, I wanted to. But I intentionally gave a wry smile and looked at Urara and Rice, who were now sharing a crepe and laughing together.
"I understand that it's disappointing when the Uma Musume you're cheering for loses... as a trainer, I'm happy that you feel that way, but the Uma Musume who won is also working just as hard. I hope you can understand that much, at least?"
In this day and age, even if I tried to promote Rice on the internet, I would be drowned out by louder voices and bigger numbers. But if I talk to someone face to face, one on one, I feel like I can make them understand— or at least, I hope so.
For example, right after Rice beat Mihono Bourbon at the race track, if someone had said, "I wanted to see Mihono Bourbon's Triple Crown," some people would have agreed with them. But if some time passed and they didn't have anyone to agree with them, they would probably at least listen to what I had to say.
Even then, some people would still say, "I wanted to see Mihono Bourbon achieve the Triple Crown undefeated!" but that's just how it is. I'm on Rice's side because I'm her fan, but Mihono Bourbon also had fans who wholeheartedly wanted to see her succeed.
When it comes to human feelings, there are some things you can't change. However, the police officer in front of me wasn't like that.
"I see... No, you're right. Uma Musume all work hard... and now that I see her, she's no different from any other Uma Musume... No, she's even small and cute."
"Senior, what you just said sounds a bit questionable to me. I don't want to have to put you in handcuffs."
He was a person who would understand if I talked to him properly. So I smiled and thanked him, then went back to following Urara and Rice, who had started walking again.
I absolutely did not run away because I thought the situation was getting a little out of hand.
Well, I'm still watching Urara and Rice enjoy their day off, and it seems that Rice Shower is more well-known than I thought. When they walked through town, many people noticed them and muttered her name. Some had stern expressions, and some looked displeased, but no one said anything directly to Rice.
Even so, Rice must have sensed the atmosphere around her. She didn't have time to shrink back uncomfortably.
"Rice-chan? Let's go this way next!"
Urara, who didn't care about the atmosphere at all, took Rice's hand and smiled. The people who had been looking at Rice with displeasure looked embarrassed and left.
Rice stared at Urara, who was pulling her along, with a look as if she were seeing something dazzling. Urara tilted her head at Rice's expression, but then suddenly realized something, took out her smartphone, and made her tail stand straight up.
"Oh! Look how late it's gotten! Rice-chan, let's go to the shopping street now! Trainer said he's going to make us carrot hamburger steak, so we have to go buy the ingredients!"
"Eh, y-yeah..."
Urara took Rice's hand and started running again— and then looked back with a smile.
"Hehe... I had so much fun playing with you, Rice-chan, I forgot about the time!"
"..."
Rice's ears twitched. Her expression twisted for a moment but then quickly softened into a smile.
"Yeah... yeah! I'm having so much fun with you, Urara-chan, too!"
I can only imagine how much emotion was put into those words. But after seeing Rice's happy expression from a distance, I gave a small smile and left.
All they have to do now is shop at the shopping street and come back to Tracen Academy. If Rice goes to the shopping street with Urara, she'll definitely be accepted there.
Having made that judgment, I headed back to Tracen Academy. I really wanted to watch them all the way to the end, but I had to prepare for dinner, and I had to establish an alibi that I was working at Tracen Academy.
"And guess what! Guess what! When Rice-chan and I went shopping, the old man at the greengrocer gave us this many carrots!"
"Yeah, yeah, I see. That's great, Urara."
"And then when we went to the butcher, the lady gave us this much meat as a bonus!"
"I see... that's amazing."
When Urara and Rice came back to Tracen Academy, I greeted them with a smile and went with them to the kitchen.
Of course, I was in a tracksuit, not a suit. I had also taken off my glasses, so all the evidence was gone. Well, I don't know what evidence, but still.
I nodded along as Urara excitedly told me about her day, but a cold sweat was running down my forehead. Why?
"By the way, Rice... is that really not heavy?"
"I'm fine."
Urara and Rice had brought back two boxes, each filled with meat and vegetables. Each box must have weighed at least 10 kilograms, maybe even close to 20 kilograms, but to Rice, it was just a comfortable weight. She was carrying both of them as if it were nothing. G1 Uma Musume are incredible.
(Can I even use all this? The vegetables will last, but what about the meat...?)
Even the petite Urara eats more than me, a grown man, but this might be too much. That's what I thought, but then I was blown away by what happened after I made the carrot hamburger steak.
"What... in the world..."
It turns out that Rice was a much bigger eater than I had ever imagined. She ate a giant three-layer carrot hamburger steak filled with bell peppers without a problem, asked for seconds, and then kept asking for refills of rice in her bowl.
(Something's wrong... From a volume standpoint, there's no way she should be able to eat that much... Could it be that as soon as she eats it, her body digests it and turns it into energy? Darn it, my lack of experience as a trainer is really showing!)
They didn't teach us this at the training school! They did teach us that Uma Musume eat a lot, and Urara eats more than you'd expect from her appearance, but still!
"Trainer's carrot hamburger steak is yummy, isn't it? I really, really love it!"
"Yeah... it's really good."
It's not just flattery; I can tell she really thinks it's delicious. I could see it by the way she kept eating one plate after another.
"I'm glad to hear that... Rice, did you have fun today?"
I asked, watching Rice happily finish her hamburger steak. Rice blinked her eyes a few times and then nodded.
"I had so much fun... It was the most fun I've ever had."
I nodded many times at Rice, who was smiling so softly as she said that.
"I'm glad to hear that... Alright, I'll take care of the cleanup, so both of you, Urara and Rice, get a good rest today. Since it's a punishment, no self-training. But starting tomorrow, we'll train with a lot of energy. Got it?"
"Got it!"
"Y-yeah... I'll do my best."
Urara gave a cheerful response with both hands up, and Rice made a small fist in front of her chest and whispered.
I smiled at the sight of the two of them and watched them leave the kitchen.
"Alright, time for me to get to work, too."
Feeling energized after seeing Urara and Rice so happy, I finished cleaning up and headed to the shared trainer's space.
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