As the days went by, I was constantly busy with Urara and Rice's training in the evenings and on weekends, but I hadn't made as much progress as I'd hoped with organizing all the information.
I'd managed to compile the bare minimum, but honestly, I was worried about any omissions or mistakes since it was a rush job. Still, I was relieved that it had at least taken shape.
Today, after another training session with Urara and Rice, I was back in the shared trainers' space, wrestling with my computer, and I found myself holding my head in my hands as I looked over the information I'd gathered.
(I knew this, but... when you're facing opponents who have fought in major races like Rice, they're all high-level and there are so many of them... some have even won G1 races, and even if they haven't, they've consistently placed in the money...)
I groaned, turning my head. It made a loud cracking sound, probably because I'd been staring at the computer for so long. Many of them had a better record than my Rice. Although Rice won the Kikuka Sho, her previous race results weren't exactly outstanding.
Rice Shower's Racing Record
She won her debut race but then finished 11th in the Niigata Junior Stakes. She followed that with a win in the Fuyo Stakes, but a fracture was discovered, and she had to rest for three months. In her comeback race, she finished 4th in the G2 Spring Stakes. She then had lackluster results, finishing 8th in the G1 Satsuki Sho, the starting point of the Triple Crown, and 8th in the NHK Mile Cup.
However, from here, Rice changed. She had a series of great results, finishing 2nd in the Japan Derby, 2nd in the St. Lite Kinen, and 2nd in the Kyoto Shimbun Hai. It was Mihono Bourbon who won the Japan Derby and the Kyoto Shimbun Hai, and Rice finally beat her at the Kikuka Sho.
All in all, she has one G1 win and one 2nd place. In G2 races, she has two 2nd places and one 4th place. She also has one win each in her debut and in an open race.
A record of 3 wins in 10 races isn't considered top-tier in Tracen Academy. Two of those wins were in her debut and an open race, so you could find similar records pretty easily. However, the fact that she won the Kikuka Sho changes everything.
I'm currently training her, but when I look at the Uma Musume she might face, it's just horrible. Horrible in many ways. There are a ton of strong Uma Musume, but six of them stand out.
Tokai Teio: A member of Team Spica, she's an incredibly talented Uma Musume who has won seven races in a row, including her debut. She's so good that she won last year's Satsuki Sho and the Japan Derby in her fifth and sixth races, respectively. However, a leg injury was discovered after the Japan Derby, forcing her into a long rest. Even so, she's absolutely incredible, winning the G1 Osaka Hai in her seventh race, which was her comeback. After that, she finished 5th in the Spring Tenno Sho and got injured again. She finished 7th in the Autumn Tenno Sho, her comeback race, but her running style seemed to be back to normal. She's also expected to run in the G1 Japan Cup in less than a week, and from what I've seen in her practice, she's in great shape. A win seems very possible. While she can run long distances, she's essentially a middle-distance runner. Her ability to run from the front and then accelerate in the final stretch to pass her opponents is nothing short of a marvel.Mejiro McQueen: Also from the prestigious Mejiro family and a member of Team Spica, she is a pure stayer who is most likely to clash with Rice. However, from her record and race videos, she seems to be good at middle-distance as well. She has already run in 17 races, with 9 wins. She has placed in almost all of her races. There was one time in the Autumn Tenno Sho when she was relegated to 18th place due to interference, but she had actually crossed the finish line first. In G1 races alone, she has one win at the Kikuka Sho and has won the Spring Tenno Sho twice, making her strong on the big stage. Like Rice, she's a front-runner and would definitely be a formidable opponent if she runs. However, she's currently injured and resting.Nice Nature: A member of Team Canopus, she's a mid-to-long-distance runner who excels at late bursts. While she has no G1 wins, she has won two G2s and one G3. With a record of 6 wins in 15 races, she is, like Mejiro McQueen, a strong runner who almost always places. She often gets injured but sometimes runs twice in one month and wins both, making it hard to tell if she's fragile or sturdy. Although her wins were in an open race and a G3, she's not to be underestimated, having had a four-race winning streak, including before and after those races. Considering her record, she's an opponent a class above Rice. However, she's been on a long-term break since the Arima Kinen last year due to an injury and only returned to racing last month. I really can't figure out if this girl is prone to injury or just incredibly tough. Also, it feels like she finishes third a lot.Ikuno Dictus: Like Nice Nature, she's a member of Team Canopus and a front-runner who can run from a mile up to the edge of long distance. Her ability is probably inferior to Nice Nature's, but what I'm paying attention to is her record. While her win count is low, she has run in an incredible 39 races. She has 8 wins in total, with 3 wins in open races and 4 in G3s, not including her debut. Her ability might be a bit lower than Uma Musume who run in G1s, but her race experience is immense. I think she's an opponent worth being wary of just because of that experience.Machikane Tannhauser: This girl is also a member of Team Canopus. She made her debut around the same time as Rice and was in the top group with Rice and Mihono Bourbon at the Kikuka Sho. Her record is 2 wins in 11 races, with her only wins being in her debut and an open race. However, she's steadily getting stronger, finishing 7th in the Satsuki Sho, 4th in the Japan Derby, and 3rd in the Kikuka Sho. Her being out of the money only once at the Satsuki Sho suggests she has a high level of ability.Mejiro Palmer: Like Mejiro McQueen, she's from the Mejiro family. With 7 wins in 29 races, she's a front-runner who took first place in the G1 Takarazuka Kinen in June. She used to run short and mile distances, but she's been running more middle and long-distance races recently, making her highly likely to clash with Rice. Although she finished 17th in the recent Autumn Tenno Sho, she seems like the type who, if she gets into her rhythm, can run all the way to the finish line in first.
These are the six Uma Musume I'm keeping an eye on. I guess another strong Uma Musume who might run the Arima Kinen is Daitaku Helios. With 10 wins in 33 races and two G1 wins—she just won the Mile Cup, her second consecutive win—she's a typical miler. Yet, for some reason, she sometimes shows up in middle-distance races and even ran in the Arima Kinen last year. She excels at running from the front, but I think Rice could easily pass her in a long-distance race. Still, the fact that she has run in over 30 races makes me feel like I need to be cautious.
"Phew..."
I sighed after compiling information on all the strong Uma Musume Rice might face. Their ability is a concern, but the fact that they're all so injury-prone makes it hard to know which races they'll show up in. Of course, you know who's running since they have to apply in advance, but there's always a chance they'll scratch at the last minute if their injury is bad enough.
And as I was putting the information together, I came across something unexpected. Mihono Bourbon, whom I thought would be Rice's toughest rival, is currently on long-term rest. It seems she had a problem with her legs and developed periostitis.
It's good that a rival is out of the picture, but an injury is never a good thing. So I'm not happy about it. But at the same time, I feel a sense of relief that Rice and Mihono Bourbon won't have to race each other, which is a big dilemma.
There are many other Uma Musume who run on turf at the same distances as Rice. I can do a general search, but it's impossible to meticulously check every race and compile information on all of them in such a short time. I'll just have to wait until the Arima Kinen lineup is finalized and then quickly summarize what I can.
Unlike with Rice, organizing information for Urara was easy since the pool of opponents is much smaller. It was pretty easy, but—
(Damn it... I can't be optimistic about Rice, but why on earth is there a girl like this in Urara's age group, and why is she transferring to the central racing league...)
I looked down at one of the documents. The information written on it was pretty much a recipe for despair.
Oguri Cap: Currently, she's a local Uma Musume, but she can run on both turf and dirt, and her aptitude covers a wide range of distances, from a mile to long distance. She excels at front-running and late bursts, and what's most surprising is her acceleration in the final stages of a race. Even though she's in a local league, she already has 7 wins in 9 races. The only times she lost, she finished 2nd, and her opponents were at a level you wouldn't expect from a local league. I only had a limited number of race videos to go off of, but I knew right away. This girl isn't at a level where she should be in a local league; she has top-class talent even for the central racing league.
Why am I listing a local Uma Musume? Because she was scouted by a central league trainer and is transferring to Tracen Academy. I only found out about it the other day, and it shattered my arrogance of thinking that Urara might be able to compete well in the upper classes. My observational skills as a rookie trainer tell me that this girl will definitely get strong. In fact, she's already pretty strong. And, given her age and distance aptitude, there's a high chance she'll clash with Urara. She'll probably start running in major races very soon. If that happens, maybe she won't run in the same races as Urara, but if they do clash, I can't even imagine what would happen. I would hope she sticks to turf races, but since she's been running on dirt courses in the local leagues, I have to be wary of her also running in dirt races in the central league. The fact that there are fewer dirt races than turf races means it'll be hard to avoid her, which is just awful.
Right now, Oguri Cap is by far the most dangerous. But there are three other Uma Musume Urara might clash with that I need to be careful of besides Oguri Cap.
El Condor Pasa: A friend of Urara's, she, like Oguri Cap, can run on both turf and dirt, and also like Oguri Cap, her aptitude covers a wide range of distances from a mile to long distance. She also excels at front-running and late bursts. Despite making her debut at the same time as Urara, she has only run in her debut race. It's possible she's been focusing on training, but her trainer is none other than Trainer Tojo. The fact that she belongs to Team Rigil and is being trained by Trainer Tojo is enough to make me wary. I might have evolved a little from being a slime, but I can't beat the Demon Lord.Taiki Shuttle: An American-born Uma Musume who is an unusual case, as she was a transfer student to Tracen Academy. She can also run on both turf and dirt and has a record of 6 wins in 7 races, running on both surfaces. She only lost once, but even then, she finished 2nd. She specializes in short and mile distances, so there's a very high chance she'll clash with Urara. The only difference between them is that Urara excels at late bursts, while Taiki Shuttle excels at front-running. Their abilities are very different, but in terms of ability, I'd say she's on par with Oguri Cap and requires the same level of caution.Smart Falcon: This girl seems to be a Uma Musume who specializes in dirt, just like Urara. She has a feeling about her that she's not good at turf races. She's a front-runner who can run short to middle distances. She won her debut and finished 2nd in the open race that followed. Depending on how much she grows in the future, I think she'll be a tough opponent to beat.
There are many other Uma Musume who specialize in dirt, but compared to turf, the number is small, so it was easier to find information on them than it was for Rice. The four I listed above are the ones I think will be a problem after watching their race videos.
However, even though the number is small, every single one of them is on the same level as, or a class above, Urara, who has only won a maiden race. I can't let my guard down for a second.
Since she started training with Rice, Urara's growth curve has been better than I expected. Perhaps for a type like Urara, having a training partner is more effective than training alone. And her training partner is a G1 Uma Musume. Given how close Urara and Rice are, Urara's focus on training is at a level it's never been before. Also, she's always seemed to enjoy training, but she seems to enjoy it even more with Rice.
But on the other hand, I worry if it's actually helping Rice's training. Like Urara, Rice is a straightforward girl, and she understands the purpose of her training when I explain it to her. Right now, her training is a light adjustment menu on the wood course to fix her muscle imbalance, but I've also had her run on the dirt course with Urara sometimes. When the track conditions are good, dirt puts less strain on her legs than turf, so I'm trying to fix the balance in her legs while also building muscle on a surface that's difficult to run on. The good thing is that Rice also seems to be enjoying her training with Urara. However, since there's a difference in their abilities, the load on Rice's body is inevitably lighter. So I've been giving her strength training to slowly fix her body's balance, but I still can't see what the results will be. It's a good way to get rid of fatigue, but it's meaningless if she loses strength and stamina along with it. So, I have to come up with a difficult training plan that will slowly fix her body's balance while maintaining her strength and stamina.
The training Rice has done so far is no joke. I think that just by getting rid of her fatigue and fixing the balance in her body, she'll be able to perform at an even higher level. But I can only watch and see how Rice changes over time.
"Phew... huh? Is it really that late already..."
I reread the information I had compiled and, after confirming there were no problems, checked the time. The date had changed without me noticing, and I was the only trainer left in the shared space. In fact, it wasn't just that the date had changed; it was already past 3 a.m. I was so focused that I had completely forgotten about the time.
After checking the time and breaking my concentration, a wave of fatigue washed over me. I unconsciously looked for an energy drink, but I had already finished all of them, so there wasn't a single one left. It's probably time to rest. But it's too late—or is it too early?—to go home now and have a late-night meal. I shut down my computer and headed to the nap room. The bath is fine. I can just take a shower when I wake up. Thinking that, I stumbled into the nap room, collapsed onto a bed, and closed my eyes.
(Tomorrow... no, today, I'll have Urara run on the turf course with Rice... and Rice can't just be doing light adjustments; I have to make her run hard sometimes so her body... Urara... Rice... Urara... Rice... Ura-Rice...)
I was thinking about Urara and Rice's training menu for the day, but my consciousness faded away in less than a minute.
"...san... san! ...are you okay?"
My consciousness resurfaced to the sound of a voice and the sensation of being shaken. My body was being gently shaken, and I opened my eyes slightly.
Trainer-san, she said. Rice is probably the only one who calls me that. When I opened my groggy eyes, I saw dark hair in my blurry vision.
Ah, it's Rice after all. She probably came all the way to the shared trainers' space because she was worried about me. Did I fall asleep while compiling my documents last night? Wait, where am I? Since when was a desk and a chair so comfortable to sleep on?
I had those questions, but the only thing on my mind was Rice, who was calling out to me.
"Sorry, Rice... but... I'm... okay... I'll definitely, make you, strong..."
Saying that, I reached out and put my hand on Rice's head. And I slowly petted it.
Like Urara, Rice also seemed to enjoy being petted on the head. I had been refraining from doing it because I thought a high school student like Rice might dislike it, but she would look at me enviously when I petted Urara. So I've petted her a few times, and the way her expression softened was just adorable. The hair I'm petting now is glossy and silky black. Since there aren't any horse ears on her head, it's very easy to pet, and as I slide my hand, her hair disappears around her shoulder—?
"...Huh?"
Rice Shower doesn't have short hair. And this person... she doesn't have horse ears... does she? She has ears in the same position as a human?
My mind cleared up, and my blurry vision became clearer.
"Um... um! A-are you okay? I've been calling your name so many times..."
The person trying to wake me up was Kiryuin-san. Her face was flushed, and she was flustered, but she was still trying to wake me up.
"I-I'm sorry for waking you up... I was just worried because your things were here, but you weren't."
I looked at the smartphone I had placed by my pillow, and it was only 30 minutes until the start of work. As expected of Kiryuin-san, she came in 30 minutes early. I was here all night, so I win, right? No, what am I thinking? My brain isn't working right since I just woke up.
I looked at my right hand, which had been petting Kiryuin-san's head. And then I looked at Kiryuin-san's flushed face. I was so groggy that I mistook Kiryuin-san for Rice and petted her on the head? I petted my female coworker's head instead of my student's?
I quickly got off the bed and fluidly knelt down on the floor. I put my hands on the floor and bowed my head deeply.
"I was half-asleep. I'm so sorry. I'm really, truly sorry."
The words sexual harassment, disciplinary dismissal, and lawsuit danced in my head. I was half-asleep, so I'm safe? If "I was half-asleep" was a valid excuse, we wouldn't need police. Cold sweat dripped down my back as I kept my head bowed. If Kiryuin-san sues me, I'll definitely lose, be found guilty, and go to jail. I might get a suspended sentence for a first offense, but it would be impossible for the perpetrator and the victim to continue working at the same place.
"This might sound self-serving, but I would like to ask you to please wait until I've finished training Urara and Rice... until they reach a good stopping point."
This is a crucial time for both Urara and Rice. Even if I have to entrust them to someone else, I want to see them through until we reach a milestone. Of course, that's only if Kiryuin-san allows me to. I can't see her face since I'm bowing, but after a few seconds that felt incredibly long, I heard an unexpected voice.
"P-please raise your head! I'm not angry! In fact, the way you care for Rice Shower-san made me feel that I need to learn from you as a trainer!"
"But..."
"R-rather, I don't remember my father ever petting me, so... it was, um, very refreshing..."
I don't think that's something you can just get over by calling it "refreshing," and I'm worried about Kiryuin-san's family. Is she okay? Has she been living in a bubble for so long that she'll be easily tricked by a bad man?
I slowly raised my head and saw Kiryuin-san, still blushing, fiddling with the tips of her hair. She looked shy and flustered, but she certainly didn't seem angry.
But that's that, and this is this. I stayed bowed and spoke.
"I'm truly sorry... I don't know if this will be an apology, but please tell me if there's anything I can do. I'll do anything I can to make it happen."
"...Anything?"
Huh? Is she still angry? She jumped at that. I'd prefer if she'd go easy on me... but given what I did, I can't refuse. As I thought that, Kiryuin-san looked down at me with a serious expression.
"Then, would you please have Rice Shower-san run against Meek? There's the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies next month... Although it's a junior-level G1 race, I think it would be a huge experience for Meek to run against a G1-winning Uma Musume beforehand."
"That... does sound like it would be a good experience."
Kiryuin-san's offer made a lot of sense. Since she's running in a G1 race, even a junior-level one, she wants Happy Meek to experience how strong a G1 Uma Musume is. As a trainer, that's a natural thing to think, and if you have the connections to make it happen, you should use them. I'm also curious to see how Rice will run against a Uma Musume other than Urara. However, Rice is currently in an adjustment phase. It probably wouldn't have any negative effects if she ran at about 80% of her strength, but it's all for nothing if Rice isn't in the mood to do it.
"I'll ask Rice later, but I can't make any promises. Is that okay...?"
"Then please do!"
"Are you sure... hmm..."
Seeing Kiryuin-san nod so eagerly, I groaned and fell into thought.
—Suddenly, an idea popped into my head! This could be a good training opportunity for Rice!
"It depends on Rice, but if it's okay, what if we ask the other trainers in our cohort to make it a mock race? I think it would be better if we made it more like a real race since we're going to all the trouble."
"Huh? No, that's a bit... a bit too difficult for me..."
I barely managed to stop myself from asking what she meant by "difficult." My fellow trainers were kind enough to share their information with me when I begged them, and they'd probably be happy to participate in the name of a trial run for their Uma Musume, just like Kiryuin-san. They wouldn't even look at me if it were just Urara! I'll have a race on the dirt course and blow their minds!
Thinking that, I slowly stood up. I'll just send a message to Rice and Urara on my phone, and they can think about it during class. Tap, tap.
'Would you two want to participate in a mock race after school today?'
'Wow! Sounds fun! I'll do it!'
'Rice will do it.'
I got a response right away. Urara's was her usual, but Rice's text felt strangely motivated...
"It looks like it's okay."
"Yay! ...Ahem, then I look forward to this afternoon?"
Kiryuin-san gave a hearty fist pump with a genuinely happy look on her face before she caught herself.
And so, after school, I had Urara and Rice do their warm-ups as usual, and then I looked around and let out a small sigh.
"I know I'm the one who asked everyone to come, but isn't this too many people?"
"What do you mean? It's a mock race with a G1 Uma Musume, isn't it? It's a perfect opportunity to let them experience the next level."
"I never thought I'd get an opportunity like this just for sharing information I had. It was hard to ask you guys for it."
The ones who responded to my words were my fellow trainers. I had approached them with the idea lightheartedly, but every single one of them accepted without hesitation. There are a little over ten trainers in my cohort, and besides Kiryuin-san, they all train multiple Uma Musume. What started as a casual mock race turned into a full-gate race with 18 Uma Musume participating. We got permission to use the gate, so it's going to be like a real race. It seems like it's going to be the best practice ever, and the other trainers all have a serious look in their eyes. Some of them are having serious discussions with the Uma Musume they're in charge of.
"Trainer-san, Rice is ready."
"I'm ready too! This is gonna be fun!"
Urara is always so energetic. But as for Rice, the usual shyness was gone, and she looked so serious that I could feel something like pressure coming from her whole body.
"Urara... yeah, just have fun like you always do. As for Rice..."
It's a turf race, but there's nothing I need to say to Urara. She might look as carefree as ever, but she's my beloved partner. That's why I know she'll give it her all, even in a turf race that's not her favorite, because she's having fun. But feeling the atmosphere Rice was giving off, I bent my knees to meet her eyes and smiled.
"Listen, Rice. Your body is still not in top condition. I'm sure you'll be angry that I brought a plan like this to you, but I haven't seen you run against other Uma Musume in a live setting, even if it's a mock race. So, today, I want you to run at a level that won't strain your body... maybe 70 to 80% of your strength, at most. Can you do that for me?"
"...But if I do that, I might lose, you know?"
"It's okay to lose. This is just practice. Besides, no one will be angry if you lose. If they say anything, they'll be blaming me for being lazy and not having a G1 Uma Musume ready."
A trainer in charge of a G1-winning Uma Musume loses to a junior-level Uma Musume? If that were to happen, the only thing to blame would be my poor training skills. If someone said that, I would proudly tell them they're right. And I would tell them that Rice Shower's true strength is far from this, and that she'll get even stronger from here on out.
"So, Rice, you can approach this race with the mindset of just checking your condition. Of course, I'm not telling you to lose. But it's okay to have the mindset of giving a lesson to the junior-level Uma Musume and letting them have their moment."
"..."
Rice didn't say anything to my words, but she looked a little dissatisfied. So, I gave a wry smile and gently stroked her head.
"Well, if you can, I do want to show off how amazing my Uma Musume is."
If the goal is to let them experience a G1 Uma Musume's strength, it might be better to have Rice run at her full power. She's not in such a bad condition that she would get injured from running at full power once, and I do feel like showing off how amazing Rice is.
"But it's not okay for you to overdo it."
"Trainer-san."
Rice spoke, cutting me off. I opened my eyes in surprise, and Rice turned her small hands into fists and held them in front of her chest.
"I don't know the girls I'm running with today. So... please just tell me who's most likely to win... if I wasn't here."
"That would be... Happy Meek. She's running in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, and I think she's strong even when compared to the junior-level Uma Musume my seniors are training, let alone our cohort's Uma Musume."
I tilted my head and answered Rice's question, and her gaze shifted to Happy Meek. Her eyes became slightly sharper.
"Okay... I understand. Trainer-san."
"O-okay... what is it?"
Her usual timid aura was gone, and Rice spoke with a determined voice.
"—Watch me, okay? Watch as Rice... no, as your Uma Musume runs."
I looked up at the sky, thinking I might have done something rash in response to her words, which were directed at Happy Meek.
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