The next day, King achieved the unprecedented feat of winning G1 races in all distances.
Yesterday, after the race, I watched King's winning performance, was bombarded with questions from reporters about her G1 sweep in the name of a winner's interview, and then returned to the Tracen Academy on the Shinkansen with my exhausted body.
I got back late again, but there was nothing I could do about it. Even after getting home, I was too excited to sleep. I dozed off in the morning, but then my eyes were wide open, and I got out of bed.
I've had sleepless nights out of frustration from a loss, but I've rarely had such a hard time falling asleep from the joy of a victory.
Realizing it was pointless to lie in bed, I got up. I quickly ate breakfast and headed to the Tracen Academy. Before that, I stopped by a nearby convenience store and bought all the newspapers they had.
There were some non-sports newspapers mixed in, but even newspapers that don't usually cover horse girls were featuring articles about King's race yesterday. There were also free special editions, so I took one of those too.
"La-dee-da... Huh?"
Since I stopped by the convenience store, I was taking a different route to work than usual. I was humming a tune as I walked, but in the distance, I saw cameramen with television cameras and reporters with microphones wandering around, so I quickly hid behind something.
If I had taken my usual route, I would have definitely been caught. They probably wanted to do a surprise interview about King's victory yesterday. It might be conceited of me to think so, but if I had just kept walking and they surrounded me, who knows how long they would have kept me there.
I was wearing a suit, so my attire wouldn't be an issue if I were to be interviewed. However, in the winner's interview last night, I was surrounded by reporters with bloodshot eyes, so I wasn't really keen on being held up early in the morning.
I checked my phone, and there was no message from the Tracen Academy about an interview request. I changed my route and went around to the back of the Tracen Academy, but I saw what looked like reporters there as well.
So I sent a message to Tadana-san on the messaging app, asking, "I'm about to be caught by reporters, so is it okay if I enter from a different gate?" Within a minute, I got a reply saying, "Please do."
Since Tadana-san gave me permission, I figured it was fine, so I climbed over the two-meter-high wall and snuck into the Tracen Academy.
The wall was pretty high, but I could reach it. If I jumped, kicked the wall, grabbed the top, and pulled myself up, I could get over it. I'd done it a few times before, so I was used to it. This is just an image I have, but I feel like the senior trainer from Team Canopus could probably climb over the wall without making a single sound.
Once I was inside the Tracen Academy, I headed for the club room. I didn't think it would be a big deal to just do an interview, but if I said something wrong during an unauthorized interview, it could be a major problem.
Also, some unauthorized interviewers are difficult to deal with; it's hard to tell if they came to interview me, to pick a fight, or to try and get me to say something I shouldn't. So, it's safer to avoid them if I can.
This made me worry that King might be facing the same situation, but the horse girls' dormitory is in front of the Tracen Academy. It's a short distance, and what would happen if someone blocked the path of students trying to get to school?
Still, I was worried, and I was thinking of going to the main gate when it was time for King to go to school, but for some reason, King was at the club room.
She was in her Tracen Academy uniform, holding her school bag with both hands, leaning against the club room door, and looking off into the distance with a vacant expression. The direction she was facing was... the main gate, I think? She seemed bored, playing with her hair with her fingers, running her hand through it, and sighing with her hand on her cheek.
It was almost 8 a.m. Classes don't start for another hour, but I wondered what was going on. She looked thoughtful and a little sad.
As I walked closer, her horse ears twitched. She squinted her eyes as if looking into the distance... and then turned around toward me, who was approaching from the side, with a speed that made it seem like there was a sound.
"Huh? T-trainer? Why are you coming from that direction...?"
"Oh, hey. I'm sorry if I startled you."
Maybe she was waiting for me? And she was surprised because I was approaching from a different direction than the main gate.
For now, I unlocked the club room and let King inside. Only I and the team leader, Rice, have a key to the club room.
As soon as she entered the club room, King walked toward the coffee maker.
"Have you had coffee yet today?"
"Not yet. I was planning on having some here while I read the newspaper."
Reading the newspaper with a cup of coffee is my post-race routine. Hearing my answer, King smiled softly and picked up the coffee beans that I've been buying a lot of since Valentine's Day.
"I'll make it for you. You just relax."
"Thank you, King."
I sincerely thanked King for her offer.
The coffee beans are good, so the coffee tastes good even when I make it myself, but the coffee King makes is exceptional. So, I gladly let her, turned on my work computer, and sat on the sofa to open the newspaper.
The pages were filled with articles about yesterday's Takarazuka Kinen. The sports newspapers had articles on the front three pages, and many non-sports newspapers had articles on their front pages as well.
'King Halo Conquers Takarazuka Kinen'
'King Halo's 4th G1 Victory'
'King Halo Achieves G1 Victories in All Distances'
'King Halo Becomes the King of Her Generation'
Headlines like these were written in big letters, and there were pictures of King crossing the finish line, overtaking her rivals at the end, being celebrated by Biwa Hayahide and the others after the race, and her winning performance.
Some newspapers also featured articles about a horse girl named Takeshiba O, who had won stakes races in all distances in the past, in connection with King's G1 sweep.
As I read the newspaper, the sound of King grinding the coffee beans, pouring hot water into the coffee siphon, and the aroma of coffee filled the club room.
It was a leisurely and peaceful time. I felt so relaxed as I slowly read the newspaper. It was hard to believe that I had just avoided reporters and climbed over the wall to get here.
"Here you go."
"Thank you."
King handed me a freshly brewed coffee. I took the cup and thanked her. First, I enjoyed the aroma, then I slowly drank the coffee, being careful not to burn myself.
"Is it good?"
"Yeah, King's coffee is always delicious."
"Hehe... I'll make it for you whenever you want."
King smiled faintly with her hand over her mouth and then sat down next to me. This was unusual; she usually sits on the sofa across from me. She was close... wasn't she? Our shoulders were touching, and it was very rare for her to sit this close to me.
"Is something wrong?"
So, thinking there must be a reason, I asked. King didn't answer immediately. Instead, she picked up one of the newspapers on the table between the two sofas.
"I won yesterday... It feels like a dream."
She said this while looking at the picture of herself crossing the finish line in first place. She looked at the words: 4 G1 victories, G1 victories in all distances, King of her generation. She followed the words with her eyes and wore a relaxed smile. It was a smile befitting her age, unlike the dignified expression she usually has.
"Maybe I'm sleeping in my bed right now, and I'm in a dream... and when I wake up, this will all be a fantasy, and I won't have met you, and I'll wake up as the person I was back then, when I couldn't win a G1... Something like that."
She muttered that and laughed to herself. I think she probably hasn't fully grasped the reality of it yet. Not only the 4 G1 victories, but also the fact that she has won a G1 in every distance.
"If it's a dream, I'd be in trouble too."
So, I also couldn't help but smile wryly. And I looked at King, who was sitting right next to me.
"Please don't turn yesterday's excitement into a dream. I was so happy and moved. So much so that I couldn't sleep at all last night."
"...Yeah, me too. I was supposed to be tired, but I couldn't sleep. It felt so surreal, and even when I closed my eyes, I kept replaying the moments of running in the race, crossing the finish line, and the winning performance."
King's eyes welled up as she spoke.
"Last night... I called my mother after I got back to the dorm. It was late, so I thought she'd be sleeping, but she picked up right away."
King laughed, finding it funny that she picked up after just one ring.
She had received a call after the race yesterday, but since she had to get ready for the winning performance, King had yelled, "I'll call you back later!" and hung up.
After that, she had the winning performance, interviews, and then traveled back by public transportation, so she had refrained from calling.
King's mother must have been so anxious while she was waiting. The fact that she picked up after one ring meant she had been waiting by the phone.
"My mother, she praised me with a wry smile. She said she had to acknowledge me now that I'd won a G1 in every distance... she said I was truly her daughter... and that I had surpassed her... she... praised me..."
As she spoke, tears welled up in King's eyes. And in a matter of seconds, the tears overflowed and began to fall.
Seeing this, I took a handkerchief out of my pocket and wiped away King's tears. But I tried not to look at her crying face too much. I thought King wouldn't want me to see it.
Come to think of it, I thought, King rarely shows her emotions so openly like this. When Urara and Rice are around, she acts strong no matter what. And yesterday, even though she showed a happy smile from winning the race, she didn't shed any tears.
Would it be conceited of me to think she was waiting in front of the club room since this morning to share her joy? No, just for today, I'll be conceited.
"King."
I called out to King. Because I wanted to share in her joy too.
"Congratulations. You're amazing, King. You're truly the best horse girl."
"..."
I thought this during the Spring Tenno Sho too, but if this girl who has won G1s in all distances isn't the best, then who is?
For me, Rice is the strongest, and Urara is the best horse girl. But I can proudly say that King is the greatest horse girl.
I don't know how she took my words, but King grabbed the front of my shirt with both hands while she was sitting. And she rested her head against my chest.
"You too... To me, you're the best trainer."
She whispered that, and I gently patted King's back, which was shaking as she cried, until she calmed down.
Well, now I had a problem. King had cried so much that her eyes were swollen, and if I sent her to class like this, there would be a huge commotion about what happened.
If I were to tell them honestly that she was moved to tears by yesterday's race... well, I think they might actually believe it. But King seemed embarrassed, as she averted her gaze with her cheeks flushed with a rosy color.
"I-I'm sorry... I got your clothes dirty, didn't I?"
"Huh? They're not dirty at all."
King, who had cried so much at the end that it seemed she would soak my suit instead of just the handkerchief, said this with an embarrassed look. If she was going to mention that, I should mention that while I was patting her back, I started crying too, and my tears fell on her hair...
King is cooling her eyes with an ice pack from the club room to try and reduce the swelling a little. I open my messaging app to tell Urara that King will be late for class because she's not feeling well... I feel like I've done this before. But that time, it was Urara, not King.
'Okay! Take care of King-chan!'
Seeing the message, which conveyed her boundless energy, I smiled wryly and placed my phone on the desk.
King was holding the ice pack to her eyes, averting her gaze, yet occasionally glancing at me. As I accepted her gaze, I decided this was a good opportunity to talk about her future.
"I'll say it again, King, congratulations. You've achieved G1 wins in all distances... So, about our next goal..."
When I brought up the topic, King gave a wry smile.
"Couldn't you let me bask in this for a little longer? That's what I want to say, but... you're right. I, King, can still go further. Trainer, I'll give you the right to lead the way."
King said this with her chest puffed out. Hmm, she's calmed down after crying, and she's starting to act like her usual self again.
But for me, deciding on the next goal is a problem.
"You've won G1s in all distances, but in terms of total victories, you have 4 G1 wins. You're at the top among the current seniors, but even just looking at last year's seniors, there are girls who have won more G1s than you, like Rice with 6 wins and Tokai Teio with 5."
Even so, I think winning G1s in all distances is more amazing than just increasing the number of G1 wins.
However, in Rice's case, 6 G1 victories is impressive, but she also accomplished many great feats, such as winning long-distance G1s, winning both the Spring and Autumn Tenno Sho, winning the Autumn Senior Triple Crown, and winning the Arima Kinen back to back.
Compared to Rice... what do you think? I feel that winning G1s in all distances is on par with, or even surpasses, Rice's achievements.
"I know. I've achieved a record that no one else has, but the races are still going on... And it's not just us who will get stronger during the summer training camp."
"Yeah, you're right. And the upcoming races will be even tougher than before. Our rivals will aim for King, and the marking will be much tighter... Especially in this race, while I'm happy we won, the difference between us and Biwa Hayahide was very small."
To be honest, I want to shower her with praise, but I also have to point out the things we need to be careful about. Just because we won doesn't mean everything is perfect.
There was only a neck's difference between us and Biwa Hayahide, who came in second in the Takarazuka Kinen. And from Biwa Hayahide down, the difference was a nose, a nose, and a neck, with less than a length separating first from fifth place. King made a strong final push to get ahead, but this is a difference that can easily be overturned depending on how the race unfolds.
And Twin Turbo was surprisingly strong. If the track conditions were a little better, she might have had enough stamina to last until the end. I mean, she slowed down at the end but still finished in 6th place.
She's still a surprise package. So far, she's stalled whenever she's run against my horse girls, but I can't help but remember that race last year where she beat Tokai Teio in the All Comers.
She also ran away with the race before the All Comers, and the fact that the same thing could happen again is just too troublesome.
Anyway, putting Twin Turbo aside for a moment...
"The race just ended, but we have to set our next goal... How about we aim for the Autumn Senior Triple Crown? If you win all of them, you'll tie with Symboli Rudolf in terms of G1 victories."
"Just tying, not surpassing... And who was it that said the upcoming races will be even tougher than before?"
I joked, but she shot back with a smile.
Having come this far, there's no way we'll avoid the Autumn Senior Triple Crown. So, the question is whether we'll aim for other G1s.
It's a hypothetical, but if we win the Sprinters Stakes again, and then win the Autumn Senior Triple Crown, we'll have 8 G1 victories and surpass Symboli Rudolf.
But if it were that easy, there wouldn't be any difficulty. If we could also win the Queen Elizabeth II Cup and the Mile Championship, we'd have an incredible 10 G1 victories, but running 6 G1 races in a little over 3 months is just insane.
King's fans would probably throw stones at me, not just eggs. King's mother would probably throw a fastball at me. I'd probably die. A stone thrown at full force by a horse girl could easily make my head go pop.
"But... you're right. For me, my goals are close by. A close and big goal like Rice-senpai..."
As I was thinking about King's goals, she muttered with a serious expression.
Rice is certainly a close goal for King. She's a close but also a big wall. I'm sure she feels that in her daily training.
Rice had a long layoff due to a fracture, but in her current condition, after about three months since her return, even King wouldn't be able to beat her in a long-distance race. She's not called the strongest stayer for nothing.
(I mean, it's incredible that she has so much stamina with such a small body...)
King has also gained more stamina than before, but she's still inferior to Rice. It's not that King has little stamina; it's that Rice has an extraordinary amount. Their speed and toughness are also almost equal, and Rice has more race experience. King has a chance in a middle-distance race, but Rice is still superior in a long-distance race.
"Yeah... To surpass Rice-senpai... That might be a tougher goal than winning G1s in all distances."
But King smiled, looking a little happy. King respects Rice, and the goal of surpassing her must be a big one for King.
The only problem is what it would take to surpass Rice...
"This is a big goal... There are so many things I don't want to lose to Rice-senpai on."
King is smiling, looking happy about something. It would be difficult enough just to tie Rice's 6 G1 victories, but she's smiling.
King is a horse girl who gets more fired up the higher the goal is. For a girl like her, surpassing Rice seems to be a goal that is well worth getting fired up for.
King, who nodded with determination, took out a hand mirror to check the swelling around her eyes. It was a little better than right after she stopped crying. King, confirming this, stood up from the sofa with a smile.
"Well... I'm going now. I'm glad we got to talk."
"Yeah. Have a good day, 'King of the Generation.'"
I said that, trying to see King off. But King looked puzzled, and after a few seconds, she let out a small laugh.
"Hehe... When you call me that, it feels a little ticklish."
King chuckled with her hand over her mouth.
"Being called the 'King of the Generation' doesn't sound bad. But more than that..."
But suddenly, King's smile changed. She gave me a mischievous, yet somewhat mature, sidelong glance.
"I am your King."
With a bewitching smile, King headed for her classroom.
Despite all that happened in the morning, King was back to her usual self in the afternoon. In fact, we couldn't just relax and celebrate King's victory in the Takarazuka Kinen.
Yesterday, the Takarazuka Kinen, was a Sunday. Today is Monday. And the day after tomorrow, Wednesday, is the Teio Sho, a race Urara is scheduled to run in.
The paperwork is done, and the race card has arrived. It's also the time for the performance review interviews, but I've asked them to wait until after Urara's Teio Sho.
I could do it, but the理事長 (Chairman) and Tadana-san usually ask me if I want to postpone the performance review if there's a G1 race coming up. This is a consideration for me and other teams and trainers who are busy with various races, allowing us to focus on our horse girls' races.
So, I can focus on Urara's Teio Sho. After the Teio Sho, we have the summer training camp... and then Rice's Summer Dream Trophy.
Still, the Teio Sho is our first priority. I opened the race card that arrived and checked its contents.
The Teio Sho is a dirt G1 race only for senior horse girls, with a full field of 16. The location is the familiar Ohi Racecourse, and the start time is 8:05 p.m. for the 11th race.
There's hardly any time left for training, including today. As you can tell from me taking Urara to yesterday's Takarazuka Kinen, we're already at the point of resting and preparing for the day of the race.
Today, Urara is scheduled to do a light training menu to shake off fatigue and make her final adjustments. As I thought about this, I saw both Urara's and Smart Falcon's names on the race card.
Perhaps influenced by King's run in the Takarazuka Kinen yesterday, Urara is more fired up than usual. All I have to do now is help her maintain this level of enthusiasm and prepare for the race.
But there is one thing that concerns me.
(How will Smart Falcon show up?)
The face of Smart Falcon, who I talked to when I went to see her street performance the other day, came to mind.
No matter how bad her condition is, Urara's chances of winning a middle-distance race are slim. This isn't about underestimating Urara or overestimating Smart Falcon. It's about the difference in aptitude, just as Urara would surely win against Symboli Rudolf in a short-distance or mile race on dirt.
Since she started running with Rice, Urara has gained more stamina, and the distance she can run has increased. The effect became even more pronounced when King joined the team.
However, she's still at a disadvantage against Smart Falcon, who originally had a high aptitude for mile to middle-distance races. You might be able to overcome a small difference in distance aptitude with hard work and guts, but it's tough when your opponent has both a high aptitude and puts in a lot of effort.
Still, I thought of Urara's innocent smile and couldn't help but smile.
I believe that she will win.
--And then the day of the Emperor's Award arrives.
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