Hachiman's Perspective
Training was officially cancelled for the day, so I shouldn't have had anything on my schedule... or so I thought. Apparently, Rice's parents had seen the race and left a message with her, saying they desperately wanted to speak with me.
So, here I was, sitting in the trainer's office with Rice. Outside the academy gates, the wall of reporters was still holding their ground. They'd disappeared for a while—probably for a lunch break—but now they were back and as stubborn as ever. No doubt they were waiting for a comment on my speech or the URA's bombshell announcement about the spectator ban.
But that was noise for another time. Right now, I was holding Rice's phone, getting ready for a video call. Rice had messaged them earlier saying we'd call around 4:00 PM, and the reply had been instantaneous.
Rice's Mother: "Hello? Rice-chan? Trainer-san, can you hear us?"
"Ah, Mother! Yes, I can hear you!" Rice chirped, leaning into the frame.
"It's been a while, ma'am," I added with a polite nod. "It looks like your husband hasn't made it back yet?"
Mother: "That's right. He's still at the school. He said he had to let the club members know that today's practice was cancelled before he headed home. Why don't we wait for him to arrive before we start properly?"
ーーー Twenty Minutes Later ーーー
Rice's Father: "Rice, Trainer-san—my apologies for the delay."
"Not at all, sir. We haven't been waiting long," I said. "And since training is off today, our schedule is wide open. Rice mentioned you wanted to speak with me?"
Father: "Yes. I'm sure you already know what this is about. It's regarding the… statement you made immediately following the Tenno Sho."
I figured as much.
Father: "We watched the race. We heard everything you said. Before you spoke, the atmosphere in that stadium… it felt painfully similar to the aftermath of the Kikuka-sho. As a father, seeing my daughter subjected to that kind of treatment again made my blood boil. But then… you stepped forward. I was shocked to see you take such a stand in front of that many people. To hear you say all of those things for the sake of our daughter…"
"Rice is my trainee," I said simply. "I'm not the kind of man who can sit by and watch his own student be dragged through the mud."
Mother: "But are things alright on your end? The news has been doing nothing but talk about the 'Tenno Sho Trainer' since last night..."
"The TV stations are making a big deal out of it for ratings, but it hasn't actually translated into a real crisis for us," I reassured them. "In fact, the more they blow this up, the more they corner themselves. The media can't actually make a move against us, the Academy, or the URA without looking like they're defending bullies. As for Rice… she heard some nasty things at the track, but here at the Academy, things seem fine."
"The Trainer is right!" Rice added. "Everyone has been really kind. My friends who came to see the race told me, 'We don't think of you like that!' and 'We know how hard you worked!' It really helped."
What I told them was the truth. Apology videos were already trending on UmaTube. Rudolph had also mentioned that the URA was being flooded with letters of apology from fans who had been at Kyoto. According to Speed Symboli, the letters were clearly from the "good" fans who felt ashamed of the minority's behavior.
I was relieved to hear Rice's side of it, too. When we'd walked onto campus this morning, I'd been hyper-aware of the voices around us. From what I could tell, there wasn't a single student badmouthing her.
Father: "I see... hearing that puts my mind at ease. I'm just glad you're both safe. Word traveled fast at my school, too—is it true? Are races really going to be closed to the public for a month?"
"Yes," I confirmed. "Races will proceed as scheduled throughout May, but no one is allowed into the racecourses except for URA staff, trainers, and Tracen students. That's the bigger story right now."
Mother: "But the reporters are still there, aren't they?"
"Yeah," I sighed. "Those vultures have no quit in them. They'll likely hang around until I, Rice, or the Chairwoman gives them something to chew on. Of course, the fact that they haven't set foot on school grounds tells you everything you need to know about whether they have actual permission to be there."
Father: "...Trainer-san, I have one more question. What are your plans for Rice moving forward?"
"The training leading up to the Tenno Sho was beyond grueling," I said, my tone shifting to professional. "I intend to keep her away from the track for a while to let her recover. At the earliest, we're looking at a summer return; at the latest, autumn."
Father: "In that case, would you consider coming to visit us again? I want to properly thank you for protecting Rice."
"I appreciate the offer, sir," I said, "but I've recently taken on two more trainees. Finding a gap in our schedule might be difficult."
Mother: "Is that so? Well, it doesn't have to be right away. Please, whenever you have the time, would you come? We insist."
They were serious. They really wanted to thank me. Personally, I just did what I thought was right for Rice, so I didn't feel like I deserved a grand reward, but for parents whose daughter had been saved from a public execution, I suppose "just letting it go" wasn't an option.
"All right," I said. "When things settle down, I'll coordinate with Rice and we'll pay you a visit."
Father: "Yes, please do! We'll be waiting!"
Mother: "It's a promise! And feel free to bring your other trainees along as well."
"I'll keep that in mind."
They then suggested we exchange contact info directly, and I agreed. Honestly, Rice's parents are such good people. Calling the very next day just to make sure I was okay... it's easy to see where Rice gets her kindness from.
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