The long-awaited summer vacation had finally arrived.
For most students, summer break is pure bliss — just having one extra day off is cause for celebration, and the last day brings despair at the thought of a new term. The same was true even at Tracen Academy.
It was especially noticeable among the middle school division. Some students were torn about where to go during the holidays, others went to consult their instructors about training plans, while others were already groaning about their homework. There was a wide range of reactions, but overall, the atmosphere wasn't much different from any normal school.
Yeah, it's honestly very wholesome. Even though Tracen Academy gathers the elite of the running world, we're still just kids. Seeing that side of everyone makes me strangely satisfied.
My classmates like Ryan, and schoolmates like Air Groove and Suzuka, all went home to visit their families. Even my roommate, senior Rudolph, who'd finally made up with me, reluctantly returned home too.
Yep, play nice with your parents, okay?
So, what am I doing in the middle of July, deep into summer vacation? I'm not back home, nor am I visiting anyone else's place.
"And so, conditions like shin periostitis or bone cysts commonly occur in horse girls who haven't yet begun full-scale training. Both are bone-related injuries, so please take care."
…Yeah. I'm currently sitting in Team Canopus's clubroom, getting a lecture from Ms. Minamisaka.
The clubroom looks exactly like it did in the anime, which honestly made me a little emotional. I'm seated at the central table with my notebook open, jotting down her explanations, while Minamisaka-san writes various things on the whiteboard.
"But, you know—periostitis, or 'soei,' aside, bone cysts come from poor bone development, right?"
"You even know the alternate name 'soei'—that's impressive, Neichan. Usually only medical staff or trainers know that. You're absolutely right, bone cysts are a kind of bone lesion that arises from developmental issues. Because of that, some trainers unfortunately doubt a horse girl's racing potential once it appears. It's truly sad."
Her expression turned a little sorrowful as she said that.
By the way, the reason I don't speak to her in polite speech anymore is because, during our second meeting (the day after my race with Rudolph-senpai), she told me to speak casually if it's easier for me.
Her lessons mostly revolve around diseases in horse girls. I honestly expected her to teach me training methods that reduce the risk of injury, but true to her style, she said, "First, let's understand the illnesses." She explains each one in depth, with real-world examples—it's super easy to follow.
"So basically… you'd avoid overtraining, encourage a diet that strengthens bone density, and use running styles like a short, quick stride to reduce strain?"
"Along with pool training and soft-chip courses, yes. Ultimately, unless bone strength improves, there's no real fix."
"Ugh… didn't think of that much. Guess I've got more to study…"
"No, no, that's already an excellent answer. Ambition is good, but cramming too much can make your knowledge lopsided. Let's keep things balanced, shall we?"
"Okaaay."
I gave a lazy-sounding reply and let my upper body slump onto the table. Minamisaka-san may look like a gentle young man, but his medical knowledge is the real deal. Well, it makes sense — his goal is to train horse girls through the entire Twinkle Series without injury.
"Next is kozumi and kanbō. Do you know what those are, Neichan?"
"Kozumi is muscle pain, kanbō is a cold, right?"
"Exactly. Both aren't technically 'injuries,' but if you neglect post-training care, they occur very easily—so they're quite common. Also, note that horse girls have higher body temperatures than humans, so even a mild cold can push their temperature up to around 40°C. Keep that difference in mind, okay?"
I nodded in agreement — training care is super important.
Muscle pain (kozumi) always comes with training. Especially if you skip thorough stretching after a session, you're almost guaranteed to experience it. Of course, the severity varies between individuals, and some horse girls get it even when they do stretch properly.
Those types often have naturally stiffer muscles, so you need to build flexibility carefully through specific exercises — otherwise, trainers might label them as difficult to train or hard to improve.
For an unscouted horse girl, that's a death sentence. Even after being scouted, you'll struggle to get results if you can't train efficiently.
(Seriously… I'm so glad I've been diligent with my stretching.)
My running style is apparently quite unique (according to Okino-san), so lately I've focused on flexibility training more than before. Changing form mid-race puts extra stress on the legs, so it's especially important.
Thanks to that, my body's gotten much more limber—I can now touch my chest to the ground with my legs spread. Next goal: Teio-level flexibility!
(…Yeah, probably impossible.)
I sighed internally, picturing myself pulling a "Rice Shower face" in my head.
As for kanbō—the common cold—well, it's not something you can always avoid. Prevention is key, sure, but for trainers, post-recovery care is what really matters.
According to Minamisaka-san, pushing hard training too soon after recovering from a cold actually backfires, so the post-illness training plan is crucial.
He's modest about it, but honestly, his level of medical knowledge rivals that of actual healthcare professionals—O-Hana-san even said she can't compete with him. He teaches me things I didn't know, and adds little bits of trivia even to what I did know, so I just keep learning and learning…
It's hard to believe this is the same guy who got run ragged in the anime. Maybe it's because he's this good that things didn't get even worse… or maybe Team Canopus's members are just that chaotic.
Either way, my brain was overheating.
Minamisaka-san chuckled softly as he looked at me. Sorry, it's not that I'm slacking — my brain's just fried…
I glanced at the wall clock — just past noon. We'd been going since 8 a.m. Without realizing it, I'd stolen nearly four hours of his time. He noticed too and gave another wry smile.
"It's about that time, isn't it? Let's wrap up for today."
"Sorry, Minamisaka-san. I didn't mean to take up your whole morning."
"It's no problem, Neichan. My own trainees went home for the holidays, and honestly… I enjoy spending this kind of time too."
He smiled as he said it, and I turned to my bag.
Rummaging inside, I found what I was looking for and held it out to him.
"What's this?"
"A thank-you gift! O-Hana-san and Okino-san both said they were delicious, so it's taste-tested and certified."
I handed him my usual low-calorie cookies — McQueen bait, as some people call them. Each one's about 20 kilocalories, roughly half the calories of store-bought cookies.
I'd used okara (soy pulp) as the base, but adjusting the flavor was tough since I cut back on butter and sugar. I'd gone through a bunch of experiments with kinako (roasted soybean flour) and other ingredients before I finally got it right.
"Ah, so these are the cookies O-Hana-san kept bragging about. I've been wanting to try them."
"Glad to hear it. Enjoy them as dessert after lunch, okay?"
As I casually packed up my things, I smiled. The cookies — ten of them, simply wrapped — sat neatly on the table. I'd made some for Okino-san and O-Hana-san too, so I was starting to think I might need to start mass production soon.
Seeing Minamisaka-san's pleased expression made me chuckle a little as I walked to the door.
"Next lesson's next week, right? I'll make some more, but don't get your hopes up too much, okay?"
"Sorry, Neichan, but I'm already looking forward to them."
Looks like I've got another repeat customer. I smiled wryly at the thought and stepped out of the Canopus clubroom.
"Well then, see you next week, Minamisaka-san."
"Take care, Neichan. Don't get injured. See you next week."