Akikawa Yayoi and Surukawa Tazuna
When the Team Kitarufa trainer was appeasing a pouting Rice Shower and doing a celebratory "doh-age" (a traditional celebratory toss) with Haru Urara, Akikawa Yayoi and Surukawa Tazuna were meeting in the Chairman's office.
"…And that's the situation. It seems the Team Kitarufa trainer has no intention of taking on any new umamusume, horse girl trainees."
"A shameッ...! I heard this the other day, but it's still impossible, huh?"
Yayoi and Tazuna were discussing the Team Kitarufa trainer.
This new team was established just this year, with only two umamusume trainees. It's an unusual team within the Tracen Academy, led by a rookie trainer who was only assigned last year.
Right after the team was founded, the results were lackluster. Haru Urara had 0 wins from 2 races, and Rice Shower had 1 win from 2 races. As a team, they had 1 win from 4 races last year.
However, as soon as this year started, Haru Urara won the Tango Stakes with a record-breaking time, and Rice Shower won the Spring Tenno Sho, also with a record-breaking time. Their performance was now beyond reproach.
This impressive showing silenced the complaints from some trainers about the establishment of Team Kitarufa. After all, even in last year's four races, they were all in the money (finished in a prize-winning position), giving the team a 100% in-the-money rate since its founding.
When some trainers complained, Tazuna smiled sweetly and said:
"Well, can you guarantee that all of your trainees will have a 100% in-the-money rate?"
This caused the trainers to back down. It's not impossible for a single umamusume like Haru Urara or Rice Shower to finish in the money in all three races, but on average, if 15 umamusume race, two-thirds of them will finish out of the money.
The complaining trainers understood how difficult this was. Their complaints were just private grumbling among themselves, and Tazuna just happened to be passing by and spoke up.
"Regretfulッ! I understand his struggles, but I wish he'd take on one or two... maybe three or four, or preferably five... or if I'm being greedy, maybe ten!"
"You know that's impossible, right?"
"Of courseッ! Even if he took on ten, it would only be a third of the new applicants who want to join!"
Yayoi clutched her head. Tazuna also gave a troubled, wry smile.
As of last weekend, about 16 umamusume had expressed a desire to join Team Kitarufa. But after the results of the Tango Stakes and Spring Tenno Sho in late April became public, nearly double that number of rookie umamusume submitted applications.
Currently, Team Kitarufa isn't recruiting new members, so they were turned down. But Yayoi secretly wished he would have accepted at least one.
"But if he accepts even one, the pressure will come to fill the team to its five-person capacity... and then they'll say he should take on three new trainees. I'm sure he'd accept if we made it a 'work order' request, but in that case, the trainer would definitely overwork himself."
"Agreedッ! But Tazunaッ! We don't have enough trainers!"
Yayoi cried out, holding her head.
The Tracen Academy offers significantly better conditions for trainers than regional academies, but it's also incredibly difficult to get a central license. Since they are entrusted with an umamusume's life and compete in the ruthless central racing world, a certain level of aptitude and ability is required.
Because of this, the Tracen Academy wants its trainers to take on as many umamusume as possible. However, even those who have passed through the narrow gate to get a central trainer's license can only handle a limited number of umamusume.
Of course, if a trainer just lends their name without properly caring for their trainees, they could take on any number. But neither Yayoi nor Tazuna wants that.
Still, there are quite a few umamusume who train on their own and just borrow a trainer's name to get into races. From a trainer's perspective, this arrangement gives them a cut of the umamusume's race allowance for very little effort, and if the umamusume they ignored happens to win, it turns into a great bonus.
Yayoi and Tazuna want to regulate this kind of relationship, but a trainer's presence is required for a race. So regulating it would crush the dreams of umamusume who want to race, making it a difficult move to make.
Rice Shower was one of these cases—her former trainer was more conscientious than most who just lent their names, but after a series of twists and turns, Rice Shower was picked up by the Team Kitarufa trainer. To be more accurate, she sought him out and reverse-scouted him. And she blossomed beautifully.
Because of this history, Team Kitarufa seems very appealing not only to new umamusume who just joined Tracen this year but also to those who only have a token trainer.
The trainer's skill is evident: he was able to train Haru Urara, an umamusume whose ability was considered hopeless before she joined Tracen, to a record-breaking win in an open-level race.
He also healed Rice Shower's body, which was on the verge of breakdown, helped her win the Arima Kinen, and then she set a record at the Spring Tenno Sho. She came in third at the Osaka Hai, but her time actually broke the record, leading to the conclusion that it wasn't the trainer's or Rice Shower's fault; Toukai Teio, who won, was just that amazing.
He can train even very low-ability new umamusume to record-breaking wins, and he can take over the training of an existing umamusume, fix their weaknesses, and train them even further. This is why so many applications came in, even though the team wasn't recruiting.
"Other trainers are working hard too, though... especially the same-year trainers as the Kitarufa trainer; they seem to be growing at a remarkable rate compared to typical rookie trainers."
"Good newsッ! That's a pleasant surprise! But... speaking of surprises, the Kitarufa trainer is the biggest surprise..."
Yayoi put her hand to her mouth in thought.
It's bad to say, but of all the rookie trainers assigned to Tracen Academy last year, the Team Kitarufa trainer was the one she thought would never make a name for himself.
In any company or industry, rookies aren't always useful. In the world of professional sports, a rookie with monstrous talent might set a crazy record in their first year, but that's not the case with trainers.
This is because no matter how much ability a trainer has, it's the umamusume who produces the results. Normally, it takes several years for a person to become a full-fledged professional and trainer.
In umamusume training, trainers have to repeat a cycle of trial and error, slowly becoming the type of person known as a 'trainer.'
Sometimes, a rookie trainer is lucky enough to be assigned a highly talented umamusume and, while they think they are training the umamusume, they are actually being trained themselves. But this is an extremely rare case.
Again, it's bad to say, but Haru Urara, the umamusume the Team Kitarufa trainer chose as his first trainee, isn't that kind of talented umamusume. She certainly has great social skills and a strong spirit, but there's a limit to how much a trainer can grow from just that.
Most trainers wouldn't even choose Haru Urara as their first trainee. And even if they were an unconventional trainer, they shouldn't have been able to train her to this extent.
Yayoi was even concerned that the Team Kitarufa trainer would give up on Haru Urara's training and abandon her.
But reality was different. He led Haru Urara to a record-breaking win in her fourth race, and just the other day, she won the Tango Stakes with a new record. The fact that her first win came in her fourth race is one thing, but it's hard to believe that she would have won her debut race if not for an accident.
"Questionッ! Tazuna, can't even you figure out his training methods?"
In umamusume training, even an experienced trainer can't make everything work out perfectly. But if they could understand the Team Kitarufa trainer's methods, it could be very useful for other trainers.
That's why Yayoi made him establish a team and assigned Tazuna to assist him. But...
"...Right now, I'm not sure what to report."
Tazuna put her hand to her cheek in a troubled expression.
The Team Kitarufa trainer's training methods aren't particularly outstanding. Tazuna agrees that he's excellent at preventing injuries and knowing when his trainees are in good or bad condition, but she believes there are many trainers with superior training skills.
However, she can't see the secret to Haru Urara's growth, though Rice Shower is a different matter.
The Team Kitarufa trainer often asks, "Can I work overtime?" This implies that he doesn't have the ability to train Haru Urara and Rice Shower and gather information on rival umamusume without working extra hours.
Of course, since he's a rookie entrusted with setting up and running a team, he gets a decent evaluation if you take those factors into account. But for Yayoi, that still doesn't explain why Haru Urara grew so much.
"Just my personal opinion, but..."
"I'm listeningッ! Tell me!"
When Tazuna said this, Yayoi eagerly nodded. Yayoi also highly evaluates the Team Kitarufa trainer, but as the one who runs the massive Tracen Academy, she wants as much information as possible that could help other trainers grow.
"There's a strong bond of trust between the trainer, Haru Urara, and Rice Shower. You can agree on that, right?"
"Of courseッ! I think it's a wonderful relationship!"
Hearing Tazuna's words, Yayoi nodded with a smile.
There is a strong bond of trust between the three: the Team Kitarufa trainer, Haru Urara, and Rice Shower. And this bond isn't just between the trainer and the umamusume; there's also a strong and deep bond between Haru Urara and Rice Shower.
Building a relationship of trust with an umamusume is a basic requirement for a trainer. You could even call it a minimum qualification.
Trainers have their livelihoods at stake, but umamusume have their whole lives on the line. There are very few eccentric umamusume who would entrust their life to a trainer they can't trust.
Of course, it's not possible to build trust right away. Trust is built up over time and doesn't happen overnight. There are rare cases where a bond forms like love at first sight, and a relationship of trust is built on top of that, but that only happens once in a few years.
That's why umamusume want to join teams that already have a track record, like Team Rigil. It's only natural to think that if a trainer has high ability, the umamusume will become stronger more quickly, even if building trust takes time.
Despite this, a rookie trainer has built an exceptionally strong relationship of trust. This is another reason Yayoi evaluates the Team Kitarufa trainer so highly.
"That trainer approaches them with a deep love on top of their relationship of trust. I think that's why Haru Urara and Rice Shower can have such faith in him and grow so much..."
When Tazuna said this, Yayoi blinked in confusion.
"...Confusionッ! Love... you mean, like between a man and a woman?! I won't say there are zero trainers and umamusume who get into that kind of relationship! But the Academy can't encourage that!"
"Please calm down. It's something I'm also conflicted about, but for a man of his age, he seems so calm... I think it's possible he sees Haru Urara and Rice Shower as daughters or something..."
"Astonishmentッ! I-I don't have that kind of experience, so I wouldn't know... but Haru Urara aside, there's not much of an age difference with Rice Shower! A daughter?! Why?!"
"That's what I don't understand, so I can't say for sure... Our background check said he came from a normal family, and his behavior as a child was normal. But there were reports that he was more mature than his peers..."
Tazuna said this, tilting her head.
"It's not uncommon for umamusume to perform better than their ability would suggest when they have a strong bond of trust with their trainer. In the case of the Team Kitarufa trainer, I think it's a combination of trust and a deep sense of familial affection."
"Affection?! I don't... I don't get it..."
"Perhaps because of this, it's especially noticeable with Haru Urara: it's like an innocent child adoring their father... I think that feeling of security, thinking that 'it's okay if I follow this person,' is a big part of her growth."
This is similar to, but very different from, trusting a trainer because they have a good reputation and track record. The idea that "this person will protect me, guide me, and raise me" makes Haru Urara feel secure and contributes to her growth.
As Tazuna came to this conclusion, Yayoi frowned as if trying to hold back a headache.
"Conclusionッ! So, a trainer who can build a deep relationship of trust with their trainee and has a strong, non-romantic, familial kind of love for them can make an umamusume strong! ...Is that right?"
"I'd like to ask you if that's right... but it's certainly a high bar to reach. And for Rice Shower, it looks like she has feelings for the trainer that go beyond trust..."
Yayoi and Tazuna looked at each other's faces.
Although they held the Team Kitarufa trainer in high regard, a feeling that something was strange began to spread between the two of them.
The Fellow Trainers
There is a team at Tracen Academy called Team Kitarufa. The trainer in charge is a man in his second year, who can only be called a rookie, not even a young veteran.
You might wonder if he's still a rookie in his second year. But a trainer who hasn't seen one of his trainees through to graduation is nothing but a rookie, no different from a first-year trainee.
Despite this, the Team Kitarufa trainer was able to establish a team in his first year. A trainer who hasn't successfully trained a single umamusume yet setting up a team would be a source of jealousy and annoyance for those around him.
But strangely, the Team Kitarufa trainer's peers didn't show much resentment. Instead, they just looked at each other and thought, "What's he done this time?"
The Team Kitarufa trainer—no, Haru Urara's trainer—is pretty eccentric.
He's been considered eccentric ever since he scouted Haru Urara, who was dead last in all of her mock and selection races.
It's normal for a rookie trainer to want to scout and train an umamusume with the most talent possible. If you stumble badly in your first year, you're likely to keep stumbling for the rest of your career.
But Haru Urara's trainer, for some reason, chose her. And then, by some kind of magic, he trained her to a level of ability that made everyone certain she would have won her debut race if not for an accident.
In the end, it took four races for her to get her first win, but that win was a record-breaker. His peers all wondered what he was doing.
His reputation among his peers is good. He's calm for his age, considerate, and dedicated to Haru Urara's training. But he is also eccentric.
There was also the incident where Rice Shower reverse-scouted him, and he took over the training of an umamusume who had won the Kikuka Sho.
After that, his peers often saw him pulling all-nighters in the shared trainer's space. They'd say goodbye to him in the evening, and when they came to work the next day, he'd be in the same spot, having worked all night.
His peers were worried and tried to stop him several times, but he insisted that gathering information as quickly as possible was what was best for Rice Shower. He was so insistent that he would even bow to them to get information about umamusume in turf races.
And then, he helped Rice Shower win the Arima Kinen. His peers had an idea of her ability because the trainer had organized a mock race with Rice Shower, but they were still surprised and thrilled by her run that defeated so many talented umamusume.
When the new year began, Haru Urara and Rice Shower's trainer became the Team Kitarufa trainer. Again, his peers just thought, "What's he done this time?"
When they would peek in on his training sessions, they would see him running with Haru Urara for some reason, eating hamburgers with her and Rice Shower in the cooking room, or even doing a celebratory toss with Haru Urara for Rice Shower. What he did was the work of an eccentric.
But despite this, they felt no resentment when they heard he was forming a team. Many of their seniors, who hadn't been able to form their own teams after years or even a decade of being trainers, complained, but his peers agreed that it was the seniors' fault for not being good enough.
The men among his peers are very close to him. They go out for drinks together, he treats them, and they've promised to return the favor someday. They have silly conversations and do stupid things together. It's that kind of relationship.
The few women among his peers have said things like, "I wouldn't date him, but he's a great friend. I'd totally hang out with him on a day off. And he seems like he'd be a great dad someday." (This assessment does not include Kiryuin Aoi.)
Another reason they got along so well is that Haru Urara is on the dirt course and Rice Shower is in the Senior Class, so they rarely compete against the umamusume their peers are training.
To his peers, the Team Kitarufa trainer is eccentric, friendly, and... amazing.
Kiryuin Aoi
That day, Kiryuin Aoi was in an indescribable mood from the morning.
The night before, her colleague, the Team Kitarufa trainer, had invited her to a one-on-one drink session, her first ever with a member of the opposite sex. She had disgraced herself—at least in her opinion.
She had unleashed a torrent of complaints, gotten completely drunk, and woken up in her colleague's bed, experiencing the biggest mishap of her life just a moment ago.
When she woke up, she saw an unfamiliar ceiling, and what's more, her white shirt—her usual trainer's uniform—was unbuttoned to the second button, revealing her chest, and her pants were unbuttoned and half-off. Her brain rejected what it was seeing.
Did she do something in her drunken stupor, or did he do something to her? She felt the blood drain from her face and almost fainted, but something about the situation was strange. Her clothes were a bit loose, as if she had unbuttoned them to be more comfortable while sleeping, but nothing else was amiss.
She felt a slight heartburn and headache, but other than that, she felt completely normal. The heavy feeling she had been carrying in her chest recently was now completely gone.
"Ohh... what have I done..."
After returning home and taking a shower, changing her clothes and everything, Aoi's face was beet red as she lamented to herself.
Some parts of her memory from last night were there, and some were not.
What she remembers clearly is that she complained about everything she had bottled up. He listened to her entire tirade—a tirade that would have made most people give up after just ten minutes—nodding at times, refuting at times, giving her advice at times, and finally, scolding her.
"Let me say something a bit arrogant... Kiryuin, are your parents' teachings and family expectations more important to you than Happy Meek?"
Aoi was shocked. Because she knew what he said was absolutely right.
Normally, she might have argued back, but maybe it was because she had already gotten all her complaints out, or maybe it was because of the Team Kitarufa trainer's serious gaze, but his words just went into her heart and settled there, surprising even herself.
After that, she continued to drink, something she had never done before, complained, cried, and finally passed out. By the time she realized it was a bad situation, it was too late.
If—just a hypothetical—the Team Kitarufa trainer had gotten her drunk for some evil purpose, what would have happened to her?
Aoi remembers a man's voice, troubled but kind. The feeling of being carried to his home to be cared for, the feeling of being held as he unlocked the door, and the feeling of him touching her as he laid her down on the bed...
"...His arm was so thick... Is that what men feel like... so rough..."
She doesn't remember much, but for some reason, that memory remains vivid. Aoi found it strange that the Team Kitarufa trainer, who seemed so calm, social, and gentlemanly for his age, was so surprisingly strong.
At the same time, she felt a strange sense of comfort when she was half-asleep and he gently patted her back to get her to sleep. The futon she was sleeping in had a man's scent, different from her own, but for some reason, it didn't bother her.
(Now that I think about it, something might have happened then... a kiss? Did he say 'chu'?*)
Then, something in her memory made Aoi's face instantly turn bright red. Her clothes were disheveled from being uncomfortable while sleeping, but a kiss wouldn't leave a mark. As she considered this, Aoi looked at her mouth in the mirror—just for a moment, and without really thinking about it.
(N-No, right? But... I feel like something touched my lips... No way, right?!)
Aoi waved her hands in front of the mirror, her face getting even redder. She unbuttoned her shirt, which she had just buttoned up, to look for marks on her neck and chest.
But there was nothing there. This gave Aoi a sense of relief. At the same time, she felt a tiny bit of something other than relief...
"I might have been too slow to stop you, but next time, you need to control how much you drink so you don't pass out. I'll take care of you if you get drunk when you're with me, but if you're so defenseless, some bad guy might take advantage of you, you know?"
This memory flashed in her mind, and she suddenly realized something.
(He said... he'll take care of me again if I get drunk when I'm with him?)
Does he mean just like last night? As she thought this, Aoi's face temperature rose again.
"Ahahaha... Ow!?"
Feeling an indescribable emotion, Aoi stumbled around the room and bumped her pinky toe against the mirror stand, causing her to double over in pain. Her watch on her wrist caught her eye, and she instinctively checked the time, her face turning pale.
"Oh... I'm going to be late!"
Aoi quickly got ready and headed to Tracen Academy. She had to forget about last night for now; she had to meet Happy Meek.
She was going to apologize to Happy Meek for all her mistakes. If Happy Meek forgave her, she would continue to do her best as her trainer. And this time, she would move forward hand in hand with Happy Meek.
(Then I can be as strong as him...)
As she thought of the Team Kitarufa trainer, who was so far ahead of her as a trainer, she made a resolution. But as soon as she thought of his face, she could hear him in her head, saying in the casual tone he used that morning, "That's good, but don't overdo it, okay?" Aoi almost fell over.
To put it concisely, Aoi was forgiven by Happy Meek.
From now on, they can trust each other and move forward, little by little.
However, she was secretly disappointed that the new running shoes she had bought for Happy Meek were not to her liking, and they would have to go shopping together again. But even this was a step forward.
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