Well, I called King-chan to the club room and introduced her to Urara and Rice.
Since Urara and King-chan were roommates, Urara was overjoyed and hugged King-chan the moment she arrived. King-chan awkwardly accepted the hug, but the corners of her mouth were turned up, so she must have been happy.
As for Rice—
"This is our first time talking. It's an honor to be on the same team as Rice Shower-senpai, the triple-crown long-distance G1 Uma Musume."
King-chan peeled Urara off her and said that, extending her right hand to Rice with a smile. She was asking for a handshake.
"......"
But Rice didn't react. For some reason, she was just staring at King-chan. She checked King-chan's height, and then her eyes moved to her chest—hey, that's unladylike!
"It's nice to meet you, King Halo-chan. Can I call you King-chan?"
"Oh, yes, it's nice to meet you... Then, can I call you Rice-senpai?"
"Yes. And since we're teammates, you don't have to be so formal, even though I'm your senior."
Rice shook hands with King-chan. King-chan looked at me in a troubled way, but I just nodded.
"...Then, I'll do that."
King-chan looked confused, but she seemed to have regained her composure and nodded. The first contact between Rice and King-chan went pretty well... I guess?
"Alright, I'm going to go submit the paperwork for King-chan to be my 담당 ウマ娘. Urara and Rice, you two can go change."
"Okay!"
"Okay, I understand."
I called her to the club room, but nothing can start until I submit the paperwork to make King-chan my Uma Musume. And I also have to register her with Team Kitarufa.
I went to the counter that handles the paperwork with King-chan. I just had to fill out the form and submit it, and that was it. King-chan came with me to prove that she agreed to it.
"Alright... With this, King-chan has become my Uma Musume."
The staff member at the counter checked the documents, and they were immediately accepted. With this, King-chan officially became a member of Team Kitarufa.
"Nice to meet you, King-chan."
I turned around and said that to King-chan, but for some reason, she had a frustrated look on her face. What's wrong?
"Yes, it's nice to meet you. By the way... how long are you going to keep calling me 'chan'?"
"Huh? Is that a problem?"
Urara always calls her King-chan, so I just got used to it.
When I tilted my head, King-chan sighed.
"You call Urara and Rice by their names without 'chan,' don't you? I don't think it's right to show favoritism within the team."
"That's... you're right."
I was convinced when she said that. I had no intention of showing favoritism, but it's about what King-chan thinks.
"Alright, then I'll just call you by your name from now on. It's nice to meet you, King."
"..."
When I called her by her name, King flinched. Huh? Maybe she preferred being called 'chan' after all?
"What's wrong?"
"I-it's nothing! It's just... yeah."
King's face turned a little red, and she looked away to hide her expression. But her profile looked a little sad.
"I just realized... even with just how you call my name, it's so different... No, it's nothing."
"......"
I didn't ask who she was comparing me to. I just ruffled King's hair. Then, King looked shocked—oh, I did it without thinking.
"You idiot! How dare you touch a lady's hair without permission... Ugh, you idiot!"
"Sorry. I did it like I do with Urara and Rice."
King is more mature than Urara and Rice. And I already messed up on the first day of her being on the team.
King straightened her hair with her fingers and mumbled "idiot" one more time. But she didn't seem truly angry. But I have to be more careful from now on...
I thought that and headed back to the club room.
And then, another problem arose.
I went back to the club room, had King change her clothes, and looked at Urara and Rice. I then said, "Oh, that reminds me."
"King, before we start training, I want to check your muscle development."
"I don't mind, but... how?"
"Huh? By touching them."
I especially want to check the muscles around her legs. From what I can see, her muscle balance doesn't seem to be as lopsided as Rice's, but I can't be sure just by looking.
"...Touching them?"
"Touching them."
"Where?"
"Your legs and hips. I also want to check the muscles on your upper body."
"......"
Oh no, King's expression is getting crazy. Her face is bright red, and her cheeks are twitching.
"You... that's sexual harassment, isn't it?"
"No, that's not my intention at all... This is a problem."
I smiled wryly and scratched my cheek, then grabbed a binder from my desk. I opened the materials I had compiled on Rice and Urara and showed them to King. Of course, I had gotten permission from Urara and Rice beforehand.
"In my case, I check and record their muscle development and calculate how much muscle they gained, and how much their stamina and speed have improved with what kind of training."
It's a record I've been keeping regularly since I met Urara. I've also been keeping a detailed record of Rice's training without cutting any corners.
"This is..."
King stared at the materials with wide eyes.
Urara and Rice's bodies change every day as they grow taller, gain weight, and the length of their arms and legs changes, even slightly, and they gain muscle.
It's impossible to correct it every time, but I manage them in detail, like returning their center of gravity to the original position if it shifts to one side, or adjusting their training according to their dominant leg or hand.
I showed her Rice's materials and the pages from when I first started training her.
"For example, Rice's muscle balance was all messed up when I started training her... It was at a level where you could tell it was out of balance just by looking at it. And she had a lot of fatigue built up in her body, so I trained her to get rid of the fatigue, fix her muscle balance, and keep her stamina from dropping at the same time."
As a result, she won the Arima Kinen. I'm now maintaining her muscle balance, but I'm being especially careful as it can lead to injury.
"The same goes for Urara. At first, she could only run short-distance dirt races, but now she's gained more stamina and power... and she can run up to about 2000 meters on dirt."
Since it's not a transfer, I can't just take over the materials from King's former trainer. No, I'd bow down and beg for King's sake, but he might not have the information I need.
"King, I've compiled information on you from your race videos, but there's a limit to what I can do. I'll be able to understand some parts as we train, but a physical examination is the fastest and most accurate way."
Of course, it's possible to train without checking her muscle development. However, in that case, I wouldn't be able to push her to her limits like I can with Urara and Rice.
I also have to check how resistant King is to injuries and illnesses, but... if King doesn't want to, I can't force her.
"King, are you listening?"
She hasn't reacted at all. What's wrong? She's staring at the materials so hard it's like she's going to burn a hole through them.
"...I'm sorry."
"What's with the sudden apology?"
She suddenly apologized, but what's wrong?
"If I look at these materials, I can't help but feel... I doubted you. I thought you were just making up an excuse to touch an Uma Musume's body."
"No, that's sexual harassment, no, that's a crime... Wait? Is it a crime the moment I touch them?"
I'm Onii-sama, so Rice is safe, but Urara is not? No, wait, Rice isn't safe either, yeah.
But I don't have any ulterior motives... In fact, when I check Rice's muscle balance, I'm sweating bullets on the inside.
King looked at me with a straight gaze as I looked off into the distance.
"You once complained to me on the phone during a time when Urara-san was coming back to the dorm exhausted, right? But you were right. Urara-san hardly had any fatigue left over and didn't get injured... even though she did get into my bed and I had to bathe her."
"I'm sorry. No, I'm really, really sorry."
I've been nothing but trouble for King. When I apologized, King's face softened, and she gave a gentle smile.
"But now that you've shown me this data, I understand. I also understand why Urara-san became so strong."
"...So?"
"Yes. I'm convinced. You can check as much as you want... But!"
King's expression suddenly became stern. No, rather than stern, her face just turned red, and she glared at me as if to threaten me.
"M-my three sizes will be measured by Urara-san or Rice-senpai! Got it!?"
"Of course, I don't mind, but..."
I'm going to see the numbers anyway... No, but this must be an important part for King. And besides, I wouldn't measure her three sizes anyway. Urara and Rice measure each other's and report them to me.
Urara was watching me make a fuss with a happy smile. Rice was also smiling.
Despite the commotion, once King was done with her check-up, it was time for training. King was blushing and fidgeting, but once it was time to train, her expression immediately became serious.
Urara and Rice's training will be for their upcoming races, but for King, since it's her first day, I'll have her run various distances from short to long to collect data. I'll also have her run the dirt course for each distance...
(Yeah, as I expected, King is best suited for short-distance turf races. Her aptitude decreases as the distance gets longer, but she can handle long distances... Her times aren't bad. She has speed, and she has the guts to keep her head up even when she's tired.)
Her specialty is overtaking, and she can also run in a forward position. Her aptitudes are like Urara and Rice's put together and divided by two. However, she's not suited for dirt.
"Huff... huff... So, what do you think...?"
When she finished running each distance on the turf and dirt courses, King asked.
"It's pretty much as I expected. The lack of stamina is also as I expected, but... King, what do you want to do from now on? What race do you want to run?"
She has enough stamina to run only short and mile distances. However, for middle distances, 2000 meters might be okay, but 2400 meters is a little questionable. And for long-distance races, I have to say she doesn't have enough stamina right now.
There's no problem if she just runs long distances. However, it would be difficult to win... To be honest, it would be impossible. She might be able to get first place in a long-distance open race if no other strong Uma Musume show up, but she'd likely lose to a strong Uma Musume.
King caught her breath and put her hand on her chin when she heard my question.
"Well... I only had the thought of becoming a first-class Uma Musume. I thought if I won the classic triple crown, I would be first-class..."
King frowned as she said that. I was a little worried about her reaction.
(The word "first-class" is deeply ingrained in King... "First-class," huh...)
I think she's already a first-class Uma Musume just by being able to run in G1 races, but in her case, I think the underlying feeling is that she wants her mother to acknowledge her. But King's mother won a G1 overseas, so she probably won't acknowledge King with half-hearted results.
(But the current generation of King is a high-level gauntlet... I can't say I don't understand what King's mother is saying. There are so many strong Uma Musume like Oguri Cap, Special Week, and many others.)
It would be extremely difficult to win all the G1 races. In fact, if it were that easy, no one would struggle.
(The next G1 is the Yasuda Kinen in early June... It's a mile race, so it's a good fit for King, but senior-class Uma Musume will also be there. There's not enough time, so it's impossible. The next one is the Takarazuka Kinen in late June... Rice is running in that one, and besides, she can't even enter because her prize money is too low for a race with senior-class Uma Musume.)
The turf course has more races than the dirt course, and King's aptitudes would allow her to run in almost all of them. But at this time of year, there are few races that are limited to the classic class. Most races will have senior-class Uma Musume as well.
In that case, a G1 is out of the question. King has 3 wins, but she hasn't earned that much prize money. She first needs to earn more prize money in G2, G3, and open races. If she doesn't, she'll have trouble when she has to register for a race with a senior-class Uma Musume who has a lot of prize money.
(In terms of ability, she's at a level where she can beat senior-class Uma Musume... but there's also a possibility that she'll clash with Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, or Nice Nature.)
Against those top-tier contenders, it would be too much for King to handle right now.
"King, in my opinion, I want to focus on short or mile races for the time being. And at the same time, I'll have you gradually build up your stamina, and when I think you have enough, I'd like to have you run in middle and long-distance races."
Of course, at the same time as building up her stamina, I'll also polish her speed. I believe King has an excellent natural acceleration, but there are some areas she can't reach just by training her stamina.
"Since I have a problem with my stamina for middle and long distances, that's a reasonable decision... What about the Kikka Sho?"
"We have about four months from now... Hmm... I think she can be competitive if I train her thoroughly. You could aim for a placing, and depending on your improvement, maybe even a top 3 finish... But winning would be tough, to be honest."
I told her honestly. If we had at least six months, I think she could be a little more competitive...
For the 3000-meter Kikka Sho, there are some Uma Musume who ran in the Satsuki Sho and Japanese Derby who are not suited for that distance. However, most of the top contenders probably have no problem with long distances. Among the top contenders, King might even have the lowest aptitude for that distance.
It's my job as a trainer to do something about that, but I just don't have enough time.
"I think you can aim for first place in the Shuka Sho, both in terms of distance and ability. But it's up to you what you want to do. It's not about what I want to do, but about training you to achieve the future you want."
If King wants to win a G1 in a long-distance race, I'll make her win. That's what I have to do. However, I don't know how far I can push King, so I'll have to feel my way around for a while.
I have experience with Rice, so it will probably take me... two weeks at the minimum to figure out King's physical abilities, durability, and recovery speed.
"...How do you want to train me?"
After thinking for a while, King asked me that question.
"Me? In my opinion, you're a sprinter who is suited for short distances, but you also have the talent to run mile, middle, and long distances. It gets tougher as the distance gets longer, but if you build up your stamina and gradually extend your aptitudes for distance, you'll be able to shine in all races, from short to long. Considering all that..."
I crossed my arms and tilted my head.
"First, I'd like to have you run in a G1 short-distance race... the Sprinters Stakes in late September. But since you don't have enough prize money, it's up to luck if you can enter. Once you gain stamina, I'd like to aim for a G1 in mile, middle, and long distances... Yeah, that's what I want to do."
Rice has the opposite aptitude for distance from King—she's at a disadvantage as the distance gets shorter, but in King's case, she probably won't be as disadvantaged as Rice.
"Winning a G1 in all distances... what do you think?"
"...Are you serious? Not even Chairman Symboli Rudolf has achieved that."
"Well, I think it would be tough, though. G1 races... yeah, there are too many strong rivals, so I think aiming to be an Uma Musume who can win graded races at all distances is an option."
It would be a big exaggeration to say she can win a G1 in short, mile, middle, and long distances. But I think King can win graded races, including G2 and G3, at all distances.
(Ah... In that case, my biggest rival would be Meek.)
I imagined Kiryuuin-san and Meek's faces. Meek is an Uma Musume who can run all distances, so there's a very high chance she'll clash with King.
"Has there ever been an Uma Musume who won graded races at every distance... short, mile, middle, and long?"
"I don't think there has been one in Japan. As for overseas... I don't know. There are too many Uma Musume for me to keep track of."
"...If I achieve that, I'll be a first-class Uma Musume, right?"
King asked me cautiously, but I waved my hands in front of my face.
"No, I think that would be a feat that would be etched into the history of Uma Musume, not just a first-class one. I think there have been Uma Musume who have tried, but I don't know of any who have achieved it."
Would it have the same impact as Symboli Rudolf's seven crowns or Rice's triple-crown long-distance G1? "Winning graded races at all distances" sounds so cool.
"Winning graded races at all distances? I see, that's not a bad idea."
King seemed to have picked up on my mumble and smirked. Then she puffed out her chest and let out a laugh with her hand over her mouth.
"Ohohohoho! In that case, I'll grant you the right to stand by my side and walk with me!"
Wow, I've heard her laugh like this on the phone, but there really are people who laugh like this in real life... It's my first time seeing it.
King laughed as if she had let go of something and looked at me with a refreshed expression.
"So, it's nice to work with you from now on... Trainer."
"Yeah... It's nice to work with you, King."
Come to think of it, this might be the first time King has called me "Trainer."
I feel like she always called me "you"... Does this mean she's finally acknowledged me as a trainer?
(It took a while for Rice to fully open up to me, too... This is just the first step, I guess.)
And so, I added King to Team Kitarufa and began a new chapter in my life.
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