It's June. What's special about June?
There's Urara's Unicorn Stakes, Rice's Takarazuka Kinen, and the G1 Yasuda Kinen, among others, but this is a time of year that gives trainers a headache.
What's special about June? That's right, it's the rainy season.
"Ugh... It's going to rain all week..."
I checked the weather forecast on the club room TV and let out a sigh.
With the rising temperatures and the rain turning the courses into heavy or bad conditions, this is a time when trainers have to rack their brains about what to do for training. Last year, I was agonizing over Urara's training, but this year, with Rice's training added to the mix, my headache is even worse.
However, the situation is much better than last year.
Tracen Academy has not only practice courses but also indoor training facilities. They come in a wide variety, including swimming pools, gyms, and covered courses.
But last year, since the only Uma Musume I was in charge of was Urara, I couldn't use those facilities. No, I probably could have if I wanted to, but the priority for using them was given to the more prominent teams, so the opportunity never came.
Even though various types of training can be done, being indoors means the space is limited. What would happen if all 2,000 Uma Musume at Tracen Academy rushed to use them at once? It's as clear as day.
But this year is different. As the trainer of Team Kitarufa, I can proudly apply to use the indoor facilities.
It's a little embarrassing, but with Urara and Rice's records, Team Kitarufa has become one of the prominent teams. As a result, our applications for use are easily approved, and we can use a variety of facilities on different days.
One of the reasons I hadn't used such facilities much before was that it was difficult to get my application approved. Another big reason was that I judged it was more beneficial to actually run on the courses to build leg strength and stamina.
Of course, I had them do muscle training and such, but I only let them do an appropriate amount while being careful not to put too much strain on their bodies. But if it keeps raining and we can't train on the course, we'll have to incorporate training using the indoor facilities.
(There's also a possibility that the track conditions will be heavy or bad during a race, so I'll incorporate training in the rain as well... Especially for Rice, a bad track will put more of a burden on her...)
For turf courses, even if it's just slightly heavy, if it gets as bad as heavy or bad, the turf will be slippery, so they'll have to put more power into their legs than usual to keep from falling.
For dirt courses, the times are often faster in bad conditions, but it's important to be careful, as a good or bad track can greatly affect whether it's a specialty or a weakness, just like turf and dirt courses.
So I need to get Urara and Rice used to running in the rain. The rainy season probably won't be over by the time of the Unicorn Stakes or the Takarazuka Kinen. Depending on the timing, it was possible they'd have to run in a race with bad track conditions and heavy rain.
However, training for a long time in the rain can cause them to get sick, so I need to find the right balance. Since it's training, I could have them wear a raincoat, but it would be hot and humid, and they can't run in a raincoat during a race, so the difference is too big for it to be good training.
I needed to make them train well in the minimum amount of time necessary, while being careful not to let them catch a cold. A cold would still be fine, but if they get pneumonia, that would be no laughing matter.
So, I explained the future training plan to Urara and Rice, who had come to the club room, but—
"Running in the rain? Wow! That sounds fun!"
Urara was excited and smiling at the thought of running in a different environment.
"Rice doesn't mind practicing in the rain, but... it might be a pain to prepare a change of clothes..."
Rice said something very practical. Now that she mentioned it... even if I had them wear their jerseys to train in a race-like environment, it would be a pain afterward.
Laundry is hard to dry during the rainy season... Urara and Rice probably have a washing machine and a dryer at the dorm, but they're shared with the other Uma Musume...
"Then, I'll buy a washer and a dryer. An all-in-one unit wouldn't take up too much space, would it?"
So I presented a solution. I can also wash the towels we use for practice. Until now, Urara and Rice had to take the towels they used back to the dorm to wash them, but washing them all together at the club room would save them the trouble.
Oh, but I remember telling Rice not to do laundry with me... No, no, I don't remember that at all, no.
"...A washing machine."
Rice mumbled when she heard my suggestion. It sounded more like she was on board with the idea than against it, and she looked down as if she was thinking about something.
"And... right, since you'll be running in the rain, you can just wear a swimsuit under your clothes. The Tracen Academy-designated swimsuits are pretty sturdy, aren't they?"
Since Uma Musume use them, most of the clothes designated by Tracen Academy are sturdy. The swimsuits are no exception, so they should be fine for training. It's unavoidable during an actual race, but it would be a pain to have their underwear get wet, too.
"From now on, we'll also incorporate swimming to build up stamina. By the way, both of you can swim, right? Do you have a favorite stroke?"
Most people and Uma Musume can swim since Japanese schools incorporate swimming. But there are some who can't.
"I can swim with a kickboard!"
"A kickboard, huh..."
"The butterfly is my best stroke... I think."
"The butterfly... wait? The butterfly?"
It seems Urara uses a kickboard, but Rice's favorite stroke is too serious. Oh, right, this girl is always serious about her training and races.
(Swimming is a full-body workout, and it puts almost no strain on your joints, and it feels good to swim in the middle of summer... Yeah, let's incorporate it more.)
But I have to be careful, as there's a serious risk of death if they don't consume enough calories.
"We'll also do some muscle training at the gym and run on the treadmill. Muscle training is fine, but I'll make the treadmill sessions light so you don't develop any weird habits with your running style."
"Okay!"
Urara answered energetically, but that's her way of answering when she doesn't quite understand. Rice, who has used them before, nodded in understanding.
"Alright, Team Kitarufa, let's do our best today!"
"Yeah!"
"Y-yeah."
I raised my fist with Urara and Rice and immediately got to training.
And so, we spent our days focusing on training during the rainy season.
On rainy days, I trained Urara and Rice in the indoor facilities, sometimes had them run on the course in the rain, and dried our laundry with the washing machine with a drying function that I had bought and had delivered and installed by the electronics store in the shopping district.
It's frustrating that I can't say I'm giving them a satisfying amount of training, but other teams and trainers are in the same boat, so there's no point in complaining. If anything, I should consider myself lucky that I can use the indoor facilities on a priority basis since I'm the head of a team.
On one of those days, I finished my work in the club room after Urara and Rice's training and decided to head home before I ended up staying late.
It had been raining since the morning, and I opened my umbrella and started walking as I left the club room. It wasn't a gentle, atmospheric rain but a downpour, and I was on my way home, complaining to myself, "I hope it's sunny tomorrow." But—
"...Huh?"
I heard a faint noise mixed in with the sound of the rain. It came from the practice course near the club room, and it was strange to hear a sound in this heavy rain. A faint sound of footsteps or running would be drowned out by the rain, but I heard a faint sound.
(Was I mistaken? Or is there an Uma Musume practicing in this rain...?)
It was already nearing 7:30 PM. The sun sets late since the summer solstice is approaching, but it was already dark because of the bad weather.
I wanted to believe that no Uma Musume would be running in this kind of rain. The sound of running would be drowned out by the rain, so it was probably my imagination. That's what I thought, but since it wasn't much trouble, I headed toward the practice course.
It would be a good story to tell tomorrow if I was mistaken. No, in this kind of weather, it would be a ghost story, not a funny story, I thought.
"Oh my... there really is someone there..."
I saw a faint figure on the practice course, which was dark since the night lights weren't on. And she was huddled on the course.
"Hey! Are you okay!?"
I came back to my senses and immediately ran over and called out to her. I don't know who this Uma Musume is, but there's a limit to what you can do for self-training.
That's what I thought, but the Uma Musume who was there was an unexpected one.
"...King-chan?"
The one who was there was King-chan.
I don't know how long she had been running, but her jersey was soaked and covered in mud, and there was mud on her face and hair. King-chan, who was on her knees on the course, slowly raised her head, as if she had reacted to my voice.
"You're..."
She looked at me, but her eyes were unfocused. They were red, either from the rain or from crying.
When I squinted, I could see that King-chan's limbs were trembling. It was either from exhaustion, from being in the rain, or both.
"Wha—! What are you doing!?"
I knelt down right next to King-chan, not caring that I was getting wet. When I grabbed her shoulder and shook her, King-chan brushed my hand away as if she was annoyed.
"Get out of my way... I'm not... yet..."
King-chan said that and tried to stand up, but her body was swaying. Her legs gave out, and she was about to fall backward.
"Whoa!? Watch out!"
I had been paying attention because her movements were obviously slow, and I immediately caught King-chan. King-chan regained her balance and tried to move forward again. But her body wasn't listening, and this time she was about to fall forward—oh, this girl!
"Ah!"
I immediately rushed in and caught her again, then swept her legs while my hand was on her back. I put my arm under her knees and lifted her up in a princess carry.
"What...! L-let me go!"
"No. And I won't allow any more training. I may not be your trainer, but I'm a trainer who belongs to Tracen Academy. I have a duty to stop Uma Musume who are pushing themselves too hard."
I managed to pick up my umbrella and turned my back to the course. From here... the club room is much closer than the infirmary.
I handed the umbrella handle to King-chan and carried her to the club room. King-chan tried to struggle, but when I glared at her, she looked away and quieted down.
I unlocked the club room door, which I had just left, and went inside with King-chan. My clothes were also covered in mud from holding the soaking, muddy King-chan, but... well, it can't be helped. The dirt on my clothes will come off if I wash them.
I put King-chan down on the sofa I had bought for Urara and Rice to relax on and pulled out as many large towels as I could find. King-chan's lips were blue, and her body was shaking.
"Can you wipe yourself off? Or rather, you should take off your jersey. Can you take it off?"
"What!? T-take it off!? What are you thinking, you idiot!"
"What are you talking about? You'll catch a cold like that. And are you planning on going back to the dorm like that?"
She's more energetic than I thought. I had a lot of things I wanted to say and ask, but first, I needed to do something about her wet clothes.
I took out a long-sleeved jersey from my locker. I tossed it to King-chan and headed for the club room door.
"There's a washing machine there, so you can wash the clothes you're wearing. It also has a drying function, so it'll be dry in less than an hour. You'll have to make do with my clothes for now. I can't just have you wear Urara's or Rice's clothes without permission... Oh, I wash my clothes properly."
I said just that and left the club room. From now, if she washes and dries her clothes, she should be able to make it back to the dorm before curfew. It would be best to take her to the dorm myself, but...
(I can't just drop her off at the dorm and say goodbye...)
I groaned. Then I took out my smartphone, opened the app, and sent a message to Urara.
"I found King-chan doing some self-training, so I'll talk to her and then send her back to the dorm."
"That's a relief! I was wondering where King-chan went! She'll be okay with Trainer!"
Hmm... Urara's trust is heartwarming...
I considered having Urara come to the club room, but from the looks of it, King-chan seems to have some complicated circumstances. If I called Urara here, I don't think King-chan's attitude would soften.
Oh, I should have asked if I could borrow Urara's clothes... But doesn't that sound bad? How should I ask? Besides, if I say that King-chan is soaked and looks like she's going to catch a cold and ask to borrow some clothes, Urara will definitely come flying over here.
While I was thinking that, the club room door opened, and King-chan peeked her head out. She had listened to me and was wearing the long-sleeved jersey. Since we have a height difference, it's a bit baggy... well, she'll have to deal with it.
"...I borrowed your clothes."
"Yeah. Did you wipe yourself off properly? Your hair? There's a hairdryer, too."
"...I'm fine."
She looked much more dejected than when I saw her at the Japanese Derby the other day. When she entered the club room, the washing machine was running and making noise.
I had King-chan sit on a chair and boiled water with the electric kettle. I was going to make her some coffee, but I gave her a cup of plain hot water instead.
"Here, drink this. It'll warm you up."
"...Thanks."
I probably should have just thrown her in the bath... But I can't just let her use the trainer's shower room, and the Uma Musume's shower room is already closed.
I poured myself a cup of hot water as well and took a sip. Then I looked at King-chan in my jersey and let out a small sigh.
"So? Why did you do something like that?"
"No reason... I just felt like it."
King-chan turned her head away and pouted. Seeing her like that, I couldn't help but smile wryly instead of getting angry.
"What's wrong, King-chan? You're not usually so quiet."
"Hmph... Everyone has days like that."
King-chan said, pouting, and drank the hot water. Perhaps it's because she wiped herself off and changed her clothes, or because she started drinking the hot water, but her color was gradually returning.
"I see, so you were just in the mood to run in the heavy rain and get soaked and covered in mud?"
When I said that to tease her, King-chan looked down a little. She didn't look embarrassed or angry, but more like she didn't want to talk about it.
I thought that as I watched King-chan, but then I suddenly realized something.
(Huh? Come to think of it, is this the first time we've talked face-to-face...?)
Since we talked on the phone so often, I had forgotten that this was our first time talking in person. In a way, there's a trainer who told a middle schooler, whom he had just met, to take off her clothes. Yeah, that's me.
"...King-chan."
"...What."
When I called out to her with a serious face, King-chan looked a little fidgety. Judging from her reaction, she doesn't think the current situation is strange either.
"Um... It's a little late, but it's nice to meet you. I'm the trainer of Team Kitarufa. Urara is always in your care."
I said that and bowed my head. King-chan's eyes went wide in surprise.
"Nice to meet you? What are you saying...?"
King-chan was stunned at first, but then her eyes narrowed, and she got angry. She might have thought I was teasing her, but when she saw my expression, King-chan stopped moving. After staring into space for a few seconds, she gave a small bow.
"That's... that's right. Yes, you're right. It's nice to meet you, Urara-san's trainer. We talked on the phone so often that I didn't realize we've never spoken face-to-face."
"I know, right? I just realized it myself, and I was surprised. Maybe it's because we saw each other from a distance at the Japanese Derby the other day... We used to talk on the phone every night sometimes."
When I said that, King-chan's expression stiffened slightly. I noticed it and shrugged.
"Speaking of which, the Japanese Derby was a close one. I was there, and you came in 7th, right?"
Something probably happened related to the Japanese Derby. She might have been running in the rain because she was frustrated about losing, but she was acting a little bit crazy.
There was probably something else that happened besides losing the Japanese Derby, but...
"...Don't flatter me. A loss is a loss. And since I didn't even place, there's no excuse."
"Just like Oguri Cap, you misjudged when to make your move. With your ability and running style, if you had moved up earlier, you could have passed Special Week and Oguri Cap in the final straight."
King-chan held back in a typical overtaking position and then joined the leading pack of Special Week and the others to aim for the front, but if she had been a little further ahead, the outcome of the race would have been different. Well, that's just a what-if after the fact.
When I said that, King-chan's face looked stunned for some reason. She stared at me as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"Are you... seriously saying I could have won the Japanese Derby?"
"Huh? Of course, I'm serious... I saw you in the paddock, and you were in good condition that day, weren't you? You had a good look on your face, and your body seemed to be well-prepared. It's no use talking about what-ifs now, but..."
No, seriously. It's rude to say something about a race that's already over. But I can't help but feel that it was a wasted opportunity.
If I was her trainer, I would have had King-chan run in a more forward position. I don't mean that Oguri Cap misjudged when to make her move and was passed by Special Week, but I think if she had made her move a little earlier, she might have been able to hold off Special Week.
"As for me, I thought Oguri Cap was the favorite for the Japanese Derby, and I saw King-chan and Special Week as the main rivals, and I couldn't decide which one was better. I thought you and Special Week were the only ones who had a chance to compete with and beat Oguri Cap in the Japanese Derby."
As I said that, I turned on the club room TV. I selected the Japanese Derby video I had recorded and played it.
"Oguri Cap is in the lead! But post 3 Special Week, post 6 King Halo, post 8 Biwa Hayahide, post 10 Happy Meek, and post 12 Winning Ticket are also coming up! Oh, and post 13 Narita Taishin, who was at the back, is starting to make her move!"
"We're at the 800-meter mark, but it seems a little early to make a move. I wonder if the Uma Musume have the stamina for this?"
I paused the video at the moment the voices of the commentators and announcer were playing.
"This is it. If you were in front of Special Week here, I don't think the outcome would have been certain. King-chan came up to the front at a pretty early point, but for me, I would have had you move a little earlier... or rather, I would have had you mark Oguri Cap and make a move when she was trying to pass Seiun Sky."
I'm not trying to imitate Rice's specialty strategy, but I analyze that King-chan is a very versatile Uma Musume.
If she had grown as I had predicted between the Satsuki Sho and the Japanese Derby, her stamina would have been just enough for the Japanese Derby, and her speed would have been excellent. And above all, she has the guts to keep her head up and look forward even when she's struggling. It's because of those things that I thought she could beat Oguri Cap.
"The moment Seiun Sky chose to run away, the focus was on where to pass her. In this race, Seiun Sky made a mistake in her pacing, but it was highly likely that she would have succumbed to the pressure sooner or later since Oguri Cap was chasing her. So, I think your chances of winning would have been higher if you had marked Oguri Cap or stayed in third place until the middle of the race."
"This girl... Sky-san can also run in a forward position. What if she hadn't run away?"
"I would have had you mark Oguri Cap in that case, too. With her gate number and condition, Special Week would also have been a good choice... Seiun Sky is a great runaway Uma Musume, but she didn't seem to be in good condition in the paddock. I thought it would be difficult for her to get first place."
Of course, as I said, Seiun Sky is also a wonderful Uma Musume. However, she was strangely stiff during the Japanese Derby.
"But, King-chan... even though you seemed to be in good condition, you didn't have enough stamina, did you?"
And what I didn't expect was that even though King-chan was in good condition, she didn't have enough stamina. From her running in the Satsuki Sho, I thought she would be well-prepared for the Japanese Derby, and I thought she had enough time to prepare, but...
King-chan was silent at my question. She clenched her fist in frustration and bit her lip.
"No, this is all just what-ifs, so there's no point in talking about it now. Anyone can say this after the fact."
If I were her trainer, I would have had her gain more stamina and sent her to the Japanese Derby. I think King-chan is an Uma Musume who is suited for short distances, but if she has a lot of stamina, she should be able to run not only middle-distance but also long-distance races without any problems with her natural guts.
But I've been talking a lot as if it's a casual conversation, but King-chan is an Uma Musume who is in charge of another trainer. It's okay to criticize her reckless self-training, but it's not okay to complain about her training policy.
So I backed off, but King-chan mumbled.
"But... you told me what to do before the Satsuki Sho..."
"Huh? Before? Oh, right, I did send you some materials. I was worried that I had interfered too much with another Uma Musume after I sent them."
There's no clear line between what's okay and what's not, but some trainers dislike other trainers giving advice to their Uma Musume.
This is especially true for trainers with more experience. For trainers who have already established their training style, such interference is not only a nuisance but also harmful.
"Um... yeah, I couldn't help but give you some advice, but forget about it. What I wanted to talk about was why you were doing such reckless self-training. I'm sure your trainer would be angry, too."
Yes, that's what I wanted to ask. Given King-chan's personality, she wouldn't do such reckless training. But did something happen that made her do it, or did her trainer give her permission, which I don't want to believe.
This might also be seen as interference, but there's no trainer who wouldn't stop an Uma Musume who's about to get injured right in front of them.
When I asked that, King-chan gave me a look that was a mix of crying and laughing.
"...I don't have a trainer anymore... He quit just the other day."
She said something I didn't expect at all.
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