A week has passed since the training camp began.
That day, I had Urara and the others run on a regular course with both turf and dirt from the morning to check the difference in their times before the training camp, and to see how effective the training had been in one week. I was planning to have them do a long-distance swim in the sea in the afternoon, but...
"Ah, what a c-coincidence!"
While I was eating lunch, Kiryuin-san and Meek came to the inn. What a coincidence, indeed... No, what kind of coincidence would make this situation happen?
Kiryuin-san was waving at me with her eyes wide open, but behind her, Meek had a face like a cat doing the flehmen response. I've seen that face before.
"Are Kiryuin-san and Meek also here for a training camp?"
I pretended not to see Meek's expression and asked. Then, Kiryuin-san nodded many times.
"Yes! It's important to train in a different environment than usual, after all!"
Huh? I feel like I've heard that line somewhere before... No, it's just my imagination, yeah.
"Yay! It's Meek-chan!"
"Oh, if it isn't Meek-san. How do you do?"
Urara and King called out to Meek. For Urara, she's a close friend, but for King, Meek is a rival. The fact that she can call out to her without any hesitation shows her courage, or rather, her good character.
"..."
And Rice? Rice-san? Why are you hugging me silently and looking at Kiryuin-san? That's Kiryuin-san. She's not an enemy.
"Um... for now, why don't you check in and put your luggage away?"
I said that for now. Then, Kiryuin-san seemed to realize something and headed to the reception. Meek followed her, and I, who saw them off, groaned inwardly while eating the katsudon I had ordered for lunch.
(Hmm... Come to think of it, when I sent her the training camp materials, I also sent her the travel guide I made as a sample...)
She must have decided on the accommodation after seeing that. The price is reasonable, and it's a comfortable and perfect place to stay. Kiryuin-san, who is from a prestigious trainer school, probably won't have any problems.
But why did it take a week for them to arrive, even though there was time after we talked about the training camp? It's not like she said, "We're going to a training camp starting today!" to Meek without any prior notice after summer vacation had already begun...
It takes a considerable amount of time to apply to Tracen Academy and prepare for the training camp, and they also need to arrange a place to stay. Also... oh, that's right. In my case, I have a budget for Team Kitalpha, but Kiryuin-san is only in charge of Meek. Due to the budget from Tracen Academy, they probably shortened the training camp by a week.
(Ah, that's right. I should invite Meek to the mock race with Rigil, Spica, and us. That girl is also very talented, and the senior and Tojo-san probably won't say no.)
Meek is also a horse girl who is at a G1 level in the Classic division. She should be a more than capable opponent.
Still, I sent a message to the senior via a chat app, and he replied, "I'll talk to Hana-san about it." It's up to Kiryuin-san and Meek, but it's not a bad idea to talk about it beforehand.
By the way, the mock race is scheduled for the end of the training camp. It's to let the horse girls feel the results of their training camp, and we're planning to hold it a few times, changing the horse girls and the distance they run. It will surely be a good experience for Meek, who can run all distances on both turf and dirt.
Meek will definitely be overjoyed to compete with Symboli Rudolf, Maruzensky, Air Groove-san, and my Rice multiple times.
Of course, Meek's participation will also be a good stimulus for King, who is bad at dirt but has almost the same qualities as Meek. I might even invite them to train with us sometimes during the training camp.
I thought about these things when Kiryuin-san and Meek appeared.
Now, it's time for the afternoon training session.
I was planning to have Urara and the others do a long-distance swim as planned, so I prepared a rescue raft, life jackets, and a swim ring. The raft is equipped with a 2-horsepower outboard motor that can be used without a boating license, and I'm checking how to use it.
(Yeah, I researched it beforehand, but the operation isn't complicated.)
I also prepared paddles, so I can just paddle if something happens to the outboard motor.
While I was checking the equipment, Urara and the others were meticulously warming up so they wouldn't get a cramp in the water. Urara is also equipped with a kickboard. She can doggy paddle and isn't afraid of swimming, so she's enthusiastic about the long-distance swim.
While I was preparing, I saw someone running from a distance. It was Grass Wonder, whom I had seen at Tojo-san's place the other day. When she noticed us, she stopped running and approached us slowly.
"Whoa! It's Grass-chan! Are you training too, Grass-chan?"
Urara noticed Grass Wonder and asked, wagging her tail. Grass Wonder smiled softly at that and nodded slightly.
"It's my day off, so I'm doing some self-training..."
It seems it's Team Rigil's day off today. Grass Wonder was running in her gym clothes, but she had large beads of sweat on her forehead and her gym clothes were wet with sweat, so I wondered how much she had run.
At first glance, it doesn't seem like overworking, but you can't get rid of fatigue if you don't rest when you need to. I took out a sports drink that I had prepared for Urara and the others and offered it to Grass Wonder.
"That doesn't look like 'some.' Tojo-san also told you not to rush, right? Here, drink this. You need to stay hydrated."
"Um... thank you."
Grass Wonder looked confused as she accepted the sports drink. Then she opened the lid and started drinking it as if it was really delicious.
I told Urara and the others to swim a little in the shallow water first and invited the somewhat awkward Grass Wonder to a spot under a beach umbrella. I thought that since she went out of her way to run to where we were training, she must have something she wanted to talk about.
"I think you broke the metatarsal bone in your right leg, right?"
"...Huh?"
Grass Wonder's eyes widened at my sudden words.
"After that, you favored your right leg and got periostitis in your left leg... Injuries are a pain, aren't they?"
"...Did you look me up?"
Her wide eyes turned suspicious. Well, anyone would be suspicious if someone suddenly said something like that.
"I've been paying attention to you for a while. You're a horse girl who won the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes... and with a record. Any trainer who's training horse girls of the same generation would check you out."
Well, the truth is that some of the information came from my colleagues... Right after I took on King's training, I watched the races Grass Wonder ran in dozens of times.
"But you've finally recovered. If you push yourself here, you'll injure your leg again. So don't push yourself. Okay?"
From my heart, I sincerely hope so. Since Tojo-san is training her, she probably won't let it get worse, but a horse girl's legs can get injured at any moment.
I'm also paying close attention and trying to make Urara and the others' legs and hips stronger and tougher little by little, but there's still a limit. The reason I had them run in the shallow water, which is equivalent to a bad track, was to properly train the muscles they don't usually use.
Even a person who exercises regularly gets muscle soreness the first time they go skiing. That's because they're using muscles they don't usually use and unconsciously putting a lot of strength into their body in an unfamiliar environment.
In this training camp, I'm incorporating training menus that train those muscles they don't usually use. If they gain extra muscle, it can hinder their running, but I want to teach Urara and the others firsthand where the strain is applied when they make a certain movement.
"Is that... because you're confident? Wouldn't it be better for you if there were fewer rival horse girls?"
I don't know what she thought of my words, but Grass Wonder asked me that. She wasn't blaming me. She seemed to be asking out of pure curiosity.
"I think there are some trainers who think that way. But that doesn't fit my principles."
I understand the feelings of a trainer who is happy that a strong rival horse girl is unable to race due to an injury.
In that case, the possibility of the horse girl they're training winning the race increases. For me, I want Urara and the others to win with strong rival horse girls present, but I also understand that one victory is distant, heavy, and valuable.
"It's not just about horse girls with excellent talent like you... For me, I hate to see any horse girl suffer from an injury. It doesn't matter if they're my horse girls' rivals."
From the palpation the other day, the bone fracture in her leg has healed nicely, and the periostitis in her left leg that occurred from favoring her right leg has also healed. But if she pushes herself, it could recur.
"...I shouldn't push myself, huh?"
"Yeah. I understand you're in a hurry, but now isn't the time to push yourself. You'll be fine if you just trust and follow the training that Tojo-san gives you... no, just trust Tojo-san."
In fact, Tojo-san is probably raising Grass Wonder with care. From the palpation the other day, it seemed like she was carefully increasing Grass Wonder's basic abilities. She's firmly training her legs and hips so that Grass Wonder won't get injured again.
However, it will still take time for her to be complete. When I told her that, Grass Wonder nodded as if she was convinced.
"I understand. I'm sorry for taking up your time."
Grass Wonder bowed her head and said that. She was probably convinced by what I said the other day but came to hear it again to be sure. I feel like there's an underlying feeling of impatience, or a need for a second opinion.
Grass Wonder probably doesn't genuinely doubt my or Tojo-san's judgment, but it's not strange for those feelings to arise after being in rehabilitation for a long time due to an injury. Still, the fact that she was convinced after a short conversation and backed down shows that she trusts Tojo-san.
On the other hand, it's inevitable that she would feel anxiety and doubt.
"But when I'm completely healed, I think I'll be competing with King-chan in races, right? Is that okay?"
Oh, this girl is asking me that while her fighting spirit is boiling. It's like a challenge, or a statement made with resolve.
Some people might find it rude, but I find it very pleasant... Hmm, Tojo-san is raising a good girl. This girl seems like she'd be fun to raise.
But when asked if it's okay to compete with King in a race, there's only one answer.
"King will get even stronger, and there won't be any problem because she'll win even if she has to compete with you."
I answered with a grin. Then, Grass Wonder smiled beautifully.
"I don't dislike a trainer like you."
"I don't dislike a horse girl like you either."
We laughed at each other, and then Grass Wonder gave me a final combative smile and turned her back to me.
"Hehe... I'm looking forward to the day I get to race against King-chan."
"Hahaha... me too."
Hmm, I think she might be a little worked up, I thought, but I don't think it's a problem. Grass Wonder bowed to me and ran off—but before that, she beckoned to King, who was swimming in the sea, and whispered something to her before leaving.
What? I tilted my head, and King came running towards me at a dash.
"Hey, Trainer! What did you say to Grass-san!?"
"Huh... I didn't say anything weird, did I?"
I just bragged about King and declared that King would win the race. I didn't say anything weird.
"'You're being cherished,' she said... She wouldn't say something like that unless you said something weird, would she!?"
"I didn't say anything weird. I just said that my King would win if you two ever raced."
When I said that, King was speechless and closed her mouth. Then she mumbled something and finally, for some reason, hit my back.
"Oh, you idiot! You're just... such a complete idiot! Come on! Let's do the long-distance swim!"
King said that and ran off. On this day's long-distance swim, King, who seemed incredibly motivated, left Rice and Urara behind and took first place.
And so, the training camp days continue.
I change the training menu every day, gradually increase the training load to push Urara and the others to their limits, and add Kiryuin-san and Meek, who for some reason asked to train with us, to the daily training.
However, if I push them to their limits every day during this hot season, the fatigue won't go away and will gradually accumulate. So there were days when we only trained in the morning and had the afternoon off, or days with a lighter menu.
After training them like that, I realized that the change in environment really makes a big difference.
"Hmm... their growth is better than I expected..."
I mumbled as I entered the times I measured on the turf and dirt courses into my computer.
Three weeks have already passed since the training camp began, and I can feel their growth in that short period.
Today's training is over, and it's a time for everyone to do what they want after dinner. So I was summarizing the results of the training camp on my computer, and the numbers clearly show their growth.
In particular, King's growth is remarkable. Her stamina, speed, and her already extraordinary guts seem to have been further trained by the summer training. King herself is so surprised by her growth that she's confused when I show her the change in her times.
(Her talent is amazing after all... And she doesn't neglect her efforts, and she has the guts to stick with a superior opponent like Rice...)
Her body is also tough, and her spirit is strong. Even when she's on the verge of throwing up, she swallows all her complaints and runs with her head held high.
(Her best aptitude is for short distances... But as she's been running with Rice, her stamina has been steadily increasing... I can train her to a level where she can be competitive in longer mile races and shorter middle-distance races... But still, long distances are King's wall.)
Even if her stamina is growing better than expected, it's not easy for her to run long distances.
Well, in King's case, she can run long distances, and I've trained her to a level where she can win against an average horse girl, but it's tough that her opponents in long-distance races are Special Week and Oguri Cap. And if she fully recovers, Grass Wonder will also appear.
She's way ahead of her generation in short distances, but the reality is that long distances are tough for her. Still, I've got a good estimate of being able to train her to a level where she can be competitive by the autumn Kikuka Sho.
Compared to King, Urara's growth is gradually slowing down. Her speed seems like it can still be trained, but her stamina seems to be hitting a wall. I've thought about this before, but the difference in her aptitude for distance is probably having an effect.
Still, Urara's main battlefield is dirt, so she doesn't need the stamina to run long distances like King. Of course, it's better to have stamina, but the longest G1 dirt race in the Twinkle Series is 2000 meters. She can probably get her stamina to a level where she can aim for that. Like Rice, I might switch her training to focus on speed once her stamina is good enough.
(And as for Rice... since she's a complete stayer, it's harder for her to grow compared to Urara and King...)
No matter how much you train a horse girl, they don't grow just because you train them. Rice's growth has been slower than Urara's, and I can't expect any dramatic growth. As I thought before, it would be great if I could continue to train her speed while maintaining her stamina, but...
"...Hmm?"
I was thinking while entering data, but my thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. It was a somewhat hesitant knock, and I tilted my head, wondering who it was.
If it were Urara, she'd knock more energetically, and if it were King, she'd knock in a rhythmic way. It was similar to Rice's knock, but it sounded hesitant.
"Yes, yes, who is it... Oh? Meek?"
I opened the door, thinking it might be Kiryuin-san, but it was unexpectedly Meek. And Kiryuin-san wasn't with her; Meek was alone. By the way, she was wearing a yukata, so she must have just gotten out of the bath.
"What's wrong? Do you need something from me?"
I thought it was rare and knelt down to match her eye level. Then, Meek's gaze started to wander.
"I wanted to... talk a little..."
"With me? Oh, sure."
I thought it was really rare and was about to let Meek into the room. But suddenly, the door of the next room slowly opened with a creaking sound. Huh? Was that door so poorly made?
"!"
Meek's body flinched. I looked over and saw Rice peeking her face out halfway and looking at us. It was a bit of a horror movie effect.
But when Rice saw Meek's face, her expression brightened up.
"Oh, it's Meek-chan. Rice was wondering who it was."
"Um, yes, I'm Happy Meek..."
Meek introduced herself for some reason. Yeah, I know.
"It seems she had something to talk to me about. I was just about to let her into the room... I wonder if I have any drinks."
I was thinking about going to a vending machine to buy something when Rice went back into her room for a few seconds and came back with a carton of carrot juice.
"Rice wants to talk with Big Brother too... Is that okay?"
"Huh? I don't mind, but... is it okay with you if Rice is here too, Meek?"
I asked, thinking she might have come to talk to me about something in secret, and Meek thought for a few seconds before nodding.
"...It's okay. If possible, I'd like Rice-san to hear it too..."
Since Meek nodded, I let her and Rice into the room. And after pouring the carrot juice Rice brought into a paper cup and offering it to her, I sat on the tatami mat—but.
"Rice? Why are you sitting on my leg?"
Rice sat on my crossed leg with a very natural movement. And she rubbed her horse ears against my chest as if rubbing against me, and looked up at me from below.
"Is that okay?"
"It's not that it's not okay, but it's not appropriate for listening to what Meek has to say."
What if it's a serious consultation? From Meek's expression, it doesn't seem like she's in a desperate situation, but it seems like a somewhat important matter.
Rice heard my words and obediently got off and sat next to me. Or rather, she sat next to me on the futon that was laid out. I offered a cushion to Meek, and Meek sat on it with her legs tucked under her in a confused manner.
"So? What did you want to talk about?"
I asked in a gentle tone. I thought it would be easier for a girl like Meek to talk if I asked in a gentle manner.
"It's about... my trainer... I wanted to consult with you."
"You want to consult about Kiryuin-san? I don't mind if it's me... Where is Kiryuin-san?"
"...She's in the bath. I snuck out while she was in there."
Since she came to talk to me behind Kiryuin-san's back, it seems it's a serious consultation. Meek's gaze wandered, and she frowned in a troubled way.
"Lately... my trainer has been weird..."
"...'Weird'?"
From what I saw, she seemed like the usual Kiryuin-san.
"My trainer... tries to get in the bath with me."
"Okay."
"My trainer... tries to sleep in the same futon with me."
"Okay."
I nodded in agreement, but I was at a loss for how to react.
"After the Satsuki Sho... no, after the Tango Stakes, my trainer started acting weird... She's more pushy than before... Even when I lost in the Japan Derby, she did things she didn't do before..."
She was probably talking about Kiryuin-san crying and hugging Meek. Meek says it's weird, but her expression doesn't show any signs of dislike.
"Meek, do you dislike that?"
I asked out loud. Then, after thinking for a while, Meek shook her head.
"I don't... dislike it. But, I don't know... how to react."
Meek tilted her head in a troubled way. It seems she's confused because Kiryuin-san, who used to keep her distance, has suddenly started getting up close and personal like an infighter.
"Hmm... If you don't dislike it, Meek, I don't think there's a need to stop her."
There are some horse girls who like that kind of physical contact. In fact, in my team, Urara and Rice are that type. King... she doesn't get mad if you pat her occasionally, but she gets mad if you do it too often.
"But, she does weird things sometimes."
"Like what?"
"For this training camp, she suddenly said, 'Let's go to a training camp! Right now!'"
"That's... not good."
I told Urara and the others about it beforehand, and I finished all the procedures and applications before summer vacation began. Kiryuin-san... yeah, she has her moments.
"Last year, when we had a mock race with Rice-san, I was only told about it right before the race."
"I think it's okay for you to be angry about that."
"...This time, I tapped her with my tail. Just a little tap."
Meek said that and puffed out her chest.
Hmm... it seems Meek is expressing her will properly in her own way, but Meek has a unique sensibility, and Kiryuin-san is sometimes lacking in common sense... Still, compared to before, their relationship seems to be much closer. I think Kiryuin-san's way of closing the distance is a bit strange, though.
"Is it normal... for people who become trainers?"
"Well... I don't think it's 'normal'..."
What should I do? I can't defend Kiryuin-san. It seems she's started talking to Meek a little, but her physical contact is still inconsistent. Meek doesn't dislike it, but she's more confused than anything.
As I was racking my brain, I heard footsteps in the hallway.
"Meek! Meek!? Where did you go!?"
It was Kiryuin-san's worried voice. Meek's ears twitched as if she had noticed it before me, and her tail wagged from side to side.
"I'm happy you came to consult me, but I think you and Kiryuin-san should talk to each other properly first."
"...Yes."
"Kiryuin-san is trying to change. So if you also try to change, you can have an even better relationship. See? Kiryuin-san is worried about you."
When I said that, Meek got up from the cushion and headed to the door to stop Kiryuin-san.
"If anything happens again, come to me anytime. Rice and I, and even Urara and King, will listen to you. Right, Rice?"
"Yeah. Rice will listen to Meek-chan anytime, okay?"
Rice heard my words and nodded with a smile. Meek bowed slightly when she heard that and ran off to where Kiryuin-san was running around the hallway looking for her.
(Kiryuin-san and Meek are moving forward, one way or another...)
Not only Meek, but other rival horse girls are also growing, of course.
I, who had thought that Urara and Rice's growth was slowing down, had to rack my brain to make the training menu more efficient so that they could surpass the growth of their rivals.
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