The summer training camp, with its constant daily training punctuated by occasional breaks, passed by in a flash.
Having already finished two-thirds of the schedule, I found myself looking at the calendar and thinking.
(...Come to think of it, I haven't done anything very "summery.")
My days were spent either training Urala and the others, holing up in my room to research races and rival Uma Musume, relaxing in the hot springs on a massage chair, taking a leisurely nap with Urala and the rest, or just exploring the nearby hot spring town.
It occurred to me that between training, my usual research and hobbies, and resting, I hadn't done anything that felt truly "summery."
Urala and the others would train to their limits, have a good night's sleep, and then be back at it the next day, full of energy. When their fatigue started to build up, I'd either lighten the menu or give them a half-day off, but I hadn't given them a full-day break.
Since it was a special training camp, a special environment, and a special opportunity for them to grow, I wanted to train them as much as possible.
However, even with the cycle of pushing them to the limit and then giving them a half-day off when fatigue set in, they never fully recovered. So, I decided it was time to give them a full day of rest.
That said, "rest" didn't mean they'd just sleep all day. I wanted them to get a mental refresh. Besides, it would be impossible to get someone like Urala to stay in bed all day anyway.
This training camp was near the sea. We had even incorporated training that used the beach and the ocean, but this time, I wanted them to just have fun.
When you think "summer!" and "the sea!" there's only one thing to do.
That's right—a beach day!
"So... just as I told you yesterday, today's a day off. We're going to the beach to have some fun!"
"Yay!"
"Yay!"
"Having fun is fine, but make sure you warm up properly first."
The day after I had that thought while looking at the calendar.
When I raised my fist, Urala jumped up with a cheer, and Rice gave a small, quiet cheer with her own fist. King, looking a bit exasperated but also somewhere enjoying herself, gave a word of caution.
You might think that playing in the ocean and swimming for training are similar. However, a change in mindset makes them completely different.
...Although, I did have a little thought in the back of my mind that playing in the ocean is a good workout, even if it's not as intense as training.
They could swim, build sandcastles, tan on the beach, or even go fishing... Today was truly an off day. Which meant, I was going to have fun too. I was going to play like a kid again.
I put on black board shorts with a white jacket over them and a pair of sunglasses. To top it all off, a straw hat on my head made the look complete. I was fully equipped, with a lifebuoy in one hand and a cooler box on my shoulder.
By the way, we weren't going to the private beach we used for training. Other teams were using that for their own training, so we were heading to a nearby public beach instead.
"Oh, sorry to keep you waiting!"
"...Good morning."
Kiryuuin-san and Meeke came over to us, who were all ready to go. When I mentioned we were taking a complete day off to go to the beach, they said they wanted to join us, and I gave them the OK.
We used the large station wagon we had on the first day of the camp to get there. After loading the luggage, I got into the driver's seat, with Rice in the passenger seat next to me. As soon as she buckled her seatbelt, we were off.
"This is my first time going to the beach! What about you, Meeke?"
"...I've been a few times."
"Huh? Why is this your first time... mumble mumble..."
"Urala, shh. There are various reasons, like not living near the sea."
From the back, I could hear the conversation between Kiryuuin-san and Meeke. And through the rearview mirror, I could see King covering Urala's mouth to stop her from asking her innocent question.
(Well, as King said, if you don't live near the sea, you probably wouldn't go to the beach.)
Yeah... I'm glad I didn't refuse when they asked to come along... I hope Kiryuuin-san has a good time too.
Thinking that, I drove, making sure to be careful and safe.
The beach was quite close to the inn, only about 10 minutes away by car. The parking lot was paid, but it was fully equipped, and despite being just before Obon, there were plenty of open spots.
There were changing rooms, shower stalls, and even a beach shack, so we wouldn't have any problems. I grabbed a beach umbrella, a leisure sheet, and the cooler box and headed straight for the beach.
Urala and the others would change in the changing room, but to set up the umbrella and other things, I had already changed before we left.
Before getting out of the car, I made sure to change from my shoes to flip-flops. It's dangerous to drive a car while wearing flip-flops, so I had no choice.
"Oh... it's a bit empty, huh?"
Looking at the number of cars in the parking lot, I thought the crowd was smaller than expected for the peak season. While a huge crowd would be a hassle, a small one made me feel a little lonely.
(It's still a bit early for jellyfish to appear... Is it because the public transportation is a bit inconvenient? Was this a secret spot?)
But there's a beach shack, so there must be enough people for it to be profitable. Maybe today was just an unusually slow day.
I set up the beach umbrella in a suitable spot, spread out the leisure sheet, and placed the cooler box on it to keep it from blowing away. Inside were ice and bottled juices.
I figured it would take a while for Urala and the others to get here. I sat down on the leisure sheet and looked toward the sea.
(When you look at it this way, there are actually a lot of Uma Musume here... I got used to it without realizing it, but when I look again, it's a strange sight.)
There were a few Uma Musume in swimsuits. From little girls to older, well-built Uma Musume, people of a wide range of ages were playing by the sea.
(Oh, that Uma Musume has the build of a racer.)
Among them, one particular Uma Musume caught my eye.
Judging from her physique, she was likely an Uma Musume who had retired from racing. Next to her was a young man, so they were probably on a date.
(Hmm... she doesn't seem to be an active racer. But with that build, she probably went quite far... maybe a graded race... no, she probably won at least an open race.)
I made a rough guess that she might have run in a few GII or GIII races before retiring, but probably didn't reach GI. It was a good way to kill time while waiting for Urala and the others. And that Uma Musume's boyfriend is handsome... Tall and handsome, it's unacceptable.
Not all Uma Musume go to Tracen Academy, whether central or local, to become racers. Many of them love to run or be active, but of course, some live perfectly normal lives.
Their life, or rather, their Uma life, is their own. It would be arrogant to think it's a "waste." The world of racing is very tough. Many Uma Musume retire without a single win, so not everyone who knocks on Tracen Academy's door dreams of a racing career.
With that in mind, what path would the Uma Musume who just sprinted across the sand, leaped, and jumped into the sea follow? No, that girl will probably aim for Tracen Academy. I just have that feeling.
The dark-bay Uma Musume, who looked to be in late elementary school, looked like she had quite a lot of talent. She was followed by a chestnut Uma Musume with long hair who also charged into the sea. It was good to see they were getting along so well.
...Just as I was thinking about all that, I heard the sound of multiple footsteps on the sand approaching. I turned around and saw Urala and the others, who had finished changing, running toward me.
However, when I saw what they were wearing, I tilted my head in surprise.
Urala, Rice, and King were all wearing their own swimsuits, not the standard ones from Tracen Academy that they use for training.
Urala was in a light-blue one-piece swimsuit with cute frills on the chest and waist.
Rice was in a black frilly bikini. I was a bit surprised. It looked a little grown-up for her, but for Rice's age, it's not that strange, I guess?
King was in a... a normal? A normal triangle bikini. It was a green-based bikini, just like her racing uniform, and it looked perfect on her. She had a great figure, so it suited her well.
Meeke was in a white tankini. Since her skin and hair were both pale, she looked completely white, but it suited her very well.
Kiryuuin-san, perhaps to match Meeke, was in a white triangle bikini. However, she seemed shy and wore a white shirt over it, tied at her navel.
(Oh... Uma Musume really are all beautiful... Well, Kiryuuin-san isn't an Uma Musume, though.)
They were all beautiful girls or women. It was quite a feast for the eyes.
"Hehe... Trainer, what do you think?"
"Oh, it suits you and it's super cute."
Urala, who came running to me first, asked for my opinion, so I praised her honestly. Hearing my words, Urala smiled brightly and started her warm-up.
"Onii-sama, what do you think of Rice's swimsuit?"
"Yeah, it suits you too, Rice. You look cute. But a frilly bikini, huh... It really changes your image."
To be honest, I thought she would choose a one-piece swimsuit like Urala if she were to pick her own. I didn't expect her to choose a bikini, even if it had frills.
"I'll give you the right to praise King's swimsuit."
"Oh, I'll praise you all day. You're beautiful, have a great figure, and can pull off anything you wear, King. You look gorgeous."
"...Jeez, you dummy."
When I praised her as she asked, she called me a dummy. I don't get it.
"..."
"Meeke, you look great too. Did you choose that yourself?"
"I chose it... with the Trainer..."
"I see... that's good."
Meeke was silent, so I praised her first, and I heard an unexpected story. I see, she went swimsuit shopping with Kiryuuin-san... Yeah, that's a good thing.
Finally, I looked at Kiryuuin-san, who was blushing a deep red, looking embarrassed. She rubbed her knees together and twisted her body to avoid my gaze.
"You look great too, Kiryuuin-san. You're beautiful."
"I... I tried my best..."
It seems she did. But like Rice, I didn't expect Kiryuuin-san to choose a bikini. Well, if they had come out in the standard Tracen Academy school swimsuits, I would have had a hard time reacting.
As for King, I thought she'd wear a bikini. Her dignified posture and confident expression made it seem like it suited her the most.
And so, our summer beach day began—but.
"U-um... what are we supposed to do at the beach...?"
Kiryuuin-san asked me, looking troubled. In response, I smiled gently and sent her off to play with Meeke. Kiryuuin-san, you know, as the Japanese characters for "beach" suggest, it's fine to just "bathe in the seawater..."
Urala and Meeke started building a sandcastle together, while Rice and King finished their warm-ups and started swimming in the sea. Unlike their usual training, they were relaxed, splashing water at each other and swimming leisurely. But I had a feeling that once they got competitive, they'd start racing. Kiryuuin-san joined Urala and Meeke's sandcastle building project.
(An adult woman building a sandcastle... Well, Kiryuuin-san has a pretty young face, and she's having so much fun with Meeke, so it's fine...)
By the way, I was in charge of watching our things. While Urala and the others' belongings were in the locker room, and I could have just left the car keys and my wallet there, the changing room was a bit far, and it was a hassle. It's a hassle to go back just to get my wallet if I want to buy something at the beach shack... So I made that my excuse to relax.
Play like a kid? Well... at this age, returning to a childlike state takes a surprising amount of energy... No, my body still looks young, but I was so relieved to have a break from training that I just felt like relaxing.
"Let's build a big castle, Meeke-chan! Kiryuuin-san!"
"...Okay."
"A sandcastle... S-so that's a kind of game you can play!"
Urala was piling up sand with a big smile, and Meeke was smiling faintly. Kiryuuin-san was... well, she looked like she was having fun, so that's all that matters.
"Onii-sama praised me, but Rice thinks maybe the training swimsuit would have been better..."
"Stop that. I knew if you wore your training swimsuits, it would turn into a swimming competition eventually."
I could hear Rice and King talking as they splashed water and swam.
When King first joined Team Kitalfa, I wondered how things would turn out, but it seems she gets along well not only with Urala and Rice, but with Rice herself. From Rice's perspective, a junior who can keep up with any training must be just as cute as Urala.
(Hmm... is it okay that I'm just having fun by watching them... am I satisfied?)
I opened the cooler box and took out a carbonated drink. I really wanted to bring beer, but I had to drive back, so no alcohol for me. Kiryuuin-san might have a driver's license, but... I have a feeling she's a paper driver even if she does.
Well, if I get tired of relaxing, I plan to swim or play. I can ask someone to watch the bags when they want to take a break. I have my goggles, so I might even swim for a bit.
"Hmm... it's so peaceful..."
Muttering that, I started to do some stretches on the leisure sheet. I wanted to lie down, but the ground was surprisingly hot, even with the sheet. The shade from the leisure sheet and the beach umbrella might cool it down eventually, but my butt was a bit hot.
(It's a bit early, but what should we have for lunch... I want to eat that rustic yakisoba from the beach shack... and grilled corn. Oh, will they have enough to satisfy Urala and the others? I didn't think about that...)
Well, it should be fine as long as I let them eat until they're not completely full. As I was thinking that, I was just staring at the sea, getting a dose of the sea breeze—wait a minute?
(Hmm? Is everything okay?)
The two young Uma Musume I saw earlier were swimming far from the shore. From a distance, I could see shark nets, so I wasn't worried about sharks, but they were swimming in a place where I couldn't even touch the bottom.
Many Uma Musume have excellent athletic ability, and from how they were swimming, they looked like they could handle it. Still, I couldn't help but worry, perhaps because I'm used to dealing with Uma Musume like Urala. No, wait, Urala is a middle schooler, isn't she? And she's over there right now, building a sandcastle, all excited.
Maybe I'll try building a sandcastle too. I don't know if I can do it, but building a Japanese castle would be fun, I thought.
Then.
"—! Hey! Help!"
I barely heard a voice. I looked in that direction and saw that one of the two young Uma Musume I had been watching was no longer visible.
(Oh no... don't tell me...)
I immediately stood up and looked around. The dark-bay girl was still there. She had her head above the water, looking around in a panicked state. The chestnut girl... was gone. No, there she was. Her hand was occasionally popping out of the water as she struggled.
"Hey! Rice, King, help me! An Uma Musume is drowning!"
I took off my jacket, threw away my sunglasses, grabbed my goggles, and started running. Rice and King must have heard my voice because they reacted immediately, though they didn't seem to know where the Uma Musume was drowning.
There were lifeguards at the beach, but saving a drowning Uma Musume can be dangerous for them.
It's common knowledge in this world that an Uma Musume's physical abilities far exceed those of a normal human, and a drowning Uma Musume will thrash around without restraint. If a human gets hit, it can be... no, it's seriously dangerous.
In such cases, it would be best for another Uma Musume to perform the rescue, but saving a drowning person is a life-or-death situation. It's just as dangerous whether the person is a human or an Uma Musume.
(But I can't just ignore it now that I've seen it!)
I dove into the sea and swam toward the dark-bay Uma Musume using the crawl stroke. The water was quite deep. I couldn't touch the bottom... in fact, it was well over 2 meters deep.
I switched to treading water and tapped the dark-bay Uma Musume on the back. She looked at me, startled, so I pointed to the shore. It was an instruction for her to get out of the water. Before she could react, I took a deep breath and dove under the sea. Even if she didn't head back to shore, I was sure Rice and King, who were following me, would pull her along.
(The visibility is bad... where is she...?)
I had my goggles on, but the visibility was worse than I expected. There were no landmarks underwater, and she might have moved because of the waves, but I mentally recalled the dark-bay Uma Musume's position and the last place I saw the struggling hand.
(Not much time has passed, so she shouldn't have moved too far... Why would an Uma Musume suddenly drown? Did her leg cramp up?)
It wasn't like a horror movie where a shark would appear. If that were the case, neither humans nor Uma Musume would stand a chance.
I roughly calculated the direction the drowning girl might have been carried by the waves and swam in that direction. She shouldn't have sunk to the bottom yet... wait?
(Whoa! That was close!)
I found the chestnut Uma Musume right away—but she was panicking, and her flailing arms and legs grazed right in front of my face. Her right leg, however, was twitching and not moving. It seemed she had a cramp after all.
I moved behind the Uma Musume and tapped her on the back. Her body trembled in surprise, so I tapped her back again and then her head. After letting her know it was a human and not a fish or other creature, I held her from behind.
Then, I swam straight up toward the surface.
"Phew!"
She must have been at her limit, as she took a huge gasp of air the moment her face broke the surface. I also took a big breath and started swimming toward the shore while holding her.
"Easy now... don't struggle..."
If she struggled, we'd both sink. So when I spoke to her, the Uma Musume nodded slightly. Good girl. I had been swimming backward while holding her, but as we got closer to the shore, I felt the sand touch my feet. I kept swimming until I felt solid ground under my feet, and only then did I stand up.
"Phew... phew... Okay, you did a good job not struggling. Good girl..."
I tried to catch my breath and put down the Uma Musume I had just rescued. But she clung to me, her leg still cramped. So I held her in my arms and walked toward the shore.
"Onii-sama, are you okay?"
"And you, are you hurt?"
Rice and King, who had already guided the dark-bay Uma Musume to the shore, called out to me. Before I could answer, I got to the shore and set the Uma Musume down on the sand.
"Ugh... phew... I'm fine. And this girl is..."
"Daiya-chan! Are you okay!?"
As I was about to answer after setting her down, the dark-bay Uma Musume rushed forward and hugged the rescued girl.
"It... it's hard to breathe, Kita-chan..."
"Alright, alright, I know how you feel, but wait a second. Rice, can you pull her off?"
"Huh? Okay."
When I asked her, Rice immediately pulled the dark-bay Uma Musume away. The dark-bay girl tried to struggle, but she was no match for Rice.
"Did you swallow any seawater? Do you feel any pain or sickness?"
"Huh? Um... I-I'm okay."
"Are you sure? This isn't the time to be tough, you know."
"Just a little... I drank some water."
When I asked her in a gentle voice, the chestnut Uma Musume answered that. Hearing that, I picked her up again and carried her to the leisure sheet where I had been sitting.
"I think you'll be fine if you just drank a little seawater, but let me know immediately if you start to feel sick, okay?"
Calling an ambulance would be the safest option, but as an Uma Musume trainer, I have some knowledge of how to handle these situations. Her breathing was stable, and for now, it didn't seem serious enough to call an ambulance.
No, I really wanted to call an ambulance, but even though this was causing a bit of a commotion, I couldn't find this girl's parents anywhere. If I needed to, I'd go with her, but I never learned how to handle this kind of situation in trainer's school.
So, for now, I decided to let her rest, give her some water, and watch over her. The chestnut girl's name was apparently Daiya-chan, and the dark-bay girl's name was Kita-chan.
They told me that they heard their idol Uma Musume was training in this area, so they came to see her together.
However, they couldn't find their idol and didn't want to go home empty-handed. So they decided to go for a swim before heading back—
"You shouldn't go swimming alone without a guardian. Okay?"
"Okay..."
"I'm sorry..."
When I told them that, the two of them honestly apologized. Seeing their sincere regret, I gave a wry smile and changed the subject.
"So? Who was the Uma Musume you two wanted to meet?"
"Teiou-san!"
"I wanted to see McQueen-san!"
Oh... I didn't expect those names to come up. But those two... no, Team Spica was planning to do a triathlon today or something... so of course you couldn't find them.
When I told them that, they looked disappointed.
This was my first encounter with Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond, whom I would later see often at the race track.
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