The summer training camp has ended, and Urara, Rice, King, and I have returned to Tracen Academy.
The camp results were excellent, and I'm confident that the outcome was even better than I had anticipated. King's growth, in particular, was remarkable. I have a good feeling that she will perform well in the Sprinters Stakes in late September, provided we get a spot.
Both Urara and Rice have improved even more than when we were training at Tracen Academy. While their growth has slowed, they are still steadily getting better.
Considering all this, I can confidently say that holding the training camp was the right decision. And the mock races with Team Kitalpha, Team Rigil, Team Spica, and Meak were also a great success.
From the mock races, I was able to confirm King's progress, and I am very satisfied.
Yes, the camp and mock races ended with very satisfying results—but...
"Just to confirm! Did you really get enough rest during the training camp?!"
"Trainer, please be honest. I'm not going to get mad."
The day after we returned from the camp, I was summoned to the chairperson's office first thing in the morning. And yes, I was the trainer. Their lack of trust brought tears to my eyes.
"I sent reports to Tazuna-san every day... I rested well, didn't I? The hot springs were so nice. I was completely rejuvenated."
With the hot springs, massage chairs, and the delicious meals from the ryokan, not to mention the "Urara Therapy," I felt so relaxed that I didn't want to come back. When I told them this, the chairperson and Tazuna-san exchanged a look and eyed me with suspicion.
"Is that the truth? Is it okay if I confirm this with Haru Urara and the others?"
"Yes, that's fine."
I had nothing to hide. That's why I nodded with full confidence. The "Urara Therapy" was very soothing, and I even got more sleep than when I was working at Tracen Academy. Well, that's because I had fewer tasks to handle during the camp...
"You really didn't do anything reckless?"
"Yes, of course."
"I see..." Tazuna-san nodded, seemingly convinced. Wait, what? She's picking up a newspaper from the desk.
"So, helping a Uma Musume who was drowning in the ocean was not an act of recklessness?"
There was a picture of me on the front page being honored by the local fire department for rescuing a drowning Daiya-chan. I don't look very good in that photo.
"I'm a trainer. It's only natural for me to help a drowning Uma Musume. And I was able to see where she was about to drown, so it wasn't that reckless."
If I had left it to a lifeguard, the panicked Daiya-chan might have punched and broken one of their bones, which would have been a shock for her. Not to mention, the rescue might not have been successful.
"Sigh... No, I'm not saying you shouldn't have helped her. I received your report, and honestly, I was very surprised. But please remember that if anything were to happen to you, Haru Urara and the others, as well as we, would be heartbroken."
"I understand."
I nodded honestly. I was able to help her because she was Daiya-chan, but if it had been an adult Uma Musume, it might have been difficult to carry her to shore. If they had panicked even more than Daiya-chan and started hitting me, I would have had a hard time.
As I was thinking that, Tazuna-san smiled.
"And finally... regarding the mock races with Team Rigil, Team Spica, and Happy Meak, we received a report about it beforehand, so Tracen Academy has no issues with it. However, we've run into a bit of a problem."
"What do you mean?"
I tilted my head, wondering what was wrong. Tazuna-san sighed and put a hand on her cheek.
"Dozens of the spectators who watched the mock races uploaded videos to the internet... No, that's not the problem. That's part of the nature of Uma Musume races. The issue is that a TV station has requested to use the race footage that we filmed..."
She was probably talking about the videos that Grass Wonder, Narita Brian, and Silence Suzuka filmed. The spectators were using their phones, but we were using proper video cameras. So, it's not surprising that a TV station would want to use our footage.
I wondered if there was a problem with that. Tazuna-san, however, looked troubled.
"They want to use the footage with your commentary. Is that okay with you?"
"Hmm... with that commentary..."
It made sense that Tazuna-san was asking for my confirmation.
I was commentating and giving analysis with Gold Ship-chan in a casual, everyday manner. It's a bit embarrassing to have that broadcast... but wait. Wouldn't it be a waste to not show the scene where Rice and Symboli Rudolf finished at the same time?
It's a video that shows my Rice on equal footing with "The Emperor." Some people might even think she won. While Symboli Rudolf was a bit tired from the middle-distance race, it's still footage of Rice's impressive performance... and Urara also did well in the dirt race... and King was sticking close to Maruzensky...
(I guess it's fine... I don't think Uma Musume fans care about the trainer's commentary.)
I would rather have Urara and the others become more popular. And in Rice's case, if the race gets more attention, her merchandise sales might increase, which would fill her pockets.
I don't know how long it will be until she retires, but it would be great if she's financially secure after her racing career. Well, she already has a nine-digit number in her bank account... but it's always better to have more money.
"...Okay, I don't mind."
After thinking it over, I nodded in agreement. The chairperson and Tazuna-san looked at me with a strange expression.
"Thank you... By the way, this is just out of curiosity, but do you ever check your reputation on the internet?"
"Huh? My reputation? I understand checking on Urara and the others, but what's the point of checking on a trainer's reputation?"
Maybe it's something trainers like Toujou-san or the senior from Team Spica would do, but I'm just a rookie. And what's there to criticize about a trainer? Oh, are they criticizing my training methods? I'd be interested in that...
"...No, it's nothing. Don't worry about it."
When I asked in confusion, Tazuna-san changed the subject. I tilted my head and left the chairperson's office.
(Is there something about me on the internet...)
I took out my phone and searched for "Team Kitalpha Trainer." But all that came up were articles from when I was featured in Monthly Twinkle and fan sites that summarized Team Kitalpha's records.
I was surprised that there was a fan site at all, but when I checked the content, it only listed the members, their races, and their wins and losses.
(Hmm... There's nothing...)
The article about me being honored for rescuing Daiya-chan also popped up as a local news story, but there was nothing strange about it. I tilted my head in confusion, put my phone back in my pocket, and walked away.
And now, the training camp is over, and it's September.
The summer vacation has ended, and Urara and the others are back to their daily routine of classes and training. My days are also busy with work from Tracen Academy and the same research as before.
We need to apply for King's spot in the Sprinters Stakes in late September, and I need to re-evaluate the training menus based on the girls' improved physical abilities from the camp.
There's a mountain of work to do, but I don't feel like I'm slacking because I can sense that we're making progress. Of course, I have no intention of slacking off.
So, the reason I forgot to buy lunch wasn't because I was slacking off... I was just so used to having my meals prepared for me at the camp that the thought of having to get my own food slipped my mind.
I usually eat a bento from the convenience store, but after eating so many delicious things at the camp, a convenience store bento just won't cut it. So, when I realized I had forgotten to pack lunch, I ordered from a bento shop and went to the main gate of Tracen Academy to pick it up.
They do deliver, but I can't ask them to deliver it all the way to Team Kitalpha's room at Tracen Academy. It would be a shame if the delivery person got lost inside the academy.
I bought a stamina bento with plenty of meat and vegetables, as well as some vegetable juice. After paying, I turned to head back to the team room. However, I noticed a familiar Uma Musume in the distance and turned my attention to her.
Walking along the connecting corridor, presumably on her way to the cafeteria, was Mejiro McQueen. But as I watched her walk, I frowned.
(...Huh? Hmm?)
At first glance, she seemed to be walking normally, but she was occasionally, and perhaps unconsciously, favoring her left leg a little...
"Mejiro McQueen!"
Doubt sprang into my mind, and I immediately called out to her. Mejiro McQueen's horse ears twitched in response to my voice, and she turned to look at me, bowing gracefully.
"Oh, trainer from Team Kitalpha. Is there something you need?"
Mejiro McQueen smiled as she said that. She looked surprised to be called out by a person she didn't expect, but she wasn't hostile.
"I wouldn't say I need something... Is something wrong with your left leg?"
When I asked, Mejiro McQueen's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"My trainer has been asking me the same thing every day lately... Does it look strange? I don't feel any pain or anything."
(No pain? So it's just my imagination? No, but...)
After hearing her response, I tilted my head. It would be great if I was mistaken, but if I wasn't, I would regret ignoring it.
"Your gait looked a little off. You might not feel any symptoms yet, but there could be something wrong."
"Me?"
Mejiro McQueen looked baffled. She had broken her leg last year and had to take a long-term rest for treatment. She had just recently returned to racing and was competing with my Rice and her rival, Toukai Teiou, for the senior class's Triple Crown.
(There's a possibility that she's fatigued from the training camp...)
It's a bit of a gray area for a trainer to tell another team's Uma Musume that she might be injured. And when it's a strong Uma Musume, it could be seen as an attempt to keep her from racing.
But I couldn't just let it go. I knelt down beside Mejiro McQueen.
"Can I examine it? I might be able to find something."
"Examine it... here? Um... it's a bit embarrassing, and people are watching..."
"I'll just take off your shoe and sock and check your left leg."
When I said that with a serious face, Mejiro McQueen's gaze wandered in confusion. But she must have realized I was serious, as she finally sighed.
"Please don't take this the wrong way, but it's a bit much for a trainer to be so concerned about his team's rival. Not that I'm not happy about your concern, though."
"I'll take a rest from today's training and have my family doctor check it out. Would that be okay?"
"Yes, of course."
Mejiro family's doctor would be able to diagnose her more accurately than I could. When I stood up, Mejiro McQueen gave a wry smile.
"Before talking about my team, I'm a trainer employed by Tracen Academy... Oh, I think I told Toukai Teiou the same thing."
"You told Teiou? Oh... Now that you mention it, there was a time when my trainer was scolding Teiou. My trainer was also worried, so maybe it was a good time to have the family doctor check her out."
It must be hard for an Uma Musume to believe that there's something wrong with their body when they don't feel any pain. But after being told by the senior from Team Spica and by me, who just happened to be passing by, Mejiro McQueen decided to have her doctor check her out.
But she still seemed a bit skeptical... or rather, she seemed 99% sure that nothing was wrong.
"You're going to compete with my Rice for the Autumn Senior Triple Crown. If we're going to race, I want to beat you when you're in perfect condition."
When I said that, Mejiro McQueen blinked a few times and then smiled softly.
"Well... when you put it that way, I'll have to face you in perfect condition. Teiou and Rice-san... Hehe, as a daughter of the Mejiro family, I will obediently get a checkup so that I can compete with strong rivals."
"Please do. And you can laugh at me and the senior for being overly worried."
"Yes. I will. Well then, if you'll excuse me."
Mejiro McQueen gave a graceful bow and walked away from me. As I watched her go, I prayed that nothing was wrong and walked away.
But my prayers were not answered.
Well, maybe they were answered halfway.
After finishing the day's training, I was writing the daily report in the team room when the senior from Team Spica came in with a gloomy look on his face.
"Hey... Got a minute?"
"Yes... Is something wrong? Is it about Mejiro McQueen?"
I stood up from my chair and asked. He plopped down on the sofa and let out a big sigh.
"I heard you noticed something this afternoon? I was also checking on her every day, but she apparently had the Mejiro family doctor check on her today... She's got a nasty inflammation."
"Nasty inflammation? You don't mean..."
Two types of injuries that Uma Musume are prone to popped into my mind. But the senior gave a wry smile and shook his head.
"No, it's not a fatal condition like suspensory ligament desmitis or bowed tendon. It seems she was fatigued from the training camp... She doesn't feel any strong pain yet, but it's tenosynovitis."
Tenosynovitis is a common condition in humans who use computers a lot. I get it all the time when I'm swamped with work.
It's not unusual for Uma Musume to get tenosynovitis because of the stress on their legs. However, tenosynovitis can be an early symptom of a bowed tendon, so it needs to be monitored carefully.
Both suspensory ligament desmitis and bowed tendon are fatal conditions for an Uma Musume. They can still live a normal life, but they can no longer run at full speed in races.
I was relieved that it wasn't one of those conditions, but from the senior's expression, I could tell that the situation was not good.
"...How bad is it?"
"For now, she needs to rest and be observed... She might not make it in time for the Autumn Tennou Sho."
"I see..."
When I heard that, I dropped my shoulders. She could probably still run, but if she pushed herself and got a bowed tendon, her career as a Uma Musume would be over. The fact that we found out now was a stroke of luck.
"Please tell Mejiro McQueen not to push herself."
I didn't ask why the senior went out of his way to tell me. I figured he felt it was his duty to tell me since he heard about my involvement from Mejiro McQueen.
"Alright... You should also be careful. Once an injury happens, it's too late."
"Yes, I'll be more careful than ever."
When I nodded, the senior stood up from the sofa. Before he left the room, he turned back to look at me.
"First with Teiou and now this, I owe you twice... and I haven't even paid you back for the first one."
"Then let's call it even with the mock races we had the other day. It was a bit too tough for my team to go up against Team Rigil, plus Happy Meak."
"It helped my team too, so we're not calling it even. If you ever run into any problems, just ask. I can help with anything except money and women."
With that, he left the room. I sat back down in my chair and let out a deep sigh.
"Mejiro McQueen... seriously..."
She might recover surprisingly quickly, but Uma Musume who constantly put a strain on their leg muscles and joints are prone to fractures and inflammations. I'm always being careful and checking on their condition every day, but sometimes things happen.
On the other hand, if I gave them training that didn't put a strain on them, their abilities as Uma Musume wouldn't improve.
I've been creating training menus that strengthen Urara and the others' bodies while also improving their physical abilities so that they don't get injured. But even with my care, minor inflammations still happen. No matter how careful I am, it happens.
The training I give Urara and the others is similar to a human's weight training. One day we focus on arms, the next on abs, and the day after that on legs. I consciously change the muscles we focus on each day so that they don't put a continuous, strong strain on the same area.
In short, my theory is that if they train in a balanced way, the stress will be dispersed. I also check on their muscle development with a physical examination and adjust their training accordingly.
However, even with my care, stress is still put on their legs—especially their ankle joints. Uma Musume run at incredible speeds, so the stress on their bodies is incomparable to that of a human. Their bodies are tougher because of it, but in the worst-case scenario, they can get a comminuted fracture like Silence Suzuka.
"..."
I sighed again and took out my phone. It was a little after 7 PM, so it wasn't too late yet.
I should tell Urara and the others... No, at least Rice. Mejiro McQueen is one of Rice's rivals, a person with whom she shared the senior class's Triple Crown.
(...No, I'll just tell everyone to be careful.)
I always make sure they report any pain or discomfort they feel. But since this situation happened, it would be a good idea to remind them again.
With that decision, I called Urara, Rice, and King and explained the situation, reminding them to be careful.
Mejiro McQueen's injury was a huge shock to Rice in particular.
To Rice, she was one of her rivals, someone she had raced against many times. But there was little we could do for a recovering Mejiro McQueen. We could at most send her a get-well gift, and since we were on different teams, we couldn't take care of her.
I'm paying more attention to Urara and the others' physical conditions than ever before, but I'm still pushing them to their limits so that their growth doesn't stagnate. But now, I'm performing even more meticulous checkups.
I've already shrunk back from fear of injury once, and that's enough. I'm still afraid of injuries, of course, but if I'm always careful, the possibility of it happening will definitely go down.
And so, we continued our days of training Urara and the others for the autumn races. Although summer was over, the hot days continued, so we were careful to avoid heatstroke during training.
The next race on our schedule was King's Sprinters Stakes. I had expected it to be a drawing since many senior-class Uma Musume would also be participating, but...
(Hmm... The entry list came in normally...)
Fortunately, King was able to get a spot in the Sprinters Stakes.
I guess there weren't many Uma Musume with high prize money who specialized in short-distance turf races. There were quite a few who could also run short distances and had high prize money, but they all seemed to have gone to the G2 races that were being held at the same time.
There were the Kobe Shimbun Hai, a 2400-meter middle-distance race for only classic-class runners, and the St. Lite Kinen, a 2200-meter middle-distance race. There was also the All Comers, a 2200-meter middle-distance race that both classic and senior-class runners could participate in. The Port Island Stakes, an open race, was also held in late September.
Maybe because of that, or because there weren't many Uma Musume who could match King's prize money of just under 50 million yen, she was able to get a spot in the Sprinters Stakes.
However, when I saw the name of the opponent who was on the list, I gave a wry smile.
(Well, of course, she'd be here...)
The name on the entry list was Taiki Shuttle of Team Rigil.
In the mock races at the summer training camp, King competed with her in a short-distance race, and King won by one horse-length. The Sprinters Stakes is 1200 meters, so if the results of the mock race are anything to go by, King would win. However, a real race is different from a mock race in terms of the opponent's motivation. I don't think it'll be that easy.
There aren't any other Uma Musume I'm paying attention to, but I can't be careless since there are many senior-class runners. I thought Meak might be here, but she's probably adjusting for the Kikuka Sho.
Is our team strange for trying to have King participate in the G1 Sprinters Stakes, which is a short-distance race, and then the G1 Kikuka Sho, which is a long-distance race?
But King has the talent to do that, and she's putting in the effort that matches that talent. It's still a bit iffy whether she can win the Kikuka Sho, but I think she can be trained to a level where she can put up a fight.
But first, we have the Sprinters Stakes right in front of us. I told King, who came to the team room after school, that she would be participating, and we started our final adjustments.
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