King finishes first in the Sprinters Stakes. Now, along with Urara and Rice, I've been watching King sing and dance as the center of the victory live, waving my glow stick to liven things up. The victory live show is over, and King has changed clothes in the waiting room, but her mood is completely different from usual.
"Oh ho ho ho! Now, King has returned! I'll give you the right to praise me!"
King laughs with an "ohoho" while placing her right hand on her left cheek. Oh, this might be the first time I've seen King like this in person. I used to hear it sometimes over the phone.
"Yeah! That's King for you!"
"King-chan, you're amazing!"
"You were so great, King-chan,"
Both Urara, Rice, and I sincerely congratulated her. King's excitement grows even more.
"Oh! This King! I'll give you more rights to praise me!"
It seems she wants more praise. It's her first G1 victory, so I guess it can't be helped.
"Yeah! King is number one in Japan! The strongest sprinter!"
"Ki-n-g! Ki-n-g!"
"..."
I praise her rhythmically clapping my hands, and Urara joins in with a "King call" to match my rhythm. But Rice just smiles gently and tilts her head slightly.
"Rice is happy that King-chan won—but you shouldn't be careless, okay?"
"...Okay,"
With Rice's warning, King becomes as quiet as a borrowed cat. Perhaps because she is doted on by Rice so much, even King can't win against her.
Still, Rice stands in front of King, stretches up, and reaches for King's head. Then she gives a soft, warm smile.
"But I'm glad King-chan won... You really did your best,"
"..."
King takes a small breath at Rice's gentle voice and the stroking of her head. Her eyes well up, and she lowers her face, which she never does during races or training.
(Rice... Hehe, I guess I don't need to praise her again after this.)
I smile deeper at the interaction between Rice and King. Rice pulls the downcast King's head into a hug and gently pats her back as if to say, "good girl."
Unlike Urara and King, Rice is the only one in the high school section, and though she's supposed to be smaller than King, at this moment, she seems like a leader and elder of Team Kitalpha.
(To think that Rice would be like this...)
Rice, who used to say it was her fault and that she would bring misfortune to others, is now hugging her junior, King, and patting her back to soothe her. Just seeing that sight makes me smile naturally. My tear ducts are about to give way, or maybe they already have.
King is hugged by Rice for a while, but then she pulls away, her face red with embarrassment. I'm wondering if Urara will rush over and hug her next, or if I should praise her to the heavens again. That's when I hear King's phone vibrate in her pocket. Noticing it, King's expression hardens. She pulls out her phone, checks the name on the screen, and then looks at me. I nod, as if to say it's okay to take the call.
"Hello?"
King walks a short distance away from us to answer the call. The person on the other end is probably... no, definitely King's mother. She called at a timing that feels almost planned.
(She probably timed it to be right after the victory live show...)
King's mother was also a successful Uma Musume racer herself. She would know exactly how long a victory live show lasts. By calculating the time her daughter King would take to change clothes, it wouldn't be impossible for her to call at the perfect time.
This also means that King's mother is constantly checking up on King's whereabouts and has a deep understanding of her...
Urara and Rice look at King with puzzled expressions. King exchanges a few words on the phone, and her happy expression from before completely vanishes, replaced by a scowl. She then frantically taps the end call button on her screen with so much force it looks like the screen might crack, then shoves the phone back into her pocket.
"Honestly! Honestly! My mother always has to be a buzzkill!"
"What did your mom say?"
I ask, certain from King's reaction. I have a pretty good idea of what was said over the phone.
"She said, 'Aren't you satisfied with winning a G1? Use this as a good opportunity to come home!'"
King says, puffing out her cheeks in frustration, as if she's stomping her feet. Urara's eyebrows droop sadly as she understands what happened from King's words and demeanor, while Rice's brows furrow in anger.
To Rice, King is a precious junior. She cherishes her in a different way than her best friend Urara and dotes on her in many ways. Seeing her hug King just now made that abundantly clear.
Rice takes a step towards King—but before she can, I gently tap her on the head.
"King,"
"...What?"
King turns her head away sulkily. She's probably feeling like a buzzkill was thrown at her, just as she said, right after winning her G1 Sprinters Stakes. I walk over to King and bend my knees slightly to meet her eye level.
"King, I understand how you feel... But don't hate your mom,"
"...What did you say?"
King looks at me in astonishment and displeasure. She must have thought I would take her side. And I am on King's side. There's no doubt about that. But precisely because of that, I can't overlook discord between a parent and child.
"I've never been a parent myself. So this is just something I've heard, but parents don't want their children to go through hardship."
I've never had a child, including in my previous life. But from what I've heard of King's mother's way of speaking, I have my own thoughts.
"It's strange... or rather, it's natural in a way, but you think, 'I don't want my own child to go through the same hardships I did.' You often hear stories like, 'I struggled, so I want my child to go to a good school and get a good job,' right?"
"..."
King remains silent at my words. She doesn't nod, just listens intently.
Even adults were once children, so why don't they understand their children's feelings? I think everyone has wondered this at some point. When it's your own parent, it's not uncommon to feel negative emotions like anger or disappointment.
But from a parent's perspective, because of their own bitter experiences as a child, they wish for their own children not to follow the same path.
While some parents might have a style of "let them fail" or "drop the child into the ravine," King's mother doesn't seem to be that type. No, she might be acting tough on purpose, but I can't help but see a certain awkwardness in her. In that regard, I think, "She really is King's mother."
King's mother is a rare Uma Musume who won seven G1 races in America. If a daughter looks up to such a mother and tries to follow the same path, how much hardship awaits her? It's a path that can only be walked by someone with extraordinary natural talent, who puts in incredible effort, and is also blessed with great luck.
King's mother knows how difficult that path is. That's why I wonder how she views King, who has decided to become a first-rate Uma Musume just like her.
I believe King has talent far beyond a normal Uma Musume. And I know she has the spirit to work hard without complaining or whining, no matter how tough or painful the training is. However, I think the fact that there are so many talented Uma Musume among her同期 is an element King's mother can't overlook.
"...So, you're saying my mother is right?"
King asks sulkily after listening to me. She's turned away, her eyebrows furrowed in dissatisfaction. I smile a little at her.
"No? That's a different story."
After all, there's no such thing as right or wrong in these kinds of conversations. Since I haven't confirmed it with her, it's just my speculation, but I can't say I don't understand King's mother's feelings of worrying about King getting hurt, in whatever form that may take.
At the same time, the concern from her mother—which King sees as meddling or a taunt—isn't reaching King.
Even if I were to suggest they have a frank conversation, if my guess is wrong and King's mother genuinely wants to take King back, it could cause a fatal rift in their relationship.
The possibility is low since she allowed King to enroll in the Tracen Academy, but she might be considering taking King back after seeing her peers. Only she would know the truth of that.
So there's only one thing I can say to King.
"Because... King, if you followed your mom's advice and quit Tracen Academy to go home, what do you think would happen?"
"What do you mean..."
"Wouldn't you have regrets? Seeing other Uma Musume like Special Week, El Condor Pasa, Grass Wonder, and Seiun Sky, and even Urara, performing on TV, wouldn't you wonder why you aren't on that stage?"
"..."
If I were in King's position, I would definitely feel that way.
I'm someone who's living a second life after reincarnating due to some karma. Even I am full of regrets.
Even though I was a brilliant student, I regret not having tried harder. I wonder if I could have aimed for top grades in academics or sports until junior high, even if high school was impossible. I regret not being able to do more when Urara and the others lose a race.
As the saying goes, regret is something you feel later. Even if you gave it your all at the time, you might wonder if there was something more you could have done later.
Besides, I don't think it'll happen, and I'd stop her with all my might, but what would King's mother do if King actually accepted what was said on the phone and went home? When I think about that, it's safer to assume she's deliberately provoking King to make her strive harder.
That is, setting aside King's feelings of being hit with cold words from her mother, whom she admires.
"I understand your mom's feelings... but more than that, I want to respect your feelings. If you wish to become stronger, I'll do my best to support you. After that, it's up to you what you want to do."
So, putting aside what's right or wrong, I'm on King's side. I'm her trainer. I will train her so she can get what she wants and have no regrets.
And if King can achieve a result that makes her mother speechless...
(No, King gave her all at the training camp and is always working hard to become stronger... So it's all up to me. It always comes back to that, doesn't it?)
Being a trainer really is a huge responsibility. If I had known that from the beginning, maybe I wouldn't have aimed for this profession. Now, however, I'm completely immersed in the job of a trainer, enjoying the fun, joy, and frustration of seeing the Uma Musume I've trained win and lose races.
As long as King wants to become stronger, all I can do is respond to that wish. Although I'm concerned about the discord between King and her mother, there's something more important to do right now.
"So, instead of what's right, let's try to understand the hidden meaning behind what your mom said... and we'll do things our own way. For now... let's celebrate King's first-place finish in the G1. What do you want to eat tonight? I'll take you to any restaurant you want."
I gently pat King's head once, who has been deep in thought after hearing my story, and clap my hands a few times to change the mood.
While I am King's trainer, I won't pry into her family matters... well, I probably would if it were necessary, but I feel like King and her mother's relationship might improve just by talking it out.
So for now, I'll celebrate King's win in the Sprinters Stakes. I'll remind King that she won.
King blinks her eyes, then stops her sulking face and turns away.
"Hmph... Then, Trainer, you should cook dinner. I'll settle for the carrot hamburger you make... no, I should tell you properly."
King smiles shyly and bashfully.
"I want to eat the carrot hamburger that you make. With Urara and Rice-senpai too. And of course, I want to eat it with you."
"Ah... You got it."
I nod with a smile at King's request. I'll have to put my heart and soul into making it. And King? If you could be this honest with your own mother... No, maybe you can't be this way precisely because she's family.
"Alright, let's go to the shopping street to buy the ingredients first!"
"Yeah!"
"Yeah,"
When I say this with my fist raised, Urara imitates me by raising her fist and jumping up, and Rice also raises her fist slightly.
"Hehe... you're all so silly,"
Watching us, King mutters softly.
So, a week has passed since King won the Sprinters Stakes.
A week after the Sprinters Stakes means it's Sunday. However, for a trainer at Tracen Academy, the word "Sunday" doesn't exist. Well, the word itself exists, and people with families or singles who want to rest do, but I'm at work as usual.
The Sprinters Stakes is over, but Rice's Autumn Tenno Sho and King's Kikuka Sho are scheduled for late October. So on Sunday, I'm training Urara and the others as usual—or rather, since I have more time, I'm training them hard.
Still, by the evening, Urara and the others are exhausted and can't move, so we finish practice and head back to the club room. I'm also pretty tired from shouting instructions to Urara and the others all day. While they change, I sit on the sofa and turn on the TV.
Channel check, recording check!
"Now, the main race of the day is about to begin. Nakayama Racecourse, Race 11. A 2200-meter turf race, the G2 All Comers. There are 13 Uma Musume participating. The track condition has been announced as 'good'."
"This race also serves as a step race for the Autumn Tenno Sho. The winner gets priority entry, so it's a prelude to the Autumn Senior Triple Crown races that will begin soon."
The race I want to watch is the G2 All Comers held at the Nakayama Racecourse. I usually record races from various racecourses or get past race footage as data from Tracen Academy, but I wanted to watch this one in real time.
The reason is simple: one of Rice's rival Uma Musume is running in this race.
(Is she checking her condition after the training camp, or is it a tune-up race? Which is it...?)
I think about this while listening to the commentator and analyst.
There are two Uma Musume I'm paying attention to in the All Comers... no, three.
One is Tokai Teio from Team Spica.
She's the top favorite for this race... but just from watching on TV, she doesn't seem to be in good condition. No, it's not that she's in bad condition; it's more like she's feeling the pressure. Her expression is stiff, and she's repeatedly clenching and unclenching her hands.
(Is she feeling the pressure because of Mejiro McQueen's injury? No, Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen have seen each other get injured before, and according to my senior, Mejiro McQueen's tenosynovitis isn't a fatal injury... I don't think Tokai Teio, who has won five G1 races, would get unnecessarily nervous now...)
Hmm, I wonder what happened. I'm curious, but there's nothing I can do from in front of the TV.
The other Uma Musume I'm paying attention to is Ikuno Dictus from Team Canopus.
I'm wary of her because she won the All Comers last year and has been consistently finishing in the top positions in her last three races.
So far, Rice has dominated their matchups, but Ikuno is not an opponent to be complacent about. Besides, our team isn't the only one that got stronger from summer training. I need to check how much she has improved.
And the last person I'm paying attention to is the final member of Team Canopus, Twin Turbo.
Twin Turbo is an Uma Musume with a similar running style to Mejiro Palmer, specializing in a massive breakaway. However, she's more prone to running out of steam and having a massive slowdown in the final stretch than Mejiro Palmer.
I haven't mentioned her as a rival for Rice before, even though she's a member of that Team Canopus, because Twin Turbo had been on long-term medical leave due to an illness.
She has 4 wins in 13 races so far. Her wins are in her debut race and an open-class race two years ago, the G3 Radio Tanpa Sho, and this year's G3 Tanabata Sho in early July.
She's in the senior class, a year older than Rice, but her race record is sparse because she got sick after finishing 12th in the Arima Kinen two years ago and was on rest until November of last year.
After that, she had a slump, failing to even place in four consecutive races, but she broke away and won the Tanabata Sho this year. I've been paying attention to her recently because she won a major race for the first time in two years and is a member of Team Canopus.
But still, she's probably no match for Tokai Teio. I was watching the race to see how long Twin Turbo could hold the lead and to check the condition of Tokai Teio and Ikuno Dictus—
"The race is now being set by Twin Turbo, who is in the lead. The gap to the second horse is about eight to nine horse lengths. She's running with her turbo engine fully on today as well."
With 1000 meters left, Twin Turbo is still in the lead. What is this breakaway? The second place horse is also a leader, but there's an eight to nine horse-length gap, and the same distance is between the second and third place horses.
In other words, Twin Turbo has a gap of 16 to 18 horse lengths between her and the third place horse. The commentator's voice has a hint of laughter, and I can hear occasional laughter from the crowd.
(It's not a short distance, but a middle distance, 2200 meters, you know? It wouldn't be strange for her to run out of steam even before the final stretch...)
I watch the race footage with a bit of bewilderment.
"Passing the 600-meter mark. Twin Turbo is still in the lead, one, two, three... three seconds ahead of the second-place horse, running alone in the lead."
In an Uma Musume race, a 1-second gap is about 6 horse lengths, which is about 14.4 meters. A gap of three seconds or more means over 18 horse lengths. It could mean Twin Turbo is running alone with a 50-meter lead over the second place horse.
Of course, the other Uma Musume will speed up from here. I'm sure every Uma Musume is thinking of passing her in the final stretch, while Twin Turbo runs out of gas.
"Coming out of the fourth corner! Twin Turbo! Only Twin Turbo is entering the final stretch! The gap to the rest is still over 10 horse lengths! The favorite, Tokai Teio, is gaining, but can she catch her?!"
"Twin Turbo's engine is fully on again today. The focus is on whether her engine will last to the end or if she'll stall and lose momentum."
The male analyst is speaking with a slight laugh. It's an atmosphere you don't often see in other races. But the figure of Twin Turbo running alone has a charm that makes this possible.
"Now, the final stretch! Less than 200 meters to go! Twin Turbo is still leading! The turbo engine is still full of energy! But Tokai Teio is gaining! The gap is six to seven horse lengths! Can Tokai Teio catch her?!"
Tokai Teio is closing in from behind Twin Turbo. But the distance to Twin Turbo, who has been leading the entire race, is only closing little by little.
"Less than 100! No, less than 50 meters! Tokai Teio is coming, but she won't catch—she won't! Twin Turbo has won the race!"
"She slid headfirst, but is she okay...? Whoa, Twin Turbo is smiling. She's breathing heavily but still lying on the ground, waving to the crowd... Is she waving?"
"..."
I can hear the cheers and laughter of the crowd through the TV. As I listen, I feel a cold sweat on my back.
(If I had put Rice in this race... I would have had her mark Tokai Teio, or rather, since she seemed out of sorts, Ikuno Dictus... If Rice had switched her target to Twin Turbo midway through, would she have caught her...?)
I want to say Rice would have caught her, but the conclusion that comes to mind after watching the race is "she wouldn't have."
That's why I'm trembling with a cold sweat on my back.
(I was paying attention to her because she won her last race and is a member of Team Canopus... but Twin Turbo, huh... A win in the All Comers means she'll be in the Autumn Tenno Sho. I don't know if Mejiro McQueen will be back in time, but a formidable rival has appeared...)
I'll have to watch all of Twin Turbo's past races and plan a strategy. But if she shows that kind of breakaway speed in the 2000-meter Autumn Tenno Sho, I wonder if even Rice can catch her.
(I could have Rice mark her from the beginning... No, even Rice wouldn't be able to keep up with that kind of breakaway... To think such a talent was hidden away...)
Did she originally have this much potential? Or did her talent blossom during summer training?
The problem is, not just Twin Turbo, but I don't know how much other Uma Musume have grown from their summer training.
(...I need to re-gather information. I have to re-analyze the most recent data and collect as much new information as I can.)
I'll have to spend a lot of time researching races again. There are hundreds of Uma Musume in the senior turf class alone, and dozens who could potentially race against Rice.
I need to re-research all of them and gather all the latest information I can. I don't know what happened, but I have no choice but to treat Twin Turbo as a rival on par with or even greater than Mejiro McQueen or Tokai Teio and plan my strategy accordingly.
Watching the image of Twin Turbo on the TV, who, despite being wobbly, stands up and smiles with bared, jagged teeth, I think to myself.
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