The Mile Championship that King challenged ended with a first-place finish.
It's a fantastic result, and it's something I can wholeheartedly celebrate. However, it seemed to have taken a toll on King, as she was completely exhausted after finishing the winning live with sheer will and spirit. So we decided to stay another night in Kyoto and return to Tracen Academy the next day.
"King, are you really okay? Can you walk? Should I give you a piggyback ride?"
"You idiot! I'm walking just fine, aren't I?!"
King retorts, but even though the cramps have subsided, there's still a slight inflammation in her ankle. There's no pain, just a bit of warmth, which is also seen right after a hard training session. But given that she ran to her absolute limit in the race, I can't help but worry.
From a trainer's perspective, I've concluded that there's no problem. But that doesn't mean I'm not worried.
For now, it's probably best to have her rest for two or three days and see how she does. I was half-joking when I said she wouldn't run in any more races this year, but now I'm serious.
I'll have her rest and see how she's doing. If she's fine, I'll have her train again, but the only remaining G1 turf race this year is the Arima Kinen. She won the Mile Championship, so her popularity poll should be fine, but it would be too much to have her run in four consecutive G1 races with such different distances—from short to long, long to mile, and then mile to long.
There are a few G2 and G3 races, but if I had her run in the Stayers Stakes, which is one of the longest domestic races, King's fans would probably throw raw eggs at me.
By the way, King's mother called her as usual before the winning live, but King said, "I'm busy right now, I'll call you back later!" and immediately hung up. After the winning live was over and she had rested a bit at the hotel we quickly rebooked, she called her back.
I think King's mother was probably surprised that King hung up on her so quickly and spent a very anxious time until King called her back. According to King, her mother was 50% more obedient than usual.
Well... I guess it can't be helped if she calls before a winning live. But she usually calls after the winning live is over, so I think King's mother, who was watching the race on TV, was probably worried and called at the wrong time.
So, with all that, we returned to Tracen Academy in the afternoon the next day. Urara and the others would have classes in the afternoon, but I had to write a report about how our schedule was ruined yesterday.
Today, I won't be able to relax and drink coffee in the club room while reading the race articles in the sports newspaper. The reason is to let my tired Uma Musume rest, and I already got permission from Tazuna-san by phone yesterday, but these kinds of reports are absolutely necessary.
So, I was in the club room writing my report when there was a knock on the door. I went to open it and found Tazuna-san standing there.
"I apologize for bothering you while you're busy. There's something I'd like to talk to you about."
You came in person instead of calling? I couldn't ask that. I had a feeling this was going to be a nuisance. But I couldn't just tell her to go away, so I let Tazuna-san into the club room.
"Is coffee okay?"
"Yes, please."
I used the coffee maker to make coffee. I glanced over at Tazuna-san sitting on the sofa, but I couldn't read her expression at all.
Tazuna-san, who should be busy as the chairman's secretary, is waiting so calmly. I figured there must be something important.
"Here you go."
"Thank you."
It's not very elegant, but I handed her a coffee in a paper cup. Tazuna-san added sugar and milk before she started drinking. I sat on the opposite sofa and took a sip of my black coffee. I also put the raw yatsuhashi I bought in Kyoto on the table. We both let out a sigh.
"So, what is it? Is it about the accommodation yesterday?"
I did wonder if I should have had at least Urara and Rice go home first. But I thought it would be a bad idea to have Urara and Rice travel on the Shinkansen by themselves.
Since Rice is with her, they probably won't get off at the wrong station, but both Urara and Rice are famous people... famous Uma Musume. It would be a big problem if something were to happen to them when I, their trainer, am not with them. So we came back together, but...
"There's no problem with that matter. I've already taken care of the work that was scheduled for you today."
"...Thank you very much."
I bowed my head honestly at Tazuna-san's words. It's a very kind gesture, but it's a bad pattern for a lead-in to a main topic.
Tazuna-san ate one of the raw yatsuhashi I put on the table and murmured, "It's delicious..." with her hand over her mouth. Hmm... she's a lovely person.
Perhaps she noticed my gaze, as Tazuna-san smiled a little shyly. But then she cleared her throat and brought up the main topic.
"About King Halo... are you planning to enter her in the Arima Kinen?"
"The Arima Kinen?"
The topic she brought up made me frown. It was a little, no, quite unexpected.
"She pushed herself pretty hard in yesterday's race, so I don't plan on entering her in any more races this year..."
If King really wants to run, I might let her, but I would stop her unless there's a really good reason. Rice is planning to run, so there's no reason to force King into the Arima Kinen.
With her wins in the Sprinters Stakes and yesterday's Mile Championship, it's safe to say that King has surpassed the other Classic division Uma Musume in terms of achievements.
The only other Classic division Uma Musume with two or more G1 wins is Smart Falcon, who won the Japan Dirt Derby and the JBC Ladies' Classic on the dirt. If we register her, she'll probably be chosen by popular vote.
However, Seiun Sky, who has one G1 win but set a world record, is in a different league. If she wants to run, she'll definitely be chosen by popular vote. That's how big a world record is.
"I see... I understand. Then we can stop this conversation here."
Tazuna-san backed down more easily than I expected. This left me feeling a little baffled.
"...Is that okay? You're backing down so easily..."
When I asked, feeling a little concerned, Tazuna-san gave a wry smile. Then she put her index finger to her mouth.
"This is off the record, okay? There was a request from the URA to have King Halo run if possible. But from how she looked right after the goal yesterday, I thought you, as her trainer, would avoid entering King in the race."
"From the URA... is it from the person who was strongly pushing for King's merchandise sales?"
"No, that person was against it because they were afraid of her getting injured... Ahem, never mind. The URA probably decided that the Arima Kinen would be more exciting if King Halo, who has won her second G1, were to run. However, the URA is not a monolith..."
Wow, Tazuna-san is being surprisingly frank... But if they tell me to run her just for the sake of excitement, I'll say no. King's body is more important than the URA.
And from the atmosphere when Tazuna-san said the URA wasn't a monolith, it sounds like it's a faction of the person who was pushing for King's merchandise sales, right? In that case, they would back down immediately if I said King would avoid the Arima Kinen.
"The chairman was also enraged, saying, 'Outrageous! What if she gets injured from being pushed too hard!'... Oh, but if she wants to run, there's no problem. The Tracen Academy's stance is that she doesn't have to run if she doesn't want to."
"In that case, it's fine..."
Well, in the Senior division alone, there will be Rice, Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, and probably a few from Team Canopus, and in the Classic division, there are also many who have made a name for themselves. I'd like to have King run, but she needs to rest first.
(If she were to get injured from that...)
Yep, definitely no. It's better to have her rest for a few days and train for next year's races. I want to aim for major races in medium and long distances next year... G1s if possible.
"By the way, is Haru Urara... running in the Arima Kinen?"
"No, a long-distance turf race is impossible for her."
"Right... No, I just thought it would be a topic of conversation since she's the most popular Uma Musume in the dirt division."
If Urara were to run in the Arima Kinen, which is where the top-class Uma Musume in the turf division gather, she'd probably be running all by herself at the back. She might be able to compete in a short-distance race, but a long-distance one would be suicide.
After confirming my intentions, Tazuna-san finished her coffee and left. After seeing her off, I sat on the sofa and muttered to myself.
"The Arima Kinen, huh..."
It's more than a month away, but it's a race where Rice is going for her second consecutive victory. But before that, the Japan Cup is coming up, so she has to focus on that first.
(I have a rough idea of who will be in the Senior division, but I wonder who will be in the Classic division...)
Thinking about that, I was lost in thought for a while, but then I stood up to finish yesterday's report.
—However, one Uma Musume, who was far from my predictions, would enter the Japan Cup.
Two days before the Japan Cup.
It was around the time that King's condition was determined to be just fatigue from the race, and she had started training again, albeit with a light menu.
"...Seriously?"
I was frozen in place, looking at the entry list for the Japan Cup that had arrived.
From the Classic division: Special Week, Oguri Cap, Seiun Sky, El Condor Pasa, and Winning Ticket.
From the Senior division: Rice, Tokai Teio, the returned from injury Mejiro McQueen, Mejiro Palmer, Nice Nature, Machikane Tannhauser, and Twin Turbo.
And—Mihono Bourbon.
"I'm not... mistaken..."
I checked the name again and muttered to myself.
I was happy that she had returned, but more than that, I was confused.
After last year's Kikuka Sho, Mihono Bourbon had been on a long-term leave to recover from an injury. She hadn't run in a single race this year, so this would be her first race in about a year.
(Running in a G1 after a long-term recovery... that's just reckless... Well, it's pretty common for Team Spica members, but still...)
I thought it was reckless, but there's a certain Uma Musume who won a G1 after a long-term recovery close by, so that's a problem... But I still think it's reckless.
(I feel like I'm too naive to think she should run in an open race first, or at least a G3 before a G1...)
No matter how tough Uma Musume are, their bodies have a limit. Of course, there's a possibility that she's fully recovered and her body is in perfect shape, but her racing sense must have dulled.
Also, since we have Rice, we had been keeping up with Mihono Bourbon's movements as much as possible, but I had never heard of her being fully recovered and training hard. Even for Mihono Bourbon, if she runs in a race cold after a year of inactivity and regression, she's bound to suffer a crushing defeat.
This means she must have entered the race because she has a chance to win, but...
(Even in the Classic division, most of the Senior division Uma Musume have been running continuously since Mihono Bourbon got injured... I think that gap is obvious...)
Rice won against Mihono Bourbon in a fierce battle in last year's Kikuka Sho, and she has gotten even stronger in the year since then. On the other hand, Mihono Bourbon has been inactive... no, she has regressed. This is beyond reckless.
I'm genuinely happy that Mihono Bourbon is returning. She had been on a long-term leave with no news, so it wouldn't have been strange if she had retired. I'm really happy that she's returning, but...
(I wonder how Rice will react...)
It's Rice we're talking about. If she only heard that Mihono Bourbon had returned, she would surely be happy. But what would she think if she heard that they would clash in the Japan Cup?
Will she be happy, angry, think it's reckless, or what? I've been with Rice for over a year now, but I can't predict how she'll react in a situation like this.
Mihono Bourbon is a huge presence for Rice. Rice trained her body to the brink of injury just to beat Mihono Bourbon, and she won in last year's Kikuka Sho.
The Rice I know is the Rice after last year's Kikuka Sho. How big a presence was Mihono Bourbon for Rice before that? Her reaction will change depending on that, but—
"...Bourbon-san is in the Japan Cup?"
After school, I showed her the entry list and told her that Mihono Bourbon would be in the Japan Cup, but her reaction was more subdued than I expected.
I frowned, as I was expecting a much bigger reaction, like her being overjoyed or surprised.
"Yeah. Did you hear anything, Rice?"
"No. This is the first I've heard of it, big brother... I see, Bourbon-san..."
Rice frowned just like me and tilted her head slightly. She looked happy, but more than that, she looked puzzled.
"Last year, she was undefeated and was on the verge of winning the Classic Triple Crown until she was defeated by you, Rice-senpai, right? But if she's been on a long-term leave until now, this is beyond reckless."
King, who was listening, said while shrugging her shoulders. Yeah, I agree.
I hadn't been checking her progress because I've been busy lately, but Mihono Bourbon's training period since her return... is probably less than three months at the most. She was undefeated until she lost in the Kikuka Sho, so her prize money is probably not an issue, but what about her current ability?
She couldn't train at all until her treatment was complete. Even after she recovered, she had to start with rehabilitation, and after she was able to live her daily life without any problems, she could finally start with light training to get her body back in shape.
No matter how skilled Mihono Bourbon's trainer is—that slightly intimidating senior—there's a limit.
If she's been trained to the same level as her peak—during last year's Kikuka Sho—it would be a miracle.
But training her to be even stronger than that is impossible, no matter how much of a genius a trainer is. I don't think even Tojo-san could do it. I think so, but you never know until you actually run the race.
I don't think it'll happen, but there's a possibility that she'll make a miraculous comeback and fly off with a world record in her first race back... No, that's impossible. Tokai Teio's first place in a G1 after a long-term leave was also pretty out there, but this is impossible.
So then, what's her purpose for entering the Japan Cup?
As I was looking at the entry list with Rice, there was a knock on the club room door. Urara noticed it and ran to the door, and when she opened it, the Uma Musume in question, Mihono Bourbon, was standing there.
"Excuse me. I believe Rice-san is here..."
Mihono Bourbon said and bowed. She was in her uniform, but her movements were still a little mechanical, just like before.
However, if there was one thing that was different from before, it was that she was standing straight without favoring her right leg, which had been injured. Her expression also seemed a little softer.
"Bourbon-san..."
"It's been a while, Rice-san."
When Rice called out to her, Mihono Bourbon smiled slightly but clearly.
(Her body looks good... but is it not that different from when she was in the Classic division?)
While Mihono Bourbon was talking to Rice, I quickly observed her.
Her body is in better shape than I imagined, but that's only when I compare it to my memories of her from the Classic division. I haven't seen her actually run, so I don't know how well she can run, but I wonder if her stamina will hold up for the 2,400 meters of the Japan Cup, which is a distance she's good at.
If her ability isn't that different from when she was in the Classic division, then she's not a scary opponent for Rice, who has been training and running in races for the past year. However, I won't let my guard down, as there are Uma Musume like Seiun Sky who can set a world record even in the Classic division.
"Bourbon-san... are you running in the Japan Cup?"
Rice asked as if to confirm. Mihono Bourbon nodded firmly.
"Yes. I came back because I want to run in the same race as you again, and I want to compete with you just one more time."
This is... a declaration of war from Mihono Bourbon to Rice. Before, Rice was the one chasing, but now Mihono Bourbon is the one challenging Rice as the chaser.
"I didn't think it would take this long for me to return. I tried to return once in April of this year, but I broke a bone in my right leg during training... Those were frustrating days."
I felt a sense of unease from the way Mihono Bourbon was talking to Rice. It might be rude to say this, but she seems more human than before, and the cyborg or robot-like aura has subsided.
"Rice-san, you won the Arima Kinen last year, challenged the Spring Senior Triple Crown, and just recently, you won the Autumn Tenno Sho, completing the Spring and Autumn Tenno Sho double... Your achievements lit a fire in my heart that was about to give up."
Rice listened to Mihono Bourbon's words in silence. But I could feel a kind of heat radiating from her, as if Mihono Bourbon's words had touched her heart.
"And my master supported me and pushed me forward... He supported me. That's why I'm able to stand on the race stage again."
With that, Mihono Bourbon looked at Rice with a challenging gaze.
"This is a challenge, Rice-san. This time, I'm challenging you. Will you accept it?"
It's a fair and square declaration of war. As Mihono Bourbon extends her right hand, Rice gives a spirited smile.
"Rice won't lose."
"Yes, that's what I want. That's what makes you my hero."
They exchanged those words and shook hands with their right hands. As I watched them, I muttered to myself.
(Just one more time, huh...)
Is she really entering the Japan Cup just to run against Rice one more time? If that's the case, there's only one thing I can say.
"Mihono Bourbon."
"Yes, what is it?"
"I'm happy that you want to race against Rice, but don't push yourself too hard."
I said that and deliberately smiled.
"Rice won in last year's Kikuka Sho, but she lost to you four times before that, right? I think you have to run a lot more to turn that around... What do you think?"
When I said that, Rice smiled like a flower.
"Yeah! I think so too! Bourbon-san, don't say 'just one more time.' Take care of your body and let's run more together, okay?"
"Yes... that's right. I hope that can happen too."
After hearing my and Rice's words, Mihono Bourbon smiled slightly but clearly.
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