King's Osaka Hai ended with her in second place.
I was racking my brain over the result, which was so close that King might have won if the race had unfolded just a little differently.
If we had lost by a large margin, I could have been spurred on by regret and anger. But this feeling of indescribable regret, losing by such a small, insignificant margin, by just one more step.
King herself, despite showing her frustration after the race, smiled fearlessly. And she patted my back, saying, "If I lost, I can get even stronger by aiming higher, can't I?"
The next race is the Tennō Shō (Spring) in late April. It's the longest distance in the Twinkle Series G1 races, at 3,200 meters.
Rice will be able to resume full-scale training soon, but I wonder how much her physical strength has declined during her three months of recuperation. First, I have to check that and then start from retraining her.
In other words, for the Tennō Shō (Spring), which requires stamina, I will have to train King with the training menu I've created as before...
(She has more stamina than before, and she'll be able to run more easily than she did in the 3,000-meter Kikka Sho... but other rival girls will have gained stamina too...)
I was on my way to Tracen Academy, thinking about all sorts of things regarding King's training.
The season is spring. With the start of April, it's a new school year, and a time when new Uma Musume and rookie trainers join.
This is my third year as a trainer. It's about time I gave up the title of rookie trainer... but I haven't properly raised an Uma Musume from start to finish until retirement, I think.
As I was walking and thinking, I saw a crowd of people a little way inside the main gate of Tracen Academy. I looked over to see what was going on, and there was a sign.
"Team Spica: If you don't join, we'll bury you in the dirt."
Along with those words, there was a color photo of four Uma Musume buried in what looked like a dirt track from the head to the waist.
It seems to be a poster to recruit for Team Spica, but the sight of their lower bodies and mostly just their legs sticking out of the dirt looked exactly like that one thing from a certain detective novel movie.
(A dog... no, these leg muscles are... Gold Ship, Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, and Special Week...)
I'm sure of it, judging by the color of the tails sticking out of the ground. I mean, what are a bunch of G1 Uma Musume doing? Who came up with this poster? It must be Gold Ship, but did the senior trainer from Spica give the go-ahead? They're still as crazy as ever.
But, it is impactful. It's questionable whether any Uma Musume would want to join after seeing this, but it will definitely be memorable.
(Wait a minute... if that senior trainer gave the go-ahead, doesn't that mean this poster has something that resonates with Uma Musume?)
I stared intently at the poster. The one from Spica gave the okay. There might be something hidden in it that I can't notice.
But it's no use. All I can see is Gold Ship and the others buried in the dirt. I had no idea what kind of Uma Musume this poster was targeting. And wouldn't this be a case of suffocation?
(Recruiting team members... hmm, I have to recruit too...)
The director and Tazuna-san told me I don't have to force myself to recruit, but Urara and King are now seniors, and Rice has graduated from the senior class and is moving on to the Dream Series.
Of course, I don't have any Uma Musume participating in this year's classic races, and if I don't secure any new ones, I won't even have any girls to challenge the junior class.
I've never reached the minimum team size of five, so I should probably recruit two, or at least one, new team member...
(I've gotten used to the work, and if Rice starts helping me, I'll have more free time... right? Should I try to invite some promising girls to the team?)
In April, team members are recruited, and trainers without a team hold practice races or team selection races to get more Uma Musume. I could also hold a team selection race or watch other races and scout Uma Musume I think are good.
(But, this year is the most important year for Urara and King... no, no, if I keep saying that, I'll end up not scouting anyone... Maybe I can have Rice train a newcomer as a way to get back into shape?)
Thinking that, I averted my eyes from the Team Spica sign.
But before I decided what to do about recruiting team members, I had something I had to do first.
It was the new school year--in other words, the usual personnel interview was waiting for me.
"Thanks! Sorry to bother you during your busy time!"
"Welcome back, Trainer-san."
I put my bags in the club room and headed to the director's office when work hours started. When I knocked and entered, I was greeted by the director, who was probably busier than me since it was the new school year.
"Immediate! Let's get right to the personnel evaluation! Tazuna!"
"Yes. Now, Trainer-san, about your personnel evaluation for last year."
I was offered the reception sofa, bowed, and sat down, receiving the documents that Tazuna-san handed me. I've been doing this for three years now. I found myself getting used to these kinds of exchanges.
(...Hm?)
But when I looked at the personnel evaluation documents, my eyes widened. I turned my widened eyes to the director, and the director smiled and made a circle with her arms above her head.
"Perfect! Your evaluation for last year is flawless! A perfect score!"
"Eh... No, I'm surprised by my trainer evaluation, but the team evaluation is also a perfect score..."
Wait? I thought I wouldn't get a perfect score because I didn't have enough team members?
This personnel interview was an evaluation of my work over the past year.
As an individual trainer, my score was 100 out of 100, without any deductions, because my overtime hours had decreased from the second half to the end of last year, showing that I had the intention to improve and was properly improving.
And as a trainer leading a team, I also got a perfect score of 100. I thought the maximum would be 80 points since I only have three team members right now...
Tazuna-san gave a wry smile at my question.
"Trainer-san, what were your team's results for the past year?"
"Uh... 18 races, 13 wins... I think."
"And the content of your losses?"
"One second place and four third places."
As I answered, I thought, "Huh?" Looking back, something incredible had happened.
"A winning percentage of about 72%, and a 100% in-the-money rate... Speaking of in-the-money rates, you were always in the Winning Live whenever you raced last year, weren't you?"
When she said that, I searched my memory.
Urara had 7 races and 5 wins last year.
First place in the Tango Stakes.
First place in the Seiryu Stakes.
First place in the Unicorn Stakes.
Third place in the Japan Dirt Derby.
First place in the JBC Sprint.
Third place in the Champions Cup.
First place in the February Stakes.
Rice had 6 races and 5 wins.
First place in the Tennō Shō (Spring).
First place in the Meguro Kinen.
Third place in the Takarazuka Kinen.
First place in the Tennō Shō (Autumn).
First place in the Japan Cup.
First place in the Arima Kinen.
King joined halfway through, but she had 5 races and 3 wins.
First place in the CBC Sho.
First place in the Sprinters Stakes.
Third place in the Kikka Sho.
First place in the Mile Championship.
Second place in the Osaka Hai.
As a team, we had 8 G1 wins, 1 G2 win, 2 G3 wins, and 2 open race wins. We lost 5 times in G1 races.
(...Wait? Looking back, isn't this an incredible record?)
I felt like we had lost more, but those losses were from before March of last year. In other words, they were from the year before last, not last year.
"Even if we were to deduct points for not having enough team members, we can't not give you any bonus points for such an excellent record."
That's why you got a perfect score as a team too, Tazuna-san smiled. The director also spread a fan she was holding in her hand, and I could see the two characters "偉業" (great achievement) on its surface.
"Great achievement! The top winning percentage of all teams at Tracen Academy last year! And a 100% in-the-money rate for the entire year is also a great achievement!"
"There were some teams where they lost members and the only remaining Uma Musume won her debut race but then got injured and retired. As a result, they had a 100% winning percentage... but we've excluded those teams."
Wait, I'm more curious about those teams... And "those teams" means there are multiple of them, right?
"Trainer-san, do you remember when we talked at the end of last year's personnel interview about how you don't need to force yourself to get more team members?"
"Uh, yeah... Of course."
I nodded, my eyes going wide. Then, Tazuna-san pointed to the personnel evaluation documents in my hand with a wry smile.
"Even though you don't have enough team members, your team's track record is incredible... Since it's a team that won 8 G1s in just one year, we've judged that even if someone criticized you for never having met the minimum required number of five, your record speaks for itself in this world, so there's no problem."
Is that okay...? Well, if the director and Tazuna-san say it's okay, then it must be okay...
"As I said in the last personnel interview, of course, if you want to get new team members, we won't stop you. In fact, we'd welcome it. However, it would be a problem if you take on too many and burn out... that's the intention of the higher-ups at Tracen Academy."
I'm definitely being praised. But for some reason, it doesn't feel real. Looking at the results, they are incredible, but it's something that was only achieved because Urara, Rice, and King worked so hard.
We worked so hard with those girls, focusing on each race in front of us, and when I looked back, I realized something incredible had happened.
Of course, I'm not saying and don't think that my contribution was zero. That would be going beyond modesty and into sarcasm... no, it would be going beyond sarcasm and just being an idiot.
However, can I proudly and boastfully say that I'm great and that I achieved results that no one else can? I'm not that young anymore.
Well, yeah, I can at least be proud. I can proudly say that I worked hard with Urara and the others and achieved these results. I can shout out loud that it's with those girls, no, only because I was with those girls, that I was able to achieve this.
On the other hand, am I so proud that I can get cocky? I'm afraid that as soon as I get cocky, I'll be tripped up. Rather than being arrogant, I'd rather humbly high-five Urara and the others, saying, "We did it!" and laugh together as we celebrate.
Is it just me being pessimistic to think that when things go well in life, a pitfall is waiting? I think it's just right to proceed while poking the ground with a stick to see if there are any pitfalls.
As I was thinking that, the director looked at me with sparkling eyes.
"Confirmation! I said you don't have to get more team members, but don't you want to get more team members?!"
"That's... well, yes..."
Recently, I feel like I've been thinking more often that a certain Uma Musume looks good and I want to train her. However, it's hard to tell if I think that because they're already somewhat developed or if I think that because we seem to have good compatibility.
For example, I'd definitely like to train Biwa Hayahide, who I talked to the other day. Seeing her acceleration that beat King, most trainers would think that.
Also, Meek, who has an outstanding talent for running on both turf and dirt and can run all distances. And I thought I'd like to train Team Rigil's Glass Wonder too, and if the senior trainer from Spica would approve, I'd like to train Gold Ship and Silence Suzuka as well.
But still, I think I can only say that because of the present moment.
"I do want to get more, but they're all Uma Musume who are already in other teams or have a trainer."
"Distress! Stealing an Uma Musume who already has a trainer is strictly forbidden! ...I'm serious, it's not allowed! It's not allowed!"
"I know. So I might train one if I find a girl among this year's newcomers that I want to train."
When I said that with a wry smile, Tazuna-san gave a small smile.
"There are several promising girls among this year's newcomers. It's not as many as the current senior class, but..."
"If you have an eye for them, they must be good. Now it's a matter of whether they want to join our team and if we can meet them properly."
As I said that, I suddenly thought.
I met Urara by chance when I was a new trainer and no one wanted to be my 담당 (charge).
I met Rice by chance when I bumped into her at a corner late at night.
I met King by chance when I noticed her doing a reckless solo training late at night in the rain.
I'm starting to think that I only take on Uma Musume that I meet by chance. In that case, should I wait for another chance encounter, or should I go out and find one myself? No, if I'm waiting for it, it's not a chance encounter. So it seems better to go out and find one myself.
(Or rather, promising Uma Musume will get a trainer's offer right away... For now, I'll go watch practice races and other teams' selection races...)
I could hold a selection race for Team Kitalpha, but if I held one and didn't take any of the girls, I would feel bad for the ones who showed up.
Conversely, I might find several girls I want to train, but then I'd be overwhelmed. One, or at most two. That's probably my limit right now. Well, even if I do find one, I can't make an immediate decision considering their compatibility with Urara and the others.
It would be nice if I could do what Team Rigil's Tōjō-san does, which is to train an Uma Musume who wins a selection race regardless of compatibility, but I don't have as much training expertise as Tōjō-san.
What would I do with an Uma Musume with bad compatibility? Could I train her properly? I'd like to think I could train them now unless they're extremely difficult.
"Even if you do get a new team member, please don't overdo it, okay? It's a promise?"
With Tazuna-san's worried words, the personnel interview ended.
As a side note, my salary also went up in line with my performance last year. I did it.
And so, my after-school routine of checking Urara and the others' training was supplemented with checking other teams' practice and selection races.
I entrusted Rice, who had finally recovered, with some simple guidance for Urara and King, as long as she didn't overdo it, and I made time to visit practice courses all over the academy.
If Urara's next race is the Teiō Shō, there's still plenty of time. But King's Tennō Shō (Spring) is in late April, so I can't slack off on her training.
Still, with the thought that there might be a girl I want to invite to the team, I'm making time to look around--.
"Oh, excuse me! You're the Team Kitalpha trainer, aren't you! I heard Team Kitalpha will make any Uma Musume strong!"
"Um, I'm not that fast, but I heard Team Kitalpha will make me strong..."
"Does Team Kitalpha not hold selection races!?"
I was approached by new Uma Musume like that wherever I went. I don't know what kind of rumors were going around, but there were many Uma Musume who hoped to join the team, expecting that Team Kitalpha would make them strong. We're much more popular than I thought.
I was thinking of making a recruitment poster like Team Spica's, but maybe I don't need one.
I thought of making a poster with slogans like "We're a team with a homely atmosphere!" or "Last year's team record was a 100% in-the-money rate!" or "Our senior team members will kindly guide you!" but those slogans sound like they're from a black company... I'm not lying, though. The senior team members will kindly and strictly guide them, yeah.
For now, I politely declined and headed for a place where a lot of trainers and Uma Musume were gathered. It was Team Rigil's selection race, which is popular every year.
(Wow... As expected of Tōjō-san. One, two, three, four... Easily over 50 people.)
Since it's the strongest team at Tracen Academy, a large number of hopefuls were lined up, introducing themselves and talking about their future goals to Tōjō-san.
In terms of last year's record, we probably have them beat, but Team Kitalpha is a brand-new team. Many girls probably want to join Team Rigil, which has Symboli Rudolf.
(Hmm, hmm... As expected of those who hope to join Team Rigil, many of them are highly motivated.)
Now that I think about it, Urara once participated in Team Rigil's selection race, didn't she? She came in dead last, but it's a strange feeling to think that I had a chance to meet her precisely because she lost that selection race.
"Ah, Senpai. Good to see you."
"Hey. Good to see you."
I walked over to a junior trainer who was nearby, and he immediately greeted me. So I replied and stood next to him.
"Did you come to see Team Rigil's selection race too, Senpai?"
"Yeah. I thought there might be a girl I want to invite to the team."
"Whoa... Don't try to take a girl I've set my eyes on, okay? And besides, Senpai, why don't you hold a selection race yourself? I bet dozens of people would show up for your team, right?"
"I'm afraid it would end with me not taking a single one even if dozens showed up... So I decided to watch other teams' selection races and practice races like this."
As I said that, I looked at the Uma Musume who were lined up. I couldn't say much since they hadn't run yet, but as junior Uma Musume who had just entered Tracen Academy, they were all generally young and had slender physiques.
"...Hm?"
But there was one girl in the line who caught my eye.
(What's with her...? Her aura is clearly different. It feels like a girl who's almost a classic class member is mixed in with the newcomers...)
At first glance, she was about the same height as King, with a slender body. She had light chestnut hair with a slight curl that didn't reach her shoulders, and for some reason, she was wearing something like a crown on her head.
"Hey, what's the name of that girl with the crown on her head?"
"Huh? She just introduced herself... I think her name was T M Opera Ō?"
Hmm... T M Opera Ō, huh? If she loses the selection race or doesn't catch Tōjō-san's eye, I'd like to talk to her.
I was thinking that, when.
"Now, I will announce the results of the selection race. The Uma Musume who will join our team is... T M Opera Ō."
T M Opera Ō, the one I thought was good, easily won the selection race and joined Team Rigil.
A few days later.
I was visiting various places at Tracen Academy to find an Uma Musume who could rival T M Opera Ō, or who had the potential to rival her in the future even if she was inferior now, or an Uma Musume who, regardless of her ability or talent, would be able to keep up with my training without giving up.
And I found one.
"Hm? Hey, you! Can I have a word with you?"
"Huh? I don't know who you are, but what do you want?"
The one I spoke to was a Uma Musume with a short bay hair. Her bangs, which covered her right eye, were partly dyed white.
Her reaction was one of suspicion... no, it was a little aggressive. But that Uma Musume, who looked boyish like T M Opera Ō, clearly had an aura that was a cut above her peers.
"Do you have a trainer? If you don't mind, I'd like to invite you to my team."
"Oh, so that's what it is. Sorry, but I'm already in a team."
"I wish you were... not..."
I slumped my shoulders at the Uma Musume's answer, which was as if she had cut off the conversation. Seriously...? I hadn't seen her in any races, but she was already in a team...?
"J-Just out of curiosity, can I ask which team?"
"Huh? Team Spica, but why?"
Ugh... Team Spica... Since I'm indebted to their senior trainer, I can't say, "Please come to my team"...
"I see... Then it can't be helped... By the way, can I ask why you joined Team Spica?"
I asked, wondering if she would answer, and to my surprise, the Uma Musume answered with a smile.
"There was that crazy cool recruitment poster, right? When I saw that, I had a sudden flash of insight. I knew Team Spica was the team for me."
"......"
I was speechless at her answer. Seriously...? That poster was the deciding factor?
The Uma Musume waved to me and left, leaving me dumbfounded.
Furthermore, a few days later.
After meeting the Uma Musume the other day—I later found out her name was Vodka—I thought that if there were Uma Musume like T M Opera Ō and Vodka, then as Tazuna-san said, there were several promising Uma Musume this year.
Last year, there weren't many notable girls other than Narita Brian, but there were already two this year. It wouldn't be strange if there was a third, I thought as I wandered around Tracen Academy--but.
"--------"
The moment I saw that Uma Musume walking toward me from the front, I was speechless.
I hadn't seen her run, nor had I exchanged words with her. And yet, just seeing her walk toward me, to borrow Vodka's words, gave me a sudden flash of insight.
She was a Uma Musume with long chestnut hair in twin tails with a blue hair tie, and she also had a tiara on her head. Her height was a little over 160 centimeters. She was quite well-developed, and combined with her height, I thought she was a high school student Uma Musume... no. Her face was a little young, so she must be a middle school student.
Did she notice my gaze? The Uma Musume gave me a suspicious look.
"...Is there something you need?"
But she immediately gave me a gentle smile and asked politely. However, her aura had a certain wall to it.
"Are you... a middle school student?"
"Yes. I'm Daiwa Scarlet, I entered Tracen Academy this year. And you're... a trainer, right?"
The Uma Musume—Daiwa Scarlet—asked me to confirm. I nodded at her question and, although I thought it was rushed, I spoke.
"Daiwa Scarlet, huh... Are you in a team or do you have a trainer?"
"I belong to Team Spica... Is there something about that?"
"I was hoping you weren't... but... well..."
Following Vodka the other day, I had run into my second Team Spica newcomer this year.
(Seriously...? Not just Vodka, but this girl too is in Team Spica... I wanted to train her... Seriously...)
I was disappointed to hear that all the girls I thought were promising—T M Opera Ō in Team Rigil and Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet in Team Spica—had already joined other teams.
For me, it was especially mentally tough to have missed out on Daiwa Scarlet. It's just a gut feeling, but I thought we'd have great compatibility at first sight.
In my team, she's a similar type to King. Or maybe, in terms of compatibility, she might even surpass King.
T M Opera Ō, who I only saw from a distance, and Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet, who I talked to for only a short time. Among these three, I felt that Daiwa Scarlet would have the best compatibility by far, followed by Vodka, and I had a feeling that T M Opera Ō's compatibility might be a little iffy.
I took a deep breath and asked, half-expecting her answer.
"I'd like to ask you something just in case... Do you have any plans to transfer to another team?"
"...Are you saying that I look like an Uma Musume who would immediately quit a team I've decided to join?"
"No, not at all. I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. I apologize."
Oh, damn it, that was the answer I expected. I didn't ask Vodka that, but this girl's existence is strongly stimulating my desire to train her.
But if the senior trainer from Spica trains her, this girl will definitely get strong. I'm so sure of that that I'm going to back down.
"Lastly, if you don't mind me asking... Is there a reason you joined Team Spica?"
I thought I would at least ask this last question. Then, Daiwa Scarlet blinked her eyes as if she had been caught off guard.
"Huh? That's because of that poster... No, never mind. Excuse me."
Daiwa Scarlet bowed with her walled-off attitude and turned her back to me, walking away. I watched her go and then trudged to an uncrowded area.
(I see... so that recruitment poster had something in it that attracted Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka, even though I didn't understand it...)
And with that thought, I put my hands and knees on the ground and hung my head for the first time in a while.
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