"Thank you for your hard work."
"Thank you for your hard work..."
We bowed to each other and walked out into the hallway, collapsing onto the nearest bench to wait. We had just finished my full body assessment in the URA-affiliated hospital near the Academy, and we were waiting for the doctor to announce the results. He had said it would not be long, fifteen to thirty minutes at the latest.
"How do you feel?" Chief asked, his voice laced with concern.
"Tired," I answered honestly. "Though it's not that bad now"
"Not that bad, huh?" he said, his tone making it clear he did not entirely believe me.
Well, though I said it was not that bad, it was still intensely tiring. This morning, I had thought it would be a simple full-body check-up, not a full-body assessment. So, I had arrived with a relatively calm state of mind.
But lads, had I been so wrong. The doctor had suggested we conduct an assessment instead after hearing what I had been through from Chief Kitahara. That was also when I learned the doctor was a good friend of Chief's uncle, the now-retired Trainer Roppei. He seemed to be a researcher as well, and he said he was particularly interested in my case.
The doctor explained the rundown of the assessment, which was quite long, detailed, and comprehensive. We, who had already freed our training schedule for the day for this visit and subsequent recuperation, agreed. Well, it was good for me to be assessed by a professional. It was also good for the Chief, as the data gathered today would be significant for my training menu in the future.
And then, the assessment began. It started with a detailed interview about my training history, diet, and the strange sensations of my rapid growth. After that, they started the physical tests. They took blood samples, strapped a heart rate monitor to my chest, and had me lie down while a doctor moved a cool, gel-covered wand over my legs. He called it a high-resolution ultrasound, and he mumbled things about the thickness of my tendons while looking at a grainy, black-and-white screen. Next, I had to lie perfectly still inside a large machine that hummed and whirred around me. A technician explained it was a DEXA scan, a special kind of x-ray to measure how strong my bones were.
The next part was the hardest. They put me on a specialized treadmill and fitted a mask over my face, telling me it would measure my stamina by tracking my breathing. They gradually increased the speed and incline, pushing me from a jog to an all-out sprint, and then holding me there for what felt like an eternity until my legs gave out. From there, it was a series of weight machines that measured the raw power of my muscles, followed by high-intensity sprints on an indoor track and other muscle-tearing exercises. Even my most intense training sessions had not been this demanding.
Finally, when I was completely exhausted, the tests continued. They drew more blood to see how fast my body was recovering. They even used the ultrasound wand again to check for any damage. They pushed me past what I thought was my limit, all to find the true ceiling of my body's capabilities, analyzing how I performed and how I healed every step of the way.
"Let's rearrange our schedule," Chief Kitahara said, breaking the silence. "You're free tomorrow. To be honest, I did not expect things to get this far."
"Un, me neither," I agreed. "But Chief, do you have a glimpse into what is actually happening with my body? Though I do not believe it is a bad thing, is it really that unusual?" I asked curiously.
"Yeah, you are right. It is not necessarily a bad thing, but as far as my career as a trainer goes, your rapid development is indeed exceptional and uncommon," he explained. "Uncommon in a way that, we have only done a low-intensity training regimen, but your body, especially your muscle, is rapidly improving. That is why you are quite unusual. I'm afraid this growth will keep going until you become a bodybuilder…" He said such a joke with a completely serious face.
"Please do not joke with such a serious face," I said, a little unnerved.
"Well, usually you need a specific training menu to increase your power and muscle, but I guess you do not need that for now. If we do that, I am afraid what I said earlier will come true," the Chief smirked.
"Uhum, Trainer Kitahara, Miss Copenhagen, the assessment results are ready. Please follow me," a nurse suddenly interrupted our banter. We obediently followed her to the doctor's office.
"Please take a seat, Trainer Kitahara, Miss Copenhagen," the doctor said, gesturing to the chairs in front of his large desk.
"How is it, Onryou-sensei?" Chief asked, leaning forward with anticipation.
"How should I say it… first, take a look at these data." The doctor slid a few pages of paper covered in countless numbers and complex graphs across the desk. I did not really understand any of it, but Chief seemed to, nodding more frequently as he scanned the pages.
"Miss Copenhagen," the doctor began, turning his attention to me. "First and foremost, I want to say, you are fine, healthy, and in perfect condition. So you do not need to worry about this case."
I nodded. I see. Then that was good.
"Secondly, you are in such a healthy condition that would make other Umamusume envious. trainer Kitahara, as you can see on page four, her bone mineral density is well above the average for an Umamusume of her age. And on page five, look at the collagen cross-linking here in her Achilles, patellar, and other tendons. It is remarkably robust. The risk of rupture is significantly lower than we would typically project for high-stress training."
"That's good to hear," Chief sighed, a visible wave of relief washing over him. Congratulations, Chief. Your hypothesis was correct.
"Also, when it comes to her recovery," the doctor continued, "we pushed her to her limit, but her lactate levels returned to baseline in half the expected time. Her C-reactive protein levels are also minimal. Her body's recovery mechanisms are phenomenal." He paused, looking at me with a researcher's curiosity. "And her being just having entered Middle School and her Prime, that means she is still growing. From the data you shared with me, Trainer Kitahara, the growth period to reach this point has been very rapid, almost unprecedented. If we draw a line using the data you gathered, at the point you entered Tracen, you were only moderately stronger than a human girl of your age."
"Pardon? A human girl? Not an Umamusume?" I asked, a sudden realization dawning on me. Was that why my usual delivery runs had been so taxing, even though I was an Umamusume? Intriguing indeed.
"Yes, a human girl. That is why we hypothesize your growth was stunted for some reason, and you only broke through that barrier recently. Your body now seems to be trying to catch up with its supposed biological specifications. And since each Umamusume is different, we do not know how your body will grow and end up, but it seems your muscle development is exceptionally eye-catching. With that being said, we also predict the growth will stabilize eventually, but as for when, we are not sure."
I guessed nutritional intake really was crucial for an Umamusume's development. Thank you, Central Tracen. Thank you, Madam Head Chef.
"In short," the doctor concluded, "you have an exceptional constitution. Furthermore, you are still growing. But still, even though you can theoretically train harder than others, do not push yourself too much. Follow what your trainer says."
"Thank you, Doctor," I said.
"Thank you, Onryou-sensei," Chief said, gathering the papers.
"Thank you both as well. With such a unique case like yours, we can understand your kind a little bit better. Anyway, good luck with your career in the Twinkle Series. I will be paying closer attention to your journey from now on," the doctor said with an encouraging smile.
We bowed and left the hospital shortly after. When we got out of the building, the sun had already set, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. We walked to the bus stop and sat there, waiting in the comfortable silence of the evening.
"That hospital is really something, isn't it? As expected of a URA-affiliated hospital," the Chief mused.
"Yes. Not only for medical facilities, they have an indoor pool, a gym, even their own tracks. By the way, Chief, how about the bill?"
"Don't worry about it. You know our team has been established, right? Tazuna-san already gave me our team budget, so it's all covered," he said, looking genuinely relieved. Well, it was better to have money than not.
"Yeah, Team Arcturus, huh?"
"Too bad, I already submitted the form, so the name is official. Furthermore, it's very fitting."
"It's just that your reason for choosing Arcturus, Chief," I said, unable to resist.
"Hey, we have the 'Monster' and a muscle monster cub here, is that not very fitting? Hahaha—OUCH!"
My irritation instantly launched a swift, precise kick to his right calf. Hmph. Serve you right. I am still a young girl, you know. How insensitive.
---
Arcturus.
A first-magnitude star from the constellation Boötes, often associated with Ursa Major. It was also known as the Guardian of the North or, more poetically, the Guardian of the Bear.
Our team was named after that star. It was consistent with the naming convention for teams in Central Tracen; I had heard of others like Team Sirius, Team Rigil, and Team Canopus. The origin of why he chose that specific name was, according to the Chief, a moment of rushed inspiration. While searching for a name, he had stumbled upon this star and found out about its other name. And because he was being pressured to submit the team formation form soon if he wanted to receive the club budget early, he had submitted it without even mentioning or discussing it with us.
Later, when he explained his reasoning, he said he wanted this team to be a sanctuary and guardian for Oguri-san and me, who he saw as a "monster and a cub." Of course, since it was already submitted, we could only give one exasperated jab and one precise kick each to Chief Kitahara as a punishment for such blasphemy.
Today was the first official training session for Team Arcturus. And we trained in an enthusiastic full squad: one trainer and two trainees. Yes, team formation was usually allowed only when a trainer had contracted at least five trainees, but the Chief had been able to form ours with only me and Oguri-san. It seemed the Headmaster and Tazuna-san believed in his ability, even though he had just transferred this year. Plus, with a living legend like Oguri-san under his wings, it was easy to fend off any dissatisfied voices that might question his special treatment.
"Alright, today is the day we are officially known as Team Arcturus! Please give ourselves an applause," Chief announced, clapping with an enthusiasm that was met by a flat, half-hearted patter from Oguri-san and me.
"Come on, show me some excitement! We finally have our team!"
"Yes, if only your naming sense were better, Chief," I pointed out.
"Ugh, my bad, my bad. I should have discussed it with you both. I have learned my mistake, so forgive me," he said, bowing his head in a gesture that was only half-sincere.
"Sure thing," I said, a plan forming in my mind. "Oguri-san, how about a party to celebrate our team formation? It's on Chief."
"Ko-kun! What are you—"
"Great. I know a place," Oguri-san declared, her eyes lighting up. "Kitahara, Ko-chan, let's go after training."
"Let's go~" I said, glaring pointedly at the Chief. My look conveyed that this was an additional punishment, so he had better take it like a gentleman.
"Ugh, fine," he sighed defeatedly. "But please take it easy on me."
And so, our training started. We began with a thorough warm-up, followed by my now-compulsory stretching and flexibility training, this time with Oguri-san joining in. I thought I would just be doing that until the end of the session, but it seemed Chief had another plan.
"Alright, that's enough for flexibility training today," he announced. "Let's do a mock race between you two. I want to see how both of you fare. For Oguri, ideally, I do not want to see a drop in performance. Keeping you in your peak condition past the usual period is our priority. For Ko-kun, even though your opponent is Oguri, do not think you will lose from the start. Show me you are stronger than your last race. Also, I want you to try something."
Oguri-san nodded, her expression becoming focused.
"What is that, Chief?" I asked curiously.
"Have you ever thought about changing your strategy?" he asked, his gaze serious.
"I am always thinking of improving my strategy every day, so changes are expected," I said bluntly. I did not know where his question was leading.
"Yeah, that's good. But what I mean is to entirely change your strategy from the ground up. I do not think Pace Chaser is really for you."
"Really?" I questioned. "Hmm, though it is true I have never won using it, I have made some progress, have I not? Is it not true that along with improving my speed, my disadvantage is also getting less?" Though I was not truly averse to changing my strategy, I thought my Pace Chasing was getting perfected as we went. I did not think it was a subject that needed to be completely overhauled.
"Yes, but it is about what strategy fits you, what can maximize your best traits and limit your disadvantages. First, let's review your races. Oguri, Ko-kun, tell me what is in your minds." Chief set his laptop on a folded chair that he usually used.
He then played my first race. I had already watched this race countless times, so I remembered it second by second. My late start, the scramble for a pace-setter position, the fight with Jarajara, and—
"Ko-chan, are you still easily get easily rushed when someone is behind you?" Oguri-san asked after she paused the tape and pointed at my tense form on the screen.
"Umm, yeah," I admitted. "Honestly, even I am not sure why. I do not know what makes me like this, but ever since I was a child, I do not really like somebody behind me. I feel like I want to kick them away."
"Well, when it comes to Umamusume, they really are an eccentric bunch," Chief mused. "They have diverse and sometimes unpredictable traits. Oguri, as an Umamusume yourself, do you think Ko-kun's trait is something we can work out?"
"I'm not sure," Oguri replied thoughtfully. "But speaking of disadvantageous traits, I know a girl that has a gatekeeping trait. And until now, she more often has a late start than others. She seems to have not thrown away that trait."
Ah, that girl. Both Chief and I nodded. If it was her, then no wonder.
"I see. That's one point. Let's continue," the Chief unpaused the tape. And so, we silently watched all four races I had entered.
"Ko-chan, I thought you were really smart, but I guess you still have some cute sides to you," Oguri-san said, a small smile on her face. Oguri-san, that was rude, you know.
"Right? She is so stubborn," Chief sighed. "That is why I felt so frustrated when watching her race. Tell me, Ko-kun, what do you feel as a Pace Chaser in these races?"
Well, I might as well tell him the data I had gathered. "Alright. First, my speed is an issue. Second, I cannot sit inside or right in front of a pack due to my quirk. Third, I usually overtake in the corners, only to be overtaken on the straights."
"Good, you have the gist of it," Chief nodded. "As a Pace Chaser, top speed is more important than acceleration. You need a higher cruising speed to keep up behind the frontrunners. And you using that style while knowing you are not fast enough is foolish. Plus, your acceleration is your most defining feature. That is why you can get out of a corner faster and why your last kick is dangerous, even though it is very short-lived. That is why I propose—"
"End Closer, huh?" Oguri-san cut in, finishing his thought.
"Yes. How about you try to run as an End Closer?" he said, his eyes fixed on me.
But I had never run that way. To abandon my developing strategy felt like such a waste. Though… it did make sense.
"I see," I began, my mind starting to race. "I could start and hang back early. In the middle, I could creep up positions in the corners from the outside. And in the final corner, I could position myself in a prime spot to spurt later in the homestretch. Indeed, if I do this, I do not need to worry about anyone behind me. Plus, I would not need to be afraid of getting boxed in if I start in an inner post, as I could easily take the outside lane from the most back. My stamina could also be spent more meaningfully. Rather than getting panicked, I could use it for running down the outside lane…"
"Ah, she's starting it again," the Chief said, though I did not really hear him.
"Yeah, it's very her," Oguri added. "Kitahara, do you have some snacks? She's going to be a while."
"…Anyway, if I spurt on the homestretch using the stride Chief suggested, I think I could start at around the 200-meter mark. I would still need to accelerate at the end of the final corner, and to make sure I can win, I would also need to be at least in the half front of the race by then. That does not mean being less than in the front half is bad, but that would be tough. Hold up. Like Oguri-san, I could divide my acceleration into stages! My early acceleration to get out of the corner, let's call it Gear One, would be a usual textbook long stride. I would need the explosiveness to increase my velocity. Once I reach a higher velocity and hit the straight, I could increase my turnover rate to make sure I do not get overtaken and can keep my position. This would be my Gear Two. For a long straight like the homestretch, I would need something faster than my Gear Two. I do not know if I can do that, though. Hell, even Gear Two is only possible after my flexibility training so far. I am not sure I can get past Gear Two in the meantime—"
Suddenly, I felt a tap on my left shoulder and was jolted back to reality.
"Yes. And for now, to get to your 'Gear Three,' I have assigned you new goals," Chief said, his eyes beaming with a confident smile. "Other than getting flexible enough to kiss your knees, you need to get proficient in the End Closer style. And of course, we will start training your stride too."
I looked at his confident smile. Yeah, that would do. Indeed, having a trainer was the best.
"Oguri! Ko-kun has woken up! I will go set up the finish line. Ko-kun, race warm-up, and just go all out against Oguri. She will not take it easy either."
"Sir, yes, Sir!"
Oh, speaking of which, it was my first mock race against Oguri-san. Noticing this, the pressure was immense. But I was more curious about this new plan. I did not mean to take this race as an experiment. I intended to win. But I might as well, right? I had never run as anything other than a Pace Chaser, so it was still unproven. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt I could get better.
Our warm-up finished, and we stood side by side on the starting line. No gates were needed; it was too troublesome and difficult to get a permit for a simple practice. With Chief Kitahara standing at the finish line, our 2200-meter mock dirt race started. And it finished quickly, in the two-minute, twenty-second mark.
I lost. There was no such thing as beginner's luck here. My time was two minutes and twenty-two seconds, 15 lengths behind Oguri-san. I had executed my plan perfectly. I had even managed to get to her side on the third corner, but it was the Monster I was racing against. Once I saw her leaning her body forward, I knew I could not catch her. Though I managed to cut the gap on the homestretch, it was not enough...
Well, the silver lining was that I felt more comfortable as an End Closer, it was like something had clicked into place.