Since Shibasaki and Fujimasa March were training, to avoid interference, Kitahara waited outside the Kasamatsu racetrack with Belno Light.
While waiting, Oguri Cap also arrived.
She looked happy, and as soon as she saw Kitahara and Belno Light, she couldn't help but cheer:
"Kitahara, Light! I got a gift from my mom!"
The two of them immediately smiled. "Oguri really loves her mom. Every time she gets a call, she has such a happy smile," Belno Light remarked, recalling what she had seen in the dorm.
At first, Belno Light's impression of this friend, classmate, and roommate was that she was cool and indifferent.
Oguri Cap's personality seemed naturally airheaded; she rarely showed expression and didn't approach people, spending most of her time running. It gave her a cold appearance.
But soon, Belno Light realized Oguri Cap was actually gentle, thoughtful, and clever.
Looking at Oguri Cap, Belno Light thought:
No matter what, Oguri Cap never forgets to say polite things like "I'm starting" or "I'm full," even if she's hungry or has eaten a lot.
She also keeps her nails perfectly trimmed and even helped me trim mine.
She really loves her mom; her phone wallpaper is all her mom's photos. When she gets a call from her mom, she shows a charming smile.
Ah, and her manners before and after meals are because her mom told her it's a sign of respect for the person who made the food. She doesn't just listen—she always follows it.
As if she heard Belno Light's silent praise, Oguri Cap blushed slightly:
"Huh? Light, you noticed all that? When did you—" Her cheeks turned red.
"As soon as you got the call from your mom, You don't notice anything else. Of course you wouldn't notice me," Belno Light teased with a smile.
"What did your mom send? Can I see?"
"It's a hair ornament she wore in her races!"
Oguri Cap's shyness vanished, replaced by excitement. "Mom said the hair ornament will accompany me in every race and send her blessings!"
"Really? That sounds amazing," Belno Light said with a smile. "Can I see it?"
Oguri Cap teased a little. "It's in the dorm. Mom said she'll be watching my debut race, so I'll wear it properly before the race!"
"That's fine. We'll see it then," Belno Light said, not insisting further.
Kitahara, who had been smiling while watching the two horse girls interact, remembered something upon hearing about the hair ornament.
Compared with the game version, Oguri Cap wasn't wearing her signature "diamond hair ornament."
According to the game, the Uma Musumes' favorite accessories are inspired by the "victory decorations" of their real-life horse counterparts. Oguri Cap's diamond ornament came from her mother's chest pattern in her retirement race.
It's roughly ◇◇◇◇◇, with silver edges and bright yellow fill—very distinctive.
Because Oguri Cap's silver hair, airheaded personality, and voracious appetite were already so noticeable, Kitahara, having spent a long time with her, hadn't realized the hair ornament detail until now.
So the ornament Oguri Cap mentioned must be the same as the game version—her mother's gift. That makes sense.
No matter the world, Oguri Cap's mother had to retire due to a knee injury. Oguri Cap inherited her mother's accessory, and when she becomes famous, it will be a heartwarming story.
While Kitahara was thinking, the two horse girls chatted a bit more. Oguri Cap then looked over:
"Kitahara, shall we go in and train? Didn't you say we should get familiar with the track first?"
"Yes, to get familiar, but with Trainer Shibasaki and Fujimasa March inside, it's better not to just watch them," Kitahara explained. "After all, you two will soon be competing in the same race."
Upon hearing Fujimasa March's name, Oguri Cap's eyes changed, and her energy surged.
"Fujimusa Tarch is in there?"
She raised her hand, clenched her fist, and nodded seriously. "Then I won't sneak a peek. Kitahara said training has many secrets, and it's wrong to spy on someone else's secrets."
"Her name is Fujimasa March, and you still haven't remembered it?" Kitahara muttered, rubbing his forehead.
"But we can't just wait. Look at this."
He handed Oguri Cap the notes he had made at the track and explained:
"These are some analyses from Belno Light and me. Take a look and get a rough understanding of the key points for your debut race."
"Thank you! I won't let you down," Oguri Cap said, taking the clipboard and studying it carefully.
After some time:
"Hmm, I roughly understand: start, cornering speed and collisions, and the final straight-line sprint," Oguri Cap returned the clipboard. "Anything else?"
"Other things will become clear once you try running. But one thing we can discuss in advance is the racing tactics for this race."
"Racing tactics?" Oguri Cap pondered.
Not only her, but Belno Light also looked expectantly. "The teacher said racing style is very important, but only the trainer can figure out what suits us best. Tactics are the same; even with the same style, adjustments must be made based on condition, track, and opponents. Trainers need experience to judge this."
"Kitahara surely knows what I'm good at," Oguri Cap said with a trusting smile. "And his judgment can't be wrong."
Feeling her trust, Kitahara smiled warmly. "Thanks for trusting me so much." Then he became serious and analyzed:
"Generally, there are four common racing styles: Front Runner, Pace Chaser, Late Surger, and End Closer. Front Runner runs at the front from start to finish. Pace Chasers stays just behind the front. Late Surger runs in the middle, and End Closer stays at the back.
"There are also extreme variants—Super front-runner and Extreme End Closer.
"Each style has its advantages. I've explained this before—though maybe you were asleep and didn't listen carefully," Kitahara said with a wry smile.
Oguri Cap and Belno Light, listening seriously, were surprised. Oguri Cap blushed; Belno Light smiled and asked:
"So, which style do you suggest for Oguri Cap?"
Kitahara easily noticed Belno Light wanted to give Oguri Cap an easy way out. He glanced at her, then answered:
"Pace Chasing, that is, follow the front."
Before Oguri Cap or Belno Light could ask further, he continued:
"For now, Oguri Cap, you're calm and rarely act on impulse. Perhaps you don't realize it, but your competitive spirit is strong, maybe too strong."
Oguri Cap was surprised, and Belno Light slightly puzzled. "Really? I didn't think she was that competitive."
"That's because she hasn't been in a real race yet," Kitahara insisted.
"Think back to Oguri Cap's simulated race performance; you could feel it. Or just now—mention Fujimasa March, and Oguri Cap's energy instantly changed. That's proof of her strong competitive spirit."
Recalling, Belno Light exclaimed, "Oh! That's true!"
Oguri Cap rarely seemed thoughtful. "…Is having a strong competitive spirit a bad thing, Kitahara?"
Kitahara shook his head. "In theory, no. You can't judge it as bad or good.
"The key is that if you let emotions take over, you might forget to control stamina, go too fast in the first or middle sections, and lack energy to sprint at the end."
"Let me describe a scenario. Mid-race, if you're in the middle and feel tense because of those ahead, you might speed up. But the ones ahead may already be running out of energy!
"You could simply wait for them to slow down naturally, then overtake with minimal effort. But if you overtake too early while they still have energy, you'll waste your stamina, taking wider turns or extra effort unnecessarily."
After Kitahara's explanation, Belno Light and Oguri Cap were silent for a while.
"…I can't completely imagine it, but hearing Kitahara explain, it makes sense…"
"Hmm, it's so clear I can picture it. I understand, Kitahara," Oguri Cap said.
"Eh?! Oguri really understood everything?!"
Oguri Cap, with a serious expression, looked at Kitahara.
"Besides competitive spirit, you must have other considerations too, right, Kitahara?"