The first race of the morning was a 1400-meter turf Mile Race. Because a live commentator was invited, the professionals on the stage were quickly and enthusiastically commentating on the ongoing competition.
"Outside! The outside lane overtakes!!! Contestant number 3, Inahoichi! Still accelerating! Still accelerating!!! The last hundred meters—Inahoichi, with a burst of power in the final stretch, overtakes by two horse lengths from the outside lane at the finish line!!!"
The loudspeakers in the arena blared the commentator's passionate voice. This atmosphere added a sense of realism and formality to the simulated race.
And once again, Inahoichi became the center of attention.
A contestant who consistently placed in the top three in the internal school simulated races, she undoubtedly became a target that both Group A and Group B wanted to snatch up.
Sure enough, as soon as she walked out of the arena, before reaching the entrance to the tunnel, several people had already surrounded her. Kazuo even saw Todo among them.
"Inahoichi! Are you interested in joining my team? If you come, I guarantee I can help you win major prizes—no, it wouldn't even be a problem to aim for a G1!"
"Come to my team! I guarantee you'll get comprehensive improvement with me! With your ability, you need an experienced Trainer with a proven track record to maximize your talent!"
Before Inahoichi could even speak, these Trainers were already scrambling to promote themselves. While capable Trainers usually select their team members, if the other party also possesses great potential and talent, then a mutual selection and mutual recognition are even more necessary.
Inahoichi, who was less than 1.4 meters tall, was almost completely surrounded by these five or six people. This was the treatment enjoyed by the first-place winner.
As for whether she enjoyed it, that was another matter.
"Um... excuse me, I still need to think about it for a while..."
After all, an Uma Musume's choice of partner is an extremely important step. The more attention and talent an Uma Musume has, the more seriously she takes this aspect.
Of course, there are exceptions.
"Biwa Hayahide, if you don't mind, I would like to invite you to join my team. I will tailor a training plan that meets your expectations."
Toujou Hana directly approached Biwa Hayahide, who had not yet participated in her race. In the previous class simulated races, Tojo had already observed enough. For her, purely in terms of compatibility, Tojo was confident in guiding Biwa Hayahide.
Biwa Hayahide was slightly startled at first, but this was an olive branch extended by the academy's ace Trainer. She pondered for a moment, then looked up at Tojo. Seeming to read something in her gaze, she smiled softly and then nodded in agreement:
"I would also very much like to join your team. Please do not hesitate to guide me in the future."
The girl bowed deeply, and in a blink of an eye, the two had directly reached a verbal agreement.
The so-called celebrity effect: as the academy's ace Trainer, the weight of Tojo's every word was considerable.
The Uma Musume on her team are basically strong contenders for various race championships. Joining her team, for an Uma Musume, is like having one foot in the champion echelon of the top three major prizes. Because of this, Biwa Hayahide actually had nothing to hesitate about.
After all, the fact that Tojo could say such a thing indicated that she recognized her potential. For an Uma Musume with grand goals, how could this not be an encouragement?
While others were still busy trying to persuade Uma Musume to choose their teams, Tojo had already successfully signed a new team member.
Kazuo stood on the observation deck, watching all of this, and couldn't help but exclaim, "As expected of Tojo! Her popularity and strength are widely recognized among the students..."
"That's natural. Compared to a kid who is nothing, everyone would choose to entrust their future to a trustworthy Trainer who has already proven herself, wouldn't they?"
(= =)
This stinging feeling, even without turning his head, Kazuo knew who was standing next to him now.
Yoshida looked at him with a smile: "You're Kawakami, right?"
"No, I'm Asama, Asama Kazutomi!"
What is going on with this old man...? Even knowing that he is a hidden master, a big-shot level existence. But this mischievous attitude really made Kazuo not want to equate him with the Yoshida Zenya described in the books.
"It's useless for you to emphasize and quibble about these things now. If you really make a name for yourself one day, then it would be hard for me not to remember you."
He was as sharp-tongued as ever, and most importantly, old Mr. Yoshida's words always left Kazuo unable to retort.
No choice, who made him right?
Being annoyed in his heart was one thing, but him being right was another.
How frustrating.
Kazuo felt that his good mood had truly ended the moment he met him this morning.
"Kid, why are you just watching here? Did you just come to observe?"
"Um... don't you know? I don't have a license, so going there would be pointless. Rather, coming today is also to gain experience. No one would choose a clueless rookie, right? I still have that much self-awareness."
This time, he preempted the other person's words, leaving the other person speechless.
However, what surprised Kazuo was that Yoshida was uncharacteristically silent for a moment.
"In that case, what do you think is the relationship between an Uma Musume and a Trainer?"
He suddenly asked this, his squinting eyes giving off a strange sense of intimidation.
This question—someone had asked him this for the second time.
Kitamura had also asked him to consider these things before, but when Yoshida brought it up again, he couldn't help but start thinking about its meaning.
Between an Uma Musume and a Trainer—what kind of relationship is it exactly?
Simply put, it should be a mutually beneficial relationship, but standing in front of him was the academy's honorary director, and Kazuo didn't feel he could offer his profound insights. He hesitated for a moment.
However, Yoshida was not in a hurry for him to answer now. On the contrary, seeing Kazuo fall into deep thought and serious consideration, he instead showed a faint smile, and subtly nodded without drawing attention.
"Go ahead and ponder it well. I'll wait for your answer."
Yoshida said, and then added, "So, as compensation for the consultation, please get me a can of coffee before the next race starts."
"Huh?"
Kazuo was stunned. Who would have thought that he would glance at Kazuo, as if saying, 'Why are you making such a fuss, kid?': "Many people can't even get me to help them. I'm only asking you for a can of coffee, that's a bargain for you, understand?"
The key is you didn't even tell me the answer directly—
Kazuo roared this in his heart, then obediently got up and walked out of the stands.
Although he had a belly full of complaints, he still had to buy it.
-------------------------
🚀 Want to read extra chapters and exclusive content? Support me on Patreon and let's explore more together!
👉 [[email protected]/TripleCrown07]