Fujimasa March sprinted along the track reserved for Uma Musume, leaving the nearby vehicles in the dust.
The drivers, upon seeing their cars overtaken by an Uma Musume, simply wore expressions of resigned familiarity, silently watching her fade into the distance before casually noting something.
"Hey… wasn't that Fujimasa March just now?"
At that moment, Fujimasa's mind was entirely elsewhere, lost in memories of past conversations with Oguri Cap. Whenever Oguri Cap spoke of this friend of hers, her eyes would sparkle with a light of admiration and affection.
'Margaret Nearl. Even Oguri Cap acknowledges you as a genius surpassing her. I wonder just how skilled you really are? You'd better live up to all that praise, or I'll be seriously disappointed!'
Unconsciously voicing her true thoughts, Fujimasa March picked up her pace even more.
She'd come out with her trainer today to grab a bite at the food street near Kasamatsu Tracen. Though it wasn't on campus, it wasn't far either, and in the blink of an eye, the school gates were right in front of her.
Spotting the entrance, Fujimasa finally slowed down. Gradually decelerating from a run to a steady walk, she made her way into the academy.
'I should find Trainer Kitahara first. He ought to know where that Nearl is right now—after all, he's in charge of her training schedule.'
Lost in her thoughts, Fujimasa unintentionally wore a gloomy expression, which not only scared off any junior Uma Musume who might've wanted to chat but also made Rudy Lemono, spotting her from afar, think twice about approaching.
"What's up with March? She looks like she just lost a race, but didn't she win her event the day before yesterday?"
Rudy Lemono scratched her head in confusion from a distance. "Maybe I should follow her? She's an acquaintance, after all—ought to keep an eye on her, at least."
After a moment's thought, Rudy stamped her foot and muttered under her breath as she trailed after Fujimasa. "I'm just checking on her, okay? If it's something troublesome, I'm not getting involved."
Absorbed in her own world, March didn't notice Rudy sneaking along behind her, hands tucked in nervously. Her mind was wholly occupied with imagining what kind of person Nearl might be.
--+--
Meanwhile, Kitahara was deeply engrossed in his book, [Detailed Explanations of Past Central Trainer Exam Questions], completely unaware of the storm of an Uma Musume about to descend upon him. Just as he was jotting down notes, a tremendous crash nearly jolted his soul right out of his body.
BAM!
It was the sound of the training room door being flung open and slammed against the wall. The old door, once again subjected to abuse it hardly deserved, protested with a loud crack, splitting open along a fresh seam.
Turning around, Kitahara Jo immediately took in the door's pitiful state. His eyes widened, his right hand trembling as he reached out. Overcome with sorrow, his lips quivered briefly before he finally couldn't hold back a loud, anguished cry: "My door!!!"
The outburst snapped Fujimasa March out of her own world. Coming to her senses, she took in the wooden door now marred by a large crack, a hint of embarrassment coloring her expression. After all, damaging another trainer's door was definitely her fault.
"My apologies, Trainer Kitahara. I acted too impulsively. I'll take responsibility for repairing this door."
Recognizing her mistake, Fujimasa March immediately bowed to Kitahara and assured him she'd handle the repairs.
Her decisive response left Kitahara at a loss for words. Looking at the earnest gray-maned Uma Musume before him, his lips parted slightly, but in the end, he simply sighed in resignation.
"Stand up, Fujimasa. I can afford to fix a door—what kind of trainer would make a student pay for it? It's fine, really."
Kitahara stepped forward, placed his hands on Fujimasa's shoulders, and helped her up. Then he took half a step back and asked,
"For someone as disciplined as you to lose composure like this… it's because of Nearl, isn't it?"
Hearing that name, Fujimasa, who had just calmed down, immediately grew agitated again. "Yes! Trainer Kitahara, I heard she's under your care now. I wanted to ask you about her!"
"Hmm… if you're asking me, all I can say is that Nearl is the kind of Uma Musume who ends up teaching the trainer how to train."
After a moment of thought, that was the description Kitahara settled on.
"What?" Clearly, she didn't understand at all.
"Look here—this is what Nearl handed me at noon today. It's her own analysis of her condition, choice of running style, and training schedule. Honestly, it puts my own work to shame."
Seeing Fujimasa's puzzled expression, Kitahara turned and picked up a bound stack of papers from his desk. They were filled with meticulous, detailed suggestions on Uma Musume development.
The moment he'd seen this plan, Kitahara understood just how rough his own materials—the ones he'd previously handed to Nearl—must have seemed. No wonder she'd thought they were useless for her.
Fujimasa March took the plan but found it confusing. For someone who'd devoted her life to racing, much of the knowledge in the document was still too advanced.
She was far from illiterate—in fact, she was an excellent student—but the education Uma Musume received differed from that of ordinary people. Her knowledge simply wasn't enough to fully grasp the plan.
But one section she did understand was the training schedule.
As a seasoned veteran on the track, every aspect of training was etched into her bones. That experience allowed her to immediately recognize just how absurd this training plan was.
"Is she joking? This level of intensity will land her in the hospital! Trainer Kitahara, how could you allow this?"
After carefully reading the training section, Fujimasa was furious. She glared at Kitahara with fire in her eyes, all but threatening to report him for negligence if he didn't explain himself.
Kitahara, under her glare, sighed and pressed down on his cap. He'd been mentally prepared for this kind of reaction.
"I doubt any explanation from me would satisfy you, Fujimasa. Why not come with me? Some things you just have to see for yourself to understand."
Kitahara stepped outside and gestured for Fujimasa to follow. After taking a few deep breaths to compose herself, she reluctantly cooled down and followed him toward the track.
"Trainer Kitahara, just so we're clear—I don't think anything could change my mind about this training plan. This kind of overload has to stop immediately. And that Nearl must be a fool to even attempt it."
Steeled by her determination to save an Uma Musume's career, Fujimasa March quickened her pace toward the track. In her urgency, she failed to notice another figure still trailing behind her.
Kitahara and Fujimasa moved swiftly, soon arriving at the edge of the field.
It was afternoon, and the track was filled with Uma Musume training. But with just one glance, Fujimasa March knew exactly which one was Oguri Cap's mysterious friend.
In the distance, a golden light danced and leaped in a corner of the grounds.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.