Acting Chairman's Office.
The girl sat face-to-face with Kashimoto Riko.
Looking over the notice in her hands—a document Riko had handed her to distribute to all Tracen Academy trainers—the girl fell silent.
Not hurrying her, Kashimoto Riko sat upright, quietly waiting for the girl's response.
For a moment, their usual positions seemed reversed.
Several minutes later, the girl set down the notice.
"I have to admit… it's quite impressive."
That's what she said.
Kashimoto Riko raised an eyebrow slightly.
She hadn't expected such praise from the other party.
"In my view, these regulations will help every trainer understand the Uma Musume under their care more deeply."
It would bring them closer to the girls' lives, their habits.
Far better than the old way, where aside from the track, trainers were unwilling to involve themselves, that clear line drawn between training and everything else.
But…
The girl continued.
"Allow me to speak bluntly, Acting Chairman. I'm sure you've seen it too—even with such strict management rules in place, some trainers still refuse to comply, just going through the motions."
Something that could be written in less than half an hour—why would they rather spend even longer fabricating nonsense instead of taking it seriously?
The reason was simple.
One word—energy.
Trainers were human too, with their own wants and desires.
Drinking, entertainment, leisure.
All the usual human urges, trainers had them in full.
After work, on weekends, on holidays, they indulged themselves freely.
In that context, asking them to dedicate precious time to the Uma Musume under their care?
That was somewhat unrealistic.
Most trainers already had families, needing time for their spouses and children.
Tracen didn't have many bright-eyed, energetic trainers willing to run around with Uma Musume during their time off.
So, what seemed like a nearly perfect plan was already detached from reality.
Listening to the girl's unfiltered assessment, Kashimoto Riko nodded.
"You're right. This rule can't be a strict requirement for trainers."
That's why, when drafting it, Riko had intended to classify it as part of the trainers' evaluation criteria.
"Evaluation criteria?"
"Exactly, Silence. You might not know this yet."
Kashimoto Riko explained.
"Every year, Tracen evaluates trainers based on their results—how many Uma Musume they're responsible for, and what achievements those Uma Musume have attained."
All of this was recorded by Tracen.
"When summarized at year-end, Tracen assesses them and their Uma Musume, then sends these evaluation forms to Central. Finally, Central decides whether to authorize an upgrade to their trainer rank."
Senior trainers could more easily apply for resources from Central and Tracen.
They could even go abroad for further training.
And all expenses were covered by Central.
It could be said that Central never spared resources for capable individuals.
"Spending time with them isn't particularly difficult for trainers. Compared to helping an Uma Musume achieve outstanding results, it's practically effortless."
"I see."
The girl understood.
"So, Acting Chairman, you plan to motivate everyone this way?"
"Where there's punishment, there must be reward. To implement any system, fairness is the most indispensable element."
She had originally thought Central sent such an Acting Chairman just to investigate Tracen.
But unexpectedly, she was genuinely working for Tracen's benefit.
"By the way, Silence, what do you usually do on your days off? I'd like to use it as a reference for the trainees."
"Me…"
The girl paused briefly.
"I might disappoint you, but on weekends, I don't spend time with the Uma Musume under my care."
"That's fine, please go ahead," said the Acting Chairman.
"I'm just gathering references. For example, this weekend—tomorrow—what do you plan to do?"
"Tomorrow…"
Her golden pupils flickered slightly.
Then she smiled.
Her pale pink lips curved upward.
"Acting Chairman," she said.
"Tomorrow, I plan to go on a date."
"Hmm, so a date…"
Kashimoto Riko nodded.
Date.
She pondered the meaning of that word in her mind.
Then—
Kashimoto Riko's eyebrow twitched.
"W-wait, date means… that kind of date…"
For once, Kashimoto Riko's voice grew tense.
"Yes, that kind."
The girl's lips curled into a pleased arc.
"Eh…"
Kashimoto Riko let out a dazed sound.
She knew she had no right to comment on others' private lives, but hearing the word 'date' from such a young girl still came as quite a blow.
After all, that word felt so distant to her.
Possibly even a distance she might never bridge in her lifetime.
But thinking about it carefully… it made sense.
With such a lovely face, how could she not be liked by men?
In the end, did character and ability matter less than looks?
Suddenly, her vision darkened slightly. Kashimoto Riko supported her head with a hand.
"So, Acting Chairman, is that helpful as a reference?"
As if adding salt to the wound, the girl pressed on relentlessly.
"Well…"
Kashimoto Riko forced an extremely strained smile.
"It's… quite helpful as a reference."
"I'm glad to be of help, Acting Chairman. By the way, I have training soon, so I shouldn't take up any more of your time."
"…Thank you for coming today."
"Just doing my duty."
With a nod, the girl stood and left the office.
Watching the door close, Kashimoto Riko refocused on the regulations she had drafted.
'Acting Chairman, I plan to go on a date.'
The subtext seemed to be, 'Don't you have someone you like?'
On the originally serious training forms, crooked lines now seemed to mock her.
Rubbing her eyes, Kashimoto Riko couldn't help but lower her head.
To think…
She would one day be shown up by someone so young.
Sighing, Kashimoto Riko leaned back against the sofa.
Suddenly, she felt an urge to do nothing at all.
Outside the office, the girl leaned quietly against the door.
Listening to the sounds from within, she wore a pleased expression.
Kashimoto Riko.
Compared to that annoying managerial demeanor, this dejected look suited you much better.
Consider it a small victory against your overbearing ways.
--+--
"Yukino Bijin, there's something I'd like to ask of you…"
In the dorm room, Manhattan Cafe spoke to her roommate Yukino Bijin.
"Of course!"
Delighted to be asked for help, Yukino Bijin agreed without even hearing the request.
"Tomorrow, I'm going out with someone very important to me."
Cafe said.
"And I want to dress up nicely, but… I'm not very confident in my own skills."
Hearing this, Yukino Bijin's eyes instantly lit up.
Going out with someone very important—didn't that mean—
"A date!"
"More or less, yes."
Cafe's face flushed slightly as she turned away.
"For the date, is it that person? The one you hugged on the track!"
"Well…"
Should she say yes or no?
"Wow…"
Yukino Bijin's eyes sparkled.
Cafe had finally moved from confessing to this step!
To think she could witness the birth of this couple firsthand.
"Leave it to me! Cafe, trust me! I'll use everything I've ever learned to make you absolutely stunning! So stunning that person won't be able to look away the moment they see you!"
That would be perfect.
Cafe thought to herself.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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.