I stared emptily at the sky as I took a small breath.
2nd place. Even with {Competitive Spirit ◎} and {Homestretch Haste} activating during that final straight, I couldn't quite match Yaeno Muteki's speed. She was just too fast, and the lead I'd built in the beginning just wasn't big enough.
In a way, this was the first 'loss' I had after 10 consecutive victories. My very first 'loss' had been against Oguri, back in that test race we had in Kasamatsu Tracen. Of course, it didn't really count, but that didn't matter. I still lost.
…what an unpleasant feeling.
"Star-san!"
I blinked, and then smiled as I saw Belno approach. "Well, guess I lost." I shrugged easily, giving Muteki a grin. "Central's just built different, huh?"
My grin slowly fell when Muteki didn't respond, and it took me a moment to realize that Muteki barely seemed to be conscious. "Hey, you good?" When Muteki failed to answer again, some panic began seeping into my voice. "Oi, oi. You didn't hurt yourself, right? Do you need me-?"
"I'm fine, Blossom-san." Muteki eventually said, her voice low. "I'm just…recovering."
I stared, and then sighed. "Oh, that's good."
Belno giggled. "Well, I don't think anyone here can match your stamina, Star-san."
Oguri nodded, having just arrived. "Your stamina is the best."
I chuckled wryly. "Alright, alright. Enough with the compliments already." I said, and then grinned as I saw Musaka. "Sorry about that, Musaka. Couldn't quite manage to-"
"What was that?"
I blinked. "What was what?"
"Don't try playing dumb." Musaka growled out. "During the third corner and onwards—what the hell were you doing?"
"Uh, Kongo-san, do you know what's going on?" Kitahara softly whispered to the man, to which Kongo only shook his head, similarly confused.
I was silent for a good while, genuinely confused as to what Musaka was talking about, or why he seemed so distressed about it. But after thinking about it for a bit, I realized that he must've noticed that I'd been trying out my practice to activate my [Domain] halfway through the race. "Oh, you mean that?" I smiled wryly as I scratched my cheek. "Just something I'm trying out."
Musaka furrowed his brows. "You were conscious of it?" He asked, his tone strangely even.
I frowned. "Something weird about it?"
Musaka went silent, before he chuckled. "By the Goddesses." He grinned fiercely. "You're one scary girl."
I raised an eyebrow in confusion, but Musaka refused to explain any further. "O…kay then." That was weird, but Musaka was a veteran trainer. He must've noticed something I didn't realize yet. "Anyway, we should probably head back now. Maybe even get an early dinner." Seeing as Muteki was still laying down on the track, I extended my hand towards her. "Need some help, Yaeno-san?"
She glanced at me, before she took my hand. "Just call me Muteki, Blossom-san." She said as I helped her stand up.
I smiled back. "Then call me Star."
She nodded.
With our test race over, we decided to head to the cafeteria together for an early dinner. We attracted many eyes as we entered the cafeteria, and one of the cafeteria staff's eyes widened comically as he saw Oguri Cap with us. He quickly entered the kitchen, and soon I could hear orders being shouted from the kitchen, accompanied by frantic movements.
I huffed out a small laugh. As expected of Central, they were already preparing for battle after seeing the monstrous appetite Oguri had.
We all took our food and sat down at an empty table to eat. Most of us only took a bowl or two, while Oguri went all out and took six full bowls of fried rice as her opening gambit. She then promptly finished it all before I could even make it halfway through my own and went back to order more, which the kitchen staff were more than ready to provide.
While Oguri was having a contest of wills with the cafeteria staff,
"So, how're you feeling for your first race, Belno?" I asked as I ate a mouthful of fried rice.
She frowned slightly. "I'm…fine? Maybe." She said gently prodded her bowl of rice with her spoon. "I-I don't know. Everyone here at Central is so much stronger compared to Kasamatsu, and I-"
"You'll win." I said confidently. "Don't stress about it too much. You'll just wear yourself out."
And I'm not bluffing either. Belno's first graded race would be the G3 [Kyodo News Hai], an 1800m turf race. It might be a G3, but after some quick searching, none of the other participants seemed to be particularly noteworthy. Certainly not enough to contend with Belno as she was now.
"You earned your enrollment here." I grinned as I gently booped her nose. "You deserve some confidence too."
"Star-san…"
I ate another spoonful of fried rice. "And how about you, Muteki?" I asked the stoic girl. "Feeling good about your Debut Race?"
Muteki seemed surprised at the sudden conversation, but she quickly responded. "It is still a month away, but I am ready." She clenched her fist. "I will win."
I gave her a thumbs up. "You'll crush it." I grinned. "You beat me, after all."
"Perhaps." She frowned slightly. "But had that track been just a little longer, I have no doubt you would have taken the victory." She went quiet for a moment, before she looked me in the eyes. "Your stamina is indeed as terrifying as the news portrays it."
I grinned casually as I shrugged. "It's the one good thing I have."
Seeing Muteki's frown deepen, Belno sighed. "Sorry, Yaeno-san." Belno gave me a light glare, and I muttered an apology as I raised my hands in defeat. "This is just how Star-san is."
"...I see."
"Anyway," I grinned slightly as I watched Oguri stand up to get her third helping of fried rice. "What's your plan after your debut? Got any graded races planned out already?" My grin grew slightly. "Maybe even a G1 race?"
Muteki was quiet for a while, and I ate another mouthful of fried rice as I waited. "...the [Mainichi Hai]." She eventually said, before her eyes sharpened. "And then I would advance to the [Satsuki Sho]."
Belno gasped in surprise, and understandably so. The Satsuki Sho was the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown—one of the most prestigious races Central had to offer.
I nodded. It was exactly the same race Muteki would run in the manga. She'd lose the Mainichi Hai against Oguri, but would then win 1st in the Satsuki Sho. Of course, that victory would then become the spark that finally caused the people to complain about Oguri's inability to enter the Classic races just because she didn't register in time.
I grinned sharply.
I wonder how things would go in this world.
"And you, Star-san?"
"Hmm~" I hummed playfully as I ate a mouthful of rice. "It's going to sound a little weird, but I'll be going for the [Tulip Sho]."
Muteki's eyes widened. "The Tulip Sho…" She frowned. "Does that mean you intend to run in the [Oka Sho]?"
"And more." I said enigmatically.
Muteki took a sharp breath through her teeth. "That means…!" She frowned, now realizing what I meant. "This will not be an easy path."
I shrugged. "Nothing that's worth doing will ever be easy." I said instead. Muteki nodded in agreement, and I smiled. "And besides, everyone's gunning for the Triple Crown races. Might as well take a slightly different route instead."
Muteki hummed thoughtfully before she returned to her food, just in time for Oguri to stand up and ask for her fourth helping. Muteki glanced at the next giant pile of fried rice Oguri received from the head chef and sighed in awe. "What an incredible appetite…" She whispered.
"Honestly, we should probably take her to the hospital to find out what's going on." I said with a small laugh. "Who knows, maybe there's a black hole in there or something."
Muteki smiled at the joke. "Perhaps."
After we finished our meals, I quickly wrangled Oguri away before she could ask for her fifth helping. I knew the cafeteria was more than willing to provide, but if Oguri kept eating, she'd genuinely start emptying Tracen Central's pantry. Hell, I even remember Rudolf complaining that Oguri's appetite was genuinely beginning to strain Tracen Central's finances some time in the future.
Oguri looked at me with absolute betrayal during the walk back to our clubroom, but I remained steadfast. It was my duty as the responsible one in our team, knowing neither Kitahara or Belno would have the heart to stop Oguri from draining Tracen's pantry dry.
Once we were back in our clubroom, Musaka and Kongo quickly dashed out how our shared training would go.
It was pretty simple in the end; I'd spend the first half of the day training directly under Kongo's guidance, and I'd then spend the other half running like I usually did. Since both parties were satisfied with the conditions, Team Kitahara's first contract was officially settled.
With that, my days training as a disciple of the Kongo Yaegaki school began.
And I had to say, training under Kongo was harsh. He was a martial artist first and foremost, and so most of the training I did under him were things that taught me how to most effectively use every part of my body to fight.
I wasn't actually learning to fight of course. Knowing how to throw a punch was a nice bonus, but what was important was the fact that everything he made me do stretched my entire body. Instead of just my legs and arms and waist, every muscle I had was being used whenever I practiced under him.
The first few days I trained under him, I was so tired that I immediately fell asleep the moment I finished my daily running practice. And when the next day came, muscles I didn't even know existed would scream at me when I woke up.
Though it was more than worth it. Once I'd adapted enough that I didn't feel like a pound cake every morning, I found Kongo's training far more effective compared to the half-baked calisthenics I used to do. With his guidance and the unique blessings granted by my still-maturing umamusume body, my Speed and Strength rose at a much faster rate.
It wasn't just the boost in Speed and Power though. I'd discovered something else while I trained together with Muteki, something that completely changed my previous plans.
[Training Mission: Bulk Up!
Task: Increase an attribute by at least 20 Points by the end of the week]
[Rewards: 15 SP]
As it turned out, the update my System received also gave me a new way of gaining SP. This was huge! It meant that racing wasn't the only way I could get SP now. Sure I didn't get as much in comparison, but since this was something that reappeared every week, it meant I now had a sustainable source of SP going forward.
From what I can tell, this seemed to be the System emulating the few SP points I'd get whenever an umamusume did some training in the game. I always wondered if that'd also get adapted into the System, and here it was.
At this point, the only thing left was to see whether or not summer was going to somehow make all my training more effective. It sounded crazy, but this was a world watched by Three Goddesses—honestly, anything was possible.
[Name: Blossom Star
Speed: 388 (D+; Experienced)
Stamina: 401 (C; Intermediate)
Power: 322 (D; Experienced)
Guts: 231 (E; Beginner)
Wits: 266 (E+; Beginner)
Skills: {Competitive Spirit ◎}, {Homestretch Haste}, {Front Runner Savvy ◎}
Domain: -
SP: 664]
After two weeks, the results showed. My Power had increased far faster compared to before, and some of it even bled to my Stamina, giving me my first Rank-C attribute.
But enough about training, because after two weeks,
It was finally time for Oguri's first graded race.