Although I usually attend classes as a student, I'm in a different class than Rice Shower.
Tracen Academy's junior high division has around 400 students per grade, split into 12 classes. So the odds of ending up in the same class as someone you know? Pretty slim.
Still, Rice Shower is Rice Shower. I trust her to make friends on her own. But as her trainer, I figured I should do some synchronization analysis—scouting potential rivals and allies from her generation.
Even though debut schedules vary, and classmates don't always race together, gathering intel is essential.
When I think of Rice Shower's potential syncs, the big names come to mind: Mihono Bourbon, Matikanetannhauser, Sakura Bakushin O, and Nishino Flower. The last two are sprinters, so they're not direct rivals… but still worth watching.
I scanned my own class for familiar names. Some rang a bell—like Mejiro but there were so many, and unless you knew their racing history from a past life, it was hard to tell who might stand out.
Then again, relying too much on past-life horse racing knowledge might be a mistake. We're already modifying Rice Shower's path to avoid repeating history. So maybe it's better to judge based on the present.
While pondering all this, one girl caught my eye.
Shinko Lovely.
Her name tugged at something in my memory. Not obscure, but not common either. And she was small and cute—physically unassuming, but that doesn't mean anything in the world of Uma Musume. Some of the strongest runners are deceptively petite.
"Miss Shinko Lovely."
"Oh, Viola Regina? What's up?"
"I was bored, so I decided to make a friend. You're my first target."
"Ufufu, I'm honored to be chosen first."
Shinko Lovely smiled with elegant poise. She had the air of a refined young lady, which made me feel a little awkward.
"Can I call you Viola?"
"Sure. Uh… Shinko?"
"I'd be happy if you called me Lovely."
"Okay, Lovely-san."
In the Uma Musume world, girls are usually called by their racing surnames. But Lovely-san clearly preferred her given name—and honestly, it suited her.
"You're surprisingly normal, Viola."
"Eh? Was I weird? I mean… I didn't exactly have the best upbringing…"
"No, no. That's not what I meant. You're a grade-skipping genius with trainer qualifications—that's a title rarer than fiction. I expected someone… more eccentric."
"Well, I just studied a lot."
I didn't deny my exam skills, but most of my knowledge came from my past life. My common sense was still a bit off. And yeah, I probably had too many "attributes" for one person.
"I didn't grow up in the most normal way, so I might be a bit strange. I'd appreciate it if you could teach me how things work around here."
"Then let's have lunch together and deepen our friendship."
"Gladly."
And just like that, I made my first friend in class.