Haru Urara is a Umamusume from the Kochi Training Center.
Originally, she ran in her hometown of Kochi, but her desire for more excitement eventually led her to wish to transfer to Tracen Academy. However, Haru Urara wasn't a particularly strong Umamusume even in her hometown. There were many Umamusume in her generation faster than her. Yet, other Umamusume who aspired to transfer to Tracen Academy, just like Haru Urara, failed the entrance exam, and only Haru Urara succeeded in getting in.
Haru Urara herself didn't really understand why she passed. Her written exam was disastrous, and her performance in the running test was terrible; she didn't think she was anywhere near the passing standard. Despite this, Haru Urara didn't give up. She did her best to make a strong impression during the interview. She spoke about how she wanted to have fun running and participate in exciting races. As a result, for some reason, her transfer to Tracen Academy was approved.
Haru Urara, who didn't know the criteria for the exam's pass/fail judgment, found it strange. However, her happiness and joy at being able to attend Tracen Academy quickly made her forget about it.
Only Tracen Academy's chairwoman, Yayoi Akikawa, and her secretary, Tazuna Hayakawa, knew the true criteria for her acceptance. No one could have guessed that she passed the exam simply because of the innate cheerfulness she displayed during the interview.
And so, Haru Urara transferred to Tracen Academy, but if you were to ask if she could keep up with the level there, the answer would be no. She was barely scraping by in her studies, and in runs, she was left behind by those around her. When she looked around, she saw only brilliant Umamusume—like a galaxy of stars—which, to Haru Urara, was so exciting that it made her even more enthusiastic.
But Haru Urara faced a problem after transferring to Tracen Academy, a fatal issue for any Umamusume who wanted to race: she couldn't find a trainer. Haru Urara's cheerful and positive personality made other Umamusume feel a sense of camaraderie with her. An outsider who didn't know her might find her incredibly likable and break into a smile upon meeting her.
However, from a trainer's perspective, Haru Urara's evaluation was never high. In fact, compared to other Umamusume, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was the lowest. The reason was her lack of speed, stamina, and her poor racing aptitude.
To get scouted by a trainer, Haru Urara participated in various mock races. She applied to and participated in every team's mock race, including the well-known and strongest team at Tracen Academy, Team Rigil. The results were a complete and utter defeat. She consistently finished in last place among all the Umamusume who participated. This made her name a topic of conversation among trainers, but no eccentric trainer showed up to scout her.
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—Except for one.
Haru Urara met that trainer around the time when most of her fellow students had already found a trainer.
Haru Urara was about to participate in a mock race with only a few entrants, but she was late because she had forgotten to do the homework assigned the day before. Nevertheless, she headed toward the race in case she could still join. That's where she met a new trainer who had just been assigned to Tracen Academy this year.
"P-please, let me scout you! Please, let me be your trainer!"
And just like that, the rookie trainer scouted her.
"Huh?! You'll be my trainer?! Really?!"
Haru Urara was surprised. While she had asked the trainer to scout her, this trainer was surprisingly proactive, which shocked even her.
"Yeah! I'm a rookie, too, so as long as you're okay with that!"
"I am! Yay! Now I can race!"
Although he called himself a rookie, Haru Urara had no complaints. She was just happy she could finally participate in a race, and the trainer's abilities were a secondary concern.
This was the meeting between Haru Urara and the rookie trainer and the first step the Umamusume named Haru Urara took at Tracen Academy.
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After meeting her trainer, Haru Urara began training the next day. She learned various things. Before, she used to run however she liked, but now she was taught proper running form, built up her stamina, and her speed increased. Haru Urara loved to run, but she was also surprised at how she was becoming able to run faster and longer than before. The growth was gradual but noticeably significant.
She loved running, and now she loved it even more. If just running was this fun and exciting, then racing would be even more fun. Haru Urara truly believed this. But sometimes, she would have her doubts because the young man who became her trainer would occasionally look at her with a strange expression.
Haru Urara first noticed it the day after they met. She was told they would do a test and initially disliked the idea, but her expression brightened once she heard the test involved running. She ran on a turf track and a dirt track, covering short, mile, medium, and long distances, exactly as her trainer instructed.
After she ran the first short-distance race on the turf track, her trainer had an unreadable look on his face. When she called out to him, he quickly returned to his normal expression, but it was as if he had seen something peculiar or unexpected.
Haru Urara didn't know what that meant. However, after running the turf course and then the dirt course, her trainer's expression finally changed. Haru Urara didn't even know what course or distance she was suited for. As long as she could run, she was happy. When her trainer told her she was suited for short-distance dirt races, she accepted it without question, recognizing that her trainer was a great person who could raise an Umamusume.
For a month and a half, she ran every day under her trainer's guidance. Following her trainer's instructions, Haru Urara was scheduled to run one-on-one with an Umamusume named Happy Meek.
The first race was a 1200-meter turf race. The result was a crushing defeat, but Haru Urara was overjoyed to have run with Happy Meek and was amazed by her speed.
"Huff… huff… Meek is so fast! She went, 'Whoosh,' and she was gone!"
"...Urara... I mean, never mind."
Haru Urara tilted her head in confusion as Happy Meek mumbled, holding back her words. For a moment, she saw her own trainer's expression reflected in Happy Meek's face.
"Urara, Happy Meek, we'll run on the dirt track after a break. Are you both okay?"
Haru Urara smiled broadly and nodded in response to her trainer's question.
"Yeah! Hey, trainer! Meek is amazing! She's so, so fast! 'Whoosh'!"
"Is that so... How was the race for you?"
"It was so fun!"
When Haru Urara answered, her trainer made a subtle face. It was the same expression Haru Urara sometimes saw on her trainer's face and was very similar to the one Happy Meek had just made.
Nevertheless, her trainer composed himself and gave instructions for the next race. This time it was a short-distance dirt race, the only condition Haru Urara felt she was good at. However, although not as bad as the turf race, the result was still a devastating defeat.
"That's amazing! Meek, you're so fast even on the sand!"
Despite her complete defeat, Haru Urara had fun running with Happy Meek. When she spoke to her after the race, Happy Meek looked as if she was about to say something but ultimately closed her mouth. Haru Urara found this strange but ran to her trainer.
"Hey, trainer! Meek is awesome! So, so, so fast!"
"Is that so... Urara, how was that race?"
The trainer knelt to match her eye level and asked. Haru Urara answered with her usual smile.
"It was so much fun!"
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About two weeks passed since the mock race with Happy Meek. Haru Urara's classes ended in the morning, so she went to a shopping district near Tracen Academy to buy carrots for a snack before her training began.
This shopping district was Haru Urara's favorite place, and she knew many of the residents by face. Haru Urara would talk to them with a smile, and the residents would smile back. It was a heartwarming place for her.
"Oh, if it isn't Urara-chan. Here to buy carrots again today?"
When Haru Urara went to the greengrocer to buy her carrots, the owner smiled and talked to her. Haru Urara nodded with a smile, but then she noticed something the owner was preparing. It was a display of vegetables that he was about to set out to sell to passersby. Haru Urara was intrigued and offered to help.
At first, the greengrocer hesitated, but Haru Urara's smile won him over, and he accepted her offer. Haru Urara had that kind of charm.
Haru Urara began to call out to customers in front of the shop. She was so happy that so many people stopped to listen to her that she lost track of time and became completely absorbed in the task.
One hour, two hours passed, and even after most of the vegetables were sold, Haru Urara remained at her post. Then, she heard a familiar set of footsteps, and her face lit up as she turned toward the sound.
"Ah! Trainer! What are you doing here? Are you shopping?"
"Urara, you... sigh... no..."
Haru Urara's trainer was there. The trainer's face looked slightly severe when he saw her but then relaxed after a few seconds, and he let out a big sigh. Haru Urara tilted her head, wondering why her trainer was here.
"...Urara, what time is it?"
"What...? Whoa?! Training time is already over!"
And with that question, Haru Urara realized what she had done. The training time had already passed, and her trainer must have come looking for her because he was worried.
"Oh... I'm sorry, trainer."
Realizing this, Haru Urara felt terrible. She knew she had done something wrong and had to apologize. At the same time, she was afraid her trainer, who usually never got angry, would yell at her.
"Next time, at least contact me... I was so worried."
However, her trainer did not get mad. He must have been angry, but he swallowed it down and laughed as if he was relieved. Haru Urara felt even worse as her trainer knelt to meet her eye level and gently patted her head, just as he always did. At the same time, she felt a strange warmth and happiness.
After that, she guided her trainer through the shopping district and devoured the carrot hamburger steak he had made, and then they headed home. The carrot hamburger steak her trainer made was clearly an amateur's cooking. But to Haru Urara, it was delicious and completely satisfying.
Whether it was because she was full or because the carrot hamburger steak was so tasty, Haru Urara returned to her dorm in high spirits. When she reached the entrance, she ran into Fuji Kiseki.
Fuji Kiseki was the dorm leader of the Ritto Dorm where Haru Urara lived. Fuji Kiseki, with a princely aura despite being a woman, was a "cool" Umamusume in Haru Urara's eyes. She had a short black haircut and a sweet face that could charm even other Umamusume. Her height was just under 170 cm, which was tall for a woman.
Fuji Kiseki looked slightly surprised when she saw Haru Urara's face, but she quickly put on a smile that would have made her fangirls squeal.
"Hey, welcome back, Pony-chan."
"I'm back, Dorm Leader. But I'm not Pony-chan? I'm Haru Urara?"
Haru Urara tilted her head in confusion. Since not a single letter matched, she wondered if Fuji Kiseki remembered her as a different person.
"Such a cute girl as you just makes me want to call you Pony-chan... Hmm."
Fuji Kiseki said this while looking Haru Urara over. She was wearing her usual overalls and had a plastic bag full of carrots in her right hand, clearly having just returned from shopping. From Fuji Kiseki's perspective, Haru Urara looked to be in an extremely good mood.
However, Fuji Kiseki knew that Haru Urara had skipped training. Her trainer had called the dorm to check on her. The trainer had already informed her that Haru Urara was in the shopping district, but as the dorm leader, Fuji Kiseki felt she should gently scold her.
"Pony-chan, your innocence is your charm, but worrying your trainer is not something I can condone."
"Worry? My trainer was worried?"
"Yes, he was. Around 3:30, was it? He called the dorm and anxiously asked if you were in your room."
It was training time, and her Umamusume was missing. If she had been in an accident, it could be a liability for the trainer. Of course, Haru Urara was most at fault for forgetting the training time, but for the trainer, Haru Urara was his only charge. If she were to be injured in an accident, all the time and effort he had put in would be for nothing.
"Did he get angry with you?"
"Yeah... he got angry."
Haru Urara then told Fuji Kiseki everything. She told her how she had forgotten the training time, how her trainer had come all the way to the shopping district to find her, their conversation, how delicious the carrot hamburger steak her trainer made was, and how bell peppers weren't as bitter as she thought.
Fuji Kiseki listened with a serious expression, but halfway through the story, she started to smile wryly.
"Haha, that's not it, Pony-chan. He wasn't angry; he was scolding you."
"...? Is there a difference?"
"In my opinion, there is. Anger is for yourself, but a scolding is for the other person's sake. I think your trainer scolded you because he cares about you."
From what she heard, Fuji Kiseki thought the trainer's top priority was Haru Urara's safety. This might seem like a given for any trainer, but many trainers can't even do that.
"Getting angry is surprisingly easy. But scolding is difficult because it comes from a place of care for the other person."
"...So, my trainer scolded me because he cares about me?"
"I'm sure he did."
"Oh, I see..."
When Fuji Kiseki nodded, Haru Urara put her fingers to her head and tilted it to the side. She had apologized and was forgiven. On top of that, he had canceled training for the day and made her a homemade carrot hamburger steak. Haru Urara was happy about this. She didn't want to be scolded, but she felt that he cared about her.
Thinking this far, Haru Urara tapped her head with her finger and asked Fuji Kiseki.
"Is there anything I can do for my trainer?"
"Oh, it's simple, Pony-chan. If you just work hard and be yourself, your trainer will be happy."
Fuji Kiseki smiled. It wasn't the "cool" smile that captivated people but a gentle one.
(If I work hard, will my trainer be happy?)
Objectively, Haru Urara was always working hard. Although she accidentally skipped training, she was always positive and dedicated to the training her trainer assigned her. But to Haru Urara, she was only doing it because it was fun. Other people might say she was working hard, but Haru Urara felt she could do even better.
"Hmm... Okay! Then I'll work extra hard starting tomorrow!"
Haru Urara thought she would work hard because it would make her trainer happy. Seeing this, Fuji Kiseki decided she had done enough and returned to her usual self.
"By the way, Pony-chan, since you're here, why don't we have some tea together? I got some good tea leaves, and I have some delicious cookies, too."
"Hmm... No, thanks! The carrot hamburger steak the trainer made me was so big that I'm completely full!"
"Oh, that's a shame. It looks like I was turned down."
Fuji Kiseki said this with a perfectly executed wink at Haru Urara.
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The next day, Haru Urara rushed to her trainer with a running jump and declared, "Trainer! I'll work hard!" Haru Urara decided she would try even harder than before.
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And Haru Urara did work hard. She went through the training her trainer assigned her and spent her days happily, surprised by how her body was gradually getting faster.
Then, the time for her debut race finally came. It was a 1300-meter short-distance dirt race. Her trainer had decided she had a chance in this race, and Haru Urara was so excited she couldn't stand still all morning. However, she had received a warning from her trainer. Since she was in gate 1, she needed to be careful of the sand kicked up by the Umamusume in front of her.
Their strategy was to finish strong, so she would stay in the middle for most of the race. She was repeatedly told to be careful of the flying sand because she had gotten sand in her eyes during practice before.
And indeed, the sand caused Haru Urara to finish in 9th place out of 9 runners. The race had gone exactly as her trainer had planned until the very end, but she got sand in her eyes just as she was about to pass one more person to take the lead.
Still, Haru Urara ran with all her might. She ran carefully, making sure she didn't fall, even though her eyes hurt and she couldn't see what was in front of her.
From the start of the straight to the corner and from the corner to the final straight, Haru Urara had fun running alongside the other Umamusume. Her first race was more fun and exciting than she had ever imagined, so much so that she wished she could keep running forever.
After finishing 9th due to the accident, Haru Urara waved to her acquaintances from the shopping district and the spectators with a big smile. The sight of the smiling spectators waving back warmed her heart.
(...I wonder why my trainer is looking at the sky?)
Haru Urara found her trainer, but he was looking up at the sky and not at her. Just before the accident, Haru Urara had heard her trainer's cheers, and for some reason, she had a vision of her victory.
Although her stamina had improved compared to before, she still got tired toward the end of a race. But as soon as she heard her trainer's cheering, she felt a surge of strength, as if she could do more, as if she could win.
The fact that her trainer wasn't looking at her felt strange—and a little sad.
"Whew... Okay, Urara! To win the next race, we'll start training extra hard again tomorrow!"
That's why Haru Urara was so happy when her trainer cheered up after the race.
"Yeah! Okay! I'll do my best!"
Haru Urara decided to work even harder. Because if she did, she could have an exciting and fun race like today.
That's why she decided to work hard.
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