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Chapter 9 - Chapter 9 - A new trainer tries and fails

Tracen Academy's Uma Musume wear school uniforms, take classes, and sit for tests, but they are a distinct existence from what the general public considers students.

Their school motto is "Strive in both the literary and martial arts," with a catchphrase of "Eclipse first, the rest nowhere." It's said that a framed piece with the English phrase is displayed in the student council room.

What makes them different from regular students is that while they do have long vacations like summer break, they don't relax and play; instead, they diligently train every day.

Some trainers might take a break for Bon Festival, but it's only about a week at most. The Uma Musume train and race with all their might, even under the blazing midsummer sun.

Having lost the recent unlisted race with Urara, who finished in 5th place, I planned to use this summer to further her training.

No matter how superior Uma Musume are to humans in physical ability, summer training requires caution against heatstroke. Many trainers are careful about heat countermeasures, using the pool or indoor training facilities. However, I chose to train on the outdoor course.

Although I say I chose it, I could also say I had no other choice.

Using the pool and indoor training facilities requires an application, and other trainers have the same idea. These facilities have a user limit, and not everyone who wants to can use them.

Even if we apply, the usage rights tend to be allocated to powerful teams or strong Uma Musume at Tracen Academy, and rookies like me and unlisted Uma Musume like Urara rarely get a chance to use them.

I've also heard that Team Rigil, the strongest team at Tracen Academy, rents a resort hotel for their summer training camp and spends the entire summer training at a beachside facility.

I think it's a privileged environment, but I don't see it as discrimination. Trainer Tojo and Team Rigil have achieved the results that justify it. I'd at least like to be able to use the pool, but I could just pay for Urara to use a public pool myself.

For these reasons, Urara and I ended up using the outdoor course, but Urara was full of energy even under the scorching midsummer sun. I don't think she wasn't feeling the heat, but not letting it bother her was probably one of her strengths.

Training in a harsh environment doesn't necessarily lead to results. It would be more effective and efficient to do the right amount of appropriate training and take proper rest. However, it's also true that tough training in a harsh environment can strengthen the mind.

Of course, I wouldn't train her like some old-school, "guts-over-everything" coach, not even letting her have a single drop of water in the middle of summer. I planned to train diligently while being fully on guard against heatstroke and other issues, paying close attention to Urara's physical condition.

"Alright, Urara... it's scorching hot today, but starting from today, we're going to focus on training every day for the next unlisted race. Got it?"

I said that while putting a white hat on Urara's head. It was a handmade item made by adding holes for Urara's ears to a store-bought hat. I had made it one night.

"Yeah! Alright, I'll do my best!"

Urara seemed to like the hat I put on her, and she was more motivated than usual. I smiled wryly at her, but she looked at what I was wearing and tilted her head.

"By the way, Trainer? You're dressed differently than usual, what's up?"

I was usually in a tracksuit when I trained Urara, but today was different. I was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, shorts, running shoes, and a white hat that matched Urara's. Of course, my hat didn't have holes for ears.

"Hehehe... you've asked a great question, Urara. You could say this outfit is a secret weapon."

"A secret weapon!? That sounds so cool!"

Urara's eyes sparkled as she looked at me, but even though I was speaking in a playful way, my heart was filled with anguish.

Even though I called it a secret weapon, its true identity was very simple.

"—For a while, I'll be running with you, Urara."

I said that and gave her a thumbs-up. If I had to put a name to it, it would be the "Trainer Batting In" strategy.

Of course, even if we ran together, there was a big difference in running ability and stamina between a human and an Uma Musume. I probably couldn't beat Urara even in a short-distance race. So, I planned to have Urara run a middle-distance or longer race and then run with her when she was exhausted in the final straight.

The purpose of this training was twofold. I wanted to strengthen Urara's stamina and also stir up her competitive spirit by making her feel the urgency of losing to a human.

Urara had grown more than I expected, but she had a big weakness when racing: her lack of competitive spirit. Compared to other Uma Musume, she didn't have enough drive to win.

I really wanted to ask Ms. Kiryuin for help and borrow Happy Meek's strength, who could also run on dirt, but I was turned down. Apparently, she was going to have Happy Meek run in the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies in early December and wanted to focus on that training.

When I brought up the idea, Ms. Kiryuin was quite enthusiastic, but I think Happy Meek probably didn't want to. It would be good for Urara's training, but not for Happy Meek's.

All my other rookie colleagues were in charge of Uma Musume who were good on turf, so I couldn't ask them for help. And I couldn't ask any of the senior trainers, either, as many of their Uma Musume were likely to clash with Urara in an unlisted race.

(I'm struggling with how to win an unlisted race, and Ms. Kiryuin is aiming for a G1... It makes me want to cry.)

The Hanshin Juvenile Fillies is one of the few G1 races held in the Junior class. Ms. Kiryuin seemed to be aiming for the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies and planned to use the Saffron Stakes, a pre-open race in late September, and the G3 Artemis Stakes in late October as stepping stones for Happy Meek to challenge the G1.

By the way, since Urara was on the dirt route, my initial plan was to win her debut race, then take our time to train her properly, and if we were lucky, have her run in the Nadeshiko Sho, a pre-open race in late October, or the Oxalis Sho in early November.

There were few dirt races, but there were even fewer short-distance races, which was Urara's preferred distance. I had thought about having her run in the G1 JBC Ladies' Classic in the Classic class and the G1 JBC Sprint in the Senior class, but since she lost her debut, I had to make various adjustments.

First, we had to win an unlisted race; otherwise, we couldn't even run in a pre-open race, let alone a major one.

So, I told Urara about our training plan, but—.

"You're running with me? Yay! That sounds fun!"

Urara raised both her hands and jumped for joy. My cheek twitched at her reaction, but I decided to give it a try and started the warm-up.

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For this training, I had Urara run a middle-distance dirt course. I had her run a longer distance than her next race to build up her stamina, and I also planned to use the "Trainer Batting In" strategy to stir up her competitive spirit. However—.

"What's wrong, Urara! Try to overtake me!"

"Haa, haa... you're amazing, Trainer! You're so fast!"

Urara's preferred distance was a short one, and a mile was her limit even if she tried her best. I had her run 2000 meters, a middle distance, but in the last 100 meters, Urara was exhausted, and her speed didn't increase as much as I wanted even when I ran alongside her.

To be clear, I'm a trainer, not a track athlete. I was on the sports team in junior high and exercised at the trainer's school, but my time for 100 meters was barely in the low 13s. I think I'm pretty fast compared to people who aren't track athletes, but my speed drops when I run on dirt.

When I first started training Urara, she would get tired in the second half of a middle-distance or longer race on a dirt course, and her speed would be so slow that I couldn't tell if she was walking or running. She had gotten much better now with more stamina, but in the last 100 meters, I was slightly faster.

However, Urara was just happy that I was running with her. There was no sign of a competitive spirit. She just happily chased me from behind with a smile.

It was cute to see her running after me with her hands outstretched, saying, 'Wait, wait!', but I wanted to scream, 'No, that's not it!'

After the run, as I was catching my breath, Urara came up to me with a smile.

"That was amazing, Trainer! You were so fast!"

"Haa... haa... don't just say... you were fast..."

Urara recovered immediately after the run, while I couldn't catch my breath. Just a full-out 100-meter sprint was tiring, but running 100 meters on a dirt course put more than twice the strain on my legs and hips.

(Does she not care about losing to a human? It's very Urara-like, I guess...)

I had competed with her after making her run a longer distance than she was suited for, but I wasn't happy even though I had won. Still, I was willing to do anything I could for Urara.

"Haa... haa... phew. Alright... one more time, Urara."

"Yeah! Alright! I won't lose next time!"

That day, I ran about 10 times to match Urara's practice, but Urara was just having fun and showed no sign of her competitive spirit being stirred up.

"Trainer Batting In" strategy—failed.

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The next day, I was dragging my sore legs to the training course. A heavy pain ran from my waist down to my feet. I had done a proper warm-up and cool-down, but the muscle soreness was worse than I expected.

I probably wouldn't have been this sore if I had just run 10 100-meter sprints on a regular track, but running at full speed on a dirt course took a toll on my body.

(No matter how much I want Urara to have a competitive spirit, this isn't what a trainer should be doing...)

I smiled wryly at my aching body. I didn't think it would be effective to tell Urara to have a competitive spirit or to always win against other Uma Musume. She had started trying harder to get into the winning concert, but I couldn't say for sure if that would lead to victory.

I arrived at the training course, thinking that I couldn't run with her today, and I was just in time. I hoped I hadn't made Urara wait, and as I looked around, I saw her in the distance.

"Huh? Who are those girls..."

There were about three Uma Musume near Urara. I thought they were her friends, but they had a sour look on their faces while Urara was excitedly waving her hands with a big smile. And when one of the three noticed me, she hurriedly moved away from Urara.

They were wearing school uniforms, so they must be Uma Musume who belonged to Tracen Academy, and I had a feeling I'd seen them somewhere before. As I searched my memory, it quickly came to me.

(Aren't they the girls who ran with Urara in the last race...?)

I couldn't remember their names, but I was sure I had seen them. I was wondering what they wanted when Urara noticed me and ran over with a big smile.

"Ah! Trainer!"

"I'm sorry I'm late, I was—whoa!?"

I quickly caught Urara, who had rushed at me with a smile. A jolt of muscle pain ran from my waist to my legs, but I managed to catch her.

"W-wait, Urara... my legs... no, stop rushing at me like that... seriously..."

"? What's wrong, Trainer?"

The muscle soreness was one thing, but I was also a little shocked that Urara, who was much smaller than me, almost pushed me over. There was a big difference in our weight, but I was just reminded of the amazing physical abilities of Uma Musume.

"Ow... phew. Are those girls your friends? Did they ask you something?"

I asked, hiding my pain. Urara was well-liked by those around her because of her cheerful personality, but the atmosphere I had felt from those Uma Musume didn't seem friendly.

However, Urara laughed brightly.

"They asked me what it was like to run with my trainer, and I said it was fun! I even bragged that you're super fast, Trainer!"

"......"

I was speechless. Was it my paranoia to think that those Uma Musume had said that to make fun of Urara? I had tried to stir up her competitive spirit with the "Trainer Batting In" strategy, but had they made fun of her for losing to a human, even if it was just when she was exhausted in the final straight?

The world of Uma Musume racing is one of survival of the fittest. It's a harsh world where they work hard to get even a slightly better result, and talented individuals crush each other.

In such a world, it was somewhat understandable to try to do anything to get even a slight advantage. When you don't have outstanding talent, and your ability doesn't improve no matter how hard you try, and you can't overturn the results with ingenuity, it was, in a way, natural to resort to other means.

In any case, I didn't know if it was just a snide remark or harassment, but it didn't seem to work on Urara.

(What happened in the last race with them marking her and now this, it seems like they're being oddly wary of her... Urara has grown more than I expected, but she's still not strong enough to beat Uma Musume in a higher class... why is that?)

Compared to Uma Musume in a higher class—like Ms. Kiryuin's Happy Meek—Urara was several ranks below.

I thought she shouldn't have been strong enough to be that wary of, but then it hit me.

(She's not as good as Uma Musume in a higher class, but she's good enough to win an unlisted race... is that it?)

She was 9th in her debut due to an accident, but her race was good enough that she could have won. If she had run the second race without being marked, it wouldn't have been strange for her to have come from behind and won in the middle of the race.

Perhaps from the other Uma Musume's perspective, she was seen as someone who could threaten their victory. Also, while many people would be fond of Urara's cheerful personality, it wouldn't be strange for those who were serious about racing to see Urara, who ran "because it was fun," as an enemy.

It's true that Urara ran because she thought racing was fun and exciting, but she also had the desire to get first place.

(And the problem is that you can't feel that from looking at her normally... Even I, her trainer, am struggling with how to stir up her competitive spirit.)

I calmed myself down and tried to figure out how Urara looked to an outsider.

When she first entered Tracen Academy, she was dead last in any practice race. You could say her ability as an Uma Musume was at the very bottom among those who belonged to Tracen Academy.

Her personality was bright, cheerful, and positive, and she was always running around with a smile on her face. From what she had told me, she seemed to have many friends. She was also the type of person whose interests changed quickly, but she was serious about training. At the very least, she never slacked off on purpose. Although, she did sometimes forget the start time of her training and was found selling things in the shopping district.

Her trainer, which is me, was a rookie, so my training skills were unknown, and as you could tell from yesterday, since she was the only Uma Musume I was in charge of, I wasn't able to give her satisfactory training.

Despite all that, she had shown a good performance in her debut and the unlisted race. How would that look to an outsider?

(Urara was originally incredibly slow... and just the thought that she might be faster than them is enough to make them lose their composure?)

To reiterate, Urara had grown more than I had expected. However, that was a result of Urara's hard work.

Urara was slow. She was really, really slow. She was so slow that I was worried I'd be fired in my first year as a trainer.

But Urara had the guts to carry out the tough training I gave her and a strong body. That's why I could say she had grown so much that I could now talk about her slowness in the past tense.

"Trainer? What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

I had been deep in thought, and I stared at Urara's face. She probably wasn't thinking about the Uma Musume from earlier, as she was pulling on my arm, saying we should start training soon. I stared at her face.

(This girl's purity is both a weakness and a weapon, huh... It doesn't seem like she's pretending not to care to not make me worry... she really doesn't care.)

Her strong body, quick recovery, attitude towards training, and this mental fortitude.

I was just a rookie trainer, but I thought this girl might be able to become a truly strong Uma Musume in the future. I thought that the Uma Musume I wanted to make strong had the power to meet that desire.

"...Alright, today, in addition to our regular training, you're also going to study racing, Urara."

That's why I planned to pack everything I could into Urara.

"In the last race, you were marked by other Uma Musume, how was that? Was it difficult to run?"

"Yeah! It was super hard to run! So it wasn't as fun as usual."

"I know. I'm sorry, I should have taught you how to deal with being marked during training... no, I can't just keep apologizing."

I apologized reflexively, but I stopped when I saw Urara's ears and tail droop. I cleared my throat once and then started talking to Urara, adding slightly exaggerated gestures.

"Ahem... listen, Urara. From now on, when you're running on the course, always assume you're being marked by Uma Musume other than yourself. Imagine that they've blocked you in the front, run alongside you, or are right behind you... When that happens, think about how you should run."

I planned to give her advice as well, but this was something only Urara, who was actually running, could understand. It required split-second decision-making to figure out how to evade the opponent who was marking you.

"Mmm... I don't really get it, but okay!"

"...Imagine that other Uma Musume are trying to get in your way. Just imagine it. It can be the Uma Musume you ran with in the last race, or it can be Happy Meek. A race isn't something you run alone, you know."

When I trained Urara, I had only focused on her running form, stamina, and speed, so I had a weak point in making her run while being conscious of others. This was partly because Urara was so slow that I had decided I had to focus on her physical abilities first.

"Imagine, imagine... alright! I think I got it! I'm going to run now!"

"Yeah! Go get 'em!"

Urara muttered to herself while poking her head with her finger, but then she seemed to have a clear image, and she started running toward the course.

I didn't know who she was imagining, but Urara finished the short-distance dirt course at a great pace and came back to me with a smile.

"How was it?"

"It didn't work!"

The "Imagery Training" strategy—failed.

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The next day, I took Urara to various places around Tracen Academy.

I thought I'd take a short break from training and show Urara other Uma Musume practicing.

Seeing other Uma Musume practicing so hard might ignite Urara's fighting spirit. Even if it didn't, I might be able to grasp something that I could use in Urara's future training.

(I wish Team Rigil was here so I could show Urara their practice... well, there are other famous teams, so I'll check those out.)

Thinking that, I headed to the turf course instead of the dirt one. I would have liked to see some Uma Musume practicing on the dirt, but for some reason, I couldn't find a single one.

However, I came across a practice session of Team Spica, which was one of Tracen Academy's top teams, albeit not as good as Team Rigil—but.

"Hey, Trainer. What's that person practicing?"

"I... wonder?"

I couldn't give a clear answer to Urara's question.

In front of us, a well-built, beautiful gray Uma Musume whom I had seen somewhere before was sitting on the turf in a seiza position, moving chess pieces on a shogi board. Other Uma Musume were around her, but they didn't seem to question the gray Uma Musume's actions.

(I've heard that shogi is a good mental exercise, but why is she playing shogi on the turf... Is there a reason for it? Is it a kind of Uma Musume training that I just don't understand?)

I thought it might be an option to introduce as a training method to make Urara use her head. But I had no idea why she was doing it in a seiza position on the turf.

(Team Spica's trainer has been in this business longer than me. That senior has raised many G1 Uma Musume, and there must be some meaning to what that Uma Musume is doing... No, I have no idea.)

I thought about it for a while, but while I understood the meaning of playing shogi, I didn't understand why she was doing it while sitting seiza on the turf. The Uma Musume then placed two concrete blocks she had gotten from somewhere on the ground, stacked about ten roof tiles on top of them, and clenched her fist.

And just as she was about to bring her fist down on the roof tiles, she showed off a beautiful roof tile breaking performance.

(What does she want to do by breaking roof tiles? Is it for stress relief? Is that also part of the training?)

If I had to guess, it might be training to build strength. My Urara probably couldn't break a single roof tile, let alone ten, but an Uma Musume's power might be able to.

As Urara and I were watching the gray Uma Musume's bizarre behavior, she suddenly turned around. She turned so much that I had the illusion that her head was facing backward over her shoulder.

"Ruffian! Get him, get him!"

The gray Uma Musume yelled in a tone that sounded like a character from a period drama for some reason. My instincts told me that it would be bad to be caught by her.

"Let's run, Urara!"

"Huh!? Y-yeah!"

Urara and I ran away. Fortunately, that Uma Musume didn't chase us, but after we had escaped, I thought.

(I didn't get any useful ideas...)

"Reconnaissance" strategy—failed.

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And so, I spent the hot summer days searching for something I could do for Urara.

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