On the training grounds…
Even after quite some time had passed, plenty of eyes were still fixed on Chiemi Representative's session.
From the initial one-legged hopping, to holding a deep squat and rising onto the balls of her feet again and again.
To outsiders, none of it looked remotely related to the "usual" Umamusume drills.
Tamamo Cross couldn't make sense of it.
With so many people already whispering, Yuu-ni was still sitting on Oguri's lap like nothing was happening—so relaxed he even had the bandwidth to banter with her.
And Chiemi Representative was the strangest part of all…
Tamamo looked over at Chiemi, still in the squat, lifting onto her toes with unwavering rhythm.
At first, Chiemi had worn the same baffled expression Tamamo did.
Now, her face was downright serious.
So there is meaning to this?
Catching Tamamo's stare, Wu You smiled.
"If you're curious, tama, you can try it too."
"Huh? I can?"
"Yes. The effect won't be as dramatic for you as it is for Chiemi, but it won't hurt. It may even come in handy later."
Tamamo's ears perked.
"Alright—then I'll try!"
No hesitation. She trotted straight to Chiemi and copied the form Wu You had demonstrated earlier.
Training ground: +1 strange figure.
Oguri Cap lowered her head and asked, "Yuu-bro, should I try too?"
Wu You stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Oguri, your flexibility is already excellent. This won't do much for you."
"Oh… I get it. So this is to improve joint flexibility?"
"Not quite."
Oguri tilted her head again.
Then what is it for?
Wu You didn't bother with mystery.
"It's for the ankles."
"Ankles?"
In Oguri's experience, almost every trainer focused on raising "stats" like speed and power.
Targeting one specific body part like this…
She'd barely seen it.
"I don't really understand, but if it's your method, Yuu-bro, it must have a reason."
She rested her chin atop his head again and closed her eyes, resuming her quiet enjoyment.
"You trust me that much?" Wu You said, amused.
…
Time drifted on, and before long, dismissal was approaching.
Wu You judged the rhythm and spoke to the two on the field.
"That's enough. Use the remaining time to loosen up."
Chiemi and Tamamo didn't stop immediately. They squeezed out a few more repetitions, then finally straightened and walked over.
Both were drenched.
On Chiemi, parts of her training pants had darkened with sweat, faintly revealing the pale warmth of skin beneath.
Yet neither looked fatigued.
If anything, they looked sharper—brighter.
Chiemi took a long pull from her sports drink.
"Trainer… I think I'm starting to understand what you meant…"
"Me too," Tamamo added. "I've only caught a bit of it, but… I feel it."
For an Umamusume, having a good trainer was a kind of luck.
But a trainer guiding a truly gifted Umamusume—wasn't that a kind of happiness too?
You barely had to explain. They grasped it on their own.
That saved time. That saved words.
Then—
"Hey. You."
Wu You turned his face toward the sound.
A plain-looking male trainer stood there with a pink-haired Umamusume beside him.
The trainer froze for half a beat.
Wu You's eyes were closed.
And yet, the man felt as though he'd been seen through.
"What do you want?" Wu You asked.
The pressure eased—just a little—and the man found his voice.
"If you don't know how to train, then don't waste Chiemi's talent."
He'd intended to say something harsher.
That brief, inexplicable intimidation had made him soften it at the last second.
But—
Boom.
Three invisible weights slammed down on him.
Tamamo Cross. Chiemi Representative. Oguri Cap.
The three, who were normally mild in temperament, had all gone cold at once.
Their gazes sharpened into blades.
Sweat flooded the man's back. His teeth threatened to chatter.
So this is what an Umamusume's pressure feels like…
Wu You lightly patted Oguri's hand—an unspoken signal to ease off.
Then he addressed the trainer, calm as still water.
"Thank you for the concern. But Chiemi is my Umamusume. This is none of your business."
The pink-haired Umamusume tugged his sleeve anxiously.
"Trainer… maybe we should just—"
The man's face flickered through red and pale.
Under three Umamusume's pressure, his knees felt weak.
But Wu You's composure—his effortless poise, as though he were standing above the situation—made it worse.
It triggered something primitive.
A man's instinctive competitiveness when faced with another man who clearly outclassed him.
He forced his spine straight and barked, "Then compete with me! If you lose, stop dragging Chiemi Representative down!"
"I refuse," Wu You said.
"Good! Then you— …Huh?"
The man blinked, stunned.
In his head, there was only one "proper" script here.
Wasn't Wu You supposed to accept?
Wu You crossed one leg over the other, elegant—like he wasn't sitting on Oguri's thigh, but on a throne.
"Chiemi is a person. Not a chip you use to gamble on a win or loss. And besides—"
His tone remained flat, but every word landed cleanly.
"She's already my Umamusume."
At that last line, a faint flush slipped across Chiemi's cheeks.
The same words, in the man's ears, sounded like the victor's leisurely mockery.
"Why?!" he shouted, raw with frustration.
Wu You didn't soften it.
"I can't be bothered to explain. And you don't deserve to hear it."
It hit like a slap.
The man's temperature spiked.
His pink-haired Umamusume's voice trembled, near tears.
"Trainer… let's go. Please…"
If she weren't afraid of hurting him, she would have dragged him away herself.
That was when Chiemi Representative took a step forward.
Everyone looked at her—everyone, including Wu You, whose hand had been gently patting Oguri's in reassurance.
Chiemi's gaze settled on the provoker.
The faint blush from Wu You's words had already vanished.
What replaced it was the steadiness of a race-day mind.
"Trainer."
She gave Wu You a small nod, firm and respectful.
"You're right. I'm not a bargaining chip. And you don't need to use me to answer anyone."
Then she turned back to the man.
Her eyes hardened.
"But you insulted my trainer. You questioned his ability and his sincerity. I can't pretend I didn't hear that."
The male trainer stiffened, clearly not expecting Chiemi—who had stayed silent— to speak at all.
Wu You's brow tightened.
"Chiemi…"
She didn't turn around.
Her back straightened even more.
"You wanted a match, didn't you? Fine. I'll take it."
She paused, each word deliberate.
"I'll race your Umamusume. If I win—you will apologize here, publicly, to my trainer Wu You. For every careless accusation and every bit of disrespect you just showed."
She lifted her shoulders slightly, as if the outcome required no additional discussion.
"And if I lose…"
Chiemi's voice stayed calm—almost indifferent.
"That won't happen."
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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