After thinking it over for some time, Kuroha decided not to buy either the [Panacea] or the [Fortifying Tonic] from the updated shop.
As for the Panacea—
First, he simply didn't need it right now.
With [Body and Breath Perception] and [Massage] in hand, the chances of his girls getting injured during training were practically zero.
Second, his PT points… were far too few.
After yesterday's Haneda Hai, he had exactly 100 points left to his name—a miserably small sum.
On top of that, he'd need time to refresh his medical and pharmaceutical knowledge before he could even make proper use of the Panacea. For now, it was better to save the points in case of an emergency later.
As for the Fortifying Tonic…
After last night's several hours of "workout" with Fujimasa March, he'd realized—she couldn't outlast him at all.
For the first time, he'd felt it in the most direct, visceral way:
His stamina was absurd.
By his estimate, his [G1-entry-level Stamina] was equivalent to the peak condition of a Central G1 graded-race Uma Musume in her Senior Year.
If converted to raw numbers, it would be around 1,000 points.
Clenching his fist, he smiled with quiet confidence.
So what if a Uma Musume's physique was three times stronger than a human's?
This was the result of over a decade of relentless daily training.
Don't underestimate humans.
Forget little March—even if Inari One joined in, they still wouldn't beat him.
With his thoughts in order, Kuroha told March to rest at home with Inari One—he was giving them both the day off.
It was the perfect chance for him to go on a big shopping trip.
"I want to go with you, Trainer… My body's fine…"
In front of him now, March had completely transformed from her usual cool, heroic self into the role of a soft, delicate girlfriend.
Kuroha reached out, gently cupped her cheek, and gave it a light pinch.
"Be good. Rest at home and wait for me to come back."
Looking into those clear eyes and the strikingly handsome face of her trainer, March's resistance crumbled. After stammering for a bit, she finally nodded reluctantly.
Bidding her goodbye, Kuroha left the training room alone.
"Let's take care of their leave requests first."
Glancing up at the sky, he decided to handle the easy task before the rest.
It was class time at Ōi Tracen Academy, and the tree-lined paths were nearly empty.
Heavy clouds drifted overhead, blotting out the sun and adding a faint chill to the air. Fortunately, there was no sign of rain.
He stopped by the administrative office to put in the leave requests for March and Inari One.
For a trainer, getting time off approved for their Uma Musume was effortless.
Tracen's academic program was long, but a Uma Musume's competitive prime lasted only three to four years—sometimes less.
So the school prioritized training progress over regular coursework.
Kuroha didn't even have to fill out a slip. A brief mention to the staff member was enough for them to nod in approval without a single question.
"Take care, Trainer Kuroha."
He returned the polite farewell with a nod and stepped back out into the corridor.
Just as he was leaving, a noisy chatter spilled out from the large room next door.
Looking over, he saw the sign:
Ōi Tracen — Trainer Office
It was a wide space where the academy's local trainers usually gathered to chat when they had nothing better to do.
Kuroha rarely visited—most of his time was spent in his personal trainer's room, studying, researching, or planning training and race schedules for his team.
But as he passed the door this time, it swung open and a figure in a kimono stormed out—nearly colliding with him.
Thud!
They both stopped short, and Kuroha found himself staring at none other than Tatsuko Yuzuhara.
"Kuroha? What are you doing here?"
Normally, she'd never expect to see him in this office, and she looked genuinely surprised.
"I was just in the admin office," he explained with a smile, gesturing over his shoulder. "Got March and Inari a day off. March won the Haneda Hai yesterday, so we had a celebration… they stayed up too late."
He felt a bit sheepish saying it—Inari's late night was her own doing, but March's… well, he certainly bore part of the responsibility.
In this world, unlike in the games of his previous life, it was rare—even for a trainer—to marry their assigned Uma Musume.
The reason was simple: the well-known medical fact that a Uma Musume's physique was roughly three times that of a human's.
This wasn't some fantasy setting where trainers had superhuman physiques capable of wrestling microwaves in half or chasing down their girls in a sprint until they collapsed from exhaustion.
At least in the world Kuroha now lived in, no trainer could match their own Uma Musume physically—except him.
"Celebration?"
Tatsuko immediately put her hands on her hips in mock outrage. "Why didn't you invite your big sis Tatsuko? I'd have made it a party to remember!"
"Haha, I didn't want to trouble you."
"That won't do! Next time, you have to invite me, got it?"
Unable to fend off her enthusiasm, Kuroha agreed with a nod.
"That's better!"
She grinned, then suddenly turned back toward the office and waved.
"Taro! Come out here! This is that Trainer Kuroha I told you about!"
Taro?
Kuroha turned just in time to see a man, a little older than himself, stride out.
The moment he saw Kuroha, his eyes lit up, and he hurried forward to give a perfect ninety-degree bow.
"Trainer Kuroha, sir! My name is Taro Yuzuhara. I just got hired as a local trainer today!"
"…Yuzuhara? Then you're—"
"This is my son," Tatsuko said proudly, patting him on the back. "He just came back from studying abroad in the United States. Took him a while to pass his trainer's license."
Then she glanced at Kuroha and pulled a wry face.
"Of course, he's not a prodigy like you. He's thirty now."
"Mom…"
Taro gave her a weary look.
"In public, Tatsuko Yuzuhara came across as composed and refined. In private, she was far more warm and uninhibited.
As Kuroha listened to the unfamiliar name, a thought occurred to him.
In the original timeline, this man—Taro Yuzuhara—would have been Inari One's trainer. Tatsuko would have handed her over to her son after he returned from the US.
But because Kuroha had arrived early, she had entrusted Inari One to him instead.
A named character from the "original" world… interesting. (TL: I don't know if the name is correct)
"I've heard so much about you from my mother," Taro said warmly. "Graduating early from university, getting your trainer's license, and in just two months—producing a Haneda Hai champion!"
The flattery was so direct that Kuroha wasn't sure how to respond.
When he asked why Taro called him "senpai" despite being older, Taro answered seriously,
"Those with skill deserve respect. Your ability and achievements far surpass mine—and besides… you started the job before me."
Fair enough.
Then Taro's eyes sharpened slightly, as if something had just clicked.
"Kuroha-senpai… do you know a Uma Musume named Obey Your Master? She's a current competitor in the US."
Obey Your Master?
Kuroha hadn't expected to hear that name from him, but he nodded.
"I know her. When she came to Tokyo on vacation, she stayed near Ōi Tracen Academy."
(End of Chapter)
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