Minor Author Note here:
Quick little thing to confirm, by the way: Maruzensky debuted six years before Katsuragi Ace and Mr. CB, and also seven years before Symboli Rudolf. I plan to have her closer in age/debut to her peers. It'll make my timeline a little easier to write.
Chapter start
"Ah.. yes. Yes. Understood, thank you." Vincent answered robotically. His mind was frozen in a state of shock as the phone conversation came to an end. He stared down at the phone in his hand, his daughter Maruzensky worriedly looking at him as he failed to respond.
"Papa? Dad? Helloooo?" Maruzensky tilted her head, moving around and poking her father until noticing he had begun shaking. Her worry increased when he saw that he had started crying as well. "What's wrong? Papa!" She began trying to shake him, only for him to grab her in a tight hug.
"We did it, Maru!" Vincent laughed brightly, showing his tears were, in fact, tears of joy. "You're going to be in the Classics!" Vincent laughed like a life's worth of worries were leaving him.
"Eh? Eh? Really!?" Maruzensky blinked owlishly. Her worried look faded into a blinding smile.
"Let's celebrate! I'll call your mother and we'll make your favorite tonight." Vincent ruffled Maruzensky's hair. "Let's go!"
SCENE BREAK
"Hoooo…" Riku breathed out, leaning back in his chair in his personal office. He had just ended his phone conversation with Vincent Nijinsky, Maruzensky's father. The man appeared to be very muted or in shock, with little reaction to his words about her confirmation in the Classics. With that done, the first step of his work as chairman was completed. Now began all the "fun" of getting things put into place, and essentially rebuilding the board with those that remain.
He pressed one of the quick call buttons on his company phone located on his desk, calling the direct secretary under him, and the one who worked under his grandfather, Hiromi Suto.
"Miss Hiromi." He said lightly, his focus split on the computer in front of him as he typed.
"Yes, Chairman?" A female voice response, her voice soft and nearly imperceptible through the phone intercom. Probably her only negative trait, if it could be called that, as she was a workaholic and very competent at her job otherwise.
"Please inform Akira, Reiko, and Yasuyuki to meet in the board room in thirty minutes, please. Thank you." Riku smiled as he continued to type, and he began revising his earlier plans. With only four members of the board effectively left, he had a lot more leeway in what he could get done immediately. Still, things could not remain as they were. He'd have to begin scouting people within the company to promote to the now vacant board positions. Perhaps something Reiko could help him with.
"I'll contact them immediately, Chairman. Is there anything else I can help you with?" Her response and question were clearer to him after turning the phone volume up.
"No, that's all for now, thank you, Miss Hiromi." He smiled, though she couldn't see it. Hiromi Suto had left a big impression on him growing up, as she had been his grandfather's secretary for the better part of fifteen years. After hanging up, he leaned back and gazed around the room that was now his own. Numerous photos lined the walls of the famous Uma from previous generations. In particular, there were two larger photos that stood out. Located on the wall to his left was a photo depicting an Uma with short bob cut hair, standing next to two older gentlemen, and one with long hair and an extravagant dress in similar circumstances.
The first photo depicted Shinzan, the second of Japan's triple crown Umamusume, and an absolute beast on the race track. Racing a total of nineteen times, with fifteen first-place finishes and four second-place finishes, she had an amazing streak of dominance. Taking home six G1 crowns, her record would only be broken twenty years later by Symboli Rudolf.
Depicted next to her was Saint Lite, the original triple crown Umamusume in Japan. Racing twelve times, nine wins, two second-place finishes, and one in third place. An impressive record, and definitely worthy of the first Uma to pave the way for the triple crown in Japan.
Riku blinked, only to have a deadpan expression upon noticing the opposite wall featured many photos of his grandfather, including pictures of Riku as a child. Very embarrassing photos he'd like to forget ever existed. He glanced down only to realize he'd wasted twenty minutes daydreaming. He grabbed his nearby personal laptop, covered with stickers of his favorite Umamusume of the time, Tokino Minoru, the Green Devil.
He opened the doors and walked down the hall to the boardroom. The halls were empty of people, as only executives and assistants typically roamed them. He reached the doors to the boardroom and opened them, blinking in surprise as he was the last to arrive. All three remaining members of the board gave him nods, or in Akira's case, a beaming smile. His eyes glanced at the clock on the wall, realizing that he was late despite being eight minutes early.
"Apologies for being late, I was distracted by my proposals." Riku gave a light bow to the rest of the board as he sat down, his eyes taking in the mostly empty room. "Speaking of proposals. Reiko." He glanced at the woman seated directly next to him, her eyebrows raised in reply.
"Yes, Chairman?" Reiko tilted her head, a light smile on her face.
"You're seated in the wrong chair," Riku said flatly, drawing a blink from the woman. He pointed at the chair directly across from him on the table. "Your seat is over there, Vice-Chairman." He smiled, seeing the dumbfounded look on her face. "Unless our other members would object?" His glances at Yasyuki and Akira were merely met with smiles and shakes of their head.
Reiko gathered herself quickly, giving a deep bow to Riku before walking over to her new place at the table. She tapped her fingers anxiously on the chair before taking a seat and giving him a nod.
"With that settled, thank you for coming on such short notice. I'll make this as quick and concise as I can. Aside from Reiko's promotion to VC, Yasuyuki is at this moment promoted to head of medical affairs, and Akira to head of foreign affairs." He gestured with his hands to both male members of the board. Yasuyuki gave him a brief, surprised look before melting into a smirk. Akira merely gave his trademark smile and a small nod of his head. "Aside from directions I have of where we will go in those respective departments, I would like your help and consideration in promoting staff members to our now vacant board spots." He gave a glance around the room before they all collectively looked at Reiko first.
Reiko perked up, adjusting her glasses before speaking. "I'll begin looking through our list of candidates immediately. I know of a few names immediately who would be good candidates."
"Perfect. Please ensure we are combing through for any of those with ties to our previous board members, nepotism hires or not." Riku affirmed, drawing a nod from Reiko in reply. "Furthermore, I'd like your personal help in revamping our security. I'd like to take a different direction with it." His second statement drew a slightly confused look from her.
"Revamping? I can understand changing out the old guard, with many getting there in age and some having questionable loyalty to our previous board. But how do you plan to change it?" Reiko tapped her finger on her temple as he looked at Riku questioningly.
"I plan to recruit Umamusume to take the role of those we replace." Riku grinned as he placed his chin on his hands while he leaned back. "Specifically, those passed over by society, and those well-suited for the role." His statement drew an understanding look from Reiko.
"I'll handle it. I'll send you a preliminary list before next week." Her glasses glinted as she looked down and wrote down her plans in her notebook in front of her.
Maruzensky was not the only outlier in those treated differently due to their foreign origins in Japan. As a country, they were famous for while polite to foreigners, but still treating them as outsiders. This is especially true for Japanese people with foreign ancestry. Riku wanted to try and use this to their advantage, giving these people employment opportunities they've otherwise been denied.
"Thank you, Reiko. I'll leave it in your capable hands." Riku briefly smiled her way before turning to Yasuyuki, drawing the man's attention. "Yasuyuki, in your new capacity, I'd like you to do your own auditing of our medical department." This drew a brief nod from the man before his next statement. "Also, I'm giving you permission to allocate more funding to your department in the name of medical research around Umamusume." A wide-eyed look from Yasuyuki met him at this.
"Pardon? More funding?" Yasuyuki looked at him incredulously, focusing on that line from Riku. "Where is that money going to come from, Chairman?" He glanced at the mildly surprised looks of Reiko and Akira before looking forward.
"Thankfully, our past board members generously gave us back some of the money they had borrowed voluntarily. With that, we have a surplus of money to help kickstart some things into gear, and I predict we'll have an influx of more profits before the year is over." Riku gave Yasuyuki a thumbs-up with his statement. The rest of the room quickly got over their surprise, connecting the dots of what he said. An influx of embezzled money returned to the company, and Riku's apparent faith that the new racing season will be enough to break expectations.
"Very well, I can handle the auditing of my department. What medical research do you have in mind, Chairman?" Yasuyuki pushed his glasses up, his look practically screaming that things were going according to plan.
Riku matched his gesture and smile before speaking. "Specifically, I want to focus on injury prevention and injury care. I've touched on it before, but that is our number one priority to fix. Too many of our racers have not reached their full potential due to injuries, and that needs to be fixed. After finishing our auditing, I want to put in a requirement for any Uma racing to go through more frequent medical checkups handled by us." His words drew a deep chuckle out of the newly promoted department head.
"Hahaha! I knew I was right to follow you. You can count on me, Chairman!" Yasuyuki exaggeratedly clasped his fist over his heart, drawing a dry look from Riku in reply. It's amusing to Riku, knowing that AOT does not exist in this world. He snorted at the thought before looking at the final member he hadn't addressed yet.
"Mr. Akira," Riku began, the respect in his voice clear. "With you, I'd like to address something that should have been addressed a long time ago within this company."
"Oh? What are you referring to, young Chairman?" Akira's question contained his usual exuberance with a hint of respect for the young man in front of him.
"I'd like your help combing through our database of Umamusume who have raced and retired previously. I want to begin by the end of this year, a systematic plan to provide financial aid and other essentials to our retired and struggling Umamusume." Akira's smile froze briefly before giving Riku a calculating look.
"Quite the benevolent idea, young Chairman. I'm in support of the idea, but what do you hope to accomplish with this? It could be a huge money sink." Akira steepled his fingers together and narrowed his eyes.
Riku merely leaned back and closed his eyes as his head was tilted towards the ceiling. "The initial idea for it is entirely altruistic, but I'm not dumb, Executive Director." Riku slowly reclined back in his chair before continuing. "I'm a proud believer that any Umamusume can rise to stardom, and those that do so help us in turn. While there are famous families such as the Symboli or Mejiro, they are much more closely knit and keep to themselves." Riku took a short breath and a sip of water before continuing. "But for many Umamusume who don't shine as bright in the top races, or those not in those established families, life can be difficult. With our help, they and their future children can further contribute and enrich our society and company." His words drew nods from Reiko and Yasuyuki, and a smile and slow clap from Akira.
Riku's reasons for these policies had a couple of reasons stemming from both his time in this world and his life in the previous one. First, some of these things he felt should have just existed in general, but a variety of factors he's not entirely aware of prevented them. It would be all too easy and partially accurate to blame it on corrupt people, such as the former board members in the URA, but he just doesn't know.
Regarding his previous life, he's all too aware of how many horses had their time cut short by improper care or injuries of any kind. Several of them are easily preventable with the benefit of hindsight.
His reasoning could be summarized for security, they and, by extension, Riku himself, had made a lot of enemies that would prey on their downfall. Umamusume are far stronger than ordinary people, and with enough motivation, could be loyal enough to protect them from harm. Being able to help those who struggle in society is a big bonus on top of it.
Medically, Umamusume are a marvel of medical science. Horses, but not fully, human, but not fully. A happy mix of both that leads to interesting ideas for preventative care and injury care. If that can take off, many greats and those who were not will have more chances to prove themselves on the track.
His last proposal to Akira was mainly geared towards helping struggling Uma mothers and, by extension, their children, who can run in the Twinkle series in the future. A couple of names came to his mind, of Uma, who came from struggling situations, and made it big by racing for their families. It'll be the hardest of the three to make a profit off of, but he's confident it will work out.
"As you say, Chairman." Akira's eyes opened fully as he looked at the man in front of him, as if seeing him for the first or perhaps second time.
Riku glanced around, satisfied, at the rest of the room. "If there's nothing else, I call this meeting adjourned." Riku held up his right hand, looking in askance at the others. Seeing the others nod with nothing else to say, he continued. "Thank you for your time, see you all soon." Riku stood up first, grabbed his laptop, and walked out of the room.
Once out of the room, he sighed in relief at how well the meeting went, before giving a fist pump with a muffled exclamation of, "YES!" Unfortunately for Riku, he glanced over and met the amused eyes of his secretary, Hiromi, who had been waiting for him outside the room. She opened her mouth to speak before being quickly cut off. "Not a word," Riku said lightly, his face an almost bright red of embarrassment.
"As you say, Mr. Chairman." Hiromi smiled serenely before falling into step behind Riku as he went to his office. This drew a questioning look from the man in question, upon noticing that Hiromi continued to follow him.
"Is there something you need me for, Miss Hiromi?" Riku raised an eyebrow at his assistant. Unsurprisingly, Hiromi was a few inches taller than the definitely not short Riku.
"Former Chairman Masayoshi has been calling for you repeatedly in the past hour, sir. He's called you sixteen times so far." Her amused smile widened, seeing the aggravated look on Riku's face. They both reached the office, and as Riku opened the door, his phone began ringing. "Make that seventeen times, sir. I'll head back down now." Hiromi's smile turned cheeky, her giggles muffled by her hand as she walked away. Riku sent a tired glare in her direction before trudging into his office and answering the phone.
"Hel–" Riku could not fully finish his greeting before being interrupted.
"Hey Riku! You did it! Hahahaha! I knew you had it in you!" Masayoshi's boisterous laughter resounded through the room, and Riku had to hastily pull the phone away from his ear due to the volume. Riku sighed before smiling and eagerly continuing the conversation with his grandfather about what they had accomplished on their first day.
SCENE BREAK
"Mmmmmm! It smells so good, Mama!" Maruzensky vibrated in place in her chair, drawing an amused look from her father. The day for her felt like it couldn't get any better. She was going to participate in the Classics. Her mom was making her favorite food. Today was the best.
Shortly after, her mother came through the kitchen doorway holding a steaming pot into the dining room. The woman could've passed for Maruzensky's older sister, with the same vibrant hair, darker blue eyes, and bright smile. She wore an older dress, not uncommon to the 1940s, colored in blues and pinks. This was Maruzensky's mother, Shill, a retired Uma from the US.
She placed the pot on the table before heading back into the kitchen and bringing out a tray filled with biscuit-like pieces of bread. The pot was filled with an Irish Stew, a dish filled with beef, potatoes, onions, spring onions, and other spices. Next to it was a tray of bread known as Bannock. Both were celebratory meals for the young Uma.
"Dig in! I made extra for you today, Maru." Shill gave a warm smile before kissing her daughter's forehead, doing the same to her husband, before taking her place next to him at the table. The family mutually closed their eyes and clasped their hands in prayer for a brief moment before beginning to eat.
Maruzensky wasted no time in grabbing her portion, immediately dunking her bannock into her stew and taking a massive bite.
"Mmmmm!" She made an exaggerated sound of satisfaction, swaying side to side as she ate her food. Her parents shared an amused look together before starting to eat as well. The family ate in relative silence, only broken by the sounds of eating and sounds of enjoyment.
Their reverie was briefly broken by Vincent's phone ringing. His ringtone, unsurprisingly, was the generic loud one that came with the phone standardly. He looked apologetically at the two and went to silence it before his eyes widened at the called ID, Tracen Academy. He held up a finger to both women at the table before rushing out of the room to answer his call, not seeing the look of worry and confusion following him.
"I'm sure it's nothing serious, sweetheart. Enjoy your meal." Shill patted her daughter's hand, noticing her staring in the direction her father had left. Maruzensky gave her a small smile, glancing once more towards the direction Vincent had left, before continuing to demolish her second serving of food.
Their patience would be rewarded as Vincent shuffled back into the room minutes later, looking a mixture of giddy and slightly worried.
"Papa? Everyshthing okay?" Maruzensky slurred her words slightly, her mouth still full of bread as she spoke. This drew a reproachful look from her mother, which she didn't see or ignored.
"Everything's perfect, honey." Vincent took a moment to collect himself, taking a big gulp of water before speaking again. "I was just called by Tracen's Academy's secretary, Tazuna. She told me that now that you've been offered enrollment into Tracen Academy. In central Tokyo. They want to meet us next week."
Maruzensky showed no recognition of the name, but merely smiled with her cheeks full and gave her father a thumbs up, not seeing her father's worried look shared with her mother.
Chapter END