Dirt shoes, check. Heavy cleats, check. Tracker, check. Drinks, check. Bag and amenities, check. Gold cross, check.
Alright. Let's go.
With that, I gave a final nod to my reflection and exited my room.
Today was the usual early morning training. With my next race, the Kyoto Junior Stakes, just around the corner, the sessions had become more detailed and focused. For example, this morning's menu was slope training. The objective was to find that precise sweet spot between conserving energy and holding my position on an incline.
But I was sure, today should be just a touch-up. I could feel it. Yesterday, we were close. Today, I believed we could find it, the exact stride frequency where I wouldn't fall behind, but the stamina consumption was still manageable.
As I walked down the stairs, I then noticed. Like on previous mornings, Miho Dormitory at this hour was still wrapped in a deep, pre-dawn quiet. I deliberately slowed my pace and softened my steps, not wanting to disturb anyone else's rest. But when I arrived at the front door, something unusual happened. Or rather, something usual didn't happen. The door was locked.
I had decided to go a little earlier today. Since starting yoga before sleeping, my sleep quality had improved drastically. Not only did I feel completely fresh when I woke up, but I found myself needing fewer hours of sleep overall. I'd woken up at four, and with ample time before my scheduled training, I'd decided to get in some extra flexibility work rather than just laying around. Every other time I had gone to my morning training, the door had already been unlocked. But alas...
"4:32," I glanced at my phone. "And the door hasn't been unlocked yet. Understandable."
As I stood there, contemplating my next move, I heard soft footsteps approaching from inside the dormitory, followed by a familiar, clear voice.
"Yo, Copenhagen. Aren't you too early today?"
"Good morning, Hishiama-san," I replied as she came into view. "Un, I was thinking of jogging before my morning training starts."
"You training freak," she said, shaking her head as she worked the lock. "Isn't that just a training session before another training session? And you've been getting back to the dormitory just before curfew lately, isn't that also because of training? And don't even get me started on the intensity of your main training... hah." She let out a long, weary sigh.
Her tone reminded me of the Director when I took on too many delivery runs in one go. I could only nod at her, feeling oddly defeated. Her pressure, even this early in the morning, was intense. Was she in a bad mood? Was it because of me? Well, if so then I could only bite the bullet..
"So, why this early?" she asked, swinging the door open.
"I woke up at four. I also had finished my wake-up routines, so I decided it was better to go early," I explained firmly. I had to show my confidence in my decision, at least.
"You can do something in your room, right?" she countered. "Something quiet. Studying, reading books, or here's a wild idea.. going back to sleep?"
"I had my study and just watched race tapes to kill times," I said, "but I felt I needed to be more productive."
"Hah... do you even get enough sleep?" she asked, her eyes narrowing at me.
"Affirmative, I do, yes. One hundred percent," I nodded repeatedly and reassuringly.
"And if you wake up this early in the future, are you going to go out this early again?"
"I... umm..." I hesitated. "Apologies for bothering you." I couldn't say no, because if I could go, I would.
She let out another, longer sigh and pondered for a moment while crossing her arms. "Really? Fine then... how about this?" she said finally. "I don't usually unlock the door this early. So, if you really want to go out at this time rather than waiting for me, you can check below the potted plant to the left of the door. There's a spare key under it. You can keep the spare until you get back and then put it in its place."
I nodded and glanced at the large ceramic pot she'd mentioned. Then I looked back at her, my eyes narrowing slightly.
"What's the catch?"
"Oh well, if you're asking for it," she shrugged, a smirk playing on her lips.
"You can't just tell another student about a spare key without a catch," I stated with the logic clicking into place. "What if that person uses the key to wander out beyond the curfew without your permission? If something were to happen to them, the ones who would end up facing the firing squad wouldn't just be them, but the dorm leader, too."
"Smart ass," she smiled widely, "Alright then. Walk the perimeter of the building. Check for litter, overflowing outdoor trash bins, or any vandalism that might have occurred overnight. Note any small maintenance issues you see, like burnt-out light bulbs, leaks, broken furniture. Report your findings to me through LANE once it's finished. Do you copy, private?"
"Copy that, Ma'am," I sighed inwardly. It was a fair trade. Doing her a favor or two wouldn't be bad, and it wasn't a difficult task to begin with.
"Thank you~" she said as if the tension leaving her shoulders. "With this, I just need to focus on the inside of the building. For a dorm this huge, giving the entire managerial task to one person is just too much, isn't it? But it's not like I can complain after seeing what Kaicho does every day. Still, a little help from you from now on is really a boon." She plopped down on the large reception sofa in the dorm lobby with a relieved expression.
"From now on?" I asked, the words catching in my throat. Wait. This wasn't the one-time exchange I had envisioned.
"Yeah," she said, lifting her right leg to rest on the sofa cushion. "You can jog while you're doing it. Just use your soft steps like before. Nobody will be bothered."
"You noticed?" I asked, a little surprised.
"Though you try to cover your steps when you go out every morning, I can still hear them." She pointed to her sharp, twitching ears. "You should train it more. If any burglars tried sneaking around this dormitory like you do, they wouldn't even get past the lobby. And you might need it... for shortening your ground contact duration, for example?"
I listened to her cue, and her intention became immediately clear. She wasn't just giving me a task. She was offering advice, framing my new chore as a form of training. She was increasing her side of the bargain, making it harder for me to refuse. Furthermore... she was right. Shortening the time my feet were in contact with the ground was another variable we hadn't fully explored. Other than a faster leg cycle, shorter ground contact could shave off precious fractions of a second.
"You're such an overthinker, aren't you?" she smiled, seeing the calculations running across my face. "Look, I could ask the academy to give you extra credit for helping me as my 'volunteer' assistant... or... we could set up a one-v-one."
"Both," I said, my decision made in an instant. "And I'll do the task even on my day off." It was a tough bargain. A "one-v-one" in her dictionary was a mock race, and there was no way I could refuse that. A mock race against a G1 winner like her was an invaluable data quarry. As for the extra credit, it was a good fall back line to have in case my regular academics fell behind.
But if I chose both, the scale would tip, putting me in her debt. I didn't know what she would have me do in the future. So, just in case, I leveled the scale by offering up my days off as a bargaining chip. I had thought she was a muscle-headed girl with only one-on-one battles filling her head, but she was surprisingly tough in a negotiation.
"Deal," she said, her grin widening and a sharp fang showing arrogantly. "As Miho dorm leader, I'm happy to have a student with such a good initiative in helping others like you."
"Sure. I'm also happy to help," I replied.
"We can discuss the one-v-one later, okay? I'm still very busy preparing for my end of the year races and my American campaign next year," she said as she crossed her legs on the sofa.
"No problem. Thank you, Hishiama-san, and best of luck," I nodded at her as I walked out into the cool, pre-dawn air.
A great deal indeed, I thought as I glanced up at the still-dark sky. The sun wouldn't rise until around 5:40 at this time of year, and the air was getting colder. Alright. First, the perimeter check. I began a slow jog, focusing on my new, secondary objective. Soften the impact. Then, after I get the hang of it, try to pull the legs up more quickly.
Let's see if this really works.
---
"Not yet, Ko-kun! Almost there, but not enough!"
The Chief's voice echoed from the top of the 1200-meter slope track that was a long, grueling ribbon of wood chips with a steady 5° gradient. I quickly nodded, positioning myself at the bottom of the slope with my hands on my knees as I restored my breath. This single drill was my entire morning's focus. After a few reps, I'd started to treat the jog back down the slope as its own form of training. I had to run up, and I had to get back to the starting line. I might as well run down and train my downhill form. It was more time-effective. After I'd told the Chief, he hadn't seemed to mind. He even had a separate stopwatch ready to clock my downhill runs. The more data, the better.
After a moment spent catching my breath, I was ready to restart the drill. I swung my hand up, set my starting posture, and waited. The sharp, clear sound of the whistle rang out across the track. I dug my cleats in and accelerated uphill.
I instilled a sense of restraint, consciously limiting myself from fully revved up to my second gear. We had already determined it wasn't stamina-efficient enough to be used on the backstretch uphill. So, the new objective was to find a middle ground: increase the frequency of my base stride just enough to hold my position without burning down my reserves.
The question was, how fast did that frequency need to be?
I arrived at the finish line again shortly after with my lungs and legs burning in protest. But this time, Chief's voice was different.
"Alright, you can take a break now," he said, tapping the results into his tablet.
I walked up to him and my supply bag, grabbing my drink and collapsing onto the bench. The Chief then looked up at me with his signature encouraging smile on his face. "Ko-kun, the official runners' list for your next race should arrive today. Do you think your targets will show up?"
"Targets?" I sighed, taking a long swig of my drink. "That makes me sound like an assassin or a hitman." Though, I had to admit, I did put more attention on them. Even calling them High-Value Targets wasn't entirely wrong. "Well, since King Halo announced she will be running in the Tokyo Sports Hai yesterday, I guess there's a chance Seiun Sky, Special Week, or both might show up for the Kyoto Junior Stakes. They both ran 2000 meters in their debuts, so the distance fits."
"Grass Wonder will likely run in the Keio Hai the same week as you," he said, turning his tablet to show me the temporary list. "The runners' list hasn't been finalized, but her name is up there."
"A G2 right off the bat? I see," I said while also a little surprised. Ours was a G3 and it was officially my and the Chief's first graded race. The Dream Trophy League wasn't included in the official grading system, after all.
"Even if they don't show up, you still have to focus, alright?" he said as his tone turning serious. "Never, ever underestimate your opponents on the track."
"Yes, Sir," I nodded. Even in a G3, I didn't expect it to sail as smoothly as my debut. After all, what I would be facing were other debut and maiden race winners.
"Oh! Who would have thought that my dear Kouhai is as diligent as me! Having a morning training session?" A familiar, high-pitched voice came floating up from the bottom of the slope.
I looked down and saw her, a small figure in a large hat, walking up the slope in our direction. She was actually able and willing to wake up this early? That was surprising.
"Oh, it's your witch senpai, Ko-kun," the Chief smirked.
"What happened, Sweep-senpai?" I asked as she got near enough. "A summoning ceremony that had to be held at dawn? How did it fail?"
"Hey! Why do you always assume it failed!?" she protested, jabbing a finger in my direction. "No, I just need to run some errands for someone."
"What kind of errands are you willing to do? This early in the morning, at that," I said flatly.
"You don't need to know. It's confidential," she said seriously. She then turned to the Chief and her entire demeanor shifting. "Good morning, Trainer Kitahara. What a good morning to start training."
She was actually able to greet people politely. It seemed that, at least, she had been raised well.
"Ou, morning, Sweep-chan. It sure is rare to see you this early," the Chief replied with his familiar tone. They were rather close for him to call her 'Sweep-chan.' I guessed the 'magic' Sweep-senpai developed, both the potions and her so-called 'racing magic', was inspiring to the Chief.
"May I observe her training for a while, Trainer Kitahara?" she asked. Her politeness, for some reason, tickled my nerves.
"You can even join in, Sweep-chan. We don't mind, right, Ko-kun?" the Chief said, turning to me.
"Of course," I replied, gesturing with open arms from my sitting position. "You are very welcome, Sweep-senpai."
"I don't want to get injured, thanks," she refused immediately. She then hopped over the railing and sat on a relatively dry patch of grass next to me. Her purple robe and huge, deep purple hat must have been warm in this cool morning weather. Maybe next time, I should bring my parka just in case.
"Oh, it may not have been officially announced, but with her position on the temporary list, she should be able to secure a place," the Chief said, referring to my name on the list. He then turned to our small visitor. "Sweep-chan, Ko-kun will be running in the Kyoto Junior Stakes, so we'd like to order some of your... 'hydration drink'."
"It's a Speed Potion," she corrected him, her voice filled with exasperation. "And it's been tried and tested by your own trainee. You've seen the effects in her previous races, have you not? But fine. I'll concoct a new batch soon."
"That would be great. Thank you, Sweep-chan," the Chief said with a relieved smile.
"Fufu," she began as I saw a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Even though you look like still unsure about my potions and my magic, you still use them, Trainer Kitahara. And for a trainer to endorse my work, it shows that you are a true patron of the magical arts!" she declared grandly. And with that, the Chief had been bestowed the title of 'Patron of Magic.'
"Congratulations, Chief," I said, giving him a slow, deliberate clap.
"What's that? It sounds like I've become a donor for a shady cult," he grumbled, but he was still smiling.
We all shared a small laugh at that. The brief respite was good, but it was time to get back to work.
"I've had enough of a break, Chief," I said, pushing myself up from the bench.
"Alright. Just like before, but now, let's touch that sweet spot," he instructed, his expression turning serious again. "If you feel you have enough stamina left to run for another 1000 meters and your final 300 meters spurt after a rep, you can go a little faster in the next round."
"Yes, Sir," I said.
And so, we did what we had done previously, but now with Sweep-senpai watching from the sidelines, sometimes pointing at me while discussing something with the Chief.
It was after one such round, as I was walking back to the bench, that Sweep-senpai called out to me.
"You can just let gravity pull you down, you know?" she said. "On the downhill. If you maintain your balance and keep your center of gravity stable, you won't trip. You can recover your breath while rolling down the slope without slowing down. It would be more efficient that way... if you have the guts, that is." She finished with a shrug.
"Chief?" I turned to him in reflex.
"What!? You don't believe me?" Sweep-senpai accused me as she pointed her little finger at me.
"I need a second opinion," I stated firmly.
"Practically, it's possible," the Chief said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Just be careful. No matter how strong your bones are, it would be catastrophic if you fell and rolled down here." He didn't seem to be outright prohibiting it.
Huh. So it really was a matter of whether I had the guts or not.
"Alright. I'll try," I nodded.
From the finish line, I started my descent. I made a conscious effort not to brake, not to slow down, and just let my body get pulled down by gravity. The key was to lock my core muscles and keep my center of gravity steady.
Ah, the wind is cool... this is nice, I thought, a strange sense of calm washing over me as my speed increased. I took moderate, rhythmic breaths, consciously relaxing my leg muscles. Shortly, I arrived at the bottom, my breath feeling fresher and more stable than it had in any of the previous downhill runs.
"I see," I murmured to myself. "It is possible, and the effects are there. But I don't think I can use it in a high-stress environment like a race. Well, certainly, not as it is and not instantly. The only way is to hammer it down through brute-forcing the numbers..." I was lost in my own analysis when the sharp ring of the whistle jolted me back. Ah, right. Training first. I would try to incorporate this from now on. I hoped I might've been able to get the hang of it soon.
I saw the Chief on the finish line waving his hands. I just gave him an OK sign. Then, as I had done countless times before, I continued the training until it was about 45 minutes before my first class started.
I found out later that the "errand" Sweep-senpai had been running was actually a punishment. She had to pick up all the garbage left in the academy's grandstand after she'd created a "magic circle" in her classroom. The magic circle, predictably, hadn't worked, and she couldn't erase it because she had, for some reason, drawn it in permanent ink. Yes, that sounded very much like her.
In the end, neither Seiun Sky, Special Week, El Condor Pasa, nor Tsurumaru-san entered the Kyoto Junior Stakes. Meanwhile, Grass Wonder really did enter the Keio Hai JS. Objectively speaking, it was quite lucky not to bump up against them this early. But yeah... I felt a little bit disappointed. Just a little bit.
---