"Well... summer training camp is just around the corner, but we have a few problems. First, Urara."
"Here I am!"
"What were your final exam results?"
"I got between 40 and 45 points in all subjects!"
"Then it's all good! You did your best, Urara!"
At Tracen Academy, a score below 40 is a failing grade, which requires remedial classes. So Urara is safe. She has overcome a major hurdle. "You're a good girl!" I said, stroking Urara's head. Urara's face relaxed into a soft smile and her tail wagged.
"That's not good! This King has been teaching you every night, and you were still on the verge of failing... Urara-san! You must study during the training camp whenever you have free time!"
But King apparently didn't approve. After I finished stroking Urara's head, King made us sit on the floor and sulked as we high-fived with smiles.
By the way, King and Rice are honor students with an average score of over 90 points. Actually, Rice's average score has gone up by almost 10 points since she moved to the support course. Before, it was barely over 80...
The reference books I used are still a few years old, so they are still useful in many ways. Rice seems to like them too, and she always carries them around, reading them with her nose so close to the pages it almost touches. I worry about her eyesight, but with her enthusiasm, I think I might have gotten better grades at the trainer training school too.
"But I didn't answer by rolling a pencil like Spe-chan, you know? I tried my best to write what King-chan taught me."
"Didn't that girl get a failing grade by doing that? And no matter how hard you try, being on the verge of failing isn't good. You should get at least 50 points."
Urara insisted that she got through the test by desperately remembering what King had taught her. I could see King's mouth softening, but I also heard that Special Week had a failing grade... I wonder if she'll be okay at the summer training camp?
And King, asking Urara to get at least 50 points when she worked so hard for 45 seems a bit harsh... No, it's not. I have to be strict with her and make her study hard for her own sake. So King, please stop giving me that look like you can read my mind, okay?
"So, big brother, what were the other problems?"
Rice urged me to continue the conversation. I nodded and took out the travel guide for the summer training camp.
"The training camp destination is the same as last year. The place we're staying is also the same. But unlike last year, there's a high possibility that many reporters will show up. There's also a possibility that many racing fans will come."
At this time last year... there was Rice, a G1 Uma Musume, and she was making headlines as TMR in the senior division. But Urara had only won the Unicorn Stakes and hadn't won a G1 yet. She finished 3rd in the Japan Dirt Derby, so the level of attention was not as high as it is now.
King had just joined our team and had only won the CBC Sho. Team Kitalpha became famous after the training camp, when they won many times during the autumn G1 season.
As a result, Rice has achieved many great things, King has won G1s in all distances, and Urara has also won the Teio Sho the other day, achieving three G1 wins and winning G1s in all distances of the Twinkle Series dirt races.
If we had gone to the training camp without Otonashi-san's advice, we could have been surrounded by a large number of mass media reporters. Also, at last year's training camp, we held a luxurious mock race, and for a while, the footage of the mock race was used not only in the news but also in various TV shows... I'm sure many racing fans will come.
(Hmm... My peers and juniors are also saying they're going to the training camp, so maybe we should act in a group...)
Kiryuuin-san also said she would be going to the training camp, but recently, Yuuitsumuni's trainer has been taking care of her. He's like an older brother to her, or maybe he just enjoys taking care of the pure-hearted Kiryuuin-san... Because of that, Kiryuuin-san told me with a smile that they'll be going to the training camp together.
And Mik, whom Kiryuuin-san is training, has also won two G1s, so if the reporters hear that she's at the training camp, they'll probably surround her too. Can Kiryuuin-san handle a large number of reporters? ...Yeah, I should send her a message later telling her not to act alone.
"As for the reporters... well, it can't be helped. If I were a reporter, I would do the same."
King, who had been lecturing Urara, accepted the news of a large number of reporters showing up as a matter of course. In King's case, her mother was also a famous Uma Musume... and recently, whenever she goes out, she gets surrounded by reporters because she's the first Uma Musume to win G1s in all distances.
By the way, King is good at dealing with reporters. She's used to it, and because she's dignified, the reporters' questions tend to be more sensible. She also puffs out her chest and laughs loudly, so her photos turn out well and are well-received.
Urara... well, the reporters who come to interview her get a warm, gentle smile on their faces, and when they hear Urara's answers, their eyes soften and their faces become even warmer and gentler, so there's no problem. There are some reporters who try to provoke her into making a slip of the tongue, but in those cases, Urara just tilts her head and says "Huh?" Urara is a smart girl.
Rice's withdrawn personality has improved to some extent, but she's not very good at interviews. She was booed at a live event in the past, and there are still reporters who bring up the fact that she prevented Mihono Bourbon from winning the undefeated Triple Crown...
"And, for countermeasures, or rather, as a precaution, some of my acquaintances who are reporters will be accompanying us."
"Acquaintances who are reporters?"
King's eyebrows twitched at my words.
"Otonashi-san and some other reporters everyone has met before."
"She's a very energetic person, isn't she!"
"If it's Otonashi-san, Rice feels safe..."
"Ah... that person..."
Urara smiled with joy, Rice had a good impression of her because she helped her with an interview after the Arima Kinen two years ago, and only King had a faraway look in her eyes.
"King, are you not good with Otonashi-san?"
When I asked her about King's reaction, she quietly averted her gaze.
"That's not it. She's not a rival, and she does her job properly... I just thought it might be bad for Urara-san's emotional development."
Well, she's not an Uma Musume, so she can't be a rival... And King? I appreciate you worrying about Urara's emotional development, but Urara is the same age as you, you know? It's true that compared to King, Urara is a little childish, though.
"And another thing to be careful about... it's not really a warning, but Rice's Summer Dream Trophy is coming up soon. Urara and King, I want you to cooperate with her as much as possible."
The Summer Dream Trophy will be held in early August. It's right in the middle of the training camp, and since there are no G1 races in the middle of summer, I think it's a stepping stone to the autumn G1 season.
Rice hasn't competed in a race since the beginning of the year, so her desire to race is strong. Her training was restricted due to a fracture until about March, so her desire is especially strong.
(The only thing left is whether we can create an environment where Rice can concentrate on the Summer Dream Trophy...)
Otonashi-san's tip, or rather, the rumors, are a pain... It would be a hassle if they kept showing up at the inn every day. If reporters are staying there as guests, it would be difficult for the inn to stop them.
As for the Uma Musume racing fans, most of them are well-behaved, after all. A little bit of photo taking might be unavoidable, but I want to believe that they will refrain from doing so if they think it will interfere with the Uma Musume's training.
(...Okay, I'll consult with Taduna-san.)
When in trouble, consult a reliable boss. I made that decision.
"Then, let's fill the rooms of the inn with your peers and juniors, trainer. It's also convenient for us... no, let's contact the friendly reporters and fill the remaining rooms as well."
And just like that, she came up with a solution so easily.
When I called her extension and told her I had something important to discuss about the training camp, she came to my office in less than three minutes to listen. There's a bit of a distance from our office to the director's office, but... well, it's Taduna-san.
"Is that okay? I heard that the inn had already given us a big discount on the accommodation fee because they are affiliated with Tracen Academy..."
I thought the deal was that they would give us a discount on the accommodation fee in exchange for us taking on the cleaning and laundry ourselves... Wouldn't it be difficult for the inn to make a profit if they lowered the price?
"That's fine. Tracen Academy was already compensating them for the discounted accommodation fee. And I think it would be helpful for the inn to have their rooms fully booked for a long period and not have to worry about customers. If we spread the word that there will be many customers in the vicinity this summer, the nearby accommodations and restaurants will also take advantage of the business opportunity."
Taduna-san said so with a big smile. Now that I think about it, I think I did hear something about them compensating the inn for the low price last year. But she just exposed the relationship between Tracen Academy and the training camp accommodation... I didn't hear anything, no.
"After that, we'll make it so that only people with permission are allowed to enter, and only reporters with a permit are allowed to enter... I think that should be fine."
"...What if a reporter who doesn't have a permit tries to barge in?"
"The publishing company or TV station that the reporter belongs to will be banned from Tracen Academy as a whole. In the case of freelancers, we will consider a lawsuit."
Taduna-san said so with a smile. Hehehe... that's scary.
"We just want the trainers and the Uma Musume of Tracen Academy to focus on getting stronger. Although you have to do some work during the training camp, it's our job to solve these trivial matters other than that."
Seeing Taduna-san call dealing with troublesome reporters a trivial matter, I swore that I would never make an enemy of this person.
"Besides, I've also been getting consultations from your peers about how to handle reporters... They established their own teams and won major races in their third year as trainers. It seems they are getting a lot of attention from reporters."
"Is that so..."
According to Taduna-san, my peers are also being swarmed by reporters for interviews, though not as much as Team Kitalpha. Mik and Yuuitsumuni are both G1 Uma Musume, so the interviews seem to be especially intense.
"Other teams are also going to the training camp, so I think I'll go to the site a few times as an inspector. But if you have any problems, please contact me immediately. I'll run to you."
"Run...? Ah, is that a Taduna joke? You're sharp as always."
It's a long way from Tracen Academy, so there's no way she can run there. I figured she was just trying to lighten the mood with a joke.
"...Yes, it's a Taduna joke," Taduna-san said with a slight pause before smiling.
And so, the troubles at the training camp destination seem to be manageable. Just as I was relieved, my phone buzzed with a message notification. I checked it and saw that I had received multiple messages from my peers in our group chat.
"I wonder what they want," I thought, and it turned out to be a consultation about the training camp.
"Could you please explain the facilities at the training camp on-site?"
"And please let us practice together."
"Please arrange a mock race."
Hmm? Is this really a "consultation"? Isn't this just them throwing the troublesome task of organizing things on-site at me? For now, I'll send them the local information later.
"Do you know the word 'hesitation'?"
"Hesitation? I don't know that Japanese word."
"Is it not natural to ask a colleague who has actually been to the training camp site?"
"Are there any trainers who hesitate and reduce the chance for their Uma Musume to get stronger?"
Hmm, some of them are joking, but there are also some valid points mixed in... And to be honest, it would be helpful for me too if my Uma Musume could train with my peers' Uma Musume.
Unlike in the past, now they're all willing to challenge Rice, saying it's a good opportunity. In fact, they'll come at her with a "Now's my chance to surpass you!" kind of attitude.
In terms of ability, there are G1 Uma Musume like Mik and Yuuitsumuni, and many of the other Uma Musume have also won major races. And even if they haven't won a major race, many of them have placed in the money multiple times. In fact, most of them have won at least an open race.
There aren't any Uma Musume who will compete with Rice in the Dream Series yet, and King, who has a chance of competing with her, is the type who gets fired up when she has an opponent. So, a joint training camp with my colleagues isn't a bad idea.
Also, a few juniors are planning to go to the training camp, and maybe I could even invite some other juniors and newcomers for a short-term training camp of a few days.
And then, if they get stronger at the summer training camp, we'll fight each other in the autumn season with no hard feelings. As for Rice, she's been away from racing for a long time, so if she competes with a full gate of Uma Musume who are running in major races or higher, she'll probably regain her racing senses.
We'll let the Uma Musume who specialize in turf races compete with Rice and King, and we'll let the juniors who are training dirt Uma Musume, of which there are few, compete with Urara... Yeah, even at a training camp, training alone can get boring and not enough. Adding a mock race will probably make them feel good.
Besides, if something happens, it's helpful to have a lot of people around... With that thought, I started to rework the training camp plan.
And on the day of the training camp.
Since we were going to travel in a large group, we borrowed a large bus with a driver from Tracen Academy. The Uma Musume rode in the bus, and the trainers who could drive rode in cars.
"Senior, I didn't know you had a driver's license."
"I have a regular license and a large motorcycle license. I didn't get a medium or large-sized vehicle license because of the age limit."
I grabbed the steering wheel and started the car. It's good to drive once in a while to keep my skills from getting rusty. But of course, I'm driving safely.
We're on our way from Tracen Academy... oh? It looks like a few cars that were parked on the side of the road are following us. I wonder which reporters they are.
I can't believe it's just a coincidence that we're going to the same place. It seems like some very enthusiastic reporters are following us. I don't recognize their faces in the rearview mirror, so I wonder who they are.
(Hmm... I can't shake them off with this car.)
I thought about losing them for a moment, but there are other trainers' cars and the large bus with Urara and the others. I guess I have no choice but to let them follow us.
I decided to focus on my driving without paying attention to the cars behind me. After driving for about an hour and a bit, we were getting close to the place we used last year...
"Senior, aren't there a lot of cars and tourists? Was it like this last year, Senior?"
"Last year, there weren't this many people... This is more than I expected."
I thought there would be a lot of reporters and maybe a lot of Uma Musume fans. But this is more than I expected... It's easily 10 times more than I anticipated.
There are so many people, it makes me wonder if there's a big festival around here. No, I haven't heard of any festivals. In that case, there's no doubt that this crowd has come to see the Tracen Academy training camp.
There are food stalls lined up wherever there's a small open space, and even the parks are overflowing with them. All the parking lots, both paid and free, are full. It makes me want to escape reality and wonder if this area was a famous tourist spot, or if beach trips are popular this year.
It's a huge success even though the training camp hasn't started yet. I'm worried about what will happen once it does.
(For now, I'll contact Taduna-san later... No, it's better to do it sooner rather than later.)
I asked my colleague to report to Taduna-san and drove carefully through the crowded road to avoid any accidents.
"Senior... how many people do you think there are?"
"Easily over a thousand. I don't know what's going on in other places, but it might even be over ten thousand."
"...Is it that many?"
"I hope not."
Families are holding their children's hands tightly to prevent them from running into the road, and there's almost no trash on the road. Still, accidents can happen, so I'm being very, very careful.
"Senior, I can hear cheering from behind us."
Well, the bus is full of famous Uma Musume who have won at least an open race, so it can't be helped.
(Somehow... I can understand how professional baseball teams feel when they have spring training.)
In this world, Uma Musume races have a bigger drawing power, so this might be even more insane than a professional baseball camp.
I occasionally check the rearview mirror and see people waving at the bus where Urara and the others are. Some people are taking pictures with their phones, but no one is blocking the cars or getting in the way.
"Do you think this will be good for training?"
"Let's think about it in reverse. If they train while being watched by so many people, they won't get nervous during the actual races."
"...I see. Thinking about it that way, this crowd isn't so bad. It will be good training to overcome pressure, and it will also be good training to concentrate without being distracted by the crowd's cheers."
My colleagues in the car nodded in agreement with my junior's words. That's right. If you change your way of thinking, anything can be an element for training an Uma Musume.
But I can't help but think that this training camp will be different from last year's.
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