Akikawa Yayoi appeared at that moment, as if out of nowhere.
This was Hayato's first time seeing the Director in person. Right now, she wore a bright red sports outfit and fanned herself with a folding fan, quite the sight for an academy director. The ensemble looked ridiculous loli, but somehow she made it work through sheer force of presence.
"Director Akikawa!" Etsuko Otonashi practically bounced over, her enthusiasm ramping up even further. "Yes! The first time I saw him, I was so moved I lost all composure. Also, he just said he'd gladly walk through fire and water for his uma musume without hesitation!"
Hayato's eye twitched. Did I say that? When did I say that?
"Excellent! Truly outstanding." Akikawa Yayoi waved her fan with obvious satisfaction, then turned her gaze toward Hayato. "I've been watching your recent splendid performances closely!"
Hayato felt like Akikawa Yayoi was just here to cause trouble for him. Getting featured in the Twinkle Magazine issue soon felt too early. Way too early.
They'd just won debut races by large margins. These weren't major competitions or anything worth national attention.
Akikawa Yayoi had probably spotted these uma musume's potential early and brought the reporter in advance to capitalize on the momentum.
Though this worked out well, actually. If he played his cards right, Hayato could use the media presence to resolve the Oguri Cap situation.
"Thank you for your attention, Director." Hayato kept his voice polite and measured. "Director, I actually have something to ask you. About Oguri Cap..."
Akikawa Yayoi raised her hand sharply, cutting him off mid-sentence. "Stop right there. Today we're only discussing the interview. Other matters can be discussed later."
However, the moment Etsuko Otonashi heard "Oguri Cap," her entire demeanor changed. Her eyes lit up as someone had just offered her a scoop of the century. "Oguri Cap? The Oguri Cap from the Arima Kinen? Where is she? Can I take photos?"
Photos were out of the question. The incident involving Oguri Cap, where unauthorized photographs affected her race performance, led to strict regulations on photographing Uma Musume.
The fact that Etsuko Otonashi could even enter Tracen Academy clearly meant her camera and phone had been confiscated at the gate.
Oguri Cap had officially announced her retirement. Super Creek had too. Both had retired at almost the same time, sending shockwaves through the racing community.
This was undoubtedly a massive earthquake in the racing world. Countless Oguri Cap fans and Super Creek fans felt heartbroken, flooding social media with messages of disbelief and grief.
If Etsuko Otonashi were to learn about their current situation, it would become major news, something worthy of the front page.
Unfazed by Akikawa Yayoi's increasingly displeased aura, Hayato pressed on. "Oguri Cap should be my uma musume, right? I have the right to manage her. Logically speaking, even if she retired, she shouldn't have to attend classes."
"Oguri Cap's trainer is the Runaway Trainer!" Etsuko Otonashi's pen flew across her notebook at lightning speed. "Big news! Big news!"
Akikawa Yayoi stopped paying attention to the reporter and rounded on Hayato, her professional demeanor cracking. "What does a newcomer, as you know? Tracen doesn't support freeloaders. You can train, you can attend classes, but this isn't an amusement park for playing around freely."
"Oguri Cap is attending classes, write it down, write it down..." Etsuko Otonashi muttered to herself, scribbling frantically.
Hayato had thought Akikawa Yayoi would be wary of media attention, at least somewhat concerned about public perception. Hayato hadn't expected that once she stopped holding back, she wouldn't care about appearances at all.
If I kept arguing with her like this in front of a reporter, things would turn out badly. Getting fired would be normal. Hell nah, she might even find a way to blacklist me from the entire industry.
"To put it bluntly, don't you just want to give her something to do?" Hayato changed tactics, softening his approach. "How about this: I'll take responsibility. I'll have her come train with our team."
"You'll manage her..." Akikawa Yayoi looked at Hayato with an expression that clearly questioned whether he actually knew what he was volunteering for.
Did this kid not realize just how famous Oguri Cap was for her enormous appetite?
A moment of silence stretched between them. Then something in her expression shifted.
"Fine. You can manage her then. I have no objections." Akikawa Yayoi's mood improved dramatically. She hadn't expected this newcomer to be so sensible. Perhaps she would speak to Tazuna later about adjusting his salary.
Hayato blinked. That was easier than I expected.
"What about Super Creek and the others?"
"Oh, only Oguri Cap is a problem." Akikawa Yayoi waved her fan dismissively. "The other uma musume can do whatever. It doesn't matter whether they attend classes or not."
Etsuko Otonashi's pen flew across the page, then stopped. Her shoulders slumped as the realization set in. It was all wasted draft paper. Oguri Cap had already resumed training and was no longer attending classes. The scoop faded away right in front of her.
"Good. Continue with the interview then." Akikawa Yayoi's fan snapped shut with a decisive click. "This month, we need to feature an uma musume in the monthly magazine. Pick one from among your Uma Musume. Photos are allowed!"
Being featured in the monthly was essentially free exposure. Massive publicity that money couldn't buy.
If it weren't for the King Halo incident and the complications surrounding her family name, this would be a massive benefit for Hayato's uma musume. The kind of opportunity most trainers would kill for.
They soon returned from training, their footsteps crunching on the gravel path.
Among them, one had won her debut race by twelve horse lengths and gazed at the sky afterward in contemplation. She could be featured with the theme of how an ordinary Uma Musume strives forward despite humble beginnings.
From the laziest one, then becoming diligent was a nice narrative theme. Seiun Sky could now genuinely be called hardworking, at least.
One was a young lady of the King Halo family, preparing to challenge the Triple Crown. She could serve as a preview for the upcoming Triple Crown races, building some anticipation for her fans.
One of them was Silence Suzuka, who won by fifteen horse lengths and left a strong impression with her performance.
It could be said that all three of them were suitable candidates for the monthly feature. Each had their own angle, their own story to tell.
Spotting the reporter, Seiun Sky's lips curled into a mischievous smile. "Trainer, didn't you just say you'd gladly walk through fire and water for us?"
Hayato shot her a withering look, completely sidestepping that topic. "This is Reporter Etsuko Otonashi, the person in charge of Twinkle Magazine. She needs to select one of you for the magazine cover this month. Who's willing?"
Hearing about being featured in the magazine, Seiun Sky immediately took a step back as someone had just asked her to volunteer for something dangerous. Even Silence Suzuka's eyes showed clear evasion, her gaze sliding away from the reporter.
Only King Halo looked between her two teammates, something eager sparking in her expression. "It seems that being in the monthly magazine is something only I, King Halo..."
"King Halo, you're not suitable." Hayato cut her off flatly.
"Why not?" King Halo froze mid-gesture, her ears flattening slightly against her head. She looked at Hayato, clearly expecting an explanation.
Hayato's gaze shifted to Seiun Sky, who stood there deep in thought with her chin resting in her hand. Was this girl seriously afraid that being in the monthly magazine would expose her abilities? That seemed paranoid even for her.
Compared to King Halo, Seiun Sky was indeed the most suitable for the monthly magazine.
As a newly debuted uma musume, Seiun Sky's fan base couldn't possibly compare to those of uma musume who'd been building their following for months or even years.
To be safe, getting featured in the monthly was the smart strategic move.
"Seiun, are you afraid of showing your abilities?" Hayato's tone turned reassuring. "What's there to worry about? You can mislead your opponents instead. Play it up, make them think you're stronger or weaker than you really are."
As Hayato was explaining his reasoning, something solid bonked him on the head from behind.