"Ah!"
Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to get Hayato's attention.
Etsuko Otonashi held her notebook like a wooden staff, "Trainer Hayato, seriously! How can you just make up news like that?"
When Etsuko Otonashi got serious, she actually stopped calling him "Runaway Trainer."
Saying 'you can mislead your opponents instead' right in front of a reporter was indeed going too far. Hayato should have seen that coming.
Seiun Sky seemed to have thought it through during the exchange. She lifted her head, meeting Hayato's gaze directly. "Trainer, you're absolutely right. But Seiun still doesn't plan on being in the monthly. No particular reason. I just don't want to."
Her tone left no room for argument.
If Seiun Sky was putting her foot down like that, Hayato had no choice. There were probably other reasons she wasn't sharing, personal ones he couldn't push on.
He looked toward Silence Suzuka, who'd already hidden herself behind King Halo like a shield. She seemed really bad at handling this kind of spotlight situation. Her ears had flattened against her head in a way that screamed discomfort.
In that case, only King Halo was really left. Process of elimination.
Etsuko Otonashi had already approached with her notebook and pen at the ready, professional smile firmly in place. "Hello, Miss King Halo. I'm a news reporter from Shining Monthly. Would it be convenient to ask you a few questions?"
"Hehe, of course." King Halo put her hands on her hips, looking appropriately proud. Then, catching sight of Hayato's serious expression from the corner of her eye, she quickly switched to crossing her arms instead. Her smile became slightly more restrained, more dignified.
"Are you really going to challenge the Classic Triple Crown this year? How confident are you?"
King Halo felt she should be a bit more modest. Show some humility, as a proper young lady should. "Of course, I want to challenge the Triple Crown to become a first-class uma musume. As for confidence... I have a little bit, I suppose."
"Ooh, so that means Miss King Halo already has victory in the bag."
"Oh ho ho ho ho... I guess so!" The modest attempt lasted all of five seconds before her natural confidence burst through.
The two chatted quite harmoniously after that. King Halo's loud, distinctive laugh and Etsuko Otonashi's enthusiastic exclamations created a constant back-and-forth rhythm.
Hayato stood off to the side, arms crossed, wondering what this month's Twinkle Magazine report would actually look like. Hayato had a feeling it would be... interesting.
King Halo seemed to really enjoy being in the spotlight, displaying more enthusiasm than she ever showed during actual training sessions. Her whole face lit up with each question.
"Alright, alright. That concludes today's interview." Etsuko Otonashi finally closed her notebook with a satisfied snap. "I apologize for taking up your training time."
She'd spent nearly a full day conducting the interview, which did feel somewhat inconsiderate. The sun had already started its descent toward the horizon.
At least it was finally done. Hayato could feel the tension in his shoulders easing.
"It's fine. I should be the one thanking you." Hayato meant it, too. The exposure would be good for the Altair team.
"Now then, I still need a photo of you for the publication cover." Etsuko Otonashi reached into her pocket and pulled out a surprisingly small camera. "I'm going to take the photo now."
"A photo? Wait, wait..." King Halo's hands came up immediately, waving in protest. She looked down at her dirt-streaked workout clothes, face flushing with embarrassment. "I need to go back and take a bath first, then change clothes. Right... I can't be photographed looking like this."
Etsuko Otonashi lowered her hand that was already positioned on the shutter button. "Miss King Halo, this issue's column is reporting on how you train. Photos that are too polished wouldn't be authentic. We should photograph you looking exhausted from hard training. That's what readers want to see."
"Is... is that so?" King Halo's ears drooped slightly. She seemed quite reluctant, her pride clearly warring with the logic. "Then, then just wait for me a moment."
With that, she suddenly took off running, clearly planning to do another lap around the track. If they were going to photograph her exhausted from training, she wanted to look properly exhausted. Might as well commit to it.
During her run, while King Halo wasn't paying attention, Etsuko Otonashi had already captured the best photo. Her camera clicked softly, freezing the moment of genuine determination on King Halo's face.
---
The next day, Oguri Cap arrived at the training grounds. She seemed to have skipped a proper breakfast and kept rubbing her belly with one hand, looking notably listless. Her usual energy was nowhere to be found.
"Trainer, what kind of training should I do?" Her voice carried a hint of uncertainty.
Possibly because Oguri Cap's wisdom stat wasn't that high to begin with, Hayato could now see her attribute panel clearly. The numbers materialized in his vision like they always did.
Oguri Cap
Stamina Condition: 90/100 Excellent
Speed: 411
Stamina: 290
Power: 450
Guts: 362
Wisdom: 331
Note: Insufficient wisdom. Unable to view more information.
The attributes weren't low by any measure. This was the normal level for a professional uma musume, the kind of stats that would let someone compete respectably.
However, these stats absolutely weren't Oguri Cap's peak period. They didn't even count as her normal competitive levels. This was clearly a declined state, and quite severely.
Hayato frowned slightly, running mental calculations. At her peak, both speed and power should have exceeded five or six hundred easily. These numbers represented a massive drop-off.
"What kind of training did you do before?" Hayato kept his tone casual, not wanting to make her self-conscious.
"Oh, this one." Oguri Cap pulled out a training schedule from the trainer's room, the paper slightly worn from repeated handling.
What it displayed was just Oguri Cap's pre-breakfast morning exercise routine. Nothing fancy, just her daily warm-up.
This pre-meal exercise was something even the retired Oguri Cap, who no longer competed, did every single day without fail. Rain or shine, apparently.
"Ahem, you all should take a look at this, too." Hayato held up the training schedule for the three girls to see.
The moment Seiun Sky's eyes landed on that schedule, her face immediately froze like she'd been flash-frozen. King Halo's eyes went wide with shock, her mouth falling slightly open.
Hayato let the silence stretch for a moment before speaking. "Now you understand how legends are made, right? Oguri Cap absolutely doesn't rely on talent alone. Her effort surpasses all of you combined."
The words hung in the air, heavy with implication.
"Hehehe... waking up at 4 AM..." Seiun Sky stared at the arrangement, her laugh coming out strained and hollow. "Trainer, you wouldn't be thinking of..."
"I'll do it!" King Halo's voice cut through before Seiun Sky could finish. She answered without hesitation, "If it means becoming first-class... hm?"
Her brow furrowed as her eyes tracked down the page. There seemed to be arrangements for daily food consumption as well as specific tonnage requirements.
"Two tons of food… in half an hour?!" Her brain short-circuited. What kind of absurdity was this? Her eyes nearly popped out of her head.
"Trainer, if you make us use this schedule, I'm applying to leave the team." Seiun Sky raised her hand as if she were in a classroom, her declaration firm and immediate.
"No, I'll do it..." King Halo's jaw clenched, her determination somehow still holding firm. She believed in becoming first-class no matter what it took.
"Halo-chan..." Seiun Sky's face began contorting, cycling through several stages of horror and disbelief. She hadn't expected that even under these circumstances, even faced with this insanity, King Halo would still insist on pushing forward. It was utterly foolish. If they really followed this schedule, Seiun Sky genuinely didn't know how many days she could last. Three days? Maybe four before collapsing?
"Hehe..." Watching the two girls' expressions change repeatedly like a comedy show, Hayato couldn't help but let out a laugh. Their faces were priceless.
Then Hayato turned his attention to their third member. "Suzuka, what's your opinion?"
Silence Suzuka didn't even glance at the schedule. She simply smiled gently, her expression serene and trusting. "I'll listen to Trainer. I believe Trainer won't arrange excessive training for us."
Silence Suzuka figured it out at once. The other two, panicked moments ago, were quick to follow. Relief spread across their faces as comprehension finally hit.
Hayato took the schedule back, tucking it away. "Suzuka's right. I definitely won't make you do this kind of training. Your current regimen will continue as planned."
"But..." King Halo's hand came up hesitantly, like she wanted to protest.
She wanted to say something, argue maybe, but Hayato raised his hand to cut her off. "Every uma musume's training is different. Their bodies are different, their strengths are different. You don't need to worry about it."
"O-okay then." King Halo let out a long breath, her shoulders dropping as tension bled out. She sighed, clearly torn between relief and disappointment.
This schedule was actually already quite similar to the training schedules Team Rigil gave their uma musume. Hayato recognized the methodology immediately.
High-knee training was specifically for practicing a forward-leaning posture. Single-leg jumps targeted calf muscles and improved explosive power in the legs.
The training exercises were extremely methodical, pushing every muscle in the Uma Musume's legs to work at peak efficiency. Nothing was left unused.
Hayato didn't fully support this brutal training method. With almost no rest built in, it actually hindered efficient improvement. The body needed recovery periods to develop properly.
Hayato adjusted the plan slightly, scrapping a few exercises and using the freed-up time for proper rest. Training smarter was more important than training harder.
Looking at the modified schedule, Oguri Cap's whole face brightened. She smiled happily, her earlier listlessness evaporating. She'd noticed meal times had increased significantly.
---
I forgot to open the illustration even though the stones were already over a hundred. Haha my bad.