"No need." Hayato shook his head. "I told you I have my Uma Musume use the great escape on the premise of winning. Running styles that aren't conducive to victory aren't necessary. You can use the running style you're already good at."
"But King Halo, she's...."
"That's a strategy to win races."
"Strategy?" Grass Wonder's eyes showed confusion, her head tilting slightly to one side.
"Yeah." Hayato nodded and continued. "Everyone knows my Uma Musume will use the great escape, but what they don't know is that they can use other running styles too. If they suddenly switch it up mid-race, won't that catch opponents completely off guard?"
Understanding dawned immediately. "Oh!"
Everything Hayato was doing right now was just to make King Halo's upcoming Satsuki Sho and Seiun Sky's Tenno Sho Spring run more smoothly. Thinking that his Uma Musume could only use the great escape would be a massive tactical mistake.
'Especially with Silence Suzuka's speed using the great escape strategy, it will make them more convinced that I will use the great escape to win the race.'
"I understand now." Grass Wonder's smile spread across her face. "So that's how it works. Then I have nothing to worry about at all. Trainer, please let me start training. I can't wait anymore."
"Don't rush into it. Today's a day off anyway. You just finished a race, so it's fine to rest first. Or you could practice your dancing if you want."
Grass Wonder's race schedule wasn't particularly urgent. Debuting this year was only for the Asahi Hai Futurity, much later in the season.
Foreign Uma Musume still couldn't run the classic crown this year.
Hayato had long hoped this outdated system would change, but unfortunately, he didn't have the authority to meddle in matters like that. All he could do was wait.
The URA was developing rapidly though, and the increasing number of GI races served as proof of that growth. The GIs that hadn't appeared yet were simply due to insufficient funding. This world's horse racing industry was more developed overall, but it still needed time to settle and progress naturally.
"In that case, how about you accompany me for a walk when you're free, Trainer?" Grass Wonder made the request directly, her cute and charming face showing absolutely no change in expression whatsoever.
Before Hayato could even process that, Seiun Sky raised her hand from the side. "Wait, before this, Trainer promised Sei-chan that if I won the Osaka Hai, he'd go fishing with me. But we still haven't gone even now."
After almost every single race, Seiun Sky would make a request to go fishing. She'd even wanted to bring a fishing rod to the venue itself.
To avoid affecting her race condition, Hayato had refused each time, promising they'd go when there was a proper time for it.
Last week, he'd watched Urara's race, then immediately rushed to Nakayama. He genuinely hadn't had any free time at all.
But Seiun, why would you bring this up at a time like this?
In three seconds flat, King Halo's eyes went from confusion to shock, then hardened into fearless resolve.
So Sei-chan, you've been doing this kind of thing all along? Behind my back, how many of these little moves have you been making?
Even Silence Suzuka, who'd looked confused at first, lowered her head to think for a moment. Then she lifted it again with a distinctly competitive expression flickering across her features.
The air itself felt charged, like gunpowder had been poured into every corner of the trainer's office. The atmosphere bristled with sudden, sharp competition.
Seiun Sky, having lit the fuse with perfect timing, just smiled faintly. Without even glancing at Hayato, she turned those same provocative eyes directly on King Halo instead.
"Sorry, I just remembered I have something urgent to handle."
In that atmosphere, Hayato could only think of one solution: run. He bolted for the door.
"Hey, Trainer! You promised we'd go fishing together!" Seiun Sky immediately gave chase, not forgetting to grab her fishing rod on the way out.
In the end, Hayato found himself in a car heading toward Lake Kagami with Seiun Sky sitting beside him.
"Trainer ran for his life back there, didn't you?" Seiun Sky let out a soft giggle in the car, clearly pleased with herself.
"You still have the nerve to say that? Whose doing was all of this?" Hayato's face flushed red with a mix of anger and embarrassment.
"It was just a joke. I didn't actually expect Halo-chan to take it that seriously." She paused, then added with barely suppressed amusement, "And also..." Whenever she thought about Silence Suzuka's unexpectedly cute competitive side showing through, she wanted to laugh all over again.
Hayato's fleeing appearance had been even funnier.
"Seiun, what does slacking off feel like?" Hayato threw out the question somewhat boredly, staring out the window.
"Slacking off..." Seiun Sky propped her chin on her hand, thinking about it. "Throwing away all the pressure and persistence feels really comfortable, actually..."
She paused slightly, studying his profile. "Trainer, you're not actually thinking of slacking off, are you?"
"Yeah, a trainer's work is genuinely exhausting. It's like taking care of a whole bunch of kids sometimes." Hayato let out a long sigh that seemed to carry real weight. "But for all of you, I feel like I can't just let go."
Until now, Hayato still hadn't figured out any viable way to have Urara win the Arima Kinen. Even working hard to fulfill an uma musume's dream required considerable ability and resources, didn't it?
Hayato could probably arrange for Urara to beat Oguri Cap in dirt races without too much trouble, but he had absolutely no way to make her competitive enough to actually participate in the Arima Kinen. Urara's situation really had him stumped, but the thought of giving up on her dream didn't sit right with him at all.
"Trainer, aren't you overthinking this?" Seiun Sky's voice turned more serious. "We're not as difficult to handle as you seem to think. We'll be good and won't cause you trouble."
For just an instant, genuine worry flickered through her, that Hayato might actually reach a breaking point one day and give up entirely.
Won't cause me trouble? Seiun, how can you possibly say that with a completely straight face? Doesn't your conscience hurt even a little?
"Trainer, you absolutely cannot learn from Seiun as an example." She shifted gears suddenly, voice taking on an encouraging tone. "You should learn from Halo-chan instead: Accept however much mockery comes your way, endure even consecutive losses, and absolutely refuse to be defeated by fate."
She turned to face him more directly. "Come on, shout it with me!"
"Work hard, work hard, work hard!"
"Go for it, go for it, go for it!"
"Ohhhhh!!!"
She clenched both fists and thrust them high into the air, enthusiasm radiating from every fiber of her being. The sheer energy of the gesture melted something warm in Hayato's chest.
"Pfft! Hahaha!" Seeing her half-serious, half-joking expression, Hayato couldn't hold back anymore. Laughter escaped despite the weight he'd been carrying.
Seiun Sky continued her attempt at comfort. "Trainer, your pressure is way too heavy. That's exactly why I called you out here to go fishing. From now on, whenever you want to fish and clear your head, you can come find me. Seiun will keep you company all the way to the end."
As the weather had warmed up recently, there were noticeably more people around Lake Kagami. Lotus leaves in the lake were just starting to grow, their broad surfaces catching the light.
Seeing those lotus leaves, Seiun Sky knew immediately this trip wouldn't be in vain. There should be a good harvest today.
"Come on, Trainer. Today I'll take you to catch some really big fish." Seiun changed into her slippers, grabbed her fishing rod with practiced ease, and walked toward the lakeshore with purpose.