Sakura Baimu was observing Rice Shower instructing Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen on mental training at the trackside.
"The most important thing to mastering Aura is honing your mental strength. Rice, you don't need to pity Teio and McQueen. Just do it your way!"
"Onee-sama, Rice understands!"
Rice Shower nodded, her eyes narrowing, and stood aside to direct Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen on the Dirt obstacle course with added weight.
For Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, and even Umamusume like Rice Shower who were used to turf running, running on the Dirt was already torture.
Adding to that, they had to pay attention to the obstacles, and their legs, burdened with weight, became extremely clumsy, making it exponentially more awkward than their usual running.
Although the run was painful, neither Tokai Teio nor Mejiro McQueen complained.
To win their November race against the international Umamusumes and to surpass them as soon as possible, mastering Aura was of paramount importance.
Kitasan Black, Satono Diamond, and Smart Falcon were all doing their regular training.
Smart Falcon, being an Umamusume adapted to the Dirt track, was training on the Dirt track near Sakura Baimu and the others.
--
"Okay, rest! Replenish your energy!"
Sakura Baimu called out into the microphone to the four exhausted Umamusumes on the Dirt track.
When the four Umamusumes returned, Sakura Baimu, as usual, took out some green juice and handed it to them.
"Here, finish yours and continue."
"Onee-sama… do you have any nutritional drinks? Like the one Onee-sama gave Rice the day she joined the team?" Rice Shower asked softly.
"No, we only have this right now," Sakura Baimu said softly.
"Huh?" Rice Shower's expression suddenly froze, her gaze toward the green juice filled with resistance and fear.
"Rice, you'll get used to it. She only gives you nutritional drinks when she wants to please you," Mejiro McQueen said bluntly to Rice Shower. "After that, it'll just be green juice. She's so stingy!"
"Hey! McQueen, what are you saying? Nutritional drinks aren't nearly as effective as green juice, okay?"
"Don't think I don't know. Green juice is much cheaper than nutritional drinks. One box will last you a long time."
"Well said, McQueen. You're out of cupcakes today."
"That's too much! You get angry as soon as I hit a nerve!" Mejiro McQueen glared at Sakura Baimu.
While the Umamusumes training on the Dirt were watching Sakura Baimu and Mejiro McQueen's daily banter with amusement, Smart Falcon suddenly noticed something.
"Trainer-san, look behind you." Smart Falcon pointed behind Sakura Baimu.
Sakura Baimu and the other Umamusumes from TCB turned around in confusion, all noticing the gray-haired Umamusume slowly approaching from behind.
"Falcon-senpai, do you know her?" Tokai Teio asked.
"No…" Smart Falcon shook her head. "Where are Miss McQueen and Little Rice?"
"No."
"Rice doesn't know her either…"
Just as the four Umamusumes were wondering what this Umamusume wanted, Sakura Baimu's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Isn't this Curren Chan!"
"Wow So Onee-chan knows Curren! Curren is so happy♪"
Curren Chan, hearing Sakura Baimu call her by name so readily, immediately showed a look of delight and flattery.
"Onee-san?"
The four Umamusumes of TCB were puzzled by Curren Chan's address to Sakura Baimu.
Judging from the conversation between Curren Chan and Sakura Baimu, it was clear that this was Curren Chan's first direct conversation with Sakura Baimu.
And she started by calling her Onee-chan?
"Of course I know, Umasta's selfie angel with 3 million followers," Sakura Baimu laughed.
"3 million followers?!" Smart Falcon was utterly stunned.
She'd been an idol for so many years, and if it weren't for yesterday's Leopard Stakes, her Umasta would probably have had less than 1,000 followers.
This Umamusume, who looked even younger than herself, actually had 3 million followers on Umasta?!
Just as Smart Falcon was reeling from the shock, her trainer, Sakura Baimu, turned and smiled at her.
"GG, look at this. Real idols can have 3 million followers just from selfies. Fake idols perform on the streets every day, and their popularity is pitiful."
Smart Falcon blushed deeply at Sakura Baimu's teasing and stammered,
"Actually, Falcon's Fugitive SISTERS are quite popular..."
Although that popularity had nothing to do with her.
If she hadn't met Sakura Baimu, her popularity might have remained dismal.
Meanwhile, Curren Chan, still considering how to broach the subject, heard that Sakura Baimu knew exactly how many fans she had on Umasta and how many selfies she posted there every day.
Suddenly, she began to suspect that Sakura Baimu might be a fan.
Curren Chan felt no joy at this; instead, she felt disappointed.
"Is Ms. Sakura a fan of Curren's? If so, Curren could easily use her cuteness to get Ms. Sakura to agree to let her join the team, right?"
Curren Chan thought to herself, without any sense of joy.
Because she always believed that there was a barrier between fans and idols.
Furthermore, the relationship between idols and fans was always one of superiority and inferiority, not equality.
In Curren Chan's mind, the relationship between a trainer and an Umamusume should be one of equality.
This shouldn't be the kind of relationship between a fan and an idol.
"Onee-chan knows so much about Curren!" Curren Chan cupped her face in her hands, looking incredibly happy.
"Onee-chan, Curren wants to join Onee-chan's team, is that possible~♪"
The TCB Umamusumes nearby looked at Curren Chan with some surprise.
Especially Smart Falcon.
In this brief encounter, Smart Falcon found the adorable aura of the girl named Curren Chan to be terrifyingly strong.
Moreover, and crucially, Smart Falcon felt that Curren Chan's persona overlapped somewhat with her own.
Both followed the cute idol route.
However, Curren Chan's fanbase was simply frightening!
"This kid is scary. Falcon has a feeling that if she joins the group, something bad will definitely happen..."
Smart Falcon couldn't help but think this as she looked at Curren Chan's flawless, happy expression.
While Smart Falcon was pondering these thoughts, Curren Chan was also waiting for Sakura Baimu's reply.
"If Ms. Sakura agrees so easily, it means she's truly a Curren fan… In that case, she might not be the right trainer for Curren…"
Curren Chan thought to herself when she saw Sakura Baimu smile and say, "Okay."
The future top sprinter of the URA and champion of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen had actually delivered herself right to her doorstep.