Chapter 4: This Guy Is Way Too Laid Back
"I say, you're not planning to sign a contract just by flashing your face, are you?"
Upon hearing this, Kisei lightly tossed the hair in front of his forehead and struck a dashing pose. "Why not?"
Koji let out a dry chuckle, then switched to a tone of earnest advice, like an elder. "As your senior, I must remind you—Trainers are strictly forbidden from having inappropriate relationships with Uma Musume who haven't debuted or are still active. You know the rules, right?"
"As if I need you to tell me," Kisei rolled his eyes.
"I'm just worried you're young and impulsive, and might accidentally…"
"Stop, stop, stop. Can we talk about something a Trainer should be discussing?" Kisei cut him off, a teasing smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "You're already in your thirties, aren't you? How are you still so childish? No wonder Master never agreed to your request."
At those words, Koji's expression froze, as if he had instantly lost all color, and he silently shrank to the side.
Ouch, right in the heart.
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
The once-empty training ground was now bustling with noise and excitement. More and more Uma Musume and Trainers filled the space, and the spectator stands gradually became packed.
Kisei sat on the grass, his gaze sweeping slowly over the Uma Musume warming up like a scanner. Some were seriously stretching, others jogging lightly to adjust their breathing—each one fully focused on the upcoming race.
For these Uma Musume, the mock race was crucial. It was a selection event regularly held by the academy, and only those who had begun their specialization were eligible to participate. It wasn't just a stage to showcase their abilities but also an important step toward their dreams.
After all, not every Uma Musume could be scouted early by an outstanding Trainer. For most, achieving impressive results in the mock race was undoubtedly the most direct way to catch a Trainer's attention.
"Whoa, she jumps really high."
Kisei's gaze suddenly stopped on an Uma Musume with pink shoulder-length hair. She was lightly performing jumping warm-ups, her movements full of explosive power.
"Which one? Where?" Koji somehow pulled out a pair of binoculars from nowhere.
"What are you looking at? Give them to me!" Kisei snatched the binoculars and aimed them at the Uma Musume.
Under the sunlight, her pink short hair shimmered with a delicate glow as she jumped. Though the race hadn't started yet, her eyes were already firmly locked on the track ahead, her gaze sharp with confidence.
"Good eyes, strong jumping power, and a well-balanced physique," Kisei murmured to himself.
"What? Already interested before the race even starts?" Koji leaned in.
"Just casually looking," Kisei put down the binoculars.
"Afraid I'll compete with you? Don't worry, I'm not planning to recruit anyone new at the moment," Koji shook his head with a bitter smile.
Kisei didn't notice the fleeting gloom in his expression. As one of the academy's top Trainers, Koji had mentored multiple G1-winning Uma Musume in the past. With such a track record, he naturally had no shortage of talented Uma Musume wanting to join him.
Before long, the mock race officially began.
The first event was an 800-meter Dirt race. Nine Uma Musume were guided into the starting gates by staff. The moment the whistle blew, the gates sprang open, and the figures carrying their dreams charged forward together.
"Every time I see these young kids, I feel so old," Koji said, his gaze distant as he watched the track.
The races proceeded one after another. Turf, dirt, events of varying distances unfolded in sequence. After each concluded, Trainers would surge like tides toward the standout Uma Musume, eagerly extending invitations.
Amidst it all, Kisei also noticed several talented Uma Musume, but none had yet captured his heart. Moreover, watching those Trainers scrambling over each other made his scalp tingle.
"Are you just going to sit there the whole time?" Koji couldn't help asking. Over an hour had passed, the simulated races were nearing their end, yet the person beside him remained motionless.
Kisei simply nodded. Rudolf only told him to come look, not that he had to sign anyone today.
The final race began right then. Turf 2000 meters, right-handed course.
Kisei brushed the grass clippings off his pants, planning to leave after watching this one.
His gaze swept casually over the entering lineup, then suddenly fixed.
That pink-haired Uma Musume was among them.
Curiosity drove him to raise his binoculars again.
"Let me see what kind of performance you can deliver."
The starting gates sprang open, seven figures bursting out almost simultaneously with no late starts.
Entering the straight, the formation gradually clarified. The pink-haired Uma Musume held a steady position toward the rear of the middle pack, not a trace of anxiety visible on her face.
Was she conserving stamina, assessing the situation, or naturally suited to a come-from-behind running style? Kisei watched intently.
On the track, she ran with calm composure, never losing her rhythm despite temporarily trailing.
But races are always full of variables. Kisei's lens shifted to the front-running Uma Musume. She seemed overly eager, setting an extremely fast pace—just 63 seconds for the first thousand meters. This was too heavy a burden for undeveloped Uma Musume, taxing for both the front-runner and those behind.
Acceleration.
Sure enough, entering the fourth turn, the front-runner began to fade. The following Uma Musume prepared their sprints, each seeking breakthrough paths.
Kisei noticed a gap opening on the inside due to positional changes. He quickly swung his lens back to the pink-haired Uma Musume, only to see she'd also chosen to charge from the outer flank.
Exiting the fourth turn into the final straight, nearly all Uma Musume began their sprints simultaneously. But the disrupted earlier pace had drained too much stamina, making their finishing kicks appear somewhat weak.
It was then that the pink-haired Uma Musume, who'd been lying in wait at the back of the middle pack, opened her stride.
Pushing off powerfully, she began her fierce pursuit from the outside lane.
Passing one, two, three... in moments she'd reached second place. Now less than fifty meters remained to the finish.
"Started too late," Kisei murmured to himself.
In a 2000-meter race, waiting until exiting the final turn to launch a full pursuit, combined with excessive stamina drain from the fast pace—reversing the outcome would be no easy feat.
Yet, as if hearing his whisper.
The pink figure in his lens suddenly shifted to another gear!
Before the finish line, she swept past like a gust of wind, crossing first by half a length.
Kisei slowly lowered his binoculars, his eyes reflecting the victorious figure calmly adjusting her breathing as he exclaimed in amazement.
"What incredible closing speed!"
Then he saw several Trainers charging toward the track below.
"What are you still looking at? Go!" Koji's large hand slapped Kisei's back hard, shoving him forward.
Kisei wasted no time, tossing the telescope aside and immediately heading down toward the training field.
"That kid, taking his sweet time, is way too laid-back."
Seeing Kisei still walking instead of running, Koji couldn't help but complain.
Thinking back to when he was still a rookie Trainer, he had given it his all just to sign a single Uma Musume, pushing and shoving with other Trainers, completely disregarding whether those blocking his way were seniors or not.