Mid-July, at the foot of Mt. Mitake in Okutama, western Tokyo.
Kitasan Black hopped off the bus. The heat and bright sunlight hit her face at once. She squinted and looked over the small station in front of her.
The wooden station sign looked old, paint peeling at the edges. The words "Mt. Mitake Entrance Station" were still clear, and the fresh marks showed it was maintained regularly.
Not many people were inside, but the place felt lively. Almost everyone looked like a tourist. Their bags were not ordinary travel packs. Some were as wide as half a door. Others nearly reached the ceiling. They seemed packed with special gear.
Right behind the station, the gap between the two closest mountains looked like a crack left by a giant axe. The rock face showed its gray-green texture, and clouds circled the peak. Along the ridge, the winding mountain road climbed sharply about a hundred meters ahead. The asphalt baked under the summer sun, creating a shimmering mirage that made it look like your feet would melt if you stepped on it.
Cicadas sang in the distance. The light scents of pine resin and green plants mixed with the sour smell of rotting fruit and moss.
"Strange. This is the right place, but where's Trainer…?"
Kitasan Black muttered to herself and pulled out her phone. She had just finished typing "Trainer, I'm here" when a call came in.
Her face lit up at first, then a mix of annoyance and amusement appeared when she saw the caller ID.
"Hello, Grandpa…"
She had barely answered when an urgent voice came through.
"Kita-chan? Have you arrived? Was there traffic on the way? I told you it would be better to charter a private plane, you child…"
"Grandpa, I'm already here!"
She interrupted with a laugh and glanced at the nearest mountain road.
"You saw Trainer's training camp plan, right? It's not some remote mountain. Why would I need a plane? Really…"
"Then… Mr. Yasui? Have you seen him? Are you with him?" The concerned voice changed the subject.
"Trainer, he…"
Kitasan Black hesitated, her voice softening a little.
"He's helping me with my luggage. I brought a lot of bananas, drinks, and snacks. He's moving them to the car right now."
"How can you trouble Mr. Yasui so much?"
The voice on the other end scolded her. "I told you to bring some people with you. Even if you don't need looking after, they could help Mr. Yasui. You child, really…"
Kitasan Black was troubled again by her grandfather's doting concern. She was still deciding whether to keep the story going when her eyes suddenly lit up.
On the mountain road behind the station, a small truck was coming closer. The driver was someone she didn't know, but the passenger was Yasui, the one who was supposedly "helping move things."
"Grandpa, don't worry. Trainer's already…"
She almost said "already here," but corrected herself quickly.
"He's finished moving my things. He's talking to the driver right now. Do you want me to hand the phone to him?"
Trainer is talking to the driver. I wasn't lying this time, Kitasan Black thought as she watched Yasui in the distance turn toward the driver and point in her direction.
"There's no need to trouble him then."
The voice on the other end sounded reassured. "I'm very confident in Mr. Yasui's work. Remember to help him. Don't let him do everything for you.
"Go on. Call Grandpa again once you're settled."
"Mhm! I remember! I'll video call you later, Grandpa!"
After more assurances, Kitasan Black breathed a sigh of relief when Saburo Kitajima hung up. She grabbed her bags, large and small, and ran toward the small truck.
"Trainer!"
She waved excitedly before she even reached the truck, then immediately complained.
"Why did it take you so long to get here? I've been waiting for a while…"
Inside the truck, Yasui did not hear her complaint. He signaled the driver to stop beside her, got out at once, and looked at the large bag on her back.
It was about a meter tall, and the flap would not even close. From the bananas peeking out at the edges, it was clearly full of fruit.
Or maybe just bananas.
"…I know you like bananas, but so many…"
Yasui could not help but tease her. "You're not worried monkeys will steal them, are you?"
"Of course not… Huh?"
Kitasan Black answered on reflex, then her face turned bright red.
"Tr-Trainer, how did you know about that… No! What 'stolen by monkeys'? I have no idea what you're talking about!"
Seeing the blush on her cheeks, Yasui smiled to himself.
He must have heard it from Tokai Teio, or maybe by chance.
When Kitasan Black was little, she went camping in the mountains once. The bananas she brought were stolen by monkeys. As a little girl, she even climbed a tree to chase after them.
It was through those casual talks that Yasui learned how much Kitasan Black loved playing in the mountains. After some discussion, he chose Mt. Mitake for the summer training camp.
An Uma Musume's training camp is part of her overall training. The next big goal is the Kikuka Sho. That 3000-meter long-distance race puts the most emphasis on stamina, so that is what they need to focus on.
Mt. Mitake is very close to Tokyo, only a few hours by car.
The roughly 10-kilometer winding mountain road, the exposed rock faces of the valley, the lakeside trail around Lake Okutama and the lake itself, and the "Cloud Sea Villa" hot spring inn on the mountainside… all are perfect for stamina training.
More importantly, many extreme sports teams near Tokyo often train here. Plenty of the venues and facilities are already set up and can be used after booking in advance.
All in all, this place is ideal for a training camp.
"I heard there are a lot of monkeys on Mt. Mitake."
Pretending not to know about Kitasan Black's childhood embarrassment, Yasui looked up at the mountaintop. "I thought you already knew, Kita-chan.
"It's okay if you didn't. Now you do. Remember to protect your bananas so the monkeys don't steal them."
"Absolutely not!"
Kitasan Black clasped her hands behind her back. Her ears and tail stood up straight.
"I'm not like before… Ahem, ahem. I run very fast now, and I climb high. Even if a monkey sneaks a banana, I'll chase it down and get it back!"
"I was only kidding. There aren't many monkeys near the inn anyway…"
Yasui smiled and changed the subject. He pointed to the truck they had arrived in.
"Alright. Take your luggage out and put it in the truck bed. Also, do you see those two mountain bikes?"
Kitasan Black obediently reached for her bags when she heard the first part.
She paused at the second.
"Bicycles… Are we going to ride them up?"
"Yes, but not the whole way."
Yasui walked to the truck bed and took out a mountain bike.
He slung it onto his back and smiled at the astonished Kitasan Black.
"The second half is riding the bikes up the mountain. The first half…
"We'll carry the bikes up.
"You and I, together."