And then, there was the unexpected news.
The girl I thought would be Rice's greatest wall, Mihono Bourbon, was currently in long-term recovery for periostitis. A part of me—the tactical part—was relieved the rival was gone. But as a trainer, I hated it. No one wants to see a talent like that sidelined by pain. It was a miserable dilemma.
As for Urara... well, the field for dirt racing was thinner, so organizing her data should have been easier. It should have been.
(Damn it... Rice's situation is tough, but why the hell does Urara have to have someone like THIS in her generation?)
I stared down at a single document. The information on it was, frankly, terrifying.
Oguri Cap.
Currently a regional circuit girl, but she's a monster who can handle turf or dirt, and any distance from a Mile to Long. Her acceleration at the end of a race is... it's not human. 7 wins in 9 starts, and her only losses were 2nd places against high-level competition.
The footage was limited, but one look told me everything: she didn't belong in the regional leagues. She was top-tier Central material. And I'd just heard she was being scouted to transfer to Tracen.
My ego, which had been whispering that Urara might actually hold her own in the upper classes, was currently being ground into dust. This girl was going to be a legend. And based on her age and aptitude, she was going to collide with Urara head-on.
And she wasn't the only one. There was El Condor Pasa—Urara's friend, but also a prodigy trained by the legendary Trainer Tojo of Team Rigel. I might have "leveled up" from a slime to a low-level mob, but I wasn't ready to face a Demon King yet. Then there was Taiki Shuttle, the American powerhouse with 6 wins in 7 starts. And Smart Falcon, a dirt specialist who looked like she'd be a nightmare to catch.
Compared to the dozens of turf rivals, there were only four major names for Urara—but each one was a giant. For a girl like Urara, who had only just won her maiden race, everyone was a superior opponent.
Still, training with Rice was doing wonders. Urara's growth curve was trending higher than I'd projected. Having a G1 winner as a training partner—and a best friend—had given Urara a level of focus I'd never seen. She was actually having more fun, which for Urara, was the ultimate power-up.
But I worried about Rice. Was this helping her?
Rice was a sweetheart. She followed my menus without complaint. Currently, we were doing light adjustments on the woodchip course to fix her muscle balance, with occasional dirt runs alongside Urara. The dirt was actually easier on her joints, helping her shift her center of gravity back to neutral while building power.
But because of the gap in their abilities, the load on Rice was too light. I had to find a way to maintain her G1-level stamina and strength while simultaneously "resetting" her body. It was like trying to tune a Formula 1 car while it was driving through a school zone.
"Phew... wait, what time is it?"
I blinked at the clock. It was 3:00 AM. I had been so deep in the data that time had simply ceased to exist.
The moment my focus broke, exhaustion hit me like a physical blow. I reached for a nearby energy drink, only to find an empty can. Then another. I was out of fuel.
I couldn't even make it home. I shut down my laptop and staggered toward the nap room. A shower could wait until morning. I collapsed onto a bed and closed my eyes.
(Tomorrow... no, today... Urara on the turf with Rice... need Rice to give at least 70%... Urara... Rice... Ura-Rice...)
I was out in seconds.
"...sir... Trainer! Are you awake?"
A voice and a gentle shaking pulled my consciousness back to the surface. I blearily opened one eye.
Rice? She was the only one who called me that with such hesitation. A mop of dark hair came into focus.
"Sorry, Rice..." I mumbled, my brain still trapped in a fog. "I'm okay... I'll... I'll make you the strongest... I promise..."
I reached out and placed a hand on her head, gently stroking her hair. Rice always loved being patted, even if she was a high schooler now. She'd get this look of melting bliss on her face.
The hair beneath my palm was smooth and silky. But wait... there were no ears on top. My hand slid down to the side and felt... human ears?
"...Wait."
Rice's hair isn't this short. And Rice definitely has Umamusume ears.
My vision snapped into focus. My heart stopped.
"Um... excuse me! Are you alright? I've been calling you for minutes..."
It was Miss Kiryuuin. Her face was bright red, a mix of confusion and embarrassment painted across her features.
"I-I'm sorry for waking you... I saw your things in the lounge but couldn't find you, so I got worried..."
I checked my phone. It was thirty minutes before the work day started. Kiryuuin was always early. I looked at my right hand. Then I looked at her blushing face.
I had just spent a minute petting my colleague's head like she was a prize-winning horse.
I scrambled out of bed and, in one fluid motion, dropped into a perfect dogeza on the floor.
"I was half-asleep! I am so sorry! Please, forgive me! I am incredibly sorry!"
Words like Sexual Harassment, Disciplinary Action, and Lawsuit screamed in my head. Would "I thought you were a horse" hold up in court? Probably not. Cold sweat poured down my back.