Tactical Planning

After removing Hokubu Genkoma's racing shoes, Yasui Makoto didn't rush to put them back on. Instead, he turned them over and examined the soles for a moment.

The front of each sole gleamed with two crescent-shaped flashes of metal—the specialized horseshoes for racing.

Due to their immense kicking power, Uma Musume's shoes endure tremendous stress during training and races.

The horseshoes reduce wear and tear while also allowing the girls to perform at their best.

"Mmm, the horseshoes are adjusted quite well, but make sure to double-check them before you go on stage."

Satisfied, he nodded, lifted his head to glance at Hokubu Genkoma, then looked over at Rizumu Hikari.

"Xiao Bei, did you adjust these yourself, or was it Light Diamond-chan..."

He paused, caught off guard.

"What are you two staring at me like that for?"

In his eyes, both Uma Musume had flushed faces, looking thoroughly embarrassed.

Especially Rizumu Hikari—her cheeks red, her eyes held a strange expression as her gaze darted repeatedly between him and Hokubu Genkoma.

"N-nothing..."

As if jolted awake, Hokubu Genkoma muttered in a low, odd voice.

Then, sitting on the back of the motorcycle, she leaned down in an awkward posture and snatched her racing shoes from his hands.

"I-I can put them on myself..."

While Hokubu Genkoma, face still red, was putting on her shoes, Rizumu Hikari spoke up in a similarly strange tone.

"Xiao Bei adjusted them herself... she spent a long time on it last night."

"I see, that's impressive."

He responded, then turned puzzled.

"So what exactly are you two..."

"N-nothing, it's nothing! Ah, right, what I actually wanted to say was..."

Before Yasui Makoto could finish, Rizumu Hikari waved her hands frantically.

"Since the Trainer came specifically to pick up Xiao Bei, you should take her to the racetrack together.

"Don't worry about me—my older sister happens to be going to watch the races too, so I'll go with her.

"Xiao Bei, I'm off to find my sister! I'll cheer for you when your race comes up!"

With that, as if trying to escape, the Uma Musume dashed away quickly.

"Huh? Light Diamond-chan..."

Having just finished putting on her shoes, Hokubu Genkoma turned to find her friend already a distant silhouette. She froze for a moment, bit her lower lip, then looked back at Yasui Makoto.

"Trainer, so we...?"

"What about us?"

"N-nothing... Oh right, Trainer, how should I run today?"

She asked vaguely, then when Yasui Makoto looked at her, she hurriedly changed the subject.

Race tactics were always a Trainer's essential homework, and Yasui Makoto had long had a plan in mind.

But right now, the area was packed with competitors preparing to race, along with their Trainers.

Among them were opponents for the upcoming race—definitely not the place to discuss any arrangements.

"No rush, we'll talk about it when we get to the track."

"Oh, okay..."

Realizing the setting was inappropriate, she replied softly and obediently followed Yasui Makoto toward the school-arranged bus.

The atmosphere on the bus was noticeably heavier than outside. Most of the other Uma Musume and Trainers were either watching race footage or resting with their eyes closed, showing no signs of conversation.

Caught up in that mood, Hokubu Genkoma sat quietly in her seat, watching race videos.

Yasui Makoto, meanwhile, pulled out his tablet and reviewed the tactical plans he'd prepared earlier.

Before they knew it, they arrived at Tokyo Racecourse.

There were dedicated entryways for racers and Trainers, along with a separate lounge and private preparation rooms.

Of the twelve races today, the first was scheduled to start at 11:00. Before that came the Uma Musume's track familiarization, warm-ups, and initial appearances.

Arriving early, the venue was quiet and sparsely populated.

Noticing this, Hokubu Genkoma leaned against the preparation room window, peered outside for a while, then looked at Yasui Makoto with confusion.

"That's strange... Trainer, when I watch races on TV, this place is always packed. Why does it feel like hardly anyone's here today?"

"The races you watch are either G1 or G2, at least G3, right?"

Writing and drawing on the whiteboard in the prep room, Yasui Makoto replied casually.

"Most of today's races are Pre-OP class. The three main events this afternoon are the Risshun Sho, the Shirofuji Kinen, and the Kurenage Kinen—those three are OP class."

"Race day crowds are a bit smaller than this—can't compare to a G1 Race.

"But not by much, either.

"After all, this is Tokyo Racecourse. Even a Pre-OP draws a decent crowd. Conservative estimate...

"By the time the race starts, at least sixty to seventy thousand spectators. Maybe even close to a hundred thousand."

"That many people..." Hokubu Genkoma said, surprised.

"Just now you thought it was too few, and now you're saying it's too many... Didn't you mention that when you watch races normally, it always feels like there's a huge crowd?"

Smiling at his Uma Musume's childish reaction, Yasui Makoto's expression turned serious.

"Alright, enough small talk. Fewer people means it's nice and quiet—we can focus on preparing the running strategy and tactics."

Hearing this, Hokubu Genkoma jolted alert and darted over from the window in two steps.

"Hey! I'm ready, Trainer!"

"Mm, good spirit. First, let's go over the details of this race..."

Nodding with satisfaction, Yasui Makoto pointed at the whiteboard covered in diagrams and text.

For Hokubu Genkoma's Debut Race, he had done extensive homework, poring over the data of every opponent she had pre-registered against.

As a Debut Race, the other participants were just like Hokubu Genkoma—novices with no race experience—so only training data was available.

This data was public on the platform, accessible to both professionals and enthusiasts, who would offer evaluations and support based on it and their own experience.

In terms of support, Hokubu Genkoma's popularity was decent—she ranked third among the dozen or so runners in the same race.

Setting aside emotional support like personal appeal, from the few rational comments, many seemed to think her top speed in training wasn't ideal.

The greatest need for top speed was undoubtedly in the final stretch battle, so those comments believed she had little advantage there and wouldn't win easily.

Yasui Makoto didn't deny that, but he knew Hokubu Genkoma better than those people did.

"...Your stamina, strength, and explosive power are quite outstanding. For a turf 1800 meters, finishing is no problem at all.

"You still have room to improve in stamina management, strength control, and maintaining explosive power, but a race isn't just about stats.

"And coincidentally, besides the stats, I've also looked into your opponents a bit.

"Simply put, after the start, find an opponent you like the look of and follow behind them. You can also switch targets anytime.

"But once you sense this range..."

After analyzing the race schedule and opponents with Hokubu Genkoma, Yasui Makoto pointed to a corner of the track on the whiteboard.

"Start accelerating from here, and keep accelerating all the way to the end.

"Don't rush. Listen to me.

"I understand that for an average Uma Musume, starting to accelerate from this distance is a bit of a stretch—after all, there's still over 300 meters to the finish.

"But, Xiao Bei, do you think you're an average Uma Musume?

"Or rather, could an average Uma Musume achieve the kind of miraculous accomplishments that Tokai Teio did?"