Yamato Akagi sighed.
"Yeah. She'd won so many races in the local circuit, only to be shut out because of all those ridiculous rules.
"But if it hadn't been for that, I probably never would've met him.
"Why bring that up all of a sudden?"
Vodka shrugged.
"I was just thinking about it, that's all.
"The spot Trainer Yasui mentioned is somewhere no rookie would dare to go. Only veteran trainers are allowed to stand there.
"Honestly, what a stupid rule. I have no idea what they're thinking.
"Anyway, I like this trainer, so..."
She smiled, picked up her tray, and stood.
"Come on. Let's go save him a spot."
When Yasui Makoto left the ready room for the stands, he'd thought it would take a while to find a place.
The viewing area at the front of the major racetracks had no seats; it was standing room only, and spots were first come, first served.
But there was an unspoken rule among trainers: the spots with the best views went to their seniors.
There were similar rules for resource allocation, too.
Newcomers like Yasui Makoto weren't given private offices, access to various facilities, or dorm rooms closer to the school. That was why he'd been renting a place farther away.
He knew about these rules, but he'd never paid much attention to them.
This time, though, the race was later in the day, and there were more spectators than last time.
In particular, the best-viewing spots in the front section were already taken.
After searching for a while without finding a suitable spot, he was just about to give up when he suddenly got a call from Yamato Akagi.
"Trainer Yasui, we see you. Walk a little farther forward... Do you see me?"
Following her directions, Yasui Makoto immediately spotted the two Uma Musume he'd had lunch with. He was puzzled, but also quietly pleased that they'd saved him a spot.
"Thanks. Otherwise, I'd probably have had to watch from farther back."
Gratefully, Yasui Makoto took a pair of binoculars, a stopwatch, and a tablet out of his shoulder bag.
Yamato Akagi looked completely unsurprised. Vodka, on the other hand, was taken aback.
"Trainer Yasui, are you going to work while watching the race?"
"Yeah. The Shining Series is full of uncertainty. A lot of the time, the data isn't as reliable as intuition."
Putting on one Bluetooth earbud, Yasui Makoto explained:
"Recording my first impressions of the race as data, then comparing them with the precise figures, can help correct the errors in my intuition to some extent.
"That's what my father told me.
"He said that trainers of his generation relied on intuition and experience. For newcomers like us, we need to combine different approaches and figure out training methods that can better help Uma Musume."
Now even Yamato Akagi looked a little surprised, not just Vodka.
"Your father was a trainer too?" Yamato Akagi asked in surprise.
"He was a Local Trainer. He never came to the central circuit."
Yasui Makoto smiled. "He taught me many of my training methods and ideas.
"My mother taught me a lot too. She used to be an Uma Musume at a local racetrack."
The two Uma Musume exchanged glances, looking even more surprised. There was a hint of warmth in their expressions now.
"I see. Now I understand why Trainer Yasui is so capable."
Vodka ran her index finger along the bridge of her nose.
"But besides your parents' guidance, Anzai-kun, you must work really hard too... Can I call you that, Anzai-kun?"
"Of course. I don't really mind what people call me..."
Yasui Makoto had only gotten halfway through his sentence when the stands erupted in cheers, and the loudspeakers rang out more clearly.
"Today's seventh race is about to begin."
A woman's clear commentary rang out first. Once she'd drawn the racetrack's attention, she began introducing one of the Uma Musume.
"Without further ado, the crowd favorite is entering!
"In her three races so far, she's taken first, second, and fourth place.
"Moving up from 1,600 meters on turf to 2,000 meters hasn't diminished her ability. Her 33.5-second final three furlongs in her last race proved just how impressive her Final Speed is.
"She's Crush Rally!"
The cheers grew louder. At the same time, on the giant screen facing the stands, an Uma Musume with long black hair stepped onto the runway from the paddock. She wore a short-sleeved athletic shirt and shorts, with a long-sleeved athletic jacket draped over her shoulders.
She raised an arm and waved, then grabbed her jacket and flung it away with a flourish.
Once the commentary had finished introducing her, she bowed, picked up the jacket she'd tossed aside, and returned behind the runway.
This was the standard "parade" before every race.
Yasui Makoto had watched plenty of these while studying races in the past, and last time had been no different.
But this time, something suddenly made him curious.
He looked to the side. The two Uma Musume beside him were chatting with interest.
"1:36.3, 1:38.2, 1:34.8... She's been pretty inconsistent."
"Maybe that's why her trainer wants to move her up from the mile to the middle distance."
"Maybe... Her Final Speed is impressive, though. 33.2, 34.3, 33.5. I feel like that's even better than mine was when I debuted."
"After all these years, the younger generation has to improve."
After saying that, Yamato Akagi's eyes shifted, and she noticed Yasui Makoto looking at them.
"Did you want something, Anzai-kun?... I can call you that too, right?"
"Of course. Call me whatever you like. As for me..."
Yasui Makoto hesitated, then shook his head and lowered his gaze, pretending to organize his data.
"It's nothing. I suddenly forgot what I wanted to ask, so it must not have been important. Don't worry about it."
He'd actually wanted to ask whether Uma Musume felt embarrassed when they threw their jackets aside during the parade, then had to pick them back up afterward.
But he'd thought better of it. If they really did feel embarrassed, asking would only make things more awkward.
After pretending for a moment, he really did start organizing his data, and he found himself looking forward to Hokubu Genkoma's entrance.
Quite a while later, the commentator finally announced the black-haired girl's name.
"She dazzled the crowd with a brilliant late-race acceleration and claimed victory in her debut race.
"This is her second appearance, and also the second race of her trainer's career.
"Compared to the experienced veterans, this rookie pair's spirit is every bit as impressive, and it shines through in her performance.
"Hokubu Genkoma!
"Let's look forward to this energetic girl's exciting performance!"
Yasui Makoto unconsciously lifted his head and smiled.
A moment later, the corners of his mouth stiffened.
Beside him, the excited "Oh, Xiao Bei's finally up!" cut off abruptly. Vodka's expression froze too.
As if she didn't know the girl on the big screen, Yamato Akagi turned her head away and pretended to admire the scenery.
Amused laughter began to ripple through the stands.
"How did this girl think to zip up her jacket for the parade?"
"Did it get stuck? It looks like she can't take her jacket off..."
"Hahaha, that's hilarious. What's this Uma Musume's name again? I'm going to follow her. Hahaha, that's too funny!"
Hearing the barely suppressed laughter around him, and seeing Vodka turn her head away and start whistling, Yasui Makoto looked around, wondering if there was a crack he could crawl into.
There was no helping it. His own Uma Musume had gotten so flustered that her face turned red when her zipper got stuck during the parade...
It really was just too embarrassing.
Before you continue