Oguri Cap's "Kitahara" and "Uncle Roppei" were the two trainers who had guided her over the course of her career: Kitahara Yutaka and Roppei Ginjiro.
The three of them, along with Shine Brilliant, who provided technical support, had made up the entire team behind her glorious achievements back then.
Hearing her somewhat childish complaint, not only Shine Brilliant but even Super Creek, standing nearby, couldn't help shaking her head with a mix of amusement and resignation.
"Now, now, Oguri. It's good to have spirit and take your opponents seriously, but...
"If you count both Mr. Roppei and Mr. Kitahara, that lineup is a bit much for a junior like Anmokume, especially for an exhibition race. It's a little too over-the-top, too strict.
"And you might scare the little ones. If they decide not to compete, that'd be such a shame."
Oguri Cap had only been speaking off the cuff. Seeing Hokubu Genkoma and the others training so seriously on the track, the three of them didn't go over to interrupt. Instead, at Shine Brilliant's suggestion that they "go meet up with Tamamo and Inari to discuss the schedule," they quietly left the edge of the training grounds.
Meanwhile, after the initial warm-up and trial runs, Hokubu Genkoma had gained a much clearer understanding of Anmokume and Chunqiu Fen's current condition and strengths.
During the break, she took a deep breath. Feeling nervous and uncertain, but also curious and aware of her responsibility, she tried hard to recall and imitate the expression and tone Yasui Makoto used when he coached her. Then she began attempting to comment on and analyze the two juniors' performances.
"Um..."
After an awkward opening, she paused briefly to gather her thoughts, naturally taking the perspective she knew best.
"Anmokume, your arm swing was really full, and