After the mock race ended, Tracen returned to its usual intense training schedule. This time, Fujiwara Chiya's team went one win and three losses.
Unexpectedly, the only one who actually won was Gold Ship. It made no sense at all. Based on Chiya's judgment, Rice Shower had the highest chance of winning, followed by Shirayuki, then Gold Ship, and lastly Meisho Doto. The only accurate prediction had been for Doto. The rest were more or less off.
Looking at Gold Ship standing there with her chest puffed out, Chiya walked up to her and said earnestly, "Gold Ship, you did well. You really did well."
But instead of a humble response, Gold Ship replied arrogantly, "That's it?"
With her arms crossed, she looked down at him. "Honestly, Trainer, you could show a bit more admiration. I'm the legendary Gold Ship. What miracle is there that I can't pull off?"
"Right, right." Chiya nodded repeatedly. After all, she won. Whatever she said went.
"This was just me holding back. My true power hasn't even been unleashed yet. One day I'll charge up a massive blast and wipe out a dozen opponents ahead of me in one go."
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to that."
After praising her, Chiya turned his attention to the rest. Every single one of them avoided his gaze.
"You guys," Chiya began, "your results exceeded my expectations. Everyone ran well. Being able to keep up with elite runners even as undebuted Uma Musume is no easy feat. So even though you lost, I still have a special reward for tonight. I'm treating you all to barbecue."
Everyone's eyes widened.
"Wait, seriously? Trainer, since when were you this generous?" Gold Ship looked shocked.
"It's all-you-can-eat barbecue. Think of it as a reward for your hard work. But only this once. Don't expect this every time you lose."
"Trainer… can I come too?" Meisho Doto asked carefully. Out of everyone, she had the worst result, finishing dead last.
"Of course. Your loss wasn't your fault. It was… something unavoidable. Under normal circumstances, you would've made the top five. I can guarantee that."
Hearing that, Doto relaxed a little. She knew the gap between her and the others, so being encouraged like this made her happy.
"Barbecue with Onii-sama… hehe~"
Rice Shower giggled.
"That's it for today's training. Meet at the school gate at six. Dismissed."
"Yes!"
After giving his instructions, Chiya headed back toward the dorms. Reward and punishment needed balance. It was unrealistic to expect them all to win, but since they had all worked so hard, doing nothing as a trainer would be wrong.
That used to be his problem. He never praised them when they did well, nor comforted them when they were down. He just kept revising training plans, completely ignoring their feelings.
Reality wasn't a game. Every Uma Musume had her own life and emotions. Only by understanding them and managing those relationships could he become a proper trainer.
Such a simple truth, yet it took him this long to understand it.
He really was an idiot.
From now on, he would step into each of their lives, try to understand them, and make the best choices for each of them.
At the same time, Fujiwara Shirayuki returned to her dorm. She took off her clothes and tossed them onto the bed, wrapped a towel around herself, and went into the bathroom. She had gotten more used to dealing with her female body. After training, she would take a shower to wash off the sweat. Otherwise, the smell would get pretty bad over time.
The idea that beautiful girls naturally smelled nice was complete nonsense. One time, she had been so tired that she went to bed without showering, and the next day she faintly smelled sour. Sweat didn't care about appearances. Her skin was just like anyone else's. If you licked it, it would taste salty.
As Shirayuki hummed to herself while showering, the bathroom door suddenly opened, and a brown-haired figure walked in. Seeing Shirayuki completely naked, her mouth slowly formed an O shape.
"Dober senpai, you're back."
Shirayuki turned off the water and greeted her.
The air froze for a moment. Then, with a bang, Mejiro Dober vanished from the doorway like an afterimage.
"Shirayuki!" her voice came from outside. "Why aren't you wearing clothes!?"
"I'm taking a shower."
"…That's true. Then why didn't you lock the door? No, wait, this is my fault. I should've knocked first…"
Dober's thoughts spiraled into chaos. That flawless, pale body had such an overwhelming impact that she felt it should only be admired from afar, never touched.
After apologizing, everything went quiet outside.
Ten minutes later, Shirayuki stepped out, drying her hair. Dober was sitting on a chair, repairing her shoes. Beside her lay a worn-out horseshoe.
"Are you going for more training later, Dober senpai?"
"Yeah."
"You're really hardworking."
Shirayuki watched her.
"After that race, did any trainers approach you?"
Dober's hands paused.
"No."
"I see."
In that race, Dober had placed third. It was a good result, but for her, it wasn't enough. Only by winning could she earn the right to join a trainer's team. The instructor had gone through great effort to get her into the race, yet in the end, she had wasted the opportunity.
Dober was filled with regret. She had given it her all, yet she still couldn't catch up.
This was the gap in talent. A despairing one.
"Dober senpai."
Seeing her biting her lip, Shirayuki said, "I watched that race too. I think you were amazing to run like that."
After all, Shirayuki had also placed third. She understood how difficult it was.
"Not just me. My trainer watched that race too."
"Trainer…" Hearing that word, Dober looked up.
"You mean the one who jumped down from the stands?"