Maurice's POV
♪~ Classes are done, and it's time for our meeting and training! I've only been with Team Polaris for a month, but my seniors' skills are unreal. I often run alongside Bakushin-O-san, but my win rate in practice is barely 20%. Sure, if it's my specialty—mile races—I might do better, but Trainer-san says, "If you can keep up with Bakushin-O in a straight, only a few can catch you." So, my goal is to match her speed to the end!
Maurice: "Alright, let's do this!"
Click
Maurice: "Hello!"
Air Groove: "Oh, Maurice. You're early."
Maurice: "Air Groove-senpai, good work today!"
Air Groove: "No need to be so formal. We're teammates—relax a bit."
Maurice: "Y-Yes."
How relaxed is "soft" supposed to be?
As time passed, the team gathered, and Trainer-san came in last.
Hachiman: "Sorry I'm late. Everyone here?"
CB: "All here~! Hachiman, let's wrap this up and train!"
Hachiman: "Hold on. This meeting's important—it'll shape our next moves. Like I said this morning, training's shorter today."
Arrow: "…Our debut races?"
Hachiman: "Sharp as ever. That's part of it, but not all."
Fuji: "So, what's first?"
Hachiman: "You, Fuji. You won the Derby, making you a two-crown Uma Musume. Next is the Chrysanthemum Sho, but 3000m is a big hurdle for you. Switching routes—like aiming for the Tenno Sho (Autumn)—is an option. So… what do you think? Triple Crown or Tenno Sho? It's your call."
Fuji: "What do you want, Trainer-san? You're one step from the Triple Crown—don't you want to go for it?"
Hachiman: "Of course I do. But I won't force an Uma Musume to do something that risks injury. Air Groove, Fuji, CB—you know I'm most scared of injuries. There's a saying: 'An injury-free Uma Musume is a great Uma Musume.' Run safely, and I'm happy. Results are nice, but your health comes first. If you can't race, it's all over."
…Trainer-san's incredible. I knew it, but he really puts us Uma Musume first. That's why he's letting Fuji-senpai choose her next race.
Fuji: "…Hachiman-san, can I have some time? It's not an easy decision."
Hachiman: "Sure, take your time. July's the deadline—after that, we need to prep for the next race."
Fuji: "Got it."
Hachiman: "Next up: this year's training camp. Team Polaris won't join the camp—we'll stay at the academy."
Ooh, a training camp? Sounds fun♪ Wait… why do CB-senpai, Air Groove-senpai, and Fuji-senpai look so down? Did they really want to go?
CB: "W-Wait… does that mean no Hachiman special camp dinner this year?"
Hachiman: "…That's your concern?"
CB: "Not just that! Hachiman, do you know how popular your cooking is!?"
Hachiman: "Ha… So that's why you're all bummed. Poor Maurice is confused—she's never been. But there's a reason. First, Maurice."
Maurice: "M-Me?"
Hachiman: "You just enrolled two months ago. I can't push a newbie like that. We'll stay at the academy and build you up slowly."
Ardan: "I see… Any other reasons?"
Hachiman: "Yeah. Your debut races. You're all debuting this year—overdoing it at camp would wreck you. So, we stay."
Makes sense… Heavy training before a debut is too much. Learning a lot here~
CB: "More importantly! No camp dinner this year!?"
Hachiman: "…Do you all want it?"
CB, Air Groove, Fuji, Ardan: "Obviously!!"
Whoa! They harmonized…
Rice: "Rice wants Onii-sama's dinner too…"
Maurice: "…Is it that good?"
Arrow: "Don't ask me—I've never tried it. But if those five are that in sync, it's gotta be amazing."
Bakushin-O: "I saw Trainer-san's cooking at camp once—it looked incredible! Air Groove-san's lucky to have eaten it two years in a row!"
Rice: "Rice has had it, and it's super yummy! Onii-sama says it's no big deal, but it's really yummy♪"
It's that good…? I wanna try it.
Hachiman: "Anyway! No camp this year! I'll think about the dinner later! Meeting over! Training time!"
Afterword
Maurice shines in this Yahari x Uma Musume chapter, hyped for training and awed by Hachiman's care. Fuji's big decision looms, and the team's obsessed with his cooking—sorry, no camp dinner! Maurice, stay that eager spark!
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