Rice's Perspective
We had just returned to Tracen Academy from our summer training camp. I headed straight to the clubroom for our scheduled debriefing, but when I stepped inside, I found Sensei—Onii-sama's teacher—along with someone I didn't recognize.
I wondered who he could be. The moment he realized it was Onii-sama, his face lit up with pure joy and he pulled him into a sudden, firm embrace by the shoulders. They seemed so close... I couldn't help but wonder what kind of history they shared.
"Look at you! You've grown into an even finer man since I last saw you!" the stranger boomed. "It warms my heart, truly!"
"Thank you," Onii-sama replied, looking a bit overwhelmed. "But... how did you get in? I'm certain I locked the door."
The woman beside him, the one I knew as the Professor, spoke up. "Have you forgotten? You gave me a spare key the last time I visited the Academy."
"Oh... right. Now that you mention it..."
"U-um... Onii-sama?" I squeaked, peeking out from behind him. "Who is this?"
"Ah! Right. Rice, you haven't met the Professor's mentor yet. Allow me to introduce you. This is Man o' War-san. She was my teacher's master, which makes her my 'Grand-master.' She's an American Uma Musume—one of the legendary figures often called the greatest in American history. Surely you've heard the name?"
My eyes went wide. "I know her! She's in all the textbooks... she's incredibly strong! Wow... I can't believe the real legend is standing right in front of me!"
Man o' War let out a hearty chuckle. "Hah! I never get tired of that reaction. So, you're Rice Shower, then? It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Man o' War! Hachiman here is my prized grand-pupil, and it gladdens my soul to see that he's found such a wonderful girl to train."
"I-I'm Rice Shower!" I stammered, my face heating up. "I-It is an honor to meet chew—I mean, you!"
"Hahahaha! Don't be so stiff, little one! But really, the textbooks? Surely my student over here is more deserving of a place in history than I am!"
The Professor sighed softly. "Master, why must you always bring me into this?"
Once the introductions were out of the way, I set about preparing coffee and tea cakes for everyone. Even though they had beaten me to the clubroom, it would have been rude not to offer our guests some hospitality.
"Have you been in town this whole time?" Onii-sama asked as he helped. "Sensei told me you'd be heading to the training camp as soon as the Professor arrived."
"That was the original plan," the Professor explained. "But upon further reflection, I realized there wasn't much for us to do there. Instead, I've spent the last month and a half showing Master the local sights. Should I have checked in?"
"No, it's fine. I only remembered to wonder about it right before we hopped on the bus today. It had completely slipped my mind until then."
"Well, all's well that ends well!" Man o' War said, leaning back. "Now then, my grand-pupil. You've just returned from camp, haven't you? Are you taking her straight to the track?"
"Of course not. I'm not going to make her train immediately after a long trip. We're just here for a quick meeting to discuss our next steps."
The Professor nodded. "The next stage of the Triple Crown... that would be the trial race for the Kikuka Sho."
"Yes," Onii-sama said, his voice shifting into 'Trainer mode.' "We're aiming for the St. Lite Memorial. Rice, from now until the race—or rather, until the Kikuka Sho—we're going to be balancing stamina training and conditioning simultaneously. Also, after the St. Lite Memorial, I've asked Brian to be your lead-in partner for practice."
"Wait... Narita Brian-san?" I asked, surprised.
"Yeah. She has the aptitude for long distances, and her running style is similar to yours. She's the perfect pace-setter. That's the rough plan, anyway... but is there any specific training you want to do, Rice?"
"Um..." I thought for a moment. "I don't have any complaints about the menu you made, Onii-sama. But... would it be okay if we included just one day a week for a solo long-distance run? Just for my own pace?"
Onii-sama looked at me skeptically. "You aren't planning a repeat of what happened during the Hopeful Stakes, are you?"
"N-no! It's not like that..."
"Just a solo run?" the Professor asked, tilting her head.
"Y-yes! Well, for my personal training, I've been going for a run every morning. I wanted to build up as much stamina as possible... and, well, it's not just about that! It helps me work on my early-position spurts and core strength. I just want to get stronger, in every way I can..."
"I see..." Man o' War mused. "Pure running, eh?"
"Hachiman," the Professor said seriously, "is there any merit to what she's saying?"
"There is. During her Junior class days, I was focusing her training primarily on speed. It's probably easier to show you than explain it. Look at this."
Onii-sama pulled up the footage of the Hopeful Stakes and began explaining the secret training regimen I had been doing behind his back.
"To think she achieved this level of performance through that," the Professor whispered, eyes glued to the screen. "A three-thousand-meter run every single morning for two months... 'relentless' is the only word for it."
"Indeed," Man o' War added, her expression uncharacteristically grave. "To do that on top of twice-weekly stamina sessions... the results speak for themselves, but the dedication required is staggering."
"Right?" Onii-sama said, and I could hear the pride swelling in his voice. "My Rice is truly something special."
"O-Onii-sama! P-please stop!" I hid my face in my hands.
"No," the Professor interrupted, her voice firm but kind. "To carry out such a grueling regimen without fail and produce these results... you deserve nothing less than our full admiration."
"Huh? U-um..."
"Exactly," Man o' War grinned. "As expected of the girl my grand-pupil chose. You've got real grit, kiddo."
"I... uh..." I was spinning. I didn't know where to look.
"See, Rice?" Onii-sama teased. "My Master and my Grand-master are both singing your praises. That's a big deal."
"Awa... awawawa...!"
I was turning beet red. I mean, this was incredible. The Professor had only ever given me basic pointers before, and Onii-sama rarely got a compliment like that out of her. To be honest, I felt a little guilty... I was so happy, it was almost enough to make Onii-sama jealous!
Rice has earned the highest praise from both the Master and the Grand-master!
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