"Stop, stop, stop!" Platinum, her head spinning, hastily cut off Symboli Rudolf's endless chatter. "So, in short, everything's been neatly arranged for me, is that it?"
"You could pretty much say that. The rules set by the school have been through numerous discussions and practical applications—they're the most appropriate we have for now."
Symboli Rudolf looked at Platinum with a faint, knowing smile. "What, already feeling overwhelmed?"
"There'll be plenty more times for that later. Don't forget, you're a transfer student, and an international one at that."
Which meant... not only did she have to catch up on missed academic classes, but she also had to take courses specifically for international students.
If nothing else, learning Japanese had to be prioritized, right? Otherwise, she wouldn't even be able to read the textbooks.
Hearing Symboli Rudolf say this, Platinum's face instantly turned a shade of green. She realized that her days ahead were probably not going to be easy.
"Isn't this a sports school? Shouldn't it be enough to just run fast? Are academic classes really that important?"
"Don't talk nonsense," Symboli Rudolf wagged her finger. "Our school's academic education is also thriving. Tracen Academy has even had graduates who tested into Tokyo University."
"Although the baseline requirements are lower than typical prestigious schools, they still can't be too far off. Otherwise, if we produced a bunch of illiterate Uma Musume, how would we explain that to society?"
Platinum began to tremble.
So, the students of Tracen Academy... wake up early to race, attend academic classes in the morning, squeeze in time for singing and dance practice in the afternoon, and after dragging themselves through a day of exhausting training back to the dorms, they might still have to pull out a little notebook to memorize English vocabulary?
Oh, and she might have it even worse. Because she also had to make up for missed classes and learn this country's language.
For heaven's sake, why?
If they really managed to train under these conditions, they wouldn't just be racing stars. Every single graduate from Tracen Academy would be a veritable iron woman.
Platinum collapsed backward, sticking out her tongue as if half-dead. "Just kill me now."
Just as Symboli Rudolf was about to say something, the rhythmic chanting of Vodka, Daiwa Scarlet, and Gold Ship reached their ears.
"Heave-ho! Heave-ho!"
"Heave-ho! Heave-ho!"
The three of them, lined up from tallest to shortest, carried the seemingly lifeless form of Okino on their shoulders over to Symboli Rudolf.
Gold Ship tossed Okino to the ground, then scurried up to Symboli Rudolf, standing at attention and saluting.
"Sir! The target has been delivered!"
"Trainer Okino was assaulted by an unknown individual! Judging by the mark left on his chest, the weapon was most likely a horse's hoof, shoe size approximately 21.5 cm!"
"Based on the shoe size estimating height, the perpetrator likely launched into a split kick right in front of Trainer Okino, striking him in the chest!"
"Of course, it's also possible it was a group effort—a taller individual holding a shorter one by the neck, using the shorter one as a living projectile swung directly into the trainer's chest!"
"I strongly suspect spies from another team attempted to assassinate our trainer to disrupt our training schedule! I particularly suspect that blue-haired shorty from Team Canopus!"
"The truth cries out to the heavens, justice demands clarity! President, you must uphold justice for us!"
"No, no, no, it's obvious the trainer got kicked for touching someone's leg," Daiwa Scarlet waved her hands, shaking her head repeatedly.
"Honestly, when will he ever grow up... Couldn't he at least ask before touching...?" Vodka also shook her head in dismay.
Symboli Rudolf completely ignored Gold Ship's nonsense and introduced him to Platinum. "This is one of the school's most excellent trainers. He's nurtured many outstanding Uma Musume."
"I know him," Platinum's expression shifted the moment she saw Okino.
She shot up from her reclined position and ducked behind the president. "Likes touching girls' legs, still single in his thirties, hangs out with a bunch of girls all day at his age... He's basically..."
The key issue was the leg touching. If he wanted to throw an arm over her shoulder and swear brotherhood, Platinum might have grudgingly accepted it. But going straight for the legs...
Platinum particularly disliked physical contact.
Maybe it was from spending too much time in hospitals in her past life, but every time physical contact happened, it never seemed to lead to anything good.
The last guy who tried to get a look under Platinum's hood was laid out cold in a bar.
So Platinum curled herself down, hiding behind Symboli Rudolf, preventing Okino from suddenly charging forward in a frenzy to touch her legs. This way, if he tried anything, he'd have to get past the president's legs first.
'You can't touch mine if you've touched the President's.'
"President, you're not planning to hand me over to this kind of person, are you? Didn't you promise you'd be my trainer?"
"I was just going to ask him to offer some advice, help you develop an exercise plan, and have you run alongside the members of Spica," Symboli Rudolf replied, sounding a bit guilty.
"Who filled her head with these ideas!" Okino flopped on the ground a few times before springing to his feet, brushing the footprint off his chest.
"I'm a gentleman! Touching legs is just the fastest way to assess physical condition, okay?"
Having said that, Okino scanned Platinum with an intense gaze, then nodded.
"I basically understand now."
"Just as the president said, you're promising material indeed."
Symboli Rudolf hadn't been exaggerating; Okino truly was a trainer with considerable professional expertise. Perhaps only someone as single-minded as him could become a seasoned trainer.
"I just observed the hoof prints Platinum left on the grass. Excellent, truly excellent."
"The acceleration capable of rivaling Teio, and the dominant track presence displayed in her debut race... remarkably powerful!"
"Especially the ability to accelerate even in the mid-to-late stages of the race—this proves Platinum's own stamina and endurance are first-rate. Her limits definitely aren't at 2000 meters; she could probably adapt to 3000 meters as well. This makes Platinum an all-rounder, capable of either dominating the track with early speed or overtaking with a late surge, and adaptable to both short and long courses."
"We haven't tested Platinum's adaptability on dirt tracks yet. If she proves equally adept there, then Platinum would be the perfect all-rounder Uma Musume!"
Okino pulled a lollipop from his pocket, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth.
"Although I'd love to say that—unfortunately, that's not the reality."
"To put it bluntly, if Platinum doesn't correct this soon, she'll be at a disadvantage no matter how she runs, what track she runs on, or what race she enters."
"I had an inkling just watching the footage from her debut race. Seeing the hoof prints you left during your race against Tokai Teio confirmed my suspicions."
Facing Platinum, Okino extended his hand.
"Please, come to my side. I'll teach you how to truly run a race."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.