Honestly, as they shook hands, Nakajima Shin still couldn’t quite believe it.
He’d actually become Daiichi Ruby’s trainer.
After all, the Gorgeous Clan wanted an exclusive trainer, which usually meant sticking with the trainee until retirement.
So when he mentioned retiring early once he saved enough money, he was already bracing for rejection.
But to his surprise, Daiichi Ruby just thought it over and agreed.
She officially became his trainee.
In that case, I couldn’t let her regret it.
Nakajima pulled his hand back and smiled.
“Whatever races you aim for in the future, I’ll help you win them all.”
“Naturally, I’ll walk the path my mother couldn’t finish,” Daiichi Ruby said, her eyes burning.
“I’ll claim the Triple Tiara laurel.
I have to clear my mother’s name and secure a complete victory.”
Nakajima nodded.
“In that case, you won’t skip the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes either, right?”
Daiichi Ruby gave a slight nod.
The so-called Triple Tiara consisted of the Sakura Sho, Oka Sho, and Shuka Sho.
Back before the recent racing reforms, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes actually held the Shuka Sho’s spot.
When Daiichi Ruby’s mother raced, it was still the final leg of the Triple Tiara.
If she wanted to finish her mother’s legacy, she’d need to win all four races to call it a complete victory.
Looking at it this way, I’ll be up against Orfevre and Almond Eye next year, Nakajima thought.
Don’t know if I should call myself lucky or cursed.
Hitting the year with the strongest opposition.
Guess we’ll just see if they can pull a Trêve and absolutely wreck every Uma Musume player out there.
He still remembered playing the Arc de Triomphe event.
In the second year, he got completely blown past by Trêve in the Arc.
Once, he even got overtaken by some random NPC horse girl.
It was ridiculous.
But Orfevre and Almond Eye both carried the aura of true Horse Kings.
They’d probably surprise people just like Trêve did.
Nakajima knew he had to take this seriously.
Right on cue, a ding echoed in his head.
[Quest Triggered: Triple Crown!] [Description: This is the path your trainee will tread.
As her trainer, you should do your best to help her, right?] [Objective: Win the Triple Crown and the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.] [Rewards: Win the Shuka Sho -> Daiichi Ruby Support Card.
Win the Oka Sho -> Almond Eye Support Card.
Win the Triple Crown & Queen Elizabeth II Stakes -> Gorgeous Clan Support Card.]
Sure enough, major milestones for a trainee always triggered a quest.
The rewards looked decent, but the wait time was brutal.
He wouldn’t get the first card until April next year at the earliest.
With only three support cards in hand, he felt a bit exposed.
The Arima Kinen in December had Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross as towering obstacles.
For Teio to take the Hope Stakes, she’d likely clash with Orfevre.
Relying on just three cards for stat boosts left Nakajima uneasy.
But his mood remained relatively relaxed.
He wasn’t new to underdog starts.
Ever since he rode White Lily to challenge a G1, every single run had been a long shot.
Just use tactics to cover the weaknesses.
Victory would stay in his grasp.
As he pondered the future, Daiichi Ruby spoke, pulling his attention back.
“Since we’ve agreed, once Urara retires after the Arima Kinen, I’ll have you sign the contract immediately.”
“Understood.” Nakajima nodded, then paused, frowning slightly.
“Speaking of which, I’m confident I can lead my trainees to major race wins, but you probably aren’t.
How can you trust my trainees will actually win?”
Outsiders didn’t think Teio or Urara had a snowball’s chance.
One fractured her legs if she pushed too hard, the other couldn’t win to save her life.
By any metric, they were losers.
So why would Daiichi Ruby say she’d sign the contract right after Urara retired?
Hearing this, Daiichi Ruby repeated the exact plan she’d pitched to her mother yesterday.
After listening, surprise flickered across Nakajima’s face.
He hadn’t expected her to value him so highly.
He was still a rookie trainer with zero track record.
Yet she was willing to sacrifice family interests just to have him.
Moved by her trust, Nakajima spoke seriously.
“I won’t let you down.
Almond Eye, the undefeated Triple Crown, and the Gorgeous Clan’s glory…
I’ll help you claim it all.”
Daiichi Ruby bowed her head slightly.
“Thank you.”
Once that was settled, she added, “Additionally, you’ll need to undergo our family’s training program for quite some time.
Sessions will be held in the mornings at the academy.
Please be punctual.”
“No problem.” Nakajima nodded.
“Does that mean I don’t need to stay at the hotel anymore?”
“That’s correct.”
He kept his face neutral, but inside, he felt a slight pang of regret.
The dorm he’d cleaned up this afternoon would finally come in handy.
Next came utility bills.
His already meager base salary, after loan interest deductions, would completely vanish.
Sensing his thoughts, Daiichi Ruby added, “Since we haven’t signed an exclusive contract yet, we can’t offer much extra support.
But please rest assured, we’ll cover your dorm utilities.”
Nakajima’s eyes lit up.
He bowed slightly.
“Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.”
They chatted a bit longer before Nakajima headed back to his room, thoroughly pleased.
He didn’t greedily expect more favors.
Helping was a kindness; not helping was her right.
He was just her trainer, not an exclusive one.
The unsigned contract was a standard school template.
The academy paid his base salary; she’d only owe him a cut of the race winnings.
Unless he became an exclusive trainer for the Gorgeous Clan, the terms would shift to give him more perks in exchange for greater obligations.
But he wasn’t exclusive yet.
For now, he was perfectly content.
“Life is really getting better,” Nakajima sighed, taking a swig of his Red Bull.
The corporate slave blood in his veins ignited, fueling his drive.
“Alright.
Work hard, win the Arima Kinen, Hopeful Stakes, the undefeated Triple Crown, and the undefeated Triple Crown for fillies.
Once I’ve saved enough, I’m heading back to Xinjiang to build that ranch.”
The night passed quietly.
With his plans set, Nakajima woke up refreshed the next morning.
After breakfast, he packed his bags, took the bus, and moved into the staff dorms.
Once settled, it was still early.
With hardly anyone on campus yet, he used the downtime to change into his gym clothes and knock out his campus run in about ten minutes.
He washed his sweaty gear, hung it out to dry on the balcony, then followed the morning crowd back into the academy.
He headed straight to his office and started a new day of work.