“Man, I’m gonna gonna go delusional working on this.” Stepping out of the hospital, Nakajima Shin still felt a bit of a grumble.
After all, taking Urara, who was adapted to short-to-medium distance dirt tracks, and throwing her into the long-distance grass Arima Kinen was something only a complete lunatic would do.
Without some 19th-level modification tech to turn her into a Space Marine, winning was impossible.
But since this ultimate battle was unavoidable, Nakajima Shin could only do his best and try to give Urara even a sliver of a chance to win.
With that in mind, he took a bus back to his place, figuring he had some time to prepare before his evening schedule.
Before long, he arrived at the entrance of the Tokyo Grand Hyatt in Roppongi, not the Tracen Academy staff dorms.
The towering, glittering building stood before him.
Nakajima Shin walked in without a second thought, swiped his card, and headed to his single room just as he had for the past couple of weeks.
Yeah, this was the residence of a broke-ass like him for the last few days.
After graduating from trainer school, he’d been actively sending resumes to various Tracen Academies, hoping to land a stable, high-paying job to pay off his student loans.
But a very real problem stood in his way.
Without cheap dorms and cheap meals from a school, how was he supposed to survive on part-time wages while also paying monthly loan interest before officially starting work?
After scouring the internet for ages, his persistence paid off.
He found a recruitment notice from Japan’s top aristocratic family, the Gorgeous Clan, looking for a dedicated trainer.
No experience required.
No age limit.
No gender restriction.
As long as you were a trainer, you could apply.
During the thirty-day assessment period, as long as you weren’t asked to leave, you could enjoy free lodging and meals provided by the Gorgeous Clan.
Nakajima Shin had immediately signed up, pushed through the assessment tasks, and successfully stayed there for over half a month, bridging the gap until he officially joined Central Tracen.
Technically, he could leave now and move his stuff to the Tracen dorms, but it’d be idiotic not to enjoy these luxury accommodations for a few more days.
So he leisurely turned on the free AC, picked up the landline to order a complimentary luxury dinner, grabbed the free charging phone, and used the free Wi-Fi to research on his second-hand laptop.
Time flew by.
Close to eight PM, he’d roughly drafted Urara’s training plan.
He’d also mapped out a backup race schedule for Tokai Teio in case she failed her comeback race, which would likely drop her into allowance-level races that weren’t even OP class.
Nakajima Shin let out a long sigh, leaned back in his chair, and took a sip of water to clear his head.
Glancing at the system clock, he saw it was getting late.
He headed to the closet, changed into the suit the Gorgeous Clan had provided, and got ready for the evening’s ballroom dancing lesson.
He handed the clothes he’d dirtied lying on the grass earlier, along with the casual shirt Teio had lent him to avoid ruining anyone’s impression, to the staff for washing and drying.
Once that was done, he checked his outfit and grooming in the full-length mirror one last time before taking the elevator to the banquet hall reserved by the Gorgeous Clan.
Crystal chandeliers spilled brilliant light, making the red carpet look as vibrant as roses.
A faint incense hung in the air, easing any tension.
He’d already been here a few days and seen most of it, but Nakajima Shin couldn’t help but take in the luxurious hall again.
Probably the lingering influence of his past-life memories.
After a moment, he walked over to a server holding a tray, took a glass of red wine, and moved with the grace of high society toward the trainers he’d met during his stay.
They were chatting in a circle.
One male trainer spotted him, raised his glass in greeting, and as soon as Nakajima Shin joined them, he couldn’t wait to complain, “I still don’t get why the Gorgeous Clan makes us learn etiquette and dancing just to pick a trainer.
They torture us all day.
Is this really a trainer assessment?” Nakajima Shin smiled.
“It’s an aristocratic family.
It’s only normal they have their own rules and standards.” “Tch.
If they didn’t serve good wine during etiquette class, I’d have bolted long ago.” The male trainer snorted, taking a sip of red.
“By the way, are you still aiming to become the trainer for Daiichi Ruby?”
“Depends,” Nakajima Shin replied casually, though he hadn’t thought about it in a while.
He was already Tokai Teio’s trainer now, and the Gorgeous Clan wanted an exclusive, dedicated trainer.
So he was already disqualified on principle.
Besides, his past self had long given up on that idea anyway.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone to the selection trials today to pick a trainee.
With student loans chasing him down, it would’ve been insane to stubbornly cling to a vague future, hoping Daiichi Ruby would pick him, instead of grabbing a promising Umamusume before they were all snatched up.
Yet in the end, I turned out to be even crazier than my past self.
Nakajima Shin took a sip of wine, smiling at himself, and at the bleak reality that over the next three years, he’d probably only pay off five percent of his principal.
After that, he just chatted and drank, pushing those thoughts aside.
For now, he’d just focus on living each day well.
While chatting with the trainers, the ballroom dancing instructor stepped onto the circular platform set up in the center of the hall.
Cameras surrounded it, projecting onto a massive screen on the wall, so no one had to crowd in to watch.
Everyone set down their glasses.
Those with partners paired up to practice.
Those without had to hug the “air dolls” the Gorgeous Clan provided and practice on their own.
Naturally, Nakajima Shin wasn’t about to awkwardly hug an invisible partner.
After staying here for over half a month, he naturally had someone to practice with.
After nearly an hour of practice, his legs starting to ache, the instructor finally called a halt and announced a break.
But no one actually took the break seriously.
The etiquette teacher took over the time slot and began their lesson.
Nakajima Shin pulled out his phone and jotted down the key points in his notes app so he wouldn’t forget.
If he wanted to keep staying here for the next few days, he’d need to pass the corresponding assessments.
He wasn’t eager to get kicked out and haul his luggage to the Tracen staff dorms.
Even though lodging was free, utilities and gas weren’t.
As a broke-ass, he saved wherever he could.
So he studied hard, planning to stay until the assessment was nearly over, fully milk the Gorgeous Clan for everything they offered.
Time slipped away until half past ten, filled with alternating lessons in ballroom dancing and etiquette.
When the dancing instructor finally called it a night, the trainers cheered and left in small groups.
The male trainer he’d chatted with earlier asked, “Heading out together?”
“Nah, I need to practice a bit more.
You go ahead.
See ya.” Nakajima Shin shook his head, took a sip of water to quench his thirst, and hurriedly asked a cameraman for a copy of the recording.
Seeing him like this, the male trainer shook his head and scoffed, “Said it ‘depends,’ but look at you.
Clearly dead set on becoming Daiichi Ruby’s trainer.” After muttering that, he shoved his hands in his pockets and strolled off leisurely.
*TL: The gorgeous clan refers to the maternal/mother line of Mairi, a horse that was imported to Japan from Britain in 1957.
Daiichi Ruby is the only horse from this line to appear in Umamusume
The next few chapters formatted weird, it gets fixed by 9