Kenji watched as Suzuka no longer needed his support, and the completion count in his task panel climbed rapidly.
Satisfied, he said:
“Good.
Keep it up like this, you need to hit a thousand reps.
You don’t have to finish them all today; spread them out over a few days is fine.
Just do your best.”
“O-Okay!
I… will… try my best… to finish…!”
Every bounce from Suzuka’s legs brought out a soft sound.
It was… well, not just a little suggestive, it was especially ecchi.
Seeing a quiet, dignified Uma Musume like Suzuka, who usually kept her desires in check, perform such tension-filled movements created a striking contrast.
Kenji wasn’t some saint either.
He couldn’t help but imagine what it’d be like to be the yoga ball under Suzuka’s bottom.
If he didn’t have any reaction seeing this, you’d have to question whether he was a normal man at all.
But these were just stray thoughts born from instinctual desire, nothing he’d ever show on the outside.
As long as he remembered this was part of a task, a necessary step in developing an Uma Musume, Kenji could completely separate his desires and rationally treat it as training.
Come to think of it, this was legitimate training in the first place.
There wasn’t even a camera set up to film Suzuka looking like she’s dripping with allure right now, so he’d just quietly appreciate it… At most, he’d handle himself later back at the trainer dorm.
After mentally drawing a clear line between “personal” and “professional,” Kenji sat back down in his chair, picked up the race schedule, glanced over it, and said:
“Alright then.
Suzuka, keep doing your exercises while you listen, I think it’s about time we registered for your second race.”
“Y-Yes…!
Ugh (biting her teeth as she braces herself)… I’m… ah (a gasp as she nearly loses balance)… listening!”
“After your debut race comes the 1-win races, followed by the 2-win and 3-win races.
You’ve probably heard of the conditional races nicknamed the ‘Hell Trio,’ right?”
(TL: So I was changing these to Pre-OP, OP, etc and then saw that its just an extra bit added so I leave this as is)
“Yes…!
I’ve heard… that many… Uma Musume… fall… during those!”
As the name suggests, 1-win races are events only open to rookie Uma Musume who’ve earned their first career victory by winning their debut race.
After that come the 2-win and 3-win races.
If you win all three, you officially shed your “rookie” title.
Once that’s done, you’re free to enter Open races (OP), and Graded races (G), which means you’ve truly entered the professional racing scene.
Of course, some Grade races have eligibility requirements; not every professional Uma Musume can enter them.
With limited spots per race and everyone eager to prove themselves at the highest level, there are naturally entry thresholds.
Back to the conditional races: Tracen Academy euphemistically calls these three events the “Fan Accumulation Period,” implying that during this time, Uma Musume can build their first core fanbase, usually a few thousand people.
But don’t underestimate them for a second; they’re no so-called “rookie protection period.”
If anything, the conditional races are a ruthless filtering mechanism designed to separate genius Uma Musume from average ones.
In the Uma Musume game and anime, it seems like the heroines only compete in Grade races from the start, often racing for the Tenno Sho, Japan Cup, or Arima Kinen… As if the lowest-tier race they ever face is an OP.
(TL: Based on IRL numbers I imagine most Umas drop out)
But in reality, that’s because those Uma Musume are already among the best in racing history.
As the saying goes: “Genius is just my entry requirement.”
Behind them are countless nameless Uma Musume struggling in conditional or regional races.
There are plenty who’ll never reach OP level in their entire careers.
That’s also why Ms.
Hayakawa told Kenji when he first arrived that only one out of ten new Uma Musume enrolling at Central Tracen would make it through.
But… Kenji wasn’t worried about Suzuka falling in the conditional races.
“That said, a 1-win race isn’t anything to worry about for you right now, Suzuka.
There’s no need for complex tactics; just run in your own style.”
“O-Okay… Ugh… Is that alright?”
“Of course it is.
Your speed is far beyond most Uma Musume, and you’re using a Front-Runner style, there’s no way they’ll be able to catch you.”
“Yes…!”
“However, since your stamina is still a bit lacking for now, we’ll enter you in Mile races for the 1-win conditional race.
In fact, all three conditional races will be Miler entries, for now, let’s hold off on Medium-distance races.”
For now, Kenji planned to develop rookie Suzuka into a Mile specialist.
On one hand, her stamina stats weren’t high enough; on the other, she didn’t have enough stamina-recovery skills yet.
After all, Suzuka insisted on using a highly exhausting Front-Runner style.
If he didn’t want her relying purely on Guts to push through and risk injuring her feet, she’d need plenty of stamina.
After a month of special stamina training, Suzuka’s stamina had already risen to C+, but that was still far from enough.
Kenji’s ideal setup was to raise her stamina to B, power to C, and have her master at least three stamina-recovery skills.
Only then would he feel confident entering her in Medium-distance races.
On top of that, speed couldn’t be ignored either.
When she eventually entered Grade races, stronger Uma Musume would appear, and Suzuka’s speed wouldn’t be enough to dominate them outright anymore.
Kenji already had plans for that, but executing them required more Uma Coins.
Sigh… He was still too broke, honestly.
If he had enough Uma Coins, he could just max Suzuka out into her final form and watch her tear through races on an undefeated Triple Crown emperor route… Too bad that wasn’t possible.
To keep Suzuka from feeling discouraged, Kenji explained his plans to her.
“Of course, I’m not saying you’ll only ever run Miler races, Suzuka.
Once your stamina is enough to support your top speed, I’ll enter you in Medium-distance races too, after all, many G1 races are Medium-distance.”
Suzuka’s adaptability for Medium distances was an A, and she had a natural skill for stamina recovery over those distances.
Not running them would be a waste.
“G1… I can… participate in… G1 races too?”
A G1 Grade race, where you wear your Victory Uniform, prove yourself to the world, and stand on the highest stage an Uma Musume can reach.
While every Uma Musume prepares their Victory Uniform, many may never get the chance to wear it in their lives.
Qualifying for a G1 means you’ve climbed to the peak of racing, ready to face off against the strongest Uma Musume of your era.
For Suzuka, that had always felt like an unreachable dream.
“Of course you can!
You’re my Uma Musume!
Don’t sell yourself short, Suzuka.
You’re not just the kind of Uma Musume who can enter G1 races, you’re the kind who can win them!
You have that potential!
I’m guaranteeing it as your trainer!
This isn’t empty hype!”
Suzuka was perfect in every way, except she lacked confidence, probably because being kicked out of a team had shaken her self-belief.
“Yes…!
I will… win… evry championship trophy… for you!”
Suzuka might not have been confident in herself, but she trusted Kenji completely.
Her trainer’s words were absolute; all she had to do was believe in him, and in herself through him.
That belief ignited a fire inside her.
She sped up her movements, determined to finish the remaining reps in one go.
“…998!
999… 1000!” Done!
“Haa…!
Kenji-kun…!
I… finished it!”
Suzuka was drenched in sweat, her entire body soaked as if she’d fallen into water.
Her school swimsuit had darkened to a deep blue from the moisture, completely hiding whatever damp mark had embarrassed Kenji earlier.
But she’d pushed herself too hard.
The moment training ended, exhaustion hit her all at once; her body gave out and she started falling forward uncontrollably.
Kenji moved quickly, catching her in his arms.
He spoke with a mix of concern and mild scolding:
“Hey now… Didn’t I say you could spread it over several days?
Why are you pushing yourself like this?”
Her perseverance was a strength, but sometimes it made her push herself too far.
Seeing it now, Kenji felt a pang of sympathy.
Held in Kenji’s arms, Suzuka felt her weak body finally find support, and warmth spread through her chest… This wasn’t just heat from intense training.
She knew the difference.
Suzuka was so glad she’d finished it in one go; this hug right now felt like the best reward… Training results and all that had already slipped from her mind.
Even though she was secretly thrilled, Suzuka still behaved properly in reality and apologized:
“Sorry… Kenji-kun… I just… wanted to live up to your expectations…”
“No need to apologize.
I’m not saying you did badly, in fact, you completed it perfectly!”
Kenji glanced at his task panel, unable to hide his excitement.
The third task was complete too!
It was time to announce it to the world: a new star in racing was rising… Let everyone remember your name, Silence Suzuka!