Chapter Text
Chapter 4
Over the next several days, Himitsu continued to work on preparing Haru Urara for the Fukuyuru Stakes, as well as help coach King Halo to prepare her for her upcoming debut race, scheduled for late April. After that, her team’s next races wouldn’t be until September, with Sakura Bakushin O slated to run in the Kokura Junior Stakes- a G3 sprint race and Bakushin’s first graded event. After that would be the Artemis Stakes in October and the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies in December for Mejiro Dober, and the Kyoto Junior Stakes for Rice Shower in November. There was also the Hopeful Stakes at the end of December, though time would tell if any of her team were ready to take on a race of that magnitude so soon. One day at a time, Himitsu reminded herself as she stepped off the train and started walking towards the academy. She greeted Tazuna at the gate, avoided once again being narrowly flattened by her star sprinter on her way to class, and headed for her team’s clubhouse to go over her team’s training regimen for the day. As she approached, however, she noticed a student leaned up against the door to Team Lavender’s clubhouse as if waiting for her. It wasn’t until she got a little closer that she realized who it was.
“Good morning and well met, trainer.” Himitsu felt the color leave her face as she recognized the Umamusume outside the clubhouse door; there, right in front of her and in the living flesh, was none other than the Tracen Academy Student Council President… The Emperor herself…
“Symboli Rudlof.” Himitsu quickly recomposed herself and bowed to the esteemed Uma, who chuckled and smiled in return.
“Please, there is no need for such formalities, trainer,” Rudolf replied, her tone warm and welcoming. “I apologize if I have caught you off guard… I was hoping to ask you about something.”
“Yes, of course,” Himitsu replied, fumbling for her keys. “Please, do come in!” She opened the door to the clubhouse and led the President inside, offering her a seat and a cup of tea. Accepting both, Rudolf glanced around the clubhouse, her eyes coming to rest on the whiteboard where Himitsu’s notes for the Fukuyuru stakes sat on display.
“A new running strategy,” Rudolf noted aloud, looking over the notes and taking in Himitsu’s thought process across the diagrams. “Has it been working out?”
“Very much so, yes,” the trainer replied, pouring herself a cup of tea before seating herself at the table in the center of the room. “Urara still has a long way to go, but her lap times under this new strategy have been slowly improving.” Himitsu took a sip of her own tea, looking up at the whiteboard herself. “So many trainers wrote her off, saying that she’ll never finish top 5 in a race…” She set her teacup down on the table, turning to face the President. “...I look forward to proving them wrong.”
“Your passion and your faith in your trainees is truly inspiring, trainer,” Rudolf smiled back. “I’ve seen myself how much they have improved under your tutelage, as well as the level of personal respect that they hold for you. It is certainly well earned,” Rudolf took another sip of tea before finishing her thought. “...You should be proud of the team that you have built.”
“I’m flattered,” Himitsu bowed her head towards Rudolf, “And their respect towards me as their trainer is not lost on me. Just as I have placed my faith in them, they have placed theirs in me to help them achieve their goals. That is a level of trust that I do not take lightly.” Himitsu sighed, her gaze wandering to the window and out towards the training course. “Though if I’m being honest, I feel like they could put a bit more effort into putting faith into themselves… And each other.”
“And so we arrive at the reason I’m here,” Rudolf said, a more serious tone layered into her voice. “Your newest trainee, King Halo… She and Mejiro Dober haven’t exactly been getting along, have they?”
“No…” Himitsu answered dejectedly, “Unfortunately they have not.” She stood, walking over to the window and watching as students made their way to and from class, the Tracen Academy training course visible in the distance. “They try to act like it during training for my sake, but I can tell there’s tension.” She turned quickly to face Rudolf, a sudden realization coming over her. “They’re not… Causing trouble in class, are they?”
“No, no, nothing like that,” Rudolf reassured Himitsu. “At least, not yet. The tension between them within the academy walls is certainly palpable though, and some of the students have come to me expressing their concerns that things between them may… Explode.” Himitsu pinched the bridge of her nose, inhaling deeply.
“I’ll have a word with them,” Himitsu eventually responded. “They need to learn how to behave and handle their differences like adults. If they really want to duke it out, I will put in a request for a scrimmage race so they can settle it on the turf.” Rudolf nodded in approval.
“Which is precisely why I also came to deliver this,” she said, pulling an envelope out of her school bag and handing it to the trainer. “I took the liberty of preemptively writing up a permission document for such an occasion- All you need to do is write in the date and time of the race, and I will make it official.” Himitsu gingerly accepted the envelope.
“Thank you very much, Rudolf,” Himitsu said, bowing once again to the Emperor. “Though I pray we will not have to use it.”
“As do I,” Rudolf replied, standing from her chair to leave. “Though in my experience, it never hurts to be prepared.” The two shared a parting bow, and Rudolf made her exit, leaving Himitsu to ponder how to handle her newest quandary.
* * * * *
“TIME!” Himitsu clicked her stopwatch as Urara crossed the goal line- 1:49.9. That’s her best time yet, Himitsu mused to herself. “Excellent work, Urara!” Himitsu called out to her panting trainee. “Take a cooldown lap and join us back on the turf when you’re done!”
“‘Kay!” Urara called back, throwing up an enthusiastic thumbs up. Himitsu jotted down some notes in her field journal before returning to the turf course where King Halo and Mejiro Dober were running shuttle sprints wall to wall, Sakura Bakushin O overseeing them and keeping count. Rice had sadly fallen ill with a slight fever, so Himitsu had ordered bed rest for her long-distance ace in lieu of training.
“Ninty-eight! Ninety-nine! ONE HUNDRED! TIME!” Bakushin called out to the milers, who came to a stop in the middle of the track, doubled over and panting heavily.
“Not bad, King…” Dober called over to her running partner. “You almost had me that time.”
“I don’t know… What you’re talking about…” King retorted back, just as out of breath as her counterpart. “I had you… Beat from the start.”
“Alright, ladies, settle down,” Himitsu cut in, a firm yet amused tone to her voice, handing both trainees a cold bottle of water from the team’s ice chest. “Remember that you’re running drills together, not racing each other. Save the competition for the race track. Got it?”
“Yes, trainer,” they both replied, happily accepting the ice-cold hydration being offered to them. Himitsu grabbed another for Bakushin and Urara, the latter of whom had just joined them, gesturing for them all to form a circle.
“I cannot even begin to express how proud I am of all of you,” the trainer told her team, taking the time to look each of them in the eye. “You’ve all come so far since your tryout races, and this is only the start.” Himitsu paused for a moment, formulating her next words carefully. “Each of you has something very special and unique to bring to the world of racing… Whether that be your tenacity…” She turned to Bakushin, who beamed right back at the trainer. “Your courage…” Himitsu turned next to Dober, who smiled sheepishly and nodded. “Your optimism…” Next was Urara, who stood bouncing up and down with joyous energy, hung on her trainer’s every word. “...Or your refusal to let others define you.” Finally, Himitsu turned to King Halo, who seemed a bit surprised at being picked on in this way, but returned her trainer’s smile nonetheless. “Each of you is here because you have a dream- A dream that so many Umamusume just like yourselves pursue in their lives, and very few ever achieve. It is that dream that propels you forward in life, and gives you purpose. You have all shown me personally that your dreams matter, and that you will do whatever it takes to see them come true.” Himitsu paused, realizing her eyes were starting to water. She took a moment to dry them, then continued. “I consider it the highest honor that you have all chosen to place your faith and belief in me as your trainer to help you make these dreams a reality,” she went on, “and I promise you that as long as I live, and as long as you will allow me to, I will never stop supporting you in your endeavors.” Her voice broke, and she took a moment to compose herself, overwhelmed with pride and emotion towards her team. After a moment she steeled herself, then went on. “But as I said, this is just the beginning, and you each have a long way to go. Urara?” She turned to her dirt track specialist, a fire in both of their eyes in anticipation of what was to come. “Your next race is this weekend. Go out there and give ‘em hell, girl.”
“Woo hoo, let’s go get ’em!” Urara leaped into the air cheering, pumping her fists back and forth as if ready for a fight.
“King,” Himitsu continued, turning to her newest trainee, “your debut race is the weekend after next. You ready for a taste of what a real race is like?”
“More than anything,” King Halo replied, pounding her right fist into the open palm of her left hand.
“Excellent.” Himitsu nodded at King. “Keep up that energy into next week, causing starting Monday, the training wheels are off. Got it?” King nodded in acknowledgement, ready for the challenge. Himitsu then turned to face the rest of her team. “That’ll do it for today. Everyone, go get some rest and enjoy your weekend.” The four Umas started to gather their bags and head for the exit. “King, Dober… Hang back a minute.” The two milers stopped and turned back toward their trainer, who had taken up residence against the turf track’s inner rail. She beckoned them over, and the two Umas approached, a confused look on their face.
“Is something wrong, trainer?” Dober piqued up, unsure if she was in trouble or not.
“Well…” Himitsu sighed, “you tell me.” King and Dober looked taken aback, not sure what to say or think. Himitsu continued. “I received a visit from Symboli Rudolf today…”
“Oh, carrots…” King swore under her breath, already knowing what was coming next. The trainer ignored the interruption and continued.
“She informed me that, despite your best efforts at hiding your disdain for one another in my presence, the two of you have been letting the mask slip while at school proper, and its causing unease among the other students who fear that the two of you may break out into a fight a the drop of a hat.” King and Dober both stole a glance at each other, realizing they had been caught, and bowed their heads in shame. “I completely understand that you two may have your differences, but I expect you to handle them like adults, and if absolutely necessary, on the turf.” Himitsu procured the permission document that Rudolf had given her that morning. “If the two of you need to settle this on the track, I can arrange for that to happen. Ideally, however, I would like the two of you to talk it out and settle this like ladies.”
“Yes, trainer,” they responded together, their heads still bowed.
“...I have an assignment for you both,” Himitsu piped up, as if an idea had just come to her. Her two trainees suddenly looked up, unsure of what to expect. “I want the two of you to take a day trip together somewhere out in Japan. Doesn’t matter where, so long as you both agree. I want the two of you to really get to know each other on a personal level… To understand each other a little bit more. And then, when you come back, I want you each to write me a short essay about your trip, what you did, and what you learned about your teammate. How does that sound?” King Halo and Mejiro Dober stood in front of their trainer, processing what she had just asked of them. They finally turned to each other, as if expecting the other to have an answer. “It’s either that, or I have the two of you run team drills all weekend. Your choice.”
“...I think we’ll take… The trip?” Dober answered hesitantly, glancing over to King for support.
“Uh.. Yeah, we’ll uh… Do that,” King responded, her voice also highly uncertain.
“Perfect. See? You two are already in agreement on something,” Himitsu clapped her hands together, proud that her handiwork was done. “Remember, just a day trip, anywhere you want, and I want an essay from each of you afterwards. Understood?”
“Yes, trainer,” they replied in unison, bowing as they did so.
“Excellent. You are dismissed.” The two trainees collected their bags headed back up to the academy without another word to each other. Himitsu watched them leave before collecting the leftover training gear, placing it into the team’s wagon and hauling it back to the clubhouse. That went better than expected, all things considered, Himitsu thought to herself as she stowed her team’s training gear in the clubhouse, wiping everything down and neatly arranging everything in its proper place. Let’s hope we get the results we need. She finished putting everything away, made one last sweep of the clubhouse for trash, then exited and locked the door behind her, heading home through the cool Tokyo night.
* * * * *
The Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train ran from Tokyo to Osaka in two and a half hours; plenty of time to spend a full day in Osaka and still be home in time for dinner. It was this train that King Halo and Mejiro Dober found themselves boarding around 8 am the following day, after a lengthy and argumentative text conversation overnight deciding where to go. They had finally settled on Osaka, and agreed to meet at the train platform the following morning. As part of their conversation, they each listed three different places they wanted to visit, building an agenda that would last them all day before returning home to the academy.
The two Umamusume did not speak to each other on the platform, nor for the first half of their two-hour journey, choosing instead to ignore each other by means of Dober reading manga or King listening to music. Finally, about an hour in, it was King who finally broke the silence.
“...May I ask you something?” She inquired hesitantly to her teammate.
“Would it matter if I said ‘no’?” Dober replied, her eyes not leaving the page of her manga.
“...What was it like? You know, growing up a Mejiro?” Dober glanced up in surprise at King’s question; she could tell from her teammate’s tone that it was coming from a place of genuine curiosity and desire for understanding.
“It was… Nice,” Dober replied, not sure what kind of answer King was looking for. “My parents were nothing but supportive of us and still are to this day, a full staff within the house to tend to our needs, siblings who shared the same interest and passion for racing…” Dober set her manga down in her lap and gazed out the window of the speeding train. “It was comfortable. They took care of us, but also didn’t try to be overly protective of us. They knew that racing was in our blood, and made sure that we had access to all the resources we needed when we got old enough to start.” She sighed, turning to her counterpart. “What about you?”
“Oh, um…” King stumbled over her words, not expecting the tables to be turned on her. “It was… Fine, I guess…” She looked down, twiddling her thumbs. “My family was wealthy; not anything like yours, but enough that I grew up comfortably. When I told my mother I wanted to race, though…” King’s face fell, almost into a grimace. “...I can’t say she was the most supportive of the idea.”
“Your mother… Is Goodbye Halo, correct?” Dober inquired.
“...Yes.” King replied, a layer of venom in her voice. “One of the greatest Umamusume of her generation. She ran alongside the likes of Stay Gold and Symboli Rudolf back in the day… And every time I watched her race, I wanted to be more like her.” King’s gaze began to stray up to and out of the train window, taking in the passing scenery of Japan, whizzing by at almost 200 miles per hour. “When I told her I wanted to race, though, she shut me down instantly. ‘You’re only going to disappoint yourself and the family’, she said. ‘Why bother when you know you’re just going to fail?’” King brought her feet up to her seat, hiding her face behind her knees. Though she tried to hide it, Dober could see tears starting to well up in King’s eyes.
“That’s why you came to Tracen, isn’t it,” Dober responded softly, the full weight of King’s revelation hitting her all at once. “To prove her wrong.”
“To prove everyone wrong,” King snapped back, glaring across to her teammate. “Everyone that says I will never be able to fill my mother’s shoes, everyone who has ever doubted me… I’ll prove to them, not that I’m as good as her… That I’m better than her.” It was that word, “Better”, that Dober felt extra sharpness and resentment to.
“I… I didn’t know.” Dober closed her manga book entirely and stowed it in her bag, sitting in silence and lost in thought for several minutes. Finally, she spoke up again. “May I make an observation? And I promise it’s a genuine one.” King looked over at her teammate, nodding silently, her face still partially hidden behind her knees. “In the last couple of weeks that we’ve been training together, I have seen nothing but pure drive and passion from you. Sure, your attitude is insufferable-” She paused for a moment as she caught daggers from King’s eyes, then continued: “But for as big of a game that you talk, you can actually back it up.” King’s expression softened slightly, and her knees fell into a more criss-cross position in her seat. “You always throw everything you have into our drills, you’re unrelenting during partner running, and above all else, you never give up.” Dober let a slight smile slip toward her teammate, one that King could have almost mistaken for admiration. “You know what you want, and you’re not afraid to chase it. I guess…” Dober paused again, choosing her next words carefully, well aware that she wasn’t out of danger yet. “...I guess what frustrates me the most about you is that you insist on babbling about being the best and ‘first-rate’, when you’re already perfectly capable of proving it on the turf.”
“...So what, you want me to just shut up? Is that it?” King fired back. “If I just stop talking, that’ll make all my problems go away?”
“What I’m saying is,” Dober clarified, “if you want to shut them up, do it with your cleats; not your mouth. Anyone can talk a big game, but the moment they falter and fail to back up their claims, they make a laughingstock of themselves.” Dober reached over to her teammate’s seat across from her, placing a hand on King’s knee. “You’re not going to win every race, King. Continuing to claim you will is what will set you up for failure more than anything.” King finally met her teammate eye to eye, a look of uncertainty on her face.
“...You really think I’m that good?” King asked, very clearly unsure of herself. For all her bravado and outward arrogance, Dober could tell the imposter syndrome was strong.
“I do,” Dober replied. “Not because you’ve told me… But because you’ve shown me. And you’ll show all of them, too.” King maneuvered her hand to rest on top of Dober’s, clutching it in gratitude.
“Of course I will,” King sniffled, using her free hand to dry her eyes, doing her best to force a smile through the tears. “...I am a first-rate Umamusume, after all.” Dober simply smiled in return and rolled her eyes.
“Sure you are.” She retracted her hand and pulled out her phone, opening the notes app and looking over their itinerary for the day. “So why did you want to visit Sennichimae Doguyasuji Street, anyway?” King’s eyes suddenly lit up at the mention of one of her chosen destinations, immediately taking her mind off of her previous woes.
“So there’s this really cute tea set that I saw on UmaStagram,” King answered, pulling her own phone out to show Dober, “and I know that the shop it came from over there may not still have it, but I really want to see what else they have…”
* * * * *
King Halo and Mejiro Dober arrived at their destination without incident and spent the remainder of the day exploring Osaka together, hitting all of their chosen points of interest, as well as detouring to a few others that they spotted along the way. They tried all manner of delicious food in Shinsekai, visited the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, and took panoramic photos of Osaka and the surrounding landscape from atop Tsutenkaku Tower. Their last stop after grabbing matcha was the Shitennoji Temple, where they stopped to pay their respects, each writing down and praying for a wish. The sun was just starting to set as they boarded the Tokaido Shinkansen back to Tokyo; knowing they would not be back to the academy before Curfew, Dober invited King to spend the night at the Mejiro family manor, where they could then leave for Nakayama the next morning to watch Urara’s race. King graciously accepted, and so the two set off; King with a cute new tea set sporting her favorite shade of green, and Dober with a wall scroll featuring artwork of the Osaka skyline which she planned to hang in her bedroom back home. The two spent the full two hour train ride back to Tokyo discussing their trip, as well as racing in general, gushing over their favorite racers from days long past, and sharing their own aspirations with each other. Finally, they arrived back in Tokyo and disembarked from the train. Dober hailed for a cab to take them to the Mejiro Manor while King texted their dorm RA to inform her that they would be spending the night off campus, and then their trainer to let Himitsu know they had arrived back in Tokyo safely. “See y’all tomorrow <3” Himitsu texted back, acknowledging their return.
The cab arrived in due course, ferrying the two Umas the roughly one-hour drive to the Mejiro family manor. They were welcomed at the gate by the family butler, who escorted them onto the grounds. Before they could make it to the front door, however, a voice called out from behind them.
“Dober!” The pair stopped and turned around to see the current star of the family, Mejiro McQueen, approaching them. McQueen was wearing her Tracen Academy tracksuit and appeared to have just come back from a rather lengthy run. “I didn’t know you were coming home this weekend, is everything alright?”
“Yes,” Dober responded, bowing to her senior. “All is well. My teammate and I took an excursion out to Osaka today and sadly came home past curfew, so I invited her to spend the night here.”
“Oh my!” McQueen exclaimed, recognizing the newcomer. “You are King Halo, are you not? Welcome to the Mejiro Manor!” McQueen offered a bow to King Halo, who hastily returned the gesture.
“T-thank you, I am truly honored!” King replied, tripping over her words at being welcomed by such racing royalty.
“Please, make yourself comfortable,” McQueen gestured towards the front door. “A guest of one of us is a guest of all. If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask.”
“Y-you’re too kind,” King stuttered, still taken aback by the grace and elegance by which she had been welcomed.
“Nonsense,” McQueen replied. “Dober has told me much about you. The honor is all mine.” King stood stunlocked for a moment before turning to Dober, who smiled and sheepishly averted her teammate’s gaze. Suddenly, McQueen’s phone buzzed in her pocket. “Ah, my apologies! I’m afraid I must take my leave. Please enjoy your stay!” McQueen bowed one final time to the pair before turning heel and jogging off elsewhere onto the grounds.
“You… Told her about me?” King turned to Dober, an almost suspicious look on her face.
“I mean… Yeah,” Dober replied, still avoiding her teammate’s eyes.
“...In a good way?!” King pressed.
“Should I not have?” Dober responded, suddenly looking concerned.
“What? No! I mean, I’m glad you- Ah, carrots…” King swore in frustration, trying to put her words together in a coherent manner. “I’m just… I’m not used to that, is all.” Dober smiled and placed her hand on King’s shoulder.
“Well… Get used to it,” Dober replied, guiding her teammate up the stairs and through the front door which the butler had patiently been holding open for them. Inside, the Mejiro family chef treated them to a light dinner of grilled salmon and carrots, after which King was shown the guest bedroom and bathroom suite. As she showered, she reflected on the events of the day, processing what Dober had told her on the train. “You’re not going to win every race, King. Continuing to claim you will is what will set you up for failure more than anything.”
Hmph. We’ll see, King thought to herself as she dried herself off and changed into a set of extra pajamas that Dober had loaned her. She then made her way to Dober’s bedroom where Dober shared with King some of her favorite manga, as well as regaled her with stories about the Mejiro family and their exploits on the turf. The two chatted well into the early morning hours before finally retiring to bed, wishing each other goodnight before King returned to the guest room where she climbed into the king-sized bed, gazing out at the clear night sky, the nearly-full moon shining down on the landscape below. The memories of the day echoing in her mind, King Halo allowed herself to slip in sleep, feeling just a bit more confident in and better about herself than she had the previous day.