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Chapter 1 – Curren Chan
In the past, I used to watch horse racing here and there, but I was nonetheless inspired by the speed, the abilities, and the passion that every Umamusume at Tracen Academy seemed to hold. So, I worked hard, I tried to learn as much about Umamusume physiology, dynamics, and etiquette as I could to pass the academy’s screening, and with a prayer…
I started as an intern or assistant under another senior trainer from Team Spica, and it stayed that way for a bit. I admired Team Spica’s training strategy, despite being a bit chaotic at times, not even considering the tomfoolery that Gold Ship often brought to the table. I’d often watch from the sidelines as Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka argued and teased each other, and yet I still found that their teamwork was exceptional during training sessions.
Today was Tracen Academy’s open day, reserved for media, sponsors, and staff trainees. I was one of them. I hadn’t exactly expected today to have as much of an impact as it did, though I couldn’t have been more glad. It started out relatively normal, with me helping out Team Spica decorate, put up signs, and guide visitors, something I was used to. After a while, I took a break and headed out to the track for some fresh air. The air was cooler, quieter, a relief from the seemingly endless chatter in the academy. That’s when I saw her.
Curren Chan.
She was in the middle of a mock sprint, with a determined but subtle smile, and sunlight glinting off of her silver-ish, créme colored hair. At the bottom of the bleachers, quite a few unrecognizable guests on the sidelines were all admiring, just like I was. I had seen her before in Tracen Academy, as well as in various Umastagram posts, but never on the track itself, blazing down each straight without losing her innate charm. She had potential, and I knew it. There was something familiar about her drive, the way she pushed herself to be seen, to be flawless. I remembered what that felt like: wanting to prove that you belonged somewhere, even when you already did. Maybe that’s what drew me closer. I stepped down from the bleachers to get a closer look, not to simply admire her charm, but also realize how hard she tried to hide the exhaustion on her smiling face, how hard she tried to keep looking “perfect.” She was smiling, posing for the cameras, trying to disguise the exhaustion I had noticed beneath her gloss of perfection. Curren Chan looked at the crowd and posed once more for the cameras, before her gaze finally fell on me, her eyes finding mine amongst the crowd. Her smile brightened – not necessarily for the cameras, I thought...
Or maybe I just wanted to believe that.
Chapter 2 – A Glance Across the Track
Unexpectedly, a hand came to rest on my shoulder. I flinched and turned in a panic, only to find the head trainer of Team Spica watching the crowd that surrounded Curren Chan. It seemed he’d been watching too.
“She’s quite a sprinter. You’ve seen her on Umastagram, haven’t you?” he asked, glancing at me.
I nodded silently.
“No trainer,” he added, as he shot me a knowing look to which I instinctively let out a short, awkward laugh. “And you,” he said as he poked my shoulder almost teasingly, “no one to train – yet.”
I blinked, tilting my head. “Y-You want me to train her?”
He shrugged, crossing his arms. “Just a suggestion. Besides, I think it’s time that you had an Umamusume to train for yourself. No more observing.”
He gave me a quick wink before walking off.
I watched as he disappeared back into the academy, a subtle smile forming on my face. Despite myself, a rush of excitement spread through me. Me, training an Umamusume like her? He was right – all I’ve been doing here has been assisting Team Spica, and they’d still be doing great without me if I placed my priorities somewhere different. One side of me wanted to stay and learn more about Curren Chan, how she worked, why she was so compelled to hide any faults of her own, but I also knew that I should wait until open day was over. It would give me time to prepare.
When the academy’s open day finally concluded and everything had been put away, I went back to the Team Spica room and bid them all a goodnight, as well as the trainer, who was still looking at me expectantly. My eyes widened a bit, and I walked out quickly to see if I could find Curren Chan. I had completely forgotten about finding her again in the middle of all the clean-up! I frowned at myself, but I kept looking around for her, eventually deciding to wait a distance away from the Miho and Ritto Dormitories, trying to look casual. A few other Uma Musume walked past without a word, while others glanced at me curiously. I was getting cold feet from all of it, but I remained determined, until…
“You…”
A soft voice echoed from around the corner. Instinctively, I turned towards it – and there she was…
Curren Chan.
“You must be that trainer I saw, watching me from the bleachers!” Curren Chan exclaimed, smiling innocently and cutely. Even in the absence of the bright sunlight, her purple eyes were, no pun intended, eye-catching. The exhaustion I had noticed before was gone, replaced by simple cuteness.
My eyes widened slightly as I looked over at her, “C-Curren Chan, is it?” I asked.
“That’s me, hehe!” she posed playfully, as if I were holding a camera for an impromptu photoshoot. “Hmmmm…” she tilted her head, studying me curiously. “Tell me – do you think I’m cute?”
Her question caught me off-guard, finding myself unable to speak. I recovered quickly, before answering, “O-Oh, well… yes,” I finally stammered out, forcing a smile that felt a little too tight.
She stepped closer and looked at me, a slight pout on her face. “You’re not lying to me, are you?” she asked, placing her pointer on the bottom of her chin and swaying like she already knew my answer.
My throat tightened.
Then she laughed, light and musical, “I’m just kidding! You’re so easy to fluster, Big Bro/Sis.”
Her laughter lingered even after she turned to walk away, my gaze still following her disappearing form as she walked to the Ritto dorms.
The courtyard was quiet again, except for the soft rustling of wind through the trees. I looked down at the ground where she had been standing, the faint scent of her perfume still hanging in the air.
Maybe I’d imagined it, that spark in her eyes, that moment of recognition.
But for some reason… I didn’t want to leave just yet.
Chapter 3 – Don’t Act Dull!
A few days had passed since Tracen Academy’s open day, but Curren Chan’s voice still echoed and lingered in my mind. “You’re so easy to fluster, Big Bro/Sis…” I could still hear her voice when I least expected to. Even now as I watch the morning mist roll over the field, I catch myself glancing toward the Ritto dorms. The morning felt quieter than usual. With what little peace I had to myself, I decided to head to Team Spica’s room and catch up with the head trainer.
When I told him about what happened, he smiled warmly at me. “You’re too humble for your own good,” he said with a hearty laugh. “But between us…” he leaned back slightly in his chair, grin widening, “I think she’s got her eye on you too.”
By midmorning, I joined Team Spica in another one of their training sessions, clipboard in one hand and timer in the other. “One, two, one, two…” I heard in the distance as Team Spica came around the track once more. I began to space out as I tracked their times, but not before a familiar Umamusume approached me. She’s in her exercise wear just like the others, but her bright orange hair catches my eye and snaps me out of my daydreaming for a moment.
“You’re spacing out, trainer,” Mayano Top Gun teases, tapping at my clipboard. “If you’re thinking about that cute junior sprinter, don't worry – you’re not the only one.” She smiles playfully at me.
Already familiar with her social media presence, I should’ve expected the teasing, but the topic of Curren Chan caught me off-guard. “G-Good morning, Mayano Top Gun,” I greeted her, my voice betraying me before I could steady it. “How’d you know that?” I let off an awkward laugh, trying to force another smile.
“Don’t act dull, trainer,” she smirked, leaning in slightly. “I saw you watching her during her sprint,” she said as she crossed her arms, “it almost looked like you had seen an angel. I’m jealous!” She pouted playfully, but the excitement was evident in her voice.
I was sure that Mayano could hear the excitement in mine, too. “I noticed you posted a picture of the two of you at a cafe on Umastagram…” Curious, I pointed out one of her recent Umastagram posts. “You two must be friends already, then?” I asked, already feeling like I’m trying to pry into Mayano’s personal life.
“That’s right! It’s perfect isn’t it? We share a lot of similarities!” She exclaimed with a warm smile in response. Though, even then, behind Mayano’s chatter and laughter, a part of me couldn’t help glancing at the track now and then, hoping to catch a glimpse of that familiar yet subtle créme colored hair again. “Traaainer…” Mayano realized how much Curren Chan had already occupied his mind, and she smiled again. “You should be her trainer. I’m sure she would love you!” Mayano said, not in a teasing manner, but in a way that felt genuine.
The thought brought a subtle smile to my face. I nodded silently, sending Mayano back on her way. She walked back to track and looked back once, a knowing smile on her face.
By the end of Team Spica’s training session, I was still turning over ideas, trying to figure out how I would go about becoming her trainer. Then, somewhere between the cool spring air and the hum of the track, it struck me.
An idea simple enough to work, but daring enough to change everything…
“If I were Curren Chan, where would I go next?”
The answer was in plain sight.
Chapter 4 – Be My Trainee
Remembering Mayano’s post with Curren Chan, I revisited it and eventually found out where the photos within the post had been taken. A cozy, pastel-colored cafe near the academy’s shopping district. In the photo, Mayano flashed a peace sign while Curren Chan posed beside her with a strawberry parfait, her smile as bright as the moment I saw her on the track. The caption read, “Training break~ @realCurrenChan #fyp #viral #cafe #break #cute.” Not much to go on, but enough for me to get a clue. If Curren really liked that cafe, surely she’d visit again, especially on a quiet afternoon like this. I returned to my own dormitory to slip back into casual clothing. Trying to relax, I sank onto the long couch, taking a few reflective breaths as the fabric creased beneath me. The apartment was tranquil and undisturbed as I had left it, but my mind refused to follow suit. The more the silence pressed in, the louder the thought of actually being the trainer of Curren Chan became – clear, reachable, insistent. So, I grabbed my coat and headed towards the shopping district, taking in the spring air, which carried the faint scent of coffee and blossoms.
I took my seat within the cafe, my eyes carefully searching around, but to no avail. It seemed like this would be a game of patience, so I settled in and ordered a croissant and coffee for myself. Every now and then, I looked over at the cafe’s entrance, wondering whether I was wrong or not…
Until, finally, I saw that familiar hair in the corner of my eyes, followed by multiple head turns within the cafe.
Curren Chan.
I wanted to stand up and greet her, but something held me back for a moment. Maybe it was the crowd that had already gathered to greet her, or the fact that she already had someone she had accompanied to the cafe.
“Were you waiting for me? Hehe!” Curren Chan called to her fans, placing her hands together in a gesture of gratitude.
“Hi everyooone! Sorry to make you wait!” The other Umamusume also called out cheerfully, posing for the crowd beside Curren Chan. It was easy to see why they drew in such a crowd.
My social media presence is wavering, but nevertheless I recall the name of that Umadol, Smart Falcon. If I had to guess, they had come to the cafe as a means to hang out after dance practice. I’ve seen a few winning concerts with Smart Falcon as the center, and from my knowledge, she knows how to dance, what to do to make herself memorable. It’s no surprise that a crowd had already gathered. I remain seated and watch on the sidelines inconspicuously as I usually do, despite my desires to greet them myself.
After a while of observation, Smart Falcon decides to head off, splitting the meet and greet crowd and leaving people wondering who to admire more. As time went on, the crowd thinned. I watched as another eager person stepped up to greet Curren Chan. This time, though, was different. The person wasn’t as friendly as I’ve been led to believe.
“Curren Chan, when are you going to race for real? It feels like you’re always doing meet-and-greets but never competing…” A continued volley of passive-aggressive questions arrives on Curren Chan’s doorstep, and despite keeping a cool head, she’s clearly a bit overwhelmed by such sudden questions. “Is it because you’re afraid of actually racing?”
I found myself getting upset on her behalf, my hands tightening around the coffee cup that I held. The ceramic trembled slightly, warmth seeping into my palms.
My gut told me to stand up.
My mind told me that I couldn’t.
And yet, before I knew it, I was already standing.
Curren Chan began to speak, but they continued their provoking barrage of accusations, “You don’t have a trainer, do you? Wow, it must be hard being so picky–”
“Hey, you don’t have the right to talk about my trainee like that.” I finally stepped up. I could feel the crowd’s eyes on me, or whatever remained of it, and immediately felt trapped, but I didn’t back down. I looked at Curren Chan with a determined expression, her eyes wide with awe. “Curren Chan is an Umamusume with lots of potential, though I wouldn’t be surprised if you couldn’t see that already. She could be a star Umamusume if she wanted to, and helping her achieve her goals is my job.”
The person stepped back for a moment, looking me up and down. “So you’re a trainer? Yeah, right…” they chuckled snarkily. “I’ll believe it when I see Curren Chan win the Triple Tiara.” They said before eyeing both of us and walking away. Consequently, the laughter in the cafe dimmed just a little – a shift in the air that Curren must’ve felt too.
For a split second, her eyes softened – not with her usual charm, but with something quieter. Then, just as quickly, the idol’s smile returned once more. “You again, huh? Looks like someone keeps coming back for more~” she giggled and teased in her usual, light tone of voice. It was clear that she was surprised that I was here, and was hiding the fact.
I diverted my gaze from her illusively bright purple-ish eyes for an instant, a subtle, knowing smile on my face. “You’re surprised to see me again, are you not?”
“Oh? Don’t tell me you’re trying to tease me back, hehe!” she replied, but there was definitely something else she wanted to talk about that was on her mind. “...Did you mean that, Big Bro/Sis? You want to be my trainer?” She asked cutely, putting her hands together as she looked up at me. “Can you handle all of my cuteness?” The setting sky outside reflected on her purple eyes beautifully, and it reminded me of the potential I had seen in her.
My smile instinctively widened at her challenging words, and I opened my mouth to speak.
My throat tightened as I began, and the cafe fell silent…
“Please, be my trainee, Curren Chan.”
The soft hum of the espresso machine filled the air where her response usually would. I felt my heart beating in the quiet of it all, unsure if I had said too much–or not enough… Then, slowly, she smiled, different from her practiced idol one.
Part One fin.
Thank you for reading! Part Two will follow soon as we begin Curren’s training!