Chapter 9: Friendship Training – King Halo

"Oh, you actually showed up."

It was six in the morning. Even though it was summer, the temperature was already high. A humid yet pleasant sea breeze brushed against my skin.

Standing there with her hair swaying in the wind was King Halo.

Seriously, that tracksuit suits her way too well… and she’s supposed to be a proper high-class lady on top of that? Totally unfair.

"Yes, I’m looking forward to today’s training!"

"Good. Yesterday you were doing sprints on the beach, right? Then how about we head into the mountains today?"

"Wait, what?"

King Halo. Mountains. …Oh no, my head.

In her character story, she nearly got lost in the mountains once. Maybe I’m overthinking it? Well, that was during her junior days anyway.

"Alright, let’s go!"

"Uh, could you at least tell me what we’re going there to do?"

"? Mountain training, of course."

"Mountain training…? Does this training camp even have a course up there?"

A hint of anxiety crept in.

Still, you know what they say—no pain, no gain. This was a rare chance to learn directly from King Halo’s training.

"Don’t worry! The great King has done her research beforehand!"

"Then… I’ll be counting on you."

The area around the training camp was well-paved, but the terrain quickly changed as we moved toward the mountains. The smooth path gave way to uneven dirt, with scattered rocks and roots poking through here and there.

This… doesn’t look safe.

"Huff, huff… this is turning out to be quite the good workout."

"It’s really strengthening the legs and hips!"

Despite running over such rough terrain, King’s posture didn’t waver one bit. So this is what it means to be part of the Golden Generation.

I thought the same thing when training with Bakushin O—strong Uma Musume aren’t just fast. Their speed is the result of incredible physical strength and refined running technique.

"Ugh… the ground’s uneven… I can’t get up to speed!"

"Oh my, if it’s too much, say so. I wouldn’t just leave my junior stranded out here in the mountains."

"Th-thank you…!"

This was a different kind of tough compared to running on the beach.

Bad footing was one thing, but the mountain’s constant ups and downs made it worse—climbing and descending over and over quickly doubled the exhaustion.

"Wait, are we going uphill right now…? Or is this flat…?"

"Impressive. You’re actually on a flat section now. It’s easy to get confused since it’s been one slope after another."

Being able to tell whether you’re on an incline or flat ground just by feel—that’s crucial.

If you can sense the terrain without relying on sight alone, your running technique improves immensely. Even if you memorize the course, there will always be moments when instincts take over. That’s part of being an Uma Musume. That’s why tuning your body’s senses is so important.

"Once we get past that slope, we’ll reach the first rest stop! Just a little more push!"

"Grr—ooohhhh!"

"This slope is… really steep!"

Both of us sprinted uphill together. Wow, what a brutal slope! Is this what the hill in Kyoto’s track feels like?

At the top, there was a small resting spot with nothing but a bench—but hey, that’s better than nothing.

"Hah… hah… are you okay, King Halo-senpai…?"

"Who are you… asking? I’m King… A top-class Uma Musume doesn’t collapse over something like this…"

That last hill really took everything out of me. We both collapsed onto the bench, catching our breath.

"You…"

"Y-yes?"

"What are you running for?"

I didn’t have a clear goal. I just kind of went along with it—challenged Bourbon on impulse, then drifted into aiming for a G1 race without much thought.

But now… I was starting to think that was fine.

"I run to beat Mihono Bourbon."

"I see… That’s a good goal. Having a rival is a wonderful thing."

"Haha… though I haven’t actually managed to beat her yet."

"That doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you’ve declared you’ll beat her. That alone is enough."

King Halo’s only major win so far was the Hopeful Stakes—but that race didn’t include any of the four from the Golden Generation.

In every G1 after that, she lost to her rivals—Seiun Sky took the Satsuki Sho, and Special Week won the Derby.

"I want to beat those girls. No matter what, I have to."

"Senpai…"

"So, you see, I’m just like you. Though, well—" she smiled faintly. "I’ve got some bigger goals too."

All of her rivals were top-tier Uma Musume. El Condor Pasa had won the NHK Mile Cup, and Grass Wonder had taken the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes.

"I’m cheering for you, you know. But let me give you one piece of advice."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Stop thinking that you’re worthless just because you can’t win a race."

My heart skipped a beat.

Because that was exactly how I used to feel not long ago.

I thought I had to win, no matter what. That if I didn’t, everything would be meaningless. That was how I used to run.

"That’s… no longer the case. I have a trainer now, and I finally won my first maiden race."

"I see. From what I’ve heard, your running’s nothing like it used to be."

"Eh?"

"Oh my, a first-class Uma Musume always keeps an eye on her juniors, you know?"

Whoa, seriously? She’s been watching me since way back then… This feeling—she must’ve been watching since the early selection trials.

"Hehe, no need to put up a front around me. Weren’t you a bit more wild when you first enrolled?"

"Ah—ahhhh! How much do you know!?"

"Who knows? You tell me."

Okay yeah, she’s definitely had her eye on me from the start! Did I do something to catch her attention!?

"Keeping up appearances is fine. Uma Musume are meant to inspire dreams, after all. But don’t lose yourself by pretending too much."

"Yes, ma’am…"

"Good. Then let’s make a push for the next rest stop, shall we? Ready?"

"Ready!"

We started running through the mountain paths again. The deeper we went, the rougher the terrain became. I stumbled more often, and my pace dropped sharply.

That’s when King Halo suddenly cried out.

"Ahh!"

"King-senpai!?"

"I-I’m fine… there was just a little bug, that’s all…"

That startled me. If she’d been hurt, it could’ve been serious.

We were nearing the halfway point, where the road was steepest. Accidents here wouldn’t be surprising.

"Um, King-senpai—your shoelace…"

"Oh, thank you. I’ll tie it up quickly, so go on ahead."

"Huh? No, I’ll wait for you."

"It’s fine. Or do you really think I wouldn’t be able to catch up?"

She said it with such confidence that I couldn’t argue.

So I kept going alone, glancing back every so often—but there was still no sign of King Halo catching up.

"Is she really okay…? Don’t tell me she got lost out here…"

Just as that uneasy thought crossed my mind, I heard fast footsteps behind me—way too fast!

Running that quickly over such uneven ground, deep in the mountains… that’s insane!

"Haaaah!"

"You’ve gotta be kidding me! She actually caught up!?"

Picking out the least broken parts of the trail, King Halo charged straight toward me. And when rough patches couldn’t be avoided, she simply powered through with sheer will. That was King Halo’s running style—pure determination and pride in motion.

"Fuuh… see? I told you I’d catch up."

"Y-yes… that was incredible…"

"Oh, that? Anyone could do it if they tried hard enough."

"Haha… sure…"

Yeah right—her idea of “trying hard enough” is on another level entirely.

That dazzling sprint, that lightning-like surge—it reminded me of her signature move, the top-tier skill Lightning Flash. A short-distance finishing burst practically made for King Halo herself.

"Um… is there any kind of training you did to master that?"

"Heh, fine. I’ll send you the workout plan later. Here—give me your contact info."

"R-really!? Awesome!"

"You’re such a cute junior… If only Seiun Sky were this straightforward."

I exchanged contact info with King Halo.

If I could gain even a fraction of that brilliance—that lightning flash—it would become one of my greatest weapons. Given my focus on short-distance races, where the flow can shift in an instant, the more tools I had, the better.

"Look, there’s the next rest stop. Once we take a short break, we’ll go full throttle to the end."

"Already? We’ve come that far!?"

The sun hung high overhead, already past its peak. We’d been running quite a while.

After a short rest, we started again. As the sun began to tilt westward, a gentle, refreshing breeze drifted through the air.

By the time we returned to the training lodge, the sky was glowing red. Just as planned, we’d made it back before nightfall.

"Haah, that was a great workout. As expected from a training regimen used by GⅠ-level Uma Musume!"

"Eh, that’s what this was!?"

"Did I not mention it? Apparently, it’s an advanced course."

"Ughhh… no wonder it was so brutal…"

Honestly, that mountain trail training was rough. It wasn’t the sharp, burning kind of exhaustion—it was the heavy, full-body kind. A completely different fatigue compared to short-distance runs.

After a quick stretch, I started heading toward the baths—only for King-senpai to stop me.

"Hold it. We trained together, so we’re going to the bath together too."

Uh… wait, that’s a problem.

Truth is, ever since I came to this world, I’ve never once been in a large public bath. I mean, of course not! I used to be a guy! There’s no way I could survive in a place like that!

"Um, I usually just use the shower in my room…"

"What!? Are you serious!? Absolutely not, that won’t do! Come on, this way!"

"Wait—King-senpai, please wait!"

Dragged along by King Halo, I was practically hauled into the bathhouse.

Inside the changing room, a few other Uma Musume were already undressing after training. Oh no, oh no, oh no—this is way too awkward!

"Come on, hurry up and get undressed. If you leave those clothes on, your skin will get all sweaty and irritated."

"Hahaha… maybe I should just go back and use my room shower after all—"

"Geez! Fine, I’ll undress you myself!"

"Wait—aaah!"

Before I knew it, King Halo had stripped me down with alarming efficiency. Seriously, why are you so good at this!?

She neatly folded my clothes and placed them in a basket, then wrapped a towel around me. And just like that, my big public bath debut had arrived.

"Good grief… never thought my experience with Urara-san would come in handy like this."

"I-I can’t relax…"

"Sit down there! I’ll wash your hair."

"Eh!? No, no, that’s too much!"

"Just sit!"

"Y-Yes ma’am…"

Following her command, I sat down as she began scrubbing my hair. Ah—she’s good. Like, really good… it feels amazing.

"King-senpai, you’re so skilled at this…"

"When you share a room, you end up taking care of the other girl naturally. Still, your hair’s a little damaged. What shampoo and conditioner do you use?"

"Um, just the one my roommate recommended…"

"Hmm… and how long do you usually spend in the shower?"

"About five minutes?"

That’s how it was when I was a guy too. Luckily, my hair isn’t that long, so it doesn’t take forever to wash. Nice and convenient.

But when she heard my answer, King-senpai froze in disbelief.

"Wha—what kind of bath routine is that!?"

"Huh? I wash my hair, my body, my face—"

"Your hair alone should take at least five minutes!"

Okay, sure, maybe if I washed it as thoroughly as she’s doing now, it’d take that long. But still, it’s not that big a deal, right?

"Listen. Hair is a woman’s—an Uma Musume’s—lifeline. You have to take proper care of it."

"But—"

"No buts! Don’t tell me you don’t even dry it properly afterward?"

"I stopped doing that. My roommate got really mad at me for it."

Seriously, Bridge Comp scolded me about everything. Thanks to her, I’ve somehow managed to live like a proper “girl.”

But apparently, I’m still not quite there yet.

"Sigh… honestly, what a reckless girl you are…"

"Ehehe…"

"Alright, I’ll teach you the proper steps. You’d better remember them."

"Yes, ma’am…"

"And if your hair’s a mess, your trainer’s definitely going to have something to say about it, you know?"

"Eh!?"

That’s bad!

No, I don’t think my trainer’s the type to actually scold me over something like that… but still, I can’t risk souring our relationship!

"My, suddenly so motivated? Fufu, you really are adorable sometimes."

"H-how do I fix it then…?"

"Alright, I’ll teach you everything from the beginning."

And so, “long showers” officially became part of my daily routine.

With proper care, my blue-bay hair soon grew glossier and deeper in color than ever before. As expected of King Halo—her hair-care skills were top-notch.