Seeing Her Run

Chapter 1

"Tokai Teio! Shako Grade! Tokai Teio! Tokai Teio! Tokai Teio crosses the goAAAL!!!!" the announcer shouted in excitement. "Tokai Teio, the fan favorite, wins the Satsuki Sho on her road to the Triple Crown!!"

The crowd erupted into cheers, with many congratulating and praising the Uma Musume. Among them was a young trainer, staring with starry eyes at the horse girl who raised a finger high into the air, striking a pose.

"Amazing..." The last time he was captivated by her running was when he was scouting her at the 'Selection Race' back in Tracen Academy. It felt too long since he was able to see her run this way again.

Once the audience settled down, the trainer made his way to the tunnels that led to the track, hoping to stop by Teio for a bit. When he spotted the small horse girl dressed in her race outfit, he called out to her.

"Teio! Over here!" his voice echoed slightly in the tunnels. Her ears perked up in the distance, then turned with a smile on her face in his direction.

She made her way over to him with a sprint, albeit slower than her usual speed, tired from the 2000M race.

"Teio, slow down. It isn't good for you to over-exert yourself like that. Especially since you just raced the Satsuki Sho." He let out a small chuckle, which the horse girl copied herself.

"Don't worry, Trainer-san. I still have some stamina left." she giggled. "How was my running huh Trainer-san?" she asked with a cheeky tone.

"It was amazing Teio! You were so cool! It looked like you were having fun out there too! I can't wait to see how you run in the Japan Derby!" He sincerely praised her, as she gave off a smug smile.

"Is that all Trainer-san? I'm sure there's more you can say," she jokingly said, letting out a snort.

"Heheh... nothing that's coming to mind right now anyway," he admitted.

"That was a great race, Teio." A lady-like voice complimented the horse girl.

They looked behind the trainer and saw another Uma Musume heading towards them in an orderly manner; one with bright lavender hair, brown tips on her ears, and wore a teal ribbon on her right ear. She was wearing the standard Tracen Academy uniform, which was a simple school uniform mixed with light purple and white, with a bow at the front.

"Ah! Mcqueen! You think so?" Teio asked her fellow horse girl.

"Indeed. I was a bit worried that you made a move so soon, but it seemed to have worked out in the end." Mcqueen commented. "I was also watching you Trainer-san. You don't seem worried at all despite that."

"No. If Teio decides that it was a good idea to make a move early, then I trust her judgment. A trainer can only go so far when training an Uma Musume; the rest is up to them during a race." he explained to the lady-like horse girl. Teio lit up at his words, while Mcqueen nodded in understanding.

"I see. Teio, you have a good trainer if he puts that much trust in you," she said with a smile.

"Hehe! Well then, I'm off for the Winning Live! You two will be watching right?" Teio asked despite knowing the answer.

"Of course! You always shine when you're on stage. Do your best, Teio!" The Trainer encouraged.

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"Japan Derby... a 2400 meter race. That's 400 more than Teio's last race, the Satsuki Sho - Being 2000 meters. Her ability to last longer in a race will definitely be tested in the Derby. I'll have to incorporate stamina training into her menu then."

The trainer was currently in his office, going over Teio's training menu, seeing what could be improved, what could be left out, and what needed to be put in. They only had a few weeks before the Derby, so that wouldn't leave him much time to change the training menu without letting Teio adapt to it first.