Inari Kagura brought Fine Motion along and, with practiced ease, found the way into Nakayama Racecourse. The people standing at the entrance were still the same familiar staff members.
"Hello, you two. May I ask who you are…"
"We're students from Tracen. We're here for course inspection before the Hopeful Stakes begins."
As she spoke, Inari Kagura pulled down her hood, removed her sunglasses and mask, and took out the credential she always carried for course access, handing it to the staff member.
Because Inari Kagura had come here so many times, the staff here had all more or less remembered her. On top of that, Inari Kagura had recently made quite a name for herself on the track. The moment she removed her disguise, the staff member recognized her before even looking closely at her proof.
"You're Kagura-san, right! Long time no see! We've been seeing you on the news a lot lately. Your race and Winner's Concert that day were both so cool, Kagura-san!"
The staff member returned the credential to Inari Kagura and immediately let her through. Inari Kagura could tell that the staff members at the entrance were all looking at her with a hint of admiration and excitement.
"Well… as long as you don't call me by that title, anything's fine."
"Haha~ We definitely won't. Um… Kagura-san! Could you give us an autograph?"
The staff lady in the lead leaned closer, looking at Inari Kagura with a face full of expectation. The other staff members behind her were also clearly itching to move. From the look of it, these staff members were all her fans.
And Inari Kagura guessed that this group of staff had probably anticipated she would be coming around this period. After all, she remembered that normally, there would not be paper and pens sitting on the table at the entrance here. This time, however, several sheets of paper and pens had somehow appeared out of nowhere. This group of fans had clearly come prepared.
"Thank you! We'll treasure them properly! Kagura-san, good luck in the Hopeful Stakes too!"
"Okay~!"
The fans, having gotten the autographs they wanted, waved enthusiastically to Inari Kagura. Inari Kagura smiled back at them, then led Fine Motion into the racecourse.
"Kagura, you're so popular… Now I understand why you dressed like that before coming out."
Only after they had walked a little farther away did Fine Motion let out a breath of relief and speak to Inari Kagura.
"Exactly~ Otherwise, we might still be stuck at the station right now."
"Being popular comes with its own troubles…"
"That's what they call a nice problem to have, I suppose~ Oh, right. Miss Fine Motion, where would you like me to start?"
Seeing that they were almost at the course, Inari Kagura asked Fine Motion what she wanted to hear about today.
On the way here, Inari Kagura had already asked Fine Motion about it. Fine Motion had come to find her today because she wanted to learn about races and running. Although Inari Kagura had never formally taught anyone these things before, she felt that explaining some theoretical knowledge should not be a problem, so she had agreed.
"Mm… I only know some of the basics so far. Could I trouble you to explain it in a way that's not too… advanced?"
"Of course. Besides, there isn't actually anything that advanced here to begin with. It's very easy to explain clearly."
"Th-Then… I'll be in your care! Kagura! No, Teacher Kagura!"
After saying that, Fine Motion bowed very solemnly and thanked Inari Kagura. Even the way she addressed her had changed.
"No… Miss Fine Motion, you really don't have to be that formal… Just call me Kagura normally."
...
Inari Kagura spent a little time trying to explain, but Fine Motion insisted on calling her teacher, so Inari Kagura could only let the princess do as she liked. As for forms of address, as long as the princess was happy, that was enough.
Originally, Fine Motion had invited Inari Kagura out today with somewhat different thoughts in mind. Not long ago, her parents had contacted her and said that they hoped she could get close to Inari Kagura and try to build a relationship with her. If she had the chance, she could also take some photos together and send them back. But they had not explained what their purpose was. Fine Motion always felt that this way of interacting was too utilitarian. Although she remembered her parents' request, more than that, she was curious. She wanted to know what exactly Inari Kagura had that could make her family care so much.
After having deeper contact with Inari Kagura today, Fine Motion discovered that Inari Kagura really was a very sincere friend. She was kind to others, and when chatting, she knew how to consider the other person very well. Over this period, Fine Motion had actually been teased by her roommate several times for lacking common sense. She also knew she had slipped up a few times while chatting with Inari Kagura, but Inari Kagura had gently smoothed things over for her, and pointed out her issues in just the right way.
No wonder all the students like Teacher Kagura so much…
Leaving everything else aside, at least from Fine Motion's personal feelings, Inari Kagura was undoubtedly someone very suited to being a friend. That was why Fine Motion had changed her form of address midway through and added a respectful title, expressing her apology toward Inari Kagura. Now, she hoped even more to get to know and befriend such a good friend through her own will.
Together with Fine Motion, Inari Kagura walked onto this course she had already set foot on countless times, both in the dreams Eclipse created and in reality. By now, Inari Kagura could be said to know Nakayama Racecourse like the back of her hand. Where to accelerate, where to turn, how to run more efficiently, how to handle the uphills and downhills—she could recite and match all of it clearly.
"Look, Miss Fine Motion. You can see this slope, right? It's very high, isn't it? This counts as one of Nakayama Racecourse's special features. The elevation difference is almost two stories. For every competitor, this is a considerable challenge. The length of this slope is about…"
"…?"
Fine Motion had not expected that after Inari Kagura brought her onto the racecourse, she would actually start explaining key racing points to watch out for.
And Fine Motion could tell that the specific data, precise down to the numbers, all came from Inari Kagura's own experience. It was a very valuable summary of practical experience and theoretical knowledge. Even so-called honor student notes were only about this much. If someone deliberately collected this kind of material, bound it into a book, and sold it, there would definitely be plenty of Umamusume in Tracen fighting to buy it.
"If I only explain it verbally, Miss Fine Motion, it probably won't leave much of an impression. Although competitors are currently forbidden from running on the course, we can still step onto it and feel it for ourselves. Some things can be explained clearly even without actually running."
Seeing that Fine Motion seemed a little distracted, Inari Kagura guessed that this newbie princess probably had not understood what she was saying and had been dazed by confusion. After thinking about it, since this princess was so interested in running, perhaps there would inevitably be a time when she entered a race in the future. Even if she did not enter races, the things Inari Kagura taught Fine Motion could still make daily exercise easier for her. So Inari Kagura decided to spend some time giving this newbie a lesson.
Fine Motion had been deeply interested in running and races since childhood. That was also the reason she had come to Tracen. But when she came to find Inari Kagura today, at least at first, she had not intended to come out and learn anything. Her original purpose had only been to probe. She had thought that no matter how smart Inari Kagura was, she was still only a Support Umamusume. Perhaps she would not gain anything especially professional from Inari Kagura, and Inari Kagura might not even know how to teach people.
But now, Inari Kagura had brought her onto the slope, let her personally feel the course beneath her feet, and very carefully guided her through the best way to run this part. Fine Motion, who had never received formal professional training guidance before, was somewhat at a loss. Yet Inari Kagura showed no impatience. She had Fine Motion assume a rough posture, then personally adjusted it for her.
"Good. Very good~ Miss Fine Motion, for a beginner, you're picking this up quickly."
Inari Kagura stood behind Fine Motion, supporting her waist with one hand while occasionally poking Fine Motion's leg with the other to help remind her to adjust her posture. And as she taught Fine Motion, she did not forget to encourage her at the right moments. Inari Kagura understood that for beginners, timely positive feedback was very important. This was also one way to guide someone's interest.
Amazing… She's so professional… Teacher Kagura… and her personality is so good too…
For a dazed moment, Fine Motion felt that the person standing behind her was not a Support Umamusume at all, but an experienced trainer. She understood now. Inari Kagura's honor as Best Support Umamusume of the Year was truly deserved in every sense. She was worthy of Fine Motion calling her "teacher."
Of course, Fine Motion also learned quite a lot from Inari Kagura's guidance this time. For someone without any foundation, this was not enough to directly teach her a running style, but she did come to understand the basics and key points of applying force. Inari Kagura was not in any hurry to push the lesson forward either, and kept patiently guiding Fine Motion from the fundamentals.
"Yes, that's right. Lower yourself just a little more. This posture isn't about fixing yourself at some exact angle. Many parts of running style depend on the individual, so what you're aiming for is to stay within a range. Within that range, everyone will have a different comfortable point. Find the place that best suits how you apply force, the place that lets you release and hold back at will. That will be your best posture for handling this slope. The same principle applies to other sections of the track too. You can also use this method to find the running style that belongs to you."
"O-Okay! I'll do that right away! Teacher Kagura!"
Unconsciously, Fine Motion was already treating Inari Kagura almost like a private teacher her family had hired for her. The address slipped out naturally without thought. She knew that today, she truly could learn something useful, so she became serious as well.
What a shame Teacher Kagura isn't a trainer… I wonder if Tracen allows students to formally become disciples?
Fine Motion could not help beginning to consider such a thing.
...
——Well now. I couldn't tell at all, but you actually know how to teach people?
It's also thanks to Miss Fine Motion being willing to cooperate, right? I used to guide interns in the department too. When it comes to teaching people, the general method isn't that different. You only need to adjust the details slightly depending on the knowledge being taught and the person learning it.
——Huh. It feels like you have quite a lot of professional knowledge. You know medicine, you're familiar with racing, you understand how to teach people, and you have a good personality too. Have you considered getting a trainer license?
That… maybe later…? I don't have any plans like that for now~
---
bonus chaps
100 stones → 1 bonus chap
200 stones → 2 bonus chaps
300 stones → 3 bonus chaps
and so on :3
100+ new chaps a week across all my TLs on the P website :)
hehe every 100 followers on either instagram or twitter = 5 bonus chaps...?
(for all ongoing tls)
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl
instagram: hanbaowise
twitter: WiseKingOfUruk_