Sakura Baimu felt a bit annoyed when Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen sidled up to complain that she had set the goals for Smart Falcon too low.
"Step by step, understand? This is just the goal I set for GG for the next six months."
Sakura Baimu finished speaking and looked at Smart Falcon.
"By the way, I've already registered you for the July race. There's not much time left, so you need to get your training on track."
Smart Falcon nodded, not feeling that the preparation time was too short. After all, she had a training foundation.
She looked at Sakura Baimu and asked.
"Trainer-san, which tournament did you register me for?"
"The Procyon Stakes held in Chukyo."
"An OP-level tournament?" Smart Falcon breathed a slight sigh of relief; registering her for an OP-level tournament right away was perfect for switching from Turf to Dirt.
"G3... huh?"
"???"
Smart Falcon paused for two seconds, processing Sakura Baimu's words. Her cute smile was now filled with shock.
"Trainer… are you kidding me? Falco will go to a big tournament right off the bat?"
"You meet the requirements."
"No, that's not the point. Shouldn't we start with the lowest level?"
"Where's the time? There are only six months left. The lowest-level races simply won't get you to G1 level within six months," Sakura Baimu said.
"Besides, G3 isn't that high-level, GG. You don't need to worry too much."
"Speaking of which, why are you still calling me GG?!"
Smart Falcon's three ponytails bristled as she yelled at Sakura Baimu, her face flushed.
Sakura Baimu had only been serious for a few minutes when she invited her last night; then she immediately became unserious again.
She suddenly started to regret joining Sakura Baimu's team.
"Oh, just listen to me. Even though you haven't run a Dirt race in a long time, I'm confident I can help you win this one. Of course, the prerequisite is that you train according to my requirements."
Sakura Baimu said this while leading the team to the academy's track.
"Dia-chan, you run alongside Teio. Your running styles are similar, and Teio is better at middle-distance running. Kita-chan, you run alongside McQueen for one lap, trying your best to keep up with McQueen's pace."
"Okay~"
The four Umamusumes agreed in unison. Then Tokai Teio asked another question.
"Where will Falcon-senpai go?"
"GG, come with me. She's not with you guys; she's training on the Medium Dirt track."
Sakura Baimu said this, ignoring the trembling Umamusume's pouty face at being addressed that way, and led her to the innermost Dirt track.
"The Procyon Stakes is a short 1400m race; speed is the most important thing."
Sakura Baimu took out a blue wristband and placed it in Smart Falcon's hand.
"Wear this for training."
"No need. Falco isn't a freshman; she won't get hurt."
Smart Falcon looked at the wristband Sakura Baimu handed her, feeling a little touched.
"Even though Trainer-san is a bit strange sometimes, she really cares about Falco~," Smart Falcon thought happily.
"Put it on even if it won't hurt. Just do as I say," Sakura Baimu instructed.
The system-enhanced wristbands could greatly increase training benefits, but because they might restrict joint movement, they increased stamina expenditure during training.
Smart Falcon nodded and obediently put on the wristbands.
"1400m, sprint as fast as you can."
Sakura Baimu pointed to the starting line in the distance, instructing Smart Falcon to stand there.
Smart Falcon arrived at the starting line, took a serious starting stance, and then heard Sakura Baimu wave at her from the finish line.
"Run!"
As soon as Sakura Baimu finished speaking, Smart Falcon sprinted off.
Once the run started, Smart Falcon suddenly felt that her condition was much better than in her previous races.
Gone was the restrictive feeling she had when running on the Turf; now it felt incredibly smooth and effortless.
"As expected, Trainer-san's judgment was spot on..."
Smart Falcon thought happily, slowly raising her head to look at Sakura Baimu at the finish line.
Then her face froze.
Because when she saw Sakura Baimu pull out a megaphone, Smart Falcon immediately had a bad feeling.
Sakura Baimu held the megaphone to her mouth and yelled at Smart Falcon.
"Hurry! GG, run! Slow down, use your top speed! Hurry!"
Sakura Baimu's shout was already quite loud, but amplified by the loudspeaker, it was heard by most of the Umamusumes training on the track!
Hearing Sakura Baimu's voice, their gazes naturally fell on Smart Falcon sprinting at top speed.
Smart Falcon was only halfway through the run when she heard Sakura Baimu's incredibly high-pitched voice amplified by the loudspeaker and also noticed the puzzled or gloating looks from the surrounding Umamusumes. Her fair face began to flush red at a visible speed.
"Aaaaaah!! This is so embarrassing! What is trainer doing?!"
As the trembling Umamusume, Smart Falcon was actually quite outgoing.
But at this moment, she could not help feeling incredibly embarrassed. She did not understand why Sakura Baimu had to use a megaphone to shout during training—it was so shameful.
She desperately suppressed the urge to cover her face and roll around in embarrassment, but this incident disrupted her normally fast running rhythm.
"Cross the finish line!"
Sakura Baimu waved her hand, pressed the timer, and shouted into the megaphone at close range toward Smart Falcon.
After finishing this section, Smart Falcon could not hold back any longer and finally covered her burning cheeks with her small hands.
So embarrassing!
Sakura Baimu glanced at the timer in her hand, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. She asked Smart Falcon.
"You were running pretty well at the beginning, but why did you lose speed later? Do you lose speed on short courses? What happened?"
"Why did Falco lose speed? Doesn't trainer know?!"
Smart Falcon bristled again, her tail raised, shouting loudly at Sakura Baimu.
In the distance, the other four members of TCB stared at the sulking Smart Falcon, their faces showing a hint of sympathy.
"It seems even someone as good-natured of an Umamusume like Falcon can't help but lose her temper several times a day after encountering the trainer!" Tokai Teio spoke in surprise.
"Speaking of which, we were like that too," Mejiro McQueen said, shaking her head and rubbing her forehead.