Having left TCB, Curren kept thinking about what had just happened.
TCB's trainer, Sakura Baimu, was far too agreeable, which made Curren suspicious of her, and therefore she didn't propose having Sakura Baimu as her trainer.
Curren Chan was the type of Umamusume who was very independent.
Having gradually made her mark online since she was three years old, she was well-versed in the online world.
In fact, her personality was much more mature than that of other Umamusumes her age.
Curren Chan knew what she needed.
For her, what she needed most right now was to qualify for the Twinkle Series.
As for a trainer, it was absolutely impossible to casually enter into a trainer contract with someone.
"If I really train with Ms. Sakura, will she really train me the way she treats her Umamusumes?" Curren Chan had some doubts.
"It's okay, Curren is very smart. Even without a trainer, she'll definitely be fine for her debut race."
---
The next day, Curren Chan went to TCB to confirm her debut race with Sakura Baimu.
Sakura Baimu had already registered Curren Chan for her debut race next week at Tokyo Racecourse, the Dirt 1400m race.
"Curren, do you want to come train with us? Teio, McQueen, and the others are training on Dirt these days. You can have GG mentor you; she's the strongest Dirt Umamusume." Sakura Baimu mentioned.
"Eh hehe~?" Smart Falcon blushed a little when she heard Sakura Baimu say that.
"Thank you, Onee-chan But Curren won't trouble Falcon-senpai. Curren can train on her own"
Curren Chan politely declined Sakura Baimu's suggestion that Smart Falcon train with her.
Of course, Sakura Baimu didn't show any doubt or dissatisfaction toward Curren Chan.
"Okay, Curren, do what you think is best."
Regarding the training matter, both Sakura Baimu and Curren Chan tacitly avoided saying anything that would make either of them feel awkward.
Sakura Baimu realized that Curren Chan only wanted to join the team and didn't intend to have her train her, so she didn't force Curren Chan to come for training.
Curren Chan herself didn't plan to train with Sakura Baimu, but she didn't say so in front of the other members and embarrass Sakura Baimu; she simply made an excuse to leave.
Sakura Baimu and Curren Chan, who had some misunderstandings between them, tacitly reached an agreement on this matter.
A week passed quickly, and soon came Curren Chan's debut race in the 1400 Meter Dirt at Tokyo Racecourse.
Although Curren Chan hadn't been training with TCB during this time, the TCB Umamusumes still came to Tokyo Racecourse together to watch Curren Chan's race.
"Trainer-san, do you think Curren-chan can win?" Satono Diamond asked Sakura Baimu after watching Curren Chan go backstage to prepare.
"Who knows?"
"Curren ran an exceptional time for a newcomer on the Dirt 1200m track at the academy, ranking first among all freshmen," Kitasan Black recalled. "So I think she should be fine, right?"
"That only proves she's a talented sprinter, but Turf is definitely more suitable for her," Sakura Baimu said. "I don't quite understand why she insisted on Dirt, but simulations at the academy are different from official competitions."
"So what running style did Trainer-san have Curren Chan choose today?" Satono Diamond asked.
"No, I didn't even test her leg physiology. How would I know what running style suits her?"
"Huh? What's going on?" Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond were both puzzled.
"Curren Chan just wants to join the team, but it seems she doesn't intend to have Trainer-san as her trainer," Mejiro McQueen said casually.
"Is that even possible?" Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond were both somewhat surprised upon hearing this.
---
The presentation segment soon followed.
Curren Chan, who has 3 million followers on Umasta, unsurprisingly became the most popular contestant at the event.
"Now entering, the star everyone's been waiting for, Gate 1, Number 1, Curren Chan!"
Amid the thunderous cheers from the audience, Curren Chan smiled and walked onto the stage, then casually tossed her tracksuit aside.
At the same time, she squinted her eyes and flashed a V-sign in front of her face.
She looked incredibly charming and adorable.
Curren Chan had already announced on Umasta that she would be participating in the debut competition.
Today, a huge number of fans came to support her.
The enthusiasm for this debut even had a hint of the 50,000-person popularity showdown between Pace Satono Diamond and Leukerbad.
After the presentation, the Umamusumes headed toward the track.
"Now entering the stage, the third most popular runner in the race, White Shadow."
"Next up, the second most popular runner, Moonwalker."
"Finally, the undisputed number one most popular runner, Umasta's absolute star, Umamusume Curren Chan!"
"Gate 1, Track 1, can she, the number one most popular runner, successfully take first place?"
Curren Chan's reason for choosing the Dirt track was actually quite simple.
After seeing Smart Falcon's performance on Dirt, some fans were actually discussing this adorable Dirt rising star in her Umasta comment section.
Therefore, Curren Chan wanted to prove to her fans that she could also achieve good results on Dirt.
Although Curren Chan felt that running on Dirt wasn't as smooth as on Turf, she had previously achieved first place in the 1200-meter Dirt track of Tracen Academy's freshman mock race.
Therefore, Curren Chan was very confident about her debut competition.
This was completely different from Smart Falcon's performance at the Leopard Stakes.
After seeing Curren Chan's confident demeanor at her debut competition, Smart Falcon instinctively assumed that Sakura Baimu would belittle her, saying things like, "Look at your junior. They're not nervous at all. What are you so nervous and afraid of?"
However, after waiting for a long time, Smart Falcon still didn't hear Sakura Baimu speak.
Puzzled, Smart Falcon turned to look at Sakura Baimu.
Sakura Baimu was staring intently at Curren Chan on the Zone, her lips pressed tightly together, devoid of any smile.
This was a stark contrast to her usual warm and friendly expression.
Smart Falcon was startled; it was the first time she'd seen Sakura Baimu with this expression.
While it wasn't as intensely negative as when she'd witnessed Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen's defeat and Rice Shower's injury at the Takarazuka Kinen,
it was clear that her Trainer wasn't in a good mood.