Chapter 192: You Signed Up for the Kikuka Sho Too, Right?
At Nakayama Racecourse, the instant Kitasan Black crossed the finish line, time seemed to freeze—then, like fireworks being ignited all at once, the entire grandstand erupted.
A dense sea of spectators waved their arms in unison, faces flushed red with excitement, eyes wide, mouths bursting with cheers they could no longer restrain.
Along the edge of the track, many staff members were swept up in the frenzy as well. The photographers closest to the course were especially frantic, shutters clicking nonstop as reporters excitedly delivered their live coverage into their microphones.
. . .
At the same time, inside the Tracen Academy gym.
Soft lighting spilled over rows of training equipment. Only a handful of Umamusume were training at the moment, all of their gazes drawn to the large screen mounted high on the wall, which was broadcasting the celebrations at Nakayama.
Duramente was among them.
She wore a simple athletic short-sleeved top and shorts. One of her exposed legs was wrapped in a conspicuous sports bandage.
She wasn't looking at the screen.
Both hands gripped a pair of dumbbells as she focused intently on a set of standing dumbbell presses. With every lift, the muscles in her arms tightened, and fine beads of sweat had already formed across her forehead.
When the set ended, she set the dumbbells down beside her. Her gaze drifted unconsciously to the bandaged leg, and a trace of gloom seeped into her otherwise calm expression.
Reaching out, she gently touched the edge of the bandage, her movements careful, tinged with helplessness.
In her mind echoed the stern warning of the Doctor—words she couldn't help but recall:
"Right now, the inflammation isn't severe. Combined with the muscle soreness that accumulates from your training, that's why you didn't notice it earlier."
"But that doesn't mean you can continue training the way you were. This inflammation requires rest. You absolutely must not engage in high-intensity exercise for the time being."
"Otherwise, it won't just affect your racing career, you could be left with permanent damage."
And then there was Groove-nee's concerned yet uncompromising admonition:
"This time, you absolutely cannot act on your own. You have to listen."
"Being forced off the track… I know how hard that is to accept, I've been through it myself."
"But if you truly don't want to give up, then you need to honestly give up right now."
"Only by giving up now can you obtain what you truly want."
"Don't worry, I'm not asking you to abandon everything. Any recovery or maintenance training you need, I'll arrange it for you."
The instructions and warnings echoed endlessly in her ears. Duramente bit down on her lower lip, a surge of intense frustration rising from deep within her chest.
She couldn't help glancing toward the screen on the gym wall, her eyes filled with struggle and loss.
Originally, she should have been there right now.
If not still racing in Japan, then very likely already in Europe. Either way, she should have been on the track, running freely—perhaps even having already claimed a victory.
Instead, she was confined to this gym, reduced to upper-body training that felt barely meaningful compared to what she used to do.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up.
The camera on the big screen shifted, zooming in until a flushed, sweat-soaked face filled the frame.
Then a full-body shot—then a smiling figure, extending her hand to shake with someone across from her.
"…Congratulations, Kita-chan."
Without realizing it, Duramente's lips curved upward as she murmured softly.
There was still a faint trace of frustration and loneliness in her voice, but far more of it was sincere congratulations.
When the camera moved on, she smiled once more, turned away, and reached for the dumbbells beside her.
Just then, the gym door opened, and another Umamusume stepped inside.
She wore a long-sleeved athletic top and running shorts. Her short chestnut hair was accented by a streak of white bangs at her forehead. As soon as she entered, she raised her right arm horizontally and used her left to stretch it, looking lively and ready to begin training.
Noticing the images and sounds coming from the screen, she glanced over instinctively—and smiled with clear interest.
"Oh? That's Kita-chan… first place in the St. Lite Kinen? Then I'd better work harder too."
When the Umamusume entered, Duramente merely swept a glance her way before returning her focus to her own training.
Hearing the quiet remark afterward, her expression shifted. She looked back again, a hint of thought and recollection surfacing in her eyes.
"REAL… STEEL?"
Murmuring the name, she paused briefly, then nodded and raised the dumbbells once more.
Hearing someone seemingly call her name, REAL STEEL froze for a moment.
She instinctively scanned the gym and quickly spotted Duramente in the corner.
Duramente had already resumed her training, gripping the dumbbells with full concentration, slowly lifting them and lowering them again.
Her arms trembled slightly from the exertion, and every time she raised the weights, the lines of her muscles stood out clearly.
The fine beads of sweat from earlier had begun to gather, sliding down her cheeks, pooling at her chin before dripping heavily onto the floor.
Surprise flickered in REAL STEEL's eyes. After a moment's thought, she walked over briskly.
Stopping a short distance in front of Duramente, she chose her words carefully and asked with concern:
"Um… Duramente-san, your leg injury isn't healed yet, right? Isn't it a bit much to start training already?"
The movement paused for a fraction of a second—then continued. Duramente looked over at her.
"It's fine."
"My leg injury only prevents me from running. My upper body is fine."
"If I stop training altogether, returning later will be very difficult, so I have to maintain it."
"Groove-nee agreed to this as well."
"And more importantly…"
Her gaze shifted away, fixing firmly on the screen mounted on the wall.
"If I don't do this, I won't be able to keep my promise with Kita-chan."
On the screen, the cheers and celebration were still ongoing—the broadcast had already reached the award ceremony.
The festive images seemed to carry an invisible pull, almost a kind of heat, drawing her gaze until it grew unconsciously intense.
"…Honestly, I don't know what to do with you."
REAL STEEL glanced at the screen as well, then looked back at Duramente, her expression turning serious.
"But you're right—Kita-chan really is strong."
"Mm… if I remember correctly…"
Duramente withdrew her gaze and looked back at REAL STEEL.
"You signed up for the Kikuka Sho too, didn't you?"
"…You still pay attention to things like that?"
REAL STEEL blinked in surprise, then broke into a laugh.
"I always thought someone as cool and aloof as you didn't care about anything—"
"Oh—no, that's not quite right. It's more like you don't care about anything except Kita-chan and her races."
Duramente's eyes widened slightly.
"…Why would you say that? And—cool and aloof?"
"You don't know…?"
REAL STEEL's eyes widened in turn, her face full of surprise.
Then, as if something occurred to her, she glanced around with a strange smile.
"How about this—I need to train too. I'll grab some equipment and we can talk."
Under Duramente's puzzled and slightly taken-aback gaze, REAL STEEL quickly brought over a barbell.
She sat down beside Duramente, set the barbell on the floor, and—without rushing into training—looked over at her with an amused expression.
"Well, I'll just say it straight, Duramente-san. In a lot of people's eyes, you're very 'cool and aloof.'"
"To be specific…"
"For example, when you're walking around normally, you never greet anyone. Even when others greet you first, you just give a short 'mm' or a nod."
"Tell me, doesn't that kind of distant attitude count as being cool and aloof?"
REAL STEEL smiled and spread her hands.
<+>
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind paying $5 each month to read till the latest chapter, please go to my Patreon[1].
Latest Post In Patreon: Chapter 274: Adjusting the Start and Pacing Rhythm[2]
Link to the chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/155512898?collection=1617249[3]
https://www.patreon.com/collection/1617249?view=condensed[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1617249?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/155512898?collection=1617249
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/155512898?collection=1617249
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1617249?view=condensed