Early Morning, Student Council Room
A charged silence hung over us.
Symboli Rudolf broke it. "…Well?"
Narita Brian leaned back. "…Hmph."
Rudolf smiled. "Great headline, Air Groove. Horse of the Year and Most Outstanding Trainer, both for the same team—it's rare, though not unheard of. This is a testament to your hard work, don't you think?"
I bowed slightly. "…I'm honored, Chairman. But this article is a bit… much."
Horse of the Year: Air Groove! Most Outstanding Trainer: Her Own Trainer!
The racing season concluded with a grand award ceremony at URA headquarters, celebrating the year's top Uma Musume and trainers. The spotlight shone brightest on Air Groove, crowned both Most Outstanding Classic Uma Musume and Horse of the Year. Her trainer, Hachiman Hikitani, claimed the Most Outstanding Trainer award. Their record remains flawless—undefeated, a true embodiment of "invincible." Their strength in competition is matched only by their remarkable chemistry. Next up for the "Empress" and "Tengan"? The Kyoto Kinen.
Rudolf raised a brow. "The 'chemistry' and 'Tengan' parts, huh?"
Brian snorted. "Don't sweat the small stuff."
"Quiet!" I snapped. "And what's this 'Tengan' nonsense?!"
Rudolf chuckled. "Likely Hachiman's nickname. Tengan—Heavenly Eye, a divine gaze that sees what normal eyes can't. Fitting, really. It suits him."
Brian nodded. "…Yeah, for a trainer, it's not surprising."
Rudolf mused, "But if 'Tengan Trainer' sticks, what then? Heh, doesn't quite fit him."
I huffed. "It's mismatched. He's not that grand."
Truthfully, it's not far off… His eyes do warrant such praise.
Hachiman sneezed. "Hachoo!"
Minamisaka tilted her head. "Cold?"
"Nah, just random," Hachiman said.
Okino smirked. "Maybe someone's gossiping about the hot new 'Tengan' Trainer?"
Hachiman groaned. "Don't make me call Gold Ship—"
"Sorry, sorry, spare me!" Okino laughed. "But thanks to that article, I'm kinda scared to head to the academy today."
Minamisaka grinned. "No telling what'll happen."
Hachiman sighed. "No word from Sensei, but I'm dreading what she'll say… Ugh…"
"Hey, did you see this morning's paper?" an Uma Musume chirped.
"I caught the news!" another said. "About the trainer, right?"
"Yup! So cool~ 'Tengan,' huh?!"
"It's perfect! Those glasses make him even more awesome~."
"Ever think about getting stared at by those eyes for, like, ten seconds?"
"Totally, but no way it'd happen!"
They burst into laughter. "Hahaha!"
Fuji Kiseki grinned. "Our Hachiman Trainer-san's blowing up already~."
Hayahide nodded. "Not long ago, we were fighting over him. Now he's the youngest Most Outstanding Trainer with a nickname to boot. Of course he's the talk of the town."
Fuji sighed. "Yeah… but I hope it doesn't mess with future recruitment. He's probably worried about that too."
Hayahide smiled. "If it comes to that, I'll throw my hat in again. Combine my theories with his, and we could make training even sharper."
Fuji laughed. "If you join, our workouts would level up big time~."
Nice Nature giggled. "As expected of Brother! 'Tengan'… such a cool ring to it."
Rice Shower blinked. "Um, Nice Nature-san? What's up?"
"Well, Rice-san, good morning!" Nice Nature said. "I'm reading today's paper. It's about yesterday's award ceremony—Brother's in it too."
Rice's eyes widened. "Brother's? …Tengan?"
Nice Nature explained, "Simply put, Tengan means an all-seeing eye, like clairvoyance."
"Wow…" Rice said. "Brother's the best trainer! So cool! He's amazing!"
Nice Nature beamed. "Indeed! And Dobel won Most Outstanding Junior, so the Mejiro family's proud. I'm thrilled."
Rice murmured, "I wonder if there's still a chance… So many want to be trained by Brother."
Nice Nature tilted her head. "Oh? You want to be his Uma Musume too, Rice-san?"
"Y-Yes," Rice admitted. "Ever since he watched me run, I've hoped…"
Nice Nature giggled. "I see. My meeting with him was small, but I'm always grateful for his skill and dedication. Maybe I'm hoping to be his Uma Musume too. So, a challenge, huh?"
Rice squeaked, "W-What?!"
Hachiman's a celebrity overnight! Air Groove's Triple Tiara and Horse of the Year title shine, but her grumbling over his "Tengan" nickname and fame steals the show. Fuji, Hayahide, Nice Nature, and Rice Shower fuel the academy's buzz, with some eyeing Hachiman's training. Air Groove's pride and jealousy mix as Hachiman dreads the spotlight. What chaos awaits the "Tengan" Trainer?
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