Chapter Text
One of the perks of being the director of Tracen Academy is people-watching. Over the years, Akikawa has taken great joy in following the journey of stars who strive forward, racing towards victory. There are tears of frustration, crushed dreams, and fervent hopes, of course– for all the many young stars who arrive at this academy, there is only one first place. However, the drive and determination of those who follow their dreams never fails to move Akikawa. It’s the reason she supports the academy so strongly, after all.
Of course, that also extends to the other side of the coin, as well. Behind every Uma is her trainer, and while those who guide from behind are rarely seen by fans, their support and dedication are blindingly obvious in the race. Umas with drive and trainers with passion can together overcome any obstacle and make miracles. And well, if something more happens to develop? There haven’t been any scandals yet, so Akikawa is perfectly fine with looking the other way for now.
Not to say that Akikawa isn’t proactive in her duties. If Tracen is to help young Umas shine, then it’s critical that they be paired with good trainers who can give them the support they need! There’s zero tolerance for incompetent trainers, or worse, abusive ones. So while watching the young Umas brings joy to her heart, it's the trainers that she’s really looking out for during today’s race.
Which brings us to the object of Akikawa’s current dilemma.
“Umm, director? Do you know who he is? I think I saw him sleeping by the three goddesses statue a couple of days ago.” Tazuna shuffles on her feet, trying to look unflustered.
A ways in front of them is a man with the most bombastic outfit Akikawa had ever seen, almost fit to be an Uma’s race outfit. A wide-brimmed hat, studded coat, and green cape marks him clearly from the rest of the trainers on the sidelines, who are beginning to shuffle away from the man. Even from this distance, Akikawa can hear the rowdy noise the man is making watching the race. And… is his teeth glinting whenever he talks?
“Hmmm… Let’s go find out!” With a snap of her fan, Director Akikawa begins to march towards this new mystery man, Tazuna hurrying behind her. As the two approach, the man turns to face them, and grins.
“Nyoho! It looks like some fine young ladies are interested in little old me?”
Clearing her throat, Tazuna steps forward. “We really appreciate your enthusiasm for this race, but you’re starting to bother the other guests and umas. Are you here to scout an uma to train?”
The man blinks for a moment, then smiles. Rows of golden teeth shine at Akikawa, upon which the words ‘GO! GO! ZEPPELI’ are engraved. Whatever Tazuna is about to say next dies on her throat as she stares at the teeth.
“‘Trainer’, huh? Given what ‘umas’ are, that seems a bit more fitting, nyoho! For now, I’m just watching these girls go.” The man turns back towards the race, just as the gates swing open and the umas rush out. He rubs his chin. “It looks like that girl in the back is going to win this one.”
Akikawa looks towards the race track, and sees a #6 at the back of the pack, though trailing close behind second last. Tazuna glances at her clipboard. “That’s number 6, High Tide. She hasn’t debuted yet, and this is her first race for scouting. How do you know she’ll win?”
As the race continues, High Tide continues to keep her position at the tail end of the pack. Akikawa can see her determined gaze as High Tide maintains her pace through the course.
“Maybe on another day, she wouldn’t win, though she’d probably be a placer. They’re definitely not third-rate runners. But, whether she’s aware of it or not, she’s taking advantage of today’s conditions! Two days ago, there was ‘heavy rainfall’ on this track, and while yesterday was sunny, the earth on this track is still ‘moist’ from the downpour! In this type of track, the ones at the front are using twenty percent… no, maybe even forty percent more energy than normal! The soft ground is ‘absorbing’ the energy from their strides, lowering their speed and tiring them out! But look at 6 in the back, she’s not sweating at all! By trailing behind on this race, the ten racers ahead of her have ‘compacted’ the ground for her. Not only is she entering the slipstream, she’s comfortably cruising on firm ground, only using a fraction of the energy the rest of the racers are! And with that spare energy…”
As the man finishes, the three of them watch as the runners turn the final corner. The front runners are haggard, and begin to lag behind as the rest of the pack begin to surge forward. The runners in the middle are bumping and fighting each other to break through, while the front runners struggle to maintain their lead. All the while, Akikawa sees High Tide suddenly swerve to the outside line, putting forth an unimaginable burst of speed. The other runners don’t even have the time to be shocked before High Tide surges past them towards the front. The current lead uma notices her challenger, but at the final spurt, there’s no energy left in her to fight for the position. High Tide easily passes the lead to claim first place, letting out a whoop as the audience cheers at the upset. Tazuna looks on with mild surprise, while Akikawa grins. She had been initially worried that this man was of the unsavory type, but now she had observed first-hand that beyond all that eccentricity…
Director Akikawa snaps her fan open. “Young man, what’s your name? I’m Yayoi Akikawa, the director of this academy, and this is Tazuna Hayakawa, my secretary.”
Once again, the man smiles, showing off his golden teeth. “Gyro Zeppeli, and don’t you forget the name, nyoho!”
Akikawa grins back at Gyro. “Gyro Zeppeli…”
“Become a trainer at Tracen Academy!”