Chapter 105: Watch fun races—or imagine them—and protect your brain, okay.

I already knew it. Someday, Trainer Ayumu would increase the number of Uma Musume under his care.

To begin with, Ayumu appears aloof and cool, but I think he actually likes Uma Musume far more than he lets on. Until now, he simply didn’t have the emotional room to enjoy it, burdened by lingering baggage from his elementary division days. At his core, though, he has that essential “love” a Uma Musume trainer needs.

In fact, according to the information I regularly get from Masa-san, Ayumu has been enjoying his work lately. Instead of handling everything with the same flat, mechanical attitude as before, his mood now rises and falls. And when he goes to watch my training in particular, he’s openly excited—or so she says.

…Honestly, that makes me incredibly happy. There’s no maiden alive who dislikes being noticed by someone she cares about. Just as I’m aware of Ayumu as a man, maybe Ayumu has started seeing me as one Uma Musume in particular… okay, that might be jumping the gun a bit. Still, the fact that he’s looking at me as someone special is undeniable. Yeah. It really does make me happy.

Putting my feelings aside for a moment, though, the reason Ayumu has come to enjoy being a trainer like this is probably…

…because he forgot the memories that were the source of his trauma.

According to Masa-san, Ayumu lost his memories from his elementary division days due to that accident. His body was mostly unharmed, but he took a serious blow to the head, resulting in memory loss—not something temporary, but an irreversible gap.

I believe painful pasts are things you should accept and overcome. The past doesn’t change. Once it’s gone, the present can never overturn it. That’s why, on the day of the Takarazuka Kinen, I was able to face and properly acknowledge my past with my parents, wrapped in the warmth I received from so many people. No matter how painful it is, you should face it and make it part of what sustains you—that’s what I believe.

But Ayumu’s past is gone. He can no longer remember it, nor can he accept it. When I first heard that, I couldn’t help making a slightly awkward face.

"Your brother’s past is different from yours. It’s something that can’t quite be connected to ‘rightness.’ Unlike you, it’s something out of reach—something you can’t extend your hand to. That doesn’t mean it’s okay to forget it… but even so, I think this was the only way for my brother to move forward."

When Masa-san said that, wearing that strained, heavy expression, I had no choice but to accept it.

Masa-san isn’t that much younger than Ayumu. That means she should normally remember being together with him during their elementary division days… and yet, those memories—those family memories—are gone. There’s no way that doesn’t hurt.

The two of them may look like they’re on bad terms at first glance, but they’re actually very close siblings. Masa-san acts prickly toward Ayumu, but despite appearances, she clearly has deep affection for her family. And Ayumu, too—thinking back to when we visited his parents’ home the other day—was extremely kind to them.

It’s a warm relationship, where the little sister can bluntly point out her brother’s flaws and the brother accepts it with a wry smile. If I had to sum it up in one phrase… “close siblings” feels just right, even if Masa-san would probably make an annoyed face at that description.

There’s no way she could be fine with even part of herself being forgotten by her brother. The mental pain Masa-san feels is probably far beyond what I can imagine. If she can accept it, then I don’t really have the right to complain.

Besides, that incident was caused by accidental malice and chance. It wasn’t Ayumu’s fault. Forgetting is sad, but… from my perspective, the fact that Ayumu became more positive is a very good thing.

So I chose to accept the Ayumu he is now.

…And because of all that, I think Ayumu has become noticeably more forward than before.

The man who once treated being a trainer as a duty—something he “had” to do—now turns toward me of his own accord. Of course, that makes me incredibly happy.

Happy… but.

At the same time, it also means the Uma Musume-loving side Ayumu had hidden inside himself is starting to surface. And once that happens, there’s no way he wouldn’t be moved after seeing Bourbon-chan’s run…

Today’s G2 race, the Spring Stakes. Bourbon-chan there was… honestly incredible.

A starting dash so strong that I thought, “If she were just a bit more developed, she might have reached me.” A flawless sprint at a constant pace that never wavered until the very end. She overcame her tendency to get overly eager and ran as if distance suitability didn’t even matter—her form was almost artistic.

To be honest, even I couldn’t take my eyes off Bourbon-chan. She’s still a year away from fully coming into her own; her real growth is only just beginning. How far will she climb? How much will she thrill me? I couldn’t help wondering.

In terms of aptitude, Bourbon-chan might eventually specialize in mile races, while I’m a hardcore stayer, so we’re not exactly well matched… but still, at middle distances—like the 2000-meter Osaka Hai, the 2200-meter Takarazuka Kinen, or the 2400-meter Japan Cup—we should be able to race under fairly even conditions.

If Bourbon-chan makes it up to the senior class and we clash there at full strength—one bold frontrunner Uma Musume and one escape artist, both giving it everything… yeah. Just imagining it makes something hot surge up from deep in my chest.

…But.

I wasn’t the only one moved by her run.

After the Spring Stakes ended and Bourbon-chan claimed her fourth victory, I turned toward Ayumu, about to say, "She was amazing, wasn’t she?"—seeking to share the excitement.

Ayumu was staring at Bourbon-chan, just beyond the finish line.

The eyes he had always directed only at me. The eyes of someone who had fallen in love with a run, looking at his assigned Uma Musume.

…To be precise, until now, Ayumu hadn’t truly seen Bourbon-chan as an “assigned Uma Musume.” He was aware of the assignment, of course, but… how should I put it?

If I had to compare it, it was similar to how Ayumu saw me before I ran in the Takarazuka Kinen. We were under contract, but that was all—just that kind of relationship.

He would support her with everything he had and take full responsibility. He would do everything a contracted trainer should—no, about 300% of what’s normal. But he would never cross the line beyond that.

If he believed he didn’t measure up to the Uma Musume, or that someone else could bring out her potential better… or if the Uma Musume herself requested to terminate the contract… he would accept it without hesitation, believing it was best for her.

In the proper sense of the term, he was simply a “contract trainer supporting racing Uma Musume.” As a rule, Ayumu never crossed that line.

In other words, he hadn’t developed any personal attachment. He didn’t think, “I want to train this girl,” or “I want to support her and run alongside her.” He only recognized, “I must make this girl faster and stronger.” That’s why it didn’t matter to him if another trainer took over, so long as she could continue to grow.

That was how Ayumu viewed me before the Takarazuka Kinen… and how he viewed Bourbon-chan until the Spring Stakes ended.

But… the Spring Stakes changed everything. Bourbon-chan’s beautifully mechanical run altered the situation completely.

Those sparkling eyes. That simple, almost childlike color of admiration—something unusual for Ayumu. The moment I saw it, I knew he had developed an attachment to Bourbon-chan.

Well, after seeing a run that good, it’s only natural for a trainer’s instincts to stir—especially for Ayumu, who had just been freed from memories that had tormented him for years.

Whether he realizes it or not, Ayumu’s actual ability as a trainer is absurdly high. After seeing Bourbon-chan’s run, he must have already come up with countless ways to take her even higher. Wondering how far she could go, how far he could support her… there’s nothing strange about that.

There’s nothing strange about it, but.

This means Ayumu has officially gained a second assigned Uma Musume. And that also means my biggest romantic advantage—being “the only Uma Musume Ayumu actively wants as his assignment”—has collapsed.

As Bourbon-chan’s senior, I’m genuinely happy for her. But as one Uma Musume who’s in love with Ayumu… this is giving me a massive headache.

…I knew it. I knew this day would come eventually. Ayumu came to want me because I captivated him with my run at the Takarazuka Kinen. By the same logic, if a Uma Musume delivers a run that makes him fall for it, then Ayumu—who loves Uma Musume at his core—will want to take her on, support her, and chase dreams together.

I knew I’d need to be prepared for the day his number of assigned Uma Musume increased… or at least, I thought I was.

But actually seeing Ayumu turn that look toward another Uma Musume? It really hits me right in the heart! This tight, churning feeling in my chest—is this… NTR, being “cucked”…?! Grrr…! This is frustrating… my chest feels all twisted up and irritated…! And somehow, if I keep feeling this way, it even seems like I might get addicted to it, which is kind of scary!

"Haa…"

And so, on the night of the Spring Stakes, I headed back to my dorm, savoring the oddly pleasant sensation of some light, NTR-induced angst.

In Ayumu’s camp, race days are essentially full rest days. Bourbon-chan, who raced, has accumulated fatigue, and even I, who merely watched, might get carried away by the excitement and do something reckless. Ayumu gets called a hardliner a lot, but he’s actually very cautious—he absolutely will not tolerate Uma Musume getting injured. He won’t even allow voluntary training unless you promise to keep it to the bare minimum.

On top of that, recently—at Masa-san’s suggestion—there have been victory celebrations after races. Sometimes they’re held on another day, but if the racer is feeling fine, they’re done the same night. Saying, "I’m skipping because I need to train!" in that situation would be… yeah, just bad manners.

So today, after Bourbon-chan’s winning live ended, we went out for a victory celebration at a buffet that was apparently pretty pricey.

The star of the show, Bourbon-chan, was shoveling food into her mouth at a pace that made it look like she was replenishing every last bit of energy she’d burned during the race—almost as if she were trying to erase the entire buffet lineup.

Honestly, it’s amazing that she can process all that. The stomach and digestive system of an Uma Musume really are something else—though I suppose I’m saying that about myself, too.

Well, Bourbon-chan is one of the biggest eaters even among Uma Musume—just a step below Spe-senpai and Oguri-senpai. Maybe her stomach is simply especially tough.

Meanwhile, Ayumu and Masa-san watched Bourbon-chan with wry smiles, eating with a refined elegance befitting people from a distinguished family. Even the way they stood holding their plates looked sharp and cool.

Is that what you call confidence born of upbringing, I wonder?

Since winning the Triple Crown, I’ve been invited to a lot more classy parties myself, but it looks like it’ll still be a long time before I can carry myself with that kind of ease.

As for me, I tried a little bit of everything.

I mean… how do I put this—high-end food kind of tastes light, doesn’t it? Not “light” exactly… more like strange? Or maybe this is what people call a “delicate flavor.” It’s definitely delicious, but it’s so far removed from what I usually eat that I found myself tilting my head more than once.

Is this what they mean by having a “cheap palate”? Good grief. I’m a Triple Crown Uma Musume, yet still so hopelessly down-to-earth.

…Anyway, by the time the victory party wrapped up and I finally headed back to the dorm, the sun had completely set. After parting ways with Bourbon-chan near the entrance, I let out a sigh and returned to my room.

Ahh… back when I was an otaku in my previous life, I never imagined I’d be reincarnated into another world. Or that I’d become an Uma Musume and compete in the Twinkle Series. And naturally, I never imagined I’d end up on the “being NTR’d” side of things, either.

Even when I try to put time between it, my thoughts just circle right back there…

Knowing full well there’s nothing I can really do, I still end up rubbing my brow in frustration.

I never thought I could monopolize Ayumu to begin with. That’s why, even on that day, when I said, "I’m Ayumu’s Uma Musume," I never said, "Ayumu is my trainer alone."

After all, Ayumu is a trainer—an absurdly talented, borderline cheat-level trainer at that. The fact that he was exceptionally allowed to sign an exclusive contract right away, and then permitted to take on a second assignment in only his second year, really shows how abnormal he is.

Even back when I had no emotional leeway at all, I knew he’d eventually be in charge of multiple Uma Musume.

If I’d been born ten years later, Ayumu would probably already be a team trainer managing dozens of Uma Musume. The fact that I became his first assignment, and that we were able to face each other one-on-one for so long, was nothing more than a coincidence.

I know that.

I’m a reasonable reincarnated cheat Uma Musume. Of course I understand all that.

…I understand it, but still!

NTR hurts! It fries your brain!

Damn it… to get through this situation, I’ll have to make Ayumu fall for me in ways beyond just racing—as one Uma Musume, and as a person! I need him to recognize me as the one and only, an absolute partner among all his assigned Uma Musume… but then again, how am I supposed to make someone like Ayumu think that?

Aside from being really fast and having reincarnation cheats, I’m a pretty ordinary Uma Musume… and telling Ayumu about the latter would take a lot of courage…

Lost in those muddled thoughts, I opened the door to my room.

"…Wilm-chan, welcome back."

Standing there was Meek-senpai, who looked like she’d already returned.

Happy Meek-senpai.

My first close friend after coming to Tracen Academy—my roommate in the Ritto Dorm, a Twinkle Series Uma Musume still active in competition, and a senior I truly respect. She always gives off a soft, dreamy impression, and today was no different; it was hard to tell whether her gaze was fixed on me or drifting somewhere far away.

"I’m home. I ended up pretty late today."

"…The victory party for Bourbon-chan, right? …I watched the Spring Stakes on TV as well."

"You saw it too, Meek-senpai? She’s my junior, but that was an incredibly strong win."

"…A victory that never even let others touch her shadow. Truly impressive."

As always, her expression barely changed—though, well, that’s not something I can really criticize with my own mask-like face—but judging by the slow nod of her head, it was clear she rated Bourbon-chan’s performance highly.

And honestly, it was a run even I had to acknowledge.

She blasted away at the start to build a lead, then maintained a constant pace the entire way—no wasted stamina, no leftover strength—executing a perfect calculation from start to finish. That was… a different kind of ideal frontrunning from mine or Suzuka-senpai’s.

Silence Suzuka is simply too fast. A one-of-a-kind starting dash, limitless stamina—an almost dreamlike run that, in theory, no one can catch.

Hoshino Wilm—if I may say so myself—is kind of unfair. With exceptional stats and techniques honed by Ayumu, plus my reincarnation cheat, “anime reincarnation,” I can brute-force my way through some pretty ridiculous situations.

By contrast, Mihono Bourbon’s running style is… utterly efficient.

A mechanically perfected pace and stamina distribution. Even late in the race, when oxygen isn’t properly reaching her brain, she can still execute it flawlessly. Her running can truly be called the theoretical maximum for her specs.

In other words, even if there were a hundred Uma Musume with identical abilities, Bourbon-chan would always take first among them.

No tricks, no gambits—just calculating the optimal solution and forcing it through with sheer strength. A style that maximizes Bourbon-chan’s traits, belonging to Bourbon-chan alone. Combined with Ayumu’s guidance, there was no way it could be weak.

This Spring Stakes featured a lineup more stacked than many Classic-grade G1 races. And there, she proved her ability beyond any doubt.

As I set my things down, recalling Bourbon-chan’s run, I let out a sigh—half complaint, half admiration.

"To be honest, I’m a little jealous. I didn’t find my own way of running until the Takarazuka Kinen, in June of my Classic year. And yet Bourbon-chan found hers already, in March of her Classic year. Is that early-blooming talent, I wonder?"

Finding your own way of running means you can have truly passionate races—races you can genuinely enjoy. Races I couldn’t fully enjoy, like the Satsuki Sho or the Japan Derby, Bourbon-chan can enjoy in her own way.

I know it’s unbecoming of a senior, but… I can’t help feeling a bit jealous.

…Really, looking back on it, I’m pathetic.

Not just for directing such ugly envy at a precious, adorable junior—

But more than that.

I failed to realize that there was another Uma Musume who might feel that jealousy even more strongly than I did.

"…Yes. …I understand that feeling of envy."

That faint note of melancholy in her voice made me realize my slip of the tongue. It wasn’t something strictly forbidden to say—not an instant landmine—but it was still a wound that hadn’t fully healed.

In short, my words had brushed against something sensitive in this gentle senior.

"Ah, um…"

"…It’s okay. …It’s just…"

Meek-senpai trailed off, lifting her gaze as if gathering her thoughts.

"…Shall we talk for a bit, Wilm-chan?"

She spoke quietly, beginning to tell me about herself.

"…I found a running style that suited me when the first year of my Senior class was already more than halfway through.
…Up until then, I was an Uma Musume like a turtle running on land."

Her voice carried a mix of nostalgia and something faintly bitter.

"…There was a rookie trainer back then, in the same cohort as my own trainer.
…I raced Seiun Sky-chan over and over again—the girl he was contracted with. Through that, through knowing her… I finally understood. …At last, I found a way of running that was mine alone."

Running against a rival and discovering your own style.

If you only hear that much, it sounds like a fairly standard happy ending.

But the atmosphere around Meek-senpai made it clear that wasn’t the case.

"…But it was too late.
…In the end, I couldn’t win even at the URA Finals—fourth place in the final.
…I didn’t truly start winning until my second year as a Senior."

That’s why she understands the feeling of envy toward early bloomers.

Because she was on the side that didn’t make it in time.

That was how Meek-senpai concluded her story.

The weight of her past was heavier than I’d imagined.
I hesitated over what I should say—whether I could say anything at all.

But without words, you can’t understand each other.

So, for now, I bowed my head.

"I’m sorry… I said something thoughtless."

"…I told you, it’s fine. …I’m not bothered by it. In fact, I’m happy."

"Happy?"

As I tilted my head in confusion, Meek-senpai gave a faint smile.

"…I was happy when you found your own running style and opened your domain, too.
…Because I knew it. …That you’re someone who works very, very hard—just like me."

"Working hard? That’s a bit…"

If anything, I’d been enjoying myself… though, well, in the beginning I might have been pushing myself a little too hard.

As I reflexively tried to downplay it, Meek-senpai gently shook her head. Then she lifted her gaze slightly above mine, wearing an expression that seemed to peer back into the past.

"…In my generation, there were girls you could unquestionably call geniuses.
…Spe-chan, Sky-chan, King-chan, El-chan, Grass-chan.
…All of them were geniuses—amazing Uma Musume, fierce rivals… and I couldn’t beat any of them. Not even once."

The so-called Golden Generation.
A terrifying era, often said to be the very peak of the Twinkle Series.

Special Week-senpai, Japan’s ace—an Uma Musume with a finishing kick so powerful that even I couldn’t match her.
Seiun Sky-senpai, brilliant with strategy and wit, who trapped me completely at the Takarazuka Kinen.
King Halo-senpai, who never bowed her head no matter how many times she lost, chasing a G1 victory until she finally achieved it.
El Condor Pasa-senpai, famed as one of the strongest in the world—the Uma Musume who came closest to the ultimate glory beyond the gate.
Grass Wonder-senpai, the so-called monster of the Grand Prix, with explosive acceleration that could overtake everyone.

Each of them was the kind of prodigy you might see once a year—or once in five, even ten years.

And yet, they all gathered in a single generation, clashing in the Classic races and the Eight Major Races.

The hottest, fiercest, harshest, and most terrifying generation of all.

That is what people call the Golden Generation.

By fortune—or misfortune—Meek-senpai was born into that era.
She competed with them in the Classic races, the Tiara races, and the Eight Major Races.

…But the results were never kind to her.

She only began posting results from her second year as a Senior.
And by then… many of the Golden Generation Uma Musume had already moved on to the Dream Trophy League.

So Meek-senpai never beat them even once.
She struggled endlessly, worked endlessly—and still didn’t make it in time.

"…I watched you, Wilm-chan. I saw you struggle against Nature-chan and Teio-chan."

"Ah—well, I mean, I wasn’t really…"

Knowing her past, I couldn’t bring myself to say more.
After all, I hadn’t struggled the way Meek-senpai had. I hadn’t suffered to that extent.

But Meek-senpai looked at me and nodded, as if to say she understood.

"…Yes. You were enjoying yourself. …But there’s no doubt you worked hard to beat the others, right?"

"Well… I guess that’s true."

From around last year’s Derby, the training really had been intense.
Especially the final spurt at Takarazuka—I pushed myself past reckless, forcing the impossible through sheer will. Even now, Ayumu sometimes brings it up just to scold me.

Being praised for that as “working hard” feels… kind of embarrassing.
At the time, it was simply what I had to do.

But as I fidgeted, Meek-senpai nodded with complete seriousness.

"…I was the same. I worked and worked to beat everyone in my generation—to beat Sky-san… and only then did I finally find it.
…That’s why I’m happy. …That you, and Bourbon-chan too… that girls who worked hard found their own running styles and overcame their hardships…"

With that, Meek-senpai looked up at the sky outside the window.
The rain that had lasted until noon was gone, leaving behind a clear night sky—

Filled with countless shining stars.

"So that… you’ll run with me."

A shiver ran down my spine.
At the same time, a sweet, glossy thrill surged through me.
And above all, a boiling heat welled up from deep within my chest.

…Yes. This is it.

The tension and excitement of facing a powerful opponent.

The aura surrounding Meek-senpai shifted—from that of a gentle senior Uma Musume to that of a fearsome racing Uma Musume.

"…What I said that day wasn’t a lie.
…Now that Spe-chan and Sky-chan are gone, the strongest active runners are McQueen-chan, Wilm-chan who won the Triple Crown, and me—Happy Meek.
…But the true strongest can only be one.
…So before you go to France, Wilm-chan… let’s decide it."

Which means…

"I’m sorry I showed such a disappointing run at the Arima Kinen.
This time for sure… at this year’s Takarazuka Kinen, I’ll show you my running.
…And even if my opponent is you, Wilm-chan, I’m going to win. V."

As Meek-senpai raised her fingers in a V-sign, my lips naturally curled into a smile.

Ah… so this person, too—

She’ll stand in front of me again.
She’ll compete with me seriously.

Just like Teio, like Nature, like McQueen-san…

Even with this senior who supported me and guided me along the way—I can go all out!

"…Hehe, hehehe. Then I’ll be waiting.
It may sound presumptuous to say this to a senior, but as last year’s Takarazuka Kinen champion, I’ll be waiting for you.
So… please make it fun for me, okay?"