Bonus – The sight of the stars makes me dream.

Hoshino Wilm is, to me, something like a star in the sky. No matter how far I reach, I’ll never touch her—the same kind of “true genius” as Teio. Someone like me, stuck halfway between everything, can only have my eyes burned by that brilliance. …Honestly, I’m so jealous.

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Sometimes, a name reflects the person. A genius Uma Musume like the one literally named Teio—“Emperor”—is the perfect example. People even said she might pull off the miraculous Classic Triple Crown. That’s how ridiculously exceptional her talent was.

But sometimes, a name doesn’t reflect anything at all. Like me, who was born with the name “Wonderful Talent” yet ended up… not so wonderful. …Well, back home I practically never lost, but that was just being a frog in a well. The moment I came to the Central circuit, my “mediocre talent” sank right into obscurity.

So what about her?

The Uma Musume who overturned the rumor that Tokai Teio stood alone at the top, and who is now praised as the true strongest among us. Shining bay coat. A streak of black-bay hair falling down. Small, cool, almost never showing emotion.
Hoshino Wilm.
People treat her like some kind of villain, call her a snake—any number of things.

But to me, she’s…

"Sparkling, dazzling… like a star, y’know…"

At first—about a week after I entered Central Tracen Academy—I barely knew anything about her. I’d heard from friends that there was some gloomy girl wandering around campus with her head down all the time…

So I thought, “Ah, she’s probably just another normal Uma Musume like me.”

Back then, it was common sense that our entire generation belonged to Tokai Teio. Her lineage, her talent, her sense—everything about her screamed “genius.” Even before running any mock races, trainers from Central were already trying to recruit her. Naturally the rumors spread.

A real genius. A real… talent.
It wasn’t that I never felt bitter, but… well, I’ve always been the type to give up quickly. So I dropped the idea of aiming for the top and decided to shoot for a place more fitting for someone like me.

But that way of thinking got blown to pieces when I saw Hoshino Wilm’s selection race and her debut.

A runaway victory. A gap so wide it could only be achieved by strength on a completely different level—proof of the strongest. Hoshino Wilm showed her overwhelming ability to the world.

Now she’s called one of the Two Aces of our generation alongside Tokai Teio.
…Amazing, right? Really.

Me? Well… I got second place in my debut race. Haha.
That’s how it goes. Talent at my level is everywhere. Of course I’d get buried.

Anyway, back to Tokai Teio and Hoshino Wilm.
Since Wilm-chan provoked Tokai Teio, the two were quickly seen as rivals.

Bright, social, confident Tokai Teio vs. downward-gazing, unreadable Hoshino Wilm.
Teio who surges from behind in the second half vs. Wilm who escapes early and widens the gap from the front.
They’re opposites in every way. A clash between them would be incredible to watch.

“This year’s Classic races are gonna be wild,” my friends and I laughed, as if it were someone else’s problem.

…While I smothered the smoldering feelings deep inside my chest.

Things changed after I safely debuted in my maiden race. Suddenly, my trainer told me:

"Nature-chan, great news! I’ve arranged a mock race with Hoshino Wilm!"

"…Huh?"

A complete bolt from the blue.
My lazy little racing life changed color overnight.

Let me talk about my trainer.
He’s young for a trainer—in fact, aside from Wilm-chan’s trainer, he’s the youngest. Not from some prestigious family. Just an ordinary rookie trainer.

We met before the selection race. I caused him all sorts of trouble… honestly, it was an embarrassing first meeting in hindsight. I ran away because his excessive cheering embarrassed and scared me… ugh, no, let’s forget that. That past never happened. Yup.

Anyway, despite my average result—third place in the selection race—he scouted me. He said he fell in love with my late kick, that he wanted to run with me, that he’d devote his life to supporting me… It was so embarrassingly earnest I turned red on the spot.

…Later, I found out it was advice from Trainer Horino, the one in charge of Hoshino Wilm, and he just copied the lines. Who knew a Cupid was hiding in a place like that? …Though I’m not sure that stone-faced Wilm-chan’s trainer would actually say such dramatic things.

As for his personality… he’s a bit delusional and believes someone like me can be a protagonist. He’s not very practical and his sense of presentation is… uh… honestly not great. Okay, that sounded like an insult, but I really am grateful to him. He picked me up, supported me—he’s my savior. I’ve even been cooking for him sometimes to repay the favor.

…Which got me caught by all the shopkeepers on the shopping street—who adore me—while we were out buying groceries together. That was unbelievably embarrassing. “She’s my beloved pride and joy!”—no, absolutely not, please don’t say that out loud!

And because he’s like that… he sometimes pulls stunts like this.

"H-Hoshino Wilm!? A mock race with her!? You’re kidding, Trainer!?"

"Of course I’m not kidding! Ahh, what good fortune! Truly lucky!"

"No, no—he’s excited beyond reason…"

There’s a very real reason I’m this terrified.
After the selection race, rumors started floating around that Hoshino Wilm might be the strongest of our generation. I got curious and… I saw it with my own eyes. Her debut.

And I gave up.

If Tokai Teio is “the strong one,” then Hoshino Wilm is “the only one.”
She doesn’t even see other Uma Musume. She just runs fast—simple in one sense, but absolute. Just like they said, she did resemble Silence Suzuka-senpai from TV. Overwhelming. The kind of running that crushes hope the moment you see it.

Even if I lined up in the same race, I couldn’t imagine running with her. It would only ever be a battle for second, trailing behind someone whose victory is predetermined.

Not a protagonist—a demon lord.
Not a hero—a heel.

That’s why she got called “the Snake,” a villain-like nickname. Probably.

Challenge someone like Hoshino Wilm?
Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not that impressive of an Uma Musume.

Sure, back home I almost never lost, and I had some confidence.
But here at Central, at best I could maybe place decently—but not win. My legs don’t have the firepower. Someone like me challenging that typhoon… it’s beyond presumptuous.

…Well, whatever I said, the decision couldn’t be overturned.
Trainer-san is stubborn only at times like this…

The real Hoshino Wilm—Wilm-chan—was, just as expected, a mysterious girl. Expressionless, her ears and tail almost never moved. Yet the moment she looked at me, she froze up stiff.

People said she didn’t care about anyone, but suddenly she asked, "Let’s be friends," and "You may call me without honorifics," and things like that. On top of that, she looked at me with sparkling eyes.

…It’s super lame, but right then I got carried away. Being given special attention by someone so overwhelmingly talented… it made me feel superior. I even started thinking maybe I was something special too.

…Well, that misunderstanding shattered within ten minutes.

Right before the mock race started, her atmosphere visibly changed. The calm, quiet aura around her turned cold and sharp. Like a bright walk home suddenly becoming a nighttime forest full of hidden beasts—anxiety, fear, tension.

It was terrifying.
That was the true nature of “Hoshino Wilm” the Uma Musume—not “Wilm-chan.”

"Um…"

"Cold."

She was entirely focused on herself, not paying attention to my words. Her eyes stayed fixed on the turf, not even glancing at me.

And that’s when I finally realized it.

…This girl wasn’t interested in Nice Nature the Uma Musume.

The race began, and immediately I was forced to face the difference between us.

Sure, our strategies were different—escape runner vs. closer—so pacing varied. But even knowing that, watching the distance between us stretch was hopelessly crushing.

Well… of course. Honestly, it was almost comforting. She and I are built differently. Different talents. Different… potential.

Nice Nature could never beat Hoshino Wilm. Between us is a gap so wide it’s practically another dimension. So it’s only natural I couldn’t catch up.

She’s overwhelming. A completely ordinary girl like me could never compete. And really, she wasn’t even looking at me. I don’t think she recognized me as running in the same race.

…No.

She didn’t even see me as a fellow Uma Musume.

And suddenly—
That thought made me frustrated, out of character for me. So frustrated I wanted to scream. So frustrated I clenched my teeth and balled my fists.

Before I knew it, I kicked off the ground.

This was a race I could never win from the very start. No matter what I did, I could never cross the finish line ahead of her.

Then at least… I’d make her look at me. Force her to acknowledge me. Chase her so close she couldn’t ignore me.

With that determination, I ran for real—full power.

…Well, the result is that I couldn’t even catch her.

When I closed in to about two lengths behind, she flicked her eyes toward me. Eyes without warmth. Cold, filled only with hostility. She recognized me for just a moment, like looking at a stone by the roadside…

And the next instant, she turned her gaze away and raced off into the distance.

Honestly?

I was happy.

Because even for a moment—just a tiny, fleeting instant—
I was reflected in her eyes. A genius acknowledged me, even slightly. Recognized that I existed…

…But that—
Being happy about that—
is the most frustrating thing of all.

That day was awful.

I ran a race way beyond my level, reached the goal completely exhausted, showed my weak side to Trainer-san…

…But maybe that day was the beginning. The day Trainer-san and I truly started running together.

After the mock race ended, Wilm-chan and I started doing joint training. Apparently, she begged Trainer Horino for it.

…It seems she really did come to like me. Not my running, probably—but something else about me, I guess.

Trainer Horino is unbelievably strict. Every session pushes us to the breaking point. …Well, being trained hard is good for me, but still. Nature-san ending each session with trembling legs, unable to stand, is… kinda terrifying. We’re tough Uma Musume, you know? If we can’t even stand afterward, is that really okay?

On days our breaks lined up, Trainer Horino would dump Wilm-chan on me. She’s apparently a hardcore training addict. …Wait, training addict? Doesn’t that basically mean she’s a straight-up masochist?

Anyway, she’s such a demon for self-training that the only way to stop her is to leave her with me. We’re friends, so I don’t mind, but…

I knew she was extremely disciplined, but I didn’t realize she was this extreme. It’s honestly a little funny.

Probably, after Trainer Horino, I’m the one most familiar with Wilm-chan in the whole academy. I almost never see her interacting with other Uma Musume.

Though she seems really close with her dorm roommate, Happy Meek-senpai. Sometimes her tail sways just a tiny bit as she talks about how cute her senpai is.

That tiny bit of emotion—barely visible unless you watch her ears and tail carefully—is what makes her so adorable. Well, her face stays expressionless anyway.

…And I?

During all that time, I kept observing Hoshino Wilm.

I don’t have any kind of amazing talent. I’m not strong. If we were to run normally, not even in a one-in-a-million chance—no, a one-in-a-billion chance—could I ever beat Hoshino Wilm. That’s why I did exactly what my trainer told me.

"If you want to win, start by gathering information. Learn what kind of Uma Musume Hoshino Wilm is, how she thinks, and how she runs. Know your enemy and know yourself, and you won’t lose a hundred battles."

Habits. Thinking patterns. Decision tendencies. Running form. Posture. Preferences. Dominant leg. Meal timing. From trivial things to the important things, I watched Wilm-chan relentlessly, learning everything I could. I gathered all of it and built, inside my head, a “theoretical Hoshino Wilm.” What would she do if the race unfolded like this? What would she do if she made this kind of mistake? What would she do if I did something unexpected? I think. I think. I think. I think and think and think. If my body can’t win, I’ll use my head. If my head stops working, I’ll train my body. Over and over. Ever since that mock race, I’ve been using everything I have to figure out how to catch up to Hoshino Wilm.

"Next time… I’m the one who’s going to win, Wilm-chan." It really doesn’t suit me, but… I’d never burned with motivation like this before.

My chance at a rematch came sooner than I expected. I got to know Teio, lost the Wakagoma Stakes by two lengths, won a couple of other open-class races, learned how to intimidate opponents mid-race… and before I knew it, half a year had passed. Then my trainer arranged another mock race against Wilm-chan.

"2000 meters on turf? I thought you said she was unbeatable up to mid-distance?"

"Yeah, your chances are slim. But the Nature you are now… I think you can grab it."

Seriously, this trainer of mine… Supporting a useless Uma Musume like Nature-chan with such sincerity, and believing in me like this. While I felt something warm building in my chest, he lifted the cardboard box at his feet onto the desk.

"Uh, what’s this?"

"Open it."

Inside were… letters? From who…?

"They’re from everyone back home… and the shopping district."

"Right. They arrived recently. They’re all for you."

Wow. They’re bundled together—there must be around fifty of them. Every single one is filled with words: cheering for me, telling me to do my best, saying they believe in me…

"It’s not just me. There are a lot of people who believe in you. That’s why… I want you to believe in yourself too. I want you to try."

My trainer is stubborn, helpless with household stuff, and honestly kind of a mess. But he always sees me. And because he sees me… he knows exactly how to fire me up. Maybe I wasn’t blessed with talent. But I was blessed with a good trainer… and that’s probably undeniable.

"…Ah geez, come on, this is kind of cheating. Sorry, but trainer, look away for a minute." He’s already seen me embarrass myself plenty of times. But even so, I don’t want him seeing my face all scrunched up. Next time… I’ll show him something cool. Tokai Teio and Hoshino Wilm. Two real geniuses born in the same era as me. I’ll show him that I can beat them.

The conditions for the second mock race were entirely in my favor. Neither Teio nor Wilm-chan was paying attention to me. They were too busy watching each other, unable to spare even a glance for me. Which meant… I was completely unmarked. Perfect for doing whatever I wanted.

The spectators were all watching those two as well. People cheering for Teio, people cheering for Wilm-chan, and people who just wanted to see how the race would end. The number of people watching me was probably… maybe one oddball at best. Well, that’s fine. I’d already gotten the power I needed the day before. When my trainer and everyone else believes in me, that’s all I need to feel like I’m on home turf.

The conditions were perfect. My form was the best it had ever been. Teio didn’t look like she was at her peak, and Wilm-chan—rarely—was in noticeably poor condition. Everything was a tailwind.

I can do this. Today I’ll win. I want to win. I’m an Uma Musume just like them, running in the same race. I’ll catch up. I’ll pass them. Absolutely—I’ll catch those two shining geniuses.

"I’ll win… in my own way."

And the race began.

"Most likely, Hoshino Wilm will increase the pace to crush Tokai Teio. …Well, I don’t know if Wilm herself will decide that, but if it’s Horino-kun, he’ll definitely push her toward that plan. It’s the most certain, most perfect way for her to secure victory."

The trainer’s prediction was right, and the race began with Wilm-chan pulling everyone into a high-tempo pace. In response, Teio chased after her exactly as we’d planned in advance.

…Teio really does have incredible confidence. No matter how others run, she sticks to her own racing sense with rock-solid conviction. But having confidence also means she relies heavily on her instincts. If we pressure her from behind long enough to make her feel, "Something’s off. I should move up," she’ll trust that feeling and charge forward without hesitation.

This, too, was exactly as my trainer anticipated. Our attempt to force Teio into a long early spurt succeeded.

…However, a new problem appeared. Teio alone still couldn’t corner Wilm-chan.

Truth is, neither I nor my trainer really knows the exact limits of Teio or Wilm-chan. We don’t know how much difference there is between them. All we can do as outsiders is predict the race and build strategies around those assumptions.

And she—she went beyond those assumptions.

I never imagined Wilm-chan could raise the pace just enough to maintain a perfect gap behind her, like some sort of circus act. Even with Teio clinging to her, she still had enough left to keep running away from the field.

I grit my teeth. I wanted just a little more time to conserve energy. To overtake Wilm-chan, I’d need even more speed. But at this rate, she’s going to run exactly as she “expects” to. …And that’s no good. I can’t win like that!

I dig into the turf and kick off hard. If that’s how it is, then so be it—I’ll spurt too, and pressure Teio from behind. I’ll force her to close the gap to two lengths behind Wilm-chan. And then, when those two burn out from pushing too hard, I’ll fly past both from behind… That’s my only option!

I run. I run. I swing these legs with everything I’ve got. My legs aren’t particularly strong. I know that. That’s why I created this situation—dragging the other two down to my level in terms of stamina. In this setup, I…

I can take first place!

…But. A true genius will exceed expectations again and again.

Thud—

Or at least, that’s what it sounded like.

The sound of Wilm-chan kicking off the ground. Accelerating. The sound of her launching into an even stronger spurt. According to all our calculations, she should’ve been completely drained by this point. There shouldn’t have been any stamina left for another burst.

…And yet, deep, deep inside, she still had hidden strength left.

"What!?"

"…Tch."

Teio and I groan at the same moment. Even her overwhelming performance up until now hadn’t been her true full effort. This widening gap—this is the real difference in talent between Wilm-chan and me.

…Haha. I still can’t reach her. The stars in the sky are so high up. No matter how far you stretch your hand, you can’t touch them. Even if a nobody like me works hard, some things are simply impossible. Like always, I should just give up cleanly.

Someone like me could never beat Hoshino Wilm.

…As if. You really think I can give up now!?

I grit my teeth. I whip my already-screaming body forward. Impossible? Too much? I can make excuses after the race. I came here today to beat Wilm-chan and Teio. I’m not giving up now. I refuse to abandon that beautiful shine!

Today—here—I’m going to win!

At that moment.

Crack.

A fracture spreads across my racing vision.

…Ah, did I finally lose it? What’s happening to my eyes? A strangely calm part of my mind murmurs that from somewhere far away. But who cares? I have to go forward. I have to overtake those two. This crack is in my way—so is my own limit.

Crack, crack. The fractures spread. Shards of vision peel away at the edges of my sight and scatter.

Limits. It’s because limits exist that they get in the way. Faster. Faster, faster, faster—faster!

I’ll pass Teio, Wilm-chan, and even my own limits.

…I'll definitely reach it—beyond that point!

Crack.

A sharp sound echoed, like something breaking.

And beyond the cracked, splintering vision ahead of me—right on the other side of those fractured lines—there she was. Wrapped in glittering shards of light as she crossed the finish line.

Hoshino Wilm.

"Ah—"

A reality I didn’t want to acknowledge lay right in front of me, and in that instant my vision snapped back to normal.

This place… right, it’s the mock race.

I pushed myself to chase those two with everything I had, but even then—I still couldn’t reach them.

Once again, I lost to Hoshino Wilm.

Suddenly, my legs felt heavy. Every joint in my body throbbed with pain. My vision flickered. I couldn’t feel the ends of my limbs.

No good. I can’t run anymore.

Even if I want to—no matter how desperately I wish for it—my legs just won’t move.

And like that, once again… I lost.

I wasn’t even one step away.

The margin with Teio was just a neck. But the gap between me and Wilm-chan… more than eight lengths.

I’d been gathering information about her all this time, and even then… I still didn’t know her limits.

That’s why—I lost so pathetically here.

Frustrating.

Frustrating, frustrating, frustrating!!

I should’ve made it. I really thought I could! Everything lined up in my favor—every condition was perfect!

The race went almost perfectly too. I even handled Teio however I wanted…!

And yet—despite all that—I still lost!!

My trainer, everyone back home, everyone in the shopping district—everyone, everyone put their hopes on me!

I was supposed to win. I had to win!

And yet… if only… if only my legs had moved more…!!

Why. Why…!

The shining chestnut coat, the small back I’d glimpsed through those cracks.

I can’t reach that star…!!

"Nature-chan… no, Nature."

A hand rested on my shoulder. Not Trainer’s hand—thinner, warmer.

When I looked up, Hoshino Wilm was standing there, wearing an expression I had never seen on her before.

Was she… excited? Her eyes were wide open. Her expression was a strange blend—somewhere between joy and anger—like emotions overflowing with no way to tell which was which.

Her ears were perked straight in my direction, and even her tail was swishing wildly.

"Nature, please. Let’s run together again. …I want to run with you again."

Those brilliant, blazing eyes were fixed on me as she said it.

…Ah. So that’s what this is.

Just like back then.

In the first mock race, when I made her glance back for just a moment—made her wary.

That was the first time I entered her field of vision. The first time she recognized that I existed.

And now, this time—I was finally acknowledged by her as a rival… as another Uma Musume running the same race.

At long last—truly at long last—Nice Nature has been allowed to stand on the same stage as Hoshino Wilm.

It annoyed me how arrogant it sounded, and yet… being recognized felt honestly, simply good.

But more than that…

The flame of fighting spirit inside me, which had nearly been blown out by a fierce wind… roared back to life.

"Of course… next time, I’m going to beat you, Wilm!"

It was no good this time. It’s true—I lost. A complete defeat.

But that was this time.

Now that we’re co-stars, our stage continues.

Again and again and again—I’ll sink my teeth into her lead…

And someday—I’ll be the one who wins!

I… I’m an Uma Musume too!

To me, Hoshino Wilm became the star ornament hanging far above.

Even if I can’t reach it yet—someday, I’ll grasp it for sure.

…So be ready, Wilm.

The one who will stop your Triple Crown… is me.