Chapter 184: I’m a trainer, so I managed to hold back. But if I were just a fan, I wouldn’t have been able to.

One of the Uma Musume under my care, Hoshino Wilm, would be avoiding races for a while.

Even though it was a decision I made myself, if I’m being honest, it’s not like I don’t have complicated feelings about it.

I didn’t say anything in front of Wilm, but I’m a trainer too. Of course I wanted to send my trainee into the autumn G1 races.

There’s no trainer in this world who wouldn’t want the horse girl they care about to shine.

If it’s Hoshino Wilm, then even if there’s some mismatch in aptitude or race feel—and even if her opponents are Teio, Nature, McQueen, or Meek—she would win. I’m confident she could.

The fans want it. She wants it. And I want it too. If that’s the case, there should be no reason not to do it.

…But at the same time, I’m not just her fan. I’m also an adult, her guardian, and her trainer.

There are things that must take priority over personal emotions and convictions. Hoshino Wilm’s present and future are perfect examples.

She’s still a child. Her perspective… well, considering she’s a reincarnator, it might actually be broader than most kids’. But even so, whether she truly understands the value of the future ahead of her—and whether she can prioritize that over her emotions—the answer is no.

That’s why I, as her partner, have to stop her.

Rational. Calm and composed. Never forgetting the original goal. Never confusing the means with the end. In a sense, even coldhearted.

That’s the attitude a trainer of Uma Musume must take.

…However.

Even so, as one of Hoshino Wilm’s fans, I still wanted to see it—Wilm winning the Autumn Tenno Sho, or defending her title at the Japan Cup.

“…I wanted to see it.”

I muttered the words quietly to myself where she couldn’t hear me.

My spirits had fallen low enough that I couldn’t help saying it out loud.

The day after the strategy meeting where our whole team had gathered for the first time in a while.

As the evening gradually shortened and before the sun had fully set, I headed out to the shopping district to pick up supplies.

Of the two Uma Musume under my care, Wilm would be reducing her running for a while. She’d be doing something closer to rehabilitation—light training to readjust to turf without using her thought-acceleration ability… along with the independent training she would inevitably start doing on her own.

Honestly, it’s a headache when trainees start doing their own training without permission. Managing that is difficult.

…but when it comes to Wilm, three years of studying her habits means I can usually predict what she’ll do.

Besides, she probably wants to run comfortably too. As long as I give her the minimum warnings, she shouldn’t push herself to the point of straining her legs.

I should be able to manage it somehow. If I try hard enough.

Anyway, while Wilm’s running volume will decrease for a while…

Bourbon, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. Her running volume is about to increase dramatically.

She’s currently expected to become the second consecutive undefeated Triple Crown winner among front-running Uma Musume. And more than anyone else, she herself desperately wants to achieve it.

With the Kikuka Sho fast approaching, my return to Japan has triggered the start of her final push training.

“Final push training” refers to the brutal training used to perfect race condition before the real event.

To put it bluntly, it means pushing an Uma Musume’s body right to the brink of breaking just before the race.

Recently we’ve had ridiculously gifted talents appearing one after another—Wilm, Teio, Understandible, Bourbon—it almost distorts your perception.

But in most cases, the physical abilities of the Uma Musume running in a race aren’t drastically different.

If you represented their abilities with numbers, the difference would usually be something like 99, 100, and 101.

A near-even fight.

Which is why the real factors that decide races are strategy devised with the trainer, positioning during the race, techniques developed over long periods, and split-second judgment.

And above all, the tiny difference in talent—no bigger than a fingernail—gained from just a little extra training.

Using the earlier example, that would be the difference between 100 and 101.

The gap is only one point. It sounds insignificant.

But that single point can separate victory from defeat—producing the difference between a momentary shortage of speed and a win decided by a neck or even a nose.

Uma Musume will do anything to increase their chances of winning.

Part of that is pushing their bodies right up to the brink of injury, trying to close even a single step of the distance between themselves and the glory of first place.

And the final training before a race—the one that takes risks without compromise right up to the limit—is that pre-race final push.

Of course, our team is no exception.

Up until now, both Wilm and Bourbon have pushed themselves to the limit physically and mentally before races.

…Well, in Wilm’s case before, she was risking her life just to avoid losing. Now she simply enjoys running. As for Bourbon, she’s the type who doesn’t find effort painful at all.

Compared to other Uma Musume, they might even have a bit of mental leeway.

But even if their hearts don’t wear down, their bodies accumulate fatigue.

And at the same time, the towels, shoes, and training wear they use steadily take damage.

Anyway, that was a long preface.

In short, I came to the shopping district to stock up on supplies before the intense training begins.

As a trainer, this kind of shopping run is something I have to do regularly.

“…Hm?”

Suddenly, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

Like I’d been in this situation before.

As I tried to recall what felt off, I suddenly remembered something from last year—about a month before the Arima Kinen, when I fell into a coma.

Come to think of it, something happened that day when I went out shopping too.

Back then I hadn’t been especially troubled about anything, but the season getting colder and the purpose of going out to shop must have dredged up that bitter memory.

Looking back on it, that really was a failure. The other guy was an amateur who couldn’t even hide his presence, and he didn’t even shove me that hard—yet I couldn’t sense it coming, couldn’t brace myself, and just collapsed. Just how weakened was I back then?

Well, it was just a passing thought.

It’s not like incidents happen every time I go shopping.

This time I’ll head home quickly and spend the evening organizing data and preparing documents for tomorrow.

…Or at least, that’s what I thought.

But looking back later, I never imagined something like that would happen.

…Even though I should have known.

Fate isn’t always woven from logic and probability.

More than that—there are people in this world who leap past all that and make things happen in dramatic fashion.

People who are practically like protagonists.

---

While thinking about that, I arrived at a large sports shop.

Given its location near Tracen Academy, it carried solid products and was a frequent destination for trainers and racing Uma Musume alike.

From cost-performance oriented gear to high-performance equipment, the store had a fairly generous selection from numerous manufacturers. I often buy the equipment Wilm and Bourbon use here.

Honestly, things like towels are fine, but training shoes should ideally be custom-made for each Uma Musume’s legs.

But I still follow the advice my father gave me when I was young: “Once you start going down that road, there’s no limit and no ceiling.”

So I stick with commercial products.

Thinking about it now, that man loved Uma Musume quite a lot too. Maybe he’d gotten carried away before and learned the hard way.

Like overspending so much it nearly wrecked the Horino family finances.

Maybe I should ask him next time I visit home. He did say he wanted to talk.

Come to think of it, it’s been a long time—maybe the first time ever—that I’d talk to my father about something other than trainer work.

…Anyway, I’ve gotten sidetracked.

I should focus on the products in front of me.

It’s been three months since I last came here. I wonder if the selection has changed.

I walk around the store first to get a general overview.

Today I came to buy shoes, joint supporters, the sports drink powder Wilm mentioned wanting again, and bandages.

But if I find any new products, I’d like to try those too.

Thankfully, thanks to Wilm’s unbelievable winning streak, I personally have a fair amount of money to spend without touching the Horino family funds.

Not that it’s repayment, but for the sake of supporting them, I have no intention of sparing expenses or limiting my methods.

This doesn’t only apply to sports equipment, but when it comes to products, I think they generally fall into three price categories.

First: very cheap products with questionable reliability.

Low prices always come with reasons. Cut labor costs. Lower-quality materials.

As the saying goes, “buy cheap, buy twice.” There’s risk involved.

For top athletes like Wilm and Bourbon—well, really for any Central racing Uma Musume—those products simply aren’t suitable.

Naturally, this store doesn’t carry items like that.

Next: extremely expensive items with correspondingly high performance.

Prices can climb endlessly, and quality tends to increase gradually along with them.

The key is deciding where to compromise between price and performance… though personally I tend to shut off my brain and buy the most expensive thing. Masa has even teased me about it—apparently it’s a classic noble-family move.

The items I buy for Wilm, Bourbon, and even myself generally fall into this category.

After all, they’re among the best athletes in Japan—and the world.

…but that’s not all this store sells.

Most of the racing Uma Musume attending Tracen Academy won’t make it into G1 or G2 races.

They’re open-class runners.

So to meet their needs, there’s a third category.

Finally, there are reasonably priced products.

These are the kinds you usually see in regular retail stores—the mass-produced items most widely distributed in the market.

There are many types, but their performance differences are often minimal. Which makes choosing between brands surprisingly difficult.

Personally I don’t buy items in this category very often.

But sometimes, when a product in this price range appears with exceptional performance, the entire industry experiences a breakthrough and the standards shift dramatically.

The reason I’m browsing the shelves now is to see whether anything like that has appeared.

Of course, expecting a full product turnover in just three months would be unrealistic.

Still, I noticed a few unfamiliar products in the relatively inexpensive range.

“Guess I’ll grab some for now.”

I probably won’t use them for Wilm, but things like oddly shaped supporters are worth investigating—asking fellow trainers or checking online reviews.

Sometimes innovations start with items like these.

…Not often, but if there’s even a small chance, it’s worth testing.

Oh, that’s the shoulder bag Teio promoted a while ago. There’s one with Wilm on it next to it too.

…Why does Teio’s bag look slightly more sold out? That’s irritating.

I’ll buy three of Wilm’s sponsor ones. They might come in handy for something.

Just as I was thinking that…

The automatic doors at the front of the store opened.

And a single Uma Musume walked into the sports shop.

Naturally, staring excessively at other people is bad manners, and there was no real need for me to do that anyway.

So without paying any attention to the new customer, I was busy trying to force the bags into the small basket I was carrying…

“Huh? …Tr. Horino!?”

A voice I recognized—yet one I absolutely shouldn’t have been hearing right now—reached my ears, and my thoughts froze.

The tone, the pronunciation, the intonation, and the emotion directed toward me…

All of it told me exactly who the speaker was.

Her.

But she shouldn’t be here.

Because the place she should be right now is on the other side of the planet—in Western Europe, in England.

It hadn’t even been five days since Wilm and I had finished all the procedures and left France.

Even counting from the fierce Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe itself, not even two weeks had passed yet.

There was no way she could appear here in such a short time.

…And yet.

When I instinctively turned my gaze in that direction, there she was—an Uma Musume standing there.

She was wearing a black mask and sunglasses, and her distinctive golden hair had been rearranged in an attempt at a disguise…

But something like that couldn’t possibly dull her brilliance—the golden radiance that no Japanese Uma Musume possessed.

And, perhaps needless to say, her charm wasn’t limited to her appearance alone.

Every movement she made, every word she spoke, overflowed with confidence and pride so bold it almost bordered on arrogance.

Yet the fact that she had acquired talent rivaling Wilm’s in just one year proved that it wasn’t empty self-delusion.

A racing Uma Musume who possessed both overwhelming beauty and the strength of a champion—different from Wilm, yet just as extraordinary.

A great bloom that suddenly flourished across Europe.

A lone hero shining brilliantly.

Understandible.

Her golden eyes widened as her refined face filled with astonishment.

…To be honest, I’m probably wearing the same expression right now.

---

Understandible—the outstanding racer who competed against Wilm in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

In the end, Wilm had won the race itself.

But anyone with a trained eye could clearly see the truth.

Understandible had never been inferior to Hoshino Wilm.

It was simply that she lacked racing experience—and that she hadn’t yet learned the threat posed by a so-called “ordinary talent” who had polished herself through relentless effort.

Well, calling her “ordinary talent” isn’t quite right either.

In terms of raw physical ability and technique alone, she was almost perfectly equal to Wilm.

If you compared it to a game, their stats were equal—but their levels were vastly different.

Because of that level difference, and the experience gap that came with it, Understandible had lost to Wilm.

But looking at it from another angle…

Hoshino Wilm was already in the late stages of her prime—almost completely finished as an athlete.

Understandible, meanwhile, had only been in her true prime for just over a year. She was still a Classic-class Uma Musume.

And yet they fought on equal terms.

That didn’t mean Understandible was weak.

If anything, it hinted at the overflowing talent she possessed—and the new era she might create.

The hero had not fallen.

Within about a week after the race, that understanding had spread widely throughout Europe.

And so she would surely continue to display her powerful legs there—shattering many dreams and fulfilling even more.

…At least, that’s what I had vaguely assumed.

Honestly, I had thought of it as someone else’s story.

Wilm had said, “We promised we’d race again someday,” but since Understandible was an overseas Uma Musume, the chances of them racing together would be limited.

On top of that, Understandible had been racing nonstop since April of this year—at a pace of more than one race per month.

Her last five races had all been G1s, and the most recent one was the Arc.

Her legs must have been exhausted.

If that was the case, the next time she and Wilm would race—and the next time I’d see her—would be at least half a year away.

Realistically speaking, something like next year’s Arc or the Japan Cup.

…Looking back now, I guess I had been thinking entirely within my own sense of logic—my own common sense.

Anyway, about ten minutes after that unexpected encounter…

After leaving the sports shop and walking for a bit, we found a bench beneath some roadside trees.

Having finished our shopping, we decided to sit there and talk.

As racing camps, Understandible and my team were rivals.

But personally, we weren’t strangers.

Actually, we had talked once before—and it turned out we got along fairly well. No, more than fairly well.

The way we think about racing, our perspectives on strategy—those things are surprisingly similar.

At the same time, she’s still an Uma Musume while I’m a trainer, so our viewpoints are different enough that conversations with her feel genuinely productive.

To be honest, the Uma Musume in my own camp are a bit tricky in that regard.

Wilm may not look like it, but when it comes to running she’s pretty intuitive, so it’s hard to have deeply theoretical discussions with her.

And Bourbon tends to view things from a broader perspective, which means she rarely disagrees with me and often just affirms everything.

So having someone I can discuss things with constructively—someone who will occasionally offer genuine counterarguments—is surprisingly refreshing.

And on top of that, we both happen to adore Wilm.

Maybe she felt the same way, because even though it had been over a month since we last met, she spoke with surprising familiarity.

"Wow, I’m shocked! I can’t believe I’m seeing Trainer Horino again!"

"Same here. Honestly, this might be the most startled I’ve been all year."

"Really? Even more than when Hoshino Wilm pulled even with Tokai Teio at the Spring Tenno Sho and it went to a photo finish?"

"At that time, I was certain Wilm had won. I wasn’t sure if Tokai Teio would ‘also’ win, though."

"Mmm, that’s confidence! Well, I thought the same thing! Oh, then what about when I was chasing Hoshino Wilm?"

"I believed Nedirika would explode and hold you back."

"Ahhh, so that really was your setup! As expected from the trainer who threw Seiun Sky at the tightly wound Hoshino Wilm—you’ll use anything!"

"In Japan, there’s a saying: ‘If someone’s standing, even use your parents.’"

"Japan is terrifying… Well, that one was my mistake, but I won’t repeat it. By the way, want to become my sub-trainer?"

"No."

Understandible looked at me with a competitive, almost alluring gaze.

Her golden eyes…

Yes.

They were slightly different from before.

"Aaaah, if only that hadn’t happened! I felt totally invincible back then! I definitely could’ve beaten Hoshino Wilm!"

"What’s the point of talking about ‘if’? Nedirika’s training overcame your talent, that’s all. And results are results—we won. The myth of Hoshino Wilm is still being written."

"Grrr, that’s so unfair! You misread Nedirika’s awakening and nearly lost when Wilm had to use her Domain!"

"Ugh, that one hurts… I honestly didn’t expect it to be such a hard counter Domain. But hey, my beloved partner covered for my mistake, so it’s all good! Wilm is unbelievably cute and an absolute genius! I’m proud as hell! My trainee is the best!"

"It’s true that Hoshino Wilm is amazing, but stop bragging about your trainee to someone from another team! As compensation, I demand you become my sub-trainer!"

"Isn’t my worth a bit cheap?"

…Still, I was raised in a prestigious family and had studied racing my entire life.

For someone like me to exchange ideas with her like this meant something important.

Even though she was only a second-year middle school student, her understanding of racing was remarkably deep.

She was probably the same type as Teio.

One of those people who simply understand.

And unlike Teio, when it came to her… how should I put it… the intuitive side was similar, but unlike Teio, she really struck at the core of things. It was like she properly grasped the underlying logic behind it all.

If that was the case, she probably didn’t have many people her age she could talk to about it. After all, there probably weren’t many who could instantly understand the racing theory she talked about.

That might be exactly why there were so few people she could discuss racing with as an equal like this.

Sitting on the bench and casually swinging her legs, she looked less like the elusive hero everyone talked about and more like an entirely ordinary girl.

Well, I’m sure she at least talks about these things with her trainer…

Still, talking as trainer and Uma Musume is different from talking with a personal friend. There are probably plenty of things that feel different between the two.

Anyway, after we’d spent some time catching up…

I finally brought up the real question.

"By the way… why are you in Japan?"

The reason Understandible was here.

It wasn’t as if I had absolutely no guesses, but none of the answers I could imagine felt convincing.

If even I hadn’t caught wind of it, then information about Understandible coming to Japan probably hadn’t been made public.

In other words, it was likely a personal trip rather than something related to her work as a racing Uma Musume.

…If she were a normal Uma Musume, that explanation would’ve been enough.

But Understandible could easily be called the European Hoshino Wilm.

Right now, she was the star Uma Musume drawing the most attention from fans—someone whose path people hoped would be filled with glory.

Just like how Hoshino Wilm was more or less carefully managed by the URA, the racing authorities over there would surely be doing everything they could to keep a tight hold on Understandible.

If someone like that crossed into another country—even for personal reasons—it would normally spark all sorts of political maneuvering and explanations from the racing authorities.

And if that kind of movement existed, there was no way it would’ve escaped my information network.

Which meant…

Well, the worst possibility was starting to come into view.

"Just so you know, I do have the option of informing your trainer—for the sake of the health and safety of a racing Uma Musume like you."

I gave her a narrow, suspicious look.

In response, Understandible hurriedly waved her hands.

"No, no, no! It’s not like I snuck out or anything! I got proper permission!"

"Really?"

I hadn’t spoken with her trainer that much, but so far I hadn’t gotten the impression that he—or she—was some kind of eccentric.

It was hard to imagine someone who would let such a famous racing Uma Musume run around freely for no reason…

Seeing that my suspicious gaze hadn’t softened, Understandible shook her head vigorously.

"No, really! You’ve got the wrong idea! I came here with a proper reason! I didn’t just come to visit because this is where Hoshino Wilm was born!"

"…Is that so."

"You totally don’t believe me!?"

This girl reminded me a lot of Wilm during the time she was obsessed with running mock races against Nature.

Even though every place has its own circumstances, I couldn’t help but worry a little.

"No, seriously! I’m not lying!"

"Then tell me why you came here."

At the same time as worrying about her…

It was also my job as Wilm’s trainer to draw information out of Understandible.

Doing something like this—turning a personal conversation into a bit of an information battle—might seem a little rude.

But coming from a prestigious family, this sort of thing was pretty normal to me.

Every word exchanged carries intent. Every sentence tests the other person’s reaction. That’s the kind of world I grew up in.

It felt a bit unfair to impose that style on her.

But the most important thing to me was my trainee’s success—not this girl.

Sorry for the deception, but I’m a trainer.

So tell me.

…That was what I had been thinking jokingly.

But her next answer made my eyes widen.

"Because I’m entering the Japan Cup!"

"There’s no other reason a racing Uma Musume would come to Japan at this time of year, right!?"

"…Huh?"

To be honest—

Those words were completely outside my expectations.

Understandible had been racing since April at a pace of more than one race per month—for over half a year.

Especially the last five races. Every single one had been a G1 race, and the most recent one was the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Even Wilm, who had exceptionally sturdy legs, had pushed herself to the limit last year with the schedule of the Yayoi Sho, Satsuki Sho, Derby, and Takarazuka Kinen.

Well, to be fair, she had ignored all attempts to stop her and run recklessly…

But still, it had placed enormous strain on her legs.

Naturally, Understandible’s legs must be under serious stress right now too.

Her biggest goal had been the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe—the race where she could face Wilm.

That’s why I assumed that once it ended…

She would take at least two, maybe three months of rest.

And yet…

The monster in front of me apparently couldn’t be measured by my standards.

She spoke with a bright smile, happily talking about the future.

"I promised Hoshino Wilm! We said we’d race again!"

"So I asked my trainer to register me for the Japan Cup. It was last-minute, but they said they managed to squeeze me in!"

"Hoshino Wilm will definitely run in the Japan Cup, right? I’m getting my revenge there!"

I found myself drawn into her eyes.

…Honestly.

That was a look I knew very well.

Her trainer must have been persuaded by that same look.

The pure desire of an Uma Musume who wants to run more and more.

The wish for someone to believe in her legs.

What trainer could possibly refuse that?

…Still.

There were two things I needed to ask her.

For now, I decided to start with the easier question.

After all, once I said what needed to be said later, she was definitely going to explode.

"I see. I understand what you’re saying."

"But then why hasn’t your visit to Japan been officially announced?"

"Well… you know. I’m really popular, right? If people found out I was in Japan, I might not be able to watch the Kikuka Sho in person."

"You’re planning to go watch it at the racecourse?"

"Of course! It’s the race Hoshino Wilm won last year, and this year it’s where the next big star might appear!"

"Japan’s races are getting a lot of attention overseas now, you know? Plenty of people watch the broadcasts."

"I’m glad to hear that… but if you told them, you’d probably be treated as a guest of honor."

"No, that’s not it! I don’t want to watch as a guest—I want to watch as a fan! You get that fan mentality, right?"

Honestly, I did.

I was a huge fan of that girl too, and sometimes my perspective as a fan slipped in alongside my role as her trainer.

Wanting her to run in both the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and the Japan Cup was a perfect example of that.

Of course, as her trainer, I couldn’t watch her race as a mere spectator.

"So the plan is to pretend I only arrived after the Kikuka Sho."

"Oh—and I only told you because you’re Trainer Horino. This is off the record, okay? Only my trainer and a few important people know. It’s top secret."

…I see.

If she was hiding her identity, something like that would indeed be possible.

Lying about her whereabouts for personal reasons wasn’t exactly admirable for someone in her position…

But maybe that way of thinking came from my upbringing.

Maybe normal people were more relaxed about things like that.

…No.

More likely, this girl was just especially carefree.

She didn’t seem like the type who worried much about how others saw her.

Yeah… her trainer must have a tough job.

Apparently they were almost as much of a rookie as I was.

Still…

Watching the race not just because Wilm had won it, but to find the next rising star, huh.

As expected, after that race she really had overcome her weakness of narrow vision and turned it into the strength of being able to observe many Uma Musume from a broader perspective.

Honestly, geniuses are troublesome like that.

One failure, and they learn ten or even a hundred lessons from it.

It’s something I’d like to emulate.

…But putting that aside.

There was one more thing I had to tell her.

And for her, it would probably be devastating news.

Thinking about the explosion that was about to happen, I couldn’t help but smile wryly.

But I couldn’t keep silent either.

So I forced my emotions down and spoke.

"There's one more thing. I’m sorry to say this to someone who’s looking forward to it so much… but please try not to get angry."

"Hm? What is it? Go on, tell me. It takes a lot to make kind, sweet Ann-chan angry, you know?"

She tilted her head with a cheerful smile.

I returned a strained smile filled with both amusement and apology.

And then I said it.

"Sorry, but Wilm won’t be running in the Japan Cup. Just like you, we plan to announce it publicly a bit later."

"……………………Huh?"

She got extremely angry afterward.