Chapter 217: Hot Spring Trip (1)

The trees weren’t dense enough to feel oppressive—rather, they rustled gently, like a carefully maintained grove.

The gradually warming sunlight was softened by the shade, scattering glimmers of light across the parking lot.

Amidst that, we stepped out of the car and exchanged a few words.

"It was a tough opponent, that URA Finals."

"It really was a long and enjoyable battle…!"

Three months had passed since the Arima Kinen of our senior year’s first season. Now, it was the end of March.

To fulfill a promise we had made a little over a year ago, we had come to a hot spring inn located about two hours by car from the city.

This past year had been incredibly intense—so hectic it made your head spin—so much so that it almost felt like a distant memory.

At the start of last year, Wilm had encountered a lottery event just like the one from her previous life’s app, and she kept pulling like a demon. After hours of struggle, she finally won the grand prize: a hot spring trip ticket.

…That incident was also when she was saddled with the extremely dishonorable nickname of “gacha disaster comedian.” Though lately, thanks to her overwhelming success in races, people didn’t say it as much anymore.

At the time, every second mattered during her peak development period. On top of that, we were still correcting the physical discrepancies caused by my absence at the end of the year—so there was no way we could go.

But now, her three-year peak phase had finally ended, and her physical condition had stabilized.

And Masa had grown enough to take care of Bourbon for a few days.

With all those conditions finally met, we were able to go on this one-night, two-day hot spring trip.

As a final check of Masa’s abilities as a trainer, I had entrusted Bourbon entirely to her.

Most of the mountain of desk work had also been cleared. Even if it piled up for two days, it would barely fill a quarter of the trainer’s office—and if something urgent came up… well, dealing with it would be good experience for her.

Right now, I was completely free.

My first real break in about six months.

Having fully delegated my duties as a trainer to Masa, I was here not as a trainer, but as an individual named Horino Ayumu.

A true vacation where I didn’t have to think about training at all, with no messages coming in—this might be the first time in four years.

Even when I went fishing, I always made sure I could return immediately if needed.

Of course, if Wilm wished for it, I would return to being her trainer…

"Ahaha… man, that really was a fun race! I didn’t expect her to adapt that much in just one month and close the gap to four lengths."

"Not that I should say this, but doesn’t Nature feel kind of like a protagonist with cheat abilities? She’s already surpassed Teio, hasn’t she? I wonder how far she’ll go…"

Wilm, who had been reminiscing about the recent URA Finals, quickly switched gears and turned to me with a bright smile.

"Oh, but! The race was great, sure—but I’ve been really looking forward to today too! It’s been since the France expedition since I got to relax alone with you, Ayumu-san!"

"Right? Let’s take it easy today and tomorrow. No ‘contract trainer’ or ‘racehorse girl’ stuff—just for today. Not Hoshino Wilm and Trainer Horino, but Hoshino Wilm and Horino Ayumu. Okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it."

She really was adorable, practically bouncing with excitement.

…At this rate, I could probably get away with interacting with her as a person rather than as her trainer during this trip.

Not as a businesslike teacher and student… but as two close individuals—even with the age gap—one human and one Uma Musume.

"Yay! Got your word on that!"

"Alright, let’s go, Ayumu-san! I haven’t been on a trip since my previous life—uh, I mean, probably since I was a baby, so I’m really excited!"

"I wanna eat those sweets they leave in the inn rooms! If they’re good, maybe I’ll buy some as souvenirs for everyone!"

She was unbelievably excited—every line she spoke practically came with an exclamation mark.

Normally, I might’ve told her to pace herself or she wouldn’t last until tomorrow… but she was an Uma Musume with unparalleled stamina. Even this level of excitement wouldn’t wear her out in two or three days.

If anything, the one in danger of running out of energy was me. I’d have to keep up with her.

…Also, she casually mentioned her “previous life” again. Was she not even trying to hide it anymore?

After checking in at the inn’s entrance—Wilm handled it, both because she’d won the ticket and for the sake of experience—we were guided by an attendant through the atmospheric building.

The room we were shown to was quite spacious—big enough for four or five people if needed.

After setting down our luggage and taking a breather, we decided to casually look around the unusually large room.

"There it is—the mysterious space in Japanese-style inns. What is this, anyway?"

"The engawa. It’s sometimes used as a sunroom or for drying laundry."

"It also helps keep humidity and odors from entering the main room, aside from adding to the atmosphere."

"Huh… I just got a little smarter. So it actually has a purpose."

"Well, there’s no such thing as a meaningless space… but still, this room is pretty big."

"Ghk…"

"…Well, whatever. I’ve trained myself to relax anywhere—from sleeping bags to mansions—so I’m just grateful."

"Phew…"

As we chatted, Wilm—apparently without any specific goal—opened a cupboard and let out a cheerful voice.

"Oh, yukata! I’ve actually never worn one before. Perfect chance to debut, right?"

"It’s not as complicated as a formal kimono, but it’s still a bit tricky. Can you manage?"

"Hmm… oh, there’s an illustrated guide. If I follow that, I think I’ll be fine?"

She sounded a bit uncertain, but after about five minutes—while I respectfully kept my back turned—she had completely figured it out.

"How is it?" she asked shyly.

The light, delicate fabric suited her slender frame perfectly.

Traditional clothing is designed for builds like hers, after all.

So it was only natural that it looked good on her.

"My partner is the cutest in the world."

"Ehehehe… that’s embarrassing!"

She pressed her cheeks with both hands, wriggling happily.

A while ago, she would’ve turned bright red and run away at something like that, but lately she had learned to accept praise more honestly.

She used to have no tolerance for compliments, but over the past three years, she had gradually grown used to them.

It was a little sad that I couldn’t see that flustered, blushing Wilm anymore…

But more than that, it made me happy.

When we first met under the moonlight, she carried a coldness like a beast that had returned to the wild…

But she learned warmth. She learned happiness. And her heart began to soften.

Now, for her, that warmth was “normal”—something she had come to accept as part of her everyday life.

And I felt happy too.

This time… I didn’t make a mistake.

I moved. I helped her properly.

A sense of fulfillment I had never reached, in either my previous life or this one, until I met her.

In these past three years, I had changed a little… no—

Perhaps she had changed me.

Thinking that, I sat down—and Wilm naturally settled beside me.

We relaxed quietly, the tension of the journey finally easing.

"Ahh… it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Just being able to relax without thinking about anything."

"Yeah. Our jobs keep us busy."

"Especially these past three years—with your peak development and rapid progress, and my own lack of experience showing."

"Maybe next year will be calmer… actually, probably not, right? You’re definitely going to get more trainees."

"…Sharp as ever. Between us—there’s already an internal notice. I’m supposed to take at least two this year."

That information was technically confidential—but sharing it within our team was fine.

Besides, it was about time I told her.

It was scouting season.

Three months had passed since the new students enrolled—enough time for their abilities to start becoming clear.

Of course, most still didn’t have assigned trainers, and their full potential wasn’t yet revealed.

But…

My top pick was Narita Brian.

A dark bay Uma Musume with a sharp gaze and strong presence. The younger sister of Biwa Hayahide, who would likely be central to this year’s Classic races—and from my perspective, she had outstanding talent.

But recruiting her would be difficult. The girl who stormed into our trainer’s office on her first day and threw down a challenge would probably try to face Wilm from another camp.

Another candidate…

The chestnut-haired Uma Musume Wilm had scouted—Sakura Laurel.

After seeing her in person, she had a rather peculiar running style.

She reminded me of Tokai Teio—immense talent paired with fragile legs.

Without careful support, she might easily suffer an injury.

A delicate kind of brilliance. To put it simply, the kind that makes you want to support her.

Guiding her without injury would be extremely difficult… but if I may say so myself, I specialize in that kind of training.

She’s already told others she’s “waiting for a scout,” and has turned down offers saying, “There’s a trainer I want to chase my dream with.”

So once this trip is over, I plan to approach her.

When it came to other notable prospects…

There were names from the previous-life app, like Hishi Amazon and Biko Pegasus.

Then there were Immediate, Virtue Mind, Samson Big, and Above Rini.

That group, at least, felt like they had more than enough potential to make a name for themselves.

Of course, that didn’t mean they were the only top-tier ones—there were plenty of other Uma Musume as well.

Yeah… another incredible class this year.

It looks like we can expect some fierce races again the year after next.

…

…Oops. My thoughts had drifted too far into “trainer mode.”

I brought my attention back to Wilm beside me.

"So with two more, that makes four total. Wow, our team’s doubling in size all at once. Honestly, that’s pretty tough for someone with social anxiety."

"Social anxiety, huh? You seem pretty good at handling yourself, though."

"I can do it if I have to. But, hmm… fundamentally, I just don’t really enjoy talking to people all that much. Well, aside from you, Bourbon-chan, and Masa-san—our group is an exception."

"At my core, I guess I’m more introverted… or, you know, kind of a loner type."

"So you’re someone with strong independent thinking, the discipline to face yourself seriously, and the ability to resist external distractions and temptations."

"Wow… what an incredibly mature, diplomatic way of putting it…"

"In social settings, choosing words that don’t upset the other party is the basics."

"…Your peak phase is over, so maybe it’s about time you started properly learning that side of things. It’s not that hard. You just memorize patterns and phrasing, and keep your mind working."

"Nyaaah~"

"Hey, don’t try to dodge it with cute noises."

"Unyaaah~"

"Cute."

She really did have a stubborn aversion to studying.

Well, to be precise, it wasn’t that she hated studying—it was that she loved running.

It wasn’t that she disliked studying itself. She simply wanted to spend that time running instead.

In a way, that was even harder to deal with than a simple dislike of studying.

If she hated studying, I could just teach her how fun it was—but in this case, I’d either have to make it more enjoyable than running, or somehow lessen her love for running.

The former was insanely difficult, and the latter was something I absolutely refused to do.

Getting Wilm to sit down and study was extremely challenging.

Still… she couldn’t avoid it forever.

Hoshino Wilm was now at the very center of the world of competitive racing.

Her fame far surpassed even the idols or athletes from my previous life—she was closer to the level of world leaders or historical figures.

Naturally, that meant people would seek connections with her for all kinds of reasons.

In other words, sooner or later, she would have to step into high society.

…And beyond that—

Even if not immediately necessary, those skills could prove useful someday.

Of course, that would depend on the path she chose.

…

Anyway, setting that aside.

Ever since coming into this world—and Wilm seemed to be the same—we had always been chasing something.

Training. Supporting someone.

Running. Avoiding defeat.

Whenever we had time, we poured it entirely into effort.

Even during the France expedition, while we did get moments to rest together, those were still “optimal rest for racing.”

Truly relaxing without thinking about running at all… the last time might have been when we stayed up late talking together at the end of last year.

"This really is peaceful…"

"…It kind of feels wrong, doesn’t it? Just lazing around in the middle of the day like this."

"I get it. Like at standing parties—you end up drinking wine in the middle of the day when you’d normally be working. Even if it’s technically part of the job, it still makes you think, ‘What am I even doing?’ I felt that even more after I started working at Tracen."

"Standing parties… oh right, you actually go to those? As a trainer?"

"I try to keep it to a minimum, but yeah."

"Like the other day… four days after the Japan Cup, when I left things to Masa and went out? That was a party for URA sponsors."

A gathering of influential families and powerful figures.

Originally, my father was supposed to attend, but due to trouble in a branch family, I went in his place.

I chatted with Ruby—Daiichi Ruby—for the first time in a while, got lightly teased by the elder of the Mejiro family, had Satono approach me with, “Would you consider training one of ours?”, and even had several families aggressively try to introduce their daughters to me.

With the Horino family’s status having risen significantly, it was a hectic day.

"Honestly, I don’t like that kind of work. Watching you all train is much more enjoyable."

"But parties are still work… even if there’s good food?"

"You can’t really eat freely at those. You just pretend to nibble to show you’re available, or tilt your glass to signal trust to the host…"

"It’s like filming a food review show—you don’t actually get to enjoy the meal. You have to chew, swallow, and keep the conversation going."

"That’s what those parties are like. Even if it’s a buffet, eating isn’t the main point."

"Ugh… there goes the romance… my dreams of fancy party food…"

"You’re not even that into high-end cuisine in the first place."

"That’s true."

Wilm tended to prefer instant food or casual diners over fine dining.

Masa and I had developed our palates because of our upbringing, but without that, delicate flavors could just feel faint and hard to appreciate.

…Well, getting her used to that could come later.

For now, this was more important.

"Here, try this."

"Mmph… oh, this is good."

"We’ll buy some later. Yeah… it’s pretty tasty. Let’s get some for Bourbon and Masa too."

I opened the wrapper of the sweets on the table and handed one to Wilm.

…She really was adorable.

For a while, we spent a quiet, peaceful time with no interruptions.

We even turned off our phones and asked the attendant not to come in for a while.

If only this moment could last forever…

Maybe thinking that way was a bit sentimental.

---

When it felt like the right time, we decided to head to the hot springs… but—

"H-hot springs! I’m so excited! Really excited!"

"…Hey, Wilm. I was thinking—"

"Ahaha—so excited for the hot springs!"

As the time approached, Wilm started acting strangely, and once we left the room, her behavior became outright suspicious.

…Well.

To be honest, there had already been a few things that felt off—and a few things I had figured out.

Like why a lottery ticket from the local shopping district near Tracen would get us a trip to an inn two hours away.

Or how this place seemed far too high-end for a first-prize lottery reward.

Or how I didn’t remember this inn being listed on the ticket at all.

Or how the attendant earlier had started to say, “Your private family bath time is—” before Wilm hurriedly tried to cover it up.

…Looks like she might’ve picked up some bad habits from Nature in that regard.

"Wilm, isn’t there something you should be telling me?"

"Ghk—!"

"…If we’re going to enjoy this together, let’s skip the scheming."

"U-uuuh… yeah, okay… you’re right. I… may have pulled a few tricks…"

Wilm lowered her head, shoulders slumping, her expression stiff with guilt.

She probably thought she’d done something wrong—and that she was about to be scolded.

…But—

I simply patted her head and gave a wry smile.

"I’m not mad."

"Huh? But…"

"If I were your trainer, I’d criticize you. There are too many issues with this."

"…But as Horino Ayumu, the individual—"

Her eyes lifted toward me, uncertain.

And before I knew it, I felt the urge to indulge her a little.

Normally, I would suppress impulses like that—they’re unnecessary when raising an Uma Musume.

But here… at least within this inn—

"Being generous enough to forgive a little mischief from the girl you love—that’s part of being a man, isn’t it?"

Compared to everything she’s worked for, that much happiness is hardly enough of a reward.

—

As I tried to calm down the overexcited Wilm, we headed toward the hot springs… and along the way—

"Th-that is…! The legendary thing I’ve heard about!!"

"The ping-pong table."

Just as you’d expect at a hot spring inn, there was a table tennis setup. A few arcade cabinets were lined up nearby as well.

…It probably added to the atmosphere, but I couldn’t help wondering how profitable these actually were.

The fact that something so trivial even crossed my mind—maybe it was because I wasn’t acting as a trainer right now.

Meanwhile, Wilm, still running at full excitement, grabbed my hand and pulled me along.

"Let’s play, let’s play! Table tennis at a hot spring inn—this is so on-theme!!"

"Sure, I’m in. Maybe after the bath, though. I don’t think I can beat an Uma Musume’s physical ability…"

"Huh? No way—getting all sweaty after the bath would be awful. Let’s play now!"

"…Fair point. I guess I just had this image of playing after the bath. Wonder why."

"True… why is that? Anyway, I’ll go easy on you, so let’s do it!"

And so, after letting the staff know, the match began: me versus Wilm.

…To put it simply, I got absolutely demolished.

Well, of course I did.

My lack of skill, Wilm’s natural aptitude, and the sheer physical gap between a human and an Uma Musume.

There was no way I could win under those conditions.

Toward the end, Wilm held back quite a bit—the “vanishing magic ball” (which was really just too fast to see) slowed down to something closer to a strong serve from a skilled player…

But even then, I couldn’t properly return it.

Honestly, I felt a little bad. I wasn’t much of an opponent.

Still, Wilm seemed to enjoy herself—and so did I.

—

"Not bad, moving your body every once in a while."

"Well, it’s about that time. Let’s call it here for now—"

I said, stepping away from the table, but—

"Part—ner—"

"Hm?"

That single word stopped me.

“Partner.”

There was only one person—well, not exactly a person, not even an ordinary living being—who called me that.

I turned around.

Standing there was a completely expressionless “Hoshino Wilm.”

…Wilm is usually highly expressive—so much so that it’s hard to believe she once played a “no-expression” role.

I hadn’t seen her like this in nearly two years.

That’s why the figure in front of me felt like a completely different person…

Because she was.

"Hoshino Wilm. Been four days."

"Yaaay."

Holding up a double peace sign without changing her expression, she was Hoshino Wilm—

The other “her” within Wilm’s body. The one I distinguish by calling “Wilm” and “Hoshino Wilm.”

Simply put, she wasn’t the Uma Musume—

She was the horse.

—

Three months ago, at the Arima Kinen, Wilm stepped into what could be called the deepest domain of Uma Musume.

The Uma Soul—the origin of the power that supports them.

It had once finished running, come to rest, and fallen into a peaceful sleep…

But Wilm grasped the shape of her own soul, understood it, reached it—and awakened it.

If the source of an Uma Musume’s power lies in that soul, then running in harmony with it represents the pinnacle of their ability.

The end point of a racing Uma Musume—and also a new beginning.

That realm is called the Deep Zone—the “Stella Apex.”

That is the power Wilm obtained.

A star of ultimate mastery that all should one day reach.

…By the way, both “Deep Zone” and “Stella Apex” are names I came up with.

Well, obviously—there wasn’t going to be a name for a place no one had ever reached before, so we had to name it ourselves.

What do you think? Pretty cool, right? Simple is best when it comes to naming.

—

And so, the soul Wilm awakened…

The reincarnation of “Hoshino Wilm,” the horse, is the girl standing before me now.

Another “Hoshino Wilm” residing within Wilm’s body.

"Long time no see. Partner, you were getting pretty lovey-dovey."

"The other you is the woman I love. If we’re alone together, it’s only natural I’d get a bit soft."

"Lovey-dovey~"

Still expressionless, yet somehow clearly amused, she spun in place, idly holding a ping-pong paddle.

Control of the body primarily belonged to Wilm, which was why Hoshino Wilm didn’t appear like this very often.

Apparently, simply watching the world through Wilm’s perspective was enjoyable enough for her.

To Wilm, she was a benefactor, a half-self—another self who sometimes took over her body—and, in some ways, like a younger sister.

To me, she was a benefactor, a friend, another beloved partner—and, in some ways, almost like a daughter.

An innocent girl, cherished by both of us.

That was Hoshino Wilm.

—

"So what’s up this time? Wanted to try those sweets yourself?"

They shared senses, but she said it felt different when she experienced something through her own will, so she occasionally came out to try things herself.

She had really liked the glazed carrots I made the other day—watching her quietly flap her hands in delight had been endearing.

So I assumed it was something like that again, but—

At my question, she stopped spinning and looked up at me.

"No. I want to try table tennis."

"Table tennis, huh. That would be your first time."

Originally a horse, she had gained human-level intelligence, reason, and a body as an Uma Musume upon reincarnation.

Just like with food, experiences unique to being an Uma Musume seemed to fascinate her—and table tennis was probably one of them.

"Do you need me to explain the rules?"

"No. I learned from watching."

She swung the paddle—whoosh, whoosh—her movements already looking surprisingly natural.

Actually… she was probably already better than me.

Well, it made sense. The original source of Wilm’s abilities—a pure, overwhelming natural genius.

"Alright. I’m gonna crush you."

"Wait—didn’t I just get crushed earlier?"

When I raised an eyebrow, Hoshino Wilm shook her head firmly.

"No. That wasn’t good. She was too soft. And unfair."

"A match should be played seriously. Otherwise, it’s disrespectful to your opponent."

"You use your full strength and completely break their spirit. That’s proper manners."

"Okay, hold on. Let’s pause for a second, Hoshino Wilm."

"Your full power as the strongest athlete alive will destroy the paddle, the ball, and the table. And probably me too."

"And this isn’t a serious match—it’s just a game. The point is to have fun together, not to go all out—hey, wait, seriously, stop—Hoshino Wilm, don’t—DON’T DO IT—!!!"

—

To sum it up, I ended up covering the cost of the ping-pong ball, net, and table… plus repairs for three holes in the floor and wall, replacement wallpaper, and renovation costs for several rooms as a gesture of goodwill.

Seeing her horse ears droop flat in genuine remorse, I decided to forgive her this time.

She had only just awakened as an Uma Musume.

Taking responsibility for mistakes like this—that was the job of an adult like me…

…and, perhaps, the responsibility of the man who stands beside Wilm.