Chapter 220: Ahh… so we ended up meeting, huh.

If you searched through Tracen Academy, you’d probably find around nineteen hundred girls like me—an utterly ordinary Uma Musume whose only small claim to fame is that I once beat Hoshino Wilm a single time.

I do have some racing ability, but only to a point. Maybe I could manage something on the regional circuit, but by central standards I’m completely average.

My first three years are over, and now that my peak period has already passed, I’ve been allowed to run in a few graded races—but I’ve never actually managed to win one.

To put it bluntly, I’m not an amazing Uma Musume. Among the twenty-something girls who make it past the summer of the Classic year, there are usually about five to ten like me—utterly ordinary, perfectly average racers.

I’m not the radiant gray star who shines like a god.

I’m not one of the dazzling stars that glitter brightly enough to compete with her.

Nor am I a rival who runs alongside them.

I’m just an ordinary person who looks up at them with sparkling eyes.

Sure, I’m an athlete who can run reasonably well.

But more than that, I’m a fan who enjoys watching the stars shine. A nameless background mob Uma Musume, practically part of the scenery.

That’s me—Shissou Beam.

In other words, instead of becoming a star who draws in countless fans, I ended up becoming a fan of the star Uma Musume myself.

For background girls like us, it’s not unusual at all to admire the famous, named Uma Musume.

Even girls who win G3 races—and sometimes even those who run in G1 races—have their own favorite racers they follow obsessively.

That’s just how blinding the best performances can be. For ordinary people like us, those runs that we could never possibly achieve burn themselves into our eyes.

If I were being cynical, you could say I broke.

I strayed from the strict path of an athlete and escaped into the enjoyable path of being a fan.

But if you look at it positively, you could also say I moved forward.

I found a way of living that suits me. Apparently, I like cheering for someone else more than running myself.

Anyway—

Right now I’m living my life at Tracen Academy as about half athlete and half fan… no, maybe more like a 3:7 ratio.

Fortunately, I even have a best friend I get along with… well, actually we don’t get along that well, but somehow it’s still fun being together.

Cheering for my favorite racer is fun.

Spending my days with my best friend makes me happy.

So I don’t have any regrets.

Though… well, yeah.

If you choose a different path, there are inevitably things you’ll never obtain.

Shissou Beam gave up on herself.

So those stars who refuse to give up on themselves probably won’t value someone like me.

Those sparkling, brilliant racing Uma Musume.

I threw away my right to stand on equal footing with them.

Instead, I settled for being part of the faceless masses—the fans.

Which means they’ll never recognize me as an individual again.

I’m just one of the crowd now. One fan among many, cheering them on and celebrating their victories.

As a fan who at least knows a little about racing, I should understand my place.

…At least, I should.

"Ahh, I see. So it was a closing charge… yeah, even Wilm could lose to that. That girl might not look it, but she’s not very good at things like controlling the pack or timing her break."

"Huh? Hoshino Wilm is bad at that? No way—that’s impossible. Besides, breaking through is easy, right? You just run when you think, ‘Ah, this is the moment!’"

"Whoa, a genius. Just what you'd expect from the Western prodigy said to rival Wilm—the heroic princess herself."

"Hm? Sarcasm? Well, it's true that Japan’s ‘fixer’ doesn’t have that much talent, but that's fine—she’s still not on this girl's level."

…

Right now, I was sitting there with two absurdly elite thoroughbreds on either side of me.

"Hey, that’s going too far. Beam, don’t worry about it, okay?"

To my left sat an Uma Musume with fluffy chestnut hair tucked under a cap.

She was the fiercest rival of my absolute favorite gray star. Or perhaps Japan’s proudest strategist—a dim yet steadfast shining “fixer” who filled the gap between talent and effort with sheer hard work.

The famous third-rate star, Nice Nature, looked at me with concern while holding a smoothie.

"Well, I do understand the scary side of the Nature type… but in this girl’s case she’s lost that stoic color entirely. Though, even if it was just a strange coincidence, beating Hoshino Wilm is certainly interesting."

To my right sat an Uma Musume whose golden brilliance was hidden beneath a hat.

She was the threat that once shook my beloved gray star. Or perhaps the protagonist of the Western world—the true gold born into this era.

The heroic princess who challenges the dragon, Understandible, watched me with keen interest.

These were the stars who challenged the strongest legend in history—and who, more than anyone else, yearned for that very legend.

Surrounded by such dazzling star Uma Musume, I shrank into myself, feeling completely out of place.

"A-a-a…"

This is bad.

I think I’m going to die.

---

How did I end up in a situation this blessed—no, this completely beyond my station?

The story goes back a few hours earlier.

That day was a once-in-a-lifetime celebration for me.

A festival held only once a year—a holiday for her fans.

Yes.

It was the day of Hoshino Wilm’s fan meeting.

Fan meetings for Uma Musume aren’t actually that rare.

Once they climb close to the top, they often enter the stage where they become so-called “star Uma Musume,” gaining idol-like popularity.

And when that happens, fans naturally want to see them more—to know more about them.

That’s what the big spring and autumn Fan Appreciation Festivals are for… but human desire never ends. The demand to interact with stars goes far beyond just that.

And the URA, the governing body of Uma Musume racing, is a for-profit organization.

When there’s overwhelming demand, their job is to supply it.

So things like live events and fan meetings eventually become part of an Uma Musume’s work.

…Of course, I only know that as knowledge.

I’ve never held a fan meeting myself. I’m not a star.

The most work I ever get is being a backup dancer at dance events—and even those are usually for G2-level racers at best.

Backing up someone of Wilm’s level? That’s a role reserved for G1 Uma Musume.

A G3-level girl like me would be hopelessly outmatched.

Anyway, fan meetings themselves aren’t rare.

But once you add the words “Hoshino Wilm’s,” the story changes completely.

Hoshino Wilm is an incredibly stoic Uma Musume.

Though the prevailing theory is that she’s actually more like Silence Suzuka—a girl who simply loves running more than anything else.

She doesn’t care much about money or popularity.

She’s happy to do quick fan service, but anything that cuts into her running time is another story.

Because of that, the amount of idol-type work she does is small even compared to other G1 Uma Musume.

And large events like fan meetings—those requiring huge preparations—are even rarer.

Rumor has it the URA puts quite a bit of pressure on her about it.

But even so, this was only the second time, the first being a year ago.

Last time she was merely a national star within Japan.

But now, Hoshino Wilm is an international star celebrated across the world—and even in racing history itself.

Naturally, her popularity has skyrocketed.

The lottery odds for this kind of event are absolutely insane.

…Seriously, they’re brutal.

According to fan estimates, tens of millions of people applied for the lottery this time. Half of me thinks the number is ridiculous, and the other half thinks, “Well… if it’s Wilm, that sounds about right.”

Even with a huge venue, there’s a limit to capacity.

Winning a ticket is about as likely as pulling the highest rarity in a gacha game twice in a row.

Tickets almost never show up on resale sites, and when they do, the prices are eye-watering.

This world is hell.

For someone like me—with no powerful connections and no huge fortune—it’s basically pure luck.

The only thing I could do was pray at shrines every day and volunteer picking up trash to build up good karma.

And the result?

"Unfortunately, we were unable to prepare a seat for you in the lottery."

Well, yeah.

Not surprising.

The odds were never that easy.

Still, if I didn’t win, I could always buy an online ticket instead.

I’d almost given up and accepted reality…

But then one of my reliable friends—whom I bribed with a sweets buffet to cooperate—

A girl clearly kissed by the goddess of luck—

Managed to secure a ticket.

After some mutually beneficial negotiations, the ticket ended up in my hands.

And just like that…

I was allowed to enjoy this event in person!

Was the event fun, you ask?

It was absolutely incredible!

The merchandise booths were packed with limited goods I’d never seen before—and even more packed with people.

I lost the lotteries for the handshake and autograph sessions, so I used that time to stand in line forever until I finally managed to buy a limited tote bag, a fan, and a pin badge.

You could only buy three items per person on site, so the rest I’ll order online later. I can’t wait for them to arrive.

Then the talk show began—something every attendee could watch.

Hearing Hoshino Wilm talk about recent events and upcoming races was amazing. And when she gave a casual wink to the crowd, the entire venue erupted in cheers.

Then when Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen appeared as guests?

The place absolutely exploded.

Those three had dominated the senior circuit last spring.

They might not be the legendary “Three Stars,” but this trio is incredibly popular too.

Personally, I adore them.

The strongest in history, the genius who chases that strength, and the embodiment of a prestigious bloodline.

They really feel like the top-tier Uma Musume.

But they’re not just cool—that’s part of their idol charm.

During the “expose corner,” they started revealing hilarious secrets.

McQueen failing her low-carb diet.

Teio getting scolded by Student Council President Rudolf and ending up totally crushed.

Wilm getting so distracted watching her trainer while walking that she walked straight into a utility pole.

All sorts of behind-the-scenes stories you’d never normally hear.

The fact they could tease each other like that just proved how close they were.

Rivals, yet also casual friends.

For fans who love character relationships like me, that kind of thing is lethal.

And finally—the grand finale.

The live performance.

As both athletes and idols, Wilm and the others are used to this kind of show.

Their performance—clearly the result of months of practice—was incredible.

Sharp, synchronized dancing with Teio and McQueen.

Crystal-clear singing voices echoing throughout the entire venue.

I waved my gray penlight—Wilm’s color—like crazy, cheering with everything I had.

All in all, this fan meeting was unbelievably fun.

I was truly glad I came.

And I hope I can come again next time…

Well, maybe that’s asking for too much.

Anyway, with my brain still flooded with happiness from the performance and Wilm’s final blown kiss, I left the venue feeling like I was walking in a dream.

…

The problem came after that.

Still dazed by the dazzling spectacle I had just witnessed, I completely failed to notice the terrifying presence approaching from behind.

"Um…"

The moment a hand touched my shoulder, I finally sensed her presence.

And in an instant, my carefree mood plummeted—

No… that’s not quite right.

Rather than plummeting, my body simply froze solid with tension.

Now, if this had just been another fan, I wouldn’t have been nearly this surprised.

Some of the merchandise I bought earlier—like the pin badges—came randomly from a selection of several types. If someone had asked to trade for one of those, I’d have been more than happy to oblige.

But the voice that called out to me… wasn’t like that.

It wasn’t the kind of hesitant call someone makes to a random crowd.

It was directed straight at me—with certainty.

With frozen tension and a faint, feverish hint of expectation, I turned around.

Standing there were two girls.

One was a blonde wearing a hat with a slightly wide brim pulled low enough to hide her eyes.

The other had long chestnut hair and seemed to be concealing her identity with a cap and sunglasses.

The one who had spoken was the blonde—she was also the one gripping my shoulder.

Meanwhile, the chestnut-haired girl frowned apologetically.

Beneath the brim of the blonde girl’s hat, I could see her lips curve faintly.

"Do you have a moment?"

…I knew these two.

Actually, at this point, there were probably almost no people left in this world who didn’t know them.

I had watched their races countless times, so even through such light disguises I could recognize them.

And it wasn’t just me.

The many fans around us must have noticed as well.

Even though the sidewalk was packed with people, there was a strangely open space around the three of us.

Everyone was carefully avoiding us.

But even if they noticed, no one approached them.

Because fans understood that was the most important piece of etiquette—the minimum distance that had to be maintained.

"Sorry about this. She wouldn’t take no for an answer."

These were the kind of Uma Musume who naturally received that kind of consideration.

They stood at the center of the racing world—the ones who stirred up the storms.

"I’ve wanted to speak with you for quite some time."

She lifted her hat just slightly.

From beneath it, brilliant golden eyes shone.

Pierced by the gaze of one of the stars striving to challenge the gray legend, this low-tier Uma Musume nearly blacked out on the spot.

---

…and so.

About twenty minutes later.

"Shissou Beam… the Uma Musume who first surpassed Hoshino Wilm.

I finally found you. There was almost no data left from that selection race back then, so I had to search quite a lot."

"Sorry about this, Beam-san. …Is Beam okay? Alright, Beam it is.

She happened to spot you by chance, and once she did, she absolutely insisted on talking to you…"

After leaving the venue and heading to a café some distance away…

I found myself sandwiched between Understandible and Nice Nature.

…Why?

Well, if you ask why, the reason was obvious.

"That commemorative acrylic keychain from the Hopeful Race three years ago… you’ve been supporting Hoshino Wilm since back then, haven’t you? Ever since you lost to her.

I don’t really know much about that period, so I wanted to hear about it from someone."

That’s right.

Because I knew about that time.

The days when Hoshino Wilm was still barely known at all.

In other words, these two—well, mainly Understandible—wanted to hear that story from me.

And if that was the case…

Well, I was so nervous I felt like I might die, but there was nothing for it.

After all, even if they weren’t my absolute number-one favorite like Wilm was, they were still racers I admired.

"O-o-okay! I understand! I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything I can!"

I would sing of the beginning of a legend—the myth as I knew it.

…After all, there was no way I’d ever be surrounded by two star Uma Musume like this again.

A background mob like me should do what background mobs do best—help the stars however I can and spill every bit of information I know.

Although I’m so nervous I might spill something else first, so… would it be okay if I took a quick bathroom break?

---

Even now, the memory still burns behind my eyelids.

The selection race three years ago, the very beginning.

The one I competed in back then… was her.

The gray star.

The divine dragon.

Hoshino Wilm.

Though… well.

Before she met her one-and-only partner—Trainer Ayumu Horino—she didn’t carry the same overwhelming pressure she does now.

"Is that so?"

"I never raced against her myself, but back then she definitely seemed much more on edge."

"Oh, so that part was true."

…She was tense, sure—but let’s set that aside for now. Right now we’re talking about ability.

If I stood beside Hoshino Wilm today…

My legs would probably stop moving.

Her overwhelming, almost unreasonable power would shake my heart.

The certainty that I could never win would make running feel meaningless.

Even if I somehow managed to run, there’s no way I could perform the way I usually do.

In every sense of the word, I can’t stand on the same stage as Hoshino Wilm.

I don’t have the talent or the potential.

…But back then, she was just barely—just barely—within a place where I could compete.

"That’s the reason you mentioned earlier, right? Because she’s a closer.

…Though with someone like Hoshino Wilm, you’d think she’d handle that sort of thing skillfully."

That’s probably because you only know Hoshino Wilm after she started working with Trainer Ayumu Horino.

"Ah… yeah, that makes sense. I see now.

For me, Hoshino Wilm has always been the pair of Ayumu Trainer and Wilm together. Honestly, if it were just one of them alone, I could beat them easily."

…Scary.

This heroic princess really is terrifying.

Even to an amateur’s eye, Ayumu Horino and Hoshino Wilm are a perfect match.

No—“perfect” doesn’t even begin to cover it.

If anything, it’s dangerously perfect.

Based on everything I’ve learned from seriously following that pair over the past three years…

First of all, Ayumu Horino is an extreme data-driven strategist.

And by extreme, I mean it literally.

It might sound strange to say this, but the easiest way to imagine it is that he himself is basically a high-performance supercomputer.

Through exhaustive investigation, marking opponents, predictions, countermeasures, and planning, he builds race strategies that some of Wilm’s stablemates describe as “pseudo-future sight through advanced calculations.”

It’s only a rumor, but apparently he even prepares branching plans for scenarios like how all seventeen other runners might move during a race.

Most trainers just say things like “force them to deal with your strength” or “the race really starts at the third corner.”

But not him.

"Yeah, seriously, talking to that guy is wild," Nature said. "His knowledge is ridiculous. No matter what you ask, he gives you the theory and the correct answer.

I don’t do it myself, but if you asked him about Will’s race tactics he’d probably tell you straight up. Those two are confident they can still win even if everyone knows their strategy."

"Ayumu Trainer and I get along well," Understandible added. "Honestly, when it comes to understanding races and observing Uma Musume, he might be among the best in the world.

Though in exchange… how should I put it… he seems weak at improvisation. Ad-libbing, was it?"

…Wow.

Even these two talk about him like that.

Honestly, that’s reassuring.

Even among top-tier trainers, not everyone is at his level.

Surely not.

Anyway.

On the other side of the pair—Hoshino Wilm.

In complete contrast to the studious Ayumu Horino…

She’s an overwhelming genius.

I don’t think she possesses the kind of lightning-fast judgment during a race that someone like Tokai Teio, her greatest rival, has—or like the person sitting to my right here, who’s listening with such interest.

But… how should I put it?

She’s high.

Yes—high.

The girl once called a serpent gained wings in the form of her partner and soared into the sky.

Becoming a dragon, she captivated countless people with the sight of her flying through the heavens.

And before anyone realized it, she had become the farthest star in the sky—the one the entire world looks up to.

She kept rising higher and higher, farther and farther away.

If I had to put it in crude terms, maybe you’d say her growth ceiling is absurdly high.

Over the past three years, she has hardly slowed down at all, constantly pushing her highest point even further. No slumps, no yips—if anything, she’s accelerated.

That can’t be explained by Trainer Ayumu Horino’s brilliant management alone.

The perfectly refined form she shows in the final stretch.

The power that seems to accelerate her thinking speed to make that possible.

And the otherworldly state she began showing since the last Arima Kinen, apparently called the “Deep Domain.”

All of those are certainly expressions of her genius…

But if you trace them back to their source, they all lead to the same place.

Her immense room for growth.

Her endless ability to rise higher and higher without limit.

That, above all else, is the unique and absolute talent possessed by the Uma Musume called Hoshino Wilm.

In simple terms, racers like Tokai Teio or Understandible are early bloomers who excel at explosive growth, while Hoshino Wilm is the late-blooming type with an enormous final growth capacity.

Talent takes different forms.

That’s obvious, of course—but hearing it laid out like this really makes you realize it again.

"...Hmm. That's true."

"Mm… I see. Yeah, that actually makes sense.

Now that you mention it, that might really be Will’s scariest trait. That ridiculous physical ability of hers is the perfect example… and the fact that it’s all the result of her own effort is exactly why she shines so brightly.

You’ve got good eyes, Beam."

I’m honored. Seriously.

Is this really okay? Nice Nature just complimented me.

…Ah, wait. I almost got carried away. I need to return to the main point.

I absolutely cannot afford to give these two even the slightest hint of discomfort.

Once again—Ayumu Horino and Hoshino Wilm.

When those two come together, they become unbelievably dangerous.

Raised under the perfectly calculated training plans of a data-driven strategist, Hoshino Wilm quite literally grew stronger without limit.

The result of that is the Wilm we see today—the godlike Uma Musume who people say “doesn’t even have anyone who can run alongside her at race pace, not even in the Dream Trophy.”

…But.

Beyond that purely practical meaning, I think the existence of Ayumu Horino was something incredibly important for Hoshino Wilm.

From here on, some of this is my speculation.

But I think the reason I was able to beat her that day… was because Ayumu Horino wasn’t beside her yet.

The plans created by Trainer Horino are steady, meticulous, and filled with convincing logic. They are, quite simply, the best.

If I were one of the Uma Musume under his care… I’d probably believe in those plans completely.

After all, they establish a path to victory that almost never goes astray.

If you follow it, you can win reliably—and in a race full of uncertainty, that kind of guidance must be unbelievably reassuring.

Hoshino Wilm also trusts Trainer Horino’s planning ability.

Maybe not to the point of blind faith—but the trust is definitely there.

She talks about it often in interviews and articles, so there’s no doubt about that.

Because she carries that trust in her heart, she can run exactly the way she wants without fear.

Her partner has already built the road ahead.

So she won’t trip over stones or lose her way.

All she has to do is follow the wishes of her heart and legs and enjoy running the best race possible.

Which also means that in the first selection race, she didn’t have that yet.

She didn’t have Ayumu Horino—the reliable partner who would become her one and only.

So when the moment came to break out of the pack, she hesitated… and couldn’t fully unleash her finishing speed.

Hoshino Wilm believes in Trainer Horino’s thinking.

And Trainer Horino believes in Hoshino Wilm’s talent.

A trust so complete that doubt never even enters the picture.

In a sense, that might be the greatest synergy between those two.

And that’s probably the reason for the misunderstanding earlier between Anne and Nature.

Understandible only knows Wilm as the racer who has always been paired with Trainer Horino.

Nice Nature, because she’s personally close to them, can separate the two.

That difference in perspective might be the source of the gap in how the two of you view Wilm.

"...I hear you."

"..."

While I had been talking for a long time, the two global superstar racers who had practically abducted me had been chiming in with nods, questions, and comments.

But as I approached the end of my explanation, they gradually stopped speaking.

And now… they had fallen completely silent.

Um… could it be…?

Did I accidentally slip into that stereotypical fast-talking otaku mode or something?

As I trembled, Nature suddenly asked something strange—not with a smirk or criticism, but with a completely serious expression.

"...Beam. Did you come up with that idea using only information from a fan’s perspective?"

"Only? Well… yes. I mean, obviously. I don’t have any personal connection with Wilm… or Trainer Horino.

Most of it is analysis—or rather speculation—based on information from weekly magazines and Umatter."

"Really…? Truly?"

"Yes. Truly."

What exactly were they suspicious of?

Did they think I was some kind of stalker?

…I mean, I do check Umatter constantly, so maybe I qualify as an online stalker. But I’ve never done anything like that in real life.

I’m a fan of Hoshino Wilm.

A fan—nothing more, nothing less.

All my information sources are things that are acceptable for fans.

Sure, since I attend Tracen Academy there are probably other ways I could gather more information—but of course I refrain from those. Only elementary school boys enjoy hurting the people they like.

For example…

Even though Hoshino Wilm doesn’t take many jobs, she posts fairly often on Umatter. And there are things you can infer from her expressions during races or from the open training sessions held before them.

You can also learn a lot about Trainer Horino’s mindset and training philosophy from his columns. He’s very devoted to his trainee and talks about her quite a bit.

Taken together, the amount of information you can gather isn’t small at all.

I’ve been following them for three years.

That’s plenty of time to understand someone’s character.

When you collect enough information like that, you start to predict things like, “Wilm would probably think this way,” or “Trainer Horino would likely choose this training approach.”

I wouldn’t dare claim I’ve watched her more than anyone else…

But as a fan, I’ve followed her with considerable passion.

I’m fairly confident my predictions have decent accuracy.

…Though, of course, seeing something firsthand is always better than hearing about it.

If the star Uma Musume sitting in front of me deny everything I just said, I’ll gladly admit I was wrong.

"No… the perspective is different, but it’s actually a pretty good assessment. Honestly, a good one," Nature said.

"We were just surprised by the objective observations—things that wouldn’t normally occur to us.

You can be confident, Beam. Your understanding of Wilm is… honestly a little abnormal."

"I could see those things myself," Understandible added, "but I never expected to hear such interesting words from someone who is neither me nor Trainer Ayumu.

You… heh. You’re quite interesting, aren’t you? Shissou Beam, was it?"

…Why do I feel like the golden princess sitting to my right just gave me a rather ominous grin?

And the fixer on my left also looks like she might be plotting something…

"...So that’s the kind of talent you possess," Understandible continued. "A high-rarity ability that even I struggle to perceive.

Would you consider coming to France? As an observer specifically for dealing with Hoshino Wilm, you could be quite useful."

"Cut it out, Understandible," Nature said immediately. "This girl’s one of ours. No poaching allowed.

Beam, thanks for today. Here’s my personal contact info. If anything comes up, get in touch. Consider it both thanks for the interesting story and an offer to help if you ever need advice."

"Hey! That’s unfair—trying to get ahead of me? Nice Nature!

I want that too!"

"I’m just making friends with someone my own age."

"Hmph, then I will too! Here—let’s exchange contact details!

And besides the stories about Wilm back then… please tell me about recent Wilm as well, alright?"

"Uwah…"

Before I knew it, the scene had turned into two massive superstars cornering one completely ordinary girl.

What is this? A dream? Some kind of fanfic?

When did I become the original protagonist building an Uma Musume harem?

…Ah, whatever! You only get to have dreams this happy once in a while!

By tomorrow I’ll wake up and everything will be back to normal anyway!

Haha!

…That’s what I told myself at the time, trying to escape reality.

But afterward…

Both Nice Nature and Understandible actually started messaging me from time to time.

They even invited me out to hang out as friends.

As a result, my roommate and best friend—Po-chan, who happens to be a huge Nature fan—ended up directing a terrifying amount of jealousy toward me.

How did this happen?

…Seriously, how did this happen?!