Chapter 27: A Useless, Hopeless Reincarnator

Long ago—long before I was even born into this world—back when I was still a child in my previous life, I had already become aware of one thing about myself: I wasn’t very efficient.

Putting in a reasonable amount of effort never yielded results on par with others. There were times when I had to work twice as hard just to stand on the same starting line. Studying, sports, entrance exams, job hunting, work itself—I struggled with nearly all of it, and more often than not, I never produced better results than anyone else.

My previous life, in particular, was a mess.

Compared to this one, I lived far more carelessly. Put kindly, I lived “true to my size.” Put bluntly, I was someone who lacked resolve. I handled studying, physical conditioning, and even actions meant to secure my future in the most half-hearted way possible.

And, of course, a half-baked person was rewarded with a half-baked life—and a half-baked end.

That day, as I was tapping away at my keyboard late into overtime, clack-clack-clack…

I was struck from behind with an ashtray by a junior colleague I trusted. Wham.

That is the final memory of my previous life.

Unfortunately, I failed to build a proper relationship of trust with him… no, that’s not quite right. I tried, but it wasn’t enough.

Maybe there was some misunderstanding. Maybe it was misplaced resentment. I’ll never know—there’s no going back to that world to confirm it now.

…Thinking back on it, I did end up doing something I should probably apologize to that subordinate for. Well, no—that’s wrong too. I was on the receiving end, so it’s more accurate to say that things simply ended up that way.

After all, beating someone like me to death and going to prison for it is about the worst cost-performance imaginable.

And so, after bringing such a half-finished life to an end and miraculously being granted another, I naturally steeled myself.

This time, I would live a good life.

Unlike my previous life, where I accomplished nothing, I wanted to become someone who could actually achieve something.

For someone like me, the image of “a Horino trainer,” drilled into me by my father, was the clearest goal imaginable.

I may have been untalented, but I had “app reincarnation” and the knowledge from my previous life—an advantage unrelated to talent, something you could almost call a cheap cheat.

Surely, that would be enough to compensate for my lack of efficiency. If I never neglected effort from the moment I was born, I could become a halfway decent trainer. A prestigious family, vast data, app reincarnation—the conditions were almost too perfect.

At times, it even felt as though the world itself was guiding me toward becoming a trainer.

I don’t want to die without accomplishing anything ever again. I want something I can be proud of. I want to excel as a trainer and face death with pride.

…In the end, that’s what lies at the core of my motivations—selfish desire.

Perhaps that part of me came back to haunt me.

Even after accumulating twenty years of effort, I was still half-baked and useless.

For example, my mentality isn’t suited to being a trainer. I obsess over details, turn win rates into numbers, and can’t truly believe in my charge’s victory from the bottom of my heart. I get nervous easily and brood over things alone.

I’ve only just managed to shake it off recently, but when I think about Uma Musume who lose races—about girls who lack talent and are forced to retire without accomplishing anything—my chest aches unbearably.

For example, I don’t know how close I truly am to my charge.

I’m aware that Hoshino Wilm trusts me. But I don’t know whether that trust is sufficient for me as a trainer. As her contracted trainer, am I maintaining the appropriate distance with Hoshino Wilm?

…I don’t know. And not knowing that is itself proof of my inadequacy as a trainer.

For example, my abilities as a trainer are lacking.

Nice Nature, who should have started far behind, pushed Hoshino Wilm to the brink and forced her to give it her all. Tokai Teio, who dominated the Satsuki Sho, overtook Hoshino Wilm once in the Derby and drew out a reckless form from her.

Domains. Awakenings. If I had been the one to guide Hoshino Wilm there, the gap wouldn’t have closed. Even tactically, I should have been able to devise more perfect plans, tailored to our opponents and circumstances.

Simply put, due to my lack of guidance, Hoshino Wilm is being caught up to by her rivals.

Nature’s trainer, in particular, is my contemporary. He became able to take on a charge at the same time I did. And yet… the overwhelming gap that once existed between Hoshino Wilm and Nice Nature has now all but disappeared.

That means his guidance is exceptional—and it proves that I was not a trainer worthy of leading Hoshino Wilm.

Looking back, maybe I was arrogant.

The training I’d piled up over twenty years gave me unwarranted confidence. I believed that if I never neglected effort, I could at least function as a proper trainer.

But reality proved otherwise.

I couldn’t even get scouts to seriously consider me, and I struggle to properly guide the Uma Musume who did agree to contract with me.

As for Horino’s top priority—staying close to the heart of one’s charge—I believe I’ve managed that, assuming I’m not being presumptuous.

But even then, wasn’t there a better way I could have supported her? I’m not as knowledgeable about Uma Musume psychology as my brother. If I had studied it properly, I should have been able to resolve those issues much sooner.

And even if I have stayed close to her… isn’t that just my own ego? Am I misinterpreting her wishes? Do I truly understand her heart?

In the end… was it really right for a half-baked person like me to be responsible for a once-in-a-generation genius Uma Musume like Hoshino Wilm?

Isn’t there, somewhere out there, a more suitable trainer—her destined trainer?

…Well, there’s no point dwelling on that.

I know hypothetical talk is meaningless. I know that—and yet… still.

If she were paired with someone who wasn’t a mob like me—someone with real conviction, like the protagonist trainer from my previous life’s app—

…maybe she would have been able to smile, truly, from the bottom of her heart.

That’s where my thoughts always end up.

Honestly, I even wonder what right I have to think this way.

I want Hoshino Wilm to be happy. I want her—someone with such a painful past—to walk a brighter path in life.

I’ve stayed close to her heart strictly as her trainer. Every decision I’ve made so far… every communication we’ve shared… even setting up races where she could burn with everything she had—I believe they were all the correct choices as a Horino trainer.

But… I can’t say with certainty that none of my personal feelings were mixed in.

At some point, I stopped cheering for her merely as a trainer.

I started cheering for her as an individual, driven by my own emotions.

When did I get so emotionally invested?

Was it when I decided, during the Satsuki Sho, to think of no one but her? When I learned about her past? When I confirmed her overwhelming talent at her debut race? When we finished our introductions and I saw her awkward smile?

…Or was it that night—the moment I realized I couldn’t leave her alone?

…Man.

This is another reason I’m unfit to be a trainer.

Wanting an unhappy girl to become happy—that’s the mindset of a fan, not the thinking of a Horino trainer.

…Well, it’s fine for now. Those two feelings don’t directly contradict each other.

In any case, the action I need to take is clear: to prepare the optimal environment for Hoshino Wilm as an Uma Musume, and to think about her future as a Horino trainer.

And so…

If that’s what it takes, I should even accept her being trained by someone other than me.

---

"Hoshino Wilm. Have you ever considered receiving guidance from another trainer?"

How should I even describe the change in her expression when I said that?

The mask of her blank expression cracked apart.

What appeared beneath it was a frozen, unguarded face.

Shock.

Blank disbelief.

Confusion.

…If I had to choose one word, then perhaps despair fit best.

"…………What do you mean by that?"

Her expression twisted, her voice trembling. Along with emotions that looked ready to burst at any moment, a heartbreaking plea echoed through the room—please, deny the worst thing I’ve imagined.

Is she feeling anxious?

Damn it—I never meant to make her feel this way.

…Calm down.

Take a deep breath.

Set aside apology, impatience, self-blame, and exhaustion for now. Put yourself last. Think about your charge.

I am her trainer. Now, and from here on out.

"So… I’m no longer needed? You’re… terminating the contract…?"

"That’s not it."

I shook my head firmly, pouring resolve into the motion.

That could never be the case.

Once I take responsibility for someone, I see it through to the very end.

And precisely because of that—

"I am your trainer. I won’t leave you.

…But it’s also true that my lack of ability has caused you hardship."

I took several documents out of the desk drawer.

"This is… to put it simply, a letter of delegation.

I’ll still remain your trainer, but when it comes specifically to your training, I’m thinking of delegating that part to a more experienced veteran trainer."

---

What sparked this idea was Mihono Bourbon’s reverse scout.

The words she spoke to me that day—when Hoshino Wilm showed her true seriousness for the first time—

"Horino Trainer, I would like to submit a request.

Would you please consider entering into a contract with me?"

At her flat, emotionless statement, I probably furrowed my brow just a little.

I’m a rookie trainer, and I’m only allowed one charge.

This isn’t clearly spelled out as an official rule; it’s what you’d call an unwritten understanding.

Still, by custom, whenever a trainer increases their number of charges, they’re summoned by Director Akitsuki and formally issued an appointment.

And even setting that aside, no one takes on multiple charges right from the start.

The reason is simple: it’s far too much work.

Basically, new trainers begin by serving as sub-trainers or instructors, observing the practical realities of the job.

And that’s when everyone comes to the same realization.

"Isn’t being a trainer absolutely brutal…?"

Communicating with your charge, training, going out to help maintain condition.

In the app from my previous life, that was mostly all there was to it.

But reality isn’t so forgiving.

First comes paperwork.

Contracts with your assigned Uma Musume. Registration for the Twinkle Series and the Classics. Race entry applications. Permissions for using grounds and facilities. Confirmation and approval regarding royalties, portrait rights, and copyrights once merchandise gets involved. The more famous your charge becomes, the more these tasks increase—exponentially.

Next is accounting.

Replacing worn-out shoes and stretched training wear. Purchasing consumables. Collecting receipts. Categorizing daily transactions. Then, once a month, compiling everything into a trial balance and submitting it upstairs.

Then there’s reporting.

Organizing records of the training you conducted, your Uma Musume’s physical condition, your analysis of those factors, and future plans aligned with race rotations—formatting everything neatly and sending it off to both the training center and home.

…That’s the desk work you handle on a daily basis.

And on top of that, there are countless irregular tasks piled on as well—often even more than the routine ones.

Extended investigations into rival stables. On-site inspections and analysis of upcoming racecourses. Deciding whether to accept interviews and managing schedules. Accompanying training sessions. Reading papers on new training methods, shoes, and horseshoes…

There’s too much to do. Far, far too much.

Central trainers have to be exceptional from the outset.

General education is tested during licensing. Personality during interviews. Only well-rounded individuals are selected.

And naturally so. Without that level of competence, you simply won’t last.

Once you become a trainer, you’re expected to handle an absurd volume of work every single day.

Especially at the beginning, when you’re not used to it yet, even managing a single charge places a heavy burden on you.

Source: me.

That’s exactly why taking on two charges from the very start would almost certainly cause you to break—mentally or physically.

So then, how do trainers handle two or more charges at once?

The answer is simple.

You get used to it.

You repeat the work endlessly and shorten the time it takes.

That’s why, as an unwritten rule, trainers only take on a second charge after at least three years of experience.

To be honest, even I would struggle to handle two.

I could probably manage the workload by the skin of my teeth, but I’d lose the leeway to properly accompany Hoshino Wilm’s training.

And above all, I don’t want to worsen my already poor reputation any further.

Especially among Classic-tier Uma Musume—those from Hoshino Wilm’s generation—my reputation is particularly bad…

Unwritten or not, rules are rules. It’s better to follow them.

Which is why I had no choice but to turn down Bourbon’s reverse scout.

It hurt to do so, but there should be other trainers capable of supporting her.

All I can do is pray that she meets her destined trainer.

"Sorry, but I already have a charge. Look for another trainer."

After some hesitation, I told her as much.

…But Bourbon was stubborn.

"Please. I estimate that no trainer other than you possesses the appropriate aptitude to be my master."

No matter how politely I declined, she kept following me around. In the end, I resorted to the convenient phrase, "I’ll give it positive consideration," just to settle things for the moment.

Looking back now, that conversation was what gave me a single idea.

Hoshino Wilm—unless I’m mistaken—is fond of me.

What she feels toward me is probably the kind of affection and trust one directs at family.

At a father, perhaps.

When she was young, there was a time when she depended heavily on the only person who truly loved her—her father.

Then her father passed away, leaving that place empty…

And I suppose I ended up filling it instead.

I do intend to remove that dependency someday.

But the timing right now is bad.

For the moment, the reasonable course is to get through the “first three years” together, and during that time, slowly encourage her to take interest in many different things—expanding the number of places she can lean on.

At the very least, poking at that part of Hoshino Wilm right now wouldn’t be a good idea.

…Well, I did touch on it just a little earlier.

Thinking back, I should have been more careful about how I brought it up.

Considering her mental well-being, me stepping away from her at this point would very likely lead to negative consequences.

And yet, it’s also true that I can’t properly schedule and impose the training Hoshino Wilm needs.

It’s frustrating, but in the end, I’m nothing more than a stand-in for a father.

A dilemma.

I can’t terminate the trainer contract, yet I can’t provide appropriate training.

On top of that, a Junior-class Uma Musume even appeared asking me to contract with her.

All of these factors tangled together, turning the situation into a rather difficult problem.

…But problems, by their nature, have solutions.

I thought it through again and again.

And eventually, I found one.

Yes.

I should split the role of father and the role of trainer between two different people.

I would become Hoshino Wilm’s emotional pillar—managing her condition and supporting her heart.

Meanwhile, a veteran trainer would be entrusted with providing her proper training.

That would give me some breathing room as well.

Perhaps enough that I could even lend a hand to Bourbon.

If I claimed that I was handling Hoshino Wilm and Bourbon at fifty percent each, I could probably make an excuse—even if it technically violated the unwritten rules.

With this, every messy problem currently rolling around would be solved at once.

Hoshino Wilm could maintain her mental stability while accumulating more advanced training than ever before.

I could focus entirely on staying close to her heart, without being distracted.

I might even be able to look after Bourbon a little, too.

An all-happy, win-win solution for everyone.

When I thought of it, I remember thinking—rare as it was—that I’d been unusually sharp.

…That said.

Whether Hoshino Wilm actually needed another trainer’s guidance was a very fine line.

I am, after all, a trainer from a prestigious family, and I do have some confidence in my knowledge.

I may lack experience and familiarity, but my ability to assign appropriate training is… well, probably passable.

If we entered into a delegation contract, we’d be bound by various restrictions and conditions, and the entire style of training would change drastically.

Whether there was enough merit in signing such a complicated contract and making Hoshino Wilm train in an unfamiliar environment—

Before the Derby, I simply couldn’t measure it.

Ultimately, if Hoshino Wilm could just keep winning without incident, there wouldn’t be a problem.

If she could secure a comfortable victory in the Derby against Tokai Teio—who I judged to have an eighty to ninety percent win rate—then perhaps I could reconsider everything afterward.

Depending on the result, I might have to regretfully refuse Bourbon’s request after all…

…That’s what I was thinking, as I watched.

Tokai Teio displayed strength far beyond my predictions.

Hoshino Wilm was overtaken.

She was forced into a reckless form…

And just after somehow managing to overtake her again at the line—

She collapsed unconscious.

---

"Watching the Japan Derby made one thing painfully clear.

I am woefully inadequate as your trainer.

My investigative ability, my tactical planning, and of course your scheduling—every one of them was lacking.

And because of that, I forced you into something unreasonable like this."

It’s pathetic.

I thought I’d been doing my best as a trainer all this time.

But even so, it still wasn’t enough.

Because of my shortcomings, I misread the race situation and made you run in such a reckless way.

A trainer is supposed to support an Uma Musume.

Dragging her down instead is unforgivable.

That’s why—

I decided to use these documents.

"Of course, once I’ve entered into a trainer contract, I intend to take responsibility until the very end.

I’ll look for a trustworthy veteran trainer—someone suitable to entrust you to.

If you want, I’ll still say ‘welcome home,’ and I’ll still pat your head.

I’ll do everything I can for you in my own way. You can rest easy about that."

Hoshino Wilm is my charge. That won’t change, and neither will my dedication to her.

I’ll simply have a senior trainer make up for the areas where I fall short.

If I had to put it simply, it would be like having them act as a temporary sub-trainer.

…To be honest, there is something that nags at me about this.

We’ve been working side by side this whole time.

Maybe I’m the one who feels lonely.

Even so, if it’s for Hoshino Wilm to become stronger, I’m prepared to accept anything.

And she—someone who wants to run passionate races—will surely accept it too, if it’s for the sake of growing stronger.

"The only thing that changes is that training will be delegated to another trainer. Even then, I’ll personally approve everything, so you don’t need to worry about strange adjustments being forced on you.

In short, it’s just a change in training policy. The quality of your training will improve, and you’ll be able to grow even more.

Overall, this isn’t a bad deal for you.

…Here, the pen. I need your signature."

All that’s left is to obtain Hoshino Wilm’s consent.

Then I can move forward—for her sake…

…Or at least, that’s how it’s supposed to go.

"Hoshino Wilm?"

Just as I thought her frozen expression had softened, a completely different look surfaced as I spoke.

And on that face…

I saw an emotion I had never seen before.

If I had to describe it, it was close to the desperate expression she’d shown late in the Japan Derby.

Her brows were drawn together. The corners of her mouth were turned downward. Her ears were pinned back.

Putting it all together, it wasn’t difficult to infer what she was feeling.

She was—

Clearly angry.

"Trainer… are you serious?"

"Serious…? I’m not joking, if that’s what you mean."

Angry?

Why?

Seeing her emotions spill out like this was rare—she usually restrained even that much. Considering that, her emotional thaw should have been a good thing.

…So why anger?

Looking back through Horino’s history, many Uma Musume grieve deeply when their bond with a trainer is severed.

Because of that, it’s considered an extremely bad move for a trainer to propose terminating a contract. In the worst cases, things can escalate into violence—or an “umapyoi incident,” spiraling straight into a disastrous outcome.

I may be scatterbrained, but I’m not stupid.

Learning from that history, I chose delegation of training—not contract termination.

My trainer contract with her remains intact.

Hoshino Wilm will still be my charge. Our bond won’t be severed.

Sure, we’ll spend less time together due to training hours, but fundamentally, the relationship continues.

So what, exactly, is she angry about?

Anxiety, I can understand.

Being trained by a trainer she’s never met before would naturally make anyone uneasy.

On that front, I plan to introduce the two properly and mediate carefully, so I don’t think that’s the issue.

What she should be feeling there is anxiety.

I don’t see how that turns into anger.

"Hoshino Wilm, wait—what are you angry about? No, first of all, I’m sorry. If I upset you, then… Hoshino Wilm?"

Hoshino Wilm suddenly stood up.

And before I could stop her, she grabbed the documents on the desk—

—and tore them to shreds.

Relentlessly.

Making full use of an Uma Musume’s inhuman strength, as if determined not to leave behind a single legible character.

So thoroughly that you couldn’t even tell whether they’d originally been paper or tissue.

With murderous intent and hatred, she tore and tore and tore them apart.

…………Huh?

Uh—wait, what?

Those documents are official Tracen Academy paperwork. You know.

The ones meant to secure our important future together…

I mean, this is kind of an important discussion for you too, and I’d really appreciate it if you treated the documents with a bit more care, or, um, well—

"…Hoo… Trainer, this is your hint."

"Uh… ah… well…"

"Do you understand why I’m angry?"

Th-this is bad…

This situation is bad.

Hoshino Wilm slowly raised and lowered her shoulders, staring straight at me.

The calm usually present in her eyes was gone.

What used to be documents was scattered all over the floor, and her trembling hands seemed to say: you’re next.

Uma Musume possess a primal fighting instinct buried deep within them.

Usually it’s vented through racing.

But in extremely rare cases, it can be directed at an “enemy.”

That’s why you must never make an Uma Musume angry.

And you must never let them become overly fixated on you.

Because it leads to critical situations like this.

Put plainly, the current situation is—

One misstep away from becoming an assault incident.

Why?

Did I mess something up?

Where did I raise a death flag?!

F-for now, I need some kind of safe, non-threatening response…!

"Ah—……yeah, I get it, Hoshino Wilm. It’s okay."

"I see. So you understand everything about me, Trainer."

When I saw Hoshino Wilm smile sweetly, my alert level shot even higher.

Her genuine smile is a bit awkward—not ugly, exactly, but kind of goofy and slack.

In contrast, when she smiles behind her mask, it’s beautiful. Perfectly composed.

What she’s showing me now is the latter.

Which means—

This is absolutely not a situation where I can let my guard down.

Seriously, what do I do here?!

…No. Calm down.

I’m Horino’s trainer.

I should be able to have a proper, rational discussion with my assigned Uma Musume.

I can’t let her end up with an assault record.

I need to settle this peacefully—somehow.

"I’m sorry, Hoshino Wilm. I must have said something that made you uncomfortable somewhere along the way. I’ll make sure not to repeat it, so could you tell me what upset you?"

"…Oh? Even at this point, you still don’t understand why I’m angry, Trainer?"

She said that—and then—

Bang!!

"So this is how you see me, is it? Someone with no self-restraint, who’ll happily accept training from any trainer other than you."

Uh—um—Hoshino Wilm-san.

Slamming the desk that hard all of a sudden—hard enough to send papers flying—is… kind of scary.

And seriously, please don’t ever aim that strength at a human, okay? You could break bones without even trying.

"N-no, training doesn’t really have anything to do with self-restraint, and… it’s not that rare to do joint training with other stables, like Nice Nature does… and if you want to get stronger, sometimes it’s better to hear opinions from multiple trainers, or something like that…"

"I am not asking for a textbook answer!"

"Ah—sorry…"

N-no, that’s not good, me.

Giving in to pressure from your trainee is behavior that can completely break a professional relationship.

This is where I need to show my authority as a trainer.

No matter what she says, I should firmly bark back, "Calm down!" with confidence—

"Sit there properly."

"Yes, I’ll sit properly…"

N-no, this isn’t me giving in to pressure or anything.

It’s just that you shouldn’t provoke an angry trainee, right?

I’m just complying for now so I can find out what’s making her angry, that’s all.

…Okay, sorry. That’s a lie.

Hoshino Wilm right now is scary.

There’s an intense, almost murderous pressure rolling off her.

As I meekly tried to sit seiza-style on the trainer’s room floor, Hoshino Wilm beat me to it and wiped the floor with a towel.

What is this?

Scary, then kind?

Is this domestic violence or something?

I don’t really get her today.

What’s going on with my trainee…?

She’s usually rational. She follows logical instructions properly. She doesn’t show her emotions unnecessarily.

That’s always been my impression.

So what did I do to hit a nerve?

Was it that I moved ahead with the plan on my own?

Should I have consulted her properly from the conceptual stage?

"…Honestly, I’m extremely offended. My irritation level is through the roof. But more importantly, the priority of resolving this issue is high. Probably. Now then, shall I ask why you even considered delegation in the first place?"

"No, that’s not something a trainer should necessarily explain to their assigned Uma Musume—"

"I’m asking."

"Yes, I’ll explain…"

This is bad.

The current Hoshino Wilm has entered some kind of invincible mode.

I don’t feel like I can stop her no matter what I say.

…And making her angrier here wouldn’t do anyone any good.

So I gave up.

And ended up confessing the circumstances.

Of course, I can’t talk about my past life, but…

Given how this is going, it feels like everything else is about to be dragged out of me.

Ugh…

The cool, cold-blooded trainer image I’ve maintained for a year and a half—

It’s about to completely collapse.