Chapter 38: An Event Where Your Level Temporarily Drops to 1

The rain that had been falling steadily outside the hospital room window finally tapered off into a light drizzle.

"This year's rainy season is ending too, huh."

For Hoshino Wilm, June of her Classic year—stacked with all kinds of events—had come to an end. Looking back on it now, it might have been the most turbulent month of her entire racing life.
…Though then again, the Classic year always had something happening, one way or another. It was hard to say for sure.

…Well, since I have the chance, why not take a quick look back over my Twinkle Series so far?

January of my Junior year—that night. The night the Trainer helped me, and we formed our contract. After that, I started running away at the front, then won the selection race by a massive margin.

June of my Junior year, my debut race—an overwhelming, record-breaking victory. This was also around when I met Nature, and when we ran our first practice race together.

November of my Junior year, the Habotan Sho—another huge, record-breaking win.

December of my Junior year, the Hopeful Stakes—once again, a landslide record victory. That night marked the beginning of my contest with the Trainer.

When you line it all up like this, even though the Junior class technically lasted a full year, it really didn’t have that many standout events.
Well, it’s not like nothing happened—I was training constantly—but still. Compared to now, it feels like a pretty lonely year.

Back then, I didn’t have much emotional breathing room, and my feelings for the Trainer hadn’t grown into anything you could call romantic yet. So I guess it makes sense.

I think I really started paying attention to the Trainer around the Hopeful Stakes.
…Though if I’m being honest, I was already curious about him from that very first night.

Anyway, once the Junior class ended, it was on to the Classic class.

February of my Classic year—that’s probably when I met Teio. During that three-way practice race, when Nature came closing in, I felt “heat” for the first time.

March of my Classic year, the Yayoi Sho—another record-breaking blowout win.

Later that same month, I told the Trainer about my past. …I think that was the decision that required the most courage in all of Hoshino Wilm history—and also the one I needed the most. Well done, past me.

April of my Classic year, the Satsuki Sho—an eight-length record victory.

May of my Classic year, I nearly got overtaken by a drastically stronger Nature. That one really rattled me. I truly understood just how dangerous the “zone” could be.

Also in May, the Derby—a nose victory. Even Teio brought his zone out, and I nearly lost head-on. And for the first time, I think I felt heat welling up from inside myself. After that, I injured my muscles and was hospitalized.

Later in May, the Trainer started saying some pretty strange things, so I scolded him and listened to everything he had to say. That’s when I realized I had to win the Takarazuka Kinen and make the Trainer truly understand.

June of my Classic year, the Takarazuka Kinen—a one-length record victory. The end of “me,” and the beginning of myself. No matter how many years pass, I’m sure I’ll remember it as one of the greatest races, one of the greatest moments of my life.

Yeah… once I entered the Classic class, the number of events really skyrocketed.

My first real friends. Realizing I was in love with the Trainer. The spark of passion for racing taking shape… and the completion of my own personal world—my “zone.”

So much happened in just half a year.
And all of it was fun… fulfilling.

I’m really glad I came to the Central Tracen Academy.

Because I came here, I met the Trainer. Because I came here, I met Nature and Teio.

A year and a half of running with everything I had, living with everything I had—and not a shred of regret.

…Well, except for snapping my leg after the Takarazuka Kinen. That part’s kind of a problem.

After all, I’d been stuck in the hospital ever since. Every day felt unbelievably cramped…

But at last, the calendar turned another page, and it was time for me to take my next step forward.

Early July.

At long last, the cast on my leg was removed.

Yes—! I’m finally free!
Now I can finally run however I want!

…Or so I wish I could say. But reality is rarely that kind.

Just because the cast comes off doesn’t mean you can run the same way as before.

My muscles had weakened, my joints had stiffened—I wasn’t anywhere near a state where I could run.
And even if I somehow could, putting too much strain on bones that had only just started to mend would likely snap them again.

And so began the painful rehabilitation process, undertaken with extreme care to avoid overstimulating my still-healing bones.

---

"All right. We’re finally moving into full-scale rehabilitation. Naturally, it’s going to involve a lot of pain and hardship. Are you mentally prepared, Hoshino Wilm?"

"Of course. My mental imagery training is flawless."

That’s how the Trainer and I found ourselves at the rehabilitation facility inside the hospital where I was staying.

As you’d expect from the closest hospital to Central Tracen—and the best comprehensive hospital for Uma Musume in Japan—the rehab facilities and equipment were ridiculously well-stocked.

They even put extra carrots into the meals and left books about rehabilitation and sports in the hospital room. The level of consideration was honestly impressive.

And on a more subtle note, the hospital gowns all had proper tail holes, which was a huge plus. Finding a nice-looking outfit in a store only to realize it doesn’t have a tail hole is a classic Uma Musume heartbreak.

Anyway—back to the rehab facility.

Rehabilitation comes in many stages and methods. And at Japan’s top-tier racing Uma Musume hospital, there were naturally countless facilities built with enormous funding.

Among them, the place we were brought to was…

"...A pool with really shallow water?"

"Yeah. For a while, this is where you’ll be exercising."

Calling it a pool felt generous. It was more like a deliberately constructed giant puddle.

About twenty-five meters long, ten meters wide, with only around thirty centimeters of water depth.

Even with my small build, the water didn’t quite reach my knees.
…Is something this shallow actually useful?

Another feature that set it apart from a normal pool was the railings installed both in the water and along the poolside.

They were spaced just under a meter apart, extending upward at regular height intervals—eighty centimeters, one hundred ten, one hundred forty…

Oh. That thing. The support rails you always see in sports anime during leg rehab scenes. They really do exist…

"...Should I have brought a swimsuit?"

"No. You won’t be getting into the pool for a while yet. At this water level, you don’t need one anyway. Starting today, for the time being… you’ll practice walking on that leg, without your crutches."

"Practice walking."

Does the Trainer think I’m a newborn fawn that can’t even walk yet?

Heh. I’ve been stretching my joints every day up until now—walking should be no problem at all.

Maybe I’ll show off my reincarnated, overpowered Uma Musume vibes for the first time in a while…!

I relaxed my grip on the crutches.

"All right, here I—!?"

…I’ll be honest. I underestimated this.

It had been about a month since I’d stopped using my right leg properly.
The loss of muscle strength was far worse than I’d imagined.

My posture nearly collapsed, and a surge of instinctive fear made me grab the crutches again in a panic.

…My right leg won’t take any strength at all.
My joints are stiff as a board—I can barely even stand.

I hadn’t noticed before because I was consciously avoiding using it, but…
It was this bad.

This weak… my right leg had become.

"Slowly, Hoshino Wilm. Don’t rush it. Gradually let go of the crutches and focus only on standing upright. You don’t need to walk yet—just support your own body weight."

Following the Trainer’s instructions, I moved with extreme care.

Little by little, I loosened my grip on the crutches… and shifted my weight onto my leg.

As the crutches began to tip over, the Trainer caught them for me.

Once again, I placed my right foot on the ground…

There’s no pain…
But I can’t put any strength into it, and controlling my weight is difficult.

The shaking in my leg… won’t stop.

"Do you feel any pain or discomfort?"

"There’s no pain. It’s just… I can’t put strength into it, and there’s this frustrating, indescribable sense of wrongness."

"That’s a normal reaction. Calm down. Don’t reject it unnaturally—accept your current condition."

…Accept it.

This state. Accept, as normal, a body that can’t even stand properly.

Right. Calm my mind… and focus on stabilizing my balance, first and foremost.

Don’t fall to the right. Don’t fall to the left.
Carefully, carefully, with both legs, stay… right here.

Okay… somehow, I’m standing.

…Which is to say, standing alone is already pushing my limits.

If I let my guard down, I wobble, and my leg trembles nonstop.

Ugh… I’m sorry. I completely underestimated this…

I am, in fact, a newborn fawn who can’t even walk.

"You can stand upright… good.
Next, grab the railing beside you—no, one level lower. Yes, that one.
Put strength into your arms… think you can walk?"

"Please wait a moment. I just need… one more minute to adjust."

My leg, touching the ground again for the first time in a month, was shockingly fragile.

Thinking about it, that was only natural.

When a person stops performing an action for a while, the organs meant to move begin to deteriorate, and you forget how to use them.

Back in my previous life, I once went a full month without talking to anyone, and my articulation completely fell apart—I couldn’t even remember how to speak properly.

Well, whether the socially awkward, friendless “me” ever really knew how to talk to people in the first place is… debatable.

This time, it’s the leg version of that.

After being immobilized and unused for nearly a month, my right leg must have completely forgotten how to move.

…Still, in principle, these are things you can regain through repeated training.
So it’ll be fine.
I… can move properly again.

I took a breath in, then slowly let it out.

"I’m going."

As carefully as I could, I placed my hand on the railing beside me and slowly… stepped forward with my right foot.
I made sure not to twist it at all, lowering the sole of my foot parallel to the ground.

Yeah, there’s barely any strength, and it doesn’t move the way I want it to. It really does feel like my leg’s turned into a stick.
But… at least, it seems like I can walk.

Two steps. Three steps.

Trusting the railing I was holding—and the Trainer staying close by just in case—I moved my foot forward.

Yeah… I can walk.
I can walk.

I took the first step.
So from here on, if I just keep repeating it… I definitely will—

"That’s enough."

At the Trainer’s voice, I stopped.

The distance I’d walked… wasn’t even ten steps.

And yet…

"…Haa."

I let out a breath without thinking.
This is way harder than I imagined.

There’s no pain, but the fatigue in my right leg is intense.
At this rate, if I don’t rest a bit… this might get rough.

But I have to push myself… I absolutely have to regain my old running form by the Kikuka Sho.

"Trainer, I can still—!"

"No. You did well. That’s enough for today."

"Huh?"

The first day of rehabilitation ended in just ten minutes.

After that, I went back to using my crutches and headed to the examination room, where they checked for any abnormalities in my bones and muscles.
Before dinner and again before bed, I carefully loosened my right leg and moved the joints—and that was the end of the day.

Apparently, for the next few days, any sudden increase in load that could cause muscle soreness was strictly forbidden.

My leg right now was, quite literally, at the level of a newborn fawn. Because of that, the amount of time it could be used would start at ten minutes and gradually be extended, increasing the load over a long period.

Step by step, I guess.
…Still, I didn’t expect things to start quite this slowly.

…But really.
Just one month without moving, and legs get this weak.

I finally understand why rehab scenes in anime and dramas always show people walking with such painful expressions.

The sensation of your own body not moving freely is unsettling.
If I had to describe it, it’s like there’s a cold metal rod where your leg is supposed to be.

That eerie feeling, the stress of not being able to perform even simple movements, and the accumulating fatigue from muscle loss—
Even without much pain, it’s no wonder people end up grimacing.

On top of that, for an athlete, it’s mentally taxing in a different way.

Unlike training that builds on your “current condition,” rehabilitation is about rebuilding from a state that’s been drastically reduced.

Realizing that a body which used to move so smoothly has lost its function is a huge source of stress for a racing Uma Musume.
For a regular person, it’d be like… working hard to earn money and build up savings, only to lose it all in an accident and have to start saving again from zero.

For some people, that might be enough to break their spirit.

…Well, that’s not really my problem.

I’m used to working myself to the brink of death, and I’ve been dealing with the stress of not being able to run properly since long ago.
Sure, this is the first time my body’s weakened this much—but if the path forward is right in front of me, then all that’s left is to keep moving ahead.

"All right. I’ll do my best again tomorrow."

And with that, my rehabilitation-filled days officially began.

---

When it comes to rehabilitation, the worst possible outcome is… a “worsening of condition.”

In my case, that would mean the bones that had finally begun to fuse separating again under excessive load, or inflammation setting in.

If that happened, we’d be back to square one… conservative treatment, right? Immobilizing the affected area with a cast all over again.
If it got bad enough, surgery would even be on the table—and in the worst case, I could end up with a habit of fracturing the same bone.

That’s why excessive rehab is strictly forbidden. Self-directed training is completely out of the question.

Even I—a certified “training junkie”—am not stupid enough to ignore the situation that badly.

Until the bone fully sets, self-training is sealed away. Sad times.

Right after the cast comes off, when the bone hasn’t fully hardened yet, what you’re supposed to do is carefully monitor the affected area while loosening up the joints that have gone stiff and restoring basic muscle strength.

Especially during this phase, when the bone is only just starting to solidify, it’s apparently absolutely not the time to apply heavy loads.

That’s why, after walking just a little to remind the body what “walking” feels like, rehab shifts to using the pool.

"Pool-based exercise has three main advantages.

First, buoyancy reduces the load placed on the bones.
Second, water pressure and resistance allow you to put more load on the muscles than usual.
And third, cooling the legs helps prevent inflammation.

That’s why this pool is filled with shallow, cold water—strong enough resistance for the muscles, while still reducing strain on the bones."

As I listened to the Trainer’s explanation, I slowly moved my hands from the crutches to the railing and stepped into the shallow pool.

Whoa—yeah, that’s cooler than I expected. That surprised me a bit.
Still, it’s not freezing or anything. With the current season, it’s adjusted to a pleasantly refreshing temperature.

It’s like a foot bath… except with cold water.
Though the water level might be a bit too high to call it that.

And… yeah, the water resistance definitely makes it harder to walk.

I deliberately move my legs a little wider than usual, splash-splash, and head forward.

My pace still isn’t stable, but… it’s noticeably better than day one.

After several days of rehab, my leg has started to move a little more.
I still wobble without the railing, but even so, it’s progress.

"...How is it, Hoshino Wilm? Does it hurt, or feel too hard on you?"

Perhaps worried by my silent steps, the Trainer glances over at me.
In his expression, I catch a glimpse of affection once hidden behind a mask—and at the same time, a hint of insecurity.

"I’m fine. …Please trust me. I’m your Uma Musume, aren’t I?"

It might have been after the Radio Nikkei Sho, on my mentor’s day, when he went back to his family home.
That’s when he changed—just a little.

He started showing his true face from time to time—not the one behind the Trainer’s mask, but the genuine one beneath it.
And more than anything, he stopped using the phrase “Horino’s Trainer.” Instead, he’d cut himself off mid-sentence, or rephrase it as “as a trainer.”

I’m sure something happened during that trip home.
Something that shook the values at his very core.

As for what exactly it was… he doesn’t seem eager to talk about it, and I don’t plan to pry.
When he decides he wants to talk, I’ll listen then.

What matters to me right now is this—

He’s mentally unstable, and he needs support.

If something happens, I’ll support him with everything I’ve got.
After all, he’s always been there to help me.

I can never fully repay that debt, but I can at least return the favor little by little—call it Trainer filial piety.

And… using his personal crisis like this might be a bit improper, but—

For me, this was also an opportunity.

“Horino’s Trainer” was an incredibly solid, flawless mask.
A mask carved so deeply into his sense of values that even he couldn’t distinguish it from his true face.

As long as he wore that mask, I was nothing more—and nothing less—than his assigned Uma Musume.
Permanently outside the realm of possibility. Completely impossible to pursue.

…But that mask cracked at the Takarazuka Kinen, and during his recent visit home, it shattered completely.

Right now, he’s… still carrying fragments of that broken mask, but he’s closer than ever to his true self.

Which means that right now, at this very moment—

A massive, temporary spike in affection gain rates!

A once-in-a-lifetime chance to make him like me!!

A gift from the heavens, a stroke of pure luck.
Now’s the time to show him my charm and make him fall for me…!!

…Or so I’d like to say.

If only the conversation could move that smoothly—if only I had that much charm to begin with.

As I walk slowly, I glance down at my own body.

From my heels to the top of my head—ears excluded—I measure a mere 145 centimeters.
My body has nothing where it should have something, and everything where it should pull in—a vast, empty plain.

My personality’s warped too, just like this. With memories from my previous life, I probably lack any real cuteness.

If I had to name one good point, it’d be my face—but Uma Musume with good looks are everywhere.

It feels weird to say this out loud, but bluntly speaking, Hoshino Wilm lacks the kind of appeal that provokes male ownership, exclusivity, or sexual desire.

A straightforward seduction approach would be difficult.
Besides, the Trainer seems pretty resistant to that sort of thing—or maybe just dense.

All I can do, then, is support the Trainer with everything I’ve got.

To put it bluntly, that means becoming a “good, understanding woman” who supports him from the shadows.

And as it happens, I was an otaku even in my previous life, so I’m very well-versed in that concept. I’ve got an entire stockpile of lines ready to go.

I’ll do it…!
Not a “super-darling,” but a super-honey!

I’ll pierce straight through the Trainer’s heart, no questions asked.

Looks aside, I’ll make him fall head over heels for me as the best Uma Musume on the inside!

"Don’t overdo it. I don’t ever want to see you reach a point where you can’t run anymore.

I want to stay by your side and support your running—always."

…………

I mean, seriously—saying something like “I want to support you forever” while completely sober is just dangerous, right?

And unbelievably, he said it without a mask on. Just him, bare-faced.

Does he not feel embarrassment? Is he immune to shame or something?
I’d be beet red just hearing that.

Ugh… honestly.
I can’t believe this guy. This Uma Musume charmer.

Do you say the same thing to other girls too?

"Hoshino Wilm? What’s wrong—why did you stop?"

"No, it’s nothing. …I’ll resume my rehab."

Haaah… when exactly am I going to win against the Trainer in the romance department, I wonder.

---

So—after about two weeks of alternating between walking in the shallow pool and slow walking on land, my rehabilitation entered its next stage.

My muscle strength and joint flexibility had largely returned, and my bones were steadily hardening as well.

The next place the Trainer led me to was a proper pool—not the shallow one from before. This one was about a meter deep.
Of course, it still had railings, so swimming was out.

"So this time, I’ll be walking in this pool?"

"Yeah. With deeper water, the resistance and water pressure increase, putting more load on the muscles.

Until your bone fully fuses, you’ll probably alternate between walking here and walking on land."

Once I actually stepped in, it really was harder to move than before.

And yet, it didn’t feel like my bones were under excessive strain.
…I see. This really might be an ideal rehab method.

…If I had to name one drawback, though, it’s that at this depth, I have no choice but to wear a swimsuit—meaning I’m exposing my scrawny body to the Trainer.

Sorry for the assault on your eyes, or rather… honestly, it’s kind of embarrassing.

"Um, Trainer… if you stare too much, it’s, well… embarrassing."

"This is… no, yeah, I see."

If this were the old Trainer, he probably would’ve said something like, “As your Trainer, I need to monitor your current condition.”

But now… he awkwardly averted his gaze.

…How should I interpret that?

If I’m being optimistic, he’s conscious of me.
If I’m being realistic, his adult sense of ethics kicked in.

I’d be happy if it were the former… but honestly, I doubt it.

I’ve got a loli-like body, and on top of that, a personality that used to be pretty harsh. I just don’t think he sees me that way…

I know he values my legs.
I want to believe he recognizes me as a partner, too.

But as a woman… haha. There’s no way he’d be interested in a girl with a body like this, right…?

Damn it. I wanna reincarnate one more time and be reborn with a body like Bourbon’s… be an Uma Musume with a 90+ bust and say stuff like, “Eh? Big boobs just get in the way of running, you know? lol”…

I glanced over at the Trainer, and he was faithfully turned away, taking my words at face value.
…Somehow, that annoyed me too. Such a selfish maiden’s heart.

"Well, I mean, as a Trainer, you kind of have to look at your trainee, right…?"

"Y-Yeah. That’s right. You’re right."

…I know I encouraged it, but once I start thinking he might be conscious of me, it’s just too embarrassing after all.

On impulse, I dunked my flushed face into the water—only for the Trainer to panic, thinking I’d fallen and was drowning.

Hehe. The Trainer doesn’t usually panic like that, so it felt like I got to see a rare side of him.
…Though that also means he got a very good look at me in my swimsuit.

That night, I ended up sleeping with my face buried in my pillow. Yep.

---

And so, another three weeks passed after that.

I could walk lightly just like before.
As long as I didn’t run at full power, my leg kept up just fine.

The constant sense of discomfort clinging to my leg had vanished.

While discussing my comeback training plan for the Kikuka Sho with the Trainer…

Mid-August arrived.

At long last, my bone fully fused.

Now I was truly fine—so long as I didn’t do anything excessively reckless, there was no longer any risk of fracturing it again.

Finally—really, finally—the time had come for me to return to the turf, to Tracen Academy.

Time to give it my all again, from here on out.

…Now then, putting that aside.

If I’m going back to Tracen, then it’s about time.

I pulled out my phone and placed a call to that girl.

"Hello. …Yeah, that’s right. I think I’ll be okay.

Mm-hm. Mm-hm. Got it.

Then do your best… Bourbon-chan."