Chapter 42: Wilm went off to training.

Wilm went off to training.

My junior, Mihono Bourbon-chan, was about to run her very first official race—her debut.

And there, she…

"…They’re off! It’s a slightly scattered start to this race—has the favorite, Mihono Bourbon, gotten off poorly?"

"—!"

Bourbon-chan had a bad start.

I know this well. For a front-runner, a bad start is a fatal mistake.

That’s why I nearly cried out without thinking.

At its core, a bad start can be lethal for any Uma Musume.

For example, let’s say you’re one second late off the line. Of course, a one-second delay is an enormous mistake—absurdly huge—but let’s use one second here for simplicity.

If an Uma Musume runs at top speed for one second, the gap that opens up is roughly fifteen to twenty meters.

In terms of lengths, that’s about six to eight.

A race you should have won by five lengths can turn into a loss with just a one-second delay.

That’s how overwhelming the disadvantage of a bad start is. Losing before the race even truly begins—there’s probably nothing more terrifying for a racing Uma Musume.

And for front-runners, it gets even worse.

Fundamentally, in this world, running from the front isn’t considered the mainstream running style.

If you burn too much stamina early, your brain doesn’t get enough oxygen, and you lose the ability to manage your remaining stamina or respond calmly.

So you restrain yourself in the first half, then accelerate in the latter half.

You don’t fight with an early lead—you fight with top speed at the end.

That’s the shared understanding in this world.

…Well, maybe Suzuka-san—and my own rise—will change that mindset a little.

Given that belief, the Uma Musume who deliberately choose to run from the front are often those who aren’t mentally suited to running in a pack or battling shoulder to shoulder at the finish.

They get tense or flustered when surrounded by others, or if they save too much stamina for the second half, they start pulling too hard—or conversely, they leave too much unused.

Looked at another way, if there’s no one around them, they can fly at incredible speed. It’s just a matter of strengths and weaknesses—sometimes a flaw can turn into an advantage.

But what happens if a girl like that gets a bad start and sinks into the pack?

There’s only one answer.

…She can’t run properly.

That’s why a bad start can be fatal for a front-runner.

If I had to put it simply, it’s like dropping the baton in a relay.

…According to Trainer, Bourbon-chan’s aptitude is specialized entirely for front-running. She could run on the pace if she had to, but he has no intention of making her do that.

So if someone like her gets a bad start, what happens…?

"Trainer."

"Don’t worry, Hoshino Wilm."

Beside me, as I called out without thinking, Trainer remained completely unfazed, calmly watching the race.

I could see a faint hint of fatigue in his expression—but even so, his eyes were unmistakably clear and steady.

Seeing that made me feel a little relieved.

This situation might have been unexpected for him, but it wasn’t unimaginable.

It was still within the range of scenarios he could anticipate—and prepare countermeasures for.

"I told you, didn’t I? Mihono Bourbon will win. She’s strong enough to do it for sure."

"Even so… she’s around seventh out of nine right now."

"That’s not a problem."

"On top of that, she’s being marked by almost everyone, and she’s boxed in on both sides with nowhere to go."

"Even so, she’ll win."

I blinked at how firmly Trainer declared it.

My trainer is a worrier.

When information is uncertain, he doesn’t make definitive statements. He’s always almost overly attentive—constantly worrying about and caring for his Uma Musume.

To put it bluntly, he’s extremely overprotective of the girls he’s responsible for.

Overall, my image of him had always been someone kind and warm—stiff and serious, yet gentle.

But the Trainer in front of me now…

How should I put it—he was sharp.

Come to think of it, this might have been the first time I’d seen Trainer Horino Ayumu up close while he was observing one of his charge’s races.

The atmosphere I’d only ever glimpsed from out on the turf before was now right beside me—keen, honed, like the point of a needle.

It felt like everything he’d accumulated until now had converged and reached its peak.

Yes. This was—

It was very similar to the air we Uma Musume have when we step into an official race.

So this must be his expression as a contracted trainer.

When you think about it, just as an official race is a decisive battle for an Uma Musume, a race run by their charge must be a decisive battle for the trainer as well.

Just as we build ourselves up through training, trainers stack up information and schedules, then face the race like this.

And just as we turn the sweat and tears we’ve shed into confidence as we run…

Inside him were high-precision forecasts born of accumulated data, and unwavering trust that this girl would win.

Those things drove out tension, excitement, and anxiety, leaving him calmly watching the race before his eyes.

"…"

Before I realized it, I was staring.

Because he had sincerely faced his Uma Musume’s training, he didn’t believe she couldn’t lose—no, rather than confidence in himself, he placed absolute trust in the girl he was responsible for.

That way of being was so very like him.

He guides us properly… and believes in us without limit.

That’s Horino Ayumu-san—my trainer, and someone I’m proud of.

…Ugh, seriously. His face is already unfair, and then he goes and makes that expression—talk about an Uma Musume killer.

My heart won’t shut up. He can’t hear it, right?

Had he believed in me like this during my own races?

Had he always trusted me completely—believed that I would win?

If that were the case, then as an Uma Musume under his care, and as Hoshino Wilm, there could be nothing happier.

Though… the desperate cheers I heard at the Takarazuka Kinen.

If I never get to hear that again, I might feel a little cheated…

…Ah—no, no, wait.

This is my important junior’s debut. I need to watch properly.

I pulled my thoughts back and turned my eyes to the race again.

"The Uma Musume are rounding the second corner. Mihono Bourbon, who had a poor start, is currently in seventh, watching how things unfold from within the pack. Once again, her current position is—"

Bourbon-chan hadn’t broken her usual running form.

It was too far away to see clearly, but she didn’t look shaken.

As expected, Trainer must have properly taught Bourbon-chan how to deal with a bad start.

So that she could still win even if she stumbled at the start—or if any other kind of accident happened—he must have prepared thoroughly and laid out his plans.

…But how was she going to deal with it?

A bad start is a simple yet massive disadvantage.

Overturning that doesn’t seem easy.

"What kind of plan did you tell Bourbon-chan?

I think even for her, making up for this bad start will be tough."

He doesn’t admit it himself, and probably isn’t fully aware of it, but at his core, Trainer Horino Ayumu is a strategist.

Using vast amounts of past race data and information on current rivals, he excels at reading races ahead of time and controlling their flow.

If you look at my own races up until now, it’s obvious.

The Satsuki Sho, where he let me rack up wins through sheer specs, built the image that I didn’t rely on tactics and prevented others from realizing my mid-race pace drop.

The Takarazuka Kinen, where he deliberately abandoned an all-out breakaway, capped the pack, and forced McQueen-senpai to burn stamina.

…Of course, there are unexpected elements—Teio, who competes purely on physical ability, or Sky-senpai, who pulls strange tricks like overlapping footfalls.

But looked at another way, as long as things don’t go completely off the rails, his predictions and strategies always land.

So I assumed that this time as well, he’d laid out some plan to bring Bourbon-chan to the front.

That’s what I thought, but—

"There’s no special plan."

"…Huh?"

"What I taught her was race flow and how to run. Right now, the race is unfolding exactly as I explained in the fourth scenario."

"Um… then how is she supposed to win?"

"Well, she’ll overtake the girls in front of her and win, obviously."

"Now into the third corner, 900 meters remaining.

Mihono Bourbon pushes up along the inside, currently sixth from the back."

"As expected, that early stumble is really taking its toll. For Mihono Bourbon, an Uma Musume who specializes in front-running, this is a very harsh development."

"Overtake them and win… well, sure, that’s true."

I have one bitter memory.

The very first mock race I ran after coming to Tracen Academy.

My only loss in actual competition—defeated by a single length.

In that race, I ran an unsuitable distance with an unsuitable running style, got heavily marked as a result, and even suffered what was practically illegal interference with my path. In the end, I finished second by one length.

…No, thinking about it calmly, that was ridiculous. Of course I lost.

Honestly, wasn’t I an idiot back then?

Instead of just doing self-training, I really should’ve studied more, too. I’d been winning nonstop and got cocky—that’s what it was.

If you never experience failure early on, you tend to learn the wrong lesson: “Training on your own is better than studying.”

In that sense, getting my nose smashed right at the start might’ve been good medicine for me.

…Though I did go a bit out of control from how bitter that medicine was, and nearly went too far.

Well, it all worked out in the end. I met my trainer because of it, after all. All’s well that ends well.

Anyway, back to the point.

Bourbon-chan’s current situation closely resembles that first mock race of mine.

A front-running Uma Musume who can’t get to the front, dragged into the pack, her path blocked.

The irritation of always having someone right next to you. The frustration of not being able to choose your own line. The stress of staring at backs you can’t quite reach.

I know better than anyone how painful that is.

"…Can she win?"

"She can."

"Even though I couldn’t?"

Trainer had seen me back then.

He should know better than anyone that even Hoshino Wilm couldn’t win once things turned out like that.

And yet, he didn’t waver.

"There are two decisive differences between you back then and Mihono Bourbon now."

He raised two fingers as he spoke.

"One is whether there’s a trainer at her side, teaching her how to run.

…And the other is the difference between your heads."

"Our heads?"

"Now into the fourth corner—this is where the race will be decided.

About fifteen lengths separate the leader from the last runner. The Nakayama stretch is short—will the girls at the back make it in time?"

"You—no, Hoshino Wilm—are smart. You can digest information from outside, process it efficiently, and turn it into your own strength.

That’s extremely rare, and extremely useful.

But by the same token, information you can’t fully digest is something you can’t absorb."

"…Is that something abnormal?"

"No. You’re fine just the way you are. That’s your strength.

Mihono Bourbon simply uses her head a little differently."

"The leaders enter the final stretch and begin their last spurt!

The Uma Musume who swung wide all charge toward the goal at once.

The road to the Twinkle Series opens—who will claim their debut victory?"

"Mihono Bourbon is straightforward in how she responds to external stimuli.

That applies to physical stimuli… and to information—stimuli to the brain as well.

When she receives information, she doesn’t chew it over. She captures its shape and swallows it whole.

…To put it another way.

When you attend a lesson, you organize the information in your own head and write it down in your own words.

Mihono Bourbon writes down everything on the board, everything she’s told, every word the teacher says.

And therefore—"

As they entered the final stretch, the pack fanned outward, and the path opened all at once.

And among them—

A single chestnut-colored runner.

Boom.

She accelerated in an instant.

"And therefore, in a race with this much difference in ability… even a lack of aptitude can be compensated for with strategy."

Front-running Uma Musume often can’t wait inside the pack because of their temperament, lack the fighting spirit to beat others head-on, or have a weak finishing kick.

…but if, for example—

"If you stumble at the start, match the pack’s speed."

"From the fourth corner into the final stretch, swing wide and sprint flat-out to the goal."

If there were an Uma Musume who could receive those “orders” from her trainer, shut out all unnecessary thoughts, and move her body exactly as instructed—

And if her ability to do so far surpassed everyone else’s—

Then perhaps…

A late charge lasting only a brief moment might be possible.

"Mihono Bourbon is closing the gap and surging toward the lead!

Inside or outside—she’s level, she passes, and she pulls away! Mihono Bourbon hits the wire in front!

With a magnificent run that even overcomes the disadvantage of her own running style, she claims a brilliant first victory!"

A shiver ran through my chest.

…Amazing, Bourbon-chan.

This is starting to make me look forward to racing against her.

While I was still caught in that awe, Trainer—

"So that really is Mihono Bourbon’s weakness."

He was already looking ahead—to the future.

And so, Bourbon-chan’s Make Debut came to an end.

The margin over second place was a full two and a half lengths.

Despite the poor start, she stamped her overwhelming ability onto the world.

---

An Uma Musume who wins her Make Debut goes on to experience one more “first.”

The Winning Live.

Bourbon-chan was no exception. After that splendid victory, she performed “Make debut!” for the spectators who had become her fans.

…With Trainer’s instruction on how to move her facial muscles, and my own acting guidance, I think it turned into a fairly expressive performance.

Though snapping straight back to a blank face the instant the song ended might be an issue.

Well, maybe that’s part of her charm too.

Still, watching her expressions during the live, I realized Trainer was right—once Bourbon-chan learns “move like this,” she can trace that movement beautifully.

It’s incredible. She really is like an android. Detroit: Become Bourbon-chan.

…Though she does seem weak to the unexpected. That’s something to improve.

After marking her debut, Trainer and I welcomed her back together with an "Okaeri."

Naturally, she was awarded the customary completion reward for finishing safely.

And after I suggested, "Why don’t you get your head patted too, Bourbon-chan?" she even received head pats…

And with that, Bourbon-chan’s Make Debut ended safely, without incident.

…Man, I feel like a weight’s been lifted off my shoulders.

It’s not like Hoshino Wilm bears any responsibility for Mihono Bourbon.

At most, she’s a junior I once gave advice to, and a fellow Uma Musume trained by the same trainer.

But still, I wanted her to seize that victory.

Bourbon-chan is hard to read emotionally. She’s always expressionless, and never shows her feelings through her attitude.

She reminds me of my past self—but she’s probably a little different.

Unlike me, who was bound by the “curse of coldness,” she seems like someone who’s simply always had faint emotions to begin with.

…But that doesn’t mean she has no feelings.

She asks to run alongside me when I’m training, listens sincerely to what Trainer says, and even proactively offers to help when he’s putting away equipment.

Some of that may be about earning trust, but overall… I think she’s a serious, kind girl at heart.

And, well—when you spend time around a girl like that, it’s only natural that your fondness for her starts to grow.

Before I realized it, I’d come to genuinely like Bourbon-chan—not just as a teammate, but as a junior.

It was different from my friendships with Nature or Teio. This was a proper senior–junior relationship.

For someone like me, who’d been a lifelong loner in my previous life, it felt incredibly fresh—and fun.

So when that junior I’d grown fond of took her first step toward her dream, of course I was happy.

Yeah. I slept extremely well that night.

…Alright, flashback over.

Now it’s the morning after Bourbon-chan’s Make Debut.

As usual, I was at Tracen Academy, attending makeup classes to catch up after my hospitalization delay…

"Sigh…"

Including me, there were four other students taking remedial lessons.

And every single one of them… how should I put it—rough-looking. They radiated an unmistakably oppressive, pent-up atmosphere.

One ignored the teacher entirely and read a book. One slept openly without a shred of shame. One sat hunched over, completely still. Another muttered to herself nonstop…

Yeah. Scary.

To put it bluntly, it was hell.

Of course, it’s only natural.

This world has its dark sides too—ones you’d never hear about in an anime from my previous life.

Uma Musume have hearts just like humans. That means scandals, failures, and despair exist here as well.

And this situation is one of them.

Late August of the Classic year at Tracen Academy is hell.

Why?

Because the winless races are about to end.

To participate in the Twinkle Series, an Uma Musume must win either her Make Debut or a winless race.

Make Debuts are held from June of the Junior year to around March of the Classic year. In other words, your first race has to be done by then.

…And winless races end in early September of the Classic year.

If you haven’t won by then, an Uma Musume… cannot enter the Twinkle Series.

It’s cruel. Brutally so.

In essence, it means, “Any Uma Musume who still can’t win after coming this far doesn’t belong in the Twinkle Series.”

As a result, any Uma Musume who fails to win by September of her Classic year is forced to retire—or transfer to a regional track.

For girls who came to the central circuit with expectations riding on their shoulders, there’s no worse ending.

When we enrolled, our class had around thirty Uma Musume.

Before the Classic races even began, about five broke mentally and transferred or dropped out.

And in the past four months alone, nearly ten more disappeared.

By now, our class had shrunk to eighteen—barely over half of what it once was.

July was especially bad, after the girls who had already debuted left for summer training camp.

What remained were those who had already given up… and those who hadn’t, but were rapidly running out of time.

The dorm atmosphere was atrocious—so bad that an industrial zone full of exhaust fumes would’ve been preferable.

Morale dropped even further in that environment, and at its worst, two students would leave in a single week.

Uma Musume are generally kind by nature. Even the so-called “difficult” ones aren’t bad girls at heart.

…but irritation and desperation exist. You can’t always suppress them.

When the path you’ve staked your life on is denied, it’s only natural that some girls snap.

As a result, undeclared Classic-year Uma Musume during this period are steeped in the worst possible atmosphere.

Some become reckless, acting without thinking about consequences.

It’s genuinely dangerous.

Apparently, Trainer had pulled some strings, so no one tried anything with me…

But I don’t want to see scenes like this for long. It really wears on the heart.

Holding summer training camps probably isn’t just a substitute for summer vacation—it’s also to keep the girls who’ve already debuted from seeing this.

If someone like Rice saw this, she might start blaming herself for winning.

Worst case, it could even lead to assault incidents.

…Apparently that’s not a joke. It happens on rare occasions. Misplaced resentment is terrifying.

Naturally, there’s no way anyone can properly focus on class in an environment like this.

Not that I was ever particularly diligent to begin with.

If I showed even a hint of studying seriously, I’d risk drawing their hostility—and that was the most terrifying outcome of all.

So, as usual, I kept my head down and pretended to sleep through the morning.

As for studying… well, I’ll lean on Nature. Or ask Trainer if it comes to it.

…Except Nature’s away at training camp, and Teio’s absent too—apparently using a Mejiro facility for rehab.

Visiting my juniors during breaks would just be a nuisance.

No comfort anywhere.

It was my first truly painful stretch of academy life in a while…

---

Once the hellish morning ended, salvation arrived in the form of after school.

Careful not to provoke the tense girls, I slipped out of the classroom and headed for the trainer’s office.

"Sigh…"

It’s not that those girls are bad.

They simply lacked the combined total of talent, effort, and luck needed to produce results.

And the world of competition has no mercy.

No matter how hard you try, no matter how desperately you cry and struggle—if you don’t produce results, you aren’t acknowledged.

You aren’t even allowed to remain.

That’s why they panic. They feel like they can’t afford to stagnate.

…And once time truly runs out, they break.

No one is at fault. There’s no villain to blame.

I understand that.

Even so… it hurts.

Watching them suffer. Seeing how frayed they’ve become. Witnessing the ugly events that follow…

It’s still painful.

"Things really don’t go the way you want them to…"

And there’s nothing I can do.

I’m an Uma Musume reincarnated into this world with cheats.

But my cheat isn’t omnipotent—it’s specialized entirely for running.

And I’ve known for a long time that this world isn’t convenient or forgiving—ever since I fell out with my parents.

I can’t save everyone.

Only one runner can win a race, and the number of Make Debuts and winless races is limited.

There will always be winners and losers, and saving the hearts of the losers is something only they themselves can do.

All Hoshino Wilm can do is win races—and give dreams to the fans who believe in me.

…Yeah.

I need to do what I can.

What only I can do.

If you spend time with someone like that, your affection naturally rises, you know.

Before I realized it, I’d grown genuinely fond of Bourbon-chan as a junior.

It wasn’t the same kind of friendship I had with Nature or Teio. This was a proper senior–junior relationship.

For someone like me, who’d been perpetually alone even in my previous life, it felt incredibly fresh—and honestly, really fun.

So when that junior I’d taken a liking to took her first step toward her dream, of course I was happy.

Yeah. I slept in a really good mood that night.

…Alright, flashback over.

It was now the morning after Bourbon-chan’s Make Debut.

As usual, I was at Tracen Academy, attending makeup classes to catch up on what I’d missed during my hospital stay…

"Haa…"

Including me, there were four other students in remedial class.

All of them… how should I put it—rough around the edges, or rather, clearly radiating a stifling, oppressive atmosphere.

One ignored the teacher completely and read a book. One slept openly without a care. One sat with her head down, unmoving. Another muttered under her breath nonstop…

Yeah. Scary.

To put it bluntly, it was hell.

Naturally, there are dark sides to this world that never get shown in the anime of my previous life.

Uma Musume have hearts no different from humans, so scandals and failures are inevitable.

This situation was one of them.

Late August of the Classic year at Tracen Academy is hell.

Why? Because the winless races are about to end.

To participate in the Twinkle Series, an Uma Musume has to win either her Make Debut race or a maiden race.

Make Debut races run from June of the Junior year to around March of the Classic year. Basically, you’re expected to run your first race within that window.

…but maiden races end in early September of the Classic year.

If you can’t win by then, an Uma Musume… can no longer participate in the Twinkle Series.

It’s brutally cruel, but—

The logic is simple: “If you can’t win after coming this far, you don’t belong in the Twinkle Series.”

As a result, any Uma Musume who fails to secure a win by September of her Classic year is forced to either retire or transfer to a regional circuit.

For those who came to the central academy with high expectations, it’s the worst bad ending imaginable.

When we first enrolled, our class had around thirty Uma Musume.

Before the Classic races even began, about five had already broken under the pressure and transferred or dropped out.

And in the past four months, nearly ten more had disappeared.

In the end, our class was reduced to eighteen—almost half of what it had been at enrollment.

July was especially bad, once the debuted girls left for training camp.

All that remained were those who had already given up on racing, or those whose deadlines for a bad ending were rapidly approaching.

The atmosphere in the dorms was beyond awful—honestly, an industrial zone filled with smog would’ve felt healthier.

Morale sank even further, and at its worst, two students would withdraw or transfer in a single week.

Uma Musume are, at their core, good-natured. Even the so-called “difficult” ones usually just have quirks—they aren’t bad people.

…but frustration and impatience exist. Those feelings can’t always be suppressed.

If someone tells you that the race you’ve staked your entire life on is meaningless, it’s only natural that some girls break and spiral out of control.

As a result, undeveloped Classic-year girls during this period are surrounded by the worst possible atmosphere.

Some completely give up on consequences and act recklessly, which makes the situation genuinely dangerous.

Apparently the trainers pulled some strings, so I wasn’t targeted… but still.

I don’t want to see scenes like this for long. It really wears you down.

Maybe that’s also why training camps are held during summer—to replace summer break, and to keep debuted girls from seeing this mess.

If someone like Rice-chan saw this, she’d probably start blaming herself, saying things like, “It’s because I won…”

Worst case, it could even lead to assault.

…And apparently, that’s not even a joke. It happens sometimes. Misplaced resentment is terrifying.

Of course, there was no way I could properly focus on class in that environment. Not that I’d ever been particularly attentive to begin with.

If I looked like I was studying seriously, I might provoke their hostility—and that was the most terrifying possibility of all.

So today, like always, I kept my head down and pretended to sleep my way through the morning.

Studying… well, I can lean on Nature for that. Worst case, I can ask Trainer.

…Though Nature’s at training camp, Teio’s borrowing the Mejiro family’s facilities for rehab, and I can’t exactly bother my juniors during short breaks.

No healing, no comfort—just a rare return to painful school life…

---

When the hellish morning finally ended, the saving grace of after school arrived.

Careful not to provoke the tense girls, I slipped out of the classroom and headed for the trainer’s office.

"Haa…"

It’s not that those girls are at fault.

They simply lack the combined total of talent, effort, and luck needed to produce results.

And the world of competition has no mercy.

No matter how hard you try, no matter how much you cry and struggle, you aren’t acknowledged unless you produce results. You aren’t even allowed to remain.

So they panic. They feel like they can’t afford to stagnate here.

…and when it becomes clear they won’t make it in time, they lash out in desperation.

No one is to blame. There’s no villain to condemn.

Even knowing that… it’s still heartbreaking.

Seeing their pain, their bitterness, the ugly events that eventually surface—

Yeah. It still hurts.

"This world really doesn’t go the way you want it to…"

And there’s nothing I can do.

I’m an Uma Musume reincarnated into this world, gifted with a cheat.

But it isn’t some all-purpose miracle—just something specialized for running.

I learned long ago, when I fell out with my parents, that this world isn’t conveniently kind.

I can’t save everyone’s heart.

Only one runner can win a race, and there are only so many Make Debuts and maiden races.

Winners and losers will always exist, and only the losers themselves can truly save their own hearts.

All Hoshino Wilm can do is win races and show dreams to the fans who support her.

…Yeah.

I need to do what I can.

"…Alright. Time to switch gears and train."

I opened the familiar door to the trainer’s office—

…and stopped.

An unexpected scene unfolded before me.

First, I saw Trainer asleep on the sofa by the window, a blanket draped over him.

And then—Bourbon-chan, giving him a lap pillow.

The two of them were bathed in gentle afternoon sunlight, sharing a quiet, peaceful moment.

Uhh… um…

This is… that is to say…

"…NTR…? A reversal…?"

Bourbon-chan noticed my muttering and softly raised a finger to her lips—be quiet, don’t wake him.

My heart was absolutely not at peace, but I moved closer to her and whispered near her ear.

"What’s going on? A lap pillow…?"

Bourbon-chan made a small beckoning gesture.

Ah—keep it a secret. Don’t wake him.

I leaned in to hear her whisper back, and naturally… my eyes noticed something else.

Whoa. Huge. I won’t say what, but it’s way too big…

If she were standing straight, she wouldn’t even be able to see her feet, right? Meanwhile, I can see everything below my own chest. What is this unfair gap? This world really is cruel.

Also… is this safe? If Trainer suddenly wakes up, his head’s going straight into those ripe fruits.

I don’t know his preferences, but what if he likes the big ones…?

Worst case scenario, Bourbon-chan could get unknowingly NTR’d.

…Not that she’s asleep. Or even in love yet.

Should I ask to switch places? Just in case?

…Wait, what were we even talking about again?

Oh right—first I need to ask why this is happening.

"I will explain.

When I entered this room, I estimated that Master was in a state of 'complete exhaustion.'

Master’s fatigue is one of the factors that hinders the optimal development of us assigned Uma Musume. Therefore, I requested that Master take proper rest.

However, Master did not accept my request, so I exercised my 'reward privilege.'

Based on information obtained from classmates, I executed the task 'lap pillow,' which is said to soothe male trainers, and forced Master to rest.

It has been eight minutes and sixteen seconds since Master entered a sleep state.

Additionally, Master left a message for you, Hoshino Wilm-senpai.

'Today’s training plan is on page thirty-three of the notebook on the desk. However, since fatigue has accumulated, you may decide to rest instead.' That is the message."

"…Thanks for the clear explanation."

Thank goodness. No NTR here…

If anything, I’m the one NTR’ing Rice-chan, which is… wow. Realizing that makes me want to die. Hahaha… ha…

Still, using such an advanced skill as a lap pillow with zero romantic intent—what a terrifying girl.

I’d be far too embarrassed to even suggest something like that. Even if I did, I’d probably run away before actually doing it.

But noticing Trainer’s hidden exhaustion and forcing him to rest—that, I’m grateful for.

He said he’d sleep properly yesterday, but from what I saw this morning, he clearly didn’t.

"Thank you, Bourbon-chan. For looking out for Trainer."

"No. I recognize that assigned Uma Musume and their contracted trainer advance together, supporting one another."

At her casual words, my eyes widened slightly.

Then the corners of my mouth lifted.

"Yeah… you’re right. Truly."

Hoshino Wilm was saved by her contracted trainer, Horino Ayumu.

He broke open a world sealed in icy shackles and showed me how vast it truly was.

He supported me, taught me "heat," and brought me this far.

So now… it’s my turn to save him.

I looked at Trainer’s face.

Sleeping with a faint frown—far from peaceful. The man I love.

I will repay this debt. I swear it.

So someday, when you can believe in me not just as your assigned Uma Musume, but as Hoshino Wilm—one Uma Musume—

Please rely on me then.

…Ayumu-san.

"By the way, Bourbon-chan, isn’t holding a lap pillow tiring? I can switch with you."

"Thank you for your concern. However, an Uma Musume’s body is sturdy. I predict no discomfort for another four hours and thirty-six minutes.

Additionally, as today is my cooldown day following a race, I believe I am well suited for this role.

Please do not worry, senpai, and proceed with your training menu."

"…Oh. I see. Huh."

Accepting her one-hundred-percent pure goodwill, I reluctantly headed off to train.

I want to look cool in front of my junior.

And I need to make Trainer fall for me even more.

Balancing all of that is… surprisingly hard.