Chapter 45: Here, huh… so this is where the festival’s being held……

"Trainer, look—look! Let’s go over there!"

"Wait, wait—Hoshino Wilm, seriously, wait—my arm’s about to come off!"

She yanks my arm with enough force to dislocate a shoulder, and I hurriedly move my legs to keep up.

Uma Musume really are something else. Even a little excited tug carries this much power.

No wonder their past lives gave rise to the unit called “horsepower”…

…Wait. Come to think of it, what are Uma Musume, exactly? They aren’t simply anthropomorphized animals in this world. Are they some kind of distinct species that inherited a soul?

Well, setting that aside—if this keeps up, I’m either losing a shoulder or breaking a bone.

I need to say something before that happens.

"At least grab my other hand, okay? If my right arm goes, it’ll interfere with work…"

"Ah—s-sorry!"

For some reason, she blushes slightly as she lets go of my hand.

Good. Looks like she’s calmed down.

No matter how athletic an Uma Musume is, causing bodily harm would still be a problem.

She’s a middle schooler, after all—getting excited before a festival is normal. She doesn’t need to look that embarrassed about it… but as her trainer, I should still correct her.

"You’re an Uma Musume. I’m fine, but be gentle with other people too, alright?"

"Yes…"

Be kind to others.

That’s one of the very first things Uma Musume are taught in this world.

Despite having physiques and body weights nearly identical to humans, Uma Musume possess far greater strength and durability.

To put it bluntly, they’re a different species—one that just happens to be extremely close to humans.

And because of that, coexistence between humans and Uma Musume requires mutual understanding.

If Uma Musume, who are physically superior, were to lose control, humans would inevitably band together to restrain them.

That would destroy trust between the two groups—the worst possible outcome.

To prevent that, ethical education in this world seems even more thorough than it was in my previous life.

So that no one grows up cruel. So that even if someone develops quirks, they still learn kindness, empathy, and goodwill toward others from a young age.

Of course, that expectation applies to humans too, who far outnumber Uma Musume.

Love for one’s neighbor is a fundamental value in this world.

And honestly, that’s probably one reason why so many people—human and Uma Musume alike—are genuinely kind.

But that also means…

Hurting others is even more taboo here than it was in my previous life.

If word spread that an undefeated, double-crown-winning superstar had broken a human’s bones, it would be a massive scandal.

If it were me, it could be brushed off as an accident—but if a fan got hurt, there’d be no defending it.

I hate to restrict her, but she really does need to hold herself back.

…Still, today’s a festival.

I can’t just keep scolding her.

"Come on. The stall you want is over there, right? Let’s go."

"Y-Yes!"

Today is the Grand Thanksgiving Festival.

Through a series of events, Hoshino Wilm and I ended up walking around the festival together.

---

Today’s assignment for Hoshino Wilm isn’t training or racing—it’s the “Wilm Consultation Booth.”

Her role is to listen to visitors’ concerns and interact with them.

…But judging by her behavior, she hadn’t exactly been comfortable with the idea.

That morning, she’d seemed unusually tense, staring blankly ahead at the hollow of the great tree.

When she turned toward me, her eyes drooped slightly, and her gaze didn’t quite meet mine.

Hoshino Wilm is normally very good at communication.

With me, she’s composed but a little spoiled. With friends, she loosens up. With fans, she’s gentle and smiling. With juniors, she’s warm and supportive. In interviews, she speaks boldly, like a champion.

She changes her mask depending on who she’s facing.

None of those are fake—they’re all different sides of her.

She doesn’t change her opinions, only how she expresses them.

Being able to respond appropriately to any person or situation is actually a rare talent.

That’s why I’d always thought she was good at interacting with people.

She’d never seemed to struggle with conversations before, so I assumed the consultation booth would be fine…

But in truth, she’d been under far more pressure than I realized.

She was much more cautious around people than I’d thought.

Even though this was just a school event, she worried deeply about visitors and fans.

So much so that she felt the same tension other Uma Musume feel before a race—during what was supposed to be a fun festival.

That’s how kind she is. And how much she values her fans.

Since the Takarazuka Kinen, something in her had changed.

That race—those cheers—were what allowed her to run the way she did.

And because of that, she wanted to give something back.

She wanted everyone to enjoy themselves—desperately so.

Too desperately, in fact.

And I failed to notice that pressure building inside her. I’ll need to reflect on that later.

But in the end, she did smile.

When the noon break came and I called her into the tent, she was sweating from the crowd’s energy, yet she smiled innocently and said, "This morning was really fun!"

What Hoshino Wilm needs right now is to experience being loved by many people.

For someone who grew up without knowing affection, being appreciated, liked, and cared for is vital.

It will help expand the world that’s begun to open for her ever since she broke free of her curse.

That’s why I agreed to Bourbon’s idea of the “Consultation Booth,” where she could interact directly with fans.

I misjudged things once and pushed her too hard—but it seems the results are finally beginning to show.

Bourbon also seems to have found someone to spend the festival with, so for now, both of my trainees are enjoying the Grand Thanksgiving Festival.

Good.

Both Hoshino Wilm and Mihono Bourbon lack life experience in their own ways.

I want them to experience many things beyond just running—and live fulfilling racing lives.

…That said.

What she said next was completely unexpected.

"Then let’s go, Trainer!"

"Huh?"

"Huh? I mean, let’s go around together during the lunch break!"

…Why?

"You don’t need to worry about me. You should go with your friends."

"Nature and Teio are apparently doing their own events, and Bourbon-chan’s going around with Sakurabakushin O and Nishino Flower. And it’d be rude of me to barge in on my juniors like that… and I don’t really have anyone else I’d call a close friend."

"Ugh—"

Why does that sound so sad…?

Ah—no—don’t tell me—

That memory just resurfaced.

My first-year cultural festival, when everyone else had plans with friends, and I didn’t want to intrude—so I wandered around alone, pretending I was fine.

That painfully lonely memory I’d buried deep inside just came flooding back.

Damn it… I can’t let my trainee feel that way!

"…Then let’s go together, Hoshino Wilm."

"Yes!"

And just like that, I ended up touring the Grand Thanksgiving Festival together with Hoshino Wilm.

---

"First, let’s get something to eat! Follow that delicious smell!"

"You’re energetic today… Oh, that’s—"

"Takoyaki. It smells amazing…"

"The booth’s run by the White Lightning—Tamamo Cross, huh? She’s really good at cooking. Impressive technique."

"…By the way, what are those spike-like tools they use to flip the takoyaki called? They look like they have a cool katakana name."

"Takoyaki picks."

"Eh?"

"There’s no official term, but that’s the most widely understood name. Some people call them awls or ice picks, but ‘takoyaki pick’ gets the idea across best.

So, at present, the most commonly accepted term for that utensil is ‘takoyaki pick.’"

"…You know a lot about this. Why?"

"Education."

"Ed…u-cation…"

"Trainer education."

"Being an Uma Musume’s trainer sounds hard…"

Lie. I learned that in my previous life.

We bought two packs of twelve—twenty-four takoyaki in total.

A lot for two humans, but with an Uma Musume involved, it’s just about right.

We sat on a nearby bench and slowly bit into the piping-hot takoyaki.

"Huff, huff… Mmm, delicious!

Takoyaki has that unique texture, plus the seaweed, bonito flakes, and sauce—it makes you crave it sometimes, doesn’t it?"

"Yeah… though it’s been a long time since I last had any."

"Really? Now that you mention it, me too…"

Truth be told, it’s my first time eating takoyaki since my previous life.

I’ve grown used to refined flavors and preserved foods in this world, but junk food like this really hits the spot.

I always liked flour-based food back then.

"By the way, that small pink-haired Uma Musume earlier—what did you think of her?"

"Eh? If you’re asking what I thought… well, yeah. I did feel something, at least."

"Oh? I knew it. You might not face her in the Twinkle Series depending on age, but that girl’s definitely going to grow."

"Ah—so that’s what you meant…"

As we talked about the visitors who had come by today, we continued walking together.

…For the record, out of the twenty-four takoyaki, about eighteen of them ended up in Hoshino Wilm’s stomach.

Well, she’s got a healthy appetite as always. It’s good—she’ll need the energy for the afternoon.

"What’s that over there? A shooting gallery?"

"Yeah, that’s one. Looks like it’s run by the strongest miler—Taiki Shuttle.

The usual rules: knock something down, get a prize. …Oh, they’ve even got your Paka-Puchi."

"Trainer, you should try it!"

"Uh… okay, I’ll give it a shot, but don’t expect much."

After a valiant struggle…

I spent 4,000 yen and won a single tiny box of candy.

"…That was impressively bad."

"I’ve never practiced shooting games…"

"Well, still… this is kind of—here, let me try."

Hoshino Wilm took the gun. Her first shot missed, landing just beneath the target.

"Hmm… I see."

The second shot cleanly knocked down a larger prize.

The third shot took down her own Paka-Puchi.

"…Amazing."

"Heh. I am a genius, after all. …Here, this Paka-Puchi is for you."

"Really? Thanks."

"Treat it like it’s me, okay?"

A big, smiling Hoshino Wilm in her race outfit—an official URA plush.

…Well, truth is, this makes two of them now.

Paka-Puchi merchandise—really, all Uma Musume goods—gets sent to trainers in advance for product checks.

So I actually own every version of Hoshino Wilm’s merchandise: small and large, uniform and race outfit, neutral face and smiling face—eight total, all lined up on a shelf in my dorm room.

Still, this one’s from her. I’ll treasure it.

Though… if I’m supposed to treat it like her, I might need to buy a display case so it doesn’t get dusty.

…Honestly, my room is about to overflow with Hoshino Wilm goods. I can’t just throw them away, so I’ll probably need to rent a storage unit or send some back home.

"Nature’s apparently running a small café with her friends. If you’re not too full, want to check it out?"

"Sure, let’s go."

And so, our next destination was Nature’s café.

…A café? Looking at the menu, it’s more like a diner. Or maybe a pub without alcohol?

Despite its unpolished aesthetic, the classroom-turned-café was absolutely packed. There was even a line. Incredible popularity.

From inside came the chatter of customers—and the panicked shouts of the staff.

"Hey, someone go buy more juice!"

"What kind!? Soda!?"

"Orange! And we’re out of paper cups too! And chopsticks!"

"Can someone help at the register!? We’re out of questionnaires!"

"We’re short on hands! Someone find Daisy and bring her back!"

"How long until the stew’s ready!?"

"It’s not instant! Sixteen more minutes!"

"We came to tease a little, but… it’s way more popular than I expected."

"I heard earlier that the beef tendon stew and kushikatsu are way too good for student cooking."

"…Isn’t that a bit much?"

"Well, I heard Nature’s parents run a bar. She’s probably good at cooking."

"Ah… by the way, Trainer—do you think girls who can cook are attractive?"

"Not just cooking. I think girls who are capable in many ways are attractive."

"Ah… yeah, that makes sense…"

"Though when it comes to racehorse girls—someone like you, who’s specialized in running—is great too. From a trainer’s perspective, you’re very rewarding to support."

"Ugh… that’s not what I meant…"

"Hm?"

She slumped her shoulders.

Hoshino Wilm became this strong because she specialized in running, and I don’t think that’s a flaw at all…

In the end, since we weren’t that hungry and didn’t have time to wait, we just observed Nature’s café and moved on.

"Teio’s doing a dance live, right? …Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever properly watched her dance."

"You’ve danced next to her twice."

"That’s different. During winning lives, I don’t have the luxury of watching others."

"Fair enough. Well, let’s go—looks like it’s about to start."

The gymnasium hosting the dance live was already overflowing with people.

After a short wait, the lights dimmed, and the first performer—Teio—took the stage.

"Don’t look at me like that
With those honest eyes
I can’t dodge it, I can’t escape
What do I do in moments like this?
Love experience—gimme gimme gimme!"

…She’s sharp.

I don’t know much about dancing, but this is clearly professional-level.

Well, they do draw crowds through races and lives—so in that sense, they really are professionals.

“Make up your mind, take the plunge
Tomorrow? No way—right now! Step it!”

“…Impressive. If the competition were dance, I don’t think I could beat her right now.”

“I think you handle your winning lives beautifully as well.”

“This is just a matter of talent. When it comes to dance, Teio has more natural aptitude than I do. I could perform competently with practice, but I can’t replicate her kind of originality.”

“Huh. That’s surprisingly straightforward of you—to admit defeat.”

“Huh? I’m not losing anything.

Even if I can’t beat her right now, give me another hundred—no, fifty hours of proper practice and I will. I’m only inferior at this moment. I haven’t even stepped onto the battlefield yet, so I haven’t lost.”

“Ah… yeah. Fair enough.”

After finishing the dance stage, we wandered past the nearby stalls and came upon a rather unusual-looking area.

“Is that… a garbage dump?”

“I get why you’d think that, but don’t say it like that. That’s Machikane Fukukitaru’s good-luck fortune booth.”

“I mean… but that’s clearly bulky trash—”

“No, those are… probably lucky items. Supposedly.”

“There’s a refrigerator with the top half missing.”

“…Probably a lucky item.”

“And that shattered desk?”

“…Yeah.”

“And she’s crying.”

“…I wonder why.”

Since we were already here, we decided to stop by the—not-a-dump—fortune booth.

Which raised an important question.

What exactly is a “good-luck fortune shop”? Does she tell fortunes? Sell things?

The answer, apparently, was both.

She was selling various “lucky items” she had collected, while also offering fortunes and omikuji she personally made.

Apparently, Fukukitaru herself wasn’t thrilled about selling them.

Her dorm room had become so full of lucky items that her roommate and the dorm manager begged the trainer to do something about it, and this booth was the compromise.

When I picked up one of the smaller… items, she teared up, so I quietly put it back. Best not to interfere.

At this rate, none of it might ever get sold.

But if the shop itself was barely functioning, that left only one service to try…

“Let’s draw fortunes. Might as well pray for your autumn G1 campaign.”

“Okay… Oh, I got ‘small blessing.’ It says: ‘Good fortune invites misfortune—beware instant death traps underfoot! Lucky item: a blunt frog.’ …What’s a blunt frog?”

“I got… ‘Super Ultra Bad Luck.’ What even is that?

‘Empty efforts, blindness, the worst year possible! Woe unto you!! Lucky item: Galactic Strap.’”

“Oh, it says here you can redraw as many times as you want—‘Beginner’s luck bonus! Unlimited redraws!’”

“This is a gacha.”

“It also says if you draw ten times, one is guaranteed to be at least ‘good fortune.’”

“This is absolutely a gacha.”

“Maybe I’ll try until I get great luck.”

“Don’t.”

---

Come to think of it, the last time I walked around a festival like this with someone… must have been when I was a teenager. Over thirty years ago.

Walking around with no real objective… somehow makes me uneasy.

I’m not particularly talented. I’ve always believed I only reach average by putting in far more effort than others.

That’s why, ever since coming to this world, I’ve never allowed myself to slack off.

For twenty years, I devoted myself to learning everything a trainer should know—building stamina, refining knowledge.

So now…

It feels strange, doing something that isn’t related to being a trainer.

I’m not gathering data on my trainee, not planning schedules, not preparing for the next race.

I’m just walking beside Hoshino Wilm, laughing at odd attractions, eating whatever looks good.

And that makes me uneasy.

Like I forgot my bag on the way to work. Like I left my room messy before going out.

A faint sense of wrongness that won’t quite go away.

Even so, this time is for Hoshino Wilm.

I can’t let that unease show. I try to keep my expression natural.

…But did I succeed?

Was I really good enough at hiding it from her?

“It’s about time. Let’s head back, Hoshino Wilm.”

“…Trainer.”

“Hm? Want to grab something else to eat?”

When I turned around, she looked… lonely.

Why? Did she want to keep walking around with Nature or Teio instead?

Before I could decide what to say, she spoke.

“Did you have fun?”

“Fun…?”

“I had a lot of fun these past two hours. What about you, Trainer?”

“I…”

I was about to say yes—and stopped.

When was the last time I truly felt that word apply?

I honestly couldn’t remember.

And I didn’t want to lie to her.

Twisting the truth wouldn’t help our relationship.

So I answered honestly.

“I don’t know if I’d say it was fun… but I’m glad I got to know you better. These two hours were meaningful.”

“So… that’s how it is.”

…That wasn’t the expression I wanted to see.

I’d messed up again.

“No—wait, let me try that again.

I’m glad I got to spend time with you. Is that… not good enough?”

“It’s not that it’s bad. If that’s what you truly feel… then for now, that’s enough.”

Hoshino Wilm lowered her gaze and began walking ahead, as if guiding me forward.

I followed a few steps behind, careful not to overtake her.

As she walked at an unhurried pace, her words drifted back to me.

"Trainer—Horino Ayumu. The reason I’m able to enjoy today… is because of you.

But you’re not enjoying yourself, are you?"

For a few moments, I hesitated over how to respond.

But lying here… would be pointless.

She’s sharp. Any lie I tried to tell would be seen through immediately.

And dodging the question—pretending not to hear—wasn’t something I could do right now.

It’s not something I usually talk about, but… I suppose I have to be honest.

"...To be truthful, I don’t think I really understand what it means to ‘enjoy’ something.

Since being born into this world, I’ve had emotional ups and downs, sure—but I don’t think I’ve ever felt truly excited.

So…"

"Because everything was something you ‘had to do’?"

"...Yeah. Maybe that’s it."

Now that I think about it… I really have always made decisions based on whether I should do something.

Back then, as Horino’s trainer.

And now, as the trainer of Hoshino Wilm and Mihono Bourbon.

What can I do for my trainees?

What do I need to accumulate in order to help them?

The only time that wasn’t the case… was back then. Just that once.

"So then, Trainer, you can’t really say this to me, can you?"

"Huh?"

"‘Have fun. Don’t think about what you should do—think about what you want to do.’
The words you said to me—I’m returning them to you exactly as they are."

"...No, see, I’m an adult. I’m in a position where I have to think about what I should do, not what I want to do."

"From what you’ve told me before, it sounds like you’ve been that way since childhood."

"...Mm."

I couldn’t refute that.

…Because that’s tied to the abnormality of being a reincarnated person.

I carry memories from my previous life.

The memories of a truly hopeless, unsalvageable man.

Someone who tried to do something, yet accomplished nothing. Who ended up with nothing at all.

That’s why, in this life, I wanted to become someone who could do something.

This time, I wanted to be someone I could be proud of.

This time, I wanted to be capable of making a difference.

This time, I wanted to make the right choices.

A second life—an impossible, miraculous second chance.

When given a chance like that, anyone would think, This time for sure.

They’d want a better life, to make up for their childishness and foolishness from before.

I’m just one of those ordinary people.

I knew from my past life that I had no talent. I’d already accepted that.

That’s why I didn’t rot away—I trained and studied so that my lack of talent wouldn’t matter.

…Even if the direction I took was wrong, the accumulation of that effort is undeniably serving me now.

That’s why I can’t say the last twenty years were a mistake.

"I guess I was a strange kid, even back then."

"So you were a child that even the current you would deny?"

"...Hoshino Wilm, you’ve gotten good at poking holes in logic."

"I just didn’t show it much before. I’ve always been good at it."

"Oh… I see."

…Yeah. I know.

I probably look a little warped to other people.

Even so, I don’t think wanting to never make the same mistake again is wrong.

And I don’t want to believe that striving for that is wrong either.

"I can tell you’re worried about me. I appreciate that.

But… sorry. This is just the kind of person I am."

"...Huh. So you can mess with me however you want, but I’m not allowed to mess with you?"

"Watch your wording. There are fans around."

"I did that on purpose."

That just makes it worse.

With a wry smile, I follow after Hoshino Wilm as she leads the way—

When a question, slightly different in tone, reaches my ears.

"Since when?"

"Since when… what?"

"Since when did you become like that? What made you—Horino Ayumu—into the person you are?"

That’s… a difficult question.

When you ask someone when or why they became who they are, you rarely get a clear answer.

Unless something overwhelmingly dramatic happened—something so irreversible it reshaped everything.

But most people never experience something like that.

They simply live, learn a little at a time, and slowly become who they are.

Of course, I don’t have any great defining moment either.

Even if there was some turning point, it was probably so small I’ve long forgotten it.

"I guess… I’ve always been like this. So long ago I can’t even remember.

Or maybe… I was like this from the moment I was born into this world."

Yes.

Regardless of who “Horino Ayumu” was, I have always been this kind of person.

For so long that I can’t even remember when it started.