Chapter 46: The Lion-Bodied Robot

The trainer’s past—spoken of right at the very end of lunch break. A way of thinking that wants to do something, yet doesn’t know how to enjoy anything. A mindset that judges everything solely by whether it “should be done or not,” a half-mechanical standard for decision-making. To be honest, it wasn’t as if none of it lingered in my mind.

The way the trainer lives is warped. And I don’t just mean warped from my point of view—logically speaking, his way of being is strange.

Normally, he’s a rationalist. Yet the moment something involves his own evaluation or performance, he abruptly becomes illogical and emotional. He trusts data and numbers more than anyone else, and yet when it comes to himself, he throws all of that away and judges purely by feeling.

The change is far too abrupt. Between his usual self and the self he shows then, there’s an enormous, gaping divide. There’s no single thread running through him. It isn’t natural—it’s a distorted mental state. Which means he didn’t change slowly over time… but that somewhere along the way, his heart was twisted.

And more than anything else, the way he acts as if it’s a given that he himself is worthless… it reminds me—unpleasantly so—of something.

Of the me who had firmly, stubbornly believed that “Hoshino Wilm has no value if she can’t win.”

…Maybe he’s under some kind of curse.

It didn’t take long to reach that conclusion.

Some painful truth changed him. It decisively altered the person known as Horino Ayumu. He said nothing special happened… but perhaps there was something so awful that he refuses even to remember it.

His past. What, exactly, made Horino Ayumu who he is? I definitely felt the desire, deep within myself, to dig further into that.

But—

Putting that aside.

The trainer and I still have time. I’ll continue to be his Uma Musume for a long while yet. There should be plenty of time left to work on answering that question. But the chance to interact with the fans is today only. The next opportunity won’t come until April next year. In that situation, I wasn’t foolish—or ungrateful—enough to misunderstand what should take priority.

Well, it’s not like there was no progress. A trainer who rarely talks about himself told me just a little more. Anything beyond that can be pressed later, or I could always use my “reward ticket” to make him tell me. For today, I’ll be satisfied with this much.

What Hoshino Wilm is doing right now is expressing gratitude and communicating with the fans. That hasn’t changed since this morning.

…Alright. Switching gears.

Let’s do our best at the Wilm Advice Booth this afternoon too!

The Tracen Academy Fan Appreciation Festival uses a lottery system with extremely high odds just to get in. If they accepted everyone who wanted to attend, tens—no, hundreds—of thousands of people would flood the academy grounds. No matter how large Tracen Academy’s campus is, there’s a limit. That’s why they have no choice but to cap the number of attendees.

And once attendance is limited, visitors naturally concentrate in the morning. Fans practically radiating killing intent—people thinking, “I’d come to this event even if it cost me my life”—rush in the moment the gates open. Even those who aren’t quite that extreme tend to arrive early if there’s a particular Uma Musume’s project they really want to see.

So in theory, things should thin out a bit in the afternoon…

But the Wilm Advice Booth was still as popular as ever, even if the wait times had shortened somewhat. …Honestly, it looked like demand hadn’t been fully satisfied in the morning at all.

"Uh, h-hello…!"

"Welcome. …Oh? By any chance, have you been watching our live performances since way back?"

"Eh!? Ah—w-wait, what!? You remember me!?"

"Ah, I thought so. We may not look it, but during lives we actually watch the fans pretty closely, you know? Thank you as always for your support."

"E-eh, um—no, thank you! I always get so much energy from watching you run, Wilm-chan, and the lives have such an amazing gap too…!"

"No, really—thanks to everyone’s support, I’m able to run. Thank you for all the cheers, always. …Now then, we don’t have much time, so shall I hear your concern?"

"Um, well, uh… when I think about it calmly, this might be super rude, but… my oshi said she’s going to run in a G1 race just five months after a fracture, and I’m really worried, and…"

"…Heh."

"I-I’m sorry! I know it’s rude! But my dad’s a doctor, and he says coming back in five months is too fast, so I got anxious…!"

"It’s alright. I understand that you’re worried. And knowing that, what I can say is… just like at the Takarazuka Kinen, please trust me. I’ll definitely live up to those expectations."

"Y-yes…! Ugh, my oshi is way too cool… even though she’s a loli…!"

"I’m not a loli. I attend Tracen Academy, you know!"

Of course, fans aren’t infinite. By the time it passed 4 p.m., it seemed like most of the demand had been met, and the wait time finally dropped below twenty minutes. That said, there were still about twenty minutes’ worth—more than ten fans—waiting for their turn to talk with me. You could say there was no room for complacency.

Still, from the outside, it was clear the number of customers was decreasing. And once that happened, acquaintances of mine—who’d been holding back out of consideration for regular customers—started to come by too.

"Senpai, I’m here!"

"Pink-chan, welcome. Go ahead and have a seat."

"Yes!"

"Thanks for coming. …Though I do feel a bit bad. We usually talk normally, so having you pay money just to chat…"

"It’s fine! You’ve taken such good care of me, Senpai—please let me repay you a little!"

"You’re always buying me snacks and juice anyway, so you don’t need to worry about it. …Alright then, what’s your concern?"

"Ah…"

"…Don’t tell me you forgot your concern?"

"U-um… now that you mention it, I did need one, didn’t I…"

"…Let’s just talk normally, okay?"

"Yes…"

That kind of thing started happening more often, with people I knew stopping by. Three hundred yen per minute is an absurdly high price. Spending enough money for a full meal on just one minute of conversation firmly places this in the category of luxury services. That’s exactly why I’m nothing but grateful to anyone who comes despite the cost, and why I want to give them my very best advice.

Among my few acquaintances, the junior-class kouhai came especially often. They don’t have their own projects yet. Even those who do apparently can only be scheduled for one hour during their junior year. As a result, many of the kouhai I’m close with ended up visiting.

And among them was that black-coated girl.

"O-uh—no, Wilm-senpai!"

"Hm? Rice-chan, you came. Go ahead and sit."

"Excuse me… ah, eh!?"

"Ah, the chair has fallen in the line of duty. It worked hard all day, after all."

"I-I’m sorry! Rice did it again…"

"That won’t do, Rice-chan. The chair carried out its duties to the very end and fell gloriously. Well, I didn’t expect it to literally fall apart into pieces, but still—it fulfilled its role. Saying it ‘met an untimely death because of you’ isn’t nice. We can’t take away the chair’s pride in its work."

"I-is that so… maybe it is?"

"Yeah. Apologizing too much isn’t good either. Sorry, Bourbon-chan—could you tidy up the chair and go borrow a new one from the trainer?"

"Order acknowledged. Rice Shower-san, excuse me."

"…Bourbon-san, are you helping with Wilm-senpai’s project?"

"Yes. After returning at 16:11, I resumed assisting Hoshino Wilm-senpai."

"I see…"

"Rice-chan, sorry, but we don’t have much time. Could you tell me your concern?"

"Ah, yes! Um, I did find a kind trainer who’s willing to accept even Rice, but… even so, I just can’t find the courage to enter races. I know I have to, but no matter what…"

"I see, I see. First of all, congratulations on getting a trainer. As for lacking courage… alright, then let’s run together."

"Eh? W-what?"

"Next time, how about we make a plan together, with both of our trainers involved? As for the date…"

"E-eh… eeeh!?"

If you ask me, what Rice-chan lacks is successful experiences—experiences that let her affirm herself. Because she doesn’t have many successes, she can’t bring herself to take on challenges. Because she doesn’t challenge herself, she can’t accumulate successes. It’s a textbook negative loop.

To break it, she needs the guts and mental strength to overcome her misfortune-prone nature, and an opportunity to bring those out. The former depends on her, but the latter is something I can provide. Sorry, Rice-chan, but the solution is to drag her—by force if necessary—onto the stage of challenge.

…And if I can bring Bourbon-chan along at the same time, it’ll also be a perfect chance to close the awkward distance currently hanging between them. I’m not trying to play some lovey-dovey cupid, but as an Uma Musume who loved their pairing in a past life, I at least want to support them until they become friends.

It’d also be just right as a kind of warm-up for me, as I’m gradually regaining my strength. I’ll have the trainer set up a mock race. Talking as if it’s already decided might be counting my tanuki pelts before catching them, but…

The trainer is hopelessly soft on me anyway, so it should be fine. And at worst, there’s always the “reward ticket” I’m planning to get today.

So, after telling her we’d do a mock race, we talked things through lightly.

Hearing that, Rice-chan went home in a fluster—fidgeting and bowing over and over, clearly confused. I do feel a little bad for having made her even more confused after listening to her worries, but this is for Rice-chan’s sake. I truly hope she’ll grasp something in her own way through that mock race.

And then, beyond that—

It wasn’t just junior-class kouhai who came to the advice booth.

A respectable senior—someone I hadn’t had much contact with before—also stopped by.

"Excuse me."

"Eh… McQueen-senpai."

"It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Hoshino Wilm-san?"

"It has. I never expected you to come."

"Oh my, I’ve been wanting to speak with you if I ever had the chance."

"Ah, because I was hospitalized… I’m sorry you even paid money to come."

"That’s quite alright. There was something I wanted to consult you about as well."

"A consultation? With me?"

"Yes. It’s something very important."

"…I will listen carefully."

"Then allow me to ask… I heard you devised an extremely efficient diet method."

"…Huh?"

"What kind of method is it!? I need to lose two kilograms before my next race, the Kyoto Daishoten! Please, tell me how to resist the temptation of sweets!"

"…Ah—excuse me?"

I ended up listening to a concern from McQueen-senpai that was far more down-to-earth than I’d expected. For a moment, the image in my head of the proud, cool McQueen-senpai nearly collapsed…

"And this here is a ticket to the Kyoto Daishoten. Seiun Sky-san and you have gotten the better of me until now, but… hardships are meant to be overcome. At the next opportunity, I will surely surpass them. Consider this a kind of challenge letter. These legs of mine, further honed over the summer—please come and see them, together with your trainer."

…That single statement immediately restored everything. She may have a surprisingly cute side, but McQueen-senpai truly is a refined and noble Uma Musume. Since I received a ticket, I absolutely have to go watch it with my trainer. I’m already looking forward to it—a race spectating trip after so long.

And so, while communicating with fans and fellow Uma Musume alike, time flew by in the blink of an eye.

Now then, the time is 5:30 p.m. The season is just on the verge of autumn, and the sky is slowly being dyed red. …The Fan Appreciation Festival is nearly over.

Around this time, visitors begin heading home, and attendance at each project drops close to zero. Mine was no exception—at last, the number of people waiting fell below five. …Well, there are still five. Just how much demand does this booth have?

Maybe it’s alright to think that I managed to give the fans what they wanted. Yeah. Looking back, I’m really glad I did this. If everyone enjoyed themselves, then all the effort spent preparing and talking was worth it… and above all, I had an incredible amount of fun too. On top of that, I even get a “reward ticket” from the trainer—there couldn’t be a better outcome.

It might be a little early to declare it definitively, but…

You could say that Hoshino Wilm’s Classic-class Autumn Fan Appreciation Festival ended in overwhelming success.

And then, 6:00 p.m.

The moment the Twinkle Series Autumn Fan Appreciation Festival ended, I finished handling the last customer, sent them off with a smile… and at long last, the Wilm Advice Booth came to a close.

"Ah…"

Without thinking, a groan slipped out. I slumped forward onto the desk, not even caring that Bourbon-chan was watching.

"Hwaaah… I’m… so tired…"

"Good work, senpai."

I’m tired. Really, unbelievably tired.

I mean, it was fun—of course it was fun. Looking at it overall, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say this was the most enjoyable day of my life.

But even so, the fact remains that I’m completely exhausted.

It isn’t physical fatigue. It’s heavy mental exhaustion—what you’d call emotional drain. The instant the conversations with customers stopped and the brain chemicals wore off, it hit me like a crushing weight.

I’m confident in my physical stamina, but as you know, I’m practically an amateur when it comes to communication. There’s no way I have endurance for that, and today was clearly overwork. So of course I’m tired. Incredibly tired.

"Aaah… ugh…"

"Senpai, we still have cleanup afterward."

"I know… but just let me rest for a little bit…"

"Understood. I will inform the master."

With that, Bourbon-chan left the tent. I probably should have followed her to help, but… right now, that’s a bit too much.

Still melted against the desk, I let my thoughts drift.

My head—or rather, my whole body—feels heavy. My thoughts are hazy and won’t come together, and I don’t feel like doing anything. Physical exhaustion isn’t that big a burden for me. But mental fatigue is different. Being worn down in an unfamiliar domain hits me directly.

"…Phew."

Even so, it’s rare for me to be this mentally exhausted.

The last time my head felt this heavy was… probably back at the very first mock race.

Back then—now a distant memory—it was January of my junior year. I lost my very first mock race after enrolling at Central Tracen.

To the me of that time, defeat carried a literally fatal meaning. It didn’t just deeply wound the pride of someone who had been undefeated until coming to Tracen Academy—it also shattered my absolute value standard, the ideal of “Hoshino Wilm who wins.”

That’s why I was utterly devastated back then. I couldn’t accept reality. I couldn’t acknowledge defeat. All I could do was throw myself into training in a self-destructive frenzy.

Things turned out fine only because the trainer picked me up then, and I found a future there—more precisely, because I came to understand that resting was the best possible choice at the time.

But if I hadn’t met Ayumu-san… if he hadn’t managed me… what would have happened to me? Would I have caused an accident from overwork, unable to calm down? Or worse—would I have broken down completely?

Either way, it would have ended badly. I probably wouldn’t have made it to the Takarazuka Kinen without suffering an injury.

"…You’ve always been saving me."

Not just managing my body so I wouldn’t get injured as a racing Uma Musume.

He supported my heart, too, so I wouldn’t break as a person.

Maybe it was unconscious. Maybe he was just acting according to his image of what a “Horino-style trainer” should be. Even so, time and again, he warmed my frozen heart. He kept trying, endlessly, to save the blindly obsessive person I was.

That I can live happily as Hoshino Wilm today…

It’s thanks to the fans, and the result of my own efforts. But surely, just as much, it’s the result of the trainer’s efforts too.

Horino Ayumu-san saved Hoshino Wilm again and again, all this time. So… falling in love with someone like that is, in a way, only natural.

"…………I like him."

Without realizing it, the feeling spilled from my lips.

At that moment, a sharp, sweet tingle shot through my exhausted head.

…This is bad.

This feeling kind of… feels good.

Without thinking too deeply, I let myself be carried along by that pleasant sensation and opened my mouth again.

"I like you. I really like you… A-Ayumu-san…"

"Hoshino Wilm?"

"Waaahhh!?!?"

At the trainer’s voice calling out from outside the tent, I reflexively toppled backward, chair and all.

W-wait, waitwaitwait! He didn’t hear that, did he!? He didn’t, right!? I said it quietly—so it’s fine, right!?

"A scream!? What happened—are you okay!?"

"I-it’s nothing! More importantly, did you hear anything!?"

"I heard a scream! Are you really alright? Did a bug show up or something?"

"I’m fine! Totally fine! Anyway, what do you need!?"

"Uh, well… I’m heading to the student council to submit today’s paperwork—the visitor count and finances. You look exhausted, so I thought I’d tell you to rest for a bit…"

"I see! Then I’ll be resting for a while, so please go ahead!"

"E-eh, okay… why does she sound so angry…? Did I do something again…?"

The trainer’s voice faded away. I waited until I could no longer hear his footsteps, then pressed a hand to my pounding chest.

…Th-that was close…!

That was dangerous. Maybe because of the fatigue, I was letting my desires spill out far too easily. If he’d heard me, I would’ve died of embarrassment on the spot. Not just my racing career—my entire life as Hoshino Wilm would’ve been over. I really need to make sure I don’t repeat that. Even if I’m tired, that was way too careless.

"…Phew."

For now, I felt genuine relief at having avoided the worst-case scenario. I set the fallen chair upright and sat down again when—

"Senpai, may I come in?"

"Bourbon-chan? Go ahead."

After the trainer left, Bourbon-chan called out as well. Maybe she’d been worried about the scream. Unlike the male trainer, perhaps she thought I could talk things through with her. It was a thoughtful gesture—but that’s not what this is about right now.

Still, I appreciated the concern. I needed to clear up the misunderstanding and say it was nothing… or so I thought.

But Bourbon-chan entered the tent, approached at her usual steady, machine-like pace—tap, tap—and said it.

She stated it plainly.

"Hoshino Wilm-senpai, do you like the master?"

"Uweh!?"

…I forgot. Completely slipped my mind.

Uma Musume have excellent hearing. Even if she was farther away than the trainer, outside the tent—there was no reason she wouldn’t have heard my muttering.

"N-no, no, no, that’s, um, that was this and that—no, wait—no, that’s not it!"

"Then do you not like the master?"

"Well, that’s—! I can’t exactly say I don’t like him, but—but—!"

"I see. I also 'like' the master."

"Huh!? What do you mean by that!?"

"I mean that I respect and esteem him as my contracted trainer."

"…R-right, of course, of course…!"

"?"

At Bourbon-chan’s calm, matter-of-fact response as she tilted her head, I finally let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

What she feels isn’t love, but like. Not romance—just affection.

Thank goodness. If she came at the trainer with that incredible body of hers, my brain would’ve been annihilated on the spot. NTR is only acceptable as fiction—it has no place in reality. Well, not that anyone’s sleeping together here, but still.

At least for now, Mihono Bourbon-chan is not my rival.

Not on the track… and not in romance, either.

Pathetically enough, that realization filled me with deep relief.

"By the way, once the master formally contracts with me, I would like to introduce him to my father. At what point does a contracted trainer typically gain flexibility in their schedule?"

"…………"

The day my brain gets destroyed might be closer than I thought.

Th-this is a battle I can’t lose…!