Chapter 48: A Fool Like Me Can Only Run

The last time I ran a race was about four months ago, at the Takarazuka Kinen.

It feels nostalgic now.

The exhilaration of running at full speed. The sense of fulfillment and omnipotence the moment my domain opened.

And the thrill of beating incredibly powerful Uma Musume like Mejiro McQueen, Mejiro Ryan, and Seiun Sky.

Man… that really felt amazing. There are plenty of games I’d love to erase my memories of and play again, but if you asked me which race I’d want to relive with no memory of it, the Takarazuka Kinen would be right at the top.

…But that race is already a thing of the past.

After I injured my bones back then, I couldn’t run seriously for a long time.

Even after they healed, all the way until October, I spent my days training under my trainer and running at night with Rice-chan. I’d recovered a lot of my strength… but still, I wasn’t allowed to go all out.

After all, my trainer forbade it. I was only allowed to run below race pace—light jogging at most.

"You’re the type who would just keep running forever if I told you it was okay," he’d said.

Typical of my trainer—he understands Hoshino Wilm way too well.

…But finally.

Even if only partially, those restraints are being lifted today.

"Fuu…"

I suppress the excitement surging inside me.

Ah, it’s been so long. A real race—after all this time.

I’m excited. Too excited. My heart’s practically bouncing. I feel like I might start grinning any second.

My legs feel perfect. My mind is steady. I doubt I could ask for better condition than this.

Even if my opponents are juniors… competing against someone else still lights a fire deep inside me.

Haah… I can’t wait.

I want to run already.

I want to burst forward and leave everything behind.

Hurry… hurry…

"U-Um, Wilm-senpai…?"

"Hm…?"

I turn at the sound of her voice.

Standing there was my adorable kouhai with dark chestnut hair, looking at me with concern.

The moment I meet her eyes, I realize—I’d lost my composure.

I take a deep breath, forcing the heat in my chest back down.

"Rice-chan… ah, sorry. I guess I got a little too excited thinking about the race. Don’t worry about it."

Seriously, even if I’m excited, that was a bit much. I was totally riding the high.

Just like humans, Uma Musume have instincts too.

Most of them are the same as humans, but there’s one extra—this overwhelming urge to run.

And I hadn’t been able to satisfy that urge at all for months now…

Honestly, I’m probably starving.

Starving for all-out running. For fierce battles. For the joy of racing.

…But still, that doesn’t mean I should make my cute kouhai worry.

Especially not Rice-chan, who’s still in a fragile mental state and needs support. If I lose my cool, it might affect her too.

Right now, I need to bury my desires deep and play the role of the reliable senior, Hoshino Wilm.

"Are you… nervous too, senpai?"

"Of course I am. Especially since it’s been a while since I raced—even if it’s just a mock race. And besides, I’m running with two cute kouhai today. I’ve gotta look cool, right?"

"Y-You’re cool even without trying, Wilm-senpai!"

"That’s only because I try to look cool in front of you and Bourbon-chan. The real me is way less cool—actually, pretty lame."

"That’s not true! I’m sure of it!"

"Oh, it definitely is…"

Hoshino Wilm doesn’t really have any glaring weaknesses when it comes to racing. But if you ask whether she’s a “cool” Uma Musume… that’s debatable.

Especially in everyday life. I’ve got plenty of flaws.

I’m terrible in the mornings—so bad that even Meek-senpai doesn’t want to talk about it. I need a good thirty minutes just lying in bed before I can function.

I go off and do self-training on my own, cause trouble for my trainer, and then end up enjoying the attention when he worries about me.

I act without thinking and often just wing things.

And when my luck dips, I end up causing trouble for everyone around me.

I’ve gotten better lately, but in the past… yeah. I’ve done plenty of dumb, bad, and outright terrible things.

And now here I am, making my kouhai worry about me.

…Wow. When I lay it all out like this, I’m kind of a mess.

Am I… one of those “problematic Uma Musume”?

Maybe I’m actually a pain to deal with. I wonder if my trainer ever gets fed up with me.

…Ugh, thinking like this is depressing. I should change the subject.

"Well, anyway. Enough about me. For today… no, come at me with everything you’ve got. I’ll twist you up without breaking a sweat."

"…! Y-Yes! I’ll do my best!"

"Good. Once the Classic races are over, you’ll be running mixed races with seniors too. It’s a bit early, but I hope today’s experience helps you."

It’s a bit arrogant of me to say that… but somehow, that kind of confidence seems to work better on Rice-chan.

She’s got such low self-esteem that if you’re too nice, she just shrinks up. When it comes to competition, she responds better to bold confidence.

On the other hand, the other kouhai is a bit different…

The other participant in this mock race—my junior, Mihono Bourbon—was standing apart from us, staring intently at the turf.

That blank, spaced-out look she sometimes gets… or maybe not. What was she thinking about?

"Bourbon-chaaaan? What’s up?"

"…………"

No response. Guess she didn’t hear me.

I walk over and poke her soft cheek. Wow—so squishy. No special care and still this soft. Uma Musume really are something else.

That finally gets her attention.

"Wilm-senpai?"

"Yep, it’s me. You looked like you were deep in thought. Everything okay?"

"…Unknown error detected. Since earlier, my concentration has increased significantly. However, simultaneous restrictions on multi-angle processing have also been confirmed."

"Uh… so you’re nervous?"

"Nervous…? Insufficient data on the state known as ‘nervousness.’ Am I nervous?"

"Well, I can’t really say how you feel, but…"

…Hmm. She doesn’t really seem nervous.

I mean, this is the girl who can casually give a grown man a lap pillow. Her heart’s basically got fur on it. Nervousness probably isn’t in her vocabulary.

So if that’s the case, what is this “error” she’s talking about?

I glance at her—her expression is as blank as ever, her voice steady. On the outside, she’s completely normal.

So the issue must be internal.

Then maybe…

"Bourbon-chan… are you fired up?"

"Fired up?"

Mihono Bourbon is often seen as calm and mechanical.

With her expressionless face and robotic mannerisms, that’s the impression people get.

…but that’s not the whole story.

She does feel emotions. They’re just faint, and they rarely show on her face.

That’s why people think she’s emotionless—but in truth, she’s surprisingly impulsive.

She’s usually calm, but once she decides on something, she acts immediately. Not reckless like me, but she definitely follows her feelings.

Otherwise, there’s no way she’d casually give her trainer a lap pillow, even if he is her trainer.

That innocent impulsiveness is part of what makes her charming.

So from my perspective, it wouldn’t be strange at all if she were getting fired up before a race.

…Though by that logic, my own excitement would make me childish too.

Still, that was my honest thought when I said it.

And apparently, it wasn’t something Bourbon had considered.

She blinked a few times, then nodded.

"…Confirmed. Status ‘Excitement’ detected. It appears I am feeling excitement at the prospect of racing against Wilm-senpai for the first time."

"Hehe, I see. I’m excited to run with both of you too."

"…But you know."

I glance toward our trainer.

He’s got Rice-chan’s trainer pinned to the ground for some reason and is watching us from there. Looks like preparations are done.

Still…

"Both of you are looking at the wrong thing."

"Eh?"

"…?"

"Well, maybe you’ll figure it out during today’s race."

What they need to be looking at, as they head into the Twinkle Series…

isn’t me.

---

Called over by the trainer, the three of us take our positions at the starting line.

The course we’ll be running today is a right-handed 2000-meter turf track.

For Rice-chan and me, it’s a bit short to really show our strengths. For Bourbon-chan, it’s a little too long. You could say it’s a distance where everyone’s slightly disadvantaged in one way or another. Considering stamina and aptitude, Bourbon-chan probably has it the roughest.

…Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I’ve thought about a race this way—analyzing who has the edge and who doesn’t, from the inside.

Yeah, racing really is about more than just the run itself. The thinking, the stretching, the anticipation—it’s all part of the fun.

…Well, I only started enjoying that kind of thing relatively recently, so I probably shouldn’t act like some veteran analyst.

"…Heh. Hehe."

Today’s race is an unofficial mock race. Not part of the Twinkle Series proper.

There’s no official starting gate, and while there are more spectators than I expected, it’s nowhere near the tens of thousands you’d see at a Grade I race. The turf isn’t specially prepared for competition either—it’s decent, but far from pristine.

If official races are the real thing for an Uma Musume, then this is more like a practice match far before the real deal.

…Even so.

Just being able to race against other Uma Musume makes my heart leap.

Today’s opponents are my two kouhai. I don’t know if they’ll be able to truly push me—but just running on the same turf is a blessing in itself.

My heart flutters. My blood feels like it’s starting to boil.

That familiar pre-race heat spreads through my body.

The trainer slowly raises the starting flag.

And when I see that—

I cool my heart.

"…Cold.

But it’s a good kind of cold."

I let out a quiet breath of relief.

That was close. If I’d stayed that excited, I might’ve rushed the start or jumped the gun.

In moments like this, being “cold” actually helps me stay calm.

This “coldness” I feel during races—it’s a state born from the love that felt like a curse my father once placed on me. A state of extreme focus and tension.

Back then, I couldn’t control it. I’d lose myself completely.

But now that I’ve shaken off that curse, this “cold” is just another tool.

To put it simply, the current Hoshino Wilm has three modes.

One is the “cold” mode—hyper-focused, narrowed thinking, but extremely stable. It prevents mistakes like overexerting or false starts and allows for clean, controlled racing.

Then there’s my natural state—the “warm” mode—where I can think flexibly and adapt while running.

And finally, there’s the “hot” mode—when I burn with everything I’ve got, unleashing my full potential as a reincarnated, overpowered Uma Musume.

The names are just something I came up with on the spot, but that’s roughly how it works.

From now on, I’ll be switching between these—especially the first two—depending on the situation.

…When I lay it out like this, it sounds like I’m some kind of battle manga character.

I never would’ve imagined becoming someone like that. At least, not after entering high school.

But right now… I can control this “coldness.”

Which means—

I won’t mess up the start.

The moment the trainer swings the flag down—

I launch forward faster than anyone else.

My legs kick against the ground.

My body cuts through the air, wind brushing against my cheeks.

The feeling of being firmly grounded.

Pushing forward with my own strength, sprinting freely—even if only for a moment.

Ah… yes. This is it.

This is the moment that makes you feel like you were born to run.

If Uma Musume were born to race—

Then right now, I’m alive again.

…Heh. Okay, enough getting sentimental.

Time to organize the data in my head.

First, the start—pretty good.

Maybe a bit slower than the Takarazuka Kinen, but I’d say it’s on par with my start at the Japan Derby.

Considering I’m just getting back into form, that’s more than acceptable. I’ll let the trainer praise me later.

My stride feels good. Core stability’s solid. No discomfort.

Yeah… I can run like this without any issues.

I might not be at my peak yet, but this pace is sustainable.

Which means the problem isn’t me—it’s what’s behind me.

I listen carefully to the footsteps trailing behind.

Two sets. One heavy, one light. The heavier one is Bourbon-chan; the lighter one is Rice-chan.

And no, that’s not calling Bourbon-chan heavy—it’s just a matter of build, okay?

The distance grows—two lengths, then three.

Honestly, that’s only natural.

Even if I’ve been recovering for four months, I’m still an undefeated Classic-class frontrunner.

I’m not about to lose the initial burst to junior-level runners who haven’t even raced for a year yet.

That said… my current speed is, frankly, a bit underwhelming.

Compared to the Takarazuka Kinen—or even the Japan Derby—it’s slow enough that Nature or Teio would probably tilt their heads at it.

Still, part of me wants to go faster.

I’ve got stamina to spare. I could easily punch it and enjoy myself.

…Nah, kidding.

I’m not here to go all out today.

This race isn’t about winning.

A mock race isn’t the real thing—it’s a place to learn, to test, to practice.

That goes for me, and for my two kouhai as well.

The trainer’s instructions were clear: “Run at a low pace while checking your condition and stamina.”

Even with my reincarnation cheat skills, pushing straight to race pace while my body’s still readjusting would be risky.

So this speed is about… six-tenths effort. In a real race, I probably wouldn’t even be able to keep up with the pack at this pace.

The fact that the two of them still can’t keep up with me clearly shows the gap between a Classic-class Uma Musume and a Junior-class one.

The amount of time since an Uma Musume truly comes into her own more or less directly reflects her strength.

Rice-chan and Bourbon-chan have only been running for about ten months.

I’ve been at it for over a year and a half—almost two.

There’s no way they could beat me right now.

It was always going to be a tough fight for them… but at this rate, it’s turning into a one-sided run.

I even briefly considered leaving them behind entirely.

…But yeah. That’s not how this should go.

Around the 600-meter mark—still not even halfway through.

Thud.

A stronger footfall than before, and the lighter set of footsteps starts accelerating.

I can’t help but smile.

There it is. She’s coming.

She’s chasing me.

Just as I hoped—the girl with the dark chestnut hair.

The gap between us had only been widening, but little by little, it began to close until she settled at about nine lengths behind me.

She was matching my pace, maintaining the distance.

…Heh. I see what you’re doing.

This is probably her trainer’s strategy, isn’t it?

As a front-running type, Rice-chan usually has to follow the pace set by the leader—in this case, me.

But since I’m a runaway-type frontrunner, sticking too close would just burn her out.

So instead, she’s maintaining a fixed distance and trailing me… practicing that pattern.

…To be blunt, she still can’t catch me.

She’s got decent stamina, but not enough to match mine. If she tried to stick right on me, she’d run dry fast.

But still… she can hang on for a while.

From the start, Rice-chan never had a real chance to win this mock race. That’s just the truth.

So instead of trying to win, she’s trying to learn—trying to get a feel for chasing someone like me.

And honestly, that’s the right call.

If she can handle this, then when she eventually runs against Bourbon-chan on the Classic road, today’s experience will absolutely pay off.

Even beyond that, when she’s in trouble during other races, she’ll be able to tell herself, “This isn’t as bad as that mock race.”

That kind of reference point matters.

Now the question is… how long can she hold on?

…And then—

Thud!

A heavier footfall slams into the ground.

Wait.

That sound… that’s heavier than Rice-chan’s.

“…Huh?”

Just behind Rice-chan—right at the edge of what I can hear—Bourbon-chan is still hanging on.

Which means she’s abandoned her own pace and started chasing me too.

…Against her trainer’s instructions.

I don’t know what made her do it, but…

Hmm. We’re going to need to talk later. If she just got carried away, that’s one thing. But if she knowingly ignored her trainer’s orders, that’s another issue entirely.

…Then again, I’m not exactly one to talk. I ignore my trainer plenty myself.

"Heh…"

Well, whatever.

This wasn’t what I expected, but honestly? It’s not bad.

If anything, it’s exactly what I wanted.

I increase my speed—just a little.

Let’s see how far my adorable kouhai can push themselves.

---

The mock race came to an end.

As expected, I took first place by a wide margin.

Second place went to… Bourbon-chan, who somehow managed to hang on until the end.

Rice-chan came in third, about three lengths behind.

As for how the race unfolded—

Around the 800-meter mark, Rice-chan briefly surged ahead, and Bourbon-chan followed right after.

Then Rice-chan began to lose steam, and Bourbon-chan overtook her. But not long after that, Bourbon-chan herself started running out of gas, and the final 600 meters turned into a wobbly, exhausting slog.

Still… Bourbon-chan did great.

She’d spent the past month training her lung capacity and endurance in the pool, and she actually managed to make it through the full 2000 meters.

Sure, she crossed the finish line with her eyebrows drooping and her mouth hanging open, completely spent—but a win is a win. Pure grit.

Rice-chan, on the other hand, was pretty worn out too—though not as badly.

That pace was brutal for junior-level runners. Once stamina runs dry, finishing speed drops fast, and that’s exactly how Bourbon-chan managed to pull ahead.

“…Yeah. Not a bad result.”

I murmur that as the two of them collapse onto the turf in exhaustion.

In the end, this race gave both of them a lot to take away.

First, Rice-chan.

For a junior-class runner, her form is excellent, and her stamina is above average.

If she can already run like this now… then yeah, she’ll be a serious contender for next year’s Kikuka Sho.

With the right development, she could easily become a G1-level Uma Musume in middle- to long-distance races.

…However, unfortunately, she won’t be running in the Junior G1 middle-distance race at the end of the year—the Hopeful Stakes.

Why? Because after seeing her run today, her trainer realized she’s dangerously close to injuring her legs.

All that heavy training… and those long nighttime runs… she was practically on the verge of a fracture.

I really am sorry about that.

So from here on out, her training will shift heavily toward rest and recovery. Night runs are completely off-limits.

By December, she should be mostly recovered, but to be safe, they’ll skip G1s and aim for open-class or G3 races instead.

When Rice-chan heard that, she teared up a little, which broke my heart.

So, as a supportive senior, I suggested that both she and Bourbon-chan join my joint training sessions with Nature.

The trainers said they couldn’t give an immediate answer, but they’d probably allow it as long as it wasn’t too demanding.

I never expected Rice-chan to be so upset about having her training reduced.

Thinking back, she trained like a demon even in the anime—and in this world too, she runs every night without fail.

She’s probably a training junkie at heart.

Seems like I’ve got more kindred spirits than I thought.

Thinking about her legs, it would probably be better to reduce her training volume…

But if she trains together with me, Nature, and Bourbon-chan, she’ll still be able to learn a lot. If we can compensate for the reduced quantity by improving the quality, that should work out fine.

Next up—Bourbon-chan.

Bourbon-chan managed to take second place, overtaking Rice-chan, but there was a faint trace of dissatisfaction… no, confusion on her face.

The instructions her trainer had given her were simple: run from start to finish at a constant, optimal pace calculated from her own stamina.

If she had done that, she supposedly wouldn’t have faded in the latter half, and she should have been able to widen the gap against Rice-chan even more.

…Well, that’s easier said than done. Isn’t that the kind of thing where you think, “If it were that easy, no one would ever struggle”? But according to Bourbon-chan herself, it was possible. Her brain really is something else.

But she didn’t do it. More precisely, she abandoned it midway through.

Even so, the fact that she still won by three lengths through sheer grit is impressive.

Still, the real issue is why she went against her trainer’s instructions.

If she’d simply gotten carried away, that would be fine.

But if it was due to distrust in her trainer or dissatisfaction with the strategy, that could affect their relationship going forward.

So I asked her why she’d ended up charging ahead like that…

“…Cause unknown. An unidentified reaction was detected in my chest area… and before I realized it, I was chasing after Rice Shower’s back.”

Still breathing heavily, Bourbon-chan looked slightly confused as she spoke, her gaze lowered and her brows knit together.

…Well, in short, she got fired up by Rice-chan’s intensity. I guess she didn’t need to resemble me in that way too.

At least it doesn’t seem like her relationship with her trainer has worsened, so that’s a relief.

Still… maybe Bourbon-chan is actually the type who gets fired up more easily than she thinks.

I should probably talk to her trainer about it later. Though knowing him, he’s probably already aware.

Next—one of my main objectives this time: improving Rice-chan’s mindset toward Bourbon-chan, her relationships, and racing itself.

"Bourbon-san, thank you so much for today! You pulled ahead at the end, and I was really frustrated…! But you were amazing the whole time!"

"Thank you as well. Thanks to you, Rice Shower-san, I was able to detect an unknown error within myself."

"Y-you can just call me Rice! I mean, I’ve already been calling you Bourbon-san and all…"

"Then, Rice-san. This was a very valuable experience. I would be pleased to run together again."

"R-really? With Rice…?"

"I do not fully understand the meaning of ‘really,’ but I believe Uma Musume should hone themselves through competition. I would be honored if you would become my ‘rival.’"

"R-rival…! Y-yes! Please take care of me!"

Yeah. That turned out to be a pretty good way for them to get to know each other.

It probably wasn’t intentional, but what Bourbon-chan did was perfect communication.

Having a friend who’s also a rival is a huge motivator for an Uma Musume. Source: me, last year.

Until now, Rice-chan had believed that “anyone who runs with me becomes unhappy,” or that “no one would ever want to run with me.” She was even hesitant to run alongside others.

But I think this helped ease that, at least a little.

And now, she also has Nature nearby.

If there were a championship for being considerate, Nature would be a repeat winner. I can’t imagine she’d just leave Rice-chan alone.

A senior from the same stable in Nature, me as another senior she often runs with, and Bourbon-chan as a rival.

Yeah, as far as Rice-chan’s relationships go, this is probably good enough for now.

The trigger has been set. From here on out, it’s her turn to do her best.

…Though honestly, I’d be happy if she and Bourbon-chan got even closer and showed us some high-quality “Bourbon × Rice,” but we’ll see how that goes.

At the same time, this shift in their relationship doesn’t just affect Rice-chan internally.

Now both Bourbon-chan and Rice-chan have found rivals of the same generation to compete with.

Sure, Rice-chan still isn’t at a level where she can beat Bourbon-chan—especially considering Bourbon-chan wasn’t even at full stamina and still beat her by three lengths.

But still… Bourbon-chan’s gaze is firmly fixed on Rice-chan.

I get it. I really do.

I felt the same way last year when I saw Nature closing in on me.

Now the two of them have officially become “rivals,” and hopefully they’ll push each other to greater heights.

…Yeah. This is good.

I’m one step ahead of them, and since they’re on the middle-to-long distance track, the earliest I’d race against them officially would be next June.

And physically speaking, with my development already in full swing, my specs are far higher than theirs.

That’s why Hoshino Wilm can be their “goal,” but not their “rival.”

Still, everything they need to aim higher is in place now.

A good trainer. A good rival. The same environment I gained last year, they have now too.

I really hope both of them grow stronger and make it up to the senior mixed races. I’m already looking forward to racing them there.

…That said.

I was kind of expecting Rice-chan to close the distance with Bourbon-chan a bit more than this.

"Big Sis, you were amazing! I couldn’t catch up at all…! But I promise, one day I’ll give you a race you can really enjoy! So please wait for me!"

Rice-chan was sparkling with excitement—and somehow, she was even closer to me than usual.

Uh… why are you suddenly this attached to me?

I mean, I totally crushed her in that race. If anything, I thought she’d like me less, not more.

And also, when did I become “Big Sis”? Is this some kind of yuri academy story? Sorry, Rice-chan, I can appreciate it, but I’m fundamentally pretty normal…

Though wait—“I already like someone else” is usually the losing flag in yuri stories, right?

I was expecting her to realize the gap between us and shift her focus more toward Bourbon-chan, who’s closer to her level…

I mean, she probably did notice, but why does it feel like her gaze on me got even stronger? Shouldn’t getting completely outclassed make things awkward? Why are you getting closer instead?

"We won’t be able to run together at night for a while, but I promise—I promise I’ll ask you again… So please, wait until my legs are healed, okay…?"

Ugh, with those watery eyes, even a villain wouldn’t be able to say no…

I do want a running partner, so the invitation itself is more than welcome, but shouldn’t you be asking Bourbon-chan instead? Or maybe not…?

But after saying something cool like “now it’s your turn,” it’d be kind of awkward for me to play matchmaker again.

Haha… I’m honestly impressed by how cleanly I’ve self-destructed here. Go ahead, laugh at this foolish Uma Musume.

"…Hehe. Of course. Let’s run together again, Rice-chan."

"Y-yes!"

…Man. Cute really is justice.

Seeing that sparkling smile makes all my miscalculations feel completely irrelevant.

Well… once the Classic races start, things will probably shift naturally anyway.

Rice-chan is enjoying running again, even if it’s just alongside someone. She’s gained a rival through this race.

If that’s the case, isn’t that already enough? Isn’t it enough that she’s smiling right now?

…That’s what I end up thinking.

I knew I was a bit of a pushover when it came to the trainer, but maybe I’m just as weak to Rice-chan too.

…At this rate, I might end up getting dragged along by her cuteness and doing something reckless.

That uneasy thought crossed my mind on an autumn afternoon.

…By the way, why is Rice-chan’s trainer sleeping so soundly over there?

Did the warmth of the autumn sun knock him out?