Chapter 49: There’s a knowledge cheat coming up.

The Hanshin Daishoten and the Kyoto Daishoten. Despite both being G2 races, G1-class Uma Musume frequently enter them. The reason is simple: these two races are perfectly positioned to gauge prospects for the G1 races that follow.

The Hanshin Daishoten is held at Hanshin Racecourse on turf, using the right-handed inner course, over a distance of 3,000 meters. Run in late March, it is restricted to Senior-class runners and serves as a lead-up to the Tenno Sho (Spring). The Tenno Sho (Spring) is the longest race in the Twinkle Series G1 lineup, at 3,200 meters. Because of that extreme distance, jumping straight into it often causes issues with pace and stamina management. Running a demanding 3,000-meter race beforehand allows competitors to get a feel for those conditions—that’s the idea behind the Hanshin Daishoten’s role.

On the other hand, there’s the Kyoto Daishoten. This race is held at Kyoto Racecourse on turf, using the right-handed outer course, over 2,400 meters. Run in early October, it is a mixed Classic- and Senior-class event and is treated as a preparatory race for the turf middle- to long-distance G1s that begin later that month. From here on, the intense autumn G1 campaign begins: the Classic-class Shuka Sho and Kikuka Sho, along with the mixed Classic- and Senior-class Tenno Sho (Autumn), Queen Elizabeth Cup, Japan Cup, and Arima Kinen. As a G2 race just below G1 in status, and at a distance close to that of many G1 events, it serves as an ideal benchmark. That’s why it’s so easily slotted into race rotations.

…And now, October has come around once again, and the autumn G1 season is finally drawing near. Naturally, that means the Kyoto Daishoten is about to be run. This year, Mejiro McQueen—hailed as one of the strongest active stayers—is scheduled to compete.

McQueen’s contracted trainer is a veteran who favors a very conservative approach. This spring, she ran in the Hanshin Daishoten and claimed a brilliant victory, and she’s also slated to run in the autumn Kyoto Daishoten. Both the Uma Musume and her trainer are the type to stick closely to the orthodox path.

According to Hoshino Wilm’s race rotation, she’s set to clash with McQueen at both the Japan Cup and the Arima Kinen. Naturally, I planned to watch the Kyoto Daishoten as well to gather data. That said, I couldn’t leave Hoshino Wilm’s side for long periods. I had resigned myself to skipping the trip to Kyoto Racecourse and watching the broadcast instead, but…

Whether you’d call it inevitable or simply expected, it seems McQueen had her eye on Hoshino Wilm as well. On the day of the Grand Thanksgiving Festival, Hoshino Wilm received Kyoto Daishoten tickets from her. According to Wilm, McQueen slammed them down as a challenge. And it wasn’t just one ticket—she thoughtfully gave us three, including ones for me and Mihono Bourbon. Is she considerate to a fault, or what?

And so, October 6th arrived. We—

"Kyoto… this is my first time here…!"

"Mm. Since the Kikuka Sho will be held here as well, we should scout out Kyoto Racecourse."

"When you think of Kyoto, that’s the thing, right? ‘Would you like some bubuzuke?’ …Do they really say that?"

"Uh… I wonder. Mihono Bourbon, do you know?"

"Searching data… The custom of asking ‘Would you like some ochazuke,’ known as ‘bubuzuke,’ has already faded and is no longer commonly used. However, the culture of indirect barbs—so-called ‘ikezu’—does still remain. Additionally, there is a theory that it was not originally meant as ‘Please leave soon,’ but rather as a way of expressing ‘I had a pleasant time.’"

"I see…"

"So that’s how it is…"

Me, Hoshino Wilm, and Mihono Bourbon. The three of us were visiting Kyoto together.

Right—let’s go to Kyoto. Saying it like that makes it sound as if we were here sightseeing, but of course that wasn’t the case. I’m a Central-affiliated contracted trainer, and Hoshino Wilm and Mihono Bourbon are active racing Uma Musume. There’s no way we’d normally have time for Kyoto tourism under those circumstances…

"Since we came all the way to Kyoto, I really want to try some fresh yatsuhashi."

"I would like to buy a Kyoto souvenir for my father. Is there a good place for that?"

"If you’re mailing it, food should be fine. How about Japanese sweets? Matcha daifuku, maybe?"

"What kind of thing would my father enjoy…?"

"Everyone has their tastes, but I’m sure he’ll be happy with anything his daughter picked out for him."

"In that case… how about these batteries and circuit boards?"

"Bourbon-chan…?"

"A mechanical joke."

……

Well, Hoshino Wilm’s rehabilitation meant we’d been pushing through some fairly intense training lately, so perhaps treating the time before the race as a break wasn’t such a bad idea. These girls have always focused solely on running, so personally, I’m glad to see them taking an interest in sightseeing and local food.

"…Hm."

I’m glad—but at the same time, I’m a trainer, and honestly, I want to inspect Kyoto Racecourse. Still, I’m also responsible for chaperoning them right now. I can’t just leave behind a first-year and a second-year middle-school Uma Musume in an unfamiliar city.

Hoshino Wilm and Mihono Bourbon are far more level-headed than their age would suggest. The chances of them causing trouble are low, and being Uma Musume, they’re less likely to be dragged into danger… but still.

I glance around.

Most passersby aren’t paying us any mind, but a few are staring at us in surprise. Thankfully, no one is blatantly pointing their phones at us… though honestly, our identities are probably already known.

Hoshino Wilm has her hair tied up, a newsboy cap and sunglasses on, and an oversized outer layer that hides her figure—she’s clearly in disguise. Bourbon, on the other hand, isn’t disguised at all. She’s wearing the same casual clothes seen in the app, not even hiding her horse ears. Since she debuted recently, she doesn’t have a large fanbase yet. Taken on her own, her behavior wouldn’t really be an issue.

…but the problem is that knowledgeable fans are aware Mihono Bourbon signed with the same trainer as Hoshino Wilm. Once you know that, it’s not hard to guess who the small chestnut-haired girl standing beside Bourbon is. To be blunt, Bourbon’s presence cuts the effectiveness of Wilm’s disguise by about half. Still, that’s not something you’d expect a middle-schooler to anticipate, so it can be chalked up to youthful oversight.

They’re top-level athletes and idols in Japan. When middle-school girls like that are walking around in public, the odds of idiots crawling out of the woodwork increase. For us trainers, dealing with that kind of risk is part of the job. Which means I can’t leave their side right now. Their mental and physical peace takes priority over everything else.

…Fine. It might get hectic, but I’ll inspect Kyoto Racecourse before the race.

"Sorry, but I’ll be tagging along on that Kyoto tour."

"Sorry…? No, we assumed you’d come with us, Trainer."

"I formally request the Master’s accompaniment. When selecting a souvenir for my father, I would like the opinion of an adult male."

"…Roger that."

And so, until it was time for the Kyoto Daishoten, we devoted ourselves to sightseeing around Kyoto.

…As an aside, Hoshino Wilm had done quite a bit of research on Kyoto’s famous spots. Maybe she’d really been looking forward to this trip.

Kyoto sightseeing was… yeah, it wasn’t bad. No—sorry, that was me putting on airs. As a trainer, it did feel a bit like mixing business with pleasure, but going around with my eccentric charges was… fun, I guess.

We ate a few too many sweets, but the traditional confections were delicious, and the scenery was beautiful. They really do sell wooden swords, too, which honestly impressed me. If I’d been here privately, I probably would’ve bought one just because it looked cool. Not that I have any plans to visit Kyoto on my own.

There was a minor incident where one of Hoshino Wilm’s fans asked, "Can I get your autograph?" but she handled it smoothly with, "I’m off today… maybe next time, okay?" and things stayed calm.

Even Hoshino Wilm, who usually doesn’t show much expression, was quietly chuckling at Bourbon’s eccentric tastes. Bourbon, for her part, seemed satisfied after buying a souvenir for her father. All in all, I think we spent some good time together.

…And then, while we were busy looking, buying, and eating, the time for the Kyoto Daishoten steadily approached.

The three of us entered the racecourse, browsed the merchandise, observed the paddock, and then headed to our reserved seats in the stands. As I watched the condition of the turf, Hoshino Wilm spoke up.

"What do you think will happen in this race?"

…I feel like I get asked that every time I watch a race with someone. Well, I am a trainer from the Horino household, so it’s not as if I can’t make projections based on large amounts of data. Still, I was asked, so I’ll answer.

"Hmm… I expect Mejiro McQueen will win."

As I recall the Uma Musume I’d just seen in the paddock, I begin constructing the race’s progression in my head. That said, among the runners in this Kyoto Daishoten, there are few who are likely to face Hoshino Wilm or Mihono Bourbon later on. I haven’t investigated them in detail, so I don’t know their individual running quirks. This prediction is based solely on the stats, skills, and condition I can glimpse through my ‘app reincarnation,’ so it’s far from foolproof.

"First favorite, Mejiro McQueen. Naturally, she’s the key to this race. She lost the Tenno Sho (Spring) to Seiun Sky and the Takarazuka Kinen to you, and her fourth-place finish at the Takarazuka in particular dulled her popularity somewhat… but even so, her ability is the real deal. She tracks the leaders, surges on the final stretch, and then runs away with overwhelming stamina. A master of the turf who answers races with orthodox perfection."

"So McQueen-senpai is… as expected, again this time?"

"Of course. She’ll probably rely on her specialty—breaking away from a good position. She’s not the one who creates the race; she’s the one who rides it. Which means that if we’re asking who will shape this race… that would be Mejiro Palmer."

Mejiro Palmer.

A named Uma Musume who also appeared in the app in my previous life. She’s an escape-type runner from the Mejiro family, with long, distinctive chestnut hair tied back behind her.

…To be honest, I don’t know that much about her.

Back when I was playing, she hadn’t been implemented as a trainable Uma Musume yet. She only had a support card—and not a particularly useful one at that, a Guts SSR. As for her personality, all I really know is that she’s a bright, cheerful mood-maker.

Her record in this world is… complicated. It’s hard to call her strong, but also hard to call her weak. She sits squarely in that awkward middle zone. Twenty starts, four wins. She recently picked up her first graded-stakes victory at the G3 Sapporo Kinen. Winning a graded race at all means she has a certain level of ability, but whether she can take a G2… at present, I’d have to say it’s questionable.

That said, racing is complex precisely because she isn’t a Uma Musume you can simply ignore.

"In this Kyoto Daishoten, the only clearly defined front-runner is Mejiro Palmer. Almost certainly, she’ll take the lead from the outset. In other words, she controls the pace of this race. And the faster she runs… the more favorable the situation becomes for Mejiro McQueen, who boasts tremendous stamina."

In this year’s Kyoto Daishoten, the only named Uma Musume are those two.

If we look at others worth mentioning, there’s Elegan General, the second favorite, who has only fallen off the board once and placed second in the G3 Epsom Cup. Then there’s Daisangen, the third favorite—a seasoned veteran who even ran in last year’s Tenno Sho (Autumn) and has placed second in multiple G2 races.

…Still, if you ask whether any of them can break through the massive wall that is McQueen, I’d hesitate to say yes.

Excluding her, there isn’t a single so-called G1 Uma Musume in this race—no one who has actually won a G1. In fact, few have even competed in G1s at all. McQueen, meanwhile, is last year’s Kikuka Sho champion and has never once finished off the board. Eleven starts, five wins—a 45% win rate—and an in-the-money rate exceeding 80%. Even on paper, her strength is undeniable.

And her stats… yeah, they’re high.

Perhaps because she’s already cleared the Tenno Sho (Spring), her stamina hasn’t increased further, but compared to the Takarazuka Kinen, her intelligence and skills have clearly been refined. To put it bluntly, she’s operating on a completely different level. I wouldn’t be surprised if she opens up a four-length gap over the rest of the field.

"There are simply too few factors in this race that could cause Mejiro McQueen to lose. Unless something like a lost shoe or an accident occurs—or unless the other runners somehow cooperate solely to take her down—her defeat is unlikely. As I’ve said before, Mejiro McQueen will probably win."

In short, that’s the conclusion.

Mejiro McQueen is a proud stayer, often counted among the strongest active runners. She’s not the kind of Uma Musume who stumbles in a G2 race without any truly formidable rivals.

…Or so I’d like to conclude.

"But if you say ‘probably win’ instead of ‘will definitely win,’ doesn’t that mean there’s at least some reason to doubt McQueen-senpai’s victory?"

Hoshino Wilm says that with a slightly uneasy expression.

Honestly… maybe it’s because we’ve been together for so long, but this girl really understands me.

"Yeah… there is."

Just then, it’s time for the runners to enter the main track, and the Uma Musume emerge onto the turf. Among the many figures that come into view… of course, the ash-gray one is there as well.

"Hoshino Wilm, Mihono Bourbon. How does Mejiro McQueen look to you, condition-wise?"

"Huh? …From what I saw in the paddock, she seemed fully prepared both physically and mentally."

"Her physical metrics indicate a very high level. I infer her condition to be ‘excellent.’"

"…That’s how it looks, yeah."

And indeed, to my eyes alone, McQueen appears to be in excellent shape.

…At least, to my eyes.

My mysterious observational ability—this ‘app reincarnation’—is showing a different result. Not ‘excellent,’ but merely ‘good.’ The difference is slight, yes… but it bothers me.

Mejiro McQueen is a girl with immense pride. She was the same way in my previous life’s app—rarely showing weakness to anyone except those she truly trusts, namely her trainer and her family. So the fact that she looks so composed now is probably just another one of her masks.

From the outside, her physical condition is flawless. Which means that if there’s a problem, it must lie within.

…After all, she lost the Tenno Sho (Spring), the race she’d been aiming for all along, and then failed to win the Takarazuka Kinen as well. It wouldn’t be strange if the pillar supporting her mentally had begun to waver.

Even in the main story of the app from my previous life, McQueen was highly sensitive to how others evaluated her—acutely so. A true embodiment of noblesse oblige, she desperately wanted to live up to the expectations and hopes placed upon her by her fans. As a result, she sometimes ended up shouldering expectations that were far too heavy…

In this life, perhaps she feels she failed to meet those expectations. Or that her own lack of strength shattered someone’s dream.

…To be completely honest about how I feel—

Part of me wants to do something for her.

I know Mejiro McQueen too well. I trained her dozens of times in my previous life’s app, and through the eyes of Team Sirius’s trainer, I watched her story unfold. Because of that, I can’t help but sympathize with her. I can’t help but project myself onto her.

If she’s sad, I want to comfort her. If she’s discouraged, I want her to look forward again. I can’t stop myself from feeling that way.

…But even so, I shouldn’t get involved with her more than necessary.

That story belongs solely to Mejiro McQueen and her trainer.

I—Horino Ayumu, the contracted trainer of Hoshino Wilm and Mihono Bourbon—should not interfere.

All I can do is pray that she finds her footing again on her own.

Ah, honestly… no. Enough with the gloom.

They’re right here beside me, after all.

Let’s get back on topic.

Back to this year’s Kyoto Daishoten.

"Mejiro McQueen’s condition isn’t bad. …But it isn’t perfect, either. The Mejiro McQueen who always delivered consistent, high-level performances failing to reach peak condition at race time… Given the gap in ability, she’ll probably win this race, but… I hope this isn’t an ominous sign."

In the end—

With the three of us watching, McQueen claimed first place as usual, breaking away cleanly from a good position.

"As expected of McQueen-senpai. That was a decisive win."

"…How could anyone possibly outrun her once she escapes like that?"

Amid the cheers and their murmured comments, I furrow my brow slightly.

The margin to second place was three lengths.

…Smaller than I had predicted.

The Kyoto Daishoten was over.

In the end, Mejiro McQueen won by a clear three-length margin. After two consecutive losses and being seen as out of form, this powerful victory would likely be taken as proof that she had recovered.

…But what about McQueen herself?

After the race, as she waved toward the stands, her expression looked somehow unsatisfied.

They say an Uma Musume only reaches true peak condition when body and mind are in harmony. If the heart can’t keep up with the body—or the body fails to follow the heart—you can’t run the way you truly want to.

McQueen’s current slump is probably the former.

Her mental state isn’t keeping pace with her running.

"Trainer?"

But this time, I can’t step in.

This is different from Tokai Teio before the Derby. Back then, Teio’s very career was on the line. If things had gone wrong, Tokai Teio—the prodigy herself—might have disappeared from the stage entirely. That’s why I contacted Teio’s trainer and warned them.

…But now, Mejiro McQueen’s legs aren’t at risk.

To put it bluntly, this is simply Hoshino Wilm’s rival being out of form.

If I prioritize my own trainee’s victories, then rather than lamenting it, this is something I should accept—if not actively take advantage of.

Simply put, I have no justification to help Mejiro McQueen.

"Um, Trainer."

The reason I want to help her right now is nothing more than ego.

Not the judgment of Hoshino Wilm’s trainer, but the selfish thinking of Horino Ayumu as an individual.

I have memories of my previous life—of a game I played there, of characters from that game, of Uma Musume very close to them. I grew emotionally invested in her, and that alone made me want to help.

…No. That’s probably not quite right.

I know the path Mejiro McQueen is going to walk from here on.

I saw it in the main story of the app in my previous life.

The Tenno Sho (Autumn), run in the rain.

Mejiro McQueen takes first place there—only to be demoted afterward.

I know that. And because I know that, I want to help her.

Not just McQueen—if anyone is in trouble, or headed toward an unpleasant ending, wanting to stop it feels only natural. That’s why I feel like I want to do something—like I have to do something.

…But that wouldn’t be for Hoshino Wilm’s sake.

If I think about a future where she continues to win, then I’m sorry to say it, but it would be better for her rivals to remain out of form.

I fell in love with Hoshino Wilm’s running.

From the bottom of my heart, I wanted to be her trainer.

And precisely because of that… I believe I should remain true to myself as her trainer.

But… if I do that—

"Trainer!!"

"Whoa—what the—what is it, Hoshino Wilm?"

"What do you mean, ‘what is it’? You’re the one acting strange."

At some point, Hoshino Wilm had stepped right in front of me. She looked a little exasperated—no, that wasn’t it. There was clear concern in her eyes.

…Uh.

"Where’s Mihono Bourbon?"

"She said she was going to the restroom. And actually, Trainer, you nodded when she said that."

"…Right."

"Seriously, what’s wrong? You look a bit pale. If something’s bothering you, please talk to me. …We’re partners, aren’t we?"

Pale? I don’t feel unwell, but…

Still—partners, huh.

It’s true. Calling Hoshino Wilm my partner wouldn’t be wrong. We’ve spent nearly two years together now, sharing countless experiences. Not quite the ‘one body, one soul’ ideal McQueen speaks of, perhaps—but certainly a bond forged through shared hardship and joy.

This is an intensely personal, egotistical struggle. If I were simply ‘Horino the trainer,’ it’s an emotion I should hide.

But… if we’re partners, working side by side—

Then aside from what truly can’t be helped, I don’t think I should keep things from her.

"…Mejiro McQueen is out of form right now. I think I know why—some kind of mental snag, something she’s struggling with. If I were to reach out to McQueen’s trainer right now, her condition might improve a little. But I can’t do that. As your trainer, thinking about your victories, I can’t allow myself to help an opponent. So… I know what I should do. I understand it. I just… need some time to get my emotions under control."

The words spill out, disjointed and unpolished, straight from my heart.

…Man, this is awful.

I wavered when she said ‘partner,’ but thinking about it calmly, I’m an adult and she’s a child. I’m supposed to be someone she relies on—not the other way around.

Especially since, counting my previous life’s experiences, I’m already—no, wait, my actual age is just over twenty. I’m not an old man yet. Not even close.

No good. I’m completely mixed up.

I need to calm down. I’m supposed to be an adult she can trust.

As I scratched my head, lost in thought, Hoshino Wilm quietly spoke up.

"...I’m actually thinking of helping Rice-chan."

"Hm? Rice… Rice Shower?"

"She tends to carry a lot on her shoulders, so I thought I’d like to support her.

That’s not so different from what you do as a trainer, is it?"

"Well… but that would be helping a rival. It’d be working against your own interests."

"What I’m doing isn’t any different. If your prediction is right, Trainer, then Rice-chan is a strong candidate for next year’s Classic Road, right?

In that case, what I’m doing is also helping Bourbon-chan’s rivals."

…Well. That might be true.

But Hoshino Wilm is still a student. I, on the other hand, am doing this as my profession—as her trainer.

It might be acceptable for her, but for me—

"But I don’t think this choice is wrong."

"Huh?"

"Because that’s how it works, right? No matter how much Rice-chan pushes through her doubts and gets stronger… all Bourbon-chan has to do is become even stronger than that.

The same goes for McQueen-senpai. No matter how strong she gets… as long as you, Trainer, make me faster and faster, there’s no problem at all."

She said it with a triumphant, self-satisfied grin.

…Right.

Come to think of it, this is exactly the kind of girl Hoshino Wilm is.

She has absolute confidence in her own speed, complete trust in me, and a belief—unshakable and sincere—that with me, she can run faster than anyone.

…Without realizing it, I let out a breath.

"How pathetic. I’m the one being taught by you."

"I’m being taught a lot too."

"I’m putting more of a burden on you than I should."

"Then you’ll shoulder it together with me, right?"

"That’s what being partners means?"

"That’s what being partners means."

With a soft hmph, Hoshino Wilm puffed out her chest cutely, and once again—maybe for the tenth time, or the hundredth—I found myself impressed.

This girl really is… far stronger at heart than someone like me.

A sense of stability and trust that goes far beyond her years. Maybe it truly was forged through the painful experiences of her childhood.

…In any case.

She truly is an amazing Uma Musume.

"...Sorry, Hoshino Wilm. I need to step away for a bit."

"Trainer."

She tugged gently at my sleeve.

Her expression was different from before.

Somehow… it looked lonely.

"If you let slip something you might have been able to save, you’ll definitely regret it.

I know that… because I—"

"Yeah. I know."

If you don’t reach out when you can, you’ll regret it.

I’ve known that for a long time.

"Hello… yes, this is Ayumu Horino, trainer for Hoshino Wilm.

I was hoping to have a quick word with Mejiro McQueen’s trainer.

Ah, no—not that. …It’s about the upcoming race. The Tenno Sho."