Chapter 18: An Unexpected Turn

Our next target race was the mid-distance Junior G1 event, the Hopeful Stakes. But as we prepared for it—an issue came up regarding the design of my racing outfit.

One day during our time off, I walked into the trainer's room with my sketchbook in hand. Today was the day we’d finalize the design of my race outfit.

"Yo, you're here early."

"Of course I am! We're deciding on the design of my race outfit today!"

Racing outfits—special attire given to Umamusume. They’re only permitted in G1 races, and their designs vary wildly from girl to girl.

Once an Umamusume is promoted to the Open Class and has a G1 race scheduled, she receives a racing outfit, typically designed to reflect both her and her trainer’s preferences. Those who earn the prestigious title of URA Horse of the Year may even be granted a unique outfit, distinct from their standard one—like Tokai Teio, Mejiro McQueen, and the like.

We don’t really know how much say we actually get in the final design, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime outfit. I’m fully committed to pushing my personal tastes as hard as I can.

"Alright, let’s get brainstorming!"

"Yeah. Let’s each toss out our ideas and see what sticks."

I pulled out a set of 24 colored pencils from my bag and started sketching myself while thinking about outfit designs. Since I had no experience with design, I figured I should take inspiration from those who came before me.

Take, for instance, Symboli Rudolf’s majestic outfit. Hers resembles a military uniform, with seven medals adorning the chest—each symbolizing one of her seven G1 victories.

The outfit itself is the crystallization of Rudolf’s wish to create an “ideal world where all Umamusume can find happiness.” To embody that dream, she requested a design that befits a sovereign ruler. No wonder she radiates such a commanding presence when she wears it.

That said, I’ve heard the medals weren’t part of the original design. You can tell from looking at old photos—before she won the Satsuki Sho, her outfit was rather plain, with no sparkling medals at all. It was only after winning the Japanese Derby undefeated that she started adding them, eventually reaching seven.

If you have a clear goal or ideal like she did, you can just request a design that reflects that. But my dream is to become “the strongest stayer.” And what kind of outfit screams “strongest stayer,” anyway? If I told a designer, “Make it look like something a powerful stayer would wear!” they’d probably just tilt their head in confusion.

Maybe I should just narrow things down based on my own tastes.

"Hmm…"

First of all, I can say this—I don’t want to show too much skin. The idea of running around with my cleavage, belly, or thighs out in the open? No way. That’s way too embarrassing.

Something like Narita Brian’s outfit would be a bit much for me. Brian-chan balances it out with her sharp, intimidating vibe, but let’s be real—that thing shows a lot of skin. Same goes for Taiki Shuttle. To pull that kind of outfit off, you need a great figure and the confidence to match. I'm not sure about Fujikiseki’s either… It just wouldn't suit me.

If I had to pick something I’d prefer… I guess an outfit like Silence Suzuka’s might be ideal. One that’s modest in exposure but still elegant and appealing.

They probably haven’t been made yet, but the outfits for the five members of the "strongest generation" are all perfectly designed. Out of the five, I like King-chan’s green outfit the most. It highlights her noble aura but also looks stunning when she’s covered in mud—really smart design. Spe-chan’s and Grass-chan’s are great too. That white and blue combo might be the simplest and best color pairing of all. Oh, but El-chan’s crimson one is gorgeous too. And Sei-chan’s fluffy, cozy outfit suits her so unfairly well.

Murmuring to myself, I kept moving my colored pencils across the sketchbook.

…………

Nothing was working. My designs ended up looking like chimeras of everyone else’s—totally incoherent.

I didn’t have a real-life horse or a specific race outfit to serve as my motif, and it’s not like anyone would say, “Ah yes, Apollo Rainbow—known for that one outfit!” Plus, all the other girls’ outfits are just too good. Can someone like me really get something that looks just right?

Sighing, I erased what I’d drawn and glanced toward Tomio, who was sitting across from me, staring at a computer screen. He was probably using a paint program or something. …Ugh, he’s drawing with a mouse—no wonder it’s awful.

…But even if the drawing was a mess, the design itself was actually solid. It was a dress, mainly white. Huh, so Tomio had this kind of sense?

Whew. If he’d gone, “You’re Apollo, so how about a spacesuit?” I might’ve actually throttled him.

"Tomio, your drawing’s terrible, but you might have a future as a designer."

"Haha, you think so?"

Looking at his idea, I was starting to feel like… maybe this was it. Resting my chin on Tomio’s shoulder as he busily moved the mouse, I stared at the white dress on screen.

"Did you manage to draw Apollo?"

"Nope, not at all."

"Yeah, figures… Even when someone says ‘give me your ideas,’ it’s not like they come pouring out on command."

"I think your idea really clicks for me."

"Huh, this?"

"Yeah. I want to try wearing this white dress."

"…! I—I see. Heh, that makes me really happy, actually."

Tomio smiled, his mouth curling up as he dove back into clicking away at the screen. The lines were all crooked, the coloring full of gaps, but the idea was taking shape more and more. Every now and then I chimed in—“What if we did this here?”—and gradually, our racing outfit came together.

…That’s when I realized something. This outfit wasn’t just mine. It belonged to someone precious to me, someone who’s been supporting me all this time. Looking at the completed design, that thought quietly settled in.

A dress of pure white, scattered with sky-blue stars.

It was simple—but just like that, Apollo Rainbow’s racing outfit had taken form.

To run while wearing the ideals of my trainer—what a thrilling thought. That night, I found myself too excited to sleep.

A few days later, I received word that the idea had been finalized and sent off to URA. I couldn’t help but grin to myself in the classroom. Grinning like an idiot at my phone must’ve looked weird, because Guriko decided to speak up.

"Hey, Apollo-chan, what's with the goofy smile?"

"Huh? Oh, just something good happened, that’s all~"

"Something good? …Ah, don’t tell me—things progressed with your Trainer?"

"Pfft! N-no, that’s not it!"

I threw my device aside and grabbed Guriko in a headlock. Not that it was effective—she’s taller than me, after all. Guriko just smiled wickedly, clearly intending to keep teasing me even while I was trying to strangle her.

"Reaaally? But you were so clingy with your Trainer during the Kiku-shō, weren’t you?"

"Eh—"

That caught me off guard. My grip loosened. That wasn’t a joke—what she just said sounded way too real.

"Yeah, yeah, during the paddock. I could tell, y’know? That was totally the face of a girl in love."

"Ugh… You’re seriously the worst, Guriko…!"

"Owowowowowow!"

Just remembering that moment made my face flush red. No! That wasn’t what it looked like! That was just… part of the ritual for winning the race! So it doesn’t count! Or, um, something like that! Anyway, I really didn’t want anyone bringing that up!

After I gave Guriko a good (but still within friendly bounds) squeeze, I finally calmed down and took my seat. Guriko, now out of breath and fixing her disheveled clothes, suddenly looked a lot more serious and sat down next to me.

"…Apollo-chan. Your next race is the Hopeful Stakes, right?"

"Yeah, unless I get injured or something, that’s probably where I’m headed~"

"……"

The Hopeful Stakes—back in the strongest generation’s day, that race was known as the Radio Tampo Cup. One of the top contenders, King Halo, is set to run there, having taken second to a horse named Lord Axe.

Lord Axe had taken down King Halo—who came into the Radio Tampo Cup with three straight wins—without breaking a sweat. His final burst of speed was so incredible, it was almost mythical. If it hadn’t been for that injury later, he’d be remembered as a true legend.

But I’ve always had a bit of a question about that Lord Axe. Specifically, I’ve never once heard of a horse girl with that name enrolled at this academy.

There is a race called the “Yabotan-shō,” a junior-level one-win class race that he supposedly won, but on the entry list for that race, no “Lord Axe” horse girl appears. It’s… eerie, really. Unsettling, even.

Lord Axe’s absence. I don’t know what it means yet, but it could suggest that history might play out differently this time around. Like, maybe King Halo wins the Hopeful Stakes. Or maybe some completely random horse girl swoops in and takes it all.

For what it’s worth, I’m already prepared to face King-chan. Her explosive finishing speed terrifies me, but with her wide distance compatibility, it’s only a matter of time before we clash. She’ll probably compete in all the major classics next year—the Satsuki-shō, the Japanese Derby, the Kikuka-shō. I’m scared of losing, sure, but I plan to face her with everything I’ve got.

"So, what about the Hopeful Stakes?"

"…First of all, congrats on making it to Open Class, Apollo-chan. With your prize money level, you won’t get bumped, and if you’re planning on the Hopeful Stakes, I’m pretty sure you’ll make the cut."

"…?"

She was congratulating me, but her expression didn’t match the words. When I tilted my head in confusion, Guriko gave me this awkward look, like, “Oh, so you don’t know yet.” There’s something going on with the Hopeful Stakes?

"—Special Week’s entering the Hopeful Stakes."

"—!"

It felt like my brain had been yanked out of my skull. No way… That can’t be true… My thoughts practically leaked out as a silent scream.

In actual horse racing history, Special Week debuted in late November. After that, his rotation was the Shirayuri-shō (a one-win class race in January), the Grade 3 Kisaragi-shō in February, the Grade 2 Yayoi-shō in March, and then the Satsuki-shō.

But in the world of horse girls, the make debut races are generally around June for everyone. That timing alone causes big shifts like this.

Thinking about it, it’s not that far-fetched. If your debut’s in June, and you don’t get injured or something, then most horse girls would just—normally—enter races. And Special Week has the talent to win, whether it's a condition race, an open class, or even a graded one. It’s not strange for her to have already made it to Open Class.

Even Seiun Sky and El Condor Pasa, who in actual history took a little longer to rise, would almost certainly be in Open Class by now too. The fact that Guriko didn’t mention them probably means those two are aiming for different major races.

"S-So Spe-chan’s… actually coming to the Hopeful Stakes?"

"Yep. She said it herself, and the official announcement should be coming soon."

"What about El-chan and Sei-chan?"

"Hmm, not sure… But I think El-chan’s going for the Shinzan Kinen, and Sei-chan will probably show up in the Keisei Cup."

So yeah… things are definitely shifting. El Condor Pasa and Seiun Sky didn’t run any graded races in January originally.

Maybe in this world of horse girls, the story loosely follows history, but original developments can occur too. I don’t have all the answers, but one thing’s for sure—Special Week is definitely showing up in the Hopeful Stakes. We’ll clash before the classic season even begins. I was already maxed out worrying about King-chan, but now Spe-chan too? This is gonna be brutal.

"Guriko, something just came up. I’ve gotta go."

"Okay. Hopeful Stakes… I’ll be cheering for you. Do your best."

"…Thanks."

I need to tell my Trainer—fast.

"—Special Week is entering the Hopeful Stakes?"

"Yeah. A friend of mine told me. Neither Sp-chan nor she is the type to lie, so I think there’s a good chance it’s true..."

"I see... That’s going to be a real problem..."

I had come to the trainer’s office during the mid-morning break. It wasn’t a time I’d normally show up, but even so, my trainer welcomed me in and stroked his chin thoughtfully after hearing what I had to say.

"Special Week, huh... A middle-to-long distance specialist. She can run a mile if she has to, and she’s got no real weak points. She’s an insanely strong horse girl."

"Who should I be more cautious of, King-chan or her?"

"Hmm... King Halo's best distances are probably sprint to mile. But everyone’s still developing, including you, Apollo. I can’t say definitively who you should be more wary of."

Special Week's optimal range is probably somewhere around 1800 to 3200 meters. King Halo does best in the 1200 to 1600 range, but she’s a ridiculously talented horse girl with grit to match mine, so she can probably handle something like a 3000-meter race if it came down to it.

I’m on normal friendly terms with the five of them—we exchange messages and all—but we’re not close enough that I could ask for practice runs like I do with Guriko. That means I have no idea how far they’ve progressed. I doubt they’ve hit their Derby form already or anything, but even if they're still rough around the edges, their raw talent more than makes up for it.

"...I think I should be wary of Sp-chan."

"Why?"

I wasn’t about to say, Because in the real world, King Halo came in second or Because with Road Axe missing, Sp-chan is the most likely to snag that open first place. Those lines of thinking wouldn’t really make sense to anyone else.

So why was I so afraid of Special Week? The answer was simple: I’d already raced her once. And I was scared of her. I was still wet behind the ears back then, a total rookie at running—but not a day goes by that I don’t remember how she left me in the dust during that selection race.

"I’ve raced Sp-chan once before... and I just can’t forget that final stretch."

"Ah... back in the selection race. Hard to believe that was six months ago. Kinda nostalgic."

"Ex-act-ly."

"...?"

"If I still can’t forget how she ran that day—even though it’s been six months—that’s seriously scary, right?"

That explosive final stretch. The way she rocketed past me like it was nothing while I was leading the pack in the selection race. She’s got that soft, sweet face and always acts super cute, but underneath it all—Special Week is a total monster.

Think about it. In real life, she entered nine G1 races and won four of them. In the ones she didn’t win, she still placed top three. The title of Japan’s ace wasn’t just for show.

"I get it now... if her run left that much of an impression on you after half a year, then she’s the real deal. Okay, let’s switch gears—King Halo is still a threat, but from here on out, we’ll focus our training on countering Special Week. We’ll sharpen your all-out escape tactics."

We’d originally been prepping for King Halo, who was expected to be in the Hopeful Stakes, but now we’d have to plan for Special Week too. Their racing styles are pretty similar—both lean toward closing speed from a front-runner position—so some of our tactics should still carry over.

"I’ve already collected some data. Today we’ll go light on training and make time to review her past race footage."

"Right!"

"...You sure you’re okay skipping class like this?"

"Ah—"

I glanced at the clock and realized class had definitely already started. A massive, undeniable tardy. There goes the perfect student image of Apollo Rainbow.

I hurriedly gathered my things and reached for the door.

"Sorry, Trainer! I’ll be back later!"

"Don’t trip on the way there~"

With his voice at my back, I dashed down the hallway like I was on my final sprint to the finish line.

Incidentally, Guriko had told the teacher I was “locked in the bathroom with a stomachache,” so I managed to dodge the lecture.