Uma Musume: This Trainer Doesn't Do His Job, Ch 1-20

Tags: Isekai, Romance, Harem, Comedy, Slice of Life, No System

Synopsis:

Tsukimori Yuu is a genius. World-class doctor. Award-winning artist. And now... an Uma Musume trainer?

The medical world thinks he's wasting his talent. The art world wonders why he only draws his own Uma Musume. Fellow trainers can't figure out why he bothered learning so much else. And Yuu? He's just here to help injured Uma Musume get back on the track, starting with Agnes Tachyon, the girl everyone had written off.

Armed with medical expertise, zero shame, and way too much affection for his Uma Musume, Yuu is about to turn the racing world upside down. Whether they like it or not.

Chapter 1 - Miracle's Revival, but Agnes Tachyon

"Agnes! Agnes! Agnes Tachyon is catching up!"

"It's been a year! Three hundred and seventy-four days! Agnes Tachyon has returned to the racecourse once again!"

"Everyone thought Agnes Tachyon would never be able to win again! But Agnes Tachyon and her Trainer never gave up! They believed in each other!"

"So fast! She's really fast! Agnes Tachyon is still charging forward! She's opened nearly a six-length gap from second place! She's still accelerating!"

"The Hope Stakes! This is Agnes Tachyon's new hope!"

"Across the finish line! First place goes to, Agnes Tachyon!"

Agnes Tachyon breathed heavily, sweat running down her cheeks and through her hair, ignoring all the surrounding noise.

She looked to the stands immediately, and when she saw Tsukimori Yuu pumping his fist and shouting at the top of his lungs, a faint smile appeared on her face.

"How embarrassing, Guinea Pig-kun."

……

Agnes Tachyon and Tsukimori Yuu stood before a crowd of reporters.

The flashing lights made it hard for Yuu to keep his eyes open, but Tachyon looked completely unfazed.

"Hello! Agnes Tachyon, how do you feel about winning another G1 race?"

She held the microphone, smiling.

"Of course I'm happy. I can see new possibilities."

"New possibilities? Do you mean you and your new Trainer? It seems like the two of you have sparked something new together!"

She nodded lightly.

"You could say that. I've never met a Trainer more outstanding than him."

Her words plunged the venue into brief silence. No one expected this Uma Musume to give her Trainer such high praise.

After a few simple questions, everyone turned their attention to Tsukimori Yuu. To be precise, he was their real target all along.

He reached out and pushed the microphone that was almost shoved into his mouth forward.

You can stick it out if you want, but why does it smell weird?

"Trainer Tsukimori, hello!"

"Hello."

"May we ask you a few simple questions?"

Yuu grinned.

"Um, if I say no, can we skip the interview?"

Once again, the reporters fell silent for a few seconds.

"Haha, just kidding. Ask whatever you want."

He straightened up and adjusted his clothes slightly.

The reporters all let out a sigh of relief. This Trainer and Uma Musume pair felt… kind of dangerous.

……

"May I ask, you're very famous in the medical field. You could even say that, at such a young age, you've already reached a level most people can't hope to achieve. Why did you choose to become a Trainer?"

Yuu organized his thoughts, then spoke.

"It's simple. I studied medicine because I wanted to become an excellent Trainer. If I didn't want to be a Trainer, I wouldn't have studied medicine at all. Medicine helps me train Uma Musume better. It lets me raise the Uma Musume I want to raise."

Wait, you can do that?

"Then why not hire a team doctor?"

Yuu blinked.

"A team doctor? Would a team doctor be better than me?"

Silence fell again. Somehow… he had a point.

One reporter opened his notebook. Yuu's answer was so unexpected that he'd forgotten what he was going to ask next.

He glanced at the page. Right, there was still this one.

"I have one more question. Why didn't you choose a brand-new Uma Musume? Instead, you chose one who was about to retire—"

Halfway through, a chilling pressure crept up his back.

"Ah! I'm just curious! I absolutely don't mean anything bad about Agnes Tachyon!"

Tachyon smiled at him.

"I don't mind."

Staring into her eyes, completely devoid of light, the reporter almost wet himself.

You don't mind?! Your eyes are about to kill me!

"Because I like her."

Silence. A long silence.

Yuu looked puzzled. Had he been too vague?

"What I mean is, I really like Agnes Tachyon. Her personality, the way she runs, I like all of it. I wanted her to be my Uma Musume, so—mmph!"

Before he could finish, Tachyon covered his mouth.

The Uma Musume who usually made countless Trainers and racers tremble now had a faint blush on her face.

"That's enough. You don't need to say any more!"

"Mmph! Agnes Tachyon is number one in the world! Mmph!"

The reporters looked at each other. Somehow… it felt like they were completely unnecessary here.

Are we part of their play too?!

Agnes Tachyon returned to the racecourse after 374 days. After 411 days, she claimed victory once more.

……

Tachyon looked at Yuu as he packed away the equipment.

"Idiot Guinea Pig-kun. Do you really say everything out loud?"

He put the horseshoes away without even looking up.

"It's the truth. Why wouldn't I say it?"

She crouched down as well, watching him.

"But this could affect your future. People might report that you're just chasing attention or desperate for traffic."

Yuu placed the cloth bag into the suitcase and looked up at her from close range.

"Hey, I can't take this! Agnes Tachyon is my Uma Musume. Even now, it still feels like a dream—ow!"

She pulled her hand back.

"I'm talking about something serious right now, idiot."

"If I wanted attention, would I need to leech off them?"

He smiled and leaned forward slightly.

"Tachyon, did you forget something?"

"W-What?"

"Besides being your Trainer, I'm also the best Uma Musume doctor in the world."

"How arrogant. Such an arrogant Guinea Pig-kun."

"If I've got the skill and don't brag, wouldn't that be a waste~"

He zipped up the suitcase, stood up, and held out his hand to her.

"Let's go. We should head home. This race exposed a lot of problems. We'll review it once we're back, then we'll plan the next races. Right now, you need more races to bring your body back into competitive shape."

"So strict, Guinea Pig-kun~"

She naturally placed her hand in his, looking at him with smiling eyes.

"Oh, right. Guinea Pig-kun, after winning this race, you should be able to officially join Tracen Academy, right?"

"Probably. We'll talk about it tomorrow! My Tachyon's soft little hand Hehehe"

"Guinea Pig-kun, that's disgusting~"

Nearby, a staff member's mouth twitched.

When did I get force-fed dog food? Is this some kind of illusion?! When did it happen?!

Chapter 2 - Joining Tracen Academy

"Here, there was a brief loss of speed, but it's not a big problem. After all, it's been a long time. Feeling excited when you finally get to race again is completely normal."

Yuu paused the video.

"Emotions affect performance. The key is letting them work in your favor. Overall, the flaws don't outweigh the strengths this time. That excitement helped you snap back into a competitive state very quickly, much better than I expected."

Agnes Tachyon sat obediently below the screen, listening carefully as Yuu broke down the race.

He put away the laser pointer and looked at her.

"That's everything you struggled with in this race. Any questions?"

She thought for two seconds. "It feels like… I'm not as fast as before. If this were my peak back then—ow!"

Yuu pulled his hand back and dragged a chair over, sitting beside her.

"You were injured and recovering for almost half a year. How could you possibly bounce straight back to peak condition? A certain someone's body clearly couldn't keep up, but she just had to push herself to reach that state again." He shook his head. "Right now, we need to increase your training load and get your body back to peak competitive form. This should've been a year of growth, but you lost an entire year. Of course your strength dropped. Compared to your peak, you're a little weaker right now."

As he spoke, he reached out. Agnes Tachyon naturally placed her hand in his.

He looked at her slender arm in his grasp and gave it a light squeeze.

"Take it slow. A dramatic upward curve is probably unrealistic, but I can guarantee the next two years… no, three years."

She tightened her grip around his hand.

"For the next three years, you'll be on a steady upward curve."

He lifted his head, his gaze moving from her hand to her face.

Her smile was gentle. Those wine-red eyes reflected his figure.

"You're my most important, irreplaceable test subject. We're definitely going to keep moving forward together, Guinea Pig-kun."

She was calling him her test subject now. Turnabout was fair play, he supposed.

"Agnes Tachyon is number one! The cutest ever!" He grabbed her hands. "Hey, let's get married!"

She let out a helpless sigh. When it came to serious matters, her Guinea Pig-kun was always reliable. But in everyday life, he was always this… ridiculous.

"Do you want a hug today too, Guinea Pig-kun~?"

"Is it a reward?"

"Mhm~"

Agnes Tachyon gently stroked the boy's hair, the warmth in her eyes deepening. Being a little ridiculous wasn't so bad. It didn't matter whether others liked him or not. As long as she did, that was enough.

……

"Welcome, Trainer Tsukimori."

"Hello, Hayakawa-san!"

At the gates of Tracen Academy, Hayakawa Tazuna gave Yuu a slight bow. Then she smiled at Agnes Tachyon.

"It's been a long time, Tachyon."

"Long time no see, Secretary Hayakawa."

Agnes Tachyon wore a slightly dangerous smile. Some of the younger Uma Musume quietly backed away when they saw it.

"I never imagined I'd get the chance to see you again."

Hayakawa rubbed her eyes. She'd seen too many Uma Musume leave this academy. She had thought Agnes Tachyon would be one of them. She hated those kinds of farewells.

"Normally, that would've been the case."

Hayakawa finally turned her gaze back to Yuu. He was staring at that familiar green-hatted menace with a strange expression.

Man, I'm so moved right now!

"I'm sorry, Trainer Tsukimori. Seeing Tachyon again made it hard to control my emotions."

"That's okay. Working under someone who truly loves Uma Musume like you makes me pretty happy, actually." He grinned. "The moment I saw you, I knew we're the same kind of person! Stand users are naturally drawn to each other!"

"Huh?"

A big question mark practically popped up over Hayakawa's head. This trainer… was he a little strange?

"Guinea Pig-kun, now's not the time to say weird things."

"Oh."

Seeing Yuu snap back to normal, Hayakawa was momentarily at a loss for words.

Honestly, it was hard to believe that the smiling young man in front of her was the youngest PhD in history, the youngest doctor ever accepted by the Mayo Clinic, the youngest lead surgeon, the first officially recognized top Uma Musume physician, the one who solved countless Uma Musume medical conditions, treated the most Uma Musume, cured the most Uma Musume, and someone recognized by the Uma Musume Racing Association as one of the most important figures in Uma Musume history.

He just looked like a kid.

Yuu smiled and held out his hand. "I look forward to working with you, Hayakawa-san!"

"Ah, y-yes."

Their hands met briefly, then separated.

"Then please follow me. I'll guide you through onboarding and re-enrollment."

Agnes Tachyon started walking into the academy before Hayakawa even finished speaking. "I've already done enrollment, so there's no need to trouble you. Just take Guinea Pig-kun to handle his onboarding. It'll be more efficient that way."

"Huh?"

She glanced at Yuu, who looked full of anticipation. "I-is that okay?"

"Then I'll leave it to you, Hayakawa-san!"

Hayakawa's smile was already a bit strained. This was really different from what she'd imagined. What was her future life going to be like…?

……

Hayakawa glanced at Yuu walking beside her. His face was full of curiosity and excitement.

"Um, Trainer Tsukimori, I watched yesterday's race. It was truly amazing."

At her words, Yuu turned his head, pulling his gaze back from the Uma Musume training on the field.

"Well, it was Agnes Tachyon. Her fundamentals are solid, so no matter how she performs, it's only natural, right?"

Hayakawa paused when she saw his bright smile. "Trainer Tsukimori, you really like Tachyon, don't you?"

"To be precise, I like all Uma Musume. But I especially like Agnes Tachyon."

He turned his eyes back to the field.

"I've been watching Uma Musume races since I was very young. There were so many I loved and admired. Every time they ran, I was happy." His expression grew more serious. "But age and injury are always an athlete's greatest enemies. Watching familiar Uma Musume retire one after another… some rising stars even retired after just one or two races. I couldn't accept that. Back then, I made up my mind: I had to change it. Studying anything else wouldn't help Uma Musume, so I gave up other fields and devoted myself entirely to medicine. I like Uma Musume, and I want to do something for them. Tachyon is just the beginning. Dreams shouldn't end because of injury."

Yuu stopped and turned to look at Hayakawa, who had unknowingly stopped as well.

"You agree, don't you?" He smiled. "Tokino Minoru-san."

I've liked Uma Musume for a very long time. Even before coming to this world, I already loved them.

Chapter 3 - Phoenix, Born

"Hm?"

Agnes Tachyon looked at the two people waiting for her.

She had only been gone for a short while, so why did they already seem so close?

"Yo, you're back!"

Yuu waved at her. Normally, enrollment took quite a while, but for an Uma Musume like Agnes Tachyon who had already enrolled once before, re-enrollment was just a matter of filling out some forms.

She naturally looped her arm around Yuu's, her eyes, partially hidden by her hair, shifting toward Hayakawa Tazuna, whose cheeks were faintly pink.

"My dear Guinea Pig-kun is as popular with girls as ever~"

Hayakawa was just about to say something when Yuu's delighted voice rang out.

"So you finally admit it, Tachyon! You think I'm your dear one!"

Agnes Tachyon froze. Huh?

Hayakawa stared at Yuu's face, which was glowing with joy. Faced with the Uma Musume's obvious jealousy, he actually solved it like this?

……

Inside the registration office, Hayakawa stood beside Yuu and Agnes Tachyon.

A staff member handed Yuu an application form.

"Please fill this out according to the requirements."

"Got it. Thanks for your help."

He nodded and picked up the pen provided at the counter.

The staff member watched him with curiosity. Lately, Tsukimori Yuu had been a true hot topic. He'd become the center of discussion among many Uma Musume.

The greatest Uma Musume doctor in history becoming a Trainer, and then leading an Uma Musume who should've retired to win a G1 race. Just hearing that was enough to spark interest.

Looking at the slightly youthful boy in front of her, it was hard to believe such a legendary story belonged to someone so young.

Having seen plenty of handsome men and beautiful women, she still had to admit Tsukimori Yuu was genuinely good-looking.

His hair was an unusual black-to-white gradient. The inky roots faded gradually along the strands, transitioning into a pale, frosted white at the tips. A few loose bangs fell across his forehead, the gradient strands at his temples brushing past his jawline.

His features were distinctive in their own way. Not like those K-pop idols her daughter liked, where she couldn't tell one from another. To her, they all looked the same.

Knock knock.

Someone lightly tapped the desk twice. When she looked up, Agnes Tachyon was leaning in close.

A slightly dangerous smile curved her lips. "Miss, is there some reason you're staring at my Guinea Pig-kun like that?"

"S-sorry!"

"Don't mess around, Tachyon. You scared her."

Yuu pulled Agnes Tachyon back after finishing the basic information. Then he handed over the form. "Tachyon, fill in your basic info yourself."

So troublesome.

She glanced at the pile of documents waiting for her signature. There were still so many.

A faint fragrance drifted over as Agnes Tachyon rested her head against his shoulder.

"What, Guinea Pig-kun? Did you forget my information?"

"How could that be? There's no way I'd ever forget your details. The problem is, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to fill them in."

Only then did she lift her head.

"You're no fun, Guinea Pig-kun."

Hayakawa leaned in curiously, looking at the form.

"Trainer Tsukimori, hasn't the team name been decided yet?"

She noticed the team name field was still blank.

Agnes Tachyon paused her pen. "You're not allowed to choose that weird name."

Weird name?

Hayakawa looked at Yuu in confusion. What kind of name was it?

"The name I came up with is great! It clearly shows my dream!"

"Um… may I ask what it was?"

"Tsukimori Yuu's Harem!"

Hayakawa's smile froze. "T-that really isn't suitable…"

……

"It was such a good name."

Yuu kept muttering under his breath.

Agnes Tachyon sighed. When it came to her Trainer, she really had no way of dealing with him.

She obediently wrote down a new name. This would be the name the team competed under in the future.

She picked up the completed form Yuu had written. She wasn't hoping for anything amazing anymore. As long as it wasn't weird.

"Hm?"

Hearing the puzzled tone in her voice, Hayakawa turned her head as well.

The team name was the team's own choice, so she couldn't really comment.

"I didn't expect you to come up with a normal name, Guinea Pig-kun."

Yuu put his hands on his hips. "Of course!"

If his number-one choice couldn't be used, then the second-best would take its place!

Hayakawa turned back to look at the form.

"Phoenix… the immortal bird?"

"Yeah. I want my Uma Musume to be like a phoenix, constantly reborn from the flames. It's one of the names I prepared a long time ago."

A name he'd already decided on, long before becoming a Trainer.

Agnes Tachyon tilted her head. "So that earlier name was just you messing with me?"

Yuu grinned. "Not at all!"

"Hah…"

She let out a breath, then reached out and pinched his cheek. "Was it fun?"

"Super fun! New Agnes Tachyon expression, acquired!"

The staff member's expression turned strange. She'd been planning to watch the show. How did she end up becoming part of it?

……

"Alright, the documents have been submitted. Please watch for a text message, Trainer Tsukimori. If the team name application is approved, you'll be notified by text. As for officially joining the academy, that requires the signature of Tracen Academy's chairwoman. Once she signs, the contract will have legal effect."

The staff member handed the file folder to Yuu. These records were prepared in triplicate.

"Understood."

He took the folder and slipped it into his backpack.

Just like that, he'd successfully joined Tracen Academy. Now he could expand the team.

"What are you thinking about?"

Agnes Tachyon stepped up beside him and tilted her head.

"About the future."

"The future, huh…"

She repeated his words. After two seconds of silence, she asked, "Then what kind of future do you imagine, Guinea Pig-kun?"

"I don't know. But I do know one thing: my future definitely includes you."

A smile surfaced on Agnes Tachyon's face without her realizing it. Watching the scene, Hayakawa realized this was the first time she'd ever seen that kind of smile from Agnes Tachyon.

……

"Hang in there! Don't fall asleep!"

White light flickered before the girl's eyes. The rattling sound of the stretcher's wheels beneath her was unbearably loud.

Is it going to end like this?

That wouldn't be so bad. Mom and Dad might finally be able to relax.

But still… it was so unfair.

I haven't even gotten to run in a single race.

Chapter 4 - Shut Up, You Embarrassing Idiot!

Everything hurts…

So I didn't die?

Her eyes slowly opened, unfocused, staring blankly at the ceiling above.

She couldn't quite put her feelings into words. There was a bit of relief at surviving. There was also guilt at continuing to burden her family.

But more than anything else, there was emptiness. A suffocating uncertainty about the future.

Why… why did I have to go through all of this?

"Yo, kid, you're awake! Congratulations, you're already a handsome boy now!"

A frivolous voice rang out.

She turned her head toward the sound, and froze.

That smile. One she would never forget.

……

"Ahem. K.S. Miracle, born March 16, XXXX. Loving parents. A sweet girl who likes swans. Dreams…"

Tsukimori Yuu clicked his tongue as he looked down at the document in front of him.

In the hospital room, he lounged back with one leg crossed over the other.

"This medical record is way too thick. Can't you doctors write something actually useful?"

Miracle looked at the strange doctor in front of her. "From a doctor's perspective, this is the useful part, isn't it?"

"That's true for ordinary people. But I'm not ordinary!"

He stood up, pointed his thumb at himself, and his face practically screamed two words:

Arrogant.

"I am kami, after all!"

"…?"

Yuu sat back down like nothing had happened. "Just kidding. The records are useful, just not as much as you think."

He stared at her seriously, emphasizing his point.

"After all, I really am amazing."

Miracle's ears twitched. This doctor… is he a little weird?

"Man, what a shame. I thought I could slack off a bit while my Tachyon was in class." He sighed. "But hey, saving another Uma Musume isn't bad either. I have to say, your condition is pretty serious."

His hands worked skillfully as he peeled an orange, but his thoughts never stopped.

With Miracle's condition, forget racing like in the original timeline. To put it bluntly, she might not even live to see her twentieth birthday.

"Here."

"Thank you."

She reached out and took the orange he handed her, a faint smile on her face.

"You know about your condition, right?" Yuu asked.

Her expression didn't change at all.

"Yes. I know."

Her answer was light, as if they weren't talking about her life. She held the orange but made no move to eat it.

"Do you want to race?"

He looked straight at her when he asked.

"Of course I do. How could I not?" she said softly. "But I can't ask for more than this anymore. The way I am now… I'm already very happy, and very lucky. It's just that my happiness is built on my parents' misfortune, Doctor."

She turned her head to look at him.

"Someone like me… should I really exist?"

"Hmm~"

Yuu rubbed his chin, not answering her directly.

"You talked a lot, but basically, you still want to race, right?"

"…Huh?"

That's what he took from it?

"Funny coincidence, don't you think? Your body's weak, and I'm a doctor. You want to race, and I just so happen to be a Trainer."

He leaned closer, eyes sparkling.

"Don't you think that's a little too perfect? Really, way too perfect, right~?"

Seeing the eager look on his face, a bold, but very unlikely, guess surfaced in her mind.

But that couldn't be possible. There was no way.

…I have to be overthinking it.

"Well, you see, I only have one Uma Musume right now. If someone were willing to join…"

He glanced sideways. Peek. Peek again.

Miracle felt completely dazed.

So… maybe I wasn't imagining things?

But why? Why would he want me to be his Uma Musume?

Yuu didn't give her much time to think.

"Huh?"

He suddenly dropped to one knee and grabbed her leg.

"Please! Join my team! Miracle-chan, as long as you join me, I'll do anything!"

"…Huh?!"

Her mind completely short-circuited.

Did that mean… I'm already dead? Is this some strange afterlife?

She pinched the back of her hand.

Ow, it hurt. So it wasn't a dream?

"Guinea Pig-kun, you're really embarrassing."

A voice tinged with helplessness sounded out as the door to the ward opened.

An Uma Musume walked in, carrying a fruit basket.

Miracle and Tachyon studied each other with curiosity.

Then Miracle's eyes lit up.

"Y-You wouldn't happen to be Agnes Tachyon-senpai?!"

Her voice trembled with excitement. Before Tachyon could respond, she turned to Yuu, who was still clinging to her leg.

"S-So you're Doctor Tsukimori?! I'm so happy! I never thought I'd meet my idol!"

Yuu always wore a mask, and in a world where gradient hair colors weren't unusual, it wasn't strange that she hadn't recognized him right away.

He slowly stood up and removed the mask.

"That's right, it's me! Young lady, I'll give you one chance. Join my team!"

His gaze turned domineering.

"Don't make me beg."

"…Don't make me beg like I just did."

Tachyon's mouth twitched. Yeah. That was exactly how she'd joined back then.

"That's enough. Stop embarrassing yourself here, Guinea Pig-kun."

"Got it!"

……

Miracle stared at Yuu, who was now clinging to Tachyon's arm.

Her eyes shone with admiration, like she'd just met a superstar.

"Doctor Tsukimori… you're my idol, you know that?!"

Maybe it was excitement, but color had finally returned to her pale face. She looked a little healthier now.

"I'm your idol? Then you should definitely join—ow!"

"Don't pressure people like that," Tachyon said flatly.

She sighed again.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go. In the old team, I had been the problem child. So why do I suddenly feel like the responsible adult now?

Yuu cleared his throat lightly, his expression turning serious as he looked at Miracle.

"Miracle, I understand your condition now. I personally handled your treatment this time. I can tell you this responsibly: your problem is something I can fix. If you follow my treatment plan, there's a high chance you'll have a long racing career."

He didn't stop, giving her no time to process before continuing.

"If you join my team, I'll take full responsibility for everything. If you don't, then after you join another team, just come here for treatment two hours a day. I want you to join, but I won't use this as leverage. Still… I hope you'll consider me first."

She looked at him carefully. "Um… may I ask why you want me to join?"

"Because Miracle is cute and cool! I like you a lot!"

"…Huh?"

Agnes Tachyon's smile finally cracked.

You couldn't even pretend for a second, could you?!

Chapter 5 - Totally Unreliable

Yuu sneakily glanced at Tachyon beside him, then shifted his gaze back to Miracle.

"Join me, join me, join me, join me…" he muttered under his breath, barely audible.

Tachyon turned her head. "Guinea Pig-kun, have you considered the possibility that I'm closer to you than Miracle-chan is? If she can hear you, do you really think I can't?"

Having been called out, Yuu showed zero embarrassment. "Of course I know!"

"…?"

"Because Tachyon would never blame me~ That's what it means to be loved, you get fearless!"

The corner of Tachyon's mouth twitched. She honestly didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Why was her Trainer so different from everyone else's…?

And yet. Looking at his carefree grin, she knew this was the Trainer she liked, and the only one she ever would.

……

"Well then, looks like striking while the iron's hot isn't very realistic," Yuu said, looking at Miracle in her hospital gown.

"I'll take over your care from now on. As for whether you join or not… you can decide that later, at your own pace. Oh, and this."

He pulled a folder out of his backpack.

Curiosity flickered across her face. "What's that?"

"Your admission notice from Tracen Academy. Once Hayakawa-san learned I'd be treating you, she handed this to me and asked me to give it to you directly."

She reached out and took the notice from his hands.

"I didn't think my application would actually be approved."

Yuu leaned against Tachyon's shoulder.

"What's so surprising about that? Tracen Academy looks at lots of things for admissions."

"Like what?"

"No idea."

"……"

Yuu finally sat up straight again. What came next was serious, so he figured he should, just a little, act the part.

"Like I said before, I've taken over your treatment. I was still worrying about where you'd live, but now that you're enrolling, that problem's solved. You can stay in the Uma Musume dorms at Tracen Academy. That way, it'll be convenient for me to treat you every day."

She hesitated for a few seconds, then asked carefully, "Um… even if I'm not your Uma Musume, I can still receive treatment?"

"…?"

This time, question marks practically popped up over Yuu's head.

"Wait, do you not know who I am? You were just calling me your idol! Have I ever demanded that every Uma Musume I treat join my team? Or do you think that just because I picked you, and you didn't immediately agree, I'd slack off on your treatment? Wow. I really didn't expect you to think that. That's just awful!"

She didn't even get a chance to respond before his rapid-fire accusations left her frozen, mouth slightly open, brain completely crashed.

"Guinea Pig-kun."

"Got it!"

Yuu immediately dropped the indignant act, grinning again.

"Anyway, that's how it is. Whether you're my Uma Musume or a student at Tracen Academy or not, I'll treat you regardless. The only difference is the treatment method. If you're at Tracen Academy, it's simply more convenient for me. I do want you to join my team, that's true, but I won't use treatment as leverage to force you."

He looked at her, and for the first time, she saw genuine seriousness in his eyes.

"Before I'm a Trainer, I'm a doctor."

Clap!

He pressed his palms together. "That's all! Your condition is stable now. Your biggest problem is that your body's too weak. Go through the discharge and enrollment procedures today. Come see me first thing tomorrow morning. From then on, I'll take full responsibility for your food, clothing, housing, and daily life, to make sure you go from weak to healthy in the shortest time possible."

"R-Really… can you do that?"

Her voice carried doubt, and a trace of hope she didn't even realize was there.

"Wow, you're doubting me again. I'm starting to think you're a fake fan!"

She waved her hands in panic, a faint blush rising to her cheeks.

"N-No, that's not it, I just—"

"You've been given hope too many times," he said softly, "and disappointed just as many times."

Yuu stood and walked to her bedside, bending down slowly.

"Right?"

"…Yes."

She lowered her head. Even without her saying it, he could tell.

The girl didn't trust anything related to herself. And he knew it wasn't that she didn't trust him. The only thing she didn't believe in… was Miracle herself.

"Miracle, there are only two kinds of doctors in this world. Me, and everyone else."

He gently patted her head. "Things others can't do, I can. Because I'm the greatest doctor in history."

She stared blankly at the smiling boy in front of her, her cheeks growing even warmer.

But why was that, exactly? Who knows.

Yuu turned away, his shoulders trembling slightly. The next second...

"I touched Miracle's ears! They feel so good!"

"…Huh?"

Tachyon's ears twitched. Yuu had asked more than once to touch her ears, and she'd refused every time. No meant no.

Seeing how happy he looked now…

No. Absolutely not!

She frowned slightly. That Guinea Pig-kun is really never satisfied. I've already let him touch my tail, after all.

……

"So, Doctor? How is she?"

The moment Yuu stepped out of the room, Miracle's parents hurried over.

"It's nothing too serious. Her problem is basically extreme weakness combined with several minor conditions, which led to her current state. To put it simply… well, a bunch of medical jargon you probably wouldn't understand anyway."

He removed his mask, revealing a gentle smile completely different from the one he'd worn in the room.

"There are a few small complications, but I can treat them. For me, it's not a big problem."

Hearing this, her parents finally relaxed, supporting each other as they stood. Her mother wiped her tears, visibly emotional.

Yuu thoughtfully handed her a wet tissue. "Leave Miracle to me. What you need to do now is take good care of your own health. You wouldn't want me to finish treating her only for you two to fall ill, right? After all, I specialize in treating Uma Musume, not ordinary people."

(This is a lie!)

"Then we'll leave everything to you, Doctor Tsukimori!"

He smiled reassuringly. "Of course. Just leave it to me."

Behind him, Agnes Tachyon rubbed her arms.

When her Guinea Pig-kun acted like that… it was seriously disgusting. Not even joking.

Chapter 6 - Benefits or Drawbacks

Yuu rested his chin in his hand, watching Agnes Tachyon as she warmed up in front of him.

She was wearing a set of training clothes, comfortable and clearly meant for intense workouts.

"It's not all benefits," he muttered, sounding a little sulky. "At the very least, I can already see a drawback."

Hearing her Guinea Pig-kun, Tachyon glanced sideways at him, noting the faintly resentful look on his face.

"A drawback? Let's hear it."

"Before, Tachyon always wore super skimpy training outfits. Now, aside from that almost perfect face of yours, I can't see anything else!"

Tachyon, mid-stretch, flashed him a teasing smile. She slowly walked over and very naturally sat down on his lap, one hand resting on his shoulder.

"Then… want me to change into something else for you, Guinea Pig-kun?"

"That's fine, actually. This kind of scenery is better kept all to myself."

She pinched his cheek. "Such a petty Guinea Pig-kun. I don't hate that either~"

"That's where we differ. No matter how Tachyon looks, I like her!"

She leaned her head closer. "How can you always be so straightforward? Don't you ever get embarrassed?"

"Of course I do. Like right now, I'm super embarrassed."

"…Can't tell at all."

She stood up and went back to warming up. Uma Musume training was intense. Skip proper warmups, and injuries were almost guaranteed later.

Yuu watched her with a grin. "If you don't act because you're embarrassed, you'll miss out on a lot of things."

His voice was so quiet she didn't hear it.

……

Competition in Uma Musume racing was brutal. Rookie racers were monsters, while veterans had experience and unshakable mentality.

If you wanted to win, you had to follow a strict training plan, unless you were some freak alien horse with absurd talent.

So even though Yuu had officially started work that morning and performed surgery that afternoon, he still brought Tachyon back to Tracen Academy that evening for training.

"All right, Tachyon. Let's begin."

He tied back his troublesome hair with a rubber band as a drone lifted off beside them. The drone would help him observe her running form and spot issues more easily.

It was a new era. Technology was meant to be used well. Less time, better results.

"Wait."

Just as she was about to start, he called out again.

She looked at him in confusion as he jogged over. "Your sports watch isn't fastened properly."

He tightened the new model watch around her wrist.

"Okay!"

She looked at the watch pressed snugly against her skin. "You can even tell that?"

"If it's not snug, the data's different. I know your stats really well. Even the slightest inconsistency stands out to me."

Seeing him grin broadly and give her a thumbs-up, she found herself unable to stop smiling.

"All right, I get it. Guinea Pig-kun really is meticulous."

"You bet!"

Back at his position, Yuu focused on the screen. "Then today's training begins."

……

Tachyon's current issue was obvious: her top speed wouldn't go up.

She'd forced herself into the Zone before her body could keep up with her mind, seriously injuring her legs. After a year of recovery and rehab, she'd barely managed to win her last race.

Yuu was honest. Even as her Trainer, he knew that victory owed a lot to luck. The favorite, Winning Ticket, had performed terribly. A slow start, followed by reckless acceleration. A mental collapse that ruined her own race.

In the end, Tachyon won through experience and decent overall stats.

She stood behind Yuu now, a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead as he handed her a towel without turning around. He was reviewing the footage frame by frame.

She didn't interrupt, just quietly watched the serious expression she rarely got to see.

About seven minutes later, he finished analyzing the points that had stood out to him.

"Okay, I'm done. Let's talk about the issues."

He turned to her, choosing to explain things right there instead of heading back to the academy's assigned activity room. There were other Uma Musume and a few Trainers around, but they were tucked away in a corner, unlikely to draw attention.

……

"When training speed, you can push harder now. Your body's already very strong under my care. You've got a solid foundation. Even pushing toward your limits, the risk of injury is low. Before, I held you back because your physical condition wasn't there yet. High intensity would've meant injuries. But now, that's no longer an issue. And then there's what happened during the race."

As Yuu spoke at length, Tachyon listened intently. Every problem he pointed out was something she urgently needed to fix.

After nearly another ten minutes, he finally stopped.

"That's about it. You've got to take things one step at a time. Problems should be solved one by one, no need to rush."

He let out a long breath. Honestly, Tachyon was already an almost perfect Uma Musume. There weren't many major issues. All he could do was fine-tune the details.

She sat down beside him.

To be honest, Guinea Pig-kun is incredible. Things I never noticed, things my previous Trainer never noticed, he catches them all. With him around, I feel completely at ease. There's nothing I need to worry about. The only decisions I have to make each day are what to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

"So, what should we have for dinner?"

"You decide, Guinea Pig-kun. I'll eat whatever you—"

"And Miracle too. Let's grab something for her as well. Treatment starts now—ow, my head!"

Her hand forced his head to turn. Wine-red eyes were suddenly very close to his.

"Guinea Pig-kun, I'm right here with you. Does that girl really matter that much to you?"

Her face was right in front of his.

Blink. Blink.

"Is Tachyon… jealous?"

He naturally wrapped an arm around her waist and leaned in with a grin.

"Well well I get why Tachyon would be jealous. After all, my Tachyon loves me sooo much"

She looked at him rubbing his face against hers, and honestly… it felt like punching cotton.

Does he seriously never feel scared of me? He's been like this from the very beginning, just not this intimate.

"Tachyon Tachyon sweet and soft Tachyon mine"

Yeah. He wasn't afraid of her at all.

Chapter 7 - Staying Up Late Is Bad for You, So Let's Pull an All-Nighter!

"Honestly, Guinea Pig-kun, you're really lazy."

Agnes Tachyon looked at Yuu curled up inside the kotatsu, slouched and playing games with a thoroughly lethargic expression.

She glanced at the prepped ingredients beside her and paused. So… why has cooking become my job now, too?

"Tachyon, I'm starving. Dinner's on you tonight! And hurry, please!"

"Got it. And someone who didn't help at all doesn't get to make so many demands!"

……

Yuu savored the dinner with a look of pure enjoyment, the kind of meal you didn't have to lift a finger to make. Agnes Tachyon was sitting very close to him.

"How is it?"

"Really good. You've surpassed the master!"

"Oh, stop it. I know exactly how big the gap is between my cooking and yours."

Her expression didn't change at all, but a flicker of delight still passed through her eyes.

Yuu leaned his head against her shoulder. "Come on, don't be so hard on yourself. In such a short time, you've already gotten this good. I've been learning to cook for how long now?"

She started eating as well. "Hurry up and eat. I still have to go back to the dorm afterward."

She turned her head, looking at Yuu staring blankly, and the corner of her lips lifted slightly.

"I'm living in the dorm now, you know. Don't tell me you didn't realize that, Guinea Pig-kun."

"Don't go!"

……

The lights in the room dimmed. Holding her back was pointless.

Agnes Tachyon still left. After all, Fuji Kiseki had come to drag her away.

Yuu sucked on a lollipop, his face full of resentment.

This is ridiculous. What kind of nonsense is this?! We've been living together all this time, so why do we have to separate the moment we enter Tracen Academy?! Something about this is seriously wrong!

"Ugh, this is so annoying."

He was now in the Trainer dorm assigned to him by Tracen Academy, a very standard one-bedroom unit. After completing onboarding, the moving company handled everything. He didn't have to worry about a thing.

His gaze fell on the computer screen, and he let out another sigh.

"All right, all right. No point thinking about it. I'll go buy a body pillow later."

The screen displayed detailed records of Miracle's physical condition. His fingers slowly scrolled the mouse wheel, making notes from time to time. He reviewed everything bit by bit.

In front of Miracle, he couldn't show how much he cared. Whether he was confident or not, he had to act like he was. Though, to be fair, he really was confident about her.

Treatment would start tomorrow, so he went through her medical records again. Carefully. Thoroughly.

There were plenty of things he could be careless about, but when it came to the work he loved, to what mattered most to him, he gave it one hundred percent of his focus and patience.

The glow of the screen flickered across his face, his eyes never leaving it.

"The biggest issue is still physical weakness. Her constitution doesn't support treatment."

He grabbed a can of cola nearby, twisted it open, and took a sip.

"Treatment and physical strengthening have to proceed at the same time."

He checked the time on his phone. Without realizing it, it was already 1:30 a.m.

He turned off the screen and set the phone aside. "I'll write out a basic plan for improving her constitution today."

This was different from a training plan. It had to be adjusted constantly based on Miracle's condition and feedback. Still, having a rough framework would make later revisions much easier.

The sound of typing echoed through the room.

……

The professional knowledge in Yuu's head rapidly cross-referenced with Miracle's records. Combined with his own experience, words quickly filled the table on the screen.

"Whew, done."

He stretched, rolling his shoulders to ease the stiffness in his body.

Outside, the sky was already growing light.

"Wait, what time is it now?!"

He hurriedly checked his phone. Current time: 5:46 a.m.

"I've gotta start making breakfast. Move, move!"

He slumped over the desk and stretched again as the recovery plan began printing out of the printer.

He needed to hurry and prepare breakfast for Tachyon and Miracle. For athletes, every meal mattered. Nutrition and intake had to be precise.

He handled breakfast and lunch himself. Lately, with Agnes Tachyon helping out at dinner, things had gotten a bit easier.

After the sound of washing up ended, chopping followed. It didn't take long before the aroma of food filled the air.

Yawning, Yuu felt it keenly. No matter how good his physical condition was, staying up all night without sleep still made him tired.

"When I get back today, I'll turn in early."

He packed the prepared breakfast into a huge lunchbox.

"Let's go!"

Turning to the mirror, he flashed a bright smile at his reflection.

"A new day, and I'm still just as handsome!"

……

On the way to the classroom building, Hishi Amazon walked alongside Agnes Tachyon.

"I never thought I'd see you back on the track."

She glanced at Agnes Tachyon, whose smile looked vaguely terrifying.

"There are still more possibilities in Uma Musume that I haven't seen. And since I myself am experimental material I can freely manipulate, continuing to use me is obviously the best option."

"Hey, you always make it sound so scary."

A bead of sweat formed on Hishi Amazon's forehead. It was always like this. Talking to Agnes Tachyon came with crushing pressure.

Agnes Tachyon didn't look at her. Instead, her gaze swept over the Uma Musume around them, faces filled with smiles or frustration.

"There are so many more children now. They're all… excellent test subjects."

"Don't say things like that, you'll get misunderstood…"

Hishi Amazon felt she didn't even have the energy to complain anymore. If she didn't know Agnes Tachyon fairly well, she'd have kept her distance too. Well… even plenty of people who did know her kept their distance.

After all, Agnes Tachyon's personality wasn't something most people could handle.

"Still, there is one thing I'm curious about. How's your Trainer?"

At that, Agnes Tachyon's ears twitched slightly, like she'd heard a keyword, and she turned her head.

"You mean my dear Guinea Pig-kun~?"

Seeing that smile, and the faint red gleam in her eyes, Hishi Amazon swallowed. "N-no, you heard wrong—"

"Hey, my dear Tachyon! Your most beloved burden is here to deliver breakfast!"

Then Hishi Amazon watched as Agnes Tachyon practically skipped over to the boy, her tail swishing back and forth.

"Eh?"

…Who are you, and what did you do with Agnes Tachyon?

Chapter 8 - It Worked!

Inside Mejiro Family Hospital, sunlight streamed through the windows and into the ward.

Miracle's eyes sparkled as she ate quickly, replenishing the energy her body desperately needed.

I want to eat in a slightly more ladylike manner, but… it's just too delicious!

Without realizing it, her pace sped up.

More than ten minutes later, she lowered her head shyly. The pallor on her cheeks had faded, replaced by a hint of color.

"It tasted pretty good, right?"

Yuu asked with a cheerful smile. He knew his own cooking better than anyone.

"V-very delicious. Thank you for the meal."

There wasn't a shred of politeness in her words. It really was that good.

"So, are you sure you don't want to join? If you do, you can enjoy this every day~"

Her smile dimmed slightly as she lowered her head.

"Doctor Tsukimori, you know my physical condition. I understand my own body very well."

Her fingers tightened around the blanket.

"I was a little too excited yesterday, but afterward I thought it through carefully. You were… just trying to comfort me, weren't you? You really don't have to—eh?"

She stared blankly at the scene in front of her as Yuu opened his backpack and laid out one honor after another.

"The Lasker Medical Award. This one was for my breakthrough proposal on motor neuron injury repair mechanisms, which laid the core theoretical foundation for treating sports-related injuries. I personally followed up on all the subsequent research. The Gairdner International Award, I mostly just played a role in pushing things forward there, not really worth elaborating on. The Wolf Prize in Medicine, for pioneering research in neural and muscular regulation and injury repair. That one helped more than just Uma Musume. There's also the Eagle Federation Sports Medicine Association Honor Award, the International Federation of Sports Medicine Lifetime Achievement Award, the World Society of Sports Traumatology Gold Medal, and my certification as an innovative medical device expert with the International Medical Device Regulators Forum."

He looked up and smiled at Miracle.

"That's only a small portion. Want to see more?"

"But…"

"With your kind of condition, I've treated at least eight thousand cases like it, probably closer to ten thousand. Honestly, for something like yours, I wouldn't even need to step in personally. One of my students could handle it just fine. The only difference is that returning to the track would take a little longer. You might not believe in yourself. After all, you've spent so long disappointed in yourself, stuck in self-doubt."

Her grip on the blanket tightened further. She hadn't expected him to see through her so easily.

"But you have to believe in me. You said it yourself, I'm your idol. You wouldn't be unfamiliar with your idol's achievements, right? Oh~"

He deliberately drew out the sound, a knowing look crossing his face.

"I get it now. You're a fake fan!"

"I'm not! I've always followed your work, Doctor Tsukimori!"

She blurted it out in a panic, eager to defend herself. She really had, always, admired him.

"Okay, okay, don't get so worked up. I'm just kidding."

Yuu quickly pressed her shoulders, guiding her back into sitting properly on the bed.

……

"In any case, whether you believe me or not, your future is in my hands now. Whether you join me or not, I'll get you back to a normal Uma Musume standard as soon as possible. Then we'll move on to systematic training, and finally, competition."

Looking at Yuu's confident expression, she finally couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Doctor Tsukimori… may I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"You… you're not doing this out of pity, are you…?"

"Of course not! There are so many pitiful Uma Musume out there, how could I possibly take care of them all? The real reason is—"

He flashed his white teeth and gave her a big thumbs-up.

"I genuinely like Miracle! Super cute! Super pretty! I really like you!"

"Ugh!"

Her face instantly turned bright red. "Y-you're teasing me…"

"I'm not! I'm being totally sincere!"

……

"You're a really strange person. I never imagined you'd be like this, Doctor Tsukimori."

He was still grinning as usual.

"Disillusioned? Turns out I'm like this~"

"Not at all."

She shook her head seriously, then broke into a radiant smile.

"I'm… really happy you're like this. You're the first person who's ever treated me like a normal person."

Taking a deep breath, she looked straight at him.

"I want to become your Uma Musume. I want to thank you in every way I can think of."

Yuu stroked his chin. "In that case, I hope your imagination gets a little richer, Miracle. Don't limit yourself to just Trainer and Uma Musume."

Her face flushed again.

"P-please stop teasing me so much, Doctor Tsukimori."

He leaned in closer. "Before, you called me Tsukimori-san or Doctor Tsukimori, and I let it slide. But now, what should you call me?"

With him so close, she turned her head away shyly.

"Tr… Trainer."

"Heh, pretty quick on the uptake!"

"Trainer, I've seen that scene from that drama from your country."

……

"In short, after my thorough diagnosis, your condition is exactly the same as my initial assessment yesterday. It's nothing serious. You just need a fairly long period of recuperation, followed by physical strengthening."

He turned the computer screen toward her.

"Once you go through this whole process, you'll be able to compete again. I've already finished your general recovery plan. I need three days. In those three days, I'll accurately determine your current condition, then make adjustments, or major revisions, to this plan."

He pulled out the plan he'd written overnight from his backpack.

Holding the thick stack of recovery documents, she saw how detailed everything was. This was nothing like the "just a framework" he'd described.

When she looked up, she saw Yuu yawn. Noticing her gaze, he blinked back at her.

"If there's anything you don't understand, your Trainer can explain it in detail for you~"

"Trainer, you didn't rest yesterday, did you?"

"I did!"

Watching him stubbornly insist he'd rested, she clutched the plan.

"This couldn't have been written in just an hour or two. And I'm sure you went back and carefully reviewed my medical records again."

His eyes widened as he started frantically searching around.

"Trainer, what are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for a hidden camera. You were spying on me!"

She let out a soft sigh. I feel like I'm starting to understand my Trainer's personality.

"My future… I'm leaving it in your hands, Trainer."

Chapter 9 - Choosing the Race

"Contact acquired successfully, luck~"

Yuu added Miracle to the Phoenix group chat.

She glanced at the group name on her phone, a little surprised.

"I didn't expect our team name to be so… normal. I thought the Trainer would come up with something pretty unhinged."

"My ideal name was 'Tsukimori Yuu and His Harem!' But Tachyon absolutely refused!"

Miracle nodded seriously. "I side with Tachyon-senpai."

"How could you too?! That's so heartless! This isn't the Miracle I know, I refuse to accept this version of you!"

She reached out and pushed Yuu away as he leaned in.

……

"Yes, thank you. Please deliver it as soon as possible."

Miracle watched as Yuu finished arranging a delivery rider.

"Trainer, what are you doing?"

After handing over the lunchbox, he sat back down on the chair beside the hospital bed.

"Tachyon's lunch. If you want to win races as an Uma Musume, proper diet is essential. Most of the time, meals need to be strictly regulated, of course."

He turned to look at her. "Once treatment officially begins, I'll be in charge of all three of your meals too. So you have to be strict with your diet. I know it's hard. But that's an order!"

"Is… is it really that hard?"

His expression flipped instantly, from stern to beaming in a single second.

"Ah, see? If Miracle is obedient, treatment will go much more smoothly too!"

He clapped his hands together lightly.

"All right! The Trainer has some short-term work to do now. If anything comes up, remember to call for me, okay?"

"?"

The topic changed so fast she couldn't even react.

……

Miracle stood quietly behind him, watching as he scrolled through lists of races.

Was he choosing the next race for Tachyon-senpai?

She had just finished a race. Shouldn't she rest a bit?

In games, it wasn't unusual to run two or even more races in a month. Historically, some ran even more.

But in reality, even going several months without racing was completely normal.

Uma Musume races weren't held on flat rubber tracks you could run endlessly.

The courses had slopes and elevation changes. To win, you needed time to adapt to the terrain.

"Trainer, are you choosing which race Tachyon-senpai will enter next?"

Yuu nodded lightly.

"Exactly. Tachyon's competitive condition is hot right now. We need to take advantage of that and let her regain her rhythm. After all, she's been away from competition for over a year. She needs more races to reclaim her peak form."

Miracle stared at the screen, her eyes shining with admiration.

"Back then… Tachyon-senpai was truly amazing."

Three consecutive G1 Race victories. Then, just before the Triple Crown, she was forced off the track by injury. They called it a temporary withdrawal, but everyone knew what it really meant.

When her final race ended, she was taken away in an ambulance.

People inside and outside the circuit all believed her career was over. In their eyes, she'd already reached her pinnacle. She could never surpass her former self, especially after being injured.

For an injured Tachyon, retirement was the best option. Otherwise, it would just be loss after loss, ending in disgrace.

That was how everyone saw it. But Tsukimori Yuu didn't accept that reality.

"Right? My Tachyon is incredible. And Miracle, you're no weaker than her."

She watched the screen change again and again. "No matter how you look at it, my appearance can't compare to Tachyon-senpai's…"

His scrolling stopped. He turned to her with a strange expression. "I'm talking about racing ability. What are you even thinking about in that little head of yours?"

Poof!

She instantly turned into a steam engine. "B-but earlier the Trainer kept saying things like that… and I haven't even been tested yet! How can you know what my talent is?!"

She hurriedly tried to defend herself.

"It's simple. Bone condition, neural reflexes, cardiopulmonary function, you can tell whether an Uma Musume has talent from lots of small details."

A question mark practically popped up over her head. "Then… did you choose me because my talent is good?"

"Nope." The answer came instantly.

"I chose you because I like you, Miracle."

Her face burned red. "Trainer!"

"Hehe, just kidding Just kidding. Don't take it so seriously"

With a serious Uma Musume like her, he knew when to stop. Otherwise, she might actually get embarrassed enough to explode.

Besides, as he turned back to the screen, a bit of emotional fluctuation was a good thing. Much better than the lifeless, puppet-like Miracle from before.

……

Even though he kept saying things that made her flustered, she was far too curious, and far too eager, about racing itself. She stepped back behind him.

"Trainer, which race will Tachyon-senpai enter?"

He took out a notebook and wrote down three names.

Hanshin Autumn Stakes (G3) Autumn Kyoto Stakes (G3) Hopeful Stakes (G3)

"These are the three I'm leaning toward right now. They're all G3 races, but their value is far from low."

He rubbed his chin and continued. "The Autumn Kyoto Stakes is held three weeks after the Hope Stakes. It's an 1800-meter turf race. Plenty of time to prepare. The Hanshin Autumn Stakes is held two weeks after the Hope Stakes, with a shorter interval. That lets us keep Tachyon's momentum going while she's hot. As for the Hopeful Stakes, it's four weeks after the Hope Stakes, so preparation time is even more ample. It's a 2000-meter turf race, middle-long distance. It can help build Tachyon's endurance early and lay the groundwork for higher-tier middle-to-long distance races later. But that's not the most important part."

He paused for a few seconds. She blinked at him.

"And the important part?"

"What important part?"

"Trainer!"

"Hehe~"

Her face grew redder and redder, this time from pure irritation.

……

"Ahem. The key point is that the champion has a chance to receive a supplementary qualification slot for the top-tier race, the Japan Cup. And Mr. C.B. will be competing."

"Mr. C.B.?!"

Miracle's eyes widened in shock, and it wasn't unwarranted.

Mr. C.B., one of the Triple Crown Uma Musume. That title alone spoke volumes.

But the real reason Yuu and Tachyon wanted to challenge her wasn't just that. It was because Mr. C.B. had already opened her Zone and could activate and deactivate it at will, without losing her rationality while using it.

"But…"

"But what? Don't keep me hanging, Trainer!"

"Hey, hey, you've got it wrong! I wasn't trying to tease you!"

Chapter 10 - Deciding the Next Race

"The problem is that Tachyon's current form is really unstable. There's no guarantee she can take that race. Eishin Flash will be there. She's an all-rounder for middle-distance races. She can chase from behind or sit mid-pack and adjust as needed, with balanced stamina and speed. Lately, she's been consistently placing in the top three in 2000-meter races. Her tactical flexibility is strong. For Agnes Tachyon as she is now, that's a seriously tough opponent. If we can't win, then every race after that will just be… participation. Tachyon's own thinking is to face more Uma Musume who have unlocked the Zone."

Miracle listened with a completely lost expression. "The Zone? What's that?"

Tsukimori Yuu glanced at her. "It's normal that you don't know. Ninety-nine percent of Uma Musume never even come into contact with the Zone. The concept originally came from human sports. When someone reaches absolute focus, they enter that state. The most obvious effect is that all their stats spike dramatically. There are different levels too, entering the Zone, and a Perfect Zone. But let's not get into that for now."

After all, Miracle didn't need that kind of knowledge yet. The Zone involved far too many things, far too complicated.

True Self State, Passion State, Runaway Passion State… if he really started explaining, it would never end. It was better to explain little by little as she encountered them.

"If this were the old Tachyon, she'd have brainlessly picked the Hopeful Stakes. She would've chased her own potential like a madwoman. But now, she's changed."

Miracle knew a bit about Tachyon.

Every opponent she chose was overwhelmingly strong. Her standards for her Trainer were brutally high, and she treated herself the same way.

Because of that, she'd changed Trainers many times. Once a Trainer couldn't keep up with her, she'd leave without hesitation.

According to Tachyon herself, she wanted to search for the possibilities beneath an Uma Musume's feet.

Tsukimori Yuu leaned back in his chair, a smug smile on his face.

"She used to think the only one she could trust was herself. She believed she had zero room for error. So she pushed herself to the limit. But now, things are different."

He pointed his thumb at himself. "Now, she has me. She knows that whatever she wants, I can help her get it. So she's slowed down. And for her, slowing down actually gives her a higher chance of success."

Looking at Yuu's proud expression, Miracle couldn't help but say, "Maybe… meeting you was Agnes Tachyon-senpai's good fortune too."

"It's good fortune for both of us."

……

"Alright, that's it for today! I've pretty much got a full grasp of your condition now!"

Yuu stood at the door of the hospital room, looking at Miracle in her patient gown.

"No need to see me off. Stay in bed and behave yourself. Tomorrow's the final day of observation."

"Does that mean…"

"Don't overthink it. Jumping straight back into training is impossible. You need at least two months to properly recover your body. Only after that can you start preliminary training."

Miracle's eyes sparkled. "Just two months?!"

Yuu flashed a bright, youthful smile and gave her a thumbs-up. "Definitely no less than that, probably more."

After a series of examinations, he'd figured out her physical condition pretty clearly. It was far better than he'd expected. From here on out, it was his turn.

To be safe, one more day of observation tomorrow. When it came to Uma Musume matters, he preferred to be careful. Extra careful.

……

Miracle curled up under her blanket, a smile she couldn't suppress on her face.

At the Trainer's urging, her parents had gone off to take care of their own things. That alone made her incredibly happy. They didn't have to carry her as a burden anymore, and she finally had a chance to pursue her dream.

She poked her head out from under the blanket. Between the excitement and the stuffy warmth, a fine sheen of sweat covered her face. Her heartbeat kept speeding up.

Was this… really not a dream?

She turned her head and looked at the lunchbox on the bedside table. Dinner, prepared by her Trainer.

Tsukimori Yuu's slightly mischievous grin floated into her mind.

"Pfft!"

Miracle sat up and gently held the lunchbox in her hands.

"Trainer…"

……

Inside Tracen Academy, Tsukimori Yuu and Agnes Tachyon were in Phoenix's small activity room.

"So, after considering everything, the race I've chosen for you is the Autumn Kyoto Stakes. There's plenty of time to prepare, and depending on your condition, we'll decide whether you should settle down for a bit, or keep racing."

He put away the laser pointer and looked at her.

"So, Tachyon, what do you think?"

She rested her cheek on her hand. "Guinea Pig-kun can decide for me~"

Yuu nodded.

"Alright then, it's settled. Today, Tachyon will be my body pillow!"

"Nope~"

She crossed her index fingers and rejected him outright.

"Damn it! Isn't that my decision too?!"

After the joke, the conversation naturally returned to business.

"So, for training in the near future, we'll focus on adapting to the course: two uphill sections, one downhill, and a final straight sprint. These are all things you're good at. Just allocate some time to train them. The main focus is still speed. If your speed isn't fast enough, that's your biggest problem right now."

Yuu pulled up yesterday's training footage. This wasn't something that could be fixed quickly. The only solution was constant training, over and over again.

While he was still going on and on, Agnes Tachyon suddenly straightened up.

Then...

"Guinea Pig-kun, come here."

"Huh?"

She patted her full thighs, her smile unreadable as she looked at him.

"Guinea Pig-kun, we've been together long enough. Do you really think I can't tell what state you're in?"

Yuu obediently walked over, adjusted the stool, and lay down.

"Tachyon, you smell so nice~"

Facing his lovestruck expression, there wasn't the slightest hint of displeasure on her face. If anything, she looked… kind of happy.

"I can't control whether Guinea Pig-kun stays up late or not. But every time you do, you have to come to me. Just like this."

She gently stroked his hair.

"Up until now, I've always been the one relying on you. This feeling… of being relied on by you, it's not bad."

"So if I don't stay up late, I don't get to enjoy a lap pillow? That's bad. For this lap pillow, I'll have to stay up late every day!"

His voice was muffled, buried against her stomach.

"You really are a stupid Guinea Pig-kun. If you come to me, would I ever refuse you?"

"Then—body pillow!"

"Nope~"

Chapter 11 - It Really Is Easy

"Hey, Guinea Pig-kun."

Agnes Tachyon looked down at Tsukimori Yuu, who was lying on her lap, fiddling with her fingers.

"What is it?"

"Did you know? When I touched that world, I thought I'd reached the limit of what an Uma Musume could achieve. If I hadn't made that decision back then, I probably would've never reached it in my entire life. My legs were destined to be unable to withstand that place."

She had seen it, the world after opening the Zone. But what had the cost been?

Without Tsukimori Yuu, she would have said goodbye to the racetrack completely, and because of her injuries, even her later years wouldn't have been comfortable.

And yet…

By smashing open the door to a new world, Agnes Tachyon had realized something.

What lay beyond that door wasn't the end. She saw new possibilities. New Uma Musume would reach that place someday and surpass her. But that person would never be her.

"That was my first moment of confusion. The first time I felt even a trace of… never mind. I really thought my journey was going to end there."

He shifted his head slightly, wanting to look at Tachyon's face, but failed.

"You don't get to decide it's over just because you say so. Did you even ask me? I haven't watched you run nearly enough yet. Don't worry—I'll step in!"

Agnes Tachyon reached back and tightly held his hand.

"It still surprises me. Guinea Pig-kun actually came straight to me and said you'd pass the Uma Musume Trainer exam within a month. I don't even know why I agreed to such a seemingly pointless bet back then."

What was the bet?

Simple.

One month. He had to pass the first Uma Musume Trainer exam.

If he succeeded, Agnes Tachyon would wait for him to complete the remaining exams. During that time, she had to cooperate with treatment.

But if he failed even once, the bet was over. She could retire if she wanted. She could refuse treatment if she wanted.

"Why?"

Yuu repeated the question, then broke into a bright smile.

"Probably because Tachyon didn't want to give up on hope either."

"Guinea Pig-kun, you really do understand me well. Go to sleep for a bit. No matter what the future brings, I'll stay with you. And you'd better take good care of your body too. If you damage this precious test subject, I won't accept it."

"Woohoo! That's exactly how galgames work!"

Smack!

He got lightly tapped on the forehead. "Stop saying weird things and go to sleep."

"Oh."

After staying up all night and running around all day, not being tired was pretty much impossible.

"Tachyon, let go for a sec."

"?"

She released her hold, not expecting him to take the initiative, but of course.

The single bed was opened up, Yuu lay down, and then... pat, pat, pat!

"My dear Tachyon, you wouldn't want me to rest poorly, right~?"

"Greedy Guinea Pig-kun."

She said that, but just as she'd claimed, she couldn't refuse him. She slipped under the covers beside him, her slender frame fitting naturally against his.

Wrapping his arms around her soft, warm body, Yuu finally smiled in satisfaction. Her familiar scent filled his senses as she nestled closer, and he couldn't help but tighten his embrace just a little.

As the saying goes, it's easy to go from frugal to lavish, but going back is hard.

"Good night. I'll just sleep for a bit."

"Sleep properly first, Guinea Pig-kun. We'll talk about everything else later."

"But today's training…"

"I still owe Guinea Pig-kun one rest day a week. If you sleep longer, I'll use it today."

"I see."

Holding Agnes Tachyon close, her gentle warmth pressed against his chest, that familiar sense of security washed over him again. Her messy brown hair splayed across his arm, soft as silk beneath his fingers.

"Then… good night."

"Mhm."

Tachyon gazed up at Yuu's peaceful face as he held her. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat against her ear, the way his arms wrapped protectively around her waist. The corners of her lips lifted into a tender smile.

This must be what Mother meant by happiness.

He slept straight through until morning, and there really was no training that day.

……

Miracle watched Yuu and Tachyon walking ahead, carrying her luggage, and tried to reach out to help. She was firmly stopped by both of them.

"What you need to do now is focus on recovering properly, Miracle. I hope you'll show me even more possibilities."

"Don't mess around. With your current condition, does it look like you can carry things?"

Seeing how resolute they were, she could only awkwardly pull her hand back.

Then she looked at the building in front of her. It looked a bit like the office buildings from TV dramas, but much smaller, not nearly as exaggerated as on screen.

"For convenience with future activities, I bought this entire floor. Since you'll be moving with me, the school dorms wouldn't really work."

Yuu led the way as he spoke.

Miracle froze. "The entire floor… you bought all of it?!"

Near Tracen Academy, this area was worth its weight in gold.

"Yeah. I've saved up a bit over the years, and I'm planning to develop here long-term anyway. I was going to buy it sooner or later. Though this pretty much emptied my savings."

He thought for a moment. "Still, I've got enough left for renovations and remodeling. That's for later."

Turning back to look at the stunned girl, he added, "Those headaches aren't something you need to worry about. Just rest properly. I'll get you back in shape as soon as possible, and then we'll get you racing."

"O-okay."

Shock. The kind of shock that was hard to put into words. Since meeting her Trainer, everything had been challenging her understanding of the world.

"Just put the luggage here. You've sorted out your personal clothes, right?"

Snapping back to reality at his question, she nodded lightly.

"Yes, I've already sorted them."

"Good. Keep your personal clothes yourself. Everything else can be handled by the housekeeper."

Yuu checked the time on his wrist.

"Tachyon's going to train now. You just walk around the edge of the training field. Your body's still very fragile. Even a little intensity will be too much. But if you just lie around doing nothing, your body won't handle that either. Find the balance point, then improve steadily. That's the treatment method. Pretty simple, right? So don't put so much pressure on yourself Relax relax~"

Looking at Yuu smiling in front of her, Miracle nodded. "Mm. I'll relax, Trainer."

Was she nervous? Anxious?

Of course she was. But she'd already troubled her Trainer enough. She didn't want to bring those negative emotions to him.

He made it sound easy, but how could it really be easy?

Finding a balance point, maintaining it while improving physical condition… Those were all problems.

It was like treating cancer. Find the cancer cells, kill a certain amount of them, and boom, cancer cured. Simple to say, but how do you actually do it?

"Um, Trainer?"

While her thoughts were still spiraling, Yuu appeared in front of her without her noticing.

"You didn't seriously think your condition is hard for me to deal with, did you? And you didn't really think I couldn't see through those little thoughts of yours, right?"

"Eh… eh?"

Chapter 12 - K.S. Miracle's First "Training"

"Trainer, h-how does it look?"

Yuu looked at the shy Miracle standing in front of him, now dressed in her training outfit. Naturally, it was the fully covered kind. Even so, for her, this was still a brand-new experience.

"It looks great. Come on, let's do a peace sign!"

Hearing that, she instinctively followed his instruction and raised her fingers in a V.

Click!

With the sound of the shutter, her slightly dazed peace sign was frozen forever.

Looking at the image on the screen, Yuu nodded to himself. Her well-proportioned figure filled out the tracksuit nicely, normally speaking. A red-and-white tracksuit, wrapped up like a rice dumpling, shouldn't look particularly good. Yet on her, it was unexpectedly cute.

Right, don't be fooled by Miracle's reputation for pulling off masculine outfits. In reality, she was… a D. A reality Silence Suzuka would never reach in this lifetime.

By now, Tachyon had finished warming up and slowly walked over.

"We can start."

She turned to look at Yuu, who was nodding in satisfaction. "Guinea Pig-kun."

"Oh my, my Tachyon really is the jealous type. Come here, hug~"

She raised a hand and blocked the incoming embrace.

This Trainer feels really unreliable…

……

Reliable. So reliable!

In just five minutes, Miracle completely changed her opinion. Her Trainer was incredible, super professional!

His fingers flew across the keyboard, and the dust kicked up from the training field didn't affect his judgment at all. He rapidly searched through the training footage to find exactly what he wanted, all while keeping an eye on Tachyon's session.

An ordinary training run was broken down piece by piece. And somehow, he could even judge her physical condition just from her movement patterns!

That was ridiculous.

"Miracle."

"I-I'm here! Trainer!"

"Now start walking slowly along the outer edge of the training field. Put this on."

She hurriedly reached out and accepted the watch he handed her.

"This is a sports watch. Tachyon and I both use the same model. It sends me your heart rate and other data in real time. It also shows your speed. Keep it between one and two. If it hits three, slow down immediately. Stop only when I tell you to."

"O-okay."

She nodded obediently. When the Trainer got serious, there was something about him that made people trust every word he said without thinking.

Taking a deep breath, she began walking slowly along the path at the edge of the training field.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The watch suddenly sounded, and the number jumped straight from one to three.

E-even this speed is too much?!

She immediately slowed down, and the number dropped back to two.

……

Yuu watched Tachyon sprinting across the field. Her ankles were strong now. There were basically no flaws left to speak of.

All he could do at this point was arrange suitable training plans and races for her. With how seriously she treated everything, her performance could still only be described as perfect.

Her competitive state was downright terrifying. When it came to races, she always ran at full intensity. Her attention to detail was flawless too.

The only issue was her stats. The Zone… that would have to come step by step.

His fingers stopped tapping the keyboard. There was nothing more to pick apart.

Resting his chin in his hand, he watched her drag a tire mounted on a mining cart across the field. It suddenly felt… pretty relaxing.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Miracle's cheeks faintly flushed. Her body really was weak. In just over ten minutes, sweat had already formed on her face. She wouldn't be able to do even basic training for quite some time.

That said… should he recruit a new rookie Uma Musume? And raise them from scratch?

Right now, one of his Uma Musume had nothing left to polish. The other couldn't be polished yet. As a Trainer, he'd practically become a freeloader.

Forget it. Let's not think about that for now. I'll focus on raising Tachyon properly. In the Trainer circle, I'm basically a nobody right now. I need to build my reputation first. Let's run a few G-grade races before anything else.

Anyone who made it to Tracen Academy was basically a chosen elite. Maybe because this was a parallel world, and everything was more realistic. That caused some differences compared to anime, history, and manga, though they were mostly small details. As for the timeline… that wasn't a big problem either.

Anyway, the issue right now wasn't whether he wanted to recruit someone. It was whether he could recruit someone at all… well. Honestly, he could. And pretty easily. But for now, this was fine~

Step by step, slowly moving forward~

"Miracle, take a break. The next slow walk will be in half an hour."

"O-okay, Trainer."

She was breathing a little hard. For someone who had been bedridden for years, even low-intensity walking counted as high-intensity exercise.

……

"Question. Tazuna, do you think my proposal has any chance of working?"

Tazuna looked at the eager Yayoi in front of her, her smile a bit strained.

"I'm… not really sure either. But the odds are probably low. After all, Trainer Tsukimori has his own matters to handle. This morning, he just registered a new Uma Musume to his team. He's very capable. I imagine his roster will grow quickly."

"What a shame…"

Yayoi's expression drooped. If it really worked out, the safety of Tracen Academy's Uma Musume would increase exponentially. After all, he was Doctor Tsukimori.

Looking helplessly at the dejected chairwoman, Tazuna sighed. "Honestly, I don't know what to do with you sometimes. I'll go ask for you, but I can't guarantee he'll agree. You should prepare for the worst."

"Much appreciated! Tazuna is always so reliable!"

As she spoke, Yayoi snapped open the fan in her hand with a whoosh, revealing two bold characters: 【THANK YOU!!!】

For some reason, Yayoi's image slowly overlapped with that of the grinning Yuu.

Please, no. Don't do this.

One chairwoman and one Trainer Tsukimori were already more than enough to deal with. If those two joined forces, it'd be nothing short of a demon king descending on the world.

One of them constantly came up with bizarre ideas without knowing what was going on in her own head. And the other…

Tazuna snuck a glance at the still-cheerful Yayoi. As long as she thought it sounded good, she would genuinely agree to it.

Chapter 13 - Arrogant!

"It feels really good. Even though it's only been two days, I can honestly feel my condition improving."

Miracle smiled at her parents on the phone.

"Really, it's fine. The Trainer's arrangements have been super thoughtful."

She turned the camera around to show her room. It was spacious, with its own bathroom, more than suitable as a bedroom.

"And this too, this is a device that's still in internal testing. The Trainer personally led its development. Once it's installed in the room, it can monitor my basic physical condition. If anything goes wrong, he can rush over from the academy in under ten minutes."

She switched on the lights in the living room. It was hard to imagine the place had been organized in just a single day.

"As for the other areas, he installed monitoring systems, so he's really attentive. Mom, Dad, you don't need to worry."

The call ended.

After taking a shower, Miracle lay down on the bed. Today, the distance she'd walked was about what she normally managed in a month, maybe even more.

Her body felt sore and swollen, but… she really, truly, absolutely loved this feeling. Compared to lying in bed all day, unable to move, this was so much better.

The Trainer said her body's feedback was better than he'd expected, and that she could walk a bit more tomorrow. That was… wonderful.

Even if it was just walking, she wanted to walk more. She wanted to improve, wanted to—

She buried her face in the blanket, her cheeks faintly flushed.

What are you even thinking? There's nothing concrete yet.

She sat back up and patted her cheeks.

"Alright, stop overthinking. I need to rest properly. The Trainer said only with good rest can my body recover better tomorrow."

Lying there, having a tomorrow she could actually look forward to… felt really nice.

……

The next day arrived. After breakfast, Tachyon went off to class. This time, she'd gone to Yuu's dorm to eat breakfast.

Then Yuu started his day's work, carrying a bento box to find Miracle. After watching her finish the carefully prepared breakfast, he took her along, ready to head back to the office.

Miracle's exercise amount was strictly fixed; she absolutely could not exceed that limit. So all she needed to do was move around a little while Tachyon trained.

What Yuu didn't expect, however, was an unexpected visitor to his office.

"Hayakawa-san, what brings you here?"

He looked at her with some curiosity. This was truly someone who never showed up without a reason. Could it be… Tachyon caused trouble?! Did she give some weird drug to a classmate?!

Oh no. If it was Tachyon, that honestly wasn't impossible!

"I'm terribly sorry, my Tachyon caused you trouble! When she gets back, I'll spank her properly! Please, please forgive her this time! That child doesn't have any bad intentions! The medicines she researches—even if they don't work—they shouldn't have any major side effects at least! Anyway—anyway!"

He stood up from behind his desk, facing the completely bewildered Tazuna.

"No matter how you look at it, this is my fault as a Trainer for poor supervision! I'll pay whatever compensation is needed—I won't hold back at all! Please forgive Tachyon this once, please! Please! Please!"

"Um, Trainer Tsukimori… I don't recall saying that Tachyon caused any trouble?"

Tazuna said cautiously. And then she witnessed what could only be described as a masterclass in instant face-changing.

Yuu blinked.

"So… it wasn't Tachyon causing trouble?"

"No. It wasn't Tachyon. The Chairwoman and I have something we'd like to ask of you."

"I see…"

He stroked his chin, looking thoughtful. Then, in the next second, he plopped back into his chair. He crossed his legs and looked at Tazuna with blatant arrogance.

"Hey, hey, hey! If you're asking me for a favor, you should at least look like you're asking! With that attitude, I can't see any sincerity at all! Hey! Be more genuine!"

Behind him, a huge question mark practically popped up over Miracle's head.

Tazuna-san… are you sure he's not going to get hit acting like this?

With her hands folded in front of her stomach, Tazuna's smile turned dangerous.

"Trainer Tsukimori, what did you say just now? I don't think I heard you clearly. Could you please say it again?"

Sit straight. Behave!

"I didn't say anything at all Asking favors sounds so distant If you have something you need, just give me the order If it's you, my idol, anything is fine"

Wink.

Watching her own Trainer utterly disgrace himself, Miracle silently turned her head away.

Tazuna-san! This is way too embarrassing!

……

"The school doctor, huh."

Yuu frowned slightly. After hearing what Tazuna wanted to ask of him, he didn't give an answer right away.

"Well, if Trainer Tsukimori finds it difficult…"

"Hold on, let me think it over. Hayakawa-san, have a seat for a moment."

As he spoke, he pulled out a small folding chair from a nearby cabinet.

"Ah, no need. I'll just stand."

Tazuna glanced at the chair in his hands. Why does your office even have something like that?!

A school doctor at Tracen Academy wasn't like in ordinary schools. Catch a cold, get two pills. Stomach ache, get two pills. No questions about symptoms, and if two people with different issues showed up at the same time, hey! Different symptoms, same medicine!

Tracen Academy took medical care very seriously.

If I weren't a Trainer, I would've agreed without hesitation. But I am a Trainer.

I do have some free time now, but as time goes on, my team will start to shine, and more members will join. When that happens, I won't have time to also serve as the school doctor.

Yuu looked up.

"How about this, Hayakawa-san. I'll take the job, but there's one additional condition."

"Please, go ahead."

Tazuna was a little excited. She hadn't expected him to actually agree.

"Well, Hayakawa-san, the way you address me is kind of scary. Please just call me normally!"

"That's your main concern?! And aren't you using honorifics too, Trainer Tsukimori?! Please hurry up and tell me the condition!"

Her face reddened, this time from anger. She was sure of it now. Trainer Tsukimori… was a complete airhead!

Under no circumstances could she let him meet the Chairwoman!

Chapter 14 - Won't Lose

"Right now, my team is still in its early stages. Tachyon can already handle things on her own. I corrected her minor flaws a long time ago. Miracle won't be able to train for a while, so comparatively speaking, my time is still pretty flexible. That's why I can accept this position. But if more Uma Musume join my team later on, my focus will definitely have to stay with them. When that happens, I'll probably resign from this role."

The moment Yuu finished speaking, Tazuna gave her reply.

"That's completely fine!"

Wasn't that only natural? She'd thought he was going to bring up compensation or benefits!

He sprawled lazily across his desk.

"Then I've got no issues. Hayakawa-san, do you need anything else?"

"?"

After hesitating for a moment, she still asked, "Um, Trainer Tsukimori, aren't you going to ask about compensation?"

She felt that anything involving benefits was better discussed upfront. Plenty of decent relationships had fallen apart over things like that.

He didn't even lift his head, still looking as lazy as ever.

"Compensation? Just give whatever you think is fine. Or don't."

"That won't do!"

"I mean, I don't really need your spare change anyway."

Her expression froze.

She stared at him. Can I hit him?

Nope~

……

Time began to accelerate.

What followed was dull, everyday training. Day after day, Tachyon's competitive condition and top speed steadily improved.

As for Miracle, her body was recovering at an astonishing pace. Forget slow walking, she could even jog a bit every day now.

Today was the day before the Autumn Kyoto Stakes. Arriving early at a pre-booked hotel versus rushing in at the last minute made a huge difference in preparation and mental state.

From behind, Tachyon wrapped her arms around Yuu.

"Still not resting, Guinea Pig-kun?"

Miracle pressed herself against the hotel window, curiously watching the neon lights outside. Whenever she'd gone to other cities before, there'd only been one purpose: seeing a doctor. How could she have had the mood to appreciate the scenery?

Now that her body was improving day by day, she was finally starting to take interest in the world around her.

Yuu nodded while looking over the list of competitors.

"I'm about to. I just want to take another look at the opponents you'll be facing tomorrow."

Tachyon bent down, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her cheek against his.

"No matter who the opponent is, I'll win. With Guinea Pig-kun by my side… there's no way I'll lose~ Right?"

Her gaze suddenly fixed on one Uma Musume on the screen. She hadn't paid much attention when he'd explained her before, but now some memories resurfaced.

"This girl is…?"

"Blazing Steed. The opponent you beat in what you considered your final race."

"So it's her."

There was still no emotional fluctuation in Tachyon's eyes. She only brought her up because she vaguely remembered her.

That Uma Musume had some talent, but it was hard to see any other possibilities in her. She couldn't even catch up.

That wasn't about speed. It was about potential and the future. Blazing Steed's personality made it extremely difficult for her to open her Zone. Zone… truly recognizing and understanding oneself. That was something she struggled to reach.

"Still, Blazing Steed performed really well back then."

Yuu pulled up her race history. Before facing Tachyon, she'd been on a winning streak. Four consecutive victories: one local race, two G3 Races, and one G1 Race.

Then she ran into Tachyon, who'd entered the race despite being unable to run properly, just to glimpse the scenery of that world.

"She cried pretty badly after that race."

His hand paused as he scrolled. "She wasn't crying because she lost that race."

"?"

"Tachyon, do you know what it means for one's conviction to shatter?"

"What do you mean, Guinea Pig-kun?"

"She did lose, and she'd feel frustrated, sure, but she wouldn't have shown that kind of look. You let her see that world, the one she believed she could never reach. If she'd raced a few more times, it might've been fine. But she was a newcomer. On top of her winning streak, there were already issues with her personality. All of it added up. Blazing Steed was hit so hard that she completely shut down."

"I see."

Tachyon smiled in understanding. She opened footage from Blazing Steed's most recent race. Her eyes were completely different from back then. The arrogance of early fame was gone, replaced by steadiness and resolve.

She leaned in slightly. "Not bad… but still not enough."

She'd finally developed a bit of interest in the Uma Musume named Blazing Steed. Being defeated wasn't scary. No one could guarantee an undefeated career from debut to retirement. What was truly scary was losing and never finding the courage to stand back up.

"By the way, Tachyon, if you lose… you won't cry, right?"

Yuu turned his head, looking at her from inches away.

Tachyon stared at the image of Blazing Steed raising her fist on the screen.

"Guinea Pig-kun, do you think I'll lose?"

"Not exactly. Stat-wise, you're currently inferior to Blazing Steed. If it were another Uma Musume, I might think she would win. But since it's you, Tachyon, you'll win."

His serious expression shifted.

"But it's always good to have a backup plan. If you lose, I should think about how to comfort you A crying Tachyon… I've never seen that before"

She kept looking at Blazing Steed.

"That's not true. Guinea Pig-kun has seen it."

"?"

"Alright, enough of this. You should rest."

She pressed her face back against his.

Off to the side, Miracle asked, "Um… aren't we supposed to go back to our own rooms?"

Tachyon released Yuu, a smile playing on her lips, one impossible to read.

"Nope. Miracle goes back to her room alone. I… am Guinea Pig-kun's body pillow~"

"Eh?"

In less than three seconds, Miracle's face flushed bright red.

……

In a pitch-black room, Blazing Steed stared at the video in front of her. Tachyon, looking up at the sky, her legs trembling.

Chapter 15 - So Arrogant!

In the pitch-black passageway, Blazing Steed walked toward the track step by step.

The details of that race were carved into her soul like marks from a blade. She remembered every single moment clearly, the feeling of each breath, every all-out effort that ended in nothing.

And that figure, staking everything on a single run. She remembered it all.

Light, brisk footsteps sounded from the side. She turned her head and saw a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar. That smile was still there. Those eyes were still empty of light. She was exactly the same as before.

That was… really great.

Her heart pounded violently as she clenched her fists.

Tachyon's steps were light as she quickly moved to the front, not sparing her a single glance.

As the footsteps drew closer, Tachyon turned her head, looking at Blazing Steed keeping pace with her. The corners of her lips curved upward slightly.

……

"Welcome, everyone, to the Autumn Kyoto Stakes! Thanks to *** Beverages for sponsoring us—tired? Sleepy? Drink—"

Yuu and Miracle were seated in the very front row. A graded stakes race, even a G3-level event, meant a completely packed stadium. After all, in this world, Uma Musume racing was the most famous sport in the world. No competition.

The commentator was warming up the crowd. It was Miracle's first time watching an Uma Musume race live, and she was visibly excited.

"Miracle, don't get too worked up. This is just watching. You'll be the one racing later."

Yuu crossed his arms, looking perfectly calm.

"As expected of a Train—"

"Tachyon! Tachyon! Tachyon's amazing! Tachyon! Crush them!"

The next moment, Miracle saw Yuu with one foot up on the railing, shouting louder than anyone else.

She silently turned her head away.

Yep. That's Trainer-san.

At this point, she was completely used to it. Honestly, this was what her Trainer was really like.

Tachyon heard his shouting clearly as well and turned around with a smile. She flashed him a peace sign.

"Ahhh, how can my Tachyon be this cute?! That's my Uma Musume! My Uma Musume! Ahhhhh!"

The girl standing next to Yuu looked completely baffled. Wait, why are you doing a battle cry?! You stole mine, what am I supposed to shout now?! Huh?!

Blazing Steed also looked over at Yuu, his face flushed red from yelling.

Doctor Tsukimori, the Trainer who brought Tachyon back to the track.

Thank you. Thank you for giving me… the right, the chance, to personally defeat my nightmare!

"Tachyon, go for it! Let them know that beating you is still twenty thousand years too early!"

Hearing his shout, Tachyon smiled and casually waved her peace sign.

The other Uma Musume all looked grim.

That's way too arrogant!

Blazing Steed didn't stay where she was. She walked up to Tachyon.

"Tachyon-senpai, you might not remember me, but I—"

"I remember you, Blazing Steed. The scenery I showed you... did you like it?"

"Huh?"

Blazing Steed froze.

Y-you remember me?! That's not how this was supposed to go!

The momentum she'd just built up instantly collapsed. If Tachyon had merely said she remembered her, it wouldn't have been this bad. The problem was that she'd directly named the race that had become her inner demon.

Tachyon's smile deepened. Looks like spending time with Guinea Pig-kun has rubbed off on me.

Just moments ago, Blazing Steed had been only one step away from entering flow. But now… she'd have to start over.

Tachyon patted her shoulder.

"Let's do our best in this race."

"Huh? O-okay."

Blazing Steed stared blankly at Tachyon's retreating back.

Th-this script is completely wrong!

Tachyon hummed to herself. Letting her enter flow wasn't impossible. But without opening her Zone, it was meaningless.

Once again, I'll defeat her.

Be defeated again and again, yet keep standing back up... could someone like that…

Her steps paused. She turned back and smiled at Blazing Steed.

…come to truly understand herself, and what she really sought?

……

Autumn Kyoto Stakes, 1800 meters. Surface: turf. Clockwise.

A total of eleven Uma Musume were competing in this race.

Yuu leaned over the railing. Seriously, couldn't they just skip all this boring stuff? Just start running already, run, finish, and go home!

Now came the popularity vote. As expected… Tachyon wasn't selected.

Blazing Steed stepped onto the stage and tossed her jacket aside. The stadium erupted in thunderous cheers.

Miracle looked curiously at her Trainer, who was cheering along with everyone else.

"Don't look at me like that. I really like Uma Musume. Even if she's not mine, if she earns first place through her own performance, she deserves cheers and applause."

The Trainers who'd been glaring at Yuu earlier relaxed a little.

Alright, this kid can actually talk like a human.

As for Blazing Steed taking first in popularity, he wasn't surprised at all. Even if Tachyon had won a G1, that was still just one race. Blazing Steed had been active in major races all year long.

"But seriously, throwing your jacket and then having to go pick it up yourself… The more I look at it, the dumber it seems. You look cool when you throw it, and totally miserable right after."

He glanced at Miracle, who'd started thinking about it after hearing him.

"Don't you think so?"

"Yeah… I guess you're right."

She nodded in agreement as she watched Blazing Steed retrieve her jacket.

Throw it yourself, pick it up yourself… That's really kind of dumb.

……

After a string of utterly pointless formalities, the most important part finally arrived.

Tachyon was assigned to lane six, her best position, running as a Leader.

There were four racing styles for Uma Musume: Runner, Leader, Betweener, and Chaser. Runners sprint to the front right from the start, control the inside line, and set the pace all the way to the finish. Leaders stay just behind the Runners, forming the second group, then overtake in the final stretch. Betweeners hang back, conserving energy before accelerating near the end. Chasers stay at the very back early on, then speed up mid-race, striking when they see an opening. Truly outstanding Chasers were extremely rare.

Historically, there'd only ever been one famously dominant Chaser: that alien monster horse.

The referee raised the flag. Yellow lights lit up at every gate.

Tachyon lowered into her starting stance.

The race… was about to begin!

Chapter 16 - The Zone, Reopened

Her mind and condition were pushed to their absolute limit. A faint red glow wrapped around Tachyon's eyes.

Flow state, activated!

Once someone reaches the True Self State, their entire being sinks into what they're doing, their focus sharpened to an extreme! The True Self State, also known as flow, or a peak state.

If she hadn't been interrupted by Tachyon just now, this race might've been enough to help Blazing Steed successfully enter the True Self State!

Bang!

The gates flew open. Eleven Uma Musume burst out at the same time, everyone with a perfect start!

A faint golden light flickered. [Focus] activated!

Tachyon successfully triggered her skill. With the boost from the skill on top of her already solid stats, she quickly moved up to fourth place!

That position kept her out of the pack, and it would make attacking later much easier.

Blazing Steed followed right behind her. Even though her stats were higher, she didn't rush to attack. After a year had passed, she didn't know what kind of strength Tachyon really had now. She needed to observe more closely. There was still far too little to go on from the last race alone.

They reached the first uphill stretch!

……

"Blazing Steed has chosen to follow right behind Tachyon! Can she bring out the strength expected of the predicted first-place finisher?! Sugar Crest is running boldly out front, an incredible pace! Tiny Sail is in second, trying to overtake Sugar Crest, but Sugar Crest's defense is airtight! Every attempt is completely shut down! And this is only the beginning of the race, such an intense clash already! What a thrilling start!"

The commentator's voice was filled with excitement. Cheers rose and fell across the stands as the crowd shouted at the top of their lungs. Everyone was cheering for their chosen Uma Musume.

"Let's review the current standings! First place is Sugar Crest. Tiny Sail follows one length behind. After that comes Master Craft, and three lengths back, Tachyon, returning to the track after a year of silence. Such a calm running style. In fifth place is the predicted winner, Blazing Steed. Looks like she's still observing. Sixth place is..."

The announcer quickly ran through the rankings.

Blazing Steed's eyes were locked firmly on Tachyon ahead of her.

You've gotten weaker.

No... I've gotten stronger.

Tachyon-senpai, if this is all you've got… Then I… can win!

As the race entered the middle phase, Blazing Steed finally launched her attack!

[Agile Steps] activated!

[Reset Posture] activated!

Two acceleration skills triggered in succession. She leaned forward slightly and surged ahead!

In just a moment, she had overtaken Tachyon and was charging rapidly toward the front!

The wind roared past her ears. She clenched her teeth, carefully controlling her breathing! Her steps grew faster and faster. A faint light appeared in the girl's eyes.

I can do this! I can do this!

I won't keep losing forever. I worked this hard too! Even if I can't reach that place… my hunger for victory will never be weaker than yours!

A hint of joy appeared in Tachyon's eyes as she watched Blazing Steed.

Yes, this is it. Show me. Show me the potential sleeping within those legs! More… even more potential!

Master Craft heard the approaching footsteps from behind and began accelerating as well. The real battle, the true competition, was only just beginning!

[Subdued Pace Chasers] activated!

The heavy pressure weighing down on her caused Blazing Steed to falter for an instant, but she quickly adjusted!

Her pace didn't slow at all. On the curve, Master Craft, stuck on the inner line, found it nearly impossible to block her!

Blazing Steed successfully overtook third place, climbing to third herself!

Tiny Sail activated an acceleration skill, but the gap between her and Blazing Steed didn't shrink in the slightest. The roar of the crowd shook the track.

She didn't want to lose. She wanted to win!

Drops of sweat fell one by one. Under this immense pressure, her speed actually exploded!

Sugar Crest, who had been in first, didn't even have time to react before being overtaken!

Blazing Steed showed no sign of panic. Her steps remained steady. A year ago, her heart might've wavered, but now… She had matured.

She wouldn't fall in the same place again. That's right. She couldn't break through on the spot. She couldn't bring out abnormal strength.

So she would run every step perfectly. Show everything she could show, everything she had!

I'll win! I'll win!

The distance kept shrinking. Side by side with Sugar Crest, then past her!

Only Tiny Sail is left ahead. I will—

A familiar sensation washed over her.

Step, step, step, step, step!

The sound of footsteps reached her ears. At some point, Tachyon had already caught up.

There was an excited smile on her face. Is this what you wanted me to see? I saw it, but… It's still not enough. Not even close!

Let me show you the possibilities of an Uma Musume!

The light surrounding Tachyon suddenly shattered like a bursting sphere!

The entire world seemed to be wrapped in those strange, wondrous colors.

Blazing Steed desperately accelerated, again and again, but still… The footsteps behind her drew closer.

Closer.

Overtake!

Just like a year ago, an overwhelmingly dominant overtake, pulling away instantly!

The white winning outfit shrank rapidly in her vision. All the other Uma Musume were left far behind. This had become a race between Tachyon and her.

No, this had become Tachyon's solo performance.

……

Happy... so happy!

To feel all of this again. To clash with a powerful rival once more.

Again and again, relishing the joy of victory. Seeing more. Feeling more.

Right now, I'm truly happy!

All the noise faded away. In her eyes, there was only the track beneath her feet, and… herself.

At last, she shattered the speed barrier that had eluded her for so long!

……

"Tachyon! Tachyon! It's Tachyon! She's broken free, what incredible speed! The others can't keep up at all! Blazing Steed, Blazing Steed is giving chase! Can she catch her?! She's attacking, but she can't!! The gap between Blazing Steed and Tachyon keeps widening!"

The commentator had jumped to his feet, shouting as he called the race.

Even though Tachyon had won the previous race, very few people believed she would win again. Miracles like that, once was already impressive enough.

After a year of silence, she returns undefeated? Don't be ridiculous.

"Could it be that last time wasn't a miracle at all, but a phoenix reborn from the ashes?! Just like the name of Tachyon's team?! Finish line! Tachyon takes the race with absolute dominance!"

His voice was already hoarse from excitement.

Silence fell over the track.

Tachyon didn't pay the crowd any mind. She turned around to see Guinea Pig-kun still jumping around, hooting with excitement. She raised her fingers beside her cheek in a V-sign. And gave it a light shake.

"Tachyon, that was insane! Tachyon, forever the GOAT! Mmmph—!"

Blazing Steed looked at Tachyon. She had… lost again.

Drops fell onto the grass. Were they tears? Or sweat? She couldn't tell anymore.

Chapter 17 - We Need to Throw a Heavy Punch!

In the hallway leading back to the waiting room, Tachyon tugged Yuu along by the hand. She turned her head, using the corridor lights to study his face.

"Guinea Pig-kun, I told you I'd win. Just now… you looked kind of flustered, didn't you?"

"Not at all. I trust my Tachyon way too much for that."

He answered with a smile.

"But," he continued, "you opened the Zone without my permission."

She was still smiling, but Tachyon's expression froze for a split second.

"Well then, we need to hurry and get ready for the winner's stage. Guinea Pig-kun, make sure you watch me properly~"

Hands on his hips, Yuu stared at her retreating back.

So now she could open the Zone without any backlash at all?

He'd planned to raise her physical strength a bit more before even researching Zone activation.

Whatever. I'll trust Tachyon. She's not an idiot. She wouldn't do something reckless…

An image suddenly flashed through his mind: Tachyon's legs trembling.

"Nope! Absolutely not! When we get back, I'm throwing a heavy punch! Using her body like that, has she lost her mind?! Today she dares to open the Zone without my approval, tomorrow she'll dare to wreck her body all over again!"

He turned toward Miracle. "Miracle, watch closely! This is the kind of terrifying punishment you get for messing around with your body!"

Miracle swallowed hard. This was the first time she'd ever seen the Trainer look this serious. He really cared about their physical health.

Um, Tachyon-senpai… I really want to help you here, but… there's nothing I can do.

At the locker room entrance, Tachyon leaned against the door.

"Th-this is bad…"

……

The stage rose up. Yuu watched the Uma Musume step out in their performance outfits.

Seriously though, they're not idols. Why do they have to do a winner's stage performance at all?

He'd never quite understood it. Win a race, perform on the winner's stage. And everyone just accepted it as normal.

That was the weirdest part. Even Tachyon had never questioned it.

It was just… Watching her up there, half-dead and completely lacking energy, even though she was standing in the center. All the spotlight was getting stolen by the other Uma Musume.

And then there was…

Yuu leaned against the railing.

Blazing Steed hadn't done the winner's stage. Uma Musume were allowed to refuse the winner's stage, whether by choice or circumstance.

Like Tachyon back then, her legs were in that condition, and she was still supposed to perform? No way. Just thinking about it made his temper flare again!

That girl really needed discipline. Skip three days and she'd be tearing the roof off the house! She'd even started causing trouble with her own body! Enough was enough!

But still… why did Blazing Steed choose not to perform? From the footage, she didn't look injured. Her post-race condition was actually excellent. Weird.

……

"Ahh, that was so fun to dance~"

Tachyon clung to Yuu's arm, blinking up at him with wide eyes.

"Cuteness won't save you. When we get back, I'm massaging your feet."

Expressionless, Yuu grabbed her hand and interlaced their fingers. He knew it. Once he said that, she'd definitely try to pull away.

Her soft little hand… I absolutely have to hold it!

"Guinea Pig-kun, if you keep acting like this, I might start to dislike you~"

"Nonsense! I'd sooner believe pigs could fly than believe my Tachyon would ever dislike me!"

His voice was filled with absolute confidence.

"I know just how much you love me~"

Walking behind them, Miracle sighed. Somehow, she always felt completely out of place in scenes like this.

I'm glowing, huh. A massive human flashlight.

"Tch."

Tachyon clicked her tongue. She really hadn't expected that one day she'd be the one getting completely pinned down.

"Um… could I trouble you for a moment?"

From the darkness, a girl called out to Yuu, who was about to head for the parking lot.

They turned around together, surprised to see that it was Blazing Steed, the one who'd vanished from the winner's stage earlier. Normally, second place stood right beside the center position, which helped boost popularity too.

"Yo, good evening, miss."

Faced with Yuu's beaming smile, Blazing Steed froze for a moment.

"G-good evening, Doctor Tsukimori."

"Not quite. Right now, my role is Tsukimori the Trainer."

He corrected her with a straight face.

"Ah, okay. Trainer Tsukimori."

She obediently changed how she addressed him.

"That's right. Blazing Steed, when you address someone, you shouldn't use their highest achievement. You should use the role they're standing in front of you as."

"I see. I've learned something, Trainer Tsukimori."

She nodded earnestly, completely unaware that he was messing with her.

"Guinea Pig-kun, don't bully kids~"

Tachyon wrapped her arm around his again and looked at Blazing Steed.

"So then, Blazing Steed, what did you come to see us about~?"

Asked so directly, Blazing Steed didn't know how to answer. She just felt like she should talk to Tachyon. About what? Which topic? What she wanted to know? She hadn't thought about any of it. She just wanted to talk, so she came.

Seeing her at a loss, Yuu spoke up. "How about we go sit down at a family restaurant? We haven't had dinner yet anyway."

"R-really?!"

Her eyes lit up. Trainer Tsukimori was way too nice! On the way there, she could think carefully about what she actually wanted to ask.

He nodded with a big grin. "Of course. Otherwise, you came all this way without thinking anything through, and now you can't even say a word. That'd be awkward, right? Oops I said that out loud"

Miracle glanced at him. That was definitely not an accident!

Blazing Steed's bright smile froze on her face.

"Ugh…!"

Her cute face instantly flushed bright red.

……

Inside the family restaurant, the atmosphere, meant to be relaxed, was strangely heavy.

Blazing Steed stared at Yuu's tightly furrowed brows.

T-Trainer Tsukimori… he's really scary!

He stared at the food in front of him.

What even is this stuff?! You could tell at a glance the ingredients weren't fresh, and the seasoning ratios were completely off! Either make it tasty, or make it nutritious! This is neither nutritious nor tasty! Those pigs, cows, and sheep died for nothing!

"Where's the manager?! Can I just do it myself?!"

Absolutely unacceptable. There's no way he was letting his Uma Musume eat something like this!

Chapter 18 - That's Way Too Amazing!

The chefs' originally fierce expressions slowly turned serious, then shocked. In the end, every one of them lowered their head in shame.

They'd lost. Completely.

If the boy standing in front of them had only been a little better, they might've tried to argue back. After all, what he did was basically the same as smashing their turf. But the gap was just too big. Far too big. They didn't even have the courage to speak to him.

Yuu washed his hands, then looked at the server.

"Please bring these out."

"Y-yes."

The server replied with open admiration.

He's… way too incredible!

Yuu turned back to the chefs, all of whom looked disgruntled.

Smiling, he said, "Sorry about this, everyone. I didn't want to take your jobs, but as my Uma Musume's Trainer… I really can't let them eat food I consider substandard."

He walked up to them, his smile never fading.

"Then, until we meet again."

Just like he said, if their attitude toward customers hadn't affected his Uma Musume, he wouldn't have bothered at all. He had plenty of things to do. He didn't have time to meddle.

He walked straight past the chefs and returned to the dining area.

"What's he being so cocky for?!"

"Just because he's got some skills, he looks down on us. He's just an Uma Musume Trainer, what does he even know?!"

"Exactly! We make so much food every day. Slacking a little can't be helped, right?!"

Muttered complaints drifted through the kitchen. Just as Yuu expected, none of them had any sudden awakening of conscience. They'd been like this for too long. If they couldn't accept it, they would've left ages ago. Staying meant accepting it, and going along with it.

……

"I'm back, Tachyon."

Yuu casually sat down beside her.

Blazing Steed blinked, staring at the dishes in front of her, fragrant and inviting. After swallowing hard, she looked at him in disbelief. "Um… Trainer Tsukimori, did you make this?"

"Mhm I know I'm amazing, so… go ahead and praise me as much as you want"

"It's super amazing!"

"Right? Right?!"

Tachyon propped her chin on her hand and looked at him.

"Guinea Pig-kun looks very pleased with himself."

"Of course I am."

He copied her pose and looked back at her smile.

"Being praised by an Uma Musume is absolutely something to be happy about. Obviously."

He shuffled closer. Less than ten centimeters now.

Blazing Steed's face turned an alarming shade of red. Th-this… this is something I can see without paying?!

"Being praised by my favorite Tachyon makes it even better."

"My praise and approval of you never stop, you know~"

"If you keep flirting with me like that, I'm definitely marrying you!"

Even though she was shy, Blazing Steed didn't blink, staring straight at the scene.

This kind of moment was way too rare!

Miracle also watched the two of them, practically glued together. If it were anyone else, she might've thought Yuu was joking, but the way he said it just now didn't feel like a joke at all. And her Tachyon-senpai clearly didn't take it as one either.

So… when's the wedding?

……

"So good!"

Blazing Steed's eyes sparkled like tiny stars. This was seriously, unbelievably delicious!

She wanted to ask what she'd come here to ask, but… it was just too good! She kept putting food into her mouth. It was magical! Just eating it made her happy.

A blissful smile spread across her face, and all the earlier gloom seemed to vanish instantly.

Miracle turned her head away. That expression reminded her of the first time she'd tasted the Trainer's cooking herself. Did she think Blazing Steed was the only one who'd ever looked like that? Her cheeks flushed slightly as embarrassing memories came flooding back.

Tachyon watched the scene with a smile. She'd never made that face, and never been in that state. After all, she'd eaten Yuu's cooking from "terrible" all the way to "delicious." There'd been a gradual process.

Twenty minutes passed in a flash.

Blazing Steed lowered her head, completely unable to look up at the two across from her.

Wh-what… what did I just do?! This is way too embarrassing! Even if… even if I hadn't eaten much for race condition reasons… acting like that was still way too much!

Tachyon still wore that hollow smile. "Alright then, Blazing Steed. Ask your question. You didn't just come here to freeload a meal from my Guinea Pig-kun, did you?"

"O-of course not!"

She jerked her head up, then immediately lowered it again. The girl's burst of courage lasted less than a second. The moment she saw their faces, it vanished completely.

At heart, she wasn't a very decisive or brave Uma Musume. The fact that she'd come here on her own already showed how much resolve it took.

Yuu also dropped his playful expression.

"Then, Blazing Steed, what is it you want to know?"

Under the table, her hands clenched nervously at the hem of her skirt. She still didn't dare look up.

"Um… I know my question is very rude, but… but I saw what Tachyon-senpai wanted everyone to see!"

Biting her lip, she trembled as she raised her head and looked at Tachyon.

"Please tell me… how can I—"

"You can't."

Tachyon said it with a smile, cruel and decisive.

"Eh?"

"If you stay like this, then don't even think about it. Do you know why you run? What do you run for? What you hold onto, would you give your life for it? Without that resolve, you can't reach that world."

Blazing Steed looked unconvinced.

"Then… then is it not okay to have no dream, and just like running?"

"Of course it's okay. That's a wonderful reason. But then why can't you say it firmly?"

Tachyon smiled at her.

"In the end, there's only one reason, because even a moment ago, you weren't truly convinced that you run simply because you love running."

Chapter 19 - K.S. Miracle's Condition

Blazing Steed watched Yuu and the others walk away. She lowered her head and didn't say a word.

Tachyon's words still echoed in her ears.

"Even if you're not the most independent thinker, Blazing Steed, I refuse to believe you couldn't at least check on what happened to me after you lost. You know full well that what you're doing now is just self-deception."

She wanted to argue back, but she couldn't.

She knew Tachyon was right. She really couldn't do it.

Coming to find her. Checking her condition. Training again and again. There was only one reason for all of it: she didn't want to lose.

But not wanting to lose wasn't "herself." And relying on that alone wasn't enough to open the Zone.

……

"That was pretty cruel, saying it so bluntly."

Yuu held Tachyon's small hand as they walked slowly through the night. The streetlights cast a dim yellow glow over the road, and somehow it felt oddly poetic to him. The air had already turned a little chilly.

Just as he was about to speak, Tachyon beat him to it.

"Cruel? I think knowing her situation and still not telling her the truth, that's the real cruelty."

She gently rested her head against her Trainer's shoulder.

"Isn't that right, Guinea Pig-kun?"

"My Tachyon is absolutely right!"

Miracle, walking behind them, shook her head helplessly. The Trainer really didn't have any principles of his own at all.

Though, to be fair, what Tachyon-senpai said was correct.

"Then let's do that. I'll check on Blazing Steed later. Honestly, I quite like her."

Hearing that, Tachyon's expression turned curious.

Miracle swore this was the first time she'd ever seen such genuine curiosity on Tachyon-senpai's face.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

He gave her hand a light squeeze.

"That's strange. I thought Guinea Pig-kun was the kind of pervert who, the moment he sees an Uma Musume he likes, would rush up without a second thought and ask, 'Do you want to be my Uma Musume!'"

"Hey! Saying something like that doesn't make someone a pervert!"

Listening to his rebuttal, a question mark practically popped up over Miracle's head.

So he was objecting to being called a pervert, not to saying something like that.

"She's doing fine right now. New environment, new friends, a new Trainer, all of that is already a burden for her."

As he spoke about liking Uma Musume, Yuu smiled, his grin wide and earnest.

"I'm serious. I really, really love Uma Musume. I want them to be happy. That's also why I worked so hard to become a doctor for Uma Musume."

Tachyon hummed softly. That was something she had never doubted.

"Alright, let's go home. I pushed all my interviews today just to get back early."

"Didn't expect it'd still be this late."

"I have every reason to suspect you just don't want me going back to the dorms, Guinea Pig-kun~"

"What are you saying? If I really didn't want you to go back, I'd say it outright! Punishment! Punishment! I haven't forgotten!"

"A petty man who holds grudges won't be liked by me, you know~"

"I'm the exception. You like me a lot!"

Miracle followed along silently, once again feeling like she was glowing.

Please stop flirting right in front of me!

……

Tachyon had already gone to rest. The matter of punishment was postponed until tomorrow.

It was already late, and under normal circumstances, she should be resting too. But tonight wasn't normal.

Miracle closed her eyes nervously.

Yuu looked at her helplessly. She was wearing a light pajama set, eyes squeezed shut tight.

"My dear Miracle-chan, while it's true that I like Uma Musume, and I like you too, and also… okay, never mind. If I keep going, even I'll start sounding suspicious. The important thing is, today we're really just doing a physical checkup."

The room was filled with professional medical equipment, stuff that had cost him a considerable amount of money.

Miracle opened her eyes. "I… I didn't think the Trainer would do anything to me. I'm just… just a little nervous…"

He pulled over a chair and sat down. "Nervous about whether we can move on to the next step and increase your training?"

She nodded lightly.

"Yes. I'm already very happy. My body's getting stronger every day. I can even jog a little now, but… I can't help being a bit greedier."

She looked at him seriously.

"I want to race. I want to win for you, Trainer. I want to run for you… and for my mom and dad too."

Saying it was for the Trainer alone felt too embarrassing, so she hurriedly added her parents at the end.

(Mom and Dad: ...Gee, thanks.)

"I see. I'm really looking forward to it too, seeing you shine on the track. Even if you can't beat a single other Uma Musume. I still want to see you racing. After all, Uma Musume are meant to run."

He reached out instinctively—a habit. But by the time he realized the Uma Musume in front of him wasn't Tachyon, a slightly cool hand had already taken his.

Looking at Miracle's flushed face, his smile grew even brighter.

"Trainer… is right."

"You got it covered!"

"Geez, Trainer, this isn't the time to be messing around."

He squeezed her hand back. "Leave everything to me. Your Trainer is more reliable than you can imagine."

"Mm. I believe in you, Trainer. I always have."

"That's a lie. You didn't believe me at the start."

"Trainer!"

……

He carefully reviewed Miracle's physical condition and various data points. Her muscles, meridians, bones, organs, everything was far better than before.

Everything was moving in a good direction.

The mouse wheel scrolled steadily. When it came to Uma Musume, he wouldn't allow himself even the slightest bit of carelessness.

On the surface, everything looked normal. But who knew if there were hidden issues in the details?

The technology and medical standards of this world were far beyond his past life, but mistakes could still happen. And back then, he'd had a whole team. Now, it was just him.

All he could do was be careful. Careful, and then even more careful.

He knew exactly why every Uma Musume trusted his medical skills. Passion. Patience. Meticulousness.

"Trainer, have some tea before you keep looking."

Miracle gently set a still-steaming cup in front of him.

He turned to her with a smile. "Compared to tea, I'd rather have a soft pillow to hug. Come here~"

He opened his arms.

Honestly, he was just being casually annoying.

But when Miracle swallowed nervously, then sat down in his lap...

He realized something.

He had a pillow now.

Chapter 20 - The Free Meal Crashers Arrive

Miracle sat nervously in her chair.

If her Trainer told her the same thing as last week, keep the training intensity where it was, then the next increase would have to wait another week. That meant seven whole days of staying in this relatively relaxed state.

She felt like she was in good condition now, strong enough to step things up a bit. But… what she thought didn't matter. What mattered was what her Trainer decided.

What churned in her chest wasn't just nerves. It was embarrassment too.

She couldn't quite explain why she'd suddenly been so bold earlier. But after doing something like that, what surprised her most was the lack of regret. All she felt was shy.

Yuu neatly stacked all the printed reports, then pushed lightly against the floor with his foot. The chair spun around.

He smiled at her.

And then… fell silent.

She was already tense, and when he suddenly stopped talking, that tension only kept rising.

"Um, Trainer, you can just say it directly. No matter what it is, I can handle it."

"There's no problem at all. Miracle can proceed to the next stage of training as normal."

"Eh? Then… then why did you suddenly stop talking?"

Her eyes filled with confusion.

"Because the way you looked just now, worrying like that, was really cute!"

He gave her a thumbs-up.

"Like!"

"Trainer!"

……

"Well, anyway, that's how it is. This is your daily training plan going forward."

Rubbing his head with one hand, he passed the freshly printed schedule to her with the other.

She took it but set it aside, then reached out and gently rubbed the spot she'd just hit.

"Honestly, Trainer, you're really infuriating."

"My fault, my fault~"

He grinned. The truth was, she really had been adorable just now. Missing that moment would've been a real regret.

"The Trainer's always like this. Quick to apologize, absolutely refuses to change."

Her eyes were full of concern. Seriously… Why had she hit him so hard earlier?

He grabbed her hand. "Seriously, Miracle. Don't be this nice to me."

"Huh? W-Why?"

She froze, completely thrown off by that comment. Why was her Trainer suddenly telling her not to treat him so well? And besides, she was just treating him normally, wasn't she? It didn't feel like she was being especially nice…

"You're so good to me that it makes me feel even less like a decent person!"

"D-Don't say that, Trainer!"

She waved her hands in a panic. "You just like joking around, that's all! You're not as bad as you say you are! You're really good, and you've been really good to me too! You're not allowed to talk about yourself like that, not even you!"

He blinked a few times. "Miracle, how can you be this kind? I like you way too much."

Watching him hug her around the waist, she hesitated for a second, then, just like Tachyon, gently patted his head.

He looked up.

"Miracle… you're not treating me like a kid too, are you? Like Tachyon does?"

"Eh—n-no, not at all!"

Her figure really was amazing. He buried his face back in, breathing in that faint, pleasant scent.

Am I being a little too pathetic right now?

Ah, whatever. As long as my Miracle doesn't think I'm pathetic, it's fine.

Oh right—about body types… what do you think, no-chest—ahem, Silence Suzuka?

Silence Suzuka: ?

……

The next day, in the infirmary, Miracle stood behind Yuu, watching him work. Since his duties as a Trainer were still fairly limited, he spent most of his time here.

"Alright, nothing serious. No need for medicine. Rest for a bit, then walk it off slowly. I'll get you a couple of digestive tablets. Should help you feel better."

He looked at the Uma Musume standing in front of him, belly sticking out. For a normal human, a stomach like that would mean something was wrong, or a massive appetite. But a slim upper body with a belly that round? Only an Uma Musume could pull that off.

"Thank you very much!"

He checked the food log she'd written down. No bad combinations. She'd just eaten too much.

"Still not enough. If it were Special Greed or Oguri Fat, this would barely count as an appetizer."

"Special Greed? Oguri Fat?"

Miracle looked confused. Were those really Uma Musume names?

"Alright, that's another one done. Everyone's really serious about their health."

Yuu rested his chin on his hand, boredom written all over his face. They'd all received proper education and training, and knew their bodies well. There were rarely any serious issues. At worst, it was just cases like earlier, overeating.

"That's not a bad thing. Honestly, if everyone stays healthy enough to put me out of work, that'd be great."

Miracle walked up behind him and gently kneaded his shoulders.

"That'll be difficult. My Trainer is good at far more than just medicine. My Trainer has the strongest training methods in the world. And the strongest cooking skills too. Talented people are always needed."

"You're talking about me, huh? Wow, I really am amazing~"

He accepted her praise without a hint of modesty.

Her hands didn't stop moving. She liked this side of him. Being with him always made her feel relaxed.

"So… what should we have for lunch? I updated the menu. Different dishes, same nutrition."

Her eyes lit up.

Oh, if you're talking about that, I'm wide awake now!

Miracle firmly believed there was no one who could stay rational in the face of her Trainer's cooking. No one.

……

"No, Chairman."

Tazuna typed away at the keyboard, handling the day's work.

Yayoi didn't say a word, just stared at her with watery eyes.

Outwardly, she was a mature and reliable chairman. In front of Tazuna, she was a complete overgrown child.

Tazuna sighed and stopped typing.

"I've already said it, that was food Trainer Tsukimori made for his own Uma Musume. The time he brought me a portion was just an accident."

Silence. Watery eyes.

"Don't be willful, Chairman."

Silence. Watery eyes.

……

Yuu opened the door and blinked in surprise at the two outside.

"Eh? Hayakawa-san and the Chairman? What brings you here? Perfect timing. I was just eating. Want to join me for a bite?"

"Yes!"

"…Huh?"