Is it Wrong to Skip Racing? - 101
--+--
“This should be... the place, right?”
Starlight Trajectory looked up at the sign. Once she made sure she had the right shop, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
A few customers sat scattered around the cafe, most of them students in Central’s uniform. There were hardly any humans in sight.
“She’s not here yet?”
Starlight Trajectory looked around the shop and found that the person she expected hadn’t arrived. So she picked an empty corner, sat down first, and took out her phone.
At the top of her call history was the unknown number from a dozen minutes ago, though she had already changed its label to “Maruzensky.”
Before long, Starlight Trajectory heard a rush of footsteps coming from the cafe’s front entrance. Out of habit, she glanced back and saw the Uma Musume who had called her here.
But Maruzensky looked worn out. Her face carried a clear, visible fatigue, and all that remained in her expression was a tiredness she couldn’t hide.
Maruzensky also glanced around the cafe, and in that moment, their eyes met.
“Haaah... good morning, Trainer Mano Kaede.”
Heavy bags sat under her eyes. A faint smile appeared on her face, but it was nowhere near as bright as last night’s. It was hard to imagine what she had gone through.
Maruzensky rubbed her eyes, looked at the empty table, then picked up the menu beside her and said to Starlight Trajectory, “What do you want to drink? My treat.”
“Hmm...”
Starlight Trajectory hadn’t expected Maruzensky to be so generous, and the question left her stuck.
After all, she had spent so much of the past rushing all over Japan to complete missions. Her savings had been almost wiped out. After settling down a little in Kasamatsu, she had managed to save a small amount of money, but going to a cafe like this had never crossed her mind.
She had no real interest in this kind of place to begin with. On top of that, most cafes gave off the air of expensive spending, which kept her away.
Looking at all the names on the menu, Starlight Trajectory had no idea what made any of them different. She hesitated for a long while without choosing anything, until Maruzensky finally lost patience and decided for her.
“I’ll handle it... Since you don’t have experience, let’s get you an Americano with seventy percent sugar. And I’ll have a latte.”
After speaking to the server, Maruzensky almost collapsed across the table. The last bit of energy she had seemed to have been used up just now.
“You look awful,” Starlight Trajectory said, confused.
Maruzensky was the one who had called her out, so what was this now?
At this rate, she might fall asleep right here in a minute. If that happened, would Starlight Trajectory have to sit here and wait for her...?
“Because I didn’t sleep at all last night...”
The moment she brought it up, Maruzensky felt a wave of irritation.
The reason she hadn’t rested last night was simple.
She couldn’t find her phone.
At the time, she had been far too caught up in teasing Starlight Trajectory and had tossed the matter right out of her mind. Then, once the rush faded, her exhaustion came back in full.
By the time she realized something was wrong, she had already reached the academy’s front gate. How was she supposed to remember where she had dropped her phone?
Maruzensky had no idea how long she searched. In any case, it was around daybreak when she finally spotted the phone under a layer of dead leaves.
What annoyed her most was that the whole thing could have been avoided with ease. If she had remembered just a bit sooner, she could’ve asked Starlight Trajectory to turn on her phone’s flashlight and help her look.
She did catch up on sleep during the morning, but a ruined sleep schedule wasn’t something she could fix so easily. Maruzensky felt like her head was splitting. Her mind stayed dull, and the more she slept, the more tired she became. Since she knew sleeping more wouldn’t help, she gave up and got out of bed.
Her only comfort was that she had forgotten to set a meeting time last night. Otherwise, she might’ve already stood Starlight Trajectory up.
Before long, the server brought over the freshly brewed coffee and set it on the table. They even left a few white sugar packets beside Starlight Trajectory’s cup.
When the steaming coffee arrived, Maruzensky breathed in the scent of her latte. With one deep inhale, she seemed to perk up at once.
Did it really work that well?
Starlight Trajectory lowered her gaze to her own cup. The black liquid reflected her puzzled face, but other than that, there was nothing special about it.
“All right, let’s talk business.”
Before Starlight Trajectory could study it for long, Maruzensky, who looked as if she had come back to life, pulled her attention away from the coffee and back to the table.
“Should I call you Starlight Trajectory, or Trainer Mano Kaede?”
“Use the name you’ve been using.”
Starlight Trajectory had come straight from the clubroom, so she was still dressed as before and hadn’t put on any disguise.
Maruzensky noticed it too. The ears on her head and the tail behind her had both been hidden with flawless care, as if they didn’t exist at all.
“So, what do you want to know?”
With nothing else to do, Starlight Trajectory stirred her coffee with a spoon. Ripples spread across the calm surface, blurring the reflection until it turned murky.
“Well, of course... why would an Uma Musume choose to become a trainer?”
Maruzensky laced her fingers together under her chin and waited for Starlight Trajectory’s answer with a bright smile.
“That’s it?” Starlight Trajectory’s hand paused, and she looked at Maruzensky with some doubt.
“Of course not. But that’s what I’m most curious about.”
“It’s simple. Helping these girls run is something worth giving myself to,” Starlight Trajectory said, as if it were nothing. “Isn’t that what everyone who becomes a trainer should think?”
In the past, because she couldn’t run, and because the system had appeared, she had come to place her own hopes on those girls.
Ah... of course, the large prize money was also part of it.
URA gave a great deal of support, so as long as an Uma Musume placed in a graded race, both she and her trainer could receive a pretty generous prize. It paid better than most jobs.
But in this world, the Three Goddesses had brought more than dreamlike girls known as Uma Musume. They had also brought miracles in many other ways.
There had been no severe financial bubble, and wealth was balanced to an almost ideal degree. Because of that, people in all fields could live stable, improving lives.
When she thought of her coworkers back in Kasamatsu, she still wanted to believe that most people who chose to become trainers didn’t do it for selfish reasons.
“What’s wrong? You don’t seem very happy with that answer.”
Starlight Trajectory caught the fading smile on Maruzensky’s face. A small curve rose at the corner of her own mouth, as if the smile had moved from Maruzensky to her.
“But you have another name too, don’t you?”
--+--
Is it Wrong to Skip Racing? - 102
--+--
Maruzensky wasn’t all that happy with Starlight Trajectory’s answer.
It wasn’t because of anything else. The answer was just far too ordinary.
‘Was it really that simple?’
Maruzensky hated settling for only that. She was sure Starlight Trajectory still had something she hadn’t told her.
Someone who had once made that Emperor cry on the track had become a trainer for a reason like that?
It didn’t sound very convincing.
After all, in some ways, only an Uma Musume could truly understand another Uma Musume.
Things like zones, like the drive to fight for victory, and that love of running that came from the heart the moment they were born.
Across the century since URA was founded, not a single Uma Musume had ever become a trainer. There had to be a reason for that.
Racing associations around the world had never made a rule saying an Uma Musume couldn’t become a trainer. So what exactly had made almost every Uma Musume give up on that path?
Without blaming some vague, unstoppable force, the best answer was that Uma Musume themselves simply weren’t suited to becoming trainers.
On the social side, since there were almost no examples, no one raised an Uma Musume from childhood with the goal of becoming a trainer. Young fillies only followed what their hearts wanted. They ran with all they had, looking up to famous Uma Musume who had made names for themselves.
Maruzensky had once been one of those fillies. In fact, her hunger for speed had been stronger than most. Her nickname, “Supercar,” said plenty.
Because of that, she believed she understood the nature of Uma Musume better than most people.
Those Uma Musume who seemed to show no interest in running or racing were only failed racers hiding behind a polished mask.
Unless they had suffered a serious setback, no Uma Musume would give up the chance to stand on the track.
But reality was cruel. Even if you counted the local circuits, the number of Uma Musume who managed to debut each year was pitiful when compared with the total. And among those who debuted, even fewer could win again afterward.
Who would choose to return to a field that had broken their heart, then devote themselves to that same career?
Running away was the norm.
Even if some Uma Musume did choose that road, the knowledge a trainer needed was enough to make most people stop cold. Without any basic foundation, becoming a qualified trainer was harder than climbing to the sky.
Still, Maruzensky wouldn’t look down on those Uma Musume or mock them for it. She only felt sorry for them.
It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Talent was a strange thing, hard to explain and almost impossible to change after the fact. In the end, only a lucky few received the Three Goddesses’ favor. Maruzensky was only one of them.
But pity didn’t mean she would deny the facts. Reality didn’t bend to a person’s wishes.
‘Even if Rudolf had neglected her training, she shouldn’t have fallen so far that she couldn’t even win an Open Special race, right?’
‘If she had to use her Zone just to secure the win, then Rudolf must’ve been cornered at the time…’
Starlight Trajectory had that much raw strength, yet she showed so little interest in racing. That went completely against Maruzensky’s understanding of Uma Musume.
So Maruzensky was sure Starlight Trajectory had become this way for some special reason. Maybe the reason Symboli Rudolf and Starlight Trajectory’s relationship had ended up like this was tied to it as well.
‘And she’s clearly an Uma Musume, so why did she keep stressing that she was a boy when she first took the job? If she only wanted to avoid revealing her identity as an Uma Musume, she shouldn’t have needed to go that far.’
‘Still, if there’s a reason she can’t talk about, I’ll just have to let my curiosity suffer a little…’
With that thought, Maruzensky looked at Starlight Trajectory. Her bright blue eyes were full of hope and curiosity as she waited for the next answer.
“Since you found out, didn’t you search for my information on the URA website?”
Starlight Trajectory sounded a little surprised. She had thought Maruzensky stayed awake all night thinking about her, but now it seemed the woman hadn’t even done the most basic research.
“Ah… well…”
Seeing Maruzensky start to panic, Starlight Trajectory sighed and spoke plainly.
“Since coming to Central, I’ve only run in one debut race. And that was already several months ago.”
“The only reason I entered that race was because of certain circumstances, and because someone asked me to.”
Starlight Trajectory picked up her coffee, blew away the steam rising from it, and took a small sip.
Her expression soon shifted in a subtle way. With a faint tremble, she set the cup back on the table and wiped her mouth.
‘Yeah, I really can’t appreciate this stuff… No wonder the waiter brought sugar packets.’
Still, compared to the green juice from the system, it hadn’t reached the point where she couldn’t swallow it at all.
Without letting her face show anything, Starlight Trajectory tore open a packet, poured sugar into the coffee, stirred it a few times, and tried another sip.
The taste was still odd, but it was much better than before.
“Anyway, that’s enough on this topic. That’s all I can say.”
Whether it was the existence of the system, or the fact that she had hidden her retirement and returned to Central to race, neither could be exposed.
That was far more serious than “an Uma Musume becoming a trainer” or “a trainer turning into an Uma Musume.”
“Please allow me to ask one last question,” Maruzensky said in a hurry. “Does your becoming a trainer have anything to do with Symboli Rudolf?”
Even if she couldn’t learn anything else, she wanted an answer to this right now.
After hearing that, Starlight Trajectory didn’t answer at once. Her face darkened a little.
‘Did I… say the wrong thing?’
Feeling the air around them go still, Maruzensky swallowed with a guilty heart. This “Supercar” showed a rare moment of weakness.
“You—”
“Don’t tell me you don’t even know I already worked as a trainer on the local circuit for two years.”
“Huh?” Maruzensky froze, not understanding why Starlight Trajectory had brought that up.
Seeing her reaction, Starlight Trajectory shook her head and said with a helpless sigh, “I’ve only been at Central for a few months. Even if you count from the Chukyo Cup, it hasn’t been a full year. How did you come to the idea that my becoming a trainer had anything to do with that Emperor?”
--+--
Is it Wrong to Skip Racing? - 103
--+--
Th-this can’t be right, can it?
The look on Maruzensky’s face froze. She hadn’t expected that answer at all.
If what Starlight Trajectory said was true, then didn’t that mean every story Symboli Rudolf had told her about their childhood was made up?
'Rudolf isn’t the kind of person who lies, and she has no reason to lie about something like this.'
Maruzensky knew just how bad Symboli Rudolf’s symptoms had gotten at their worst. She’d reached the point where she couldn’t go three sentences without bringing up Starlight Trajectory.
Rather than believe those two had never crossed paths in the past, it’d be easier to grab some random person off the street and believe they were the First Emperor of Japan, back from the dead.
'So if Rudolf can’t be the problem, then she’s lying?'
Maruzensky thought back to the silence that had followed her first question. She looked at Starlight Trajectory’s faintly trembling hand after she’d drained her coffee, and at the forced calm on her face.
'Yeah... that’s very possible.'
Maruzensky narrowed her eyes. She felt sure she had her answer now.
After all, there weren’t many other ways this could make sense.
Surely there couldn’t be someone else as stubborn as Symboli Rudolf, someone who couldn’t even recognize an important person standing right in front of them.
One person like that was already enough. For two of them to end up together by chance? The odds were far too small.
'Last night, I even called out her name, but she still kept denying it.'
'Right. I did help hide her identity, and I used Mr. C.B.’s name to do it, but from her point of view, I may still look like I’m on Rudolf’s side.'
In other words, her affection level hadn’t met the requirement yet. She still hadn’t reached the level needed to unlock the personal story.
With that thought, Maruzensky finally returned to the real point.
When it came to how bonds and friendships formed between Uma Musume, most of them began through the one thing they all loved: running. From there, those bonds grew deeper over time.
That matched her first goal as well. She had wanted to see for herself what kind of strength an Uma Musume who could defeat the Emperor really had.
If this person hadn’t happened to be the one Symboli Rudolf had been longing for all this time, then today’s meeting place wouldn’t have been a cafe. It would’ve been a training field in the dead of night.
“So that’s how it is. Looks like it really has nothing to do with Rudolf, then.”
Maruzensky adjusted herself, smiled again, and nodded along with Starlight Trajectory’s reply.
“I’m glad you understand. Being misunderstood is a pain.”
Starlight Trajectory looked at Maruzensky’s beaming smile. She felt like the other girl was saying the opposite of what she meant, but she couldn’t be bothered to argue anymore.
Once someone got clever with themselves and decided they’d figured something out, the more you explained, the deeper you sank.
“Then let’s leave that matter there. Trainer Mano, do you still remember what I said last night?”
“You mean... the match?”
Starlight Trajectory thought back and remembered that there had been something like that.
Actually, if her identity hadn’t been exposed, Maruzensky probably would’ve come only for that.
“I’d like to accept, but I really don’t have time lately.”
“Oguri has races coming up, and I need to coach her. No matter how you look at it, I’m a trainer first, and an Uma Musume second.”
As she spoke, Starlight Trajectory put extra weight on the word “trainer.” She didn’t agree right away.
Then her tone shifted, and she turned the question back on Maruzensky.
“Compared to that, there’s something I’ve been wondering about.”
“What?” Maruzensky answered without thinking, still unsure where this was going.
“Miss Supercar, why did you use Mr. C.B.’s name to meet me?”
The moment Starlight Trajectory said that, Maruzensky’s smile faded in plain sight, until all that remained was silence.
“...”
“...”
The air froze again.
Starlight Trajectory watched Maruzensky without saying a word.
After a long while, Maruzensky finally raised her head. She pressed her hands together and gave a solemn apology.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lied to you, Trainer Mano!”
Seeing her panic, Starlight Trajectory sighed and shook her head.
“It’s fine... I just wanted to say that if all you wanted to ask was this, you didn’t need to approach me under someone else’s identity. To me, it makes no difference whether you’re Maruzensky, Mr. C.B., or Katsuragi Ace.”
She had thought Maruzensky was planning something shady. In the end, all she’d done was ask about her identity, say she wanted to race her, and then stop there.
If that was all, there had been no need to wear a disguise at all. More importantly, the act hadn’t looked real in the slightest... No, that wasn’t right. She hadn’t acted at all!
“I see. Then I guess I tried to be too clever...” Maruzensky gave a dry laugh. “After all, everyone knows the era when the stars shone together much better. Someone like me, who never even joined a proper major race, probably isn’t remembered by many people anymore...”
As she said that, Maruzensky’s expression turned a little lonely, and her voice grew softer, as if the topic had struck a sore spot.
Even though it looked strained, she still managed to put on a smile.
“Let’s not talk about that anymore. Since Trainer Mano has so many important things to do, I won’t bother you any longer. We can have our match when you have time.”
“Also, I’ve watched all of Oguri Cap’s races. She’s a child with great potential. I’m sure she won’t let anyone down.”
With that, Maruzensky stood and gave Starlight Trajectory an apologetic farewell.
“Well then, Trainer Mano, I’ll take my leave.”
But before she had taken even two steps away, she heard a voice behind her.
“...Please wait.”
“Is there something else?”
Maruzensky turned back, thinking it must be something important. Instead, she saw Starlight Trajectory point at the table with a stern, righteous look.
“You haven’t paid the bill yet.”
--+--
Is it Wrong to Skip Racing? - 104
--+--
“Have a nice day, you two.”
With the waiter seeing them off, Maruzensky and Starlight Trajectory pushed open the glass door and left the cafe.
Maruzensky had a few coins of change in her hand and was tucking them into her wallet. The look on her face carried a small trace of regret.
“Afternoon training’s about to start, so I’ll be heading off first.”
Beside her, Starlight Trajectory kept pretending she hadn’t noticed the shift in Maruzensky’s expression. She made a show of checking the time, gave a quick goodbye, and hurried away.
Her emotional sense wasn’t so low that she’d ruin the mood in a situation like that. It was just that she really... had no money.
With the tiny bit she had saved, this sudden extra expense would only make her already tight days even worse. In the end, she’d have no choice but to ask Musaka Ginjirou or Akikawa Yayoi for help.
The former might be easier to deal with. On paper, she was still a trainer without a single assigned Uma Musume, while Oguri Cap was still registered under Musaka. And in Tokyo, a major city where everything cost too much, it was normal for a trainer’s base pay to leave them strapped for cash.
But the latter was different. Akikawa Yayoi knew she had just debuted and won in Central. If she found out Starlight couldn’t even afford two cups of coffee, there was no way she wouldn’t get suspicious.
Starlight Trajectory had never looked too closely at how the system took away her prize money, but it probably wasn’t through any normal method.
So compared to the risk of exposing the system, Miss Supercar would just have to suffer a little for now...
‘No... it doesn’t count as making her suffer. She’s the one who said she’d treat me. I only reminded her of that!’
With that thought, Starlight Trajectory tossed the matter aside and began thinking about what kind of afternoon training plan she should make for Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross.
--+--
“She left way too cleanly...”
Watching Starlight Trajectory’s back as she walked away, Maruzensky couldn’t help muttering to herself. She let out a soft sigh.
As far as she could tell, this exchange hadn’t brought them any closer. It might even have done the opposite.
From Maruzensky’s point of view, Starlight Trajectory had kept a stiff face from the moment she stood up. She hadn’t even looked at Maruzensky straight on. Her attitude said enough on its own.
No matter how Maruzensky looked at it, she had been hated. No doubt about it.
“When it comes down to it, would things have turned out like this if I’d just told her who I was from the start?”
Because she hadn’t slept enough and her mind had been in poor shape, Maruzensky only realized this after the coffee finally took effect. A wave of regret hit her at once.
The only thing that gave her a little comfort was that Starlight Trajectory hadn’t rejected the idea of a match during their talk. In fact, when Maruzensky brought it up, Starlight’s expression had softened for a rare moment.
“She calls herself a trainer, and she hides her feelings well, but that Uma Musume drive toward racing still slipped out.”
“Too bad I still didn’t manage to ask anything. Just what happened in the past to make that child so guarded around others...?”
Maruzensky sighed. Then she flipped out her phone and found Trainer Mano Kaede in her contacts.
The phone’s keypad clicked away until she changed the contact name to “Starlight Trajectory.” Only then did a faint smile return to her face.
“Well, I’ve got her contact info now. Sooner or later, I’ll get that child to open up to me!”
“As for next... hm?”
Just as she was about to close her phone, a sudden vibration stopped her hand.
“Is it Rudolf...? Right. It’s already that time, isn’t it?”
When she saw the caller ID on the screen, Maruzensky wasn’t surprised. Ever since the day Symboli Rudolf lost that night race, she had called Maruzensky at this time every day to ask about her progress.
Usually, Maruzensky would pick up at once, toss out a light “No clues today either,” and end the call.
But today, now that things had gone so well, Maruzensky hesitated instead.
On one hand, she had promised Starlight Trajectory she’d help keep her secret. On the other, she was worried about whether Symboli Rudolf might do something rash once she learned the news.
There still wasn’t any firm proof that Starlight Trajectory’s attitude had been caused by Symboli Rudolf, but Maruzensky...
“Still... it’s been so long already. If I keep dragging this out, Rudolf will choose to come herself.”
As time passed, her excuse for letting Rudolf rest and going out to investigate in her place grew weaker.
And after today, there was a good chance Starlight Trajectory would return to the academy for night training. Symboli Rudolf wouldn’t even have to work hard. If she did the same thing Maruzensky had done and waited there, she could find Starlight Trajectory with ease.
But finding another excuse that sounded proper and could fool Symboli Rudolf wouldn’t be easy...
After weighing it in her mind for a moment, Maruzensky answered the call just before it could hang up on its own.
“Maruzen, you picked up pretty late... Is it a bad time over there?”
Symboli Rudolf’s steady voice came through the phone. Her tone was as calm as ever.
“Not really. Just a small matter. It’s fine now.”
“I see... Then how are things going with her?”
After hearing Maruzensky’s answer, Symboli Rudolf moved straight to the matter of Starlight Trajectory.
On this end of the phone, Maruzensky took a quiet deep breath. The corners of her mouth rose little by little, and she spoke with a hint of a smile.
“Today, I really did make a small bit of progress.”
--+--
Is it Wrong to Skip Racing? - 105
--+--
“All right. I’ll wait for you in the student council room.”
With a click, the rotary phone settled back into its cradle, and the call ended.
Symboli Rudolf let out a long breath in her swivel chair. Her whole body seemed to ease at once, and the stern look on her face softened into something much calmer. Only her trembling hand gave her away.
“Finally…”
She tried to steady herself, but the moment the word reached her lips, her breath turned thin.
No one knew what those seven days had meant to Symboli Rudolf.
After they parted that night, seven whole days and nights had passed without a single word about that dark bay Uma Musume.
The person who had once felt close enough to touch now felt far beyond her reach. It made her wonder whether Starlight had left Tracen again, vanishing into some place Rudolf couldn’t find.
Because that doubt had taken root, Rudolf grew more restless with each passing day.
She had even started to think that, if no news came soon, she would use the power of her family and the student council to investigate, even at the risk of public backlash. She knew, of course, how improper that would be.
And how could Rudolf not know she wasn’t thinking straight? She should have been able to hold back that impulse... if only she hadn’t met Starlight again when she had been so close.
Thankfully, Maruzensky brought her the answer she wanted.
“Rudolf, I’m coming in.”
Someone knocked on the student council room door. Before Rudolf could give permission, the door slowly opened from the outside.
With no other choice, Rudolf, still not quite composed, turned away and put her back to the door, trying to hide the emotions she hadn’t managed to settle.
She couldn’t let anyone see her in such a state.
“Maruzen, I’ve told you before. You’re supposed to wait for my permission before entering.”
Rudolf didn’t need to think twice. The only person who would barge into the student council room like this was Maruzensky.
“Huh? Well, in that case, maybe I should come back tomorrow...”
Even though Rudolf had her back to her, Maruzensky still put on a regretful look, as if she really meant to leave.
But before she could close the door all the way, something stopped it. She looked back and found that Rudolf had appeared behind the door at some point, gripping the frame hard.
“I’ll let it slide this time. Come in already.”
Maruzensky only gave a light laugh at Rudolf’s reaction, then walked in as if nothing had happened and leaned against the desk.
“Just now, I spoke with her. I also confirmed that she won’t be leaving Tracen Academy any time soon.”
That should have been good news for Symboli Rudolf. But when she heard it, she realized she hadn’t relaxed the way she thought she would. A faint unease still lingered in her chest.
Because she had caught what was missing from Maruzensky’s words.
“If she’s still at Tracen Academy, then why hasn’t she contacted me?” Rudolf frowned. “Maruzen, did you not tell her about me?”
“That’s what I was about to explain.” Maruzensky sounded troubled. “The truth is... when I mentioned you during our talk, her reaction was a little hard to read.”
“What do you mean?”
“She said... she hasn’t had much to do with you. She also denied that you two shared any childhood memories.”
The moment those words left her mouth, the air in the student council room turned cold.
Maruzensky had meant to keep speaking, but when she looked up, she found Rudolf’s face had gone dark. Even her Zone had activated.
'Hey, hey, you’ve got to be kidding me... She’s even opening her Zone!'
Maruzensky had never imagined that the steady, composed Symboli Rudolf could lose control of her emotions like this.
'If this keeps going, her body only just recovered. She won’t be able to take it!'
'Do I have to force her to calm down first...?'
Just as Maruzensky prepared to open her own Zone and push back against Rudolf, the pressure around Rudolf began to settle.
Maruzensky let out a breath of relief. After all, she had never seen this Undefeated Triple Crown winner go all out. Even if she did manage to restrain her, the aftermath wouldn’t be easy to clean up.
“Sorry, Maruzen... I lost my composure just now...”
Now calm again, Symboli Rudolf sank onto the guest sofa and held her head in one hand. Her voice carried guilt and regret, but beneath them was a helplessness so faint it was hard to catch.
Losing control of her emotions... even for a moment, Rudolf could never allow that of herself.
'The last time I was like this... was after the Tenno Sho...'
It wasn’t just a matter of face or authority. She knew better than most that letting emotion control her would only lead things to a worse end.
Maruzensky saw all of it.
In the past, she had always hoped to see the weaker side of Symboli Rudolf. But now that wish had come true, she felt no joy at all. All that rose in her heart was pity for her friend.
She sat down beside Rudolf, poured her a glass of water, and said in a soft voice:
“...I thought you were about to rush out.”
“If I really had rushed out just now, the situation would be beyond saving by now...” Rudolf took the glass and gave a bitter smile.
She didn’t know why Starlight Trajectory refused to acknowledge their bond. But if what Maruzensky said was true, then Starlight was probably hiding from her right now...
“Don’t be too pessimistic. Things are still far from hopeless. We need to start from the root of the problem.”
“Rudolf, think carefully. Back then... did the two of you ever have any serious conflict or bad blood?”
--+--
Is it Wrong to Skip Racing? - 106
--+--
“Even when you put it like that, I’ve got no clue at all...”
Symboli Rudolf clutched her head with both hands and let out a groan.
After Maruzensky had seen this side of her, she no longer bothered to hide what she felt.
Of course, that was because Maruzensky was a close friend. With anyone else, Rudolf would still have kept up the proper front. At the very least, she couldn’t shame the Symboli family name.
And now, though she knew she had to find the root of the problem, all that came to mind were the warm memories she and that dark bay Uma Musume had shared. Even the few small fights they’d had always ended in peace within a few days.
As for the chance that she had forgotten something... that was even less likely. Little Luna had treasured this only friend her own age.
Even if a fight had ever shown signs of getting worse, Luna would have been the first to back down.
“That is strange...” Maruzensky thought for a moment. “Do you think... maybe she really doesn’t remember?”
They couldn’t have mistaken the person, at least. Symboli Rudolf was sure the Uma Musume who had run with her that night was her old companion, and since that dark bay Uma Musume had admitted it herself, that tied her to that identity.
“No. Absolutely not!”
Symboli Rudolf shot down the idea at once.
Compared to the distance caused by some conflict she had yet to uncover, the idea that the other girl had forgotten their past was far crueler. It was something she couldn’t accept.
Besides, that kind of experience would have been precious to anyone. No matter how blurred the memories became, there was no way she’d have no impression of it at all.
“True...”
Maruzensky had only said it offhand. She didn’t find the guess all that convincing either.
During their talks, whenever Symboli Rudolf came up, Starlight Trajectory always showed some faint reaction. No matter how Maruzensky looked at it, she didn’t seem like someone who had forgotten.
“Wait. I think I’ve got something!”
All at once, Symboli Rudolf looked as if the answer had hit her. She lowered the hands she had pressed to her forehead.
“Maruzen, I think we’ve both fallen into a trap. Why do we have to look for the problem in me?”
“If we don’t look for the problem in you, then where else would we...”
Maruzensky frowned at that. She was about to argue on instinct, but then another possibility came to her, and her words stopped halfway.
“Maybe my family had some conflict with her, and that made her think it was what I wanted... or something like that.”
Maruzensky nodded. She agreed with Rudolf’s line of thought.
“And in my memory, right up until we parted, we were as close as ever. So there’s only one possibility,” Symboli Rudolf said.
“The problem happened when you two parted!” Maruzensky finished the thought Rudolf was still putting together, then added, “So, by your logic, your family stirred things up between you?”
But Symboli Rudolf denied that guess at once.
“No. She’s not the kind of person who takes her anger out on others or blames them for no reason. Turning us against each other wouldn’t have worked.”
“I think... my family must have stepped in and threatened her. Or they forced those old class ideas on her and made her leave on her own.”
“I know this guess reflects badly on the Symboli family, but before I became the strongest force in the family, something like that really could have happened.”
After saying all that, Symboli Rudolf finished the water Maruzensky had poured for her, then let out a breath.
“Put that way, it does sound possible.”
Class ideas, huh...
In truth, that way of thinking had been common in the old URA. Even now, its influence had not faded completely.
Even an Uma Musume as strong as Oguri Cap had to face plenty of doubt after coming to the central circuit.
Foreign, elite, central, local. Each line had been drawn with care. Local Uma Musume, in particular, stood almost at the bottom of that whole system. If later reforms had not happened, they might never have been allowed onto the central stage at all.
In a sense, Maruzensky herself, as a foreign-bred entrant, had also suffered under that system.
So if Starlight Trajectory, as a local Uma Musume, had learned about those ideas and started avoiding Symboli Rudolf, who had been born into a prestigious family, then it made sense.
“And... I think the reason she avoided me may also have been disappointment.”
“Huh?”
That sudden line from Symboli Rudolf left Maruzensky lost.
“Because back then... I let her down.” Symboli Rudolf sighed. “The truth is, I had already sensed that my family would discover her one day. But I never made my stance clear to her... I was afraid the family would stop pouring resources into me. I was afraid the elders who raised me would be disappointed in me...”
“Only after I realized that did I understand... I didn’t even have the courage to face her anymore.”
Maruzensky stared at Symboli Rudolf in disbelief. A few words slipped from her mouth before she could stop them.
“Rudolf, you...”
...are overthinking this way too much!
That was what she thought, but by the time the words reached her lips, they came out another way.
“...It’s good that you can think about it like that.”
She patted her friend on the back and nodded with relief, though inside, she was almost laughing.
For a moment, Rudolf had nearly dragged her into it, and Maruzensky had almost felt the urge to tell her everything. She had been worrying about how to smooth things over, but then Symboli Rudolf had managed to make her own logic fit.
With this, Maruzensky wouldn’t have to waste time making up... explaining too many things. She could report back to Starlight Trajectory too.
“In that case, let her see your actions and how you’ve changed. As long as she’s still at Tracen Academy, I’m sure your feelings will reach her.”
“Rudolf, I’ll tell you this in secret. She actually asked me to keep everything about her from you. But I couldn’t bear to see you like this, so I ended up telling you this much.”
“I understand, Maruzen. I won’t put you in a hard position.” Symboli Rudolf nodded. “Until she’s willing to tell me herself, I’ll have to trouble you to contact her for me.”
“Of course.”
A meaningful smile spread across Maruzensky’s face.
'It’s such a good thing Rudolf is this easy to handle.'
--+--
Is it Wrong to Skip Racing? - 107
--+--
“So, that’s what you told her?”
Beside the training field fence, Starlight Trajectory held a tablet in her hands as she watched Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross run side by side.
Next to her, Maruzensky watched the young trainer with a smile. Her ponytail swayed a little, as if sharing her good mood.
“Now you can train on campus at night without worrying. Isn’t that a good thing?”
Starlight Trajectory, however, acted as if she hadn’t heard her. Her eyes stayed fixed on every move the Uma Musume made on the track.
“Tamamo, pick up the pace a little!”
“Got it!”
Once she heard the order, the small Uma Musume on the track dug deep. Her white figure turned even quicker.
“Cloudy, don’t ignore me!”
Like a lonely empty nester who’d been left out in the cold, Maruzensky threw herself onto Starlight Trajectory, her voice full of grievance.
“You’re way too close. And what kind of nickname is Cloudy?”
Feeling the softness against her arm, Starlight Trajectory hurried to push Maruzensky off her. Her face went a little red as she moved away.
She had no sense of boundaries at all.
Seeing Starlight Trajectory blush from that small move, the hidden amusement in Maruzensky’s eyes deepened. She took an inch and grabbed another, leaning in again.
“But the name you registered with Central is Starlight ‘Contrail,’ isn’t it? I think Cloudy fits you.”
(T/N:...You know that feeling when you mistranslate something for the past like bajillion chapters? Yeah that's what I'm feeling right now.)
Starlight Trajectory opened her mouth to argue, then thought about it and found that Maruzensky wasn’t wrong.
The original English meaning of her name did carry the sense of a contrail, and if they were being strict, that meaning was the right one. Trajectory was more of a stretched fit.
“In any formal setting, I’d still prefer you to use a proper name, like Trainer Mano Kaede.”
“If I call you that, will Trainer Mano Kaede be happy?” Maruzensky tilted her head and smiled at her.
“…Do what you want.”
Starlight Trajectory didn’t care that much about how people addressed her. As long as she couldn’t hear any malice in it, she didn’t need to worry too much about someone linking it back to her name.
Part of the reason was that she knew the more she cared, the more the other girl would keep pestering her about it.
Maruzensky might always act like a kind, friendly older girl from next door, but hidden inside her was someone who loved stirring things up for fun.
Starlight Trajectory had sensed that much in their earlier meetings. Now, after catching the look Maruzensky showed because of her reaction, she felt even more sure of it.
She had most likely been treated as a fresh new toy. With her dual identity as both Uma Musume and trainer, anyone who knew the truth would feel at least some curiosity.
Before long, the two on the track reached the marked finish line and slowed to a stop. Both sank onto the ground, panting hard.
“That’s enough training for today. Thanks for helping as a training partner, Tamamo.”
Starlight Trajectory stepped forward and tossed the prepared water to both of them. At the same time, she reviewed the earlier training scene in her mind.
Side-by-side sprint training had a far clearer effect than solo practice. In only one afternoon, she could already see progress.
A large part of that came from the fact that she had only just started helping Oguri Cap train her finishing kick, but having a good training partner still saved her a lot of effort.
It also gave her one of the few chances to see the gap between their levels in a direct way.
‘When I compare them like this, Tamamo’s finishing kick really is something…’
As she compared the sprint data, Starlight Trajectory couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. If Oguri Cap raced Tamamo Cross right now, she would most likely fall behind in the final stretch, rare as that was for her.
“It’s nothing. I wanted to see what my future rival can do too.”
Tamamo Cross had a bright smile on her face. It was easy to tell she felt satisfied with today’s training.
After all, Komiyama Masami only had her as a trainee. Most of the time, Tamamo couldn’t keep up with anyone else’s training volume, so she usually practiced alone. Getting to train with someone else like this was a rare and precious chance.
“But at your current level, there’s no way you’re getting past me!”
“You’re a year older than Oguri Cap…”
Starlight Trajectory stopped halfway through her sentence and let out a helpless laugh. All she could do was rub Tamamo Cross on the head.
Since Tamamo was a late bloomer, that one-year gap didn’t matter the same way it did for other Uma Musume. And if they were judging by looks, Oguri Cap was the one who looked older.
“That’s it for today, then. I’ll be counting on you again tomorrow, Tamamo.”
“Leave it to me!”
Starlight Trajectory watched the two gray-haired Uma Musume leave side by side. The sky had begun to take on a faint golden hue, so she got ready to head back and sort through the training data she had collected.
“Actually… if you don’t mind, I can be your training partner too.”
“Those two kids have plenty of potential, but when it comes to experience as a partner, I’m much more seasoned.”
Maruzensky leaned against Starlight Trajectory, hope written across her face. She stared up at her with eager eyes and offered herself for the job without the slightest hint of shame.
Starlight Trajectory only gave her a blank look. Then she walked forward on her own, leaving Maruzensky with nothing to lean on. Maruzensky nearly fell to the ground.
Even after being treated that way, Maruzensky didn’t lose heart. She followed her at once.
“If you keep clinging to me like this, won’t Symboli Rudolf get lonely?”
“She’s always been the type to go her own way, so I don’t think anything will change even without me.” Maruzensky smiled and gave Starlight Trajectory a playful shove. “Oh, right. There’s a buffet near the school, and I just happen to have two coupons. Want to go together later?”
--+--
At the same time—
“Achoo!”
Sitting alone in the student council room while handling paperwork, Symboli Rudolf sneezed.
“Oh, no!”
Seeing the documents scattered everywhere by her sneeze, Symboli Rudolf quickly bent down and picked them up one by one.
Once she had gathered them all and checked that nothing was missing, she let out a breath of relief.
“…Maybe I should rest a little longer after all?”
But the thought only flashed through her mind for a moment before another one replaced it.
“No! If I want her to notice who I am now, I have to push the racing division transfer forward as soon as possible!”
“That’s right, Symboli Rudolf!”
After cheering herself on, Tracen Academy’s student council president returned to her busy work.
--+--
Is it Wrong to Skip Racing? - 108
--+--
And so, the days passed one by one in training.
With Maruzensky now around, plus Tamamo Cross as a sparring partner, the mood in the team had grown much livelier.
Starlight Trajectory still remembered the look on Musaka Ginjirou’s face when he saw Maruzensky in the team activity room. The veteran trainer, who was always calm and steady, kept his face unreadable, but the hand resting on his cane gave a rare little tremble.
The result was that the team activity room that had once belonged to Musaka had more or less been taken over by them.
To be fair, Musaka’s team didn’t use the room much in the first place. The three senior Uma Musume were all half-retired as well. Even so, Starlight Trajectory still felt a bit bad about it.
'It’s not right to keep taking over Musaka’s activity room... Once Oguri’s Mainichi Hai is over, I’ll ask Yayoi for a room of my own.'
After lunch break ended, that thought came back to Starlight Trajectory as she walked toward the activity room.
Once she did that, Oguri Cap’s prize money would all get turned into points by the system, but Starlight Trajectory still felt it would be better for her team to have its own room.
The problem was the process. To apply for a team activity room, a team needed at least two members, and the trainer in charge had to be officially hired by Tracen Academy.
Right now, Starlight Trajectory met neither condition.
For one, she was still only an intern. For another, even if she became official, her only team member would be Oguri Cap. A little filly like Tokai Teio, who hadn’t even reached school age yet, could not count.
'But... if I enrolled as Starlight Trajectory and then joined my own team... no, that defeats the whole point!'
That would solve the activity room problem, but Starlight Trajectory shut the idea down at once.
Leaving aside the fact that Symboli Rudolf had started paying attention to her because of the night race, if Oguri Cap heard that Starlight Trajectory had joined the team, her identity probably wouldn’t stay hidden for long. That would go against everything she had been trying to do.
As for Akikawa Yayoi... that was the least of her worries. Even if she didn’t meet the entrance standards, Starlight Trajectory had no doubt that Akikawa would use her position to clear every road for her.
'I’d still rather not let too many people know about Starlight Trajectory...'
'And... I feel like I’ve forgotten something.'
Starlight Trajectory rubbed her faintly aching head. When she looked up again, she realized she had reached the activity room without noticing.
“Trainer-san!”
The moment she opened the door, Tokai Teio came flying at her, adding another bit of weight to the load she was already carrying.
Starlight Trajectory gave the little filly’s head a helpless rub. She had long since gotten used to this kind of greeting. At this point, it was just part of the daily routine.
“All right, Teio. Get down first. I have something to talk about.”
She let Tokai Teio nuzzle against her for a while before coaxing the little filly off in a gentle voice.
“When did you and Teio get so close?”
Maruzensky leaned in from the side and asked in a low voice, sounding a little confused.
No wonder Tokai Teio had been showing up at the student council room less and less lately. So this was why.
After all, in Maruzensky’s memory, Tokai Teio had never been this close to anyone besides Symboli Rudolf.
“We’re not that close. I think it’s just a child’s instinct to rely on adults. In a couple of years, she’ll probably grow out of it.”
Starlight Trajectory smiled and did not plan to dig deeper into the topic. She hadn’t skipped Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross’s training today for nothing. There was something important to handle.
She looked around at the five Uma Musume in the activity room, then took out a form she had prepared in advance.
“The entry list for the Mainichi Hai has been announced.”
Yes. The important matter was confirming the race lineup.
In general, the entry list for a GIII graded stakes race was announced at ten on Friday morning, while the race itself took place on Sunday.
Those two days gave trainers time to study the confirmed field and think through their strategy.
If the race itself was a contest between Uma Musume, then the contest between trainers began the moment the entry list came out.
“Why pay so much attention to this? I thought you had plenty of confidence in Oguri Cap’s strength.”
Maruzensky took the list, gave it a quick glance, then handed it to Belno Light beside her without much interest.
In her view, preparing this much for a GIII seemed like making a mountain out of a molehill.
Even if Oguri Cap entered a Classic-level GI right now, she would be a serious contender. With that level of ability, stepping onto a GIII stage was almost like tossing a shark into a pond.
“Normally, you’d be right. But this time—”
“Someone has challenged us!”
Starlight Trajectory pulled a letter from her waist pouch and slapped it onto the table with great spirit.
The whole activity room fell silent for a moment. Clearly, no one had expected this.
“Huh!? People still write challenge letters in this day and age!?”
Tamamo Cross looked shocked, but then she thought about all the things that happened around Starlight Trajectory and suddenly felt there was no need to make such a fuss.
“Is it from... Yaeno Muteki?”
Belno Light, who had been blending into the background, spoke up. The letter reminded her of what had happened in the cafeteria some time ago.
Back then, she had noticed that Yaeno Muteki seemed to want to hand something to Oguri Cap. Too bad Oguri Cap had gotten locked in a fierce battle of wills with the cafeteria cook and had ignored Yaeno Muteki beside her.
That seemed to have been taken as a provocation. Belno Light only remembered Yaeno Muteki storming off in anger afterward. She had not expected the challenge letter to end up in Starlight Trajectory’s hands.
“That’s right!” Starlight Trajectory nodded. “Since they went through the trouble of making it so formal, we can’t let their feelings go to waste.”
Yaeno Muteki was most likely entering the Mainichi Hai to aim for the priority entry slot for the Satsuki Sho.
So, in order to welcome this opponent on the road to the Triple Crown, Starlight Trajectory had gone looking for Yaeno Muteki’s past race footage as soon as she received the challenge letter.
She had to admit, Yaeno Muteki’s strength was real. She deserved to be called powerful. Unfortunately... against Oguri Cap, it still was not quite enough.
“Well, it’s not that big of a deal. Even without this letter, our goal wouldn’t change.”
Starlight Trajectory placed her hand on Oguri Cap’s head and rubbed it with a smile.
“In short, we just have to give it everything we’ve got.”
“Mmm...”
Oguri Cap let out a pleased little sound as she felt the sudden touch on top of her head.
“Also, starting today, we’ll stop training for now. Take the time to relax.”
After going over a few small, unimportant matters, Starlight Trajectory clapped her hands and declared the meeting over.
“All right. Dismissed!”
Once everyone had left the activity room, Starlight Trajectory tidied up the table and prepared to leave as well.
But while she was cleaning, she suddenly noticed another entry list pressed beneath the Mainichi Hai one.
'This is...'
A little confused, Starlight Trajectory pulled the sheet out.
It also had the date March 27 written on it. Compared with a graded stakes race, the race name was plain enough. It was only a debut race for four-year-olds who had yet to run.
She could only remember, in a hazy way, that this seemed to be a list she had prepared one night before going to sleep. Everything else was blurry.
'But why would I care about a debut race...?'
The question did not trouble Starlight Trajectory for long. As her gaze moved over the names of the entrants, she soon saw a familiar one.
Mejiro Ardan.
--+--
Is it Wrong to Skip Racing? - 109
--+--
“Osaka, I’m here!”
The moment Tamamo Cross stepped off the Shinkansen, she threw one arm into the air and shouted, as if she meant to announce herself to the whole city.
Komiyama Masami, who had come out with her, could only sigh and push her charge along so the people behind them could get through the station.
“Okay, okay. It’s not like this is your first time here. Didn’t you used to live around here?”
“Yeah, but I hardly ever got to come to the center of Osaka back then...”
Ritto, where Tamamo Cross had once lived, was still counted as part of Osaka, but it sat a fair distance from the city center. The trip was about as long as going to nearby Nagoya.
Back then, Tamamo Cross had been in poor shape, both in body and in money, so any idea of going far from home had been out of the question. It wasn’t until she became an Uma Musume and made her debut at Hanshin Racecourse that she set foot in this city again.
“Come to think of it, I met Kaede the first time I came to Osaka too.”
“So you and Trainer Mano have known each other that long, Tama?”
In front of outsiders, Komiyama Masami still kept some distance. She didn’t use a close nickname the way Tamamo Cross did.
“Sure have. Actually, Kaede’s part of why I ended up enrolling at Central Tracen.”
Tamamo Cross planted both hands on her hips and looked quite proud of herself as she spoke about the past. The pose did not last long. Soon, her ears drooped, and the energy drained out of her.
“Still, today’s Oguri’s big race, and that woman just had to be absent now of all times.”
No one needed to ask who Tamamo Cross meant. After all, only one person had failed to show up today.
Even Tokai Teio, who was usually full of life, had gone quiet. She showed no excitement about the trip, and the fluffy ears on top of her head hung low, showing the little horse’s disappointment.
“Trainer Mano had a reason,” Belno Light explained from the side. “And didn’t she say she’d be there by the time the afternoon race starts?”
“Who knows if she’ll keep her word? She said the same thing to me back then, all nice and proper, then vanished out of nowhere!”
Tamamo Cross snapped back like a sulking child. Her words only made Komiyama Masami and Belno Light more curious, but no matter how they pressed her, she refused to say anything more about the past.
Walking slowly at the head of the group, Musaka Ginjirou, who had been silent since they boarded the train, leaned on his cane and asked the gray-haired Uma Musume beside him without warning.
“Oguri Cap, how do you feel about the race ahead?”
“Hm?”
Oguri Cap tilted her head in confusion. She had not caught the meaning behind Musaka’s words.
Seeing that look on her face, Musaka fell silent for a moment, then waved it off and said no more.
“...Never mind.”
Why had he ever thought a small thing like this would affect Oguri Cap?
--+--
At that same moment, Starlight Trajectory was sitting in the stands at Tokyo Racecourse, waiting for the next race to begin.
“It should be starting soon...”
She took out her phone and checked the time, then looked around. Even though this was only an ordinary “four-year-old maiden” race, the place was already packed.
Tokyo Racecourse was one of Japan’s most famous racecourses, after all. And Mejiro Ardan was the young lady of the Mejiro family. Even with rumors of her weak health, even though she had never once stepped onto the track, she still had a strong following.
Among the lively crowd, Starlight Trajectory even spotted a few people who looked like trainers. They were likely here for the same reason she was: to watch Mejiro Ardan run.
As for why she felt so sure, the reason was simple.
Just as the name of the race said, “four-year-old maiden,” the age of four marked an Uma Musume’s prime, her classic year. But under normal circumstances, Central’s Uma Musume would always choose to debut during their junior year first.
For one, they could use races to sharpen themselves during their prime growth period. For another, they could build real race experience early and prepare for the classic-level races the following year.
For an Uma Musume like Mejiro Ardan, who only chose to debut in her classic year, there were usually only two possible reasons. Either she had tried and failed to debut over and over during her junior year, or she had been kept away from racing for some reason.
In Central’s harsh selection system, neither type usually drew much interest from trainers. Only a special case like Mejiro Ardan could still attract their attention under these conditions.
“But... are her legs really all right?”
Based on what she had seen over the past while, Starlight Trajectory still felt bleak about Mejiro Ardan’s chances of making it through a race in good shape.
Still, she understood. Mejiro Ardan had chosen to debut now because she had no other choice.
Just as Starlight Trajectory thought this, another voice came from beside her and put her thoughts into words.
“I guess it’s a choice she had to make. An Uma Musume’s golden period only lasts so long, and after that, it gets hard to improve.”
“Right. And the classic year has so many major races. If she doesn’t enter them, she’ll probably regret it for the rest of her career.”
Starlight Trajectory answered without thinking. Only then did she realize that, at some point, a rather flippant-looking man with chestnut hair had appeared beside her.
He had a lollipop in his mouth, but his words came out clear, with no slur at all.
“So you think so too?”
The man smiled at Starlight Trajectory, but she showed no sign of caring what he thought. That left him standing there in a rather awkward silence.
Perhaps he realized that he sounded far too much like he was trying to hit on her. Before she could turn and leave, he rushed to add another line.
“Ah, sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m just interested in things like Uma Musume.”
“My name’s Nishizaki Ryo. And what should I call you, Miss Trainer?”
--+--
Is it Wrong to Skip Racing? - 110
--+--
This person was rather interesting.
Because Starlight Trajectory had heard the word "trainer" from him, she found herself in the mood to talk.
"How can you be so sure I'm a trainer?"
Tracen Academy wasn't that far from Tokyo Racecourse, so when she'd gone out, she'd come empty-handed. She hadn't brought anything with her. By all rights, she should've looked no different from any normal visitor.
"Isn't that obvious? The only people who'd say something like that are trainers, right?"
Nishizaki Ryo leaned against the railing with a smile that never quite left his face. He looked a bit loose and flighty, but not in a way that made him hard to like.
Not only that, but Starlight Trajectory could even feel several glances drifting their way.
When she swept her eyes over the area, she found a group of girls in the bloom of youth looking over now and then, mixed in with a few middle-aged women.
Nishizaki Ryo himself seemed to notice none of it. He kept explaining to Starlight Trajectory.
"And you can tell from the way someone carries themselves, too. It might be hard on a normal day, but there are a lot of trainers here today for that young lady."
"Whether they came just to watch the race or have something else in mind, you can tell with one look."
"So you're a trainer from Central, too?" Starlight Trajectory asked.
"Not yet. But I will be soon." Nishizaki Ryo shrugged. "Maybe we'll even end up as coworkers. When that happens, I'll be counting on you to look after me, Senpai."
Being called senpai out of nowhere by someone who looked older than her made Starlight Trajectory feel a wave of awkward goosebumps rise across her skin.
But soon, both of their attention was drawn away by the race announcer's broadcast.
"The top favorite, runner number eleven, Mejiro Ardan, has entered the track!"
"There have long been rumors that this young lady of the Mejiro family is frail and sickly. Many have wondered whether she could really become an Uma Musume like Mejiro Ramonu... But I believe the audience has already given its answer through the votes!"
"She's the clear number one favorite."
The commentator took on the role of supporting the announcer and added to the speech from the side.
Even if all the other runners put together didn't have as much buzz around them as Mejiro Ardan, the broadcast didn't linger on her for long. It moved right away to the runners behind her.
"Next up is..."
"Ah, it's about to start."
Because the two of them were a little distance from the track, Nishizaki Ryo took out the binoculars he'd prepared and watched every move the runners made.
For normal spectating, there was no need to go that far. But he didn't seem satisfied with simply watching. He wanted to observe every small detail.
"All runners are ready. And they're off!"
"The starts from the gates are... not very ideal."
"After all, it's a muddy, heavy dirt track after the rain. Running lightly under these conditions takes real power."
"Currently leading the field is runner number one, Miss Kamui. Close behind her is... number eleven, Mejiro Ardan! It seems the rumors really were only rumors. This young lady of the Mejiro family shows no sign of being left behind!"
"She's running hard. It's only just started, but she already looks like she's right at her limit."
Although the announcer's broadcast made the situation sound favorable for Mejiro Ardan, Nishizaki Ryo's smile faded as he watched through his binoculars.
"Her running style isn't suited for dirt in the first place, let alone a heavy track this bad."
Starlight Trajectory frowned. She understood the struggle of fragile legs better than most.
Right now, Mejiro Ardan was likely facing far more difficulty than it seemed from the outside.
The only thing worth being glad about was that this race was only twelve hundred meters. Even by Central standards, that counted as short among short-distance races.
'Can she really... hold on?'
Watching that unsteady figure on the track, Starlight Trajectory gripped the railing with both hands without meaning to, as if she were there in the race herself.
--+--
Just as she feared, the person who understood Mejiro Ardan's condition best was Mejiro Ardan herself, right in the middle of the race.
'So it really was too much...'
Mejiro Ardan clenched her teeth. Each time her feet struck the muddy ground, the feedback made it harder for her to keep going.
She had done so much preparation in advance. She had thought through every possibility. She had even drawn out more strength than she'd ever expected from herself before.
Even so, merely staying close behind the figure ahead was already the limit of what she could do.
The opening stretch... the straight... the turn...
The race kept going, and Mejiro Ardan did all she could to watch every movement across the track.
But...
She couldn't see... any chance at all.
"Runner number one, Miss Kamui, has passed through the turn and still holds the lead!"
The announcer's broadcast declared the greatest turning point of the race. The only two turns in the course were now behind them.
It was also at that moment that Nishizaki Ryo lowered his binoculars from the stands and sighed with some regret.
"This race has nothing to do with her anymore."
"How should I put it? If it weren't dirt, or if it weren't a heavy track, she probably would've had a real chance..."
He got no response from beside him. Nishizaki Ryo glanced over at Starlight Trajectory and found that she was still staring at the track with total focus.
Seeing her like that, he couldn't bring himself to say anything more. He could only raise his binoculars again and keep watching the race.
--+--
The announcer's report also reached Mejiro Ardan's ears. She stared at the figure less than a length ahead of her, yet that short distance felt like a chasm she couldn't cross.
This was the gap in raw ability. No matter how many tactics she thought of, it couldn't be erased.
Her slightly heated body and exhausted legs told her she had reached her limit. Her already strained steps sank even deeper into the mud.
"So this is... my limit..."
"Is this really how my debut race is going to end...?"
Even if Mejiro Ardan couldn't accept it, she had no choice but to face reality.
But just as she was about to slow down, a shout cut through the noise of countless spectators and reached her ears.
"Now!"
--+--