Chapter 124: If I end up letting someone get within two lengths of me, you can bury me under the hollow of a great tree for all I care!

“If I let you get within two lengths of me, you can bury me under the roots of a great tree for all I care!”

The spring G1 season of the Twinkle Series begins with the Osaka Hai.

It’s not that there aren’t any G1 races before that—but from this point on, the real rush begins.

April brings the Osaka Hai, followed by the Oka Sho and the Satsuki Sho—and if things line up just right, even the Tenno Sho (Spring).

May starts with the NHK Mile Cup, then rolls straight into the Kashiwa Kinen, the Victoria Mile, the Oaks, and of course, the illustrious Japan Derby.

June doesn’t slow down either, featuring the Yasuda Kinen, the Teio Sho, and finally the Grand Prix—the Takarazuka Kinen.

During this stretch, G1 races are held almost every single week.

By May, there are even periods where they’re held twice a week.

Naturally, it’s a dream season for the fans—but for us trainers and the horse girls, it’s an incredibly busy and electrifying time.

To put it bluntly, you could even call it peak earning season for the URA.

And during a period like this, public attention inevitably gravitates toward the horse girls, bringing with it a flood of PR work, tie-ins, and promotional requests.

For trainers contracted with G1-class horse girls, this creates a painful dilemma: wanting to focus entirely on preparing their trainees for upcoming races, while also needing to accept work just to secure the funding and visibility required to enter those races in the first place.

…That’s how it usually goes.

Fortunately, I don’t really fall into that category.

To begin with, both Wilm and Bourbon—my trainees—are already extremely popular at this point. That popularity comes from their own efforts, earned through their race results and live performances so far.

Because of that, even without taking on additional work, they already have both the ability and the recognition needed to compete at the G1 level.

And that’s not all.

Even if I did need to send them off to work, I wouldn’t have to agonize over the timing.

The mysterious “App Reincarnation” power I possess allows me to clearly see the condition of active racing horse girls.

“Condition” is a broad term, but it generally includes their physical stats, acquired techniques and skills, aptitude and suitability, as well as special status effects.

On top of that, “App Reincarnation” also displays a horse girl’s “motivation” on a five-level scale.

This “motivation” is another tricky concept, but simply put, it represents their focus and mental engagement.

When motivation is high, training efficiency improves and race performance tends to follow. When it drops, the opposite happens.

When motivation falls, taking them out for a change of pace or giving them a full day off often helps refresh their mood and restore their focus.

Of course, if there’s something they’re troubled by or conflicted over, talking it through and working through it together can also resolve the issue—though there are exceptions, which I’ll set aside for now.

This idea of “refreshing” is probably similar to school recess.

Stopping once, creating a mental break, then regaining focus when you resume.

In short, even horse girls need time away from training now and then.

So why am I bringing all this up?

Because when their motivation drops to “Good” and I can tell their focus is starting to slip, slipping in a job at just that moment can act as a mental reset and help their motivation recover a bit.

The recovery isn’t as strong as proper rest, so I can’t rely on it too heavily—but it does allow me to pinpoint the most effective timing for taking on work.

I don’t need to agonize over scheduling jobs.

I already know the correct answer.

More precisely, I can convert everything into data, analyze it, and make predictions.

That’s why I constantly track my trainees’ stamina and motivation trends in Excel, using that data to determine what actions they should take next.

---

That day was no exception—I was staring at my monitor.

Displayed on the screen were Wilm and Bourbon’s training plans.

As I studied the schedule, weighing where to slot in work, where to give them rest, and how to balance intense training with post-race recovery, my thoughts drifted months into the future…

That was when it happened.

Knock, knock—a light, rhythmic knock echoed from the trainer’s office door.

It was still only 11 a.m. My two trainees should have been in class.

Which meant I had a pretty good idea who it was.

“Come in.”

I lifted my eyes from the monitor—and, just as expected, the person standing in the doorway was exactly who I thought.

My younger sister and sub-trainer, Masa, entered while carrying a sizeable stack of documents and files.

She dropped them onto my desk with a dull thud, then began sorting through them as she spoke.

“Hey, these are from the board of directors. The replacement of the aging fitness bikes and the repairs to the heating system—both were approved.

And these are from the administrative office. From here to here are job requests for Hoshino Wilm-san, and the rest is a summary of requests for Mihono Bourbon-san. They said to contact them again if you decide to accept.”

“Bourbon’s getting more offers too, huh. Probably more than your average G1 horse girl by now.”

“Well, she is the top favorite for the Satsuki Sho. Plus, her natural fan service is insane—of course reporters want to cover her.”

I let out a small chuckle, careful not to let her notice.

Just a few months ago—even as recently as the day of the Spring Stakes—the public had been skeptical about Bourbon even entering the Satsuki Sho.

They claimed it was impossible for a short-distance specialist from a disadvantaged background to win a 2,000-meter classic race.

But Bourbon went on to win the 1,800-meter G2 Spring Stakes, proving that effort could overcome the wall of aptitude.

And now, she stands as the single strongest contender for the Satsuki Sho.

Of course, there were people who believed in Bourbon from the very beginning—and even now, plenty who insist a Triple Crown is impossible.

But still… she’s reached the point where the majority believes in her.

There’s nothing more gratifying than that.

As I sat there grinning to myself, Masa placed the final file at the edge of my desk.

“…And this is the material you asked for. There’s a lot, so I can summarize it if you want.”

“It’s fine. I can read it all in about two days. Thanks.”

“Two days, huh… well, whatever. Anyway, that’s all the paperwork for now.

Oh—and one more thing. Tazuna-san asked me to pass along a message. ‘I’m glad you’ve been properly using your paid leave lately. I’d be even happier if you could cut down on overtime as well,’ she says.”

“Haha… yeah. That’s not happening.”

Work continued to pile up, as always. Sorry, Tazuna-san—but tonight might be another unpaid all-nighter.

I have been using paid leave more often—for my trainees’ reward privileges—but that only squeezes the schedule tighter, which actually increases overtime instead.

Paperwork like this is a hassle, sure—but if it’s for my trainees, I’ll grit my teeth and get it done. If you can’t handle this much, you’ve got no business being a central trainer.

Besides, with Masa helping out and me growing more accustomed to the workload, things are far better than they were around this time last year.

Back then, days with only fifteen minutes of sleep weren’t uncommon… thinking back on it now, it’s a miracle I didn’t drop dead.

…Before I forget, there’s something I should say.

“Thanks, Masa. Sorry for making you run errands like that.”

“It’s fine. If there are things only you can do, then you should be the one doing them.”

She said that, then turned her gaze away with a small huff.

My little sister really is kindness incarnate.

---

Alright, I thought. I’ll check the paperwork, then start reading the materials…

But instead of sitting down at her desk, Masa remained standing and spoke up.

“…So, how is it?”

Her sudden question made me tilt my head.

“Uh… how is what?”

“What do you mean, what? The races. Their races. The Satsuki Sho and the Tenno Sho.”

“Oh. That. Didn’t I already talk about it?”

“You mentioned it briefly during the strategy meeting—but that was in front of the two of them. There had to be things you couldn’t say.

Honestly… do you think they can win?”

When Masa looked at me, her eyes were tinged with unease.

…Ah. Right.

That makes sense. Of course she’d be worried.

About half a year had passed since Masa joined the training center.

Last year, she’d been desperately trying to adapt to a new job and environment—while also covering for me when I was incapacitated. But now, with the new year underway and things finally settling down, she’d found some breathing room.

And once you have room to breathe, you start thinking.

Even as a sub-trainer, she’s responsible for those two.

Can they really win their next races?

More than that—are they even in a condition where they should be racing?

Especially after Wilm nearly lost at the Osaka Hai… and after what followed.

For Masa, who’s still relatively new as a trainer, it’s completely natural to feel anxious about the races her trainees are entering.

…Honestly, I should’ve shared more information with her before those worries had a chance to surface.

I really am bad at being considerate of others. I need to work on that.

“Okay, I get it. Give me a second—I’ll pull up some data.”

---

Horino Masa is currently the only person who knows about my complicated situation.

For various reasons, she knows that I retain memories of a past life—and that I possess a reincarnation cheat ability.

I haven’t told her that this world is literally an app world. I’m keeping that part to myself to avoid unnecessary confusion.

Because of that, she’s the one person—no, the only person—I can speak to openly about the observations I make through “App Reincarnation.”

As for Wilm and Bourbon, they’ve accepted my ability to quantify their stats as nothing more than “exceptional observational skills” on my part…

In Wilm’s case, that’s probably due to her rare moments of airheadedness. In Bourbon’s, her natural obliviousness.

Since I never know when a slip-up might happen, it’s not something I should talk about too openly.

There’s also one more thing I can’t tell my trainees—especially Wilm.

That is…

“To be honest, I don’t think there’s any realistic chance of Wilm losing the Tenno Sho.”

After saying that, I set the documents I’d been holding down on the desk.

They were the latest analysis materials on Hoshino Wilm.

“Those are confidential. Once you’re done reading them, run them through the shredder.”

“Got it. …But wouldn’t it be better to keep part of them, just in case we need to check something later?”

“All past data is stored on an offline PC. Either way, none of this can ever leak outside.”

“Understood.”

As we exchanged those brief words, Masa and I leaned over the documents together.

Printed on the pages were Wilm’s stats, which I’d checked just the day before yesterday using “App Reincarnation.”

---

Hoshino Wilm

Status
Speed: S+ 1070
Stamina: UG 1205
Power: A+ 993
Guts: A+ 943
Wisdom: A 827

Aptitude
Turf: S Dirt: C
Sprint: D Mile: C Middle Distance: A Long Distance: S
Front-runner: S Pace-setter: B Stalker: D Closer: G

Skills
Three-Step Flight
Unshakable Stance
Leader’s Pride
Arc Line Professor
Front-runner Straight ◎
Breakaway Technique
Hold-the-Lead Prep
All-Out
Unyielding Shadow
Concentration
Circular Maestro
Deep Breathing
Great Escape
Core Distance ○
Lone Wolf

---

“…Isn’t she kind of ridiculous?”

“She is strong, yes?”

I tilted my head slightly at Masa’s oddly phrased question.

I mean—of course she’s strong.

This girl is called the strongest front-running horse girl in history.

She’s the centerpiece of the current Twinkle Series. The second undefeated Triple Crown horse girl.

On top of that, she hasn’t even finished fully maturing yet. She’s still growing.

Of course she’s strong.

“Well, even compared to Special Week-san or Silence Suzuka-san at the Arima Kinen, she doesn’t really lose out at all…
Ah—right. I guess I forget sometimes, since we see her every day. She’s on par with those two… maybe even capable of surpassing them.”

…You really didn’t need to say that twice—but yeah.

Honestly, in daily life, Wilm shows absolutely none of the gravitas you’d expect from a top-tier monster.

She’s either twitching because she wants to run, bouncing with excitement because she just ran, smiling while chatting with someone… or grinning at me when we talk.

There’s zero sense of oppressive dominance. If anything, some fans might suffer mild brain damage if they saw this version of her.

But once it’s race day, she flips completely—like all that pent-up energy condenses into something almost ominous.

That duality is part of who Wilm is.

And that presence isn’t just for show anymore. She genuinely possesses top-class ability within the Twinkle Series.

After reflecting on the Arima Kinen, she rebuilt her fundamentals from the ground up, raising her base stats.

Using what she learned from races—her weaknesses, her strengths, the sensations she picked up—she acquired several new skills as well.

Now, without a doubt, she stands among the strongest in the Twinkle Series… or perhaps she’s already stepping into a realm where no one can stand beside her.

…And yet, watching her day to day, it’s easy to forget all that.

Every Triple Crown horse girl before her—Saint Lite the Phantom, the legendary warrior Shinzan, the rule-breaker Mr. C.B., the Eternal Emperor Symboli Rudolf—each carried an overwhelming presence in their own way.

But Wilm, normally… she just feels like a regular girl.

Sure, she has her quirks, but she doesn’t feel like a Triple Crown horse girl.

That’s why I sometimes almost forget just how extraordinary she is.

Still, the ordinary girl she is in daily life, and the demon she becomes on the track—both are equally Wilm.

I need to make sure I never forget that.

While I was lost in thought, Masa spoke up.

“Hey, I don’t really get these skills. Just the names don’t tell me much.”

“Oh, right. Sorry. I’ll add the effects next time—at least the ones I understand.”

“Yeah. …Also, these skill names feel kind of… game-like. Did you come up with them?”

“Ah… well. Something like that.”

There’s no way I can say, ‘That’s because this world is basically a game.’

Honestly, I don’t even fully understand what this world is myself.

Given how closely “App Reincarnation” resembles the app from my previous life, there’s clearly some kind of connection between that app and this world.

Maybe this really is a game world, and my cheat ability works this way because of that.

Or maybe it isn’t a game at all, and my ability simply manifests in a form I’m familiar with.

Either way, it’s not a question with an answer.

And as the saying goes—don’t poke the sleeping dragon.

Even with Masa, this isn’t something I should explain.

“There’s one more thing,” she said. “What’s with this ‘UG’ for stamina? I get that SS is a rank, but UG is above that?”

“……Honestly? No idea.”

“Why don’t you know? You can see it, right???”

Yeah. I genuinely don’t know.

As far as I remember, stats were supposed to cap at 1200, with SS+ as the highest rank.

But after Wilm’s training went perfectly the other day, I thought, ‘Okay, stamina capped.’
Then it kept climbing past 1200, and the rank turned into something I’d never seen before—UG.

I have no clue what’s going on.

Maybe it’s because I stopped playing the app relatively early in my previous life.

Maybe there was an update I never saw that removed stat caps?

But even then, shouldn’t the rank be SSS? Or 3S? Or maybe X?

UG just feels… weird.

U is probably for Uma Musume—but what’s G? Grade? Uma Musume Grade?

Ranks don’t usually use G—wait, hold on.

Didn’t the app ranks go from G up to SS+?

Is this… the lowest rank?

If that’s the case, does raising it turn it into UF, UE, and beyond?

Does that mean there’s still way more room to grow?

…Seriously?

Back then, even maxing out stats was a real struggle.

After I quit, the Uma Musume scene must’ve gone full inflation—both the trainees and the support cards. I wouldn’t be surprised if things ended up with every stat hitting 2000 across the board.

That’s a terrifying world.

Rice’s story would have Bourbon in tears.

---

“…Anyway, let’s put that aside for now and get back to the Tenno Sho.”

I pulled a layout map of Kyoto Racecourse—where the Spring Tenno Sho is held—from the desk drawer and spread it across the surface.

“As you know, the Spring Tenno Sho is a 3,200-meter race. Among G1 races, it’s the longest distance there is. Naturally, the longer the distance, the more stamina an Uma Musume needs. And when it comes to stamina, there’s no one who can beat Wilm right now.

In terms of aptitude as well, Wilm holds S-rank ratings in turf, long distance, and front-runner. That alone puts her in a completely different league from the rest.”

Masa raises her hand with a quick motion. She probably wants to interrupt—but it looks like she has something she really wants to say.

"Go ahead."

"Thanks. Sorry for cutting in again, but… why does Hoshino Wilm have three S-rank aptitudes? Every other girl’s data caps out at A, right?"

"…I-I don’t know."

"You’ve been saying you don’t know a lot today…"

"No, I mean—maybe that part’s just Wilm’s raw talent…"

"If it’s talent, then wouldn’t someone like Tokai Teio also have S ranks?"

"Uhh…"

Wilm herself admits it, but when it comes to sheer natural talent, Tokai Teio should surpass Hoshino Wilm—or at least, that’s how it’s supposed to be.

Race intuition, technical application, creativity in running form—Tokai Teio is gifted in every possible sense when it comes to “running.”

The one thing Hoshino Wilm has over her is simple: the absolute amount of effort she’s put in so far. Not literally from the moment she was born, but she’s been running at the risk of her life since she was young. There’s no way she’d lose to Tokai Teio, who only started taking things seriously relatively recently.

…And yet.

When it comes to aptitude—something largely determined by innate talent—she clearly outclasses Teio.

As Bourbon proved with her own body, Uma Musume can improve their aptitudes through effort. That’s why I assumed Wilm’s aptitudes were also the result of relentless training.

But thinking about it calmly, if effort alone could raise aptitude all the way to S rank, then every girl advancing to the Dream Trophy League should have S ranks across the board.

The fact that they don’t suggests a different conclusion: effort can probably only raise aptitude up to A rank.

And if that’s the case, then the fact that Hoshino Wilm already possessed three S-rank aptitudes when she entered Tracen Academy raises a massive question.

It almost feels like… she cheated somehow.

…Cheated.

…A cheat ability, huh.

"…Wilm, could it be that—"

"Big brother?"

At my muttered words, Masa looks at me suspiciously.

"Ah—no, sorry. It’s nothing."

"You seem kind of spaced out today. You okay?"

"I’m fine, I’m fine. I slept a whole five hours last night!"

"That’s not exactly something you should say ‘whole’ about…"

I did consider talking this theory over with Masa, but… it’s still nothing more than speculation. I don’t have a shred of evidence.

I’ll watch a little longer. Just a little more, before I decide anything.

Besides, if my guess is right… Wilm herself might not want others knowing about this at all.

---

"Now then, back to the topic of rivals in the Tenno Sho. Against Wilm, the likely second favorite—Mejiro McQueen—is already inferior when it comes to raw stamina. If you factor in skills, her overall endurance might be higher, but since Wilm has a decisive advantage in top speed, she won’t lose in a finishing kick. And honestly, I’ll make sure the strategy prevents that from happening in the first place."

McQueen is a powerful Uma Musume, and from what I saw during the recent scouting, she’s in perfect condition.

But the fact that she’s already passed her peak and is now outmatched by Wilm in physical ability is a harsh reality. She’s the type who fights with pure physicality—once she loses there, the disadvantage is straightforward. Both she and her trainer are earnest, straight-laced types, and it’s hard to imagine them losing tactically either.

"…She can open her Domain properly, right? Hoshino Wilm couldn’t open it in the Osaka Hai, and Teio almost caught up to her."

"That won’t be a problem. Wilm says she got the feel for it during the Osaka Hai. In the Tenno Sho, she’ll be able to open her Domain without issue."

"That’s a relief… but if it turns into a clash of Domains… can she win?"

That’s the one thing that worries me.

I’ve been troubled by Domains more times than I can count, and this time is no exception. We know nothing about McQueen’s second-place Domain—its activation conditions, its effects, nothing at all. It’s one of the biggest unknown variables in this Tenno Sho.

…Still.

If a Domain truly reflects an Uma Musume’s soul—her Uma Soul—then Hoshino Wilm’s brilliance won’t lose to anyone.

Since I’m not the one running, the only thing I can do is trust my charge—trust Wilm. That’s why I’ve already discarded the option of doubting her Domain’s effectiveness or precision.

"It’ll be fine. Wilm will win."

"…Alright. That’s good enough for now."

Now then—once we’re done with McQueen, next up is…

"What about Tokai Teio? She really struggled during the Osaka Hai."

"…I’ll just say it straight. You can safely assume Tokai Teio has no chance of winning this Tenno Sho."

I say that as I place Teio’s investigation report on top of the other documents.

"She’s undeniably a genius, but her long-distance aptitude is only B. More importantly, her stamina is just 600—that’s fatal. In a race where Wilm and Mejiro McQueen are almost guaranteed to jack the pace way up, there’s no way she can keep up. So Tokai Teio won’t be taking first. No matter how well she runs, she’ll be—five lengths behind… no, wait, four… no, let’s be generous and say three lengths… actually, to be absolutely safe, at least two lengths back."

"Didn’t you lose confidence really fast there at the end?"

"Well, I mean… it’s Tokai Teio we’re talking about."

Up until now, Teio has made me swallow my pride more times than I care to admit. I lost the battle of wits at the Japan Derby, and at the Osaka Hai she delivered a performance that exceeded even my predictions.

Should I call it fitting for Tokai Teio? Or fitting for the Emperor’s baton? Or maybe we’re just a bad matchup.

Either way, I misread her more often than I’d like.

"Still, she’ll be at least two lengths behind the leader. Absolutely. If she somehow gets within two lengths of first… sorry, but at that point, she’s honestly beyond anything I can deal with."

"You gave up…"

"If she keeps surpassing my calculations no matter how much I crunch the numbers, then a data guy like me has no choice but to surrender."

…That said, this time it really should be impossible.

The Spring Tenno Sho is held at Kyoto Racecourse, where the Yodo incline stands in the runners’ way. At 3,200 meters, it’s the longest distance among all G1 races.

On top of that, her rivals are two overwhelmingly high-pace runners: Wilm and McQueen.

If Teio were to finish within two lengths of first under these conditions… that wouldn’t even be an upset anymore. You’d have to call it a miracle.

And miracles are only miracles because they don’t happen often. If they started happening constantly, that’d be a serious problem. No—really. A huge problem.

"So, with all that said. In this long-distance race—Wilm’s specialty—I don’t think there’s much chance of her losing as she is now. …Though if I told her that directly, it’d probably kill the mood, so I won’t."

"Ah… yeah, that makes sense."

Wilm likes heated races—races where defeat is possible. If victory is guaranteed, there’s a real risk her motivation would dip. All things considered, staying quiet is the wiser choice.

---

Now then—that wraps up Wilm. Next is the discussion of the other Uma Musume.

"Next up, Bourbon and the Satsuki Sho."

"Bourbon’s been doing some pretty brutal training… are her legs really okay?"

"I’m keeping a close eye on her, and there shouldn’t be any issues. I’ve also been consulting my brother regularly, and he’s given this program his seal of approval."

"Your brother did? …Then it should be fine."

As far as her legs go, there’s probably no problem. Of course, with training this intense, we can’t afford to let our guard down—but so far, everything is proceeding smoothly.

…She even went so far as to use her ‘reward privilege’ to say that to me.

Walking this tightrope—pushing her through harsh training without letting an accident happen—is something I have to manage no matter what.

"Now then. As for whether she can win the Satsuki Sho… honestly, she should take this one too, without a doubt. Rivals like Ribbon Lullaby, who won the Yayoi Sho by two lengths, and Desert Baby, who took the Wakaba Stakes by four, are no pushovers—but even so, they don’t measure up to Mihono Bourbon."

As I say that, I place Mihono Bourbon’s analysis sheet on the desk.

---

Mihono Bourbon

Status
Speed: C+ (529)
Stamina: C (401)
Power: C (490)
Guts: B (622)
Wit: D+ (383)

Aptitude
Turf: A Dirt: C
Sprint: C Mile: B Middle: A Long: C
Front-runner: A Pace: E Late: G Closer: G

Skills
Front-Runner’s Resolve
Firm Footing
Front-Runner Corner ○
Late Kick
Concentration
Arc Maestro
Smooth Sailing Ahead
Front-Runner’s Tips ○

---

“…After seeing Hoshino Wilm’s data, she kind of looks weak.”

"At the Satsuki Sho stage, she’s actually grown tremendously. She’s surpassed all of last year’s Teio’s stats, and there’s no doubt she’s a top-tier Uma Musume. The training she did with Wilm, Rice Shower, and Sourie Cross is really paying off."

In fact, compared to the other entrants this year, she’s clearly a cut above the rest.

Her stats are already strong enough for the Japan Derby, and with her middle-distance aptitude improved, her overall suitability is nearly all A ranks.

As for skills, I taught her the strongest and most versatile set I could, taking her compatibility into account.

Her stoicism and earnestness have driven Mihono Bourbon’s rapid growth over the past six months. At this point, there’s no one who can stop her at the Satsuki Sho—a small stage… no, a short one, for her.

Even so, Masa still looks uneasy after reviewing the data.

"What about Rice Shower—the one you were watching closely? Won’t she or the others become an obstacle for Bourbon? If something like the Osaka Hai happens again and only they open their Domain, wouldn’t that be bad?"

"No. It won’t."

I shake my head slightly as I answer.

"Based on what I observed during the last investigation, she’s not in a state where she can open her Domain right now. A half-ready Rice Shower can chase Mihono Bourbon—but she won’t be able to overtake her."

…What I don’t tell Masa is what truly scares me: what comes after that.

The Japan Derby, with its longer distance, is one thing—but more than anything else, there’s the Kikuka Sho.

A race she fundamentally shouldn’t be able to win.

That’s where Bourbon’s real decisive battle will lie.