Chapter 128: Let’s Party—if you don’t enjoy it, it’s a waste. After all, the Classic races only come once.

Hoshino Wilm’s Osaka Cup and Mihono Bourbon’s Satsuki Sho have both come to an end.

Looking back, it’s fair to say that both victories were decided by razor-thin margins.

In the Osaka Cup, Tokai Teio delivered a run nothing short of extraordinary, closing the gap to a mere nose at the finish.

In the Satsuki Sho, the difference between Bourbon and Rice Shower narrowed to just two and a half lengths.

…Come to think of it, aren’t the Uma Musume I train always like this?

At first, they overwhelm the field with sheer physical strength. But little by little, their rivals awaken and begin closing in.

I feel like I saw this same pattern in last year’s Classic races.

Well, in the end, that just means Wilm and Bourbon are early bloomers—exceptionally powerful ones at that.

When racing Uma Musume run alongside someone strong, they grow stronger themselves, as if being pulled forward.

Wilm’s and Bourbon’s strength elevates their rivals—and raises the overall level of the races.

And as a result, we’re forced to grow even stronger in return.

For better or worse, this world of racing doesn’t allow anyone to run unchallenged forever.

All those who lead can do is keep training day after day, ensuring they won’t be overtaken by the girls chasing behind them.

In any endeavor, there’s no shortcut to growth.

…Ah, I’ve drifted off topic.

In any case, Wilm and Bourbon have cleared their first G1 races of the year.

Which means there’s only one thing left for us to do now.

"All right, let’s get started with our regular strategy meeting."

That’s right.

It’s practically become a ritual at this point—the time to lay the groundwork.

---

The day after Bourbon’s Satsuki Sho, just past noon.

We gathered in the trainer’s office assigned to me.

Masa sat at her desk, while my two trainees took their seats in front of her.

So everyone could see clearly, I began writing today’s agenda on the whiteboard.

"Now then… let’s start with you, Wilm.

Your next race is the Tenno Sho (Spring), just six days away. Kyoto Racecourse, 3200 meters—the longest distance among G1 races."

"A distance I’ve never run before… I’m looking forward to it!"

"The fact that you can say you’re ‘looking forward to it’ without a trace of anxiety—that’s one of your strengths."

Carefree, or maybe fearless.

…No, that’s not quite right. She isn’t carefree.

She understands how strong her rivals are. She simply doesn’t fear them. Instead, she lets her fighting spirit ignite and finds excitement in the challenge.

Many Uma Musume falter under the pressure of powerful opponents. But being able to turn a showdown against a formidable rival into positive motivation—that’s undoubtedly one of Hoshino Wilm’s greatest strengths.

All right. Time to review the data.

I pulled printed materials from my desk—course maps, key features, statistical trends for weather and track conditions—and spread them out before her.

"The Spring Tenno Sho is arguably the most stamina-demanding race in the country.

The tension unique to a G1, the caliber of the competitors, the 3200-meter distance, and the Yodo Hill that appears twice on the corners, steadily draining stamina.

All of it devours an Uma Musume’s endurance and tempts her to slow down."

Kyoto Racecourse. Right-handed, outer course. 3200 meters.

The race begins on the backstretch, and the runners complete a lap and a half.

Last year’s contenders were Mejiro McQueen—the turf’s leading lady, fresh off her Kikuka Sho victory and widely regarded as the strongest active stayer—and the revived veteran of the Golden Generation, the trickster I’m personally fond of: Seiun Sky.

Both possessed the stamina required for long-distance battles.

The three-length gap between second and third place says it all—not only about their ability, but about just how demanding this race truly is.

…However.

My ace has what it takes to meet that demand.

"In short, for someone like you who prides herself on stamina, this may be the most suitable—and advantageous—race possible."

Wilm’s stamina has already surpassed what I once believed to be the upper limit: 1200.

Even McQueen, now fully matured this year, never reached that level.

In fact, across every record I’ve seen in any medium, no other Uma Musume has ever pushed a single stat this high.

It’s the product of her unique constitution combined with my so-called “cheat” level of management—an exceptional status born from the fusion of the two.

In short-distance races, starting speed and early acceleration techniques are paramount. But in long-distance races, raw physical ability—especially stamina and grit—matters more.

In that sense, this race should be overwhelmingly favorable for Wilm.

"But the rivals are strong again this time, aren’t they?"

"Yeah. They are."

Responding to her words—spoken with something close to anticipation—I placed three thick stacks of documents detailing the other entrants onto the desk with a solid thud.

Once I confirmed the three of them had begun reading, I picked up the marker and wrote on the whiteboard.

"Our greatest threat is, without question, Mejiro McQueen.

Like you, she’s a stayer, with top-class stamina and a refined physique.

Her strategy is almost always to take the lead and break away. Thanks to her stamina, her mid-race pace is exceptionally fast. Most other girls can’t keep up, and she often ends up running alone. Last autumn’s Tenno Sho is a perfect example."

I drew a circle next to Mejiro McQueen’s name.

McQueen is a runner who relies primarily on physical strength.

As if to prove the nobility of her bloodline and the talent she was born with, she doesn’t rely on tricks—she wins with her body.

Her running style may lack a single defining edge. But it also lacks any obvious weakness.

That means any Uma Musume inferior in stamina will find it exceedingly difficult to defeat her.

…Conversely, that means Wilm—who surpasses her physically—has the advantage.

It reminds me of Tokai Teio last year, before she shed her overconfidence and began relying on more layered tactics.

"And the next one to watch is Tokai Teio.

Her aptitude for this distance is a step below, but when it matters most, her explosive power isn’t something to dismiss. Both you and I have suffered because of her more than once."

"Suffered? I’d say I enjoyed it."

"You did. …Her strategy is also to take the lead and break away, but unlike McQueen, she improvises heavily. In pure threat level, she’s slightly below McQueen—but in terms of unpredictability, she’s far more dangerous."

I marked a triangle next to Tokai Teio’s name.

This year’s Teio is different. There’s no complacency left in her.

She won’t underestimate Wilm. If anything, she’ll approach this as a challenger and use every tactic available to corner us.

In terms of scheming, she’s close to Nature. But unlike Nature, who builds strategies on data and logic, Teio runs on instinct—her genius.

That makes her race plans frustratingly difficult to predict.

…Even so.

Surely this Tenno Sho will be too harsh for Tokai Teio.

She’s up against Wilm, whose stamina exceeds 1200, and Mejiro McQueen, who surpasses 1100.

If she tries to match the pace of two stamina monsters in the longest race in the country, she’ll inevitably run out of gas.

…Right?

There’s no way that’s possible.

Probably.

At least… statistically speaking.

After boxing in the two names together, I wrote several more around them.

"These two will likely be the biggest obstacles—and rivals—in this year’s Tenno Sho. But of course, they’re not the only entrants.

There’s Heart Blow Up, a regular G1 contender with quite the history against you—from the Yayoi Sho and Satsuki Sho to the Kikuka Sho and even the recent Osaka Cup.

Yggdra Valley, who’s been steadily rising and hasn’t fallen out of the top five in the past year.

Daisangen, who displayed a terrifying finishing kick in last year’s Arima Kinen.

Mejiro Palmer, who will likely contest the lead with you.

And others as well—Elegant General and Casual Snap are also scheduled to run."

As expected of one of the Eight Great Races—the prestigious Tenno Sho.

This year’s lineup is nothing short of spectacular.

…Even so.

There’s no doubt the one standing at the center of it all—the one commanding the greatest presence—is her.

"It’s going to be a fierce race. McQueen aside, Teio is hard to read, and the others won’t stay quiet either.

But I believe we can win—you and I. Let’s show our rivals and the fans the kind of run we always deliver… and more."

"Yes!"

Wilm nodded, her face brimming with motivation and fulfillment.

…All right. That should do it for Wilm.

Truthfully, she doesn’t need excessive intervention right now.

Her mental state is complete.

She enjoys running and gives it her full focus, yet never forgets to savor the small moments of everyday life.

As a racing Uma Musume, it would be difficult to find someone in a better state than she is now.

Physically, too.

There are no serious conditioning issues, and her growth remains steady.

Right now, she can run toward tomorrow without unnecessary guidance from me.

If anything… it feels like I’m the one being pulled forward by her.

So there’s no need for further words.

All that remains is for the two of us to craft the optimal run of Hoshino Wilm.

---

Now then, on the other hand—

Mihono Bourbon’s mental state is not yet complete.

Well, that’s only natural.

She’s still a second-year in middle school—only two years removed from carrying a randoseru backpack.

Compared to Wilm, her physique is so well-developed it’s easy to forget, but Mihono Bourbon is still at an age that can rightly be called a child.

In fact, it’s rarer for someone her age to be fully formed. More often than not, they’re still searching.

At the same time, she’s at what would normally be considered adolescence.

But in her case, perhaps because her emotional expression is faint to begin with, she hasn’t shown much of the typical rebellious volatility.

Then again, Wilm isn’t much different. She doesn’t flaunt the self-assertion or craving for validation so common in girls her age.

If anything, she carries a mental maturity beyond her years.

…Ah.

There’s more circumstantial evidence piling up again.

No. There’s no point in thinking about that now.

In any case, Mihono Bourbon is what you’d call an easy child—one with little rebelliousness.

But that also means her emotional development is still incomplete, and her intrinsic motivation to run remains low.

At least until the Satsuki Sho, her reasons for running were simple: “To win the Classic Triple Crown” and “Because Master ordered it.”

Frankly, that’s not an ideal state for a racing Uma Musume.

Her life doesn’t end with the Classic Triple Crown.

Beyond that lie more races—the Senior Class.

And eventually, the Dream Trophy League.

Even after she retires from racing, a long, long stretch of life awaits her.

The path she lives and runs must ultimately be chosen by her own will.

If she continues running solely based on a childhood goal or someone else’s instructions, she’ll surely regret it someday.

In that sense, just as I did with Wilm last year, this is a problem I need to help her resolve.

Improving Bourbon’s running will require this kind of emotional growth.

And the role of a contracted trainer isn’t just to shape them as racing Uma Musume, but to face them as the young women they are.

That’s why I opened my mouth and asked Bourbon:

"Next up is your Japan Derby… but before that, let me ask you something.

How was the Satsuki Sho?"

It was a deliberately vague question—one open to interpretation.

But Bourbon gave me exactly the kind of answer I had hoped for.

"If asked how it was, I would describe it as a narrow victory.

It was not that I was careless. However, Rice Shower exhibited approximately 188% of her projected output. As a result, I was significantly pressured and lost my margin.

I once again apologize for violating Master’s order."

"It’s fine. My instructions—my orders—are simply plans meant to maximize your chances of victory. If you can secure a win you’re satisfied with, you don’t have to follow them to the letter."

"However, without Master’s orders, we racing Uma Musume cannot run correctly.

In my case especially, while I am capable of arranging data and performing calculations, I am not adept at constructing an appropriate race plan based on them. I would like to continue receiving orders from Master, who can view the race from a broader perspective."

"Of course. Leave it to me. As your trainer, I’ll do what I must."

With that, the matter of Bourbon’s late surge was settled.

Though honestly, it wasn’t even reckless enough to call it “losing control.” There was no real need for her to apologize.

The “target speed” I had given her was set at a comfortable pace.

More precisely, it was calibrated to allow her to exhaust her stamina perfectly by the finish.

Racing Uma Musume possess what could be described as “grit”—a threshold that allows them to keep running even after their stamina has technically run dry.

And thanks to all her repeated hill training, Bourbon’s grit is noticeably higher than her other stats.

Even if she pushed a little too hard, she had enough buffer to compensate.

As for the speed she reached in that final surge, it was still within her statistical maximum.

Unlike Wilm in the Derby or the Takarazuka Kinen, she wasn’t forcing herself beyond her limits.

That’s why I had no intention of reprimanding her for the final 200-meter sprint.

If anything, what she felt in that moment was what truly mattered.

"Now then. I won’t criticize you for that… but Bourbon, what about the matter you consulted me about before?"

"Yes. I will report."

After nodding once, Bourbon spoke in her usual nearly expressionless tone—though there was a faint heat behind her words.

"It was as Master said.

After consulting with Hoshino Wilm-senpai and running in the Satsuki Sho, I recognize that I was indeed able to perceive ‘enjoyment’ in racing."

Hearing that, I shifted my gaze from Bourbon to Wilm.

She wore a smug grin that practically said, “I did it,” and gave me a discreet thumbs-up where Bourbon couldn’t see.

Well… yes.

It’s true I nudged you—guided you into taking action.

And you met my expectations.

No—you exceeded them threefold, stoking Rice Shower’s competitive fire and awakening her right to the brink of our projections.

---

The day I visited Bourbon’s family home—

When she asked me, “How can I learn to enjoy running?” I answered, “Find it yourself. And if you can’t, ask Wilm.”

Then later that night, after speaking with Wilm in the trainer’s office, I made a single request.

"Normally, this isn’t something I should ask of you, but when you feel like it, I’d like you to keep an eye on Rice Shower—just like before."

There was only one reason for taking those actions.

To strengthen Rice Shower as Mihono Bourbon’s rival.

There is only one condition for a racing Uma Musume to truly enjoy a race:

There must be someone in that race who stands on the same stage as her—someone who can press her closely, or even surpass her.

Last year’s Wilm was a textbook example.

She was so overwhelmingly strong that no one could keep up with her. And that’s precisely why she found “heat” in Nature, who refused to give up, and in Teio, who steadily closed the gap on her.

So I decided to do the same thing this year.

To prepare a rival—an Uma Musume capable of pushing Mihono Bourbon to the brink.

…And as someone reincarnated into this world, I knew.

There was only one Uma Musume of her generation who could truly corner Mihono Bourbon.

The record-breaking jet-black assassin.

Or perhaps, the hero who makes a blue rose bloom—for someone’s sake.

The blessedly named Uma Musume, Rice Shower.

No one was more suitable than her.

And so, I resolved to shape her—

Into the key player who would allow Mihono Bourbon to truly enjoy racing.

Into her one and only rival.

However, there was one problem.

Recent observations made it clear that Rice Shower had become visibly over-invested.

I wasn’t her contracted trainer, so I couldn’t pry too deeply into the details. Still, it seemed that—while not as severe as Wilm had been last year—Rice was developing a growing impatience, born from the obsessive thought: “I have to win.”

On top of that, her trainer appeared to be struggling to draw out Rice Shower’s full potential and hadn’t guided her toward the thorough mark-and-chase strategy she should have been employing.

…Though, to be fair, perhaps I’m the unusual one. Thanks to knowledge carried over from my previous life—and my ability to see status parameters—I can naturally calculate optimal strategies.

In any case, as she was now, Rice Shower couldn’t become Mihono Bourbon’s true rival.

Correcting her tactics was important.

But what she urgently needed was emotional stability.

And the best person for that role was Wilm—the one closest to Rice Shower.

At present, Wilm and I were each backing Bourbon and Rice respectively, engaged in what was essentially a friendly proxy war over which of them would win.

Of course, it was all in good fun. Wilm wasn’t fully siding with Rice. Her stance was more like, “If Rice is troubled, I’ll listen—and I’ll teach her what I can.” Fundamentally, she was still cheering for Bourbon.

…However.

Wilm may not look it, but she’s incredibly sensitive.

As she spent each day witnessing Bourbon’s innate goodness, she began wearing an expression that seemed to say, “I feel like I’m doing something bad to Bourbon-chan…”

That wouldn’t do.

A gloomy look doesn’t suit Wilm.

What suits her far better is that slightly mischievous grin of hers—though lately, perhaps because she’s been smiling more often, it’s grown much cuter.

So—

While strengthening Rice Shower as Mihono Bourbon’s rival…

I also wanted to give Wilm an excuse.

“Helping Rice-chan will ultimately be for Bourbon-chan’s sake.”

And so, I entrusted the matter of Rice Shower to her.

Well, “entrusted” might be overstating it. I never said anything outright.

I merely nudged her lightly, thinking, It would be nice if she moved in that direction.

Judging from Wilm’s expression now, my intent seems to have gotten across almost perfectly.

As expected—her perceptiveness is second to none. I, who often get scolded by Masa for being dense, can only envy that.

…And as a small bonus—

I was just a little happy that we were on the same wavelength.

---

And so, my little scheme succeeded.

I discreetly gave Wilm a quick thumbs-up in thanks and resumed the discussion.

"Now then, Mihono Bourbon. Please provide a detailed report on the ‘enjoyment’ you felt."

"Yes."

She fixed her gaze steadily on my eyes and began to speak.

"I first detected ‘it’ with 634 meters remaining.

Upon sensing the pressure of an approaching Uma Musume from behind, I registered the presence of an ‘unknown heat’ arising within me.

This ‘heat’ repeatedly disrupted my pacing calculations and caused premature acceleration. As the distance between myself and the second-place runner decreased, its output further increased.

At 182 meters remaining, thermal limits were reached. I ceased stamina calculations and initiated a full-speed sprint."

As always, her memory is astounding—and her phrasing complicated.

Fortunately, I’m used to both.

The real issue lies beyond that.

"What did you think about it?"

At my question, she closed her eyes for several seconds in contemplation before speaking again.

"…At first, I judged this ‘heat’ to be malignant noise interfering with my running, and attempted to suppress it.

However, after the race concluded, I told Rice-san, ‘Let’s run again. I’m looking forward to the next race.’

From this, I infer that I was unconsciously enjoying racing against Rice Shower. I recognize that the ‘heat’ that erupts when running with her corresponds to the emotion Wilm-senpai often describes as ‘enjoying the race.’"

"I see."

…Strictly speaking, that ‘heat’ itself probably isn’t enjoyment.

The heat Mihono Bourbon feels is her racing instinct as an Uma Musume—the intensely personal desire not to lose to anyone, to run faster than anyone else.

It may sound like wordplay, but becoming absorbed in that heat is likely what it means to “enjoy running.”

In truth, Bourbon—who had always been intoxicated by that heat—might have been enjoying racing all along.

But that’s fine.

What matters is that she herself realized, “I am enjoying racing,” and chose to define it that way.

At last, she had taken her first important step.

To be honest, whether Bourbon would reach that realization was something of a gamble.

With Wilm’s help, she managed to perceive it.

And I won that bet.

I exhaled softly in relief.

Bourbon placed a hand over her chest and spoke.

"Accordingly, I request permission to exercise my ‘Reward Right,’ Master."

"What is it?"

"In addition to the objective ‘Achieve the Classic Triple Crown,’ I wish to register a sub-objective: ‘Defeat Rice Shower in the Kikuka Sho.’"

"Hmm."

When I silently asked her intent with my gaze, she answered—faint flames flickering deep within her eyes.

"At 2000 meters, Rice Shower reduced the gap to two and a half lengths.

At 3000 meters—the distance of the Kikuka Sho—I will likely be at a disadvantage.

There, I wish to defeat her. And in doing so, fulfill both my father’s dream and the goal I share with you, Master.

That is my… Mihono Bourbon’s second new dream."

…In other words:

“I nearly lost. It frustrates me. So next time, I want to defeat her decisively—on ground that favors her.”

Honestly—

When Wilm and Bourbon get fired up, they’re both terrifying.

"Yeah… let’s do it.

You and I will defeat Rice Shower on the stage of the Chrysanthemum and claim an undeniable Triple Crown."

"Order acknowledged. Mihono Bourbon will redouble her efforts."