Chapter 152: You bunch of lolicons!

A few days after the Takarazuka Kinen, on a certain pleasant afternoon just after the rainy season had ended, a restrained sigh echoed through the trainer’s office.

“Haah……”

The one who let it out was none other than the living legend currently stirring up not only the Twinkle Series but the entire global racing Uma Musume scene—Hoshino Wilm.

Usually, she showed fans a bright, energetic personality full of confidence. But right now, her expression was clouded with gloom.

…Or rather, to be blunt, she was seriously depressed.

“Ah—um, Wilm…”

“…What is it?”

“Telling you to cheer up doesn’t feel quite right. It’s more like…”

“…It’s fine. Ayumu-san isn’t at fault. If anything, this is completely my fault… Just leave me alone for now. I’ll feel better in about an hour.”

Muttering listlessly, Wilm sat slumped on the sofa, completely drained. Masa, seated beside her, gently stroked her head in an attempt to lift her spirits—mental care, essentially—but… well, there wasn’t any visible effect.

A Wilm this down was a little refreshing, in a way. From what Masa had told me, she wasn’t always like this around others—but generally speaking, she was high-energy, so seeing her in such a low mood was pretty rare.

Since the Takarazuka Kinen, Wilm had started showing more emotional range, but those emotions mostly leaned toward joy, anger, and excitement. They rarely extended toward sadness. If anything, the period around the Arima Kinen might have counted—but I’d been unconscious myself back then.

As her contracted trainer, maybe this line of thought wasn’t ideal, but honestly, discovering an unfamiliar side of her brought me a certain amount of happiness. Ah, so she can get this down. She can lose motivation like this. And yet she still worries about others—she’s such a kind girl… It felt like I’d discovered a new side of Wilm, and that made me glad.

…But setting aside Horino Ayumu’s personal feelings—

As her acting guardian, leaving her like this wouldn’t be right.

“Ah—I don’t want you to misunderstand. I really am happy you worked so hard, Wilm. The training menu leading up to the Takarazuka was pretty intense, and on top of that, you pushed yourself in studying—which you’re not good at—and got scores that high. As your trainer, I’m proud of that effort. It reminded me that you really can do it when you try.”

I tried saying various things to help her recover, but her gloomy atmosphere didn’t change at all.

If anything, the more I talked, the deeper she sank.

“‘Can do it when I try’… haha, yeah… Even though I don’t properly listen to explanations and can’t manage my schedule…”

“She worked incredibly hard,” Masa said. “It’s only natural she’d become a little distracted. If anything, my brother should have written everything out clearly and explained it more carefully, considering her situation.”

“Yeah. I think I lacked consideration,” I admitted. “So don’t blame yourself so much, Wilm.”

“…I know it’s bad to say this when you’re both being nice, but when you respond so maturely, it just makes me feel even more childish for being this upset, and I sink even deeper.”

Ah, no good. She was completely in depression mode.

Once negative thinking sinks in, anything people say just gets interpreted in the worst possible way… I know that from experience.

And in this case… Wilm really was somewhat at fault, which made comforting her even harder.

---

Wilm had ended up like this about ten minutes earlier.

After winning the Takarazuka Kinen, Wilm had become—both in name and reality—the strongest Uma Musume in Japan.

But of course, this wasn’t her one and only goal. If anything, in terms of challenging the world, you could say she had only just reached the starting line.

So, with a sense of fresh beginnings, we’d planned to discuss her future schedule as soon as her morning classes ended…

“Ayumu-san… I’m going to work really hard this summer!”

The moment she entered the trainer’s office, Wilm clenched her fists and looked up at me with determined eyes. I nodded, thinking—as always—my trainee’s motivation for running was high.

“Yeah. It’ll be hard training in unfamiliar territory, but let’s do our best. I’ll support you with everything I’ve got.”

“Ah—no, not that… huh?”

She tilted her head.

“Summer…? Won’t we be going over there in autumn?”

“No, summer. I told you, didn’t I? Once the Takarazuka Kinen is over, we’ll start preparations and leave as soon as your condition is ready.”

Crack.

Unless I’d misheard—or imagined it—I was pretty sure I’d just heard that sound from her face.

“…Huh? Um, then… the training camp?”

“It’s fine. I’ve already informed them. There’s no problem if you don’t attend.”

“Uh… the beach?”

“The beach? …Hmm, from our base over there, it’s about 100 kilometers away. Not impossible to visit, so if there’s something you need, tell me and I’ll adjust the schedule.”

“M-my swimsuit…”

“Swimsuit? …Indoor pool training? Of course, I’ve planned for that locally.”

“…T-the training camp…”

She fell silent, wearing a serious expression like she’d made some monumental discovery.

And then, a few seconds later, her shoulders slumped completely.

And that was how this situation had begun.

---

Now then—enough reminiscing. I needed to think about how to comfort Wilm.

To do that, I first had to consider why she was so depressed.

The keywords from earlier were: training camp, beach, swimsuit… and training camp again.

From that, it seemed Wilm had wanted to attend the camp. Probably.

The question was—why?

Scarcity? Interest in an event that only happens once a year?
Friend relationships? Maybe she’d promised something with Nature or Teio?
Something about the sea itself? Emotional attachment?
The swimsuit? Camp required the academy-issued competitive swimsuits—did she like those? No, she’d never shown signs of that…

…Wait.

Wilm. Training camp.

Right—last year, she had…

…I see. Got it.

Hoshino Wilm was the first Uma Musume in history to win the Takarazuka Kinen during her Classic year.

But that victory had come with one price.

A fractured leg.

After that tragic injury, she’d spent months in the hospital working desperately toward a Kikuka Sho comeback.

Naturally, she hadn’t been able to attend training camp. Overworking after being stimulated by other girls would have been dangerous.

In short—Wilm was probably the only Senior-class Uma Musume who had never attended the summer camp.

Considering her age, shared experiences and empathy among peers were obviously important.

She’d likely felt sad that she alone hadn’t gone to camp… hadn’t gone to the beach.

So when she learned she couldn’t go again this year, her spirits collapsed.

Yes. Even I had to admit—that was a pretty logical hypothesis.

Maybe passing the Hoshino Wilm Proficiency Test Level Pre-1 wasn’t so far off after all.

…Alright.

If that was the direction of her sadness, there might be a way to handle it.

It’d be improvised, and not a fundamental solution… but this kind of thing was about mood.

She’d been busy nonstop with races—so maybe a refresh would help.

“Alright then… Masa, can you cover things here for one day tomorrow?”

“Huh? Yeah, that’s fine, but…”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“?”

Wilm peeked at me. I smiled back, hoping she’d feel even a little better.

“We can’t do anything about this year’s camp… but we can at least make an opportunity to play near the water outside of training. Wilm, can I borrow your time tomorrow? It’s your day off.”

“Eh… ah—yes!”

---

Hoshino Wilm was probably among the most famous figures in the world right now.

Which meant the so-called “fame tax”—her actions were heavily restricted.

Water activities were a perfect example. Wilm could no longer play somewhere like that like an ordinary kid.

If she went to a public pool, it would cause a commotion. The ocean would be even worse.

The Tracen pool existed strictly for training, not recreation. And hospital rehab pools went without saying.

That left private rental pools… or personal pools attached to decent hotels.

But the former probably couldn’t be booked on such short notice, and the latter… were small. Too small for an Uma Musume like Wilm to swim properly.

Which meant there was only one way to create a safe, calm environment for her to swim.

And so, the day after Wilm fell into that gloomy mood—

With Wilm thoroughly disguised, we took a flight for several hours.

For the first time in a while, I returned to my family home in Kyushu.

The house looked almost unchanged from before.

In the slightly humid summer air, there was the refreshing scent of the forest—and the deafening chorus of cicadas that felt like it might burst your ears.

There were small repair marks on the gate, but still… it was unmistakably the home I knew.

“Um… sorry, this is late to ask, but… why are we at your parents’ house?”

Sweating a little, and oddly tense, Wilm asked. I realized I might not have explained yet, so I did so again.

“You’re a racing Uma Musume. And right now, you’re a top athlete and top idol drawing global attention.”

“That’s true?”

“…But at the same time, you’re a student. Just a normal girl. Even if you have those roles… it’s a bit cruel that you alone can’t experience things other girls get to enjoy.”

“Well… yeah. I guess that’s true. Though it can’t be helped.”

She tilted her head, wearing a faintly resigned expression.

That was one of her mature traits. She could reason things out—‘this can’t be helped,’ and accept it.

But children aren’t supposed to reason things out like that.

They’re supposed to just enjoy themselves.

"That’s why—while it won’t last two months like a training camp, and we can’t go to the ocean… I thought maybe we could at least spend one day playing by the water."

Honestly, I hadn’t expected Wilm to be interested in that kind of water play.

She was the type to choose running over entertainment every time. I’d assumed she’d say something like, “An overseas expedition will feel fresh! I’m looking forward to it!” like she usually did…

But she really was just a normal girl her age.

Missing out on a student festival-like event such as training camp had probably bothered her.

However, the overseas expedition—and her participation in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe—was now something all of Japan was hoping for. At this point, it wasn’t something that could be easily overturned.

Delaying the expedition now just because of her feelings… well, unless she strongly insisted, that option shouldn’t even be considered.

For the second year in a row, Wilm wouldn’t be able to attend training camp.

Unfortunately, that fact couldn’t be changed.

…If that was the case, then I wanted to prepare a small holiday in its place.

A rare opportunity where Hoshino Wilm could have fun without worrying about anyone watching her.

"So, with that said—once again. I’d like permission to use the family pool."

"Of course. If it’s for you and your trainee Uma Musume, use it freely.

…No matter what you think, you are a Horino trainer. That means you don’t need to ask me for permission every time you use this family’s facilities."

"Thank you very much."

After getting my father’s approval, I headed toward the changing room attached to the pool, bringing along Wilm, who had become stiff with nervousness.

"S-so this is what you meant… I see. A chance to play near the water…"

"Yeah. Well, there won’t be friends around, and it’s only for a short time, so I don’t know if it’ll satisfy you."

"N-no! Not at all! I mean—I'm happy! Actually, this works better for me…!"

Wilm waved her hands frantically, breaking into a goofy smile.

Almost none of the gloomy feelings she’d had yesterday remained.

Good. It seemed this had passed her approval.

---

The pool at the Horino estate was fairly large, with eight 50-meter lanes lined up side by side.

Since it was sometimes used for treatment or training by teams under Horino trainers, it was built spacious enough to accommodate multiple people without issues.

It was also kept in near-constant condition—water temperature, depth adjustments, cleaning—everything was maintained so it could be used anytime.

Apparently it hadn’t been used much recently…

Back when I was younger, I used to practice long-distance swimming here with my brother and Masa. That brought back memories.

Swimming was a required subject for trainers. After all, if a racing Uma Musume ever started drowning in the ocean, their trainer had to respond faster than anyone else.

For the record, times were always ranked by age. I never once beat my brother. I even lost to Masa a few times. Honestly depressing.

Thinking about that, I changed quickly in the locker room.

I didn’t plan on entering the pool myself, but wearing a tight suit in a play environment would feel excessive.

I put on a casual shirt and slacks, then headed poolside.

"Wilm… not here yet?"

The wide poolside area was empty except for me.

Well, just changing clothes versus changing into a swimsuit were probably different matters. And Masa had always taken time getting ready too. Women probably spent more time on grooming.

Though, considering it was supposed to be the academy-designated competitive swimsuit, I didn’t think there’d be much need for extra preparation…

Anyway, I wouldn’t be bored while waiting.

Today was a small holiday for Wilm.

There were plenty of things to prepare and confirm.

"Mom? …Yeah, please. Right. …Ah, for syrup, all the flavors for now. Yes, and yakisoba too. It’s apparently a classic."

While asking my mother for a few favors over the phone, I prepared towels, kickboards, a float just in case, and—going overboard—an oxygen inhaler…

"...Um."

A voice called out from the direction of the changing room.

No doubt—it was Wilm.

"Thanks, I appreciate it," I told my mother before hanging up and turning around.

And there she was.

Wilm—looking completely unfamiliar.

On her head was a wide-brimmed straw hat wrapped with a red ribbon.

A short, form-fitting tank-top-style top in light gray with yellow lines.

Matching sporty bottoms.

And over it all, a long, lightly transparent white shirt.

Wearing all that, Wilm’s face was redder than I had ever seen it, and she clutched the brim of her straw hat desperately, trying to hide her eyes.

"…………"

Seeing her like that, I was momentarily speechless.

I had words prepared beforehand.

I’d even rehearsed what I would say.

But the sight of Hoshino Wilm blew all of that away.

"...Um, is something… wrong?"

"Ah—no, yeah. Sorry. I was just a little surprised."

I had completely assumed she’d wear the school-issued competitive swimsuit.

I managed her schedule—she shouldn’t have had time to buy something like this.

And yet somehow, she had prepared it.

Standing in front of me was a swimsuit that felt incredibly natural—perfectly “her.”

And that surprised me…

…No. That wasn’t right. I shouldn’t distort the truth.

What surprised me wasn’t that she was wearing an unfamiliar swimsuit.

If I was honest—

I’d been captivated.

By her appearance in the swimsuit, and by the shy expression she wore with it.

This was a problem.

I thought I’d fallen for Wilm only because of her running and her personality…

Apparently, I could no longer escape accusations of being a lolicon.

…Honestly.

She was a young middle-school girl—and my trainee, at that.

Human emotions really were impossible to control.

Well, now that it had come to this, hiding my true feelings would be stranger.

In anything, good things should be praised as good. Whether art, fine cuisine, a racing Uma Musume’s abilities—or a girl’s appearance.

So I calmed myself, looked into the eyes she kept glancing toward me with, and spoke.

"Yeah. It suits you. You’re beautiful. Really."

Hearing my slightly awkward words, Wilm—

"—~~~~~!!"

A silent scream—if you could call it that—escaped her, and she completely hid her face behind her hat.

Ah, what a waste. That expression had been incredibly charming…

…No, that wasn’t the point right now.

What mattered was Wilm’s little vacation.

"So, what do you want to do? Want to start swimming?"

"I—I’m going for a swim!"

The moment she said that, Wilm dove straight into the pool with a splash.

"Hey—wait! Warm up first!"

"It’s fine! Really, I’m fine—just don’t look over here for about five minutes!"

W-why…?

My outstretched hand grasped nothing but air as Wilm began swimming at an absurd speed.

…Um, did I say something wrong again?

No, in this case, was she just embarrassed?

Or maybe there was something she wanted to do before swimming…?

This was hopeless. I didn’t understand. A maiden’s heart was far too complicated.

Apparently, my Hoshino Wilm Proficiency Test Pre-Level 1 was still a long way off.

---

True to her declaration, after about five minutes, Wilm seemed to have regained her composure somewhat.

"Ahh, wow—swimming freely like this after so long feels amazing! Hahaha…"

"You were doing pool training just last week."

"I mean swimming however I want, as much as I want! Also, I am not accepting nitpicky comments like that right now!!"

I had been watching her explosive—not running but swimming—performance from a chair by the poolside.

After climbing out of the pool, Wilm—soaked through—fanned her face with her hands and then sat down beside me a little awkwardly.

When I glanced over, she looked back with slightly anxious eyes.

"Ah… do you not like that I’m wet?"

"No, that’s not it… I was just thinking—seeing you again like this, you really are beautiful."

"Th-that’s enough! That’s really enough now! Thank you!"

She waved both hands frantically, telling me to stop.

Personally, I felt like I could praise her endlessly… but if she said stop, I’d stop.

Watching her shirt cling tightly to the swimsuit underneath might be… a bit much.

"Um, aren’t you going to swim, Ayumu-san?"

"Hmm… well, I didn’t really plan to."

"You should swim! It’s such a good opportunity!"

Maybe she was excited—her tail was wagging enthusiastically as she said it.

An opportunity… huh.

It was true that since leaving home, I hadn’t really had a chance to train swimming.

It might not be bad to see how much I’d rusted.

Just as I thought that—

"Eei!" she shouted, and a sudden cold sensation hit me.

"Whoa—!"

Looking down, I saw Wilm clinging to me from the side.

Naturally, the water soaking her body immediately seeped into my clothes.

She must have done it on purpose—Wilm looked up at me with a mischievous grin.

"Hehe, now you’re wet too! At this point, not swimming would be a waste!"

"...Honestly. Go wait in the pool. I’ll change into swimwear."

"Okaaay!"

With Wilm cheerfully raising one hand behind me, I stood up.

…For someone who normally didn’t act selfish, this was unexpected.

Maybe this really was helping relieve some stress.

---

After that, the two of us thoroughly enjoyed the pool.

"Ayumu-san, you’re slow~!"

"Hey now… whew. Please don’t compare me to an Uma Musume’s speed and stamina… I’m actually a pretty good swimmer—for a human."

"Come to think of it, that’s true. How far can humans usually swim anyway?"

"Hard to say… honestly, it’s been a while for me too, so I’m not sure…"

She absolutely demolished me in a 200-meter swim and teased me with a smug grin.

＊

"Whoa, this is…!"

"We can’t go to the ocean, but I wanted to recreate it as much as possible. I heard that when people think of the sea, they think of yakisoba, shaved ice, and grilled seafood—so I prepared some."

"Ooooh, amazing…! I’ve never seen something like this before! Thank you for the food!"

"Yeah, I’ll eat too."

"Mmg—wow, this is delicious! Seriously, this yakisoba is insanely good! Actually, it’s too good! Isn’t food at the beach supposed to be more… junky!?"

"...I guess I forgot to specify the quality."

"Well, if it tastes good, that’s fine! Can I get seconds?"

We ate lunch by the poolside.

＊

"…By the way, apparently shaved-ice syrups all taste basically the same—the only differences are color and fragrance."

"Ehh?! Really?!"

"Apparently. Here—Blue Hawaii. Say ah."

"Ah, um… okay… ah."

"Well?"

"...Um… maybe it does taste the same?"

"Why are you phrasing it like a question?"

"I mean, I’m flustered, and it’s cold, so my sense of taste is a bit… oh, is that why people don’t notice?"

"Ah, that makes sense. That’s a little sneaky."

"Well, it’s festival food, right? The mood is what matters most."

We chatted about silly things over dessert.

＊

"Ayumu-san, you actually have a pretty nice physique… Do you train?"

"Moderately. I maintain minimum muscle strength, but most of it is from past training."

"Can you really get that lean just from past training?"

"Hmm… well, I considered physical conditioning part of my duty as a trainer. I worked pretty hard back then."

"Ahh, I see…"

"Wilm, you’re the same, aren’t you? You worked hard for years to get where you are now."

"That’s true… When you put it that way, we’re kind of similar?"

"Yeah. There are a lot of ways I can relate to you. Plenty of differences too, though."

"Wait, that’s a good thing, right? Like we complement each other?"

＊

"So, what do you think of my swimming form, Ayumu-san?"

"It’s not bad. Not great either."

"That’s such a lukewarm evaluation…"

"Well, your specialty is running. There’s no need to force corrections."

"That may be true… What about my running?"

"Perfect. As expected of my Wilm."

"Ehehe…"

"Gotcha!"

"Wah—!"

"That’s payback for earlier."

We talked leisurely in the water, then suddenly started splashing each other.

And like that, we spent the whole day playing—completely forgetting about training.

By the time the evening sun began to set, Wilm’s gloomy expression had completely vanished.

"Ahh, that was so fun! Thank you, Ayumu-san! I’m totally satisfied!"

"Whew… I’m glad."

Honestly, keeping up with the stamina of an Uma Musume had been pretty tough…

"Alright! Let’s give it our all on the overseas expedition!!"

Seeing Wilm raise her fist with a bright smile made all the effort worth it.

…Now then.

This was probably the right moment.

Today had been Wilm’s holiday—a temporary break.

Which meant… before tomorrow’s training resumed, there was one thing I should tell her.

"Wilm."

"Yes?"

"Before we leave for the overseas expedition, let’s do one mock race."

"A mock race?"

Wilm tilted her head slightly, and I—

grinned.

"Yeah. The opponent you’ve been wanting is finally available.

Before we go overseas, let’s settle it… which is faster—the undefeated Triple Crown of the past, or the undefeated Triple Crown of the present."