Chapter 17: Inside the ice

Compared to Hokkaido, Kanto is definitely much warmer. By mid-March, the temperature starts to rise little by little, and it’s no longer common to shiver every time you open the windows to air the room out. That said, it’s still plainly cold. Hoshino Wilm, for one, makes a faintly displeased face just from resting her hand against the trainer room window.

And so, in this early spring when the weather is gradually warming, I’m in my private room at the trainer dorms, on the phone with a certain person.

"This is about a colleague of mine. …I can’t go into details, so it’ll have to be a summary. Is that okay?"

"No problem."

"Thanks."

From the smartphone pressed to my ear comes a familiar male voice. Unlike mine, his tone is calm and gentle—the kind of voice that naturally puts people at ease. A professional’s voice… no, that’s probably just a habit of his. Today, more than anything, it’s simply warm and filled with affection, the kind reserved for family.

The person on the other end of the call is my older brother.

My brother—the eldest son of the Horino family—can be summed up in one phrase: a cerebral overachiever. His physical abilities are below average, but his intellect and mental resilience are exceptional.

I’ve studied hard myself to become a trainer, but I can’t compete with the sheer breadth of my brother’s knowledge. His work has made him particularly well-versed in medicine and psychology, and on top of that, he’s accumulated roughly the same level of trainer-related knowledge as I have. Even so, he’s never been a pure armchair intellectual, and he never neglects fieldwork. That’s an area where I fall short—and something I truly want to learn from him.

On top of all that, he’s a saint with a capital S. He lives by the belief that kindness always comes back around, rushing to help whenever someone’s in trouble. He’s a great listener, a great talker, and he never loses his smile. Ordinarily, you might suspect that someone like that is just a superficial people-pleaser… but after living with him for nearly fifteen years, I can say this with confidence. My brother is genuinely like that. That’s exactly why I respect him so much.

Despite this, my brother didn’t follow the Horino family’s usual path and chose a road other than becoming a trainer. "Rather than training Uma Musume, I want a job that heals both people and Uma Musume," he said, choosing instead to become a medical professional. When our parents first heard this, they had plenty to say, but once they realized how firm his resolve was, they supported and encouraged him wholeheartedly.

Ours is a family that’s honestly full of saints. Our father is a bit stubborn, but he’s a trainer worthy of respect. Our mother truly understands her children. And my brother is exactly as I’ve described. …The exceptions are me and my younger sister. Compared to the rest of the Horinos, I’m a complete mess, and my sister started getting a bit rough around the edges around the age of ten.

About ten years passed after he first set his sights on that dream. My brother studied relentlessly, and as a natural result, he achieved it. Now he’s apparently working as an insurance physician at a regional training center. I hear he’s incredibly popular as a reliable doctor. …As his younger brother, I can’t help but worry that one day an Uma Musume might fall for his charm and we’ll end up with one of those so-called “umapyoi incidents.” He’s physically frail, after all—if someone pushed him down, he probably couldn’t resist.

In any case, my brother supports both trainers and Uma Musume, mentally and physically. He’s continuing to live out his dream in a way that truly makes me proud to call him my brother.

Because of that, I go to him for advice fairly often. Most of what I’ve studied concerns the physical side of Uma Musume and training methods; I’m nowhere near as knowledgeable when it comes to mental health or medicine. A little knowledge can be dangerous, after all, and if there’s a true specialist available, it’s better to rely on them.

That’s why I was asking my brother for advice again today. …Though this time, the subject was more complicated than usual.

The topic, of course, was Hoshino Wilm. …Or, more precisely, her past. What she told me was something she only revealed because she trusted me. Even if it’s for her sake, it’s not the kind of thing that should be shared lightly. So I had to keep her as far removed from the discussion as possible, wrapping it up as the story of a fictional person.

Which is why a “colleague” had to take one for the team.

"He apparently grew up in a somewhat unusual family environment. So here’s what I want to ask. Is it possible for a parent not to love their child… or rather, to love their spouse so much that there’s nothing left to direct toward the child? Is that kind of situation realistic?"

"…It’s rare, but it can happen. Humans are instinctively inclined to love their own children. However, there are exceptions—for example, if the child was unwanted and resentment builds, if the parent’s self-love is so strong that they prioritize themselves, or, as you said, if their love for their wife or husband is overwhelmingly intense. The idea that parents always protect their children isn’t absolute. It’s only a tendency."

His answer makes me nod quietly. Just as I thought.

…That day. In the beautiful cemetery, when Hoshino Wilm spoke haltingly about her past.

I felt a powerful sense that something was off.

The first half wasn’t strange. …No, I think she described what happened back then accurately, through her own perspective. But the latter half—the death of her father… or rather, just before that, when she said her father had grown brighter. From that point on, nothing quite added up.

He would pat her head every time she won a race. The more she won, the more affection she was given. So she had to win.

It didn’t fully make sense. …The core that should have run through those words—the unspoken meaning between the lines—was missing.

She wasn’t lying. She was probably telling me her honest feelings. …It’s simple, really. She still can’t accept that reality.

He would pat her head every time she won a race. …So if she lost, he wouldn’t pat her head? The more she won, the more affection she was given. …So if she lost, she wouldn’t receive any love? So she had to win. …But why?

Why did she carry that obsession? Why was she so terrified of losing?

There’s only one plausible explanation. …At some point—after suffering defeat, or perhaps after choosing not to pursue victory—something must have happened. She wasn’t patted on the head. She didn’t receive love. Or perhaps she stopped receiving it altogether. To use her own words, maybe her father “grew dark again.”

"…Next question. Let’s say a man loses the wife he loved and, as a result, becomes indifferent toward his child. Then, later on, when the child achieves success, he suddenly starts praising them. What kind of psychology would be at work in the father at that point?"

"That would be… well, based only on that information. That father doesn’t love the child. Rather, it would be more accurate to say that he loves the traces of his lost spouse—the person she gave birth to, what she left behind, or perhaps an ability that reminds him of her. Through those things, he’s loving the spouse who’s gone. It’s what we call compensatory behavior."

I imagine it. I simulate it. I force that life and those emotions down into my mind.

If I had a beloved wife of my own.

She was frail—so delicate that if I let my guard down even slightly, it felt as though she might be taken up to heaven at any moment. And yet, I loved her deeply. So deeply that I wouldn’t hesitate to pour hundreds of millions into supporting her.

Between that wife and me, a crystallization of love was born.

Unlike my beloved, that child was clearly a gifted prodigy. A sudden mutation blessed with innate talent, born from a sickly woman.

…And my beloved came to hate that child.

My beloved wife dies.

Despair. Fear. Loss.

…At that moment, what would I feel toward my own child?

After that, the child proves their innate talent.

I acknowledge it. I praise it. I pat their head. I comfort them.

A compensatory act. Loving the spouse who is gone through something of that child.

Through what, exactly?

…Talent, then.

A physically gifted talent left behind by my deceased wife.

Hoshino Wilm’s father loved her.

Only her talent.

Through that, did he love not Hoshino Wilm herself, but the now-deceased wife who had given birth to that talent?

"…I see. I think I’ve got it now. Thanks, big brother."

"I’m glad if I could help you even a little. …Oh, more importantly—are you eating properly? You’ve had that bad habit since you were young, you know, getting so absorbed in things that you forget to sleep and eat. Has that improved lately? You can’t do that—you’ll corner yourself both physically and mentally. If you’re going to support your assigned Uma Musume, you need to take care of your own health first. Knowing you, I’m sure you’re exercising properly, but even that becomes a burden if you overdo it. For the sake of maintaining your condition, you need to balance meals, exercise, and sleep. Oh—are you sleeping properly? Remember how you once studied so much you only slept three hours a day? That was really bad for you. Make sure you get six hours a night, preferably seven and a half, and on your days off, get a solid nine hours of sleep. Okay? There was a paper published recently, actually, about that segmented sleep you used to do, and—"

I ended the call.

"It’s you who never changes, you know…"

At his core, my brother is a complete superhuman. His knowledge of Uma Musume physiology rivals mine—perhaps even surpasses it—and in every other field, he completely outclasses me. He isn’t especially strong physically, but mentally he’s resilient and flexible. He’s handsome, too, and absurdly popular.

…And yet, whenever it comes to me, he turns into a hopelessly overprotective older brother. I don’t really understand it, but he’s incredibly fond of me. He directs an affection toward me that goes even deeper than his usual altruism. Honestly, I have no idea why. I don’t remember ever doing anything that remarkable.

Was it that time when I was about three and made a flower crown in the yard? I’d spent something like five hours on it as a small token of thanks, since he’d taken care of me endlessly up until then. It was after that that he started fussing over me more than usual. But would that really be enough to earn that level of affection…? Seriously, what is it…? Kind of scary…

Anyway, setting my brother aside for now.

Right now, Hoshino Wilm takes absolute priority.

"…This makes things clear."

Why does Hoshino Wilm fear defeat?

Where does that “cold” expression of hers come from?

She wasn’t loved by her father.

…No—rather, it’s because the long-desired love she once received was taken away.

I don’t know whether she lost a race or chose not to run. But the moment her act of proving her talent by winning races was interrupted, the supply of love was cut off. That’s why she had to win races to be loved. By winning regularly, she had to prove to her father—and to herself—that she was worthy of love.

That’s likely how conditioning took place, much like Pavlov’s dogs. Win a race, receive love. Repeat it again and again. And just as a dog eventually salivates at the sound of a bell even without food… even without receiving love, she came to strive to win races regardless.

That is the source of her desperation.

Proof that she is worthy of being loved.

…A proof of her own existence, born from the desire for love.

"‘At the cost of her life.’ Risking her life to be loved, huh. Even that phrase—‘to offer up one’s life’—fits this interpretation…"

It’s a plausible explanation. There’s no definitive proof, but the circumstantial evidence points to this being the core of her psychological flaw.

Talent and effort.

It goes without saying that when both are present, an Uma Musume grows strong. But more often than not, those with talent neglect effort, because talent alone allows them to win without pushing themselves. Conversely, those without talent must exert themselves to the extreme just to compete.

It isn’t exactly a contradiction, but it’s rare for both to coexist.

Seen from that perspective, it’s only natural that Hoshino Wilm is strong. Her overwhelming talent, combined with the effort she continued at the cost of her life—there’s no one who could beat her when she possesses both.

The problem is that even if she proves herself that way now… it no longer holds any meaning.

There is no salvation in her world. The parent who should have loved her rejected her—or merely evaluated her. The people around her did nothing but exclude her as an aberration. Even the love she finally received was counterfeit, directed elsewhere. She was only half-conditioned, and then the one who had been giving that love disappeared as well.

There is no salvation. No way out. From beginning to end, she has no one who truly understands her.

That’s why—

"I’m not telling you to win a G1. I’m not telling you to win a graded race. You only need to be a human who stands beside an Uma Musume. And at the same time, be the light that guides her. That is the kind of trainer the Horino family strives to be."

What I—the Horino family’s trainer—must do has already been decided. From the very beginning, to the very end… it’s been decided all along.

To cut open that cold world of yearning. To break the curse of conditioning imposed by her father. To return to her the heat dwelling in her heart—the joy an Uma Musume is meant to feel.

And then…

To make her want to run of her own will. To let her enjoy racing so much that a smile spills out before she can stop it. That is the final goal of Hoshino Wilm’s training.

To achieve that, the people and Uma Musume around her must grow close to her and pour their affection into her. To make her believe that even if she doesn’t win, she still has value—that it’s okay for her to be here. And at the same time… to give her the “ultimate race.” To prepare a race so intense that even the frozen version of her during competition will sincerely wish for victory from the bottom of her heart.

"…In the end, there’s only one choice."

There is a race called the Takarazuka Kinen.

The Arima Kinen, held at the end of the year, is often called the ultimate showdown to determine the strongest of the year. In contrast, the Takarazuka Kinen is known as the ultimate showdown of the first half of the year. In my previous life’s app, it was treated as nothing more than a convenient race before summer camp to farm skill points… but in this world, the Takarazuka Kinen isn’t that lenient.

It’s a joint G1 race between the Classic and Senior classes—the first G1 middle-distance race where Classic-class Uma Musume can face Senior-class competitors. Confident Classic-class runners challenge it… and without exception, they fall.

There is no record of a Classic-class Uma Musume ever winning the Takarazuka Kinen.

The reason is simple. Uma Musume truly begin to see their stats surge after reaching full maturity. Even if a Classic-class Uma Musume matures as early as possible, they’ve only had a year and a half to get there. Senior-class runners, on the other hand, have had a full two and a half years devoted to training.

That’s nearly twice the time. The difference in time spent building the body is enormous. In game terms, it’s like sending a level 50 character into a battle royale against more than ten level 100 enemies. Winning would be the unnatural outcome.

"Still, if the schedules only line up there, then there’s nothing to be done."

Hoshino Wilm, who boasts overwhelming ability within her generation, might not obtain the “ultimate race” she needs by competing only against other Classic-class Uma Musume. If there were any hope, it would be Tokai Teio or Nice Nature. But Tokai Teio’s awakening lacks certainty… and facing Nice Nature would mean the Kikuka Sho. If an accident occurred and she withdrew, there would be nothing we could do.

So we have no choice but to challenge those above her.

Until now, Hoshino Wilm has secured steady victories through sheer statistical dominance. This time, that approach won’t work. If she enters the Takarazuka Kinen, it will likely be an uphill battle in terms of raw stats. Her advantages would probably be limited to stamina and grit; in other areas, she would inevitably fall short against the elite seniors.

At present, among the named contenders showing intent to enter the Takarazuka Kinen are Mejiro McQueen and Mihono Bourbon—no, Rice Shower—no, Mejiro Ryan. All of them are top-tier Uma Musume. McQueen in particular is a pure stayer who competes in the Tenno Sho. While their strategies differ, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call her a superior version of Hoshino Wilm.

…And then, she will be there too.

The greatest and strongest Uma Musume I know.

Hoshino Wilm’s chances of winning are… low. Even being generous, maybe around five percent.

But even if she loses, I still have a responsibility to show her that world. And no matter how unfavorable the battle may be, believing in the victory of your assigned Uma Musume is a trainer’s job.

…Honestly. Forcing an unreasonable race on her, and then believing in her victory anyway—what an outrageous villain that makes me. A trainer… no, I really am an egotistical bastard.

Now then, March has passed its midpoint. Today is finally the day of the mock race Hoshino Wilm has been looking forward to.

…Still, this is strange. Even if we held a mock race at this time of year, I was expecting maybe ten participants at most. Yet somehow, we’re up to eighteen runners. How did this happen?

Well, I know the reason well enough. Hoshino Wilm has become famous in all sorts of ways… a bit too famous, really. What makes it worse is that she herself doesn’t seem fully aware of it.

Every time there’s an interview or some coverage, I stand beside her praying, “Please don’t say anything reckless.” And almost every time, my prayers go unanswered.

"Hey, Horino."

"Ah… how’s Nature doing?"

As the Uma Musume line up at the starting gate, I exchange words with a fellow trainer from my cohort who’s walked over. …He looks worn out. Yeah, he’s definitely been pushing himself—his eyes are blinking constantly, too. Did he pull an all-nighter? I toss him a canned coffee I’d brought along. He smiles, says "Thanks," and pops it open right away.

"Nature’s in top form. We’ve tuned her up properly for today."

"…This isn’t official, you know. You’re not mistaking it for an actual race, are you?"

"If Hoshino Wilm is running, then that’s Nature’s main battlefield."

Disturbingly enough, the Nature camp has been thoroughly marking Hoshino Wilm.

In this generation, if your goal was even the Classic Triple Crown, there used to be only one rival to fear. A young prodigy tearing across the turf with innate talent—Tokai Teio, and her alone. …That was how things were supposed to be.

You don’t need the absolute best talent to win. There’s no such thing as certainty in racing. As if to prove that, a third star of the generation appeared. Nice Nature has now firmly become Hoshino Wilm’s rival.

Being marked this heavily by an Uma Musume like that is honestly a little frightening. …Well, at least for today’s race, it won’t be too much of an issue.

"So how’s Hoshino Wilm?"

"Just like yours—top form. Calm and unshakable, as always."

"I see. Sounds like we’re both in for a good race."

That said, Hoshino Wilm never drops in form during races. I figured that out in the recent Yayoi Sho. Even if she’s merely in good condition beforehand, right before the start she shifts into peak condition.

This is probably another effect of her “at-the-cost-of-her-life” condition. She cuts away unnecessary thoughts and emotional fluctuations, focuses solely on the race, and pours everything she has into it. As a result, the factors dragging her condition down disappear, and she reaches peak form. That must be how she recovered during the mock race against Teio and Nature as well.

Learning this is huge. Knowing that things will work out even if she plunges into terrible form right before a race does wonders for my peace of mind. Injuries or physical issues are another matter, of course—but that’s something I can manage, so it’s not a problem.

"How do you think today’s race will play out?"

"I’d say all eyes will be on Hoshino Wilm and Nice Nature. How the others respond to those two, and how far ahead they can pull away—that’s the crux of this mock race."

"…Hoshino Wilm seemed particularly wary of Twin Turbo. Is it because they’re both extreme front-runners?"

"Yeah… that’s right."

Twin Turbo. An Uma Musume with long, shining blue hair, striking odd-colored eyes, and a distinctly childlike personality and way of speaking. She was a named character, but back when I played, she hadn’t been implemented as a trainable Uma Musume. I wonder if she was added later. …Well, extreme front-running is popular now, so Turbo’s probably in too. She was well-liked—there’s no way they’d leave her out.

As an Uma Musume, Twin Turbo’s defining trait is her overwhelming early speed. Her full maturation came late, so her overall development lagged behind, but she finally made her debut at the start of March. In her very first official race—against a field of seasoned runners still active at this time of year—she won by three lengths. She seized the lead from the opening seconds and delivered a textbook extreme front-running performance, doing nothing but defend that advantage to the end.

…In public discourse, there’s been plenty of idiotic nonsense about her riding on Hoshino Wilm’s success or copying her tactics, but that’s obviously wrong. Twin Turbo is synonymous with extreme front-running. She confronted her own Uma Soul head-on and made a brilliant debut.

…All that said, to be blunt, her stats aren’t enough to intrude on a fight between Hoshino Wilm and Nature. Speed just over 300 right after debut is impressive, but her lack of stamina is fatal. On top of that, her intelligence is at base level, so bad starts and overexertion are terrifying risks. As for skills, she only has “Extreme Front-Runner,” “Early Lead,” and “Spinning Wheels.” “Spinning Wheels” is new to me, but it’s probably a debuff skill…

So, in summary: setting aside her potential, Twin Turbo doesn’t currently pose a real threat. Late maturation is genuinely scary. Well—she might be a threat to Hoshino Wilm in one specific sense, but I already have countermeasures in place for that.

Which means Twin Turbo likely won’t have a major impact on the race as a whole.

…That said, Hoshino Wilm was clearly rattled by her. She didn’t change her expression, but even while talking with Nature she kept glancing around restlessly. When Turbo ran up, she widened her eyes slightly and froze—and even while speaking afterward, she remained stiff as a board.

It’s subtle, but after being with her for over a year, I can tell instantly. She’s incredibly tense. Hoshino Wilm, of all people—the girl who normally has absolute confidence in races. Honestly, it surprised me. Still, since her reaction isn’t as severe as it was with Tokai Teio, that’s a relief.

…Even so, I don’t really understand what determines her reactions. I don’t think it’s just her mentality—it feels more like something tied to fate as an Uma Musume.

"Twin Turbo won’t take this race. But her extreme front-running will likely push the overall pace higher. How well the other Uma Musume adapt to that will decide the outcome."

"Yeah, I mostly agree. By the way, mind if I ask your predictions for first and second?"

"First is Hoshino Wilm. Second is eight—no, nine times out of ten, Nice Nature."

"Heh. We’ll see about that. This time, Nature’s taking the win."

…Yeah. He really is a good trainer.

This time around, Nature has almost no chance of winning. The reason is simple: the situation is bad.

The conditions for Nature to beat Hoshino Wilm haven’t changed since last time—drive Wilm into a runaway and make her fade. But unlike before, there’s no Uma Musume like Tokai Teio here who can truly corner Hoshino Wilm. Even if Nature fires a metaphorical gun, there’s no bullet that can reach Wilm.

If only Pampagrande—the one who pressed her at the Hopeful Stakes—were here, it’d be a different story. Or Sweet Cabin, who took second at the Habotan. Or the girls who finished second through fourth in that nail-biter at the Yayoi Sho…

But in reality, they’ve all registered for the Satsuki Sho and aren’t participating in this race. What Nature needs to close in on Hoshino Wilm is simply absent here, no matter how you look at it.

On top of that, because of yesterday’s rain, today’s track condition is heavy. For Nature, who lacks Power in terms of raw stats, this is a harsh environment. Unlike the app from my previous life, in this world mud naturally flies up as they run. As a closer, Nature not only risks having her path blocked by the pack ahead of her, but in the worst case could even be unconsciously hindered by others.

Because of that, even more so than last time, Nature has almost no chance of winning. Even so, not out of desperation or blind optimism, I truly believe from the bottom of my heart that if it’s Nature, she can still turn things around. …She really does have a great trainer. And precisely because of that, I should respond with everything I’ve got.

"The winner will be Hoshino Wilm. That will not change."

"…Heh, then let us challenge you."

And so, as we watch, the Uma Musume burst into motion.

As expected, Hoshino Wilm gets a clean start and takes the lead immediately. Nature follows with a strong start of her own, the other Uma Musume settling into their respective positions behind her. …Meanwhile, Twin Turbo—

"…Wow, that’s a spectacularly bad start."

"Yeah. At least she drew an outside gate. She won’t get boxed in by the pack and lose all room to move up."

An escape-type runner mixed in among the closers at the very back. In my past-life app… undefeated until senior year… a massive delayed start in the URA Finals… ugh, the trauma… Still, the URA Finals. That name brings back memories. Well, not that nostalgic—it was only two months ago that I last heard it.

Even in this world without alarm clocks, the URA Finals are still held. The founding principle—“a race where every Uma Musume is given an equal opportunity”—has been upheld, and even now it’s an event on a ridiculous scale, offering races across every distance on both turf and dirt. It’s held sometime between January and March, and the only requirement to enter is being in the second year of the senior class in the Twinkle Series—nothing else. You enter the race you’re best at and compete against peers who pride themselves on their skill… no, their legs.

It’s not quite on the level of the Classic Triple Crown, but it’s still immensely popular. Since it’s held right around the time Uma Musume finish fully developing, it’s apparently meant to determine the strongest of the generation under each distance and track condition. This January, I took Hoshino Wilm to watch one of the long-distance races. There weren’t any famous names, but it was so heated I couldn’t help getting excited.

…But that’s a story for another time. Right now, this is a mock race.

"Judging by the gap to the leader, winning should be impossible, but…"

Despite the major delay at the start, Turbo doesn’t seem bothered at all. With a visibly delighted expression, she shouts something and takes off. …That acceleration is fast. That’s a front-runner’s burst.

"…She’s getting carried away. Or maybe that’s exactly right for an all-out escape runner."

"Hard to say. Hoshino Wilm isn’t a pure escape type, so maybe this really is what a true runaway looks like. …That said, sprinting flat-out from dead last still feels questionable."

Twin Turbo’s way of thinking is extremely simple. Run with everything she has, and win with everything she has—that’s all. Because of that, it doesn’t matter whether she starts late or not. From the very beginning, she charges forward at full throttle. And in a sense, that way of running should have been the greatest threat to Hoshino Wilm.

The gap closes. She passes the closers, then the front-runners, then even the other escape runners, until Hoshino Wilm’s back finally comes into view. With 1,200 meters remaining, if she could maintain that pace, she might even overtake her—but—

That kind of recklessness isn’t going to hold. After closing to about eight lengths behind Hoshino Wilm, Turbo’s stride begins to falter. Her face is completely drained—she’s out of stamina. Her fighting spirit isn’t broken, but she won’t be able to push any farther forward.

"If she hadn’t started late, she might’ve burned through her stamina even faster trying to battle Hoshino Wilm for the lead."

"Well, last time the conditions heavily favored Nature. Things like this happen."

"There really are no certainties in racing, huh… Just imagining this happening to Hoshino Wilm gives me chills."

Turbo sinks back into the pack, and the possibility of a massive upset disappears. At last, Hoshino Wilm’s usual race truly begins.

The result: first place goes to Hoshino Wilm, and second, as expected, to Nice Nature. The margin is even wider than last time—nine lengths. …Impressive, Nice Nature. Even under conditions this unfavorable, she still refuses to let the gap widen too much. At this point, she’s someone who needs to be watched just as closely as Teio.

For the record, Turbo finishes in 14th place. Considering the enormous delay at the start, that’s still a respectable showing.

"We lost this time, but I can see a lot of areas to improve. We really do need more explosive burst speed."

"On a track like this, that becomes crucial. That said, it also felt like her fundamental stamina was lacking."

"Yeah, thanks. …Next time, we’ll win."

Parting ways with my friend—who, despite the loss, leaves with a fearless grin and no hard feelings—we each head back to our assigned Uma Musume.

As for Hoshino Wilm… yeah, she’s breathing hard, her shoulders rising and falling, just like always. Once she calms down a little more, she’ll probably start stretching on her own. I jog over while calling out to her from a short distance and hand her the cooling towel, as usual.

"Good work today, Hoshino Wilm."

"Trainer."

"Did you enjoy today’s race?"

"…No, I wouldn’t say I did."

"I see."

…Well, that figures.

The ice around her heart is melting, little by little—but that’s only in her everyday life. During races, what seals her heart shut is a much colder, much larger block of ice. Conditioned into her by her father, it isn’t something that will melt easily.

Even if, after the race, she feels something like “that was fun”… she never actually feels “this is fun” while she’s racing. That’s why, when asked immediately afterward whether she enjoyed it, she looks back on the race itself and answers, “It wasn’t enjoyable.” She isn’t betraying her own senses. Faced with the contradiction of “it wasn’t fun, yet somehow it felt fun,” she can’t recognize that feeling as enjoyment.

But even that massive block of ice will melt someday… I’ll melt it. I swear I will.

"You seemed to be paying attention to Twin Turbo. How was she?"

"Master Dual Jet… she finally appeared behind me partway through the race, but did something happen?"

"Master Dual Jet? …Twin Turbo had a huge delayed start. She began even farther back than the closers. It’s impressive she didn’t give up and kept running."

"Master’s greatest trait is that she never gives up… To come that far forward from so far back… as expected of my master…!"

I asked because I thought she might be disappointed that Twin Turbo couldn’t really run properly after the bad start, but… huh? Since when were you an expert? You didn’t even know her personally, right? Why do you sound like such a fan?

"And Nature-chan was amazing again this time. Even after she closed the gap to about nine lengths, she stayed right on you… She really is incredible."

…Well, whatever.

Compared to the sparkle in the eyes of the girl right in front of me, everything else feels trivial.

Yeah, this is good. If we keep this up, I’ll do everything I can to make it so Hoshino Wilm can enjoy racing.

…No, that’s not quite right.

This is a contest.

I won’t lose, Hoshino Wilm. I will make sure you come to enjoy racing.

＊　＊　＊

Incidentally, a few days later, a message like this arrived.

“Decis—hit! We’ll settle this at the Aoba Sho! —Turbo”

…That’s not “decis-hit,” it’s “duel.” And Hoshino Wilm is running in the Satsuki Sho, so she doesn’t have the leeway to enter the Aoba Sho. Sorry, Turbo…