Chapter 167: From the Western Country

This is something I’ve often felt.

People are troublesome creatures. Only after they lose something do they finally realize how precious it was—what they had, and the environment around them.

…Well, it’s nothing that serious. And I haven’t actually lost anything.

My older brother, Horino Ayumu—an unbelievably airheaded idiot, and the trainer I’m supposed to support.

And his beloved partner, Hoshino Wilm-san—the strongest active racing Uma Musume, and in all likelihood my future sister-in-law.

It’s been a month and a half since the two of them left for France.

And because of that, I’ve become painfully aware of just how large their presence truly was.

To put it bluntly, there’s almost nothing wrong with what my brother says as a trainer.

Ah—he does have communication issues, but I’ll set that aside for now.

When it comes to the practical matter of “raising an Uma Musume,” he simply does not make mistakes.

My brother—Horino Ayumu, the trainer—is a monster.

I thought I understood that since childhood, but standing beside him as a fellow trainer makes the extent of his abnormality painfully clear.

He has eyes that can quantify an Uma Musume’s abilities with zero margin of error—what he calls his “reincarnation cheat.”

He’s memorized about ninety percent of the vast data accumulated by the Horino family—records that had mostly been left to gather dust, used for little more than compiling manuals.

And above all, he possesses a monstrous mentality that doesn’t hesitate to work himself literally to death.

Any one of those traits would be enough to call someone a genius.

That idiot has all three.

Maybe it was only natural that he’d become a top-tier trainer.

Perhaps that’s why I’ve felt it so strongly lately.

These days, I no longer feel the urge to catch up to him—or surpass him.

He’s simply… a different species.

No matter how much a human trains, they can’t beat an elephant in a fistfight. In the same way, no matter how much I study, an ordinary person like me won’t defeat a monster like my brother.

You could call it giving up.

But to me, it feels more like I’ve drawn a line.

Trainers don’t really “win” or “lose” against each other to begin with. I was the one projecting my inferiority complex onto him and imagining a competition. He probably never even saw it that way.

I can’t afford to get worked up over something like that and end up neglecting the Uma Musume under my care.

I’ll focus on my own field and do my best as a trainer in my own way.

Over the past few months, that’s how I’ve begun to think.

Come to think of it, when I decided to become a trainer, it was half rivalry toward my brother and half a desire to be involved in the family business—and with the Uma Musume themselves.

But somewhere along the way, the latter began to outweigh the former.

The turning point was probably last winter.

When my brother changed… and broke up with “her.”

The person I’d been irritated by, angry at, absolutely unwilling to accept—

She disappeared.

Since then, I haven’t felt that inexplicable irritation whenever I look at him.

That doesn’t mean I’ve suddenly softened toward him—but I’ve been able to carry out my duties as a sub-trainer with much more freedom.

I’ve always loved Uma Musume and racing. And once the issue that had been weighing on me for so long was resolved, maybe it was only natural that that side of things grew heavier in my heart.

I started properly looking at the Uma Musume themselves—focusing on them as individuals.

In that sense… maybe I’ve only recently become a real trainer-in-training.

…Ah. I got sidetracked.

To return to the point—my brother is an unmatched monster as an Uma Musume trainer.

Especially since the start of this year, after overcoming his trauma and abandoning his self-destructive habits, the gaps and biases in his thinking have vanished. He’s overflowing with energy, both physically and mentally.

Right now, he’s honestly terrifying. Sometimes I think he might genuinely be the strongest trainer in the world.

And.

When a trainer like that is standing beside you… it gives you a sense of security.

Even if I make a mistake out of ignorance or lack of focus, my brother—who double-checks everything—will catch it.

So…

…Wow. I’m the worst.

Just now, I caught myself thinking, “It’s easier not having to carry all the responsibility.”

Even if I’m only a sub-trainer, I belong to Central Tracen Academy. I’m entrusted with part of these girls’ athletic careers—with a fragment of their youth.

I need to take my job—and the Uma Musume—more seriously.

In that sense, this environment without my brother might actually be good for me.

With him gone, I’m the one handling the split-second decisions and moment-to-moment instructions regarding Mihono Bourbon-san. Major long-term plans are one thing—but in the moment, it’s on me.

Naturally, that means making decisions under real tension and responsibility.

I can’t afford to fail—but even if I do, it won’t immediately lead to something fatal.

This environment should strengthen both my mentality and my skills.

If that brother of mine entrusted things to me while he’s away, then I must at least meet the minimum standard.

…Or rather, over this past year, I was unavoidably forced to improve.

He may look absurdly lenient with family at first glance, but in reality he’s a Spartan who tolerates zero complacency.

Well, regardless of how it happened, the skills are firmly in place.

All that’s left is to get used to wielding them—and refine them further.

…And he probably anticipated I’d think exactly that.

"Masa’s hardworking. She’ll see this as a good opportunity."

The way he acts like he understands everything about me—that still irritates me.

Now then.

Such are my days—full of both anxiety and challenge.

I’ve made a few small mistakes, but as a rookie sub-trainer left without the main trainer, I’ve been supported by Tazuna-san and Nature’s trainer. Thanks to them, I’ve managed to avoid any fatal blunders.

I’m truly grateful to those two. I hope I can repay them someday.

…Though really, my brother apparently started out as a full trainer without ever serving as a sub-trainer. What kind of mental fortitude does it take to pull that off?

The stress from inexperience, the ever-growing pile of paperwork and logistics—it’s honestly intense. If someone told me to suddenly become a full-fledged trainer on top of this, that would be impossible.

Well, I suppose it was impossible—that’s why there was that “fatal mistake at the Derby” I’ve heard about.

…Knowing that even my brother has limits somehow makes me feel a little relieved. Twisted, though.

As for me, most of the work related to Hoshino Wilm-san gets redirected to my brother. And since it’s not yet Bourbon-san’s racing season, things are relatively manageable.

Of course, the workload is still heavy, but I only have to pull an all-nighter about once a week, and I average six hours of sleep.

It’s roughly the same schedule I kept while studying at home. If I fall apart at this level, I’d never survive as a trainer.

As for the quality of my work, Tazuna-san even told me, "Being able to handle an undefeated dual-crown front-runner less than a year after starting is an incredible achievement. Please have more confidence!"

There’s probably some flattery mixed in there, but I think it’s fair to say I’m managing at least the basics.

…Though to be fair, a large part of that is because Mihono Bourbon-san is such an easy child to handle.

She’s quite rare among Uma Musume in that her mental state barely fluctuates.

Apparently there are subtle changes I can’t perceive—because my brother occasionally sends cryptic instructions like, "Take her to karaoke," or "Go for a walk together"—but at the very least, her earnest attitude toward training never wavers.

That alone is a huge blessing for a trainer.

Even so, it’s not like I’m performing perfectly.

I’m the one most aware of my own shortcomings.

In fact, it became obvious almost immediately once I started handling Bourbon-san alone.

Data. I don’t have nearly enough data.

I don’t have internal manuals for “what to do when this happens,” so I can’t make snap judgments.

Of course, I don’t think we should rely blindly on rigid precedent—but having a manual versus not having one makes a world of difference in speed and stability.

So recently, I asked my idiot father—who claimed he’d “finally reconciled with his son” and tried to hide his emotions but utterly failed, sounding absurdly overjoyed on the phone—to send me copies of the family’s reference materials.

It stings a little, following in my brother’s footsteps like this.

But it won’t be a waste.

Probably.

So for the past month and a half, that’s how things have been.

During the day, I serve as Bourbon-san’s acting trainer—handling mountains of paperwork while supervising and observing her training according to my brother’s plan.

At night, I pore over materials and run analyses, digging through the Horino family records to find Uma Musume similar to Mihono Bourbon-san—though there are barely any—and gathering whatever data I can.

That’s been my daily routine.

---

In early August, at noon on one such day—

As usual, I place a call to France, far across the world.

"Can you hear me?"

"—Yeah, no problem."

After a slight delay, the voice that answers is, of course, my brother’s.

"Masa, camera please."

"Mm."

"Bourbon, move around a bit."

"Understood, Master."

At the end of the day, Bourbon-san’s main trainer is still my brother.

That’s why we connect by call three times a day: 8 a.m. before the academy’s morning assembly, noon after classes and before training begins, and around 8 p.m. after training concludes.

Each time, we hold a meeting lasting fifteen to thirty minutes.

For the record, Hoshino Wilm-san sometimes joins as well—but most of the time she doesn’t, since she’s usually in the middle of a run or training.

…That girl is always running. I’m sure my brother manages her stamina carefully, but seriously—when does she rest?

While thinking that, I adjust the height and angle of the tripod-mounted camera.

In front of the lens, Bourbon-san stands upright, sways lightly, then spins once in place.

My brother’s monstrous observational ability—his so-called “reincarnation cheat.”

Apparently, because he’s excessively cautious, he hasn’t told his trainees about it. Instead, he claims, "You can tell almost everything about an Uma Musume by looking at her hindquarters."

Even though he could figure it out from a single still image, he insists on using live video to make the lie more convincing.

…No, seriously. Does that actually fool anyone? Isn’t that way too flimsy?

But then again—

Hoshino Wilm-san, bluntly speaking, is basically a devoted believer. She’s all, "If Ayumu-san says so, then it must be correct!"

And Bourbon-san has outright abandoned any suspicion with, "Doubting Master would negatively impact my potential as a racing Uma Musume." Her logic? It’s not rational to doubt him.

As a result, neither of his two trainees questions his words in the slightest.

What even are these two…!?

Well, I suppose it’s not surprising that unusual Uma Musume would end up contracting with my eccentric brother.

Still, it’s impressive how thoroughly peculiar the pair of them are.

Birds of a feather flock together, I guess.

…Though if that’s the case, does that make me weird too? I’d rather not.

Even as I think that, my brother’s voice continues through the earphones.

"Alright… yeah, some of the fatigue’s cleared. Condition’s holding at peak. Stats up slightly.

Masa, shift the stamina meter six ticks to the right. Increase Speed by one and Guts by one."

"Got it."

While Mihono Bourbon-san spins in place, I finish adjusting the camera and sit down in front of the offline PC, entering the data into Excel according to my brother’s instructions.

From the other end, I can hear the rapid clatter of keys as well—he’s probably updating her file in real time over there.

…When you stop and think about it, this is a pretty bizarre setup.

Mihono Bourbon-san, our trainee, spins expressionlessly. The camera stares at her. I type with one hand. My brother speaks from France.

From an outsider’s perspective, the whole scene would look utterly surreal.

Well, the room is locked and soundproofed, so no one’s going to witness it anyway.

After my brother finishes checking Bourbon-san’s condition, we turn off the camera. She takes a seat, and we begin discussing the upcoming plan.

"Alright, proceed with training as scheduled—no, correction. Let’s add a bit more rest after all. I don’t want to risk accidents.

Bourbon, add three and a half minutes of cooldown between Plan B and C, and between E and F."

"Plan revision accepted."

"Hold on… okay. The buffer drops to just under twenty-five minutes. Is that alright?"

"That’s the margin we built in from the start.

…Oh, and about tomorrow’s post-training meeting—sorry, but can we push it back thirty minutes? Will has promotional work scheduled."

"Understood."

It’s easy to forget, but there’s over a seven-hour time difference between France and Japan.

So when it’s 8 a.m., noon, and 8 p.m. here, it should be around 1 a.m., 5 a.m., and 1 p.m. over there.

And as expected of a contracted trainer, my brother has never once been late to or skipped a meeting. Not only that—he’s never even sounded tired.

When I asked how he manages his sleep, he said, "I get three or four ninety-minute cycles, so I’m fine. Honestly, I’ve got plenty of leeway."

Does this creature not possess the concept of a circadian rhythm?

It should be around five in the morning over there right now, but there’s not a trace of drowsiness in his voice.

Then again, unlike Hoshino Wilm-san, he’s extremely strong in the mornings.

Still… has he been sleeping properly at all?

"Big brother, you are actually sleeping, right?"

"You sound like our older brother, Masa. Don’t worry, I am sleeping.

To be honest—this is embarrassing—I was out cold in bed until about five minutes ago.

That said, my head’s fully online now, so no concerns."

How is he that strong in the morning? That’s ridiculous.

And the worst part? It’s not even an inborn talent. He trained himself to wake up like that.

It’s one thing to envy someone’s natural gifts. But envying something they earned through sheer effort feels… wrong.

In that sense, frustratingly enough, most of my brother’s abilities aren’t things I can even resent him for.

That, too, is irritating.

After we finish confirming the rough schedule for the next three weeks, my brother calls out to his own trainee.

"Mihono Bourbon, if there is anything you wish to say."

"No. I believe I am receiving support that is necessary and sufficient.

If I must state one thing…"

"What is it?"

She hesitates—just slightly—before speaking.

"…I occasionally experience sudden, inexplicable mental unrest due to Master’s absence."

Oh, I understand that so much—!

I’m anxious too, with my brother not here.

To be blunt, I don’t have the skill or charisma to handle an undefeated Dual Crown Uma Musume who stands at the center of her generation.

Of course Mihono Bourbon-san would feel uneasy. It’s only natural.

I end up giving a wry smile without thinking—

Apparently, she misinterprets it.

"Of course, I do not mean that I lack faith in the sub-trainer. I am grateful for your consistent support."

"It’s alright, Mihono Bourbon-san. Feeling uneasy without your main trainer—without my brother—is completely natural."

It sounds sad when phrased like that—but it’s the truth.

I’ve spent twenty years being compared to a genius. I’m used to people feeling disappointed when I don’t measure up.

There’s only one countermeasure to that sort of thing: keep working until they have no reason to be disappointed.

"Do you have anything, Masa?"

"Not really. If anything, I’d just like a rough outline of the post–Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe plan."

"Will’s tentatively on the autumn senior route, but… we’ll see how things look.

Mihono Bourbon will focus on the Kikuka Sho. After that, we’ll sit down and decide together."

"Mm. So nothing’s finalized."

"I’ve drafted a few options. I’ll send them over in writing later."

"Then how is Hoshino Wilm-san doing?"

At that, my brother lets out a soft chuckle and speaks with faint amusement.

"Well… she’s in great form. Extremely great. She’s approaching training with an unusually high level of enthusiasm. Her forward drive toward running surpasses what it was in Japan."

"…Hearing that somehow makes me more anxious."

Hoshino Wilm-san already has a bit of a running junkie streak, and now she’s even more fired up than before…

In more ways than one, I hope everything’s alright over there.

---

After exchanging a few more updates, the meeting ends with a lively, familiar-yet-distant voice bursting through the earphones—

"Horino Ayumu-san, I’m back!"

Without thinking, Bourbon-san and I exchange a glance.

"…Hoshino Wilm-san sounded energetic."

"Affirmative. It is reassuring that senpai appears well."

We nod to each other.

We already knew she was in high spirits—but actually hearing her voice made it different. More real. More reassuring.

My brother is with her, so perhaps there’s nothing for us to worry about…

But even if I’m only the sub-trainer, I’m still one of hers. I can’t help the quiet concern tucked away in a corner of my heart.

And I suspect Bourbon-san feels the same.

Her expression remains as composed as ever, yet the faintest trace of relief seeps through.

Seeing that, I find myself thinking—

Hoshino Wilm-san is truly loved.

I know a little about her painful past—just enough to avoid stepping on a landmine.

A child who wasn’t loved by her parents. A girl forced to grow up in loneliness.

…In some ways, her life resembles that of “her,” now gone. My brother seems to have a strange affinity for girls like that.

But Hoshino Wilm-san has already broken free from those shackles.

She learned to love her fans—and to be loved in return.

She found people she could grow close to: my brother, Mihono Bourbon-san, Nice Nature, Tokai Teio… and even me.

She isn’t alone anymore. My brother, hopelessly and mutually in love with her, is always at her side.

In the end, her soul is a cool, weighty ash-gray.

Nothing like that deep, dark ultramarine.

…Yes, yes, maybe the shades are close if you line them up. Quiet. The feeling is completely different.

In any case… I don’t think Hoshino Wilm-san will ever fall down that path again.

And by extension, my brother—who has regained his clarity—won’t warp in strange ways either.

And if “her” decision is what paved the way to this happy ending…

Then I have to see it through.

After all, I’m the only one in this world who knows she ever existed. That’s my role.

…Though that doesn’t mean I want to keep being force-fed their unbearably sweet, sugar-spilling displays right in front of me. Give me a break.

Now then.

For Hoshino Wilm-san, who is currently at the peak of her happiness—

And for Mihono Bourbon-san, who is about to approach a decisive crossroads—

What can I do for them?

In the end, there’s only one answer.

"…Alright. Let’s head out for training as well.

We can’t keep chasing after her forever… and since we’re at camp, let’s train hard enough to surprise my brother."

"Mission acknowledged. Mihono Bourbon initiating Protocol: ‘Training.’"

We’ll support Mihono Bourbon-san according to my brother’s plan—and with even greater precision than he anticipates.

We’ll make her stronger—not just enough for the Kikuka Sho, but beyond that. Strong enough to compete with the senior division at the Japan Cup and the Arima Kinen.

For Hoshino Wilm-san, that will mean a relentless, burning pressure—having to keep running from a pursuer closing in behind her.

For Mihono Bourbon-san, it will mean a new road stretching even beyond the Triple Crown.

That’s the job my brother and I share right now.

…When I first heard him say, "Last year I prepared a strong rival so Will could run comfortably," I genuinely thought he was insane.

And yet here I am, going in circles and doing the same thing myself.

Trainers really are hopeless creatures.

With a wry smile, I step out of our training camp lodging—

And head toward the beach with Bourbon-san for sand training.