Chapter 192: Rice Shower: Origin

About a week had passed since Bourbon-chan’s Kikuka Sho.

Our camp had descended into absolute chaos and confusion.

Mainly because of the two trainers.

When I won the Triple Crown—and when I conquered the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe—our team had gotten incredibly busy as well.

Especially after the Arc. Even though it was only about a month ago, the scale of it was unbelievable.

It felt like the whole of Japan was physically shaking with excitement. The celebration was massive, and our camp received mountains—literal mountains—of requests, fan letters, and every kind of message imaginable.

It really made me realize that the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe was something like a dream for Japan.

Still, the reason it turned into such a commotion was because that race decides the strongest in the world.

So I thought there was no way anything could ever surpass that level of frenzy…

But in hindsight, I guess I underestimated Ayumi-san.

Bourbon-chan’s victory in the Kikuka Sho—along with her undefeated Classic Triple Crown—became linked with Hoshino Willm’s achievements, and the racing world in Japan exploded with even more excitement.

So much so that many people instinctively felt this moment marked the beginning of the Twinkle Series’ golden age.

Two consecutive years of undefeated Triple Crown winners.

Both were Uma Musume from humble origins—and this year’s victory even included the added drama of overcoming a major disadvantage in racing aptitude.

Horse racing—often called a blood sport where everything is supposedly decided by innate talent—had its long-held assumptions completely overturned.

No one in Japan could doubt the importance of an Uma Musume’s personal effort anymore.

And no one could doubt the ability of the strongest god-tier trainer: Horino Ayumi.

…In fact, some people had even started saying things like, “Isn’t it just Horino Trainer who’s broken?”

It’s frustrating, but honestly, it’s hard to deny that Ayumi-san really is a monster of a trainer.

That much was fine.

The problem came afterward.

Because of that reputation, an incredible number of job offers began pouring in—not just for Bourbon-chan and me, but for Ayumi-san personally.

And far more than what ordinary Uma Musume receive.

Of course there were magazine and TV interviews.

But there were also invitations to variety shows, radio programs, and apparently even fashion magazines that noticed his good looks and asked, “Would you consider modeling?”

At this point he’s basically an idol trainer—not just a trainer of idol Uma Musume.

As Ayumi-san’s oldest fan, I’m happy that more people are starting to realize how amazing he is.

But at the same time, there’s a small part of me that feels lonely now that I can’t monopolize him anymore.

I wonder if casual fans of Ayumi-san will start appearing.

If I ever see someone calling him a “cool character who doesn’t really care about Uma Musume,” I might lose it and start arguing with them online.

And it wasn’t just Ayumi-san affected by this… situation.

Some sharp media outlets started noticing something else.

“Isn’t Horino’s little sister pretty capable too?”

Once that realization spread, work started pouring in for Masa-san as well.

She’s incredibly beautiful too. Honestly, the Horino family is ridiculously good-looking.

And as for what happened as a result…

"When’s your next job, brother?!"

"Will arrives at the studio today at 14:00! Bourbon is on-site tomorrow at 15:00! We’ll handle transportation!"

"Not their jobs—yours!"

"I leave in ten minutes and start in thirty!"

"How long will that take?! My job tomorrow just got moved up by two hours!"

"Master, today’s training menu is—"

"Hold on, Bourbon. It’s printing right now. Masa, call Tazuna-san and have her supervise Will! Bourbon’s working jointly with Souri Cross, so their trainer should handle it! Move the tasks scheduled for today to tomorrow, send urgent ones to me! And apply a bit of pressure to the clients—we’re clearly being underestimated!"

"Sorry—please reschedule Mihono Bourbon’s job for the day after tomorrow! Also, this accounting process isn’t urgent. This one is tax-related for Hoshino Willm, and when you have time please confirm the budget proposal we’re submitting!"

"Send all of that here together. I just organized your task list—check it while you’re moving!"

"Got it! Oh—and there are dozens of idiots claiming they’re my long-lost relatives or Hoshino Willm’s real parents. Can I just block them? Also, how the hell did they get my email address?!"

"Run a full security scan first. After that, share the details and addresses with Tazuna-san and have them blacklisted at Tracen!"

…For the past week, the trainer’s office had been like this constantly.

Voices shouting across the room.

Furious keyboard clattering.

Phones ringing and being dialed nonstop.

The loud rustle of towering stacks of paper.

Footsteps pacing back and forth without pause.

To put it simply—

a battlefield.

Apparently many camps get tense before their Uma Musume’s races, but ours is usually calmer thanks to my temperament and Bourbon-chan’s.

But right now?

The Horino siblings definitely looked like they were in that kind of state.

Both of them had dark circles under their eyes.

I never saw them not working.

They were always running around, hammering at keyboards, flipping through documents, or holding phones to their ears.

They were still kind and attentive to Bourbon-chan and me, but they were clearly so busy that…

Talking about reward privileges or anything like that was completely out of the question right now.

"...Master and the others appear to be extremely busy. Is there anything we can do to help?"

Bourbon-chan looked worriedly at the two of them, who weren’t even trying to hide how overwhelmed they were.

But sitting beside her, I shook my head.

"I don’t think we should interfere.

For one thing, we can’t handle office work anyway, so we’d probably just slow them down…"

From the sofa in the corner of the trainer’s room, I glanced over at Ayumi-san and Masa-san.

They looked incredibly busy.

Desperate.

A little worn down.

But at the same time—

"More importantly, they’re enjoying it.

You can’t be an Uma Musume trainer unless you genuinely love raising Uma Musume from the bottom of your heart.

For them, the work they’re doing right now is like racing is for us. It’s tough—but it’s also what they truly want to do. We shouldn’t take that away from them."

"...Understood."

Trainers don’t overstep into the Uma Musume’s domain of running.

And Uma Musume don’t overstep into the trainer’s domain of supporting.

Each side trusts the other’s role and gives their best at what they can do.

That’s what cooperation is.

That’s what it means to be partners.

"AAAAAH! The documents I submitted are full of errors—are they cursed to be corrected forever?!"

"Still 123 pages left… not enough time… I can’t finalize the training plan… there’s no time before next spring…"

…We can trust them, right?

Yeah.

Let’s believe in them…!

---

So while those two were busy, I decided to do what I could.

After finishing my training routine that evening, I stuffed my things into my dorm room, greeted my senior, changed into casual training wear, and headed out.

As always, it was time for my favorite self-training.

In the end, there’s nothing we Uma Musume can do better than running.

So I might as well work hard in my own field.

…Though today, I actually had another reason for running.

After all, I’m not just a racing Uma Musume.

I’m also a girl who once received a name from my parents.

One Uma Musume living in this world.

A racer in the Twinkle Series.

And at the same time…

I’m also a senior to a certain Uma Musume.

Maybe it’s meddling.

But it’s better to regret doing something than regret doing nothing.

Once I decide to get involved, I intend to see it through to the end.

That’s the “something I can do” as her senior.

So I pushed my legs forward and ran.

A slightly faster pace than usual.

…Otherwise I might not catch up with her.

Hoshino Willm’s usual self-training route was pretty much fixed.

A tree-lined road a little distance away from Tracen.

Probably deliberately designed—long, straight, and almost entirely without traffic lights.

That was the base route.

Sometimes we’d go into the city, sometimes we’d extend the run into mountain roads further away.

I had done self-training with her for a long time.

Sometimes she led the run, sometimes I did.

But generally, since I had a year more experience, I was the one suggesting routes.

So I figured—

she’d probably be running here today too.

…And sure enough, after sprinting along for a while, I spotted her from behind.

Long black hair blending into the deepening dusk.

A small body about the same size as mine.

And ears far larger than seemed to match that frame.

Her trademark hat swayed in the wind but didn’t fly off.

She moved forward at almost the same pace as my jogging speed.

I called out to her back.

"Rice-chan!"

"...Onee-sama?"

The one who turned around—

was a young girl.

Rice Shower.

My adorable junior.

And the Uma Musume who had lost to Bourbon-chan in the Kikuka Sho.

"I’m sorry, Onee-sama. I worried you…"

"No, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it."

I handed her one of the sports drinks I brought, and we sat on a bench by the roadside.

I’m extremely popular, of course, and Rice-chan gained quite a lot of attention after the Kikuka Sho too.

Occasionally, people walking by glance at us.

But when I wave lightly or Rice-chan bows politely, they quickly look away.

Right now we’re not idols—we’re athletes and private individuals.

Thankfully, many fans in this world are considerate about that.

So while giving the occasional small fan service, we started talking.

"It’s been about three months, right? Since before my overseas trip.

We talk on LINE a lot, so it’s easy to forget."

"Yes… Rice hasn’t really been out in public lately…"

"That was your trainer’s plan, right? Mine was pretty nervous about it.

He said, ‘Who goes that far normally?!’

Especially since you trained so intensely.

He had a hard time planning because he couldn’t predict how much you’d improve."

"...Even so, I still couldn’t win."

Rice-chan’s small shoulders drooped.

She looked younger than her age.

Like a fragile little girl that made you want to protect her.

…The contrast was incredible.

During the Kikuka Sho, Rice-chan had been absolutely terrifying—so determined that even I couldn’t ignore the pressure she gave off.

But now that the race was over, she was just a tiny Uma Musume feeling down about her defeat.

Cute.

That was the first impression anyone would have.

If you saw her race first, you’d be stunned by how adorable she is now.

If you saw her normal self first, you’d be shocked by the demonic intensity she shows during races.

She truly embodied the timeless appeal of gap charm.

It’s no wonder she attracts fans.

Honestly, even as a former otaku, I find myself thinking, “Yeah… this girl is totally worth supporting.”

In fact, when it comes to sheer fan appeal, she might even be near the top of her generation.

Anyway.

Regardless of public opinion, what matters is that she’s clearly feeling down.

Fan perception matters to us Uma Musume.

But more important than anything is whether we ourselves accept the result.

So I figured that was where to start.

"It was close. A genuinely good race.

Even my fr—my friend and I ended up shouting while watching."

That was close.

Ann-chan’s visit to Japan wasn’t supposed to be public yet.

Leaking that before the official announcement would have been very bad.

"What about you, Rice-chan? Are you dissatisfied with the result?"

"No."

She shook her head immediately.

Then she gripped the bottle in her hands and spoke slowly.

"Rice… fought with everything Rice had.

Truly, with everything.

But Rice still couldn’t reach Bourbon-san…

So Rice accepts the result.

The Rice right now… just wasn’t enough."

"I see. You accept it—but you’re not satisfied."

"...Yes."

Of course.

Uma Musume aim to win.

Race results may list positions from first to eighteenth.

But to us, it’s simply victory or defeat.

Being satisfied with losing doesn’t make you a failed racer—but an athlete who loses their ambition rarely has a bright future.

Especially someone like Rice-chan, who pushed herself so far in pursuit of victory.

But still—

that feeling isn’t wrong.

"Good. You shouldn’t be satisfied with losing.

Honestly, I was incredibly frustrated after last year’s Arima."

"Eh… but in your case—"

I stopped her with a shake of my head.

"I won’t make excuses. And you won’t either, right?

Sure, the conditions might have been bad.

But other teams might have had problems too.

In the end, on the stage of a race—the ultimate serious contest—we lost because we weren’t strong enough. That’s all."

"...Yes.

I think… you’re right."

A look of understanding appeared in Rice-chan’s eyes.

In this Kikuka Sho, the direct reason for Rice-chan’s loss was… probably Souri-chan.

Souri-chan—another of my adorable juniors—had released an incredibly strong pressure in the latter half of the race, and for just a moment, Rice-chan’s attention had been drawn to it.

Rice’s strength lies in her absolute single-minded focus. So for her to take her eyes off Bourbon-chan was like Bourbon herself losing control of her pace—it threw her rhythm completely off.

And as a result… the world Rice had constructed lost its precision, while Bourbon-chan—whose focus had instead sharpened—managed to escape and win.

But still—no excuses.

Even if she isn’t satisfied with the result, she has accepted the defeat.

A loss is a loss, after all. The reason doesn’t change that.

Well… it’s not that the reason doesn’t matter. Reflecting on it and improving next time is important.

What I mean is, you shouldn’t search for reasons just to justify yourself.

And… yeah.

Maybe this was unnecessary meddling after all.

"That’s why, Rice-chan—you’re not wrong.

The frustration you’re feeling now, the pain, the determination to win next time… none of that is wrong. Those feelings will carry you forward."

As I said that, I gently patted her slightly lowered head.

In the chilly October night, my hand—and the body warmth that Ayumi-san once praised as “warm and calming”—seemed to ease some of the tension from Rice-chan’s shoulders.

…If she hadn’t been able to accept the race result—or worse, if she’d been satisfied despite losing—I had been prepared to talk to her more seriously.

But it seemed she’d already spoken things through with her trainer and her seniors, and found her own way forward.

So it didn’t seem like I needed to interfere with the direction she was heading.

More than anything—

Well… actually, maybe because of that.

There was still something I could do that people in her camp might find difficult: take care of her heart.

Originally, I’d been rooting pretty hard for the Mihono Bourbon × Rice pairing, but somehow or another she’d come to trust me enough to call me her special “Onee-sama.”

Since she trusted me like that, I wanted to respond in a way only I could.

Thinking that, I continued gently patting her head for a while.

Then—

"...The truth is, I planned to surpass Bourbon-san in this race."

She began to speak quietly.

About the feelings she had poured into this race.

"The Kikuka Sho is a field that favors stayers like Rice. It was the best opportunity I could have hoped for.

That’s why I wanted to win.

As your junior… as the next-generation stayer… I wanted to become a Rice who could stand proudly.

And then… I wanted to run beside you, Onee-sama."

A Rice who could stand proudly, huh.

Sorry to say, but that’s something I don’t really understand.

I’ve always been confident.

Even back in my previous life, I was the type who could manage things pretty well. Somewhere deep down, I always had this unconscious certainty that whatever it was, I could probably handle it.

Before striving to become someone I could be proud of, I was already proud of myself.

But still… logically speaking, I could understand her feelings.

Rice-chan had always been surrounded by misfortune, and she carried guilt about dragging others into it.

That’s why she wanted to win.

By winning, she wanted to make her fans happy.

She wanted to become an Uma Musume like a blue rose—someone who could bring happiness to others—and only after that did she aim to reach my level.

But…

"...In the end, Rice couldn’t win.

Even though I wanted to become an Uma Musume who could stand beside you, Onee-sama…"

"Hmm… I think that part’s a little wrong."

"Huh?"

That was something I couldn’t just let pass.

Honestly, Souri-chan and Rice-chan are both like this—my juniors can be a little too modest about themselves.

"Stand beside me? What are you talking about? You’re already an Uma Musume who should be standing beside me.

Once the Classic races end, it’s mixed Senior races. You’ll be racing against us in the senior class."

"That’s… true, but…"

"And besides."

I pulled out my phone and tapped it a few times, opening UmaTter.

Then I searched for “Rice Shower.”

The trending section was mostly official announcements, so I switched to the latest posts.

"Look."

"...Eh?"

There were countless voices from fans.

"Rice was so close! If the race flow had been just a bit better…"

"Bourbon was amazing, but Rice’s run was incredible too… if that marking lands properly she’ll be unstoppable."

"Rice will definitely win next time! I want to see her win!"

So many voices.

Voices enjoying Rice-chan’s racing, grieving her loss, and hoping for her victory next time.

She’d probably been stuck inside her own thoughts for so long that she hadn’t been listening to the voices outside.

Rice-chan’s eyes widened as she scrolled through the screen.

And even from a glance at the side…

Yeah.

It was full of fans cheering for Rice-chan.

"Maybe no one saw all the effort you put in.

But everyone could see that effort through your running.

And because of that, there are so many people who grieve with you—and smile with you."

If the question is whether she can bring happiness to others—

Rice Shower absolutely can.

She had already gained plenty of fans.

She had shown dreams to many people, and now she carried many people’s dreams with her.

All that remained was to grasp glory.

"If you want to make your fans happy, then pay more attention to them.

Saying things like ‘someone like me’ and putting yourself down… heh, I know someone like that too.

But doing that is disrespectful to the fans—to the people who say they love you.

Everyone already loves Rice-chan.

That’s why they want to see you win.

So how can you hesitate in front of me—your rival?"

I smiled at her.

"You’re already a full-fledged Uma Musume who can bring happiness to others.

All that’s left is to bloom and achieve it.

If you shrink back in front of us… then you won’t be able to make the people waiting for you happy."

Honestly—

both Souri-chan and Rice-chan really underestimate themselves sometimes.

They’re already racing in the same events as us senior-class runners.

That means they’re competing under the exact same conditions.

They’re not apprentices.

They’re not inexperienced beginners.

They’re rivals—Uma Musume who run the same races as us.

The only one who really seems to understand that already… is Bourbon-chan.

She doesn’t look up at me anymore.

She runs while chasing my back as an equal opponent.

And that’s exactly how it should be.

What people say in public and what reality actually is are two different things.

I’m not some unreachable star in the sky.

I’m just a racing Uma Musume running on the same turf as all of you.

I took a sip from the bottle in my hand, then spoke again.

"So, the outcome of this race doesn’t determine your worth. What matters is your running."

"My… running?"

"Rice Shower. Why do you run?"

"That’s… that’s so I can become a wonderful Uma Musume who can make people happy… someone like you, Onee-sama."

Well, putting aside the “someone like me” part—that’s a wonderful dream.

Rice-chan’s starting point.

The most important root of who she is.

The reason she wanted to become a hero.

The destination she wanted to reach in the end.

And the fact that she could say that out loud—that alone was the most important thing right now.

"So you do understand it yourself.

…Honestly, as a racing Uma Musume, maybe I shouldn’t say this, so let’s keep it off the record. Winning or losing races is only a means, Rice-chan.

What matters is that you become the version of yourself you aspire to be. And by reaching your own happiness, you spread that happiness to your fans."

That was something I had once been taught.

What matters isn’t never losing.

Clinging to the past, whining about things that can’t be changed, desperately trying to reclaim something that’s already gone—that’s not it.

And it isn’t even simply winning, either.

Entering races and winning them… those are probably just tools to reach a larger goal.

What truly matters is living the present with satisfaction.

As someone born into this world.

As my father and mother’s daughter.

As Ayumi-san’s Uma Musume.

To run through my life, in my own way, with everything I have.

Just as someone before me once taught me that…

Now it was my turn to pass it on.

"Not bad, right? Working toward a goal, chasing the back you can see ahead of you."

"That’s…"

"Little by little, you increase what you can do. Gradually improve your abilities and techniques.

Just like you used to say—‘changing the version of yourself you don’t like.’

You were able to work so hard because you felt fulfillment, accomplishment, and most of all the feeling that you were getting closer to your dream… right?"

"...You really see right through everything, Onee-sama."

"I’m your senior, after all."

Rice-chan had always been that kind of girl.

Someone who devoted herself wholeheartedly to the goal she chose.

That was probably the very essence of her running.

Even if she lost once, she would never give up.

She would keep working, working, working—again and again—toward that single goal.

And someday, she would grasp a great blessing.

That’s why…

In my previous world, when I watched her through a screen—

I admired her.

It’s embarrassing, so I won’t say it out loud.

But you know—

I’m one of your fans too.

"I have high expectations for you, Rice Shower.

The you I saw at the Kikuka Sho that day was honestly a little scary. You felt like someone who might one day come for me.

…Though if you stayed that tense every race, you might burst. Even with how sturdy your body is, you might want to hold back a little sometimes. Well, that’s something you and your trainer should decide."

That day, Ayumi-san had said Rice-chan looked like she might break from the pressure.

But after the Kikuka Sho, a detailed medical exam showed absolutely no problems with her body.

She might even be sturdier than me.

That was another strength Rice-chan had been born with.

Of course, if she got careless it could become dangerous, and it would need careful management.

But honestly…

With that trainer of hers, it should be fine.

After all, he’s the one who brought Nature up to run beside me.

I rate his ability second only to Ayumi-san.

In short, there was no physical problem.

The biggest wall for Rice-chan was her tendency to look backward—her mentality.

"If you lose, don’t bottle it up. Just yell ‘This sucks!’ into that hollow tree over there and reset yourself.

Then work together with your trainer and Nature again, and come chase after me and Bourbon-chan.

Someday surpass us, receive thunderous applause… and bring happiness to the fans who love you.

And hey—if you want, you can complain to me too. As your new rival, I’ll lend you my shoulder."

…Not that there’s much shoulder to lend.

Still…

Hmm.

Did I manage to say what I needed to?

Honestly, I’m quick-witted, but I’m not exactly the best speaker.

Ayumi-san might actually be better at this kind of thing.

When it really matters, he always manages to say exactly what needs to be said.

That’s one of the things I like about him.

But anyway, I’d said what I wanted to say.

The rest was up to Rice-chan.

Just as I thought that—

Rice-chan suddenly sprang up from the bench.

"I-It’s so frustrating!!"

She shouted it—not very loudly, more like a cute little cry.

…That wasn’t exactly the moment I had meant for her to yell, but as I blinked in surprise—

I saw the expression she turned toward me.

My face softened, and I prepared to listen.

"Rice was so frustrated… it was so close, and that’s all I can think about!

It’s frustrating, so frustrating… that last little bit wasn’t enough! That Rice didn’t try hard enough!!"

"Mm."

"You too, Onee-sama! The fans who supported me! My trainer, and Nature-senpai!!

Everyone believed in me, and yet… I keep thinking about it again and again, and it hurts so much!!"

"Mm."

"Bourbon-san’s back was so far away… and Rice wasn’t the only one chasing it…!

Even after building everything up, trying so hard, running so hard… Bourbon-san was just so strong! And Souri-san… I ended up thinking Souri-san was amazing too…!"

"Mm."

"Rice… Rice is…!!"

After that, her words dissolved into sobs.

Rice-chan was kind.

She probably didn’t want to show weakness to her senior teammates who worried about her, or to the trainer she trusted.

The same went for her fans. If people admired her, she wouldn’t want to shatter that dream.

But I was her Onee-sama.

Somehow, I’d become a kind of emotional anchor for her.

I’d thought maybe that meant she could show her weakness to me.

And it seemed…

that assumption had been right.

After I listened to her tearful outpouring for a while, Rice-chan sat back down beside me, breathing heavily.

"Feeling better?"

"…Yes. A little."

"I see."

Just letting it out doesn’t make everything disappear.

Her frustration wouldn’t vanish.

Losing the Kikuka Sho would certainly leave a scar on her heart.

But at least—

the muddled stress, the useless irritation dragging her down…

maybe that was gone now.

The expression Rice-chan turned toward me now—

"...Rice is frustrated. That’s why… next time, Rice will go to defeat Bourbon-san and you, Onee-sama.

With my trainer, with Nature-senpai, with all the fans cheering for Rice…

And more than anyone, for you and for Rice herself.

No matter how many times it takes—I’ll keep challenging you again and again…

until I grasp that blessing!!"

It was unmistakably the face of a racing Uma Musume.

And seeing that made me smile.

"Good. I’ll run with everything I have to stay ahead… so someday try to pass me, Rice."

"Yes!!"