Chapter 80: A Tale from One Ordinary Day, Where Tomorrow Naturally Comes

The concept of “the last workday of the year” doesn’t exist for trainers at Tracen Academy.

…Well, that might be going a bit too far.

More accurately, Central Tracen Academy does, in fact, have a clearly defined “final workday.”

Which, when you think about it, makes perfect sense. Trainers at Tracen Academy are public educators, after all. As such, just like other public servants, December 28 is officially designated as their final working day of the year.

…That said, this is only how things look on paper.

In reality, how many trainers actually follow that rule?

The Arima Kinen—the race Wilm ran in not long ago.

As the pinnacle of domestic racing, it’s often called “the conclusion of the year,” being the biggest Classic–Senior mixed race held at the very end of the calendar. But, strictly speaking, that isn’t quite accurate.

Fans who aren’t deeply familiar with the scene might be surprised to hear this, but the Arima Kinen isn’t always the final G1 race of the year.

That’s because the Hopeful Stakes, one of the Junior G1 races, is often held afterward.

This year, the Hopeful Stakes took place on December 28.

Six days after the Arima Kinen—and, according to regulations, the official final workday for trainers.

It goes without saying, but as long as there’s a race, the trainers of the Uma Musume who are competing will be swamped with work.

Final adjustments up to race day, final workouts, and of course, all the post-race administrative processing afterward.

Which means that if a trainer has a horse running in the Hopeful Stakes, finishing work on the 28th requires completing all the post-G1 procedures within that very day.

Do you think that’s possible?

…Yeah, no. There’s no way.

To begin with, being a trainer isn’t a job that neatly ends at quitting time. That’s especially true if you’re contracted with an Uma Musume competing at the G1 level.

On top of that, most of the trainers personally selected by Chairwoman Akikawa genuinely love Uma Musume in one way or another. As a result, many Central trainers work under the unspoken assumption of unpaid overtime.

And then there’s the year-end rush—writing New Year’s cards to associates, compiling summaries of the year’s races, preparing for the new year. It gets insanely busy.

With all those factors combined, trainers like Masa and me naturally kept working past December 29, without a second thought. Of course, there was no extra pay—classic unpaid overtime.

And every time, Tazuna would scold us furiously, shouting, “I told you to stop working overtime!”

Even so, that can’t go on forever.

Or rather, it shouldn’t. Drawing a clear line and saying, “That’s it for this year,” is important.

In our case, though, that moment was delayed again and again.

…To be honest, it was mostly my fault. I’m terrible at waking up on time, and that caused the workflow to stall.

And as a result…

"All right, done."

I finally put my pen down just as noon on December 31 was approaching.

Work that should have been finished on the 28th dragged on and on, pushed past the end of the year and straight into New Year’s Eve—consuming a full quarter of the day, no less.

Man, that was rough…

Hoshino Wilm didn’t just have a good season this year—she put up absurd, unbelievable results. Thanks to that, there was a whole lot more for us trainers to deal with.

Of course, her success itself was an incredible honor. Watching your own Uma Musume achieve such heights is the best feeling there is.

But honestly, if I hadn’t come from a prestigious background and at least been somewhat accustomed to the workload, I might’ve straight-up worked myself to death.

For five and a half days—from the 26th through midday on the 31st—Masa and I were locked in constant combat with massive stacks of paperwork and an ever-growing flood of emails.

Masa, who kept going until I finally managed to wake up and function properly, was clearly exhausted. I had planned to force her to take a full day off after the 30th, but…

When I suggested it, she snapped right into her usual stubborn mode. "Huh? I’m not resting until you do, big brother."

Once she said that, the only way to make her rest was to finish the work as quickly as possible.

…But the moment I made that decision, it was like the universe took it as a challenge. Extra work poured in relentlessly, and before I knew it, we’d been dragged all the way to this point.

I thought I was getting used to the job, but clearly my predictions were still too optimistic.

My schedules don’t just affect me—they involve Masa and the Uma Musume I’m responsible for as well. From now on, I really need to build in more buffer time.

"Y-you’re… you’re done…?"

Masa, slumped in her chair at her desk with the vacant eyes of a fish that had been dead for three months, muttered hazily.

…Looking at her properly now, maybe I pushed her a bit too hard.

She’d pulled two all-nighters in a row. Or was it three? Either way, she really did an amazing job.

"Yeah. That’s… the last page. Good work, Masa. …Masa?"

When she didn’t respond, I realized she’d collapsed forward onto the desk.

She’s breathing… good.

Her pulse was irregular and her body temperature low, but it seemed she’d simply passed out from sleep deprivation.

Phew. That scared me—but I’m relieved.

…When I was in that accident, and it was confirmed that my life wasn’t in danger, did Masa and Wilm feel the same way?

Well, Masa probably just got mad at me.

"…You did great. Good work, Masa."

I moved her onto the sofa, covered her with one of the blankets kept in the trainer’s office, and left her a note saying, "The work’s finished, so get plenty of rest. Please make sure to lock up properly."

After that, I locked the trainer’s office and left.

---

It was the afternoon of December 31.

On New Year’s Eve, the usually lively Tracen Academy felt unusually quiet.

…Okay, that’s a lie. It wasn’t exactly quiet.

Even if fewer than usual, I could still hear the voices of Uma Musume training in the distance.

Tracen Academy was in the middle of winter break.

Depending on race schedules and their trainer’s policy, some Uma Musume take time off during this period and return home to their families.

Many of them have only recently finished elementary-level training and left their parents’ homes. Spending New Year’s back with family is a perfectly reasonable choice.

…But there are plenty who don’t.

They’re students, yes—but they’re also elite athletes. Some of them train even on New Year’s Eve.

If you’re only thinking about winning, that’s probably the right decision.

For athletes—especially Uma Musume in their prime—every second counts.

But my own philosophy is that I want them to enjoy running and live fulfilling lives.

Wilm and Bourbon both worked incredibly hard this year.

Not slacking off, but rather maintaining motivation through proper balance—that’s why I decided they should take a short break.

Judging by how Masa looked, she wouldn’t be moving much for a while either…

So our whole camp had temporarily come to a halt, entering a brief period of rest.

…That being the case, what should I do?

"Hm…"

I didn’t want to disturb Masa’s long-overdue sleep, so I couldn’t go back into the trainer’s office.

That meant I couldn’t really do much trainer work. Maybe some information gathering—but on a year-end day like this, at best I’d just end up reading an e-book.

Of course, I wasn’t about to contact Wilm or Bourbon and interrupt their time off.

Masa isn’t the only one finally getting a break. Each of them has her own place of peace, and barging into that would be going too far.

So, in that case…

"Yeah. I’ll sleep."

Come to think of it, I hadn’t gotten proper sleep in quite a while either.

If I wanted to work properly from tomorrow onward, I should take this opportunity to get some solid rest in my room.

Six hours of sleep should restore me to a functional level. I could wake up in the evening, check on Masa, and then maybe get a little more work done after that…

"Mm…"

Wow—now that the work’s finally over, maybe my guard dropped. The moment I became aware of my lack of sleep, the drowsiness hit me hard…

I really need to make sure I properly recover from this fatigue by tomorrow…

---

…Or so I thought.

Apparently, thinking like that before falling asleep was a bad idea, because I ended up sleeping for about twelve straight hours.

"Ah…"

You’ve got to be kidding me.

The time displayed on my phone showed that there was less than an hour left until the new year.

…No, seriously. You’ve got to be kidding me.

The alarm—oh wow, it’s turned off.

I don’t remember it at all, but apparently I woke up once, unconsciously turned the alarm off, and then fell back asleep.
The classic double sleep.

I tried rebooting my phone just in case, but the numbers didn’t change.

…I don’t even want to think about it, but this seems to be undeniable reality.

"…Guess I really screwed up."

Well, everything that needed to be done by tomorrow—no, by today’s morning—is already finished.

Sleeping through this isn’t going to inconvenience anyone, but still…

Oversleeping. Oversleeping, huh…

It’s been a really long time since I last failed to wake up as planned.

Lately, something’s been off with me.

No—if I’m being honest, I’ve been off ever since the Takarazuka Kinen. But recently, it’s been especially noticeable.

What exactly is off is hard to put into a single word…

To put it simply, it feels like I’ve let my guard down—or maybe that my biological urges have grown stronger.

For example, when I collapse into bed while exhausted, it feels so good that I don’t want to move.

Or how getting out of a warm bed in the morning feels strangely difficult.

Food tastes unusually good, too. And if I keep working for too long, the fatigue hits harder, making me want to take breaks…

It’s like… I feel my desires more strongly than I used to.

If I had to sum it up in one phrase…

I’ve gotten weaker. That’s probably the closest description.

Compared to before, my “rational mind that tells me I must endure” has lost ground to my “desire to eat, sleep, and rest.”

Reason and desire.

I spent some time thinking about whether the former had weakened or the latter had grown stronger…

And the conclusion I reached was: probably both.

The fact that it’s harder for me to endure things like before clearly points to my reason becoming more fragile.

At the same time, the way I now find sleep comfortable, food delicious, and rest genuinely relieving makes it feel like my desires themselves have grown larger.

From my own perspective, it feels like I’m gradually becoming more useless, which honestly makes me a little uneasy…

…Though if my brother—the one who used to tell me “eat more, sleep more, rest more”—knew about this, he’d probably be thrilled.

Why did I end up like this?

The reason is… honestly, I don’t really know.

What happened to me? Ever since that Arima Kinen, something’s felt off.

Did I damage something important when I hit my head back then? I mean, the detailed medical exams said I was perfectly healthy…

"…Well, whatever."

I cut off that train of thought with a single phrase.

I can’t push myself like I used to.

If I keep working nonstop, I start craving a break. Skip even one meal, and I can’t stand the hunger. After three consecutive all-nighters, my efficiency visibly tanks.

…But that doesn’t mean my effectiveness as a trainer has gone down.

It may not be strong enough to completely override my appetite or sleepiness, but inside me, there’s still a very real desire to do my best as the trainer of Hoshino Wilm and Mihono Bourbon—to support them.

Because of that, even with weaker rational control, I can still act based on instinct…

…Ironically enough.

Eating properly, sleeping, and resting—those very activities have made me more efficient than before.

My mind works better, my intuition is sharper. Things that used to require some serious thought now yield solutions almost immediately.

In the end, I probably just didn’t get enough rest before. I’d been functioning with my brain and body operating several levels below their full potential.

The old me could move for long hours but worked inefficiently.
The current me can’t move as long, but works far more efficiently.

If you ask which version gets more work done…

Honestly, I think the current one wins.

I can’t overdo it like before. I probably can’t sit at my desk for thirty straight hours anymore.

But I can manage about twenty hours with breaks—and if I can more than double my efficiency during those twenty hours, that means I get more done than before.

If I’m more productive than I used to be, then this change should probably be called a good one.

And so, while still feeling confused by the changes in myself, I’d begun to half-accept them.

"Still… that aside, oversleeping really isn’t good."

Oversleeping means failing to wake up as planned.

If that happened on the morning of an important race…

Ugh—just imagining it gave me goosebumps.

I need to get my act together. Seriously. This could lead to something completely irreversible if I’m not careful.

…Still, oversleeping.

When was the last time I did that?

I don’t remember it happening in this life at all, so it must’ve been in my previous one—but when, exactly…?

…Huh?

I don’t recall oversleeping at all after middle school, so maybe back in elementary school…

But for some reason, I can’t remember that part very clearly.

It’s hard to believe I never overslept even once in my life. Surely I must have during elementary school…

But wait—what kind of kid was I back then, anyway?

Which school did I go to? What kind of friends did I have? What did I do every day?

What was my dream for the future? My favorite playground equipment? The celebrities who were popular at the time…?

"…I can’t… remember?"

No matter how hard I rummage around for it, there’s nothing there. It’s like that part was cleanly ripped out of my brain, leaving behind a blank space.

What on earth is this…?

…No—wait.

If I think about it, maybe this is just how it is.

My elementary school days from my previous life would have been over thirty years ago by now.

Memories inevitably deteriorate with time, and that’s something no one can really prevent as long as they keep living.

Especially in my case—I’m a reincarnator. I don’t even know how my memories from my previous life were carried over into this one, or how they’re being stored.

It might be that memories from a previous life degrade more easily than those from this one, slowly becoming harder and harder to recall like this.

"…Hmmm."

Thinking about it that way leaves me with an indescribable feeling.

Forgetting is, in a sense, unavoidable.

Humans can’t remember everything. There’s simply too much excess, and more importantly, if we didn’t forget and lighten our mental burdens, life itself would become unbearably heavy.

That living means carrying pain, letting suffering pile up…

I feel like I heard that somewhere before.

Who said it, though—I can’t remember.

That’s why forgetting is, in a way, a form of self-defense for those who choose to go on living.

So we don’t carry too much. So the pain doesn’t grow too large. So we don’t collapse under its weight…

Leaving what we carried behind in the past, and moving forward into the future.

That’s just how it is.

Something everyone experiences eventually, as long as they live.

…And yet, for some reason, it felt just a little lonely.

---

"Ah—no, this isn’t good. I think I’m getting a bit negative."

It seems that my first oversleeping incident, at least as far as I can remember, hit me harder than I expected.

I’ll reflect properly on it later. For now, I need to pull myself together.

…Alright, let’s think again about what I should be doing from here.

First, I checked our contact LINE to see if anything happened during those twelve hours…

There was a message from Masa, sent about five hours ago.

"Sorry, I fell asleep. Thanks for the blanket."

"Also, to be honest, I don’t remember much from recently. What happened? Was I doing my job properly?"

Then, about twenty minutes later, three more messages.

"Hey."

"Are you okay?"

"Let me know when you see this."

…Crap. I really worried her.

After that accident, Masa became extremely sensitive about things like this. She’s probably convinced I got into another accident or something.

I sent her a reply—"Sorry, I was asleep too and didn’t notice. I’m fine, really, so don’t worry."

…What? It’s already read. Not even a second passed.

"Idiot."

"Seriously."

"No, that was too harsh."

"I’m sorry."

That clumsy consideration, so very Masa-like, made my cheeks loosen before I knew it.

She worries too much about others, overthinks things, and even when she blurts out her emotions, she’s able to reflect on them right away.

I might be biased since she’s family, but I genuinely think that kind of earnestness is one of Masa’s strengths.

"So, what’s the situation?"

"Hmm… the situation."

Prompted like that, I started tapping away at my phone, recalling the past few days as I typed.

…I’m still a bit groggy, my thoughts not quite clear yet. Maybe I should take this chance to organize my memories starting from that Arima Kinen.

---

Hoshino Wilm’s Arima Kinen came to an end, and with it, all the races our camp would run this year were finished.

At the same time, I finally woke up properly and returned to work from the afternoon of the following day.

After that, I spent two days doing nothing but processing work, more or less bringing order to the mountain of tasks Masa had been struggling to handle on her own.

…Well, only “more or less.” There were still plenty of additional investigations and organization left to do.

Then came December 25—Christmas—the day when things had finally settled down for the moment.

At first, we planned to hold a small Christmas party within our own camp, doubling as a consolation gathering after the Arima Kinen. But Wilm apparently let it slip, and Nature’s and Teio’s camps asked to join as well.

The result was a party that ended up much larger than expected.

…Thinking back on it calmly, that party included the horses who placed second, third, and ninth in this year’s Arima Kinen.

On top of that, Bourbon was the Junior-class champion, having won the G1 Asahi Hai.

Wait—wasn’t that actually an absurdly luxurious party?

There probably would’ve been fan demand for it. Maybe we should’ve streamed it or something.

In any case, once that Christmas was over, the year truly began drawing to a close.

The Uma Musume students entered full vacation mode, and in our camp, Bourbon returned to her family home.

…Though in her case, it seemed less like a vacation and more like paying her parents a visit.

When she told me, "I will require a training menu so that I can continue training there as well. Master, please provide output," I seriously hesitated over what to do. In the end, I made one and gave it to her.

Meanwhile, Wilm stayed at Tracen.

Or rather, she’d apparently sold her house in Hokkaido. Even if she left the dorms, she had nowhere to go back to—so that’s probably the right way to put it.

…Framed like that, it sounds a little lonely. But considering her current assets, she could easily build one or two houses if she wanted. It’s not a situation worth being overly pessimistic about.

If needed, I’d be willing to help out in any way I could, too.

Back to the point.

So yes, Wilm was still at Tracen—but even so, there was no way I could force her to keep training after the 28th.

No matter how much of an athlete they are, Uma Musume are still students at heart. They deserve a break at least over the New Year holidays.

Well, she does seem like the type who’d go running even during New Year’s anyway, so I did give her a light menu “just in case she wanted to do some voluntary training.”

And every day, she’s been sending messages like, "I ran over here today!" or "Look, a new shop opened here! Want to go together sometime?"—reports mixed with casual chatter.

…W-well, yeah. There’s a difference in mindset between being forced to train and choosing to train freely, right?

Anyway.

I gave my assigned Uma Musume a period of rest—or at least, days where they could spend their time however they liked, whether they actually rested or not.

Meanwhile, Masa and I were, as expected, buried in work.

What I managed to get done by the 25th was only “most” of the paperwork.

If I seriously try to prepare for the wave of busyness coming after next spring, there’s really no such thing as work ever running out.

I mean—just think about it.

Once January starts, there’s the first shrine visit of the year, and I’ll have to properly greet Wilm’s parents. On a more personal note, it would only be right for both Masa and me to return to the main family house and give our report as well. Once the New Year period ends, we’ll be rushing around with the award-related matters for the URA Prize, which Wilm—and most likely Bourbon as well—will be receiving. After that comes watching the URA Finals for the second-year senior-class Uma Musume, including McQueen and the others. Of course, we can’t neglect training in preparation for spring, and we also can’t slack off when it comes to investigating this year’s incoming students.

…Come to think of it, isn’t January way too busy for a trainer?

No, I know. This level of busyness is only because I’m in charge of absolute outliers among outliers—Hoshino Wilm and Mihono Bourbon.

Normally, there’s no way anyone would be responsible for both an undefeated Triple Crown holder who’s now a five-crown Uma Musume and the reigning Junior-class champion at the same time.

To be honest, for someone like me—only in my third year of having a dedicated assignment—it’s more than I can comfortably handle…

…Well, I am their trainer. There’s nothing to do but give it my all. I feel a bit bad about it, but I’ll have Masa hang in there too and treat this as experience.

And so, while having Masa organize the documents, I spent my days constantly busy—talking with the URA, getting summoned by the chairwoman, drafting rough plans for the coming years, researching their running form and legs, and so on…

And finally, by lunchtime today, the majority of what needed to be done was finished.

---

After organizing the situation and sending it to Masa, I get a reply: “Got it for now. Sorry, but I’m going back to sleep. See you tomorrow in the trainer’s office.”

…The fact that she’s fully prepared to work starting on New Year’s Day itself, not even waiting for the first three days to pass, really shows how accustomed Masa’s gotten to being a trainer.

Alright, I’ll do my best too. If I don’t keep honing myself, she might catch up to me sooner than I think.

I figured I’d finally read the Monthly Twinkle magazine I hadn’t been able to get to, and reached for my tablet, but…

Just as I was about to set my phone down, it vibrated again.

“Hm…?”

Did Masa forget to say something? No, she said she was going to sleep, so probably not.

At this hour, it wouldn’t be someone from the URA, and it’s not anyone related to live choreography either. So maybe it’s an emailed receipt from something I ordered digitally, or an early Happy New Year message from the Horino family…

Thinking that, I glance at my phone.

“…Wilm?”

It was a LINE message from Wilm.

“Trainer”
“Um”
“Do you have time right now”
“Or maybe you don’t”
“It’s not something important”
“You’re probably busy, and if you’re with someone that’s totally fine”
“I mean”
“No really”

The messages keep updating at a pretty fast pace.

But the moment I mark them as read, the flood of messages comes to a sudden stop.

…Alright. In this situation, what exactly should I do as her trainer?

Why she’s this flustered and what she wants are, of course, things I’m curious about.

But trying to draw that out through text alone… that might be difficult.

In that case, there’s only one option.

“Wilm”
“Eek”
“Is it okay if I call you right now?”
“Ah, yes!”

I quickly cut off the text-based exchange and decided to call her directly.

Less than a second after the call starts ringing.

Without making me wait at all, she answers.

“Hello, Wilm?”

“Huh? Um… Trainer.”

There’s a faint rustling sound, like fabric brushing together—probably from her being in bed.

…Well, that makes sense. It should already be lights-out time in the Ritto dorms. It feels like she contacted me secretly after curfew.

As I wonder why she didn’t just wait until tomorrow if it wasn’t urgent…

She asks me, sounding a little puzzled.

“Are you maybe… just waking up?”

“Oh, did you notice? I was actually asleep until just a bit ago.”

“Well, um… it’s like, your breathing and the way you’re talking… it sounds kind of soft, I guess?”

“Soft…?”

What does “soft” even mean when it comes to talking? Is she talking about my enunciation? If so, that’s on me.

I clear my throat and adjust my tongue, then speak again.

“So, what is it, Wilm? I don’t need to say this now, but staying up late really isn’t good for your stamina or condition. Seriously.”

“Well, yes, that’s true, but… but…”

For some reason, today’s Wilm isn’t acting like herself, hesitating as if she has something stuck in her mouth.

As I tilt my head at her behavior, she finally says—sounding a little embarrassed—

“Well, you see… it’s almost the New Year. But my roommate, Meek-senpai, went home, so she’s not here…

So, um… if possible—even if we can’t meet in person—maybe we could talk on the phone and ring in the New Year together… or maybe fall asleep while talking…”

The latter half was spoken so quietly, and with the sound of fabric rustling so loud, that I couldn’t quite make it out…

Oh. So that’s what it was about.

“I’m relieved. I was worried you might be dealing with something serious.”

“Ah, I see… sorry about that. I guess I made it sound misleading…”

“No, it’s fine. If anything, I’d like to know more about you, so feel free to talk to me about anything.”

“Ah, uh…”

She lets out a shy little groan, and a smile slips out of me before I can stop it.

…She really has started reacting like a girl her age.

When we first met, she almost felt like a cold machine. But as we spent time together, I realized she was simply suppressing herself, and little by little, she began to show me what was inside.

Now she can openly share her honest feelings like this.

It might be a small thing… but that growth makes me genuinely happy.

“…So, about spending New Year’s together.”

I glance at the clock by my bed. It’s 11:30 p.m.

She’s worked incredibly hard this year—far more than you’d expect for someone her age. If I can repay even a bit of that effort with a short stretch of time, that’s more than worth it.

And besides…

Spending the thirty minutes until the New Year with the Uma Musume I’m responsible for—with Wilm, who ran through this entire year alongside me…

…Yeah. That doesn’t sound bad at all.

If anything, my heart feels a little lighter just thinking about it.

“Alright. But once the year changes, that’s it. You go straight to sleep. Deal?”

“Y-yes!”

From the other side of the phone, I hear a bright, genuinely happy voice.

---

For the next thirty minutes, Wilm and I passed the time chatting about absolutely trivial things.

She told me how neither she nor her roommate-senpai—who turned out to be Happy Meek, which genuinely surprised me—managed to win the Arima Kinen, and how their rivalry ended up fizzling out into an awkward draw.

I shared a mildly amusing misunderstanding that happened recently when I spoke with a URA staff member.

She talked about the legendary Uma Musume Oguri Cap, who casually wandered into an impromptu eating contest at the dorm cafeteria and walked away with the win.

I mentioned how lately my appetite and sleepiness had been strangely intense, and how it was giving me a bit of trouble.

As we talked quietly, chuckling softly to ourselves…

Before we realized it, the New Year had arrived.

“…Ah. I didn’t notice—it’s already this late.”

“Huh? Oh… I didn’t realize either. It’s already the New Year, isn’t it?”

“Sorry. I guess I got too into it.”

“No, it was fun, so it’s fine!”

If she enjoyed even a little of it, that’s enough for me.

And besides… it was a fulfilling enough time that I found myself laughing without even meaning to.

…That said, there’s still a time and place for things like this. Boundaries matter.

“Well then, let’s call it a night.”

“Ah… right.”

Just a faint trace of sadness slips into Wilm’s voice, which had been so cheerful moments before.

But it’s fine.

“Let’s talk properly again tomorrow.”

“! Yes, we’ll see each other tomorrow, won’t we?

Then, um… Happy New Year. …And please take care of me again this year, Ayumu!”

“Happy New Year. I’m looking forward to this year too, Wilm.”

With those calm words exchanged…

Our quiet New Year came to an end.

It had been a very long year—and yet, at the same time, a very short one—for Hoshino Wilm’s Classic class and Mihono Bourbon’s Junior class.

Now then… from here on, it’s Hoshino Wilm’s first year in the Senior class, and Mihono Bourbon’s Classic class.

Time to refocus and give it everything I’ve got as their trainer.