Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live

"Honestly, that Gold Ship, what gives her the right to hang around with Kitano at Tracen? He's my trainer..."

While Gold Ship was accompanying Kitano on his tour, the displaced Nakayama Festa had already familiarized herself with her dorm room. She hadn't brought many personal belongings, but Kitano's things needed to be moved in large quantities from his house in Tokyo and the Gold Family's home.

After being pushed aside by Gold Ship, Festa began contacting her family to have some of Kitano's things transported from their home. A short while later, she was at the school gate to receive his personal belongings from her younger sister, "Orfevre."

"I brought all of Kitano-nii's usual things. Just these few boxes." Wearing a mask, Orfevre, with her chestnut hair shining dazzlingly in the sun, staggered to the Tracen Academy gate carrying several plastic storage bins.

"By the way, where's Kitano-nii?" Orfevre was a bit smaller than Nakayama Festa, probably because she hadn't fully developed yet. And besides Kitano, others would find it hard to imagine that such a small frame contained the power to contend for a top-three spot in Japanese racing history.

But that was all in the future. For now, Orfevre was just a little horse girl far from her debut. However, she was already beginning to show the Gold Family's hereditary hot temper, yet the moment Kitano was mentioned, she would unconsciously become gentle, her tone tinged with admiration.

Just hearing her address for Kitano made Nakayama Festa's skin crawl, but she managed to calm herself and replied coolly:

"He was taken for a tour by Gold Ship... Honestly, they're his things, and I'm the one stuck moving them."

"Well, Kitano-nii's condition..." Orfevre didn't react to her sister's complaint, as she knew well that Festa also cared deeply for Kitano. But whenever the topic came up, Orfevre still couldn't hide her own sad expression.

Soon, however, she pulled herself together. Her gaze focused on her older sister. This younger sister, who was usually meek and submissive at home, spoke with unprecedented solemnity:

"Nakayama-nee, I can't help Kitano-nii right now. The final dream he wants to achieve... it's all up to you now!"

"So, you have to keep winning! We all believe you can do it, Nakayama-nee!"

...Believe in me?

But what if... what if even I don't believe I can do it?

Nakayama Festa carried the boxes, which were tall enough to block her vision. The strength of a horse girl allowed her to easily accomplish a task difficult for a grown man, but her mind was not on the path ahead. It was consumed by what Orfevre had said minutes before.

Normally, Festa would never doubt her own abilities. She knew her strength and talent better than anyone. Even at Tracen Academy, which cultivated Japan's top talent, she wouldn't say she was one of the few geniuses, but her talent was definitely higher than most. She was confident she could win a G1 race.

Originally, such an achievement would have been enough for her to be admired at Tracen, to enjoy the glory until graduation without a worry, and to enjoy the heart-pounding races she loved—until Kitano chose her.

The dream Kitano wanted to achieve... his dream of making his charge the most dazzling new star in Japan in the little time he had left—Festa couldn't understand why he had entrusted such a noble and undeniable dream to her.

Such a dream obviously couldn't be achieved by winning just one G1. Could she... really do it?

That man had bet his remaining time on her. This stake... could she, the gamble, really live up to the expectations of this bold "gambler"?

"Thump."

Just as Festa's heart was in turmoil, a sudden obstacle in front of her made her feel like she had run into a mattress. The rebounding force caused her rather petite body to lose its balance, and she fell right onto the ground.

The plastic boxes she was holding crashed down, and one of them burst open on impact, spilling out books and notebooks filled with handwriting.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I called out to you several times, but I didn't expect you to be so deep in thought."

While Festa was still clutching her head, which had been hit by a falling box, before she could unleash her Gold Family temper, a clear, cool voice with a hint of teasing caught her attention.

In front of her, Mejiro Palmer's slender figure had appeared. Palmer bent down and helped the slightly dazed Festa to her feet. With a perfect smile always on her face, she glanced at the mess and said:

"These are your trainer's things, right? They must be important. Should you be picking them up?"

"Ah, these are his precious training notes."

Mejiro Palmer's words snapped Festa back to reality, and the anger from being bumped into instantly vanished. After all, she was the one who hadn't noticed Palmer, and considering their sizes... honestly, Festa didn't think she was a match for the other girl.

Although she didn't know Mejiro Palmer, she could tell from her appearance and aura that she was a Mejiro horse girl. The Gold and Mejiro families had a fair amount of interaction because of Gold Ship, and Festa knew very well not to mess with the uniformly tall Mejiro horses.

Honestly, why is everyone in our Gold Family, starting from Big Sis, so small? Only Gold Ship is a mutation...

As Festa thought this, they began picking up the books and notes. When the last storage box was closed, Palmer handed it back to her. It was then that Palmer finally revealed her purpose.

"I saw your trainer earlier. He was with Gold Ship. He seems to think very highly of you."

As expected, the moment Palmer said this, Festa, who was about to leave with the box, trembled involuntarily. Noticing her reaction, the smile on Palmer's lips widened slightly as she continued to probe:

"I am also looking forward to seeing if you, from the Gold Family, can break free from your own restraints and unleash your talent, becoming the most shining star on the racetrack."

"I have a feeling he might be right. A fledgling that breaks its bonds will soar. How long will it be before you, little bird, become a soaring eagle?"

"..."

However, faced with Palmer's words, Nakayama Festa, who had just been doubting her own abilities, fell completely silent. She pretended not to hear and quickly left with the box.

Festa's hasty escape was all seen by Palmer. A faint hint of disappointment flashed in the eyes of this Mejiro family treasure. Clearly, she was not satisfied with the performance of Kitano's charge.

"To be so trusted by her trainer, yet she doesn't respond and chooses to flee? Has the burden on her shoulders become so heavy that the fledgling has lost its confidence to fly?"

"But such resolve... it's truly a pity. To be unable to live up to the one expectation you shouldn't betray, what a regrettable plot."

Perhaps, then, we should just change the heroine of this story and let that tragic beauty achieve his ideal? Such a thought flashed through Palmer's mind, but she quickly dismissed it. Although she had confidence in her sisters, such an act would not only annoy Kitano, but her own sisters would likely not accept it either.

"Then let's learn more about this trainer. I don't know his name, but it shouldn't be hard to find— Hm?"

Just as Palmer was about to contact the Mejiro family to find information on Kitano, her eyes suddenly glanced at her feet. There, a notebook, perfectly camouflaged in the green grass, lay quietly.

Did I miss it just now? Palmer was a little surprised that she had made such a small mistake. However, when she bent down to pick up the notebook and saw the name "Kitano Ryuichi" written on it in faint strokes, the questions in her mind were mostly resolved.

"Kitano Ryuichi. Ah, so that is the name of our Venus."

As luck would have it, Palmer had just been hoping to learn more about Kitano, and the opportunity had come so quickly. Although she felt it wasn't right to read someone's private diary without permission, she quickly found an excuse for herself.

"That girl said these were his training notes... so they should contain knowledge about cultivating horse girls, right?"

"Well then, I'll just take a little peek at his professionalism as a trainer. Once I have an assessment, I can introduce him to my family, and then find a chance to return this notebook to him."

With that thought, Palmer convinced herself and, with a slight feeling of guilt, opened Kitano's notebook. The moment she opened it, she was immediately captivated by the records Kitano had kept.

But, what surprised her the most was that she wasn't drawn in by the training progress in the notebook. Instead, it was the few words and phrases the author had jotted down, outside of the training logs, that captured all her attention.

As time passed, Palmer's gaze never left the notebook. She seemed to have forgotten time, as if the notebook in her hands was a priceless treasure. And as she read, the expression in her eyes changed dramatically several times.

Sometimes it was a flash of astonishment, other times an incredible brilliance. Finally, after reading the very last page, she closed the notebook.

After a long, deep breath, when Mejiro Palmer opened her eyes again, her face, which had always held a perfect smile, now showed an unprecedented seriousness.

"I really have learned an... unexpected secret, Kitano Ryuichi."

The unexpected treasure hidden beneath that flawed beauty... it's truly something one cannot ignore.

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