I Just Wanted a Quiet Life... So Why Am I an Uma Musume Trainer?!

I stood in the trainer's private stands, the same place where, on the day I conquered the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, I'd glimpsed her—the Uma Musume beside him. Back then, she was just a distant figure, but now, up close, her presence was undeniable.

"What are you doing in a place like this?" she asked. "Shouldn't you be training for the Oka Sho? That's the standard move, isn't it?"

Air Groove: "…I came down with a fever two days ago. I've been ordered to rest for three days."

"I see. So, if you recover in three days, you'll adjust your training. If not, you'll either sit it out or withdraw entirely, correct?"

Air Groove: "…Did my trainer tell you that?"

"I'm Hachiman's mentor, after all. I don't need to be told to understand something like this. But your expression—it's not just about being sidelined, is it? Care to talk?"

I hesitated. Opening up to a stranger felt wrong. But what choice did I have? I couldn't just stand here, stewing.

Air Groove: "Fine. It might take a while, but I'll tell you."

"Mind if I sit?" she said, settling beside me.

I explained what happened earlier, trying to be as clear as possible. She gazed at the river or the sky, occasionally nodding. Was she even listening?

Air Groove: "That's the gist of it. I know it was my own selfish anger, but I can't help feeling a little regret for lashing out at my trainer…"

She fell silent.

Air Groove: "Um… is something wrong?"

"Nothing," she said. "Just thinking. I warned Hachiman, you know, but it seems I'll need to give him a proper lecture later."

Air Groove: "…"

"You're Air Groove, right?"

Air Groove: "Yes."

"What do you think of Hachiman?"

Air Groove: "…I'm sorry, I don't quite understand the question."

"It's simple. From any perspective you like. To me, he's my greatest student—my masterpiece, the one I'll never surpass. Even if someone begged me to train another, I'd never find a gem like him again. It might sound biased, but he has the skill and knowledge to back it up."

Air Groove: "…"

"Your turn. What do you think?"

What was he to me?

Air Groove: "Right now… I'm not sure. He's a skilled trainer, no question. I'm grateful he's using that skill for me. But he's blunt—sometimes too blunt. I know it's for my sake, for all of us, but I wish he'd choose his words more carefully."

"Hmm. I see," she said, chuckling softly. "Interesting."

Air Groove: "Did I say something funny?"

"No, it's nothing. Let me ask you this instead: Do you trust Hachiman?"

Air Groove: "…Halfway, I suppose."

"Only halfway? Not complete trust, then."

Air Groove: "…No."

"Then the answer's simple. No need to overthink it."

Air Groove: "What do you mean?"

"End the contract."

Air Groove: "What!?"

"If you can't trust him, it's obvious, isn't it? Your first answer was intriguing, but this one? There's only one solution. Why let someone you don't fully trust train you? That's a recipe for anxiety. Find a new trainer—someone you can trust. Isn't that logical?"

Air Groove: "…"

"One more thing. Last December's G1, the strategy change—what did you think of it?"

Air Groove: "…I questioned the sudden shift, but he explained it well enough, so I didn't push further."

"I gave that order."

Air Groove: "What!?"

"I wanted to see what Hachiman's Uma Musume was capable of. So I tested you. The results speak for themselves, but I also sensed a fragility. I warned him then, but it seems my words fell on deaf ears."

Air Groove: "Why would you…?"

"Why tell you this when you're about to walk away? I believe in Hachiman's talent—more than you know. But you? You're holding him back. His potential is wasted on you."

Air Groove: "That's not—! He chose me because of my potential, didn't he!?"

"I've watched Hachiman for four years. I know his character, his choices. And I can say this: he'd never pick an Uma Musume like you. You two don't mesh. He's not one for sweet talk or manipulation. If anything, it sounds like you're both just using each other."

I understood everything—or so I thought. I thought I knew him. But what did I really know?

"That look," she said. "You don't know Hachiman at all, do you?"

Air Groove: "!"

"Of course not. You never tried to. Wasting your time with a trainer like that? Pointless. Your year wasn't wasted—you've grown as a racer, I'll give you that. But what about the rest? Has anything changed? Has Hachiman opened up to you? Have you shared a single casual conversation?"

Air Groove: "…"

"That's your answer. Let me be clear: you're not worthy of Hachiman."

With those final words, the Uma Musume who called herself his mentor walked away. I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. I realized, far too late, that everything I've achieved… it's because of him. Not me. My own strength? It's nothing.