Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live

"—That's what happened. What do you think, Kitano? What are they up to?"

After thoroughly mocking Rudolf and Palmer, Nakayama Festa certainly felt much better. However, she later realized she had just antagonized the student council president and wondered if she would face repercussions. The first thing she did was go to the hospital where Kitano was, perhaps feeling a little safer by his side.

By the time she arrived, it was almost bedtime. Oguri Cap, who had brought dinner, had already left. Not far from Kitano's bed, an empty tatami mat was particularly conspicuous—that was where Gold Ship slept.

Yes, Gold Ship had been by his side day and night, taking care of him. Festa knew this, but she was curious now. Gold Ship, who usually couldn't bear to be apart from him, where had she run off to?

"Golshi said she was going to get me some late-night snacks. I think she should be back soon," Kitano explained, though he had no time for Gold Ship's matters right now. What Festa had said was more attention-grabbing.

Rudolf and Mejiro Palmer had suggested adding a horse girl to his team? This was unprecedented.

This wasn't his first time at Tracen, nor his first time as a trainer under Rudolf's student council. Although she had paid more attention to him than other trainers in the past due to his special circumstances, he also knew that besides her concern, she had always tried to control his influence.

The reason was obvious. In the eyes of others, he was a seriously ill patient who could die at any moment. But his charges were all unique individuals who, if their strengths were properly utilized, could achieve amazing results.

And as it happened, he was good at dealing with eccentric horse girls—though there was a degree of necessity involved.

The horse girls who would choose or agree to a sickly trainer like him were mostly those with unusual personalities or those who liked to challenge themselves. And to live a few more years, he naturally tried his best to get along with them, thus mastering the art of interacting with these quirky individuals without being taught.

On top of this, his advantage as a transmigrator helped him avoid many detours and quickly find their strengths. Therefore, most of his horse girls could achieve better, more outstanding results.

But this created a problem. A sickly trainer who hadn't even entered Tracen through proper channels, leading horse girls who were not favored by anyone, had achieved what most central trainers could not. This kind of story was too legendary and irresistibly tempting for other horse girls.

A weak trainer wants to burn his last passion before dying, and his charge desperately helps him realize his dream—is there a more inspiring story?

This led to a situation where, in several playthroughs, even after his first charge had become famous, finding his next one was very difficult. Many were attracted by his "legend," blindly believing they were the next star, and wanted to choose him, not knowing that his charges were actually moving forward under great pressure.

In this regard, Rudolf had provided a lot of help. However, she was concerned that if he died one day, his death would have a negative impact on too many horse girls, causing them emotional distress and even affecting their races and future careers. Therefore, in his memory, she had always been busy controlling his influence, wary of anyone with ulterior motives trying to "deify" him and cause trouble in the future.

But in this playthrough, she was acting uncharacteristically, wanting to introduce a new horse girl to his team? This was not her usual style.

"Did Rudolf tell you the reason?"

"She did, but I think she was just making excuses." Festa nodded. She was still quite annoyed about this, her ears drooping slightly as she pouted, "I'm not an idiot. I can read between the lines... She just doesn't trust my ability. She thinks a horse girl like me, carrying the great expectations of a trainer like you, is just a waste of your trust."

"How could that be, Festa?" Hearing her murmur, Kitano chuckled softly and reached out to rub her horse ears. Feeling no resistance, he continued:

"Didn't I tell you? I'm very much like you. We're not the type to blindly go all-in when we have no advantage. I put my expectations on you because I have confidence in you."

"—Of course, if you really feel suppressed and tired, I will respect your choice. You are still my contracted horse girl. No matter when, I will have confidence in you and believe you can definitely achieve victory."

After his talk with the goddesses, he had clearly recognized his mistakes and his lack of attention to Festa. He hadn't been able to convey his full message when he had just woken up, but it wasn't too late now.

He also realized he shouldn't be like a parent who, due to their own failed life, imposes all their regrets on their child. Piling all his hopes of survival onto her would only crush her, causing her to underperform due to pressure, which might be even worse than her historical record.

The real-life Nakayama Festa was legendary mainly because people "bestowed" upon him the last wishes of his owner, and he successfully responded to them, winning a "must-win" race as if it were scripted. Kitano didn't know if it was a coincidence or if all things truly had a spirit, but he knew the real Nakayama Festa had achieved victory after his owner passed away. Even if it was a manifestation of his determination, it was after the fact.

But he was alive and well now. His expectations brought her not determination, but immense pressure. That's why he was trying his best to make up for his mistake.

This was the first time he had spoken so openly. Festa, whose ears were being played with, fell silent for a moment. But soon, as her ears visibly perked up, he knew his words had had an effect.

"—Hah, who do you think I am? I'm not someone who gets trapped by desperate situations. My creed is that victory and defeat are decided in an instant."

"What I pursue is the ultimate, thrilling race. Pressure, for me, only becomes the motivation to break through. That's just how it is."

Her murmurs gradually grew louder, just like her confidence, which was swelling with reassurance. She glanced sideways at him, a confident and dangerous smile on her face as she said, word by word:

"So, don't you worry about me being crushed by pressure. As for you, remember to be full of expectation—and remember, you must live until the day you see me win a world-class victory for you."

"Until that day comes, I absolutely will not allow you to die, nor will I allow you to look down on me, understand?"

"—Yeah, I understand. Let's show those who underestimate you what you're made of, Festa."

Faced with her outstretched fist, Kitano, as always, didn't hesitate. The moment their fists gently bumped, a heartfelt smile bloomed on both their faces, a smile of a connected understanding.

However, just as their feelings were rapidly warming up, the door was suddenly thrown open without warning. The confidently smiling Festa instantly retracted her hand as if electrocuted, even moving a small distance away from him.

"Kitano-chan! I brought you a midnight snack—Ah! Nakayama-nee, you're here too?"

Undoubtedly, the person who had interrupted their moment was Gold Ship, who had gone out to buy snacks. Faced with this youngest, most mischievous, yet most perceptive sister of the Gold Family, Festa looked awkward, pulling down her knit cap to hide her shyness.

"My debut race is tomorrow. I just couldn't sleep."

"B-by the way, why are you back so late? He's here alone in the hospital, and you're not looking after him?"

"Heehee, I'm different from you, Nakayama-nee. I was busy working for Kitano-chan, you know?" Gold Ship replied in her usual baffling, playful tone, making it hard to tell if she was being serious. But she didn't give anyone time to react, pulling out a stack of papers from somewhere and handing them to him.

"Kitano-chan, here's the receipt for the snack. Remember to reimburse me later~"

"And here's the hospital bill. The doctor said you can be discharged tomorrow after your check-up, so they had me bring it. You just need to sign it."

"Huh? The Mejiro family is so rich, they can't even cover this small amount?"

However, as Gold Ship handed him the bill, the always money-conscious Festa blurted this out. But Kitano shook his head and replied softly:

"You can't say that, Festa. If it weren't for Palmer, I might not have been saved. The Mejiro family has done more than enough. We can't use their wealth to guilt-trip them."

"But... signing, huh. I hope my hand still has the strength."

He glanced at the bill and saw nothing unusual. But when he tried to gather his strength to sign it, he couldn't find a pen anywhere.

"Golshi, do you have a pen? I can't sign without one."

"Nope, but that's okay! Golshi may not have a pen, but Golshi has this! Ta-da!" Gold Ship looked as if she had just realized this, which wasn't surprising—how many people carry a pen with them? But in the next moment, her tone suddenly changed, and the thing she pulled out from nowhere made even Kitano fall silent.

"...Why are you carrying a red ink pad for thumbprints?" Festa stared at the small box Gold Ship had taken from her pocket. She had thought it was a compact mirror, but when Gold Ship revealed the red ink inside, even Festa couldn't keep up with her bizarre logic.

"Alright, alright, Kitano-chan, just press your thumbprint here. It's convenient and fast!"

Gold Ship clearly had no intention of explaining. Instead, she quickly grabbed one of his fingers, pressed it onto the surprisingly moist ink pad, and then firmly pressed a clear thumbprint onto the paper in her hand.

After doing this, she immediately let go of his finger, giving no one time to react, and ran out the door again, shouting:

"Alright, Golshi is going to give the bill to the doctor! You have to take care of yourself, Kitano-chan!"

"...What an unpredictable person she is."

Faced with the hasty Gold Ship, this time, both Kitano, who considered himself experienced in dealing with strange horse girls, and Festa, who had been her sister for over a decade, gave the same assessment. However, from their helpless yet fond smiles, it was clear that neither had any intention of changing her.

Because they both knew that no matter what, Gold Ship would never harm anyone. You could entrust important things to her, and she would be one of the most reliable people when it mattered.

However, neither of them knew that after running out of the hospital room, Gold Ship didn't go to the reception desk but ran all the way out of the hospital, heading towards Tracen Academy.

And now, her face was uncharacteristically devoid of a smile, instead looking more serious than ever before. Her focus was not on her running, but on the paper in her hand.

Beneath the hospital bill with Kitano's red thumbprint, there was another piece of paper... His thumbprint had bled through, leaving a mark on the paper below. And that mark was precisely on the spot designated for an "approval" signature.

In a gust of wind, the top line of the paper was slowly revealed, bearing the eye-catching words, "Contract Agreement."

At this moment, the eyes of the ash-haired horse girl, speeding through the streets, were hidden by her long bangs, as if no one could see through to her thoughts. Only she knew that everything she was doing was to save the one person she most wanted to keep.

A person who, even now, had not recognized her, but whom she was determined to save.

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