Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live

Chapter 25: Chapter 25: The Enviable Embrace of Kitano and Nakayama Festa



At this moment, neither the announcer's voice nor the roaring crowd meant anything to the victorious Nakayama Festa. All her emotions were consumed by a delayed wave of exhaustion. Not long after crossing the finish line, she collapsed onto the muddy track, her chest heaving violently.

The victory had been a desperate one. As Rudolf feared, daring to face the more advantaged Gold Ship on a heavy track was a huge gamble. She had won, but that didn't mean the risk was small.

Even without an accident, her victory was a messy one. Compared to Gold Ship, who still had energy to spare, it was clear how much the track had drained her. After all, besides her explosive power, her stamina and strength were inferior to her sister's—this was not a lack of training, but a simple difference in natural talent.

This was precisely why she had chosen such a radical tactic. She knew her sister's overall strength was greater. If she didn't take an extreme approach, she would surely lose.

Her entire gamble was because she didn't want to lose. This victory... she had to personally offer it to her trainer.

"Nakayama-nee."

At that moment, Gold Ship slowly approached. There was no trace of disappointment on her face, only her usual goofy grin.

Her smile erased the last of Festa's worries—as expected, Golshi was just trying to provoke me. She didn't really intend to fight me for the 'number one charge' position.

Golshi knows me too well. But it made sense. She was probably more anxious than anyone, worried that Kitano's hopes would be dashed and his already poor health would worsen.

So she appeared on the track, not just to provoke me, but also thinking, 'if Nakayama-nee can't win, at least if I win, Kitano will feel better.' That's why she tricked him into providing his thumbprint.

Honestly... what a difficult little sister.

With this thought, Festa took her sister's outstretched hand and stood up, a cool smile returning to her face. "That final sprint... you held back, didn't you?"

"Don't play dumb with me. I felt you ease up in the last fifty meters. And you're still standing here so casually; you definitely haven't reached your limit."

Why would Gold Ship, who could have won, give up? Festa couldn't understand. However, Gold Ship just smiled carelessly and replied:

"Because Golshi is the type of horse girl who only goes all out when she's sure she can win! If I go all out in a match I'm not sure I can win, and I still lose, isn't that a waste of energy?"

"So, since I couldn't beat you this time, I just admitted defeat. Besides, you really wanted to win, didn't you, Nakayama-nee?"

Here, her expression turned serious. "For me, it doesn't matter who wins. But for Kitano-chan, it's different."

"...Yeah."

At the mention of his name, Festa's tension about the victory slowly melted away into a relaxed smile. "I never intended to lose to anyone. That guy bet so much on me; I had to win it for him myself."

"Wow... Nakayama-nee really trusts Kitano-chan."

This rare moment of honesty from her sister surprised Gold Ship. A complex emotion flickered in her eyes, followed by a rare look of melancholy. "So that's why you dared to bet so big, using your own future as a stake."

"—He bet his entire life on me. Besides losing, what other stake is there that I can't afford?"

Perhaps because she thought he wasn't there, and because of her post-race fatigue, Festa answered without thinking. However, as the words left her mouth, she belatedly realized something—Kitano had given her immense courage.

To make such a reckless move on the heavy track was something her past self would never have done. But after he became her trainer, something had changed. That feeling of going all-out without reservation—she had never experienced such a thrill.

"Perhaps he bet his own courage on me as well."

Saying this, Festa couldn't help but place a hand over her heart—it was beating faster now, a thrilling sensation just like the moment she had decided to make her move on the inside lane.

"—Nakayama-nee said that! Did you hear clearly, Kitano-chan?!"

"Huh?!"

In an instant, Gold Ship's mood shifted from cloudy to sunny, catching Festa completely off guard. She flinched and looked into the distance, only to see, to her utter astonishment, a familiar figure in a wheelchair being pushed towards her by an even more familiar horse girl.

"K-Kitano?! And Big Sis?! What are you guys doing here?!"

"W-wait a minute, what I just said, don't take it seriously! Especially you, Kitano! Don't you dare overthink it, I didn't mean—"

Noticing Stay Gold and Kitano together, Festa's pupils quaked. Seeing the cheerful smile on his face, combined with Gold Ship's words, she was immediately thrown into a panic of embarrassment.

He heard what I just said?! This immediately brought back the memory of her confession when he had "died." She keenly realized that these two emotional outbursts, if overheard, could easily be misinterpreted!

That guy is smiling so happily, did he misunderstand again?!

At this thought, her heart pounded even faster, her cheeks burning. She started walking towards him, chattering non-stop, trying to explain herself...

But in reality, he hadn't heard anything.

He and Stay Gold had come through the tunnel. They could see the two sisters, but the distance was too great for his normal hearing to pick up their conversation.

The reason he was so happy was simple: Festa had won! And the moment she did, he had received the feedback—a full sixty days of life!

His lifespan was mainly affected by three factors: the grade of the race, the "quality" of the competition (the presence of strong rivals), and whether his charge had surpassed their historical performance.

This debut race had no grade, but Gold Ship's participation and the fact that they had both broken the track record had given him a huge boost. It was only natural for him to be overjoyed.

As he basked in the wonderful feeling of his body's functions returning, he saw the blushing Festa running towards him. His smile widened, and without thinking, he said to Stay Gold behind him:

"Stay Gold, please wait a moment."

Before she could react, he did something that made everyone's jaws drop—he supported himself with his hands and slowly stood up from his wheelchair.

Perhaps the increase in his lifespan had given him the strength to walk. He took a few slightly clumsy steps, which scared Festa and the others.

"Kitano!"

Her emotion instantly shifted from embarrassment to fear. She opened her arms, ready to catch him like a falling porcelain doll. But to everyone's surprise, he didn't fall.

Instead, seeing her coming towards him with open arms, he looked even more delighted. He walked forward excitedly and, bending down slightly, met her embrace, pulling her tightly into his arms.

"Hah—"

Held so suddenly, Festa felt as if she had stopped breathing. Her body went rigid as a rock, her arms frozen in mid-air. The only thing she could feel was the intense heat on her face.

"You did great, Festa. I knew I wasn't wrong to believe in you."

It was his joyful whisper in her ear that brought her back to her senses. The next moment, the shorter Festa seemed to melt, burying her head in his chest. After a long while, she finally mumbled:

"...Just this once, you hear?"

With that, she slowly, carefully, wrapped her own arms around his back. The scene of the victorious horse girl and her trainer embracing played out once again for the entire racecourse to see. The crowd erupted in cheers, the atmosphere reaching a fever pitch.

Even the announcer was caught up in the moment. "What a moving scene! The victorious Nakayama Festa and her trainer in a tearful embrace! I believe in this moment, they only have eyes for each other! Their perfect combination will surely bring them more victories in the future!"

The announcer's well-timed hype had a phenomenal effect, pushing the atmosphere to its peak. But he didn't know that his words were not met with universal approval. Nearby, Special Week, McQueen, and Teio all wore twisted expressions. And even Silence Suzuka, who had only felt a vague fear of Kitano, showed a rare look of discomfort, gripping her arm and biting her lower lip to suppress a surge of irritation.

And if these horse girls, who had just met him, were so displeased, one could only imagine the emotions of Rudolf and C.B...

Rudolf stood with her arms crossed, her expression unchanged. However, the suffocating aura she emanated had already caused the spectators around her to flee.

As for C.B.... though also displeased, her attention was completely fixed on the embracing pair.

At this moment, for the first time, she felt a sour taste in her heart... the feeling of watching someone else take what was supposed to be her place... it was not a good feeling at all.

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