He woke up with a start, blinking against the unfamiliar brightness overhead.
A wide campus stretched before him: sprawling fields, a running track, and a towering academy building that seemed both strange and oddly familiar. He rubbed his eyes, trying to make sense of it.
An academy…? Where have I seen this before?
The thought flickered across his mind before another possibility struck him. Wait… was I kidnapped?
He quickly dismissed the idea—there was no way someone would kidnap him just to abandon him here. That left only one explanation. I must've gotten drunk, wandered around, and somehow passed out on campus grounds…
With a sigh, he pushed himself up and glanced around.
That's when he noticed her.
A girl stood nearby, platinum-blonde hair catching the sunlight. She wore what looked like a school uniform a short-sleeved blouse with patten a deep bluish-purple vest-dress, accented with a large bow at her neckline. The pleated skirt matched the vest's color, trimmed with white stripes near the hem. Knee-high socks and dark shoes completed the look.
She looked confused. Almost lost.
Great, he thought. Just my luck. A grown man waking up in the middle of some academy like a suspicious stranger. Fantastic way to ruin my future reputation…
But the girl hadn't noticed him yet.
Then he froze.
Wait… is that… a tail? And horse ears?
He squinted, convinced it had to be cosplay. Maybe she was a dedicated fan, roleplaying as her own original character in that some game he used to play. Yet when the ears twitched he swallowed hard.
Nope. Definitely not my imagination.
He cleared his throat and coughed, hoping to get her attention."Ahem… excuse me, miss. Are you alright?"
The girl snapped out of her daze, her amethyst-colored eyes locking onto him. She studied him for a long moment, disbelief flickering across her face, before stepping closer.
"Uh… hello?" he asked, uncertain.
Her expression shifted into something he couldn't read—shock, fear, maybe recognition. She reached up, touching his face with trembling hands.
She was shorter than him around 158 centimeters, maybe and had to tilt her head back to look into his eyes. The closeness made his skin prickle.
Seriously? Personal space, ever heard of it? he thought, shaking his head slightly. Still, he couldn't help but notice how pretty she was up close, her violet eyes shimmering with intensity.
Then, without warning, she stumbled backward, her face contorted in horror.
"You—why do you have my face?!" she shouted, pointing at him.
"…What?" He instinctively touched his cheek. "My… face?"
Fumbling through his pocket, he pulled out his phone and glanced at the black screen's reflection. Same features as always. His face.
What the hell is she talking about?
But the girl seemed more shaken by her own words than he was. Her voice faltered, and she glanced down at her own hands, then at her uniform, her breathing quickening.
"No… no, it can't be possible…" she whispered.
He stared at her, dumbfounded.
Okay… yeah. Either I'm dreaming, or this girl's got some serious problems in her head.
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A few moments later, the two of them sat side by side on a bench overlooking the academy grounds. Neither spoke at first. Both wore complicated expressions, the weight of their discovery pressing heavily between them.
They had pieced together enough to understand the truth—unbelievable as it was.
The girl and the man weren't strangers. They were the same person.
The question was how.
When he had checked his ID earlier, the name printed there had been Takahashi Renjiro. A Japanese name. Which was strange, considering he wasn't from Japan at all—Asian, yes, but not Japanese. Yet aside from that, nothing else had changed. His reflection in the phone screen still showed his own face.
The only possibility that made sense was something out of a storybook: reincarnation. Except this wasn't just him being reborn. This girl—no, his other self—was living proof that things had gotten a lot more complicated.
How was he supposed to comfort her? Or himself? After all, if she really was him, then he already understood what she must be feeling. Imagine finding out that another version of yourself existed, except that version was still a guy but yourself become a girl.
"…Ren."
The girl's quiet voice pulled him from his thoughts. She looked at him with a wavering expression. No—she wasn't just the girl. Her name here was Shirogane Violet.
Ren exhaled softly. "Yes, Shiro?"
They had agreed earlier to use the names this world had given them. It felt easier that way, as if labeling things would bring order to the chaos.
Shiro's lips curved into a small smile, fragile yet determined. "Let's just… move forward."
Ren sighed, nodding. He had underestimated himself—no, his other self. Still, he remained cautious. If Shiro was truly him, then she might just be hiding her real feelings beneath that brave front.
"Ren…" She paused, stumbling a little over the name, as though still testing how it felt on her tongue. "It seems like both of us… ended up inside that game world."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. Seems that way."
Their voices overlapped, muttering the same realization at the same time:"Uma Musume world."
Shiro chuckled, a light, almost disbelieving sound. "So this really is Tracen Academy. And me… as an Uma, I'm a trainee."
Her amethyst eyes flicked to him, playful now despite everything. She pointed straight at him. "Which makes you the trainer. That's probably why you're here too. I mean, it'd be pretty weird for some random adult to just spawn in the middle of campus, right?"
Ren clapped once, grinning. "As expected of me."
Shiro laughed, shaking her head.
As Ren and Shiro continued their hushed discussion about what to do next, a voice suddenly called out from behind them.
"Hello, are you Trainer Takahashi?"
Ren blinked and stood up, turning toward the source.
Standing before him was a short-haired woman in a green uniform and matching hat, her black stockings contrasting neatly with the crisp fabric. The sight jolted his memory—how could he forget?
Oh, crap. It's her.
Every player knew that voice, the one who always said, "Your trainee lacks—" no matter how high the stats actually were.
Tazuna Hayakawa.
"Hmm? Are you Trainer Takahashi?" she asked again, tilting her head slightly.
Ren froze for a second, the new name still foreign to his ears. He almost didn't recognize it as his own—until a sharp pain stabbed his foot.
"Hss—!" He hissed under his breath, glancing down. Shiro had stomped on his shoe, her expression calm but her eyes urging him to answer already.
Damn, that actually hurt… guess she really is a horse girl after all.
Snapping out of his daze, he straightened. "Yes, that would be me, Miss."
Tazuna chuckled lightly. "It seems Trainer Takahashi has already found his own trainee. You're even getting along well with her."
"Y-yeah, hahaha…" Ren forced a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
"That's good to hear. But before you begin working with students, you'll need to register your arrival with the student council. Please make sure you do that first," Tazuna said politely.
"Of course. Thank you for the reminder, Miss…?" Ren started realizing they hadn't exchanged names yet. it would be weird if he suddenly said her name.
"Oh, forgive me. I'm Tazuna Hayakawa. You may simply call me Tazuna, Trainer-san." She smiled warmly.
"Nice to meet you as well, Miss Tazuna," Ren replied.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Shiro watching him silently. He couldn't tell what she was thinking.
Tazuna's gaze shifted to her next. "And you must be the new student, Shirogane Violet, correct? Please follow me."
Shiro nodded, then glanced at Ren—her eyes clearly asking him to come along.
Ren, however, misunderstood the look entirely. He offered her a small nod of encouragement, then turned back to Tazuna. "I'll take my leave now, Miss Tazuna."
"Goodbye, Mr. Takahashi," she replied with a courteous nod.
Shiro's jaw nearly dropped. She stared at Ren in disbelief, her expression screaming, You're just going to leave me here?!
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After parting ways with Shiro, Ren wandered aimlessly through the academy corridors.
Great. Absolutely brilliant. I should've just asked Tazuna where the student council office was.
He sighed. Too late now. Maybe he could ask a student for directions—if only there were any around. The halls were eerily quiet, everyone probably still in class or eating in the cafeteria.
As he mulled over whether this world followed the anime or the game, and which timeline he might have landed in, a voice reached his ears.
A cheerful, melodic voice.
"Hachimi, hachimi, hachimi~ Hachimi wo nameru to~ ♪ Ashiga, ashiga, ashiga~ Hayaku naru~ ♪"
Ren blinked. That song—he knew it.
No way. That's Tokai Teio…
Sure enough, a lively girl came into view, skipping down the path with the energy of an idol mid-performance. Each step looked like part of a dance routine, her rhythm matching her carefree song.
She stopped mid-verse when she noticed him."Hachimi… hachimi?"
Her curious eyes narrowed as she tilted her head, studying his unfamiliar face.
Ren felt a bead of sweat roll down his temple. She's close to the student council president, right? Maybe I can ask her for help.
He opened his mouth. "Hello—"
"Woah!" Teio cut him off, pointing at him with excitement. "It's my first time seeing your face here. Who are you?"
Ren cleared his throat. "Ahem. I'm the new trainer who just arrived at Tracen Academy."
"Oh? A trainer?" Her eyes sparkled, then widened as if a revelation struck her. "Ah! Don't tell me—you're here to recruit the almighty, future Triple Crown, Tokai Teio-sama!"
She puffed out her chest proudly.
"Eh? Wait, no, I—"
But she cut him off again, grinning mischievously. "Hehe, I knew it! But, Trainer, if you want me, you'll have to prove yourself first!"
Ren blinked. "Pardon? When did I say anything about—"
"What do you think about President Symboli Rudolf?" Teio asked suddenly, leaning closer, her eyes sharp and unblinking.
Ren froze, then answered carefully. "Symboli Rudolf? She's… incredible. The Emperor—admired by everyone. And you…" He hesitated, seeing her anticipation. "You'll definitely reach that level one day. No, I'm sure of it, especially since you've already declared yourself the future Triple Crown horse girl."
For a moment, Teio just stared at him. Then her face lit up like fireworks.
"I've decided! I accept your invitation!" she declared, striking a pose.
"…Invitation? Teio, right? I wasn't—" Ren coughed into his fist. "I wasn't inviting you. This was just a coincidence. I only wanted to ask where the student council office is."
The words sank in like a stone dropping into a pond.
Teio froze. Slowly, stiffly, she turned her head toward him, her expression crumbling. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her cheeks flushing bright red.
"…S-seems I heard wrong," she mumbled.
"No, you heard right," Ren admitted with a small, awkward smile.
Her whole body trembled. She looked down, then back up at him with watery eyes.
"Mooo! Baka trainer! Baka, baka! How dare you play with a girl's heart like that!" she cried, then turned and bolted down the hall, ponytail bouncing with every step.
"W-wait! I still don't know where the student council office is!" Ren called after her. But she was long gone, his voice echoing uselessly in the empty corridor.
Ren let out a sigh.
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(A/n: new fic?)