The day after the race, Nearl boarded the train again, headed back to Kasamatsu. This time, though, she had Platinum with her.
"Do you want to stay with me, or go back to Komori Orphanage?"
On the train, Nearl asked Platinum about her living arrangements.
"Since when was staying with you in Kasamatsu an option?" Platinum seemed puzzled by that, but she was definitely tempted.
'I've never experienced dorm life at the academy. If I could stay for a while and soak up the atmosphere, it'd make up for what I missed in my past life.'
"The dorms aren't an option. You're not enrolled, so how could you be assigned a dorm?"
Just like that, Nearl shattered her fantasy.
"I can ask the trainer for permission to use a training room. Once we clean it up, it'll be more than enough to live in."
"..."
Platinum stared blankly at Nearl's serious expression, imagined a future where she'd be sleeping in a training room, and promptly shook her head.
"No, forget it. I'll go stay with Matron Komori."
"That might be better. Matron Komori manages the orphanage all by herself—she's swamped with work. I've been worried about her. If you go, you can help share her load."
Her suggestion was turned down, but Nearl didn't mind. In fact, this outcome suited her even more.
"You… you set me up, didn't you?"
Platinum felt manipulated, but Nearl remained unruffled.
"So, are you willing or not?"
"...With you pulling the strings, do I even have a choice? Fine, I'll do it." Platinum grumpily laid her head on her folded arms, visibly sulking.
"Thank you."
This time, Nearl's gratitude was genuine. After thanking her, she asked another question.
"Do you need me to take you there?"
"No, just head straight back to Tracen Academy in Kasamatsu. Don't treat me like a kid—I can handle Aunt Komori."
--+--
"So, I thought you'd bring your sister along, but you let her go back on her own?"
Kitahara Jo held some documents in his hand, chatting with Nearl as he skimmed through them.
"Trainer, what are you looking at?"
As they spoke, Nearl noticed the papers in her trainer's hands didn't seem like ordinary files.
"Oh, this? It's a race reference list. I'm picking your next race." Kitahara waved the papers casually.
"It's not like the central circuit out here—the competition isn't as intense. One race a month is pretty normal. For someone like you, who wins so easily, you don't even need a full month's rest."
"I don't mind. You decide, Trainer." When it came to races, Nearl never worried about the details. She left all the choices to Kitahara.
"I knew you'd say that. Look, I've already picked one out."
Kitahara pulled a page from the stack and handed it to Nearl.
"What do you think of this one?"
"..."
Nearl took the sheet and carefully read the race conditions.
"The Kasamatsu Year-End Prize, SP II? 1800 meters on dirt."
"So, what do you think? It's a race the locals hold to celebrate the end of the year. Even among SP II races, it's got unusually high popularity."
Seeing Nearl staring at the flyer, Kitahara chimed in at just the right moment. Clearly, he highly recommended this race for her.
"Then let's go with this one. I'll leave it to you, Trainer."
Nearl handed the paper back to Kitahara, agreeing to enter the race.
"Great! I'll go fill out the application right away."
Kitahara scurried off to complete the forms, but just as he pulled out the paperwork, something occurred to him.
"Oh, right, Nearl—the results for the central trainer exam should be out by now, right? Did you pass?"
"Trainer, you actually remembered I took the exam?"
"Well… I've been looking into it myself. If possible, I wanted to take it with you this year."
At this, Kitahara scratched his head ruefully and sighed. "But now I understand you better, Nearl. 'The less you know, the more confident you are'—there's real truth to that."
"Looking back at myself before you started mentoring me… I'm not even sure where I got the confidence to think the central trainer exam would be easy."
"The more I learn now, the more I realize how little I know, and the less confident I feel about my grasp of the material. So, I think I'll wait and take it early next year instead."
After listening to his self-reflection, Nearl gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.
"Being cautious is good too. Failure can shake your confidence. Sharpening the axe won't delay the cutting."
"I know. Oguri Cap is still waiting for me in the central circuit—I can't afford to slack off."
Kitahara smiled, his spirits lifting again, then circled back with a sly probe. "So, did you pass or not?"
Nearl gave him a resigned look and sighed. "I passed. The ID and certificate will be mailed to me in a month."
"Ugh! I knew it, but I'm still so jealous!"
Kitahara went back to his studying, chewing on his handkerchief as if to channel his frustration into motivation. The childish display made Nearl chuckle.
"Well then, Trainer, I'll take my leave now. I've already fallen way behind on today's training."
"Go on, but make sure you stop by the dorms to see Everlamp. She's been pretty down since you've been away."
The mention of their team's support Uma Musume prompted a change in Nearl's plans.
"Understood. I'll go check on Lamp-chan first."
--+--
In a remote farm in far-off Hokkaido, a golden-haired woman was reading a letter, a gentle, warm smile gracing her lips.
"Mom?"
Behind her, a young girl holding a hayfork looked curiously at her elder.
"Spe-chan, Mom's very happy right now."
The woman carefully set aside the letter she'd finished reading and affectionately ruffled her daughter's ears.
"Huh? Did something happen?"
The girl, an Uma Musume, leaned into her mother's touch, occasionally brushing her mother's hand with her own ears.
Honestly, it was adorably goofy.
"Today, Mom heard from an old friend. A very, very good friend."
The joy in the woman's eyes was unmistakable; her mind was filled with memories of the past.
"And you know, Spe-chan—if things had been just a little different, you might have been that auntie's daughter!"
"What?!"
At those words, the girl's ears shot straight up, her voice full of alarm.
"No way! You're my mom!"
"Oh, you…"
The woman laughed softly and patted her daughter's head.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.