After the words were spoken, a sense of release washed over Silence Suzuka, as if a heavy stone had been lifted from her heart. An incredible lightness spread through her entire body.
Beside her, Okino's mouth stretched into an exaggerated grin.
He knew it now—the recruitment had succeeded. His team, which had only housed one Uma Musume until now, had finally doubled in size today, reaching a grand total of two!
Silence Suzuka glanced at the man beaming foolishly and suddenly felt a flicker of hesitation.
'This trainer feels so much more frivolous compared to Ms. Toujou… Can he really be reliable?'
"Don't worry. Trainer Okino may come across as unserious, but his knowledge and basic character are solid. My own trainer has known him for a long time and can vouch for him."
Nearl's words gave Suzuka confidence and became the final gentle push she needed.
"Um, your name is Okino, right?"
"Okino is just my surname, but it's fine to call me that. I'm pretty casual about these things."
"Okay. Then, Trainer Okino… I want to enter this year's NHK Mile Cup. Will you allow it?"
"Of course. My personal style is to put the Uma Musume's wishes first. As long as the doctor checks you and confirms you're physically fit, my team members can do as they please."
"That's enough for me. I'm still new as an Uma Musume, so I'll be relying on your guidance in all matters."
"That's my duty. Let's do our best together."
Okino extended his right hand. Suzuka paused for a moment, then smiled and shook it.
"Thank you."
"All settled? It looks like everyone's happy, so I'll take my leave now."
Retrieving her jacket, Nearl decided her involvement was no longer needed. The rest could be left to this new pair.
"Nearl! For the upcoming NHK Mile Cup… please look forward to my challenge. This time, I'll be in a completely new state."
From behind, Silence Suzuka's voice drifted over from afar, but when Nearl turned to look, the other had already walked off with Trainer Okino. A faint smile touched Nearl's lips.
"It seems the real Silence Suzuka has finally awakened. This race might just be my worst performance yet."
--+--
Time flowed on. With not much left before the NHK Mile Cup to begin with, surrounded by the fullness of daily life, Nearl hardly noticed its approach.
It wasn't until the day before the race, when Kitahara reminded her, that it suddenly dawned on her.
"Oh, the race is tomorrow? I hadn't realized."
"Everything's calm on your end, but online, I'm practically being crucified."
Kitahara sighed, scrolling through his phone. Across major forums and messaging apps, people were either anticipating Nearl's results, worrying about her condition, or cursing him, her trainer.
"Well, that's to be expected. Lately, it's best to lay low."
"Don't worry, Trainer. I promise nothing will go wrong."
"I believe you on that front. If something were going to happen, it would've happened back in the local circuits. Right now, I'm starting to wonder if you're not some kind of genetically modified human, Nearl."
"I swear by the goddess's name, this body is entirely natural."
"Yeah, yeah. Just how much did the goddess favor you to bring an Uma Musume like you into this world?"
Kitahara shook his head.
"Anyway, I need to head to the hospital soon. You'll have to handle the race preparations yourself, okay?"
"I'll be fine. The hospital? Are you coming down with something, Trainer?"
"No, it's a specialized hospital for Uma Musume. I'm accompanying Oguri Cap. For some reason, her injuries have improved dramatically recently."
"She was originally scheduled to rest until June, but she's almost completely recovered now."
"If I hadn't insisted on being cautious and delayed a bit longer, she could've raced again by the end of April."
"This hospital visit is the final check. After this, she'll be back on the track. Her fans must be getting impatient."
"But you just focus on your own race, Nearl. I'm off now."
With everything settled, Kitahara and Nearl bid each other farewell briskly, their calm demeanor utterly unlike that of a trainer whose Uma Musume was about to compete in a G1 race the next day.
'Ah, being Nearl's trainer is such a comfortable job.'
Kitahara mused contentedly as he walked away.
--+--
The next day, the NHK Mile Cup commenced as scheduled at Tokyo Racecourse. As usual, the stands were packed to capacity, a sea of spectators.
As a classic 1600-meter race, it was a distance familiar to nearly every Uma Musume skilled in mile races. Results could change in an instant, making it ripe for upsets.
By now, Nearl's running style was no secret; trainers everywhere had studied it thoroughly. Naturally, they knew distance was her only weakness.
But even knowing a weakness exists doesn't mean you can exploit it. It was obvious Nearl wouldn't stubbornly cling to mile races forever.
So, this race was also key for them to test their theories.
There was just one regrettable point: the widely acknowledged powerhouses, Ines Fujin and Mejiro Ryan, were preparing for the Japanese Derby and wouldn't be participating in this mile race, which reduced the suspense somewhat.
But that was only what they thought.
Silence Suzuka's entry had caught some people's attention, but it hadn't caused much stir. Her record was, frankly, mediocre.
Her performance in the Principal Stakes had been stunning, making people think a new star had risen.
But her subsequent races were disappointing, as if she'd lost her spark, performing only averagely. It made one suspect that the record-breaking run was just a fleeting flash of brilliance.
Who truly understood the real situation?
Backstage, Silence Suzuka was met by her former trainer, Toujou Hana. This was their first meeting since completing the transfer procedures the day before.
"Suzuka, I…"
As soon as she opened her mouth, Toujou Hana instinctively slipped into her usual tone of instruction and guidance, but the words caught in her throat.
She was no longer Suzuka's trainer. Many things were no longer appropriate to say; doing so would be disrespectful to Okino.
But stripped of her role as trainer, she suddenly found she couldn't define her own position anymore.
A friend? Hardly. That casual demeanor might suit that scatterbrain Okino, but given her own strict conduct, it hardly seemed like something a friend would do.
In the end, it was Suzuka who spoke first, offering a gentle smile.
"Ms. Toujou, thank you for coming to see me today. I thought you and the others might resent me."
"Hmph. Don't underestimate Rigil. Mismatches between a trainer's style and their Uma Musume happen often. You're not the first, and you won't be the last. There's nothing to resent."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! 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.