The hospital, in Narita Brian's room.
Setting down the get-well gifts she'd brought, the grey-haired girl adjusted her wig and took a seat in the chair beside the bed.
"You've had a lot of visitors today."
Narita Brian, who had been gazing out the window, turned her head at the sound of the voice and spoke to the girl.
"Air Groove, Hishi Amazon, Green Grass, the trainer…"
And now, the trainee.
"Means you're pretty popular."
"I just wish they'd let me have some quiet."
Narita Brian let out a sigh.
"Hmm… Did I come at a bad time?"
"Not at all. You're much quieter than they were. It's fine if you stay."
Narita Brian quickly assured her.
"Well, if you insist." The girl looked at her.
"How's your recovery coming along?"
"The doctor says it's nothing serious. Just needs some time to heal completely."
"I see… Will you recover fully? Back to how you were before?"
Narita Brian fell silent.
"…I won't be able to run like I used to."
It took a few seconds before she answered.
The doctor's words replayed in Narita Brian's mind.
'You were incredibly lucky. That heavy rain was cooling your body the whole time, which is why you made it to the hospital. Otherwise, your legs would have been finished for good.'
'Even so, your body has suffered irreversible damage. Even with full recovery, you absolutely will not be able to run like you did before.'
'Absolutely?' Narita Brian had asked.
'Yes. Even with the cooling, your muscle temperature was still too high. The fibers have undergone changes.'
The doctor explained: 'Your muscles have become more delicate than before. You'll fatigue much more easily now, and you'll be more prone to illness. Honestly, retiring would be the best choice for you. But… are you really willing to do that?'
Narita Brian had hesitated.
'If you choose not to retire, you must reduce your training frequency and cut back on races. Otherwise, if you develop tendonitis, you'll lose your racing ability completely.'
This time, she'd been lucky, with nature itself lending a hand.
Next time, she might not be so fortunate.
"Well, it's not like I can't race at all. I just can't do high-intensity training like before."
Narita Brian scratched her head.
The doctor had already informed her trainer, Toujou Hana, about her condition.
Hearing the news, Toujou Hana's face had turned grim.
So, Narita Brian wanted to phrase it gently for the girl.
She didn't want to cause her any more worry.
"As long as I'm still on the track, there's always a chance…"
"Do you regret it?"
The girl suddenly asked.
"For the sake of that race, you nearly ruined your future. Do you think it was worth it?"
Narita Brian's eyes widened slightly.
"Asking that… are you serious…"
"I want to know what you think."
Golden eyes held her gaze.
Finally, Narita Brian spoke: "From the moment I stepped onto the track, I've desperately wished for a day when I'd encounter a race like that."
"No… I should say, it was because I wanted to run in a race like that, that I ever set foot on the track."
"Now, I've finally fulfilled a wish I've held for years. How could I possibly regret it? Silence… even you, if you keep asking questions like that, I'll get angry…"
"Sorry. But… yeah, I understand how you feel now."
The girl's golden eyes shimmered faintly.
"Even after fulfilling your wish, you still want to keep racing."
She looked at Narita Brian.
'Brian, you really do love the track.'
She gave a soft, noncommittal snort.
"In that case, as your assistant, I'll have to work even harder."
The girl got up and sat on the edge of Narita Brian's bed.
"Your legs… can I see them?"
"Huh? Oh, sure, that's fine… but you probably won't see anything out of the ordinary."
Narita Brian pushed back the covers, revealing her ankles.
Her naturally pale skin tone and the well-trained shape of her feet made them look like pieces of wild, artistic sculpture.
The girl's fingers pressed against Narita Brian's ankle. The cool touch made Narita Brian's body shiver involuntarily.
"Hey…"
"How does it feel?"
"Even if you ask how it feels…"
She'd never had such a sensitive spot touched by anyone else before.
"Does it hurt?"
"No."
"Not here then…"
The girl's fingertips slid upward until they touched the inside of her calf. As if a nerve had been plucked, Narita Brian's foot twitched.
"A reaction?"
"Suddenly felt a burning sort of sensation."
Narita Brian said.
"What are you doing?"
"Looks like the issue is with the muscle in your calf."
"Did the doctor tell you?"
"No. It's just a common method for finding injured areas."
In that era when medicine wasn't so advanced, finding abnormalities in an Uma Musume's body relied mainly on touch.
"You guys even have to learn this stuff…?"
"More or less."
Although the technique was probably lost to time now.
Lifting Narita Brian's leg to rest on her own knee, the girl's fingers began moving rhythmically around the injured muscle tissue.
"Wh-what are you doing!?"
The sudden action caught Narita Brian completely off guard. She flailed her arms, trying to sit up properly.
"A massage."
"I kinda figured that much! But why suddenly give me a massage? And…"
Watching a girl her own age kneading her leg, Narita Brian felt all the blood in her body rush to her head.
Her face felt like it was on fire.
She wasn't usually the shy type, but she just couldn't handle this—the other's actions were way over the top!
"This can help restore circulation and activity to your legs faster. While the muscle changes are irreversible, that doesn't mean there's no way to manage it."
"If you keep your legs in a relaxed state as much as possible, reduce fatigue, and even maintain relaxation while running, you won't have to fear the problem."
Her fingers moved with precision over Narita Brian's calf.
"Back then, that's what I did. Kept my legs relaxed, applied force the moment they touched the ground, and then returned to relaxation."
That was the best way to avoid fatigue.
It was also the method to make these legs run farther and faster on the track.
"It would be more effective with some medicinal herbs, but even just massage alone is quite good."
"What herbs… what era are you even from…"
Narita Brian stared at her.
The girl's face was completely earnest.
'Why do I feel like the dumb one here?'
Flopping back onto the bed, Narita Brian yanked the covers over her face. Out of sight, out of mind.
"Why…"
A muffled voice came from under the blanket.
"Why would you go this far for me?"
"Because it's my job."
To assist you. To help you run on the track.
"Just a job?"
"Mm."
"I see."
The blanket rustled.
"…Thanks."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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.