A/N: I'm trying to explore the third person point of view in this chapter. I believe it would give me more freedom in building the story. First person and third person pov will also be implemented in next chapters.
..................
A sudden chill pricked at my skin, followed by a weightless sensation that made my stomach drop.
Wake up.
My eyes snapped open, but I wasn't staring at the ceiling of my dorm. I wasn't in the Ritto Dorm at all.
I was standing in a vast, infinite white void. There was no floor, no sky, just a blinding, pearlescent expanse that stretched on forever
I looked down at my hands. They were larger, broader, and lacked the delicate strength I'm already used to. The skin was different, the height was familiar, yet felt like a suit I hadn't worn in years. I was back in my old body.
"It's a bit jarring, isn't it?"
I spun around. Standing just a few feet away was... well, me.
Or rather, the me I had become in this world. An Umamusume with long, sleek hair.
She was wearing a racing uniform I'd never seen before, an orange shirt combined with long black pants just right above the knees and red shoes.
And then there's the robe. The base was a deep, volcanic red, overlaid with intricate flaming patterns.
"Who are you?"
CHUCKLES
"I'm you, of course. Or more precisely, you are me"
"I am the soul of the name you carry. Or at least, the fragment of me that lives within you"
It took me a while to process what she just said and even then, it's still too confusing.
"I... I don't understand. If I'm you, then, what happened to the real you?
She tilted her head slightly, and smiled at me.
"I'm afraid that's not something I can tell you yet. The only thing you should know is you didn't stole my life"
"But then, how... "
"The real me isn't someone you replaced. The 'me' you are seeing right now is the 'me' that never happens. Just merely a dream"
"A dream... " I repeated.
"You're scared because you think you're an impostor. But tell me, when you were back in the town, running until your lungs burned and your legs ached, did that feel like a lie?"
"... No"
That was mine. Every step of it.
"When you look at those shoes your father bought, does the gratitude feel like it belongs to someone else?"
"No"
It was a gift for me.
"Exactly, it was yours. You didn't live my life, you lived yours."
She stepped right into my personal space, her height forcing her to look up at my old face, yet I was the one who felt small.
"You might not fully understand your situation yet, and I get it. For now, just live the way you want. You will find the answers to your questions along the way. I know you would"
"... Am I really that special?" I looked at her eyes, seeing it from this perspective, it looked so beautiful.
"The most special thing you can be is simply yourself"
"..... "
"So, still afraid? "
"A little bit, I guess. I'm not sure how far I can go" I chuckled at my own words.
"Well that's the beauty of trying... "
She took a step back and snapped her finger. The white space begun to disappear, and so does she.
"That's all for now"
The floor below me begin to crack like it would lose its strength at any moment.
"Wait! Will we meet again?" I called out.
"Sometimes~"
Before I can mutter another word, the floor gave up and I feel my body falling down.
.
.
.
"Hah!"
I bolted up right. Clutching my chest as I try to stabilize my breathing. I sat there for a long moment, calming myself.
"A dream? But it didn't feel like one."
I looked at my hands. It's back to normal.
My gaze turned towards my luggage. I opened my suitcases and takes out the shoes box. The same one from my dad, and opened it.
What greeted my is a black running shoes, designed for umamusume.
.....
It's so plain... At least color won't make it look so dirty.
There's still time before the sky darkened, I think... I wanna run a bit.
I quickly changed into my simple gray tracksuit, laced up the shoes and slipped out of the room.
.
.
.
On the other side of the campus, a young man is sitting on a bench near the academy's track, looking down on a clipboard, clearly in an awful mood.
The clipboard contains list of umamusumes who just started their first year. These are the list of umamusumes who had declined the offer to become his trainee.
Muichi Takeda is a considered a genius by many. He's one of the youngest to pass the central trainer exam, only at 21 years old.
However, being a genius doesn't always guarantee a smooth road. In the end of the day, experience shows its worth.
Takeda let out a long, weary sigh.
"Rejected by twelve," he muttered.
He couldn't entirely blame them. The students wanted veteran trainers who had seen the inside of the G1 winner's circle to ensure they succeeded in their career.
Someone like him would only get the scraps.
He reached into his pocket for his car keys, ready to call it a day and accept that he might be spending his first year as a sub-trainer.
Then, a sound caught his attention.
Thud. Thud. Thud-thud-thud-thud.
It was the familiar sound of umamusume's running.
His gaze turned towards the track. There, running on turf, is a black-haired girl. By seeing how she run, he can tell that there's struggle.
'Is it the aptitude?' He thought.
There are two types of tracks in umamusume racing. Turf, and dirt track. Usually, an umamusume only adapted to run on either turf or dirt.
However, there are some who could run on both surfaces.
'She's clearly not adapted to turf'
Takeda's eyes narrowed behind his glasses. As a "genius" trainer, his brain was wired to analyze biomechanics before he even realized he was doing it.
Every time her foot hit the grass, there was a slight slip.
Her running form might not be perfect, but the power output was undeniable.
When she finally crossed his line of sight and began to decelerate, Takeda looked back at his clipboard.
'I might get rejected again, but at least I need to try recruiting her! '
He tucked the clipboard under his arm and began walking toward the track.
.
.
.
HUFT HUFT HUFT
'Is it just me or the dirt here felt different than the one back home's
Having just completed her run, Astonishing bent down to her knees, catching her breath.
She wiped the sweats raining down her face. Her hair is completely ruined, damp and dirty.
"That was a good run!"
She jumped, and turned quickly towards the voice to see someone was standing a few feet away.
'Did he watched me?' she thought.
"... Is there any problem?"
He blinked, then shook his head quickly. "No, no. You're fine. I was wandering and sees you running by chance. Ah, sorry I was rude for not introducing myself. My name is Muichi Takeda, I'm a trainer here. Well, actually, I'm a new trainer."
"You look really young... Ah! By the way my name is Astonishing"
He laughed softly. "I see. Well, you're not the first to say that. I'm twenty-one."
"To be trainer at that age, you must be a genius!"
He waved his hands quickly, and chuckled. "I just passed earlier than most. That's all."
"That's still impressive"
He scratched his cheek. "If you say so."
"Well, since you watched me run. Could you give some comment on my running?"
Takeda paused, clearly caught between professionalism and enthusiasm.
"Are you sure?" he asked. "I don't want to sound like I'm nitpicking."
"Please, it will be helpful" She said simply.
He exhaled, then nodded. "Alright."
He turned his eyes back to the track, replaying something in his head.
"Your lap isn't bad, but it could be better. Also, it seems like you weren't adapted to turf track, am I right?"
"Y-yeah... I usually run on dirt, but I want to try running on turf" I explained.
"I see, both surfaces offered different grip afterall. But I'd say you aren't that bad. You didn't struggle too much so you already have a good foundation. With enough training, you will surely adapted"
"I see..."
Takeda glanced at his watch and back to her.
"Are you planning to keep running, or was that your cooldown?"
"...I was thinking a few more lap," She replied.
He hesitated for half a second, then added carefully, "If you don't mind... I can accompany you and time your run. No pressure. Just observation."
"...Sure, I don't mind."
"Oh also, When you run, try letting your hips lead a bit more. You're compensating with your calves"
She adjusted my form as he instructed.
"....Like this? Okay," She stepped onto the track again and started running again, completing another lap.
"So, what do you think?" He asked.
"Feels different," I admitted. "A little better."
"That's the idea," he said, smiling. "Efficiency beats brute force. Especially in long races"
"I see, thank you for the advice!"
"No problem, that's my job"
He glanced at the track, then at her again, as if debating whether to say something.
"Are you by a chance not in a team yet? "
She blinked. "Ah... yeah. I'm not in any team"
"I'm not trying to recruit you on the spot," he added quickly. "But, if you're still unaffiliated, and you want someone to help you adapt to turf properly... I can be your trainer."
"....You?" She asked.
Takeda stiffened slightly. "I know I'm new. And I don't have a lineup of star trainees or anything like that yet." He scratched the back of his head. "But I take this seriously. I wouldn't offer if I didn't think I could help."
I exhaled slowly.
"... I wanted to. But I can't, not yet" She said.
'Please, you are my last hope! ' he screamed internally.
"There's an examination race tomorrow. From what I was told, it's a race that will decide if we're getting recruited or not" She added.
"I want you to watch how good am I in that race. Only then, I can prove if I'm worthy"
Takeda stood frozen for a moment. He had spent the day being looked down upon by "prospects" who saw only his age and his lack of a trophy cabinet.
But here stood a girl who wasn't rejecting him because he wasn't good enough, she was rejecting the offer because she didn't think she had proven herself yet.
A dry, appreciative chuckle escaped his throat. "Worthy, huh?"
'I too, should prove my worth' he thought.
"Alright, I'll respect your decision. A little advice from me, I suggest you enter the mile race. Since you aren't yet accustomed to the surface, a mile race is your best bet, a 1600m layout would suffice. Medium race might be too long for you, and sprint race are too quick"
"A 1600 meters mile race," she repeated. "I'll take your word for it, Trainer Takeda."
"Well then, I'm looking forward for your showdown, good luck. I'll be there watching" He gave a final, encouraging nod before turning to turning away.
Astonishing watched as his figure becomes smaller and smaller until he disappeared completely from her sight.
The sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of bruised purple and gold. The cool evening wind finally beginning to cool her down.
Her gaze turned towards the sun.
She smiled.
'I must work hard!'