Chapter 63
A short while later, in the front-row seats of the grandstand.
Yasui Makoto looked at the Uma Musume with pink-and-white bangs sitting beside him and asked with a puzzled expression.
"So… you were hiding there just to surprise Kita-chan?"
"Hehehe, that's right…"
The Uma Musume scratched her cheek and gave a shy, simple smile.
"I figured it wouldn't be good to bother her while she was getting ready for the race and entering the gate, so I wanted to wait until right before she came out…"
Just then, a hesitant but eager voice spoke up from nearby.
"Sp-Special Week senpai! H-hello! C-could I please have your autograph? I-I've always admired you!"
The Uma Musume with the pink-and-white bangs was Special Week. Yasui Makoto had spotted her earlier at the underground passage exit. After she frantically explained why she was there, she had followed him up to the spectator seats.
She was incredibly popular across Japan. Her ranking on the popularity charts almost never fell out of the top three, earning her the title of "Most Popular Uma Musume."
Because of that, the moment she arrived in the stands, many spectators recognized her right away. A steady stream of fans came over asking for autographs and photos.
Most of the crowd were trainers there to watch the race. Some had brought their own Uma Musume along, and the young girl asking for the autograph was one of them.
She looked about twelve or thirteen years old, still growing into herself, with a small face full of childish innocence.
Three golden star earrings sparkled beside her left ear. Her semi-long brown hair had a little white streak in the bangs, and she wore blue-and-white hair ornaments on both sides.
"Ah, sure! Of course!"
Interrupted by the young fan, Special Week's face lit up with a warm smile. She took the autograph board and pen.
"Thank you so much for being a fan. How would you like me to sign it?"
"Um… well…"
The little Uma Musume hesitated for a second, then clenched her small fists excitedly.
"'I hope Yong can become the number one Uma Musume in Japan.' …Can you write that?"
"Number one in Japan…"
Special Week blinked in surprise, then a fond memory flickered in her eyes. She nodded with satisfaction.
"Hmm! No problem at all! Your name's Yong, right? I believe in you. You can definitely become the number one Uma Musume in Japan!"
"Mmm-hmm! Thank you, Special Week senpai!"
Smiling brightly, Special Week signed the message exactly as requested. She handed the board back with both hands and watched the little fan skip away happily. Only then did she let out a soft, emotional sigh.
"Number one in Japan… What a spirited junior."
Yasui Makoto had watched the whole exchange. Hearing her sigh, he thought for a moment.
"Speaking of being number one in Japan… Special Week, you won the Japan Cup. You really earned that title. If I may ask, did you have that goal from the very beginning?"
"Eh?"
Special Week turned to him, blinking. "Why would Yasui ask something like that…?"
"Well… I was thinking about Kita-chan."
Yasui Makoto smiled and glanced toward the parade ring.
Kitasan Black's race had not started yet. They were still in the parade ring segment.
The broadcast was introducing basic information about each participating horse. It would not be long before the Uma Musume made their official appearance.
"When I first signed the contract with her, I asked Kita-chan why she wanted to become an Uma Musume and why she chose to walk the Twinkle Series path."
Yasui Makoto continued.
"She told me it was because she admired Emperor, because of the support from her grandfather and family, and because of a childhood promise with her best friend. There were many more reasons that came later."
"I didn't have any real experience guiding an Uma Musume back then. Admiration, support, promises… To be honest, those aren't things I'm very good at handling."
"So I wanted to ask you, Special Week… or rather, Special Week senpai. How did you manage to build such an amazing career?"
That was what he truly wanted to know.
He had realized long ago that he and Kitasan Black were not natural geniuses. If they wanted to achieve something outstanding, they could only rely on steady effort and gradual accumulation.
That was why, even after earning his Trainer license, he never let up on his studies or self-improvement. He reviewed everything he had learned, kept up with the latest industry research, and rewatched race footage and trainer interviews again and again.
At the same time, talking with outstanding Uma Musume was another valuable way to learn and grow.
He had already exchanged ideas with Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka during joint training sessions. Now, facing another top-tier Uma Musume, he hoped to gain some insight and experience from Special Week.
"Senpai? Yasui, you can just call me by my name. It feels a little strange for a trainer to call me senpai, hehe."
Special Week scratched her head sheepishly, then tilted her head and tapped her chin in thought.
"Why did I step onto the racecourse? Hmm… that's actually pretty hard for me to explain."
"Hard to explain…?" Yasui Makoto was surprised.
"Hehe, yeah." Special Week scratched her head again and smiled awkwardly. "I won't hide it from you, Yasui. My hometown is way out in the countryside of Hokkaido. Before I came to Tokyo, I didn't know much about anything."
"Not just races and training. I didn't even know how to ride trains or subways, and I made tons of silly mistakes."
"After that… I don't feel like I did anything special."
"I just kept thinking about the promise I made with my mom to become an amazing Uma Musume. Then I met so many wonderful friends at Tracen Academy."
"We trained together, ran together, and every day was full of joy. The days just flew by like that."
"Of course, I felt really sad whenever I lost a race."
"And I'm not afraid to admit this… like when I couldn't beat Grass Wonder in the Satsuki Sho, or in the Japan Cup, the Takarazuka Kinen, and the Arima Kinen. Whenever I got back to Tracen Academy, I would secretly run over to that big hollow tree in the courtyard and cry by myself."
"There were lots of other hard moments too."
"For example, getting a phone call from Grass Wonder while she was in France, and…"
Her gaze suddenly drifted. She shook her head and quickly changed the subject with a smile.
"But most of the time, they were happy days."
"I'm not sure if this is exactly what Yasui wanted to hear, but if you're asking how I ended up on the racecourse… I can only say this."
"It was because of joy. Because of happiness."
"Because of joy and happiness, I stepped onto the racecourse."
"Because I love running the most."
"And what makes me even happier and more joyful is everyone I met through running… and everything I experienced along the way."
A bright, heartfelt smile spread across her face. Suddenly she perked up and pointed excitedly at the large screen opposite them.
"Ah! Kita-chan's coming out! She looks so cool!"
Yasui Makoto was still reflecting on Special Week's answer.
Only now did he truly begin to understand why this Uma Musume was loved by so many.
Her strength and achievements were dazzling, of course. But what drew people to her even more was her pure, shining passion for running.
That crystal-clear purity had an extraordinary charm. It made everyone forget about the harsh realities of training and racing for a moment and understand one simple truth.
Every Uma Musume is born into this world to run.