19: Chapter 18: Tojo Keiko!
Graduation!
(4/15) 19: Chapter 18: Tojo Keiko!
Graduation!
(4/15) “It’s a misunderstanding!” Kita-chan knelt on the ground, looking on the verge of tears as she stared at Keiko, who was shielded behind Diamond.
She hoped Keiko would say something to defend her.
But Keiko was still traumatized by almost losing her first kiss and couldn’t find the words.
Keiko’s panic only fueled Diamond’s anger.
If this were a Pokémon battle, Diamond had probably used Dragon Dance twice, boosting her Speed and Attack, ready to one-shot Kita-chan.
Sweep, who had planned to mediate, chose to stay quiet.
The scene they just walked in on really didn’t look like a misunderstanding.
“Kita-chan, as your childhood friend, I’ll give you exactly one sentence to explain yourself—” Diamond’s smile was terrifying.
Kita-chan swallowed hard.
But once she calmed down, she realized something.
Even if she explained it clearly, she would still get beaten up by the overprotective Diamond.
Training Keiko so hard that she almost fainted wasn’t much better than trying to kiss her.
She lost all courage to speak, bowing her head in defeat.
“I’m sorry, it’s my fault…
I am guilty.” “Actually, it’s not all Kita-chan’s fault.
I haven’t run like that in a long time, so I…” Keiko had to step in.
After all, she was the one who asked Kita-chan to coach her, so she had to take half the blame.
She hadn’t expected that while Kita-chan wasn’t overprotective like Diamond, she was so enthusiastic about training that she completely forgot she was training a total amateur.
In truth, she just couldn’t keep up with Kita-chan’s training intensity.
It wasn’t dehydration, but rather that she simply lost her breath and fainted briefly from lack of oxygen.
She recovered quickly.
Hearing Keiko’s explanation, Diamond’s expression softened slightly.
Knowing it was just a medical emergency, she was still a bit annoyed with Kita-chan, but not nearly as furious as before.
“If it’s just training, you should have come to me, Keiko-chan.” Diamond emphasized.
“Kita-chan is a great runner, but she has no idea how to coach.” “Who says…
I just forgot that Keiko-chan wasn’t used to this level of training.” Kita-chan muttered softly.
But under Diamond’s glare, she quickly lowered her head.
“I’m sorry, I got carried away.” “It’s normal to feel anxious, Keiko-chan, but you need to know your limits.” Sweep interjected.
“Todai isn’t rushing you.
I think you have plenty of time.
Besides, real training can only start after your maturation.
Everything before that is just building a foundation.” “Yes, maturation is like a coming-of-age ceremony for an Umamusume.” Diamond agreed.
“Well, looks like training is over for today.
By the way—have you had breakfast yet, Keiko-chan?” ‘Grumble.’ Keiko clutched her stomach.
Although the cafeteria served breakfast, she had woken up too early.
It was still closed when she left, so she had come to train on an empty stomach.
Part of her fainting was probably due to this.
“Um…
no…” “Keiko-chan…” Diamond sighed in defeat.
“You must eat something before you train.” “I know…
I won’t do it again.” Knowing Diamond was just worried about her, Keiko didn’t argue at all and took the advice to heart.
“Next time, definitely not.” “Alright…
let’s get some breakfast first.
My treat.” Diamond clapped hands.
“After breakfast, we can plan your training schedule properly.” “Can I…” Kita-chan raised her hand timidly.
“Come too?” “I’ll let you off the hook this time.” Diamond sighed at her childhood friend’s pleading.
“But you are not allowed to train alone with Keiko-chan next time.” “Eh—no way.” Kita-chan protested.
“It wasn’t entirely my fault!” “Just shut up…” Sweep helped Kita-chan up and teased.
“Besides, you really are a terrible coach.” “Ugh…
it was just an accident.” Kita-chan’s whining fell on deaf ears.
Diamond, whose mind was still occupied by the scene she walked in on, felt a growing sense of crisis.
‘Is my Keiko-chan…
a bit too naive?’ She was smart, yet she did the silliest things, pushing her body past its limits just to keep up with Kita-chan.
Was she persistent, or just stupid?
Yet, Diamond didn’t dislike that about her.
In fact, she quite liked hardworking people.
Whether it was studying for Todai or training on the track, her desperate effort contrasted sharply with her fragile appearance.
What kind of environment had shaped Keiko’s personality?
She didn’t understand, but she couldn’t help being drawn to her.
But before Keiko could push herself further, she had to build up her health.
Even before the week of studying, her constitution had been weak.
The original Keiko had taken frequent sick leaves.
She had been hospitalized with a high fever at the start of the semester, returning only a week later.
By then, her isolation and the cliques already formed in class left her completely alone.
No one bullied her, but she gradually became isolated, and her social anxiety began to surface.
Although Keiko had come out of her shell, her social anxiety remained.
She was merely forcing herself to interact with others despite her fears.
Diamond noticed this, and she was the only one who truly understood how hard Keiko was trying.
She couldn’t help but reach out and gently rub her head.
“You’ve worked so hard.” “I know, I’ll pace myself next time.” Keiko replied, her cheeks stuffed with rice balls.
She swallowed with some effort before adding, “This will definitely be useful next time!” — Although Diamond and Kita-chan agreed to train Keiko together, they definitely weren’t going to let her run anymore today.
Everything had to be done in moderation; many Umamusume trained to the point of chronic injuries, which was completely counterproductive.
Back at the dorm, Keiko found a small package at the door.
Her eyes lit up when she saw the sender’s name.
It looked like her gift had finally arrived— Maruzensky had promised to give her a sports car, but Keiko had refused with all her might.
She didn’t even have a driver’s license, so she couldn’t drive.
Besides, a luxury sports car was useless to her.
After some bargaining, Keiko traded the car for something far more practical.
Keiko carried the package into the dorm and tore off the tape.
Before her lay a top-of-the-line “supercar.” However, it wasn’t a real vehicle, but a laptop with “supercar-class” specs.
Although it was worth far less than a real sports car, combined with the accessories she had requested, it held much more value for her.
“Waaah—I couldn’t even afford this drawing tablet in my past life!” Keiko stared at the drawing setup in absolute bliss.
As expected, she couldn’t abandon her skills from her previous life.
Even if it was just for relaxation, she wanted to draw.
She wouldn’t become a professional animator or illustrator in this life—even though this world didn’t have AI.
But this top-tier setup wasn’t just to satisfy her minor drawing desires.
Since she was proficient in various design software, she could take on some freelance work to support herself.
To an artist, this equipment was like having the legendary Excalibur and Masamune.
“Ahhh…
I’m so satisfied…
so satisfied…” Keiko’s face bore an expression of absolute fulfillment, much like Yusei Fudo summoning Shooting Quasar Dragon.
She had fantasized about this exact setup hundreds of times in her past life.
She never expected that she would achieve this goal first after coming to this world.
“Anyway!
Let’s start drawing!” She couldn’t wait to turn on the laptop.
Although this body had never drawn before, her brushstrokes were perfectly natural.
Years of practice made her highly skilled in various drawing styles, one of the few things she took pride in.
But as she calmed down and looked at the drawing, which was ninety percent complete, she fell silent…
‘But…
as usual…
it has no personality…’ She thought bitterly.
In her past life, her technique, colors, and other aspects were all outstanding.
But her weakness was a lack of innovation.
Her style was textbook academic—standard, clean, and always scoring high marks from teachers.
But in the real world, her proud techniques lacked a soul.
That soul was individuality.
Although she loved art, she lacked the innate talent of a true artist.
Her drawings were products of endless practice and basic drills.
They were the works of a commoner, lacking the spark of inspiration.
This was one of the reasons she had remained unsuccessful.
Yet she still believed that the techniques she polished were correct.
She just needed an opportunity—a finishing touch to breathe life into her art.
Just a tiny spark of inspiration would elevate her work.
But she had failed to take that step in her entire past life, dying of overwork in the end.
Would she be able to find that soul in this life?
She didn’t know, nor did she want to gamble.
This life didn’t belong to her alone.
She had borrowed the body of the girl named Tojo Keiko, and she had to fulfill the girl’s dream, which was also her own—to find happiness.
Now that she stood at the starting line, she stared at the beautiful girl on the screen, a self-mocking smile on her lips.
Yet she had still asked for these drawing tools.
She had to admit that old habits died hard.
But in this life, she was going to find true happiness.
For Keiko, and for herself.
She would live happily!
“So keep going, Tojo Keiko.
Don’t slack off, move forward with all your might—” She told herself.
Holding the promise of happiness close to her chest, she whispered like someone dying of thirst praying for water.
— In the days that followed, Keiko’s routine became highly regular.
She woke up, washed, and had breakfast with Diamond.
Then she trained with Kita-chan, and occasionally Sweep would join them.
After morning practice, she would return to the dorm to draw, uploading her work to a secret Twitter account.
After that, she would attend classes just to mark her attendance while daydreaming.
After morning classes, she would check the afternoon schedule to decide whether to take a one-hour nap in the dorm or read.
Although Todai hadn’t officially enrolled her yet, the President—who paid special attention to her—had already sent books on Umamusume racing and some literary works.
Tracen Academy also paid close attention to her.
Aside from training shoes and a pre-tailored school uniform, they provided a monthly financial stipend.
This stipend was paid out from the student council budget specifically to improve Keiko’s living conditions, deposited straight into her bank account every month.
Living such a fulfilling life, the day for Keiko’s middle school graduation finally arrived.
To her, this school might not have been a great place, but the people she met here were irreplaceable.
Receiving her graduation certificate from the bald principal, she felt a slight wave of sadness.
But this wasn’t the end—it was the true beginning.
Middle school graduation marked her official entry into the University of Tokyo and her start as an exchange student at Tracen Academy.
It also meant her maturation was drawing near, bringing her closer and closer to her debut race.
Though she still felt a bit anxious, she was receiving unprecedented attention.
After all, while skipping grades to attend Todai was amazing for anyone, for an Umamusume—it was completely historic.
And—with the arrival of spring, as cherry blossoms drifted through the air.
Tojo Keiko successfully completed her maturation— In other words, her debut race was about to begin— —