“No horses in this world.
What a relief…”
Nakajima Shin sat in the stands, watching the Umamusume competing in the selection trials on the grass field.
His eyes held a complicated mix of emotions as he murmured, unsure if he should feel happy or sad.
In his past life, he had traveled the world to become a jockey, fulfilling a friend’s dying wish.
He’d ridden that friend’s prized horse in race after race, dreaming of crowning a world champion.
But the horse kept breaking its legs.
Time and time again.
The only honor they ever scraped together was a single G1 win, barely edging out the Australian champion “Green Belt.” After that, nothing.
In the end, during the Arc de Triomphe, he watched helplessly as the horse’s legs gave out once more.
It crashed, lost all momentum, and died right on the track.
The trauma left a deep scar on his heart.
That night, he closed his eyes to sleep.
When he woke up, he’d been reborn into the world of Umamusume.
His transmigration was a bit unusual, though.
It wasn’t a soul swap or a full body transfer.
Instead, the shock of seeing the text message had triggered a sudden awakening of his past-life memories.
As for the trigger…
Nakajima Shin lowered his gaze to the message on his phone screen.
[White Lily: So unlucky.
I tripped and fractured my leg.
Come visit me at the hospital after work later.
There are some things I want to talk to you about.]
He let out a heavy sigh, set the phone down, and rubbed his face with both hands.
His tough exterior barely held back the tears threatening to spill.
White Lily was the senior trainer currently mentoring him, a rookie trainer.
But in his past life, she was the very horse he had been forced to watch die.
*
The moment his eyes caught the keywords “White Lily” and “fracture,” a sharp pain shot through his skull.
Past-life memories flooded his mind, completely ruining his good mood about picking a candidate.
“They’re crossing the finish line!
Orfevre and Almond Eye tie at the wire!
They’ve left third place far behind.
Truly the rising stars everyone’s been hyping!”
The commentator’s loud calls, the crowd’s cheers, and the following chorus of trainers shouting out invitations were too much.
Nakajima Shin couldn’t help but look up, watching the Umamusume on the track who were now choosing their trainers.
Were the selection trials already over?
Still a bit dazed, he slapped his cheeks to clear his head.
Looking at Orfevre and Almond Eye, surrounded by admirers, he knew they had the strength to become world champions.
But he had zero intention of asking either of them to be his trainee.
After all, he was just a rookie trainer who’d only been at Central Tracen for a couple of days.
He had no chance competing against the veteran trainers, and those two top-tier Umamusume wouldn’t even glance his way.
Besides, he was still hesitating.
Should he even become a trainer?
With his past-life memories intact, to be honest, he wanted nothing more to do with horses.
He wanted to go back home, herd some sheep and cattle, live as a simple shepherd, and enjoy a quiet life.
But that required money.
In this life, he was an orphan with an empty pocket and a student loan hanging over his head.
Not happening.
After turning it over in his mind, he figured he’d have to become a trainer to make some fast cash.
The industry paid well.
He could stack up enough money quickly, then fly home to build a ranch and raise livestock.
Once he made up his mind, he stood up and carefully scanned the Umamusume still lingering on the field.
After a while, he felt a bit disappointed.
The ones left unpicked lacked any real strength.
Their legs were soft and untrained.
Fine for show, but for racing?
They’d need a few more years of training.
Since there were no suitable candidates, Nakajima Shin packed up his stuff.
He planned to come back tomorrow to check the selection trials again.
For now, he’d head to the hospital to visit White Lily.
Just as he turned to head for the exit, he spotted a single Umamusume sitting alone in the nearly empty stands, quietly watching the track.
…Wasn’t that Tokai Teio?
But why was she so quiet?
Nakajima Shin studied her closely.
Her brown hair had a single streak dyed white, shaped like a crescent moon.
Her long hair was tied back with a pink ribbon, finished with a cute bow.
He confirmed it was indeed Tokai Teio, not Symboli Rudolf.
That actually made him a bit surprised.
Whether from the anime or the game, he remembered Tokai Teio being a very lively Umamusume.
Why wasn’t she leaving after the race?
Instead, she was sitting here quietly, staring at the track.
There weren’t any familiar faces on the field either.
Just a bunch of random Umamusume.
Nothing recognizable.
Nakajima Shin pulled his gaze away from the track, scratched his head, and felt completely baffled.
But since he’d run into an Umamusume with potential, and he had no memory of her competing in his past life, he might as well try recruiting her.
Hopefully, she hadn’t already been signed by someone else.
Nakajima Shin strode over, took a seat beside her, and turned his head to ask warmly, “Tokai Teio, would you be willing to become my Trainee?”
Tokai Teio’s ears twitched.
She looked at him with a hint of surprise.
“You’re a rookie trainer, right?”
Nakajima Shin nodded.
“That explains it.” Tokai Teio smiled with understanding, running a hand over her calf.
“Maybe you heard rumors that I’m strong and came looking for me.
But sorry, that person lied to you.
I can’t beat anyone right now.
You’re wasting your time with me.”
“You can’t even beat Haru Urara?” Nakajima Shin asked, a bit skeptical.
“Saying that would really hurt her feelings.
Luckily, you’re talking to me.”
After a light complaint, Tokai Teio nodded without hesitation and laughed.
“I think I have a habit of fracturing my legs.
I’ve already broken them four times.
If I run hard, I might break them a fifth time.
How could I possibly beat Urara?”
Nakajima Shin froze for a moment, his gaze dropping to her legs.
Her skin was fair, her legs long and slender.
The muscle groups had grown soft from being unable to train due to her condition, but even so, you could still sense their underlying power.
If she could recover fully, she’d probably be able to compete with the likes of Orfevre and Almond Eye.
Of course, that was assuming she could even run in the first place.
“See?
My legs are great, right?” Tokai Teio patted her thigh, grinning.
“But they’ll never run again.
And honestly, that’s a good thing, right?
If I can’t run, I don’t have to enter races.
If I don’t enter races, I can’t lose.
And if I can’t lose, I’ll be an undefeated Umamusume.”
“Most people wouldn’t even get this kind of blessing if they wanted it.”
Seeing her bright, cloudless smile, and hearing the genuinely cheerful playfulness in her voice, the image he had in his head clashed violently with the reality in front of him.
A knot of anxiety tightened in Nakajima Shin’s chest.
What exactly had she been through to develop this mindset?
Umamusume were creatures born to race.
Running was their innate desire and passion.
Yet here stood one who was genuinely happy about not having to run anymore.
It felt like a monster to him.
And this was Tokai Teio, the one he knew well.
Was this right?
This couldn’t be right.
Nakajima Shin stayed silent for a moment.
Making a quiet decision, he stood up, extended his hand, and met Tokai Teio’s puzzled gaze.
“Could you run with me?”
Tokai Teio blinked, tilting her head in surprise.
“Huh?!”
A second translation, I mainly targeting thing that stopped updating and/or were poorly translated.
There should be an image where the star is incase I forgot