There were many reasons supporting Belno Light’s conclusion.
Just that morning, several things had stood out to her.
“Normally, after the Trainer finishes washing up, Oguri would follow suit, but today she told me to go first.”
“During training, the distance between Oguri and the Trainer had grown a little wider than usual.”
“Oguri wasn’t even focused while eating breakfast.”
“While resting in the living room, the moment the Trainer walked into the guest room, Oguri’s posture immediately straightened up.”
Belno Light knew a bit more than most.
She could probably guess what had happened between her good friend and the Trainer.
“Trainer is really too much,” Belno Light thought, pouting slightly.
“He clearly knows Oguri is about to race, yet he’s saying all sorts of distracting things to her.
I really need to get to the bottom of this.”
“And…” She also had her own selfish reasons.
“If it’s really as I suspect, then how should I handle myself?”
So, from the afternoon onward, Yugi noticed that Belno Light’s gaze toward him was quite unusual.
“What’s going on?
I haven’t done anything to her, have I?” he muttered to himself.
“Why is Belno Light looking at me with such a strange expression?”
Suddenly, a possibility crossed his mind.
“Could it be that I was discovered when I was doing that at night?”
No matter what, the young Trainer was still in his prime.
It was normal for him to close the door late at night and take care of some personal needs, especially with the high amount of stimulation lately.
“But I always made sure to lock the door, didn’t I?” Yugi sat on the edge of the bed, frowning in thought.
Just as he was wondering, a knock sounded on the closed bedroom door.
“Who is it?” Yugi looked up at the door.
“Please come in.”
“It’s me.” Belno Light pushed open the door, bowed slightly to Yugi, and then carefully closed it behind her.
“What’s wrong?” Yugi looked over the chestnut-haired Uma Musume in casual clothes standing before him, then glanced at the clock on the bedroom wall.
“This should be your and Oguri Cap’s nap time, shouldn’t it?”
“Oguri just fell asleep.” Belno Light answered the Trainer’s question first, then stated her purpose.
“There’s something I want to confirm with you, Trainer.”
“Confirm something?” Yugi was startled.
“Belno Light, what do you want to confirm?”
As he asked, he perked up and secretly became more vigilant.
The atmosphere around Belno Light felt quite strange at that moment.
Unease, nervousness, suppression, and anticipation…
What exactly did she want to do?
Yugi, who had read the complex emotions from the chestnut-haired Uma Musume’s micro-expressions and actions, had entered full alert mode.
Belno Light had originally intended to ask about Oguri Cap.
But after truly facing the Trainer alone, she suddenly lost her courage and changed the subject to herself instead.
“What arrangements does the Trainer have for my future?”
“Future arrangements?” Yugi was quite surprised.
“I don’t quite understand what you mean, Belno Light.”
“Oguri will stop being an Uma Musume someday, and the Trainer will leave Kasamatsu after that.
So what about me?” Belno Light said as she gradually approached Yugi.
“Am I supposed to stay in Kasamatsu alone, switch teams, and start over?”
“I remember promising you about this, didn’t I?” Yugi frowned.
“When that time comes, Belno Light, you’ll come to Central with me.”
“Will I always stay in logistics, always running errands for the Trainer?” Belno Light met his gaze, then timidly lowered her head.
“In that case, the Trainer could replace me with someone else to do these things anytime, couldn’t he?”
Yugi realized what Belno Light was lacking.
She was worried about being replaced.
After all, the logistics position didn’t require any special knowledge.
It only needed attentiveness and strong execution.
“That’s true,” Yugi admitted.
“Continuing like this isn’t a long-term solution.”
He offered an idea.
“If you’re willing, Belno Light, when we return to Kasamatsu, you can learn the knowledge required to become a Trainer alongside me.”
“In that case…” Belno Light bit her lip.
“After the Trainer leaves Kasamatsu, can I also become a Trainer myself?”
“If you wish to stay in Kasamatsu when I leave, then I will apply for a Trainer’s license for you,” Yugi responded.
“What if I want to go to Central with the Trainer?” Belno Light looked up, staring at him.
The longing in her voice was impossible to hide.
But Yugi didn’t pay much attention to her expression at that moment.
He cautiously put forward his idea.
“If you’re willing to come to Central with me, I will apply for a spot for you to study logistics at Tracen Academy.
After you graduate, I can give you the position of assistant Trainer for the team.”
“Because, to be honest,” the young man shrugged, “I don’t think I’ll find an assistant as suitable as you in the future.”
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t necessarily impossible to find one.
For Yugi, the most important qualities in an assistant were three things: first, obedience; second, strong execution; and finally, trustworthiness.
The first two points were relatively easy.
The last point, trust, was very difficult to build.
In his opinion, helping Belno Light achieve victory in local races when she otherwise would have had no chance had been very helpful in establishing mutual trust.
He also hoped that Belno Light would always be worthy of that trust. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Unless something went wrong, Yugi would trust her until the very end.
“Thank you, Trainer.” Belno Light bowed.
“I am willing to follow you and continue studying in the future.”
“That’s good.” Yugi grinned and asked, “Are there any other questions?”
Belno Light remembered her original purpose, but now she didn’t dare to ask.
She could only shake her head awkwardly.
“I still can’t bring myself to say it…” After taking small steps backward out of Yugi’s bedroom, she muttered to herself, “And the Trainer is so good to me.
I believe he would never hurt Oguri.”
===
August 30th brought heavy rain.
The day that would determine the success or failure of Yugi’s summer vacation had finally arrived.
Although the race was scheduled for the evening, after Oguri Cap had lunch and a short nap, Yugi took her and Belno Light to Monbetsu Racecourse.
Some of the Uma Musume from Team Rigil also wanted to join in on the fun, so they had bought tickets in advance.
Those who didn’t feel like going out in the rain chose to stay in the hotel and watch the broadcast on TV.
Therefore, when Yugi set off with his team members, Tojo Hana and several members of Team Rigil followed behind them, making for quite an impressive group.
However, when they arrived at Monbetsu Racecourse, Yugi found that the Uma Musume participating in the local races had also brought many people to cheer for them.
“The VIP viewing area is quite spacious, so there’s no need to worry about being crowded with the relatives of other Uma Musume,” Tojo Hana scanned her surroundings and commented.
“It saves us from any arguments later.”
“It wouldn’t go that far, would it?” Yugi’s mouth twitched.
“Everyone supports the Uma Musume they’re related to.
Could they actually get into a fight?”
“Similar incidents have happened before, of course only in local races.” Tojo Hana shrugged.
“Later, the URA Association also issued a special notice strictly prohibiting such behavior that violates the spirit of the Twinkle Series.”
“I still don’t understand.” Yugi said, glancing at the clock on the display board.
“I’m going to step away for a moment.
Oguri Cap’s mother is also coming to watch today, and this is her first time at Monbetsu Racecourse.
I need to pick her up, otherwise she might get lost.”
“Oh?
You’ve even met her parents?” Tojo Hana’s eyes flickered, and she muttered to herself, “Then other Trainers can forget about poaching her.”
After Mrs.
White Narubi was led to the VIP viewing area by Yugi, the Uma Musume from Central, who had already learned her identity from Tojo Hana, all proactively greeted her.
“Oguri’s strength has been recognized by the Uma Musume from Central,” Belno Light thought silently as she witnessed the scene.
But she didn’t feel that the distance between herself and Oguri Cap had widened.
Oguri Cap’s battlefield was on the racetrack, so her recognition by the Uma Musume from Central was indirect proof of her strength.
But Belno Light’s job was logistics, and only Yugi and Oguri Cap could truly recognize her work.
How the Uma Musume from Central viewed her was irrelevant to Belno Light.
White Narubi put away her umbrella and asked her daughter’s Trainer with a worried expression, “The rain is coming down so hard right now.
Is it really okay?”
“After the race, we’ll definitely need to go back to the hotel and rest well to avoid getting sick,” Yugi turned around and replied honestly.
“But it’s impossible to withdraw from the race here.
As for the rain, unless the organizers announce a postponement, we definitely have to run.”
“This is also a hurdle that Oguri Cap must overcome,” Tojo Hana echoed from the side.
“Rain battles, even snow battles and fog battles, cannot be trained for normally.
When faced with them, one must rise to the challenge.”
“I know,” Mrs.
White Narubi sighed.
“Since Oguri chose to become an Uma Musume, she cannot flee the racecourse because of a little rain.”
“After the race, I’ll have her go to a hot spring and rest for a few more days to avoid getting sick,” Yugi quickly interjected.
“Yugi, please take good care of Oguri,” White Narubi bowed slightly to Yugi, who quickly stepped back.
After all, he still had intentions toward her daughter, so he really felt uncomfortable accepting such a bow.
Unlike the two previous races, Oguri Cap was now alone in a private lounge.
“Is this what they call a national regional exchange major race?” Oguri Cap surveyed the lounge.
“It has air conditioning, a TV to watch the track, and even a refrigerator…”
At this point, she bit her lip, resisting the urge to check what was inside the refrigerator.
“If I can’t resist eating, it will affect my race performance,” Oguri Cap forcefully averted her gaze, ignoring the refrigerator.
Her eyes fell on the TV screen, which was broadcasting the races outside.
Since it didn’t concern her, Oguri Cap’s attention quickly shifted again.
“It’s a good thing Belno prepared rain-specific shoes and horseshoes for me, specially reinforced for grip so they won’t slip easily,” Oguri Cap fiddled with the running shoes placed to the side.
“Yugi is so thoughtful.
Actually, just regular running shoes would have been good enough for me.”
“And Mom…” Oguri Cap straightened up.
“She’ll be here.”
Oguri Cap’s body trembled uncontrollably.
This was proof that she didn’t need any encouragement.
She was now full of fighting spirit, and this trembling was a sign of her complete focus.
The sky was getting dark, but the rain clouds showed no sign of leaving.
The lights along the Monbetsu Racecourse track faithfully came on, illuminating the track so the Uma Musume wouldn’t have to race in the dark.
The Hokkaido Yushun Himba parade was about to begin, and Oguri Cap, starting from the innermost gate, was the first to step onto the parade stand.
She simply waved to the stands and then walked off.
Although the other spectators in the stands also applauded, it was much weaker compared to what the local Uma Musume would receive later.
“She’s not very popular,” White Narubi worried for her daughter.
“It’s fine,” Yugi didn’t care about this.
“After all, we are challengers from Kasamatsu, and most of the audience here are from Monbetsu Town or nearby, so they will definitely support the Monbetsu Uma Musume.”
“Popularity doesn’t determine the outcome of a race,” Tojo Hana echoed. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“With Oguri Cap’s strength, winning this race is highly probable, so Mrs.
White Narubi doesn’t need to worry too much.”
“It would be great if Oguri could win,” White Narubi said, secretly observing Yugi’s expression.
“That would also be a way to repay Yugi’s training.”
“This race is not the end of Oguri Cap’s Uma Musume career,” Yugi shook his head, continuing to gaze at the track, which was splattered with mud by the pouring rain under the lights.
“Today will be the starting point for Oguri Cap to become famous nationwide.”
As soon as his words fell, the parade segment for all eight Uma Musume participating today concluded, and they all stepped onto the Monbetsu Racecourse track.
“In five minutes, the strongest local rising star Uma Musume of the year will be decided here!” The Monbetsu Racecourse commentator raised his voice to overpower the sound of the rain.
Upon hearing the commentator’s words, the Uma Musume of Team Rigil looked serious.
Even those who had come with a playful attitude now wore solemn expressions.
“The ‘strongest rising star’ of the region?” The chestnut-haired Uma Musume next to Taiki Shuttle murmured.
“That means an Uma Musume who has a chance to become the ‘King of the Region,’ right?
Sounds really impressive.”
===
Yugi and Belno Light stood side by side, watching Oguri Cap in the innermost lane be the first to enter the starting gate.
“Even with the rain, Oguri’s condition doesn’t seem to be affected,” Belno Light murmured.
“It’s just rain,” Yugi offered no further comment.
“Her performance before entering the gate is irrelevant.
For her, the most important thing is the result.”
“Yes,” Belno Light continued, following the Trainer’s words.
“For us, winning this race is the most important.”
Normally, Yugi would definitely add, “We must win honorably.” But as he watched the Uma Musume he was entirely responsible for training step onto the major race track for the first time, his mind was filled only with the thought, “Please win.”
White Narubi’s gaze toward her daughter held only affection and worry.
She didn’t understand races very well, but she knew this race was very important.
If her daughter won, her future would be promising.
“If only I could switch places…” White Narubi silently wished in her heart.
Tojo Hana, on the other hand, wasn’t nervous at all.
Although she and the Uma Musume she was in charge of had come to cheer for Oguri Cap, her victory or defeat honestly didn’t affect them much.
Even if they felt a little nervous, it couldn’t compare to what Yugi and his team were feeling.
After the last Uma Musume in the outermost lane entered the gate, Yugi’s heart was in his throat, because the race was about to begin.
Despite the pouring rain, it couldn’t obscure the view from the VIP viewing area.
The starter, standing on a high platform, waved the flag in his hand.
The high school band from Sapporo, hiding under the eaves, played the opening fanfare.
Everyone’s attention, including Yugi’s, was now focused on the track.
“It doesn’t matter if the start is smooth or not.
We’re running a mid-pack strategy anyway.” The young Trainer understood the logic, but he still hoped that his gray Uma Musume would have everything go smoothly in the next few minutes.
The sound of the starting gate opening was drowned out by the rain, but the Uma Musume, fully focused on the track, wouldn’t miss the opportune moment to burst out.
All eight Uma Musume, including Oguri Cap, shot out of the gates simultaneously like arrows from a bow.
And Oguri Cap obediently took a rear position according to the plan Yugi had set before the race, not choosing to contend for the lead with the other seven opponents.
Indeed, in this race, apart from Oguri Cap, the other seven Uma Musume all charged forward with full force after the start, clearly all vying for the lead position.
Oguri Cap, the only one taking a rear position, instantly became the focus of the track.
“Is Oguri Cap, who traveled all the way from Kasamatsu this year, unaccustomed to rain races?
Her speed doesn’t seem to be fully picked up yet, and she’s already more than four lengths behind the leading Uma Musume,” the live commentator said when announcing the rankings, first mentioning Oguri Cap, who was at the very back of the pack.
“Is it really okay?” Tojo Hana turned her head and glanced at Yugi.
“Yugi asked for a mid-pack strategy, but this development is completely a chase from the back, isn’t it?”
“No problem,” Yugi remained calm.
“Although it’s not the development I expected, it’s because all the other seven Uma Musume went for the lead, so Oguri Cap’s position became relatively further back.
If some of those Uma Musume hadn’t contended for the lead, her position would be standard mid-pack.”
This was not only to answer Tojo Hana’s doubts but also to reassure Mrs.
White Narubi on the other side.
At Monbetsu Racecourse’s 1800 meters, the Uma Musume would enter the first turn after 270 meters from the start.
Happy Green, who had temporarily taken the lead, was the first to enter the turn.
Noticing her positioning, Yugi’s face broke into a brilliant smile.
And as the other Uma Musume followed Happy Green into the turn, his smile became more and more exaggerated, his body even trembling slightly.
It was clear he was holding back from bursting into laughter.
“Has he already seen the key to victory?” Tojo Hana wondered.
White Narubi noticed Yugi’s behavior and quickly asked in a low voice, “Yugi, are you feeling unwell?”
“No,” Yugi quickly shook his head.
“I just saw a scene I anticipated, and I feel the chances of winning have increased.”
No sooner had he spoken than Oguri Cap also entered the turn, following the path of the Uma Musume in front.
“Something’s not right…” Tojo Hana narrowed her eyes.
“Oguri Cap could have taken the inside lane to overtake, couldn’t she?
Why is she following the outside lane here, wasting energy?”
Elsewhere in the VIP viewing area, the Trainers of the other participating Uma Musume breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Oguri Cap’s performance on the turn.
“It seems we don’t need to pay attention to this fellow from Kasamatsu.”
In their opinion, Oguri Cap’s ability to navigate the turn was similar to that of the Uma Musume they were in charge of.
Now her position was so far back that, unless she suddenly grew wings and flew like an angel, from every angle, victory in this race was already out of reach for this gray Uma Musume from Kasamatsu.
“But it would be great if there were more Uma Musume willing to spend time and money to travel for races like this,” the Monbetsu Trainers wished for more Uma Musume like Oguri Cap in the future.
Of course, this was also related to Oguri Cap currently appearing to have no chance of winning.
T/N: Can’t decide either Belno Light or Berno right, i’ll probably change this in the future if i decided
200 Stones
And so on