Chapter Text
A young man with chin-length midnight-black hair and blue-gray eyes was standing at the entrance gate to a quaint yet sizable academy, looking around with metered excitement. He was dressed in a school uniform, which consisted of a maroon blazer buttoned over a white dress shirt, and a black tie and tan pants. An emblem-- consisting of 2 cleats facing away from each other to the left and right-- sat on his chest. It was the emblem of West Morioka Regional Racing and Training Academy, though it was often just known as Morioka Racing Academy. The two cleats symbolized the two specialties of the academy. One program focused on training and educating the actual umamusume themselves, as well as sending them to local races to get them scouted. The other program was geared towards preparing aspiring trainers on how to best manage and maintain the health and careers of their trainees. Outside of getting into a specialty school like Tracen, it was a stepping stone for both young racers and trainers alike.
“I finally made it. The first step towards my goal,” the boy looked up and grinned. Morioka Racing Academy had one of the best trainer programs in the region, and while it wasn’t as fancy as some of the trainer schools you could find in Tokyo, it had always been his dream to come here.
“Yuki, don’t just stand there! You’re blocking the gates,” a voice called out behind him. He turned around to see an uma with short, pale violet hair and red eyes glaring back at him through half-frame glasses. She was wearing the girls’ uniform, which was a white blouse with a thin black ribbon, and a tan skirt with two lines along the hem matching the maroon of the male uniform’s blazer. She also had a small, braided yellow ribbon tied around the base of her right ear.
“Ah, Tome. Sorry, I’m just really excited to finally be here.”
“Geez, I know! Ever since you got the acceptance letter, you haven’t shut up about it,” she pointed out, “but we’ve already gotten a tour, so you don’t have to look around starstruck.”
“It’s different on the first day than the tour,” Yuki explained, “Besides, it didn’t really feel real then. But now-”
She sighed, fiddling with her glasses, “I get it, I get it. This is your dream. It’s my dream too, but at least I don’t obsess over it!”
As if you didn’t go out running or training practically every day.
“I swear, if it weren’t for me, you’d be such a shut-in! Always reading your books. Studying. Watching those racing videos of yours and analyzing them! You’re lucky I find your dedication admirable.” She frowned, placing her hand on her hip. Her full name was Dusty Tome, and she and Yuki had practically grown up together.
“What do you think a trainer even does?” Yuki asked dryly.
“We should both get going. Wouldn’t want to be late on our first day, right?”
Ah, ignore my question, then.
“Right.”
The two made their way to the school’s entrance before splitting up to their respective classrooms. It wasn’t long before Yuki found himself at his desk, his attention drifting from the teacher’s lecture on basics he had already read in textbooks to gazing out the window next to his seat. He had lucked out and got a window seat, giving him a perfect view of the school’s practice tracks. They had a dirt track and a larger turf track around the outside, and he could already see umas doing practice runs. As he watched them, a memory from his childhood flooded back.
His mother had taken him to a training camp for young umas that day. He watched excitedly from the bleachers as his mother ran, showcasing her form and running style to a bunch of young umas around his age. She blazed down the track. Her long bay hair flowing behind her as she showed off her racing form. On the bangs over her forehead was a crescent-shaped highlight that served as her namesake. Topside Crescent. Yuki leaned forwards in his seat as he watched her complete a lap and slow down, pumping a fist and showing off for the young umamusume as they cheered. Yuki was watching from the sidelines, truly captivated.
“You’re so cool, mom!” he recalled shouting as she wiped the sweat from her brow.
“You’ve always loved watching me run, huh?”
It was true. It wasn’t just watching her in person, but old footage from her time as a national racer. At first, his mom played them for him and proudly showed off, but eventually he started watching them so much she found it a bit embarrassing. Even though he had gotten to see his mother run earlier that day, once he got home, he put on one of her old recordings and beamed from ear to ear as he watched his mom run in the Yasuda Kinen.
“It’s a dead heat between Topside Crescent and September Frost! Truth And Might is behind by three lengths in third! September Frost showed a dominating performance at the Victoria Mile just one month ago, but will she be able to pull off yet another G1 victory so soon? Or will Topside Crescent come back and take her revenge? They’re neck-and-neck, but September Frost is maintaining a narrow lead!”
Yuki leaned forward in his seat as he watched his mom go toe-to-toe with a stark-white uma. Both were running their hearts out with sweat dripping down their faces. They were breathing heavily as they met each other’s eyes. A silver light burned within one pair and an icy blue glow trailed like mist from the other. They both glared at each other. September Frost gazed back at Yuki’s mother as if to say “I’ll beat you again.” Yet Yuki’s mother answered with her own fierce gaze that screamed, “I refuse to lose this time!” With that silent declaration of war right at the end of the race, Yuki’s mom dug deep, pushing off the ground in one final burst of energy.
“What’s this?” The commentator called out, “With only 50 meters left, Topside Crescent is accelerating! She’s pulling ahead of September Frost! Topside Crescent takes the lead! The gap is widening! September Frost can’t keep up! Topside Crescent blasts ahead towards the post! Topside Crescent! It’s Topside Crescent! Topside Crescent crosses the finish line and snatches victory in the Yasuda Kinen! Topside Crescent!”
Yuki knew how that race ended, he had watched it so many times he could recite the play-by-play from memory. Yet he still jumped up off the floor and cheered when his mother crossed the finish line.
“Racing is so cool! I wish I could run like that,” Yuki grinned wistfully. Yuki knew it. His mother had told him before. He would never be able to run like her. He would never be able to run like Tome either. He simply hadn’t been born an umamusume. Since his mother was an uma, he would’ve been born as one if he had been a girl. But he hadn’t. He was a human, so that kind of dream was out of his reach from the moment he entered this world.
“I’m sorry, Yuki.”
“Ah, no worries, mom!” Yuki immediately bounced back, “I can’t be a racer like you, but I want to become someone who can train umas to run like that instead!”
“I’m sure you will, Yuki,” his mother smiled as she reached down and ruffled his hair, “Now, let’s go eat dinner! I made a lot since I used up a lot of energy running today, so feel free to eat as much as you want tonight! You’re a growing boy, after all.”
“Okay!”
The memory faded, and Yuki found himself gazing longingly out the window.
“Yoshino? Yoshino! Are you paying attention?” the teacher called out sternly. Apparently he had been calling on him for a few minutes.
“A-ah, y-yes, sorry!” Yuki’s attention snapped back to the classroom.
“Then tell me, what does the NAUR stand for?”
“The National Association of Uma Racing,” Yuki recited. He hadn’t actually been paying attention to the class, but knowing the answer beforehand had saved him.
“And what’s the difference between the NAUR and the URA?”
“The URA hosts national races, while the NAUR hosts local and regional races.”
“Correct,” the teacher nodded, “While skilled umamusume can be scouted on a national level based on their performance or pedigree right off the jump, trainers almost always start at the regional level. They have to work their way up, with few exceptions. You’ll all have to learn the intricacies of the NAUR first before you even set sights on being a URA-licensed trainer.”
As the teacher continued, Yuki rested his head in his hands and took superficial notes. Naturally, his head was still elsewhere. He would risk the occasional glance back out the window to watch the umamusume run.
It must be nice to be out there, running to your heart’s content. I already know the theoretical stuff. I want to hurry up and get closer to that world already. The world of umamusume. The world of racing.
“Hey, your name’s Yoshino, right?” After class, a boy with spiky blond hair came up to Yuki, hands in his pockets and a toothy grin on his face.
“Yeah, Yoshino Masayuki.”
“The teach kept picking on you since you were daydreaming and zoning out, but every time, you answered his questions perfectly. He was totally gettin’ pissed!” he laughed, holding out a fist, “I’m Ueno Shouichi, but you can just call me Shou if you wanna.”
Yuki stared at the fist like he didn’t know what to do with it for a few seconds before fist bumping back awkwardly, “Sounds good. Then call me Yuki.”
“Anyway, you don’t seem like a bad guy, and you know your stuff, so I was wonderin’ if you wanted to do anything now that school’s out,” Shou asked, “Figured since it’s a new school and all that makin’ friends early is important! People tend to avoid me, though. I guess they think I’m some kind of delinquent or somethin’?”
The dyed hair, unbuttoned uniform, and the way you speak probably don’t help. Not that I’d care about stuff like that, though.
“Sure. Ah, but I’ve already said I’d walk home with Tome. We were gonna meet up at the front entrance after school ended,” Yuki admitted awkwardly. He then realized that probably sounded like an excuse to get out of getting to know Shou. Tome was always nagging him about needing more friends anyway, and Shou seemed nice enough, so Yuki figured now was his chance. He quickly tacked on, “Maybe I can ask if she wants to tag along?”
“Sure thing! The more the merrier!” The two made their way towards the school entrance, and sure enough, it wasn’t long before Yuki spotted Tome headed down the hallways.
“Hey, over here!” Yuki waved her over.
“Ah, Yuki!” Tome waved back as she ran up to them, “Who’s this?”
“My name’s Shouichi, but feel free to call me Shou!”
“Ah, Shou, then.” Tome smiled, “I’m Dusty Tome.”
“Nice to meet ya! Yuki here said you and him were gonna head home after school, but did you wanna hang somewhere before going home first? I know a few places where we could grab a quick bite!”
Tome’s eyes widened as she immediately looked over to Yuki, “You already made a friend?”
“Hey, don’t act so shocked. I do know how to make friends.”
“Yeah? Then how come you never do?” Tome asked. Then she looked over at the hallway leading to the back of the school. It opened out into the courtyard, and beyond that were the gym and the training racetrack. “As much as I’d love to celebrate this momentous occasion, I was actually hoping to try out the practice course for some after-school training,” Tome mentioned.
“Ah, that’s fine,” Yuki waved off. He could tell how much Tome was to run. She was tapping her foot with eager energy, “Actually, Shou, would you want to come watch? Tome’s really fast. Ah, if you don’t mind, of course, Tome.”
“You shouldn’t just tack that on at the end! Ask me first before inviting someone!” Tome crossed her arms, “But it’s not like I’m embarrassed about people watching me run, so that’s fine.”
“Sure, I’d love to tag along!”
The three made their way out to the courtyard, and Tome broke off to head to the locker rooms to change. She emerged wearing a dark maroon tracksuit with two thin golden stripes running down the sleeves and the sides of each pant leg. Morioka Racing Academy’s emblem sat just below her left collarbone. It must’ve been school-issue.
“Alright, I’m ready.”
The group then headed out to the practice course, and unsurprisingly, there were already other umamusume already using it for practice runs. Two of them were partner running side by side. One was an uma with short, fluffy hair that faded from a dark gray to almost white, with a frilly, cream-colored sleave covering her right ear. The other had wavy blond hair with dark orange streaks in her bangs and framing her face, and had a pair of silver chains hanging from her left ear. She was behind by a half-length, but her eyes burned a fiery red as she dug in and overtook the other by a nose. They crossed a marked finish line and slowed to a stop, panting heavily.
The gray-haired uma looked up and saw the three of them. Her emerald eyes immediately lit up and she rushed over to Tome. “Ah, Tomi-chan! Are these boys from the trainer’s course?”
“T-Tomi-chan?” Yuki looked over, confused.
“I told you not to call me that!” Tome fiddled with her glasses, clearly annoyed.
The blonde-haired uma panted as she caught up to her, slumping over as she reached the group. She then immediately shot up, and pointed angrily at her unfazed opponent. “Don’t just go running off after I beat you! And how do you have the energy to run like that anyway!?”
“Huh? But we were just doing practice races, right?”
“Don’t tell me… you weren’t even trying!? Take me seriously dammit!”
Tome let out a sigh, turning to Yuki and Shou, “These are my fellow classmates. The angry one is Akari Gemmy, and-”
“I’m Weatherless!” the gray-haired uma had popped up in front of Tome and smiled cheerfully.
“More like clueless!” Gemmy narrowed her eyes at her before turning to yell at Tome, “And why am I the angry one!?”
Tome gave Gemmy the most deadpan look she could muster, as if to say the answer should be abundantly obvious.
Gemmy looked as though she were about to say something else, but Weatherless chimed in before she could. “Anyway, you two must be from the trainers’ course! What brings you both out here?”
Gemmy’s eyes widened in realization as she looked over at the guys, like she had only just now realized they were out of place on a practice track for umas. She narrowed her eyes at them, waiting for their answer to Weatherless’s question.
“They’re here to watch us practice,” Tome explained.
Well, actually, we just came here to watch Tome run, but I guess I should’ve expected other umas to be out here.
“Oh, is it like, for an assignment? But it’s the first day,” Weatherless asked, “And I don’t see anyone else from the trainers course.”
“Nah, they wouldn’t be that hard on us the first day,” Shou grinned, “We’re out here ‘cause we wanna be.”
“Are you creeps or something?” Gemmy asked, “Happy you got into a nice school with umas so you can pick them up?”
“Why would you jump to that conclusion right away?” Yuki asked dryly, “Besides, you know if you become racers a lot more people will be there to watch-”
Tome elbowed him hard in the side before he could finish. Naturally, with her umamusume strength, it hurt quite a bit. He doubled over, clutching his side. “I can assure you, this guy here isn’t a creep. At least not that kind of creep.”
“Hang on, what do you mean not that kind of creep?”
Yuki glanced over at Tome, indignant. She ignored him and continued, “He’s just obsessed with racing. His mom’s an ex-racer, so he’s always been like this.”
“Oh, you two are, like, childhood friends? Is that why you both came here together? The prospective trainer, wanting to scout his childhood best friend so he can make her a champion uma. Wanting to rise together to the URA and tear through the Twinkle Series, side-by-side! That’s so romantic! Ah, but it’s a tragedy… by the time Yoshino becomes a trainer, Tomi-chan… she’ll probably already be…” Weatherless was apparently off in her own little fantasy.
“It’s not like that,” Tome adjusted her glasses, “I have zero romantic interest in him. He’s obsessive to a fault with racing. He reads books and watches races excessively. He overanalyzes everything. He mutters to himself about uma racing all the time like a weirdo!”
Each word pierced through Yuki like a spear, and Shou had to go over and pat his shoulder comfortingly.
“On top of that, he’s a total shut-in. He has no sense of humor and no tact! He barely has any friends other than me!”
“F-friends?” Gemmy asked awkwardly after that onslaught of unflattering descriptions. Her anger had totally faded and she looked over at Yuki, concerned.
Yuki let out a sigh before waving it off, “Don’t worry, that’s just how she’s always been.”
“You could at least be a little less single-minded all the time!” Tome’s cranky expression softened into a genuine smile, “But it’s because Yuki’s like that that I can tell he has a real passion that he cares about, and I feel like I want to see him strive for that goal as I strive for mine. I guess in that way, I would love to have a trainer like him.”
“AAAAHHHHH! I was right! You two are in love!” Weatherless gushed, before breaking out into tears, “Ah, but again… you can’t actually be trainer and trainee…”
“You dolt! You weren’t listening to a word, were you?” Gemmy’s anger immediately came back. She bonked Weatherless on the head to get her to stop crying, but it had no effect. All Gemmy could do was sigh.
“Anyway,” Tome began stretching her arms, “I came out here to do some practice runs. Are you two up for some partner running?”
“Nah, we have practice runs for class tomorrow, so I want to stay fresh for those,” Gemmy smirked, “I’m going to kick everyone’s ass and set a good example.”
“But didn’t you say you went all-out against me earlier?” Weatherless asked. She had suddenly stopped crying and was now tilting her head at Gemmy in confusion.
“That’s what snapped you out of it? Are you tryin’ to piss me off!?”
Completely ignoring Gemmy, Weatherless smiled and nodded, “Aka-chan here’s totally right-”
“I told you not to call me that!”
“We should probably rest up. Later, Tomi-chan!”
“I told you not to call me that!”
The three watched Gemmy and Weatherless head off, and Shou grinned, patting Yuki on the shoulder, “Looks like there are some interestin’ umas here, huh? I’m glad I came here.”
Interesting, huh? That’s definitely a word for those two.
“Anyway,” Tome finished up her stretching, “You wanted to watch me run, right? Well then, I can show off a little.”
She stepped out onto the turf, hopping in place a few times to test it, and then took off running. Dusty Tome was the kind of person who usually wore a serious expression rather than a carefree smile, but that all changed when she ran. Even though it was a practice run with no partners, she leaned forwards, kicking off the ground with power as she surged around the track. Her eyes lit up like they were sparkling, and her lips curled into a confident smile. She looked so happy. Yuki couldn’t help but smile as well while he watched her. Yet, there was a sadness to it. He imagined it. Running too, kicking off the ground with the power of a proper umamusume. This wasn’t the first time he imagined it, and it wouldn’t be the last time, but there was something different about watching Tome run on an actual practice track compared to just around the park or across open fields.
“Heh, so this is why you kept starin’ out the window earlier,” Shou mused, catching Yuki’s grin, “And here I thought you were just daydreamin’.”
“Huh? You noticed that? It’s not that I was being lazy, it’s just that most of the information we went over in class today was pretty basic, so-”
“Hahaha! Yeah. I practically fell asleep,” Shou admitted, “But I get it kinda. Watching umas run, I mean. It does look fun! I doubt anyone interested in bein’ a trainer hasn’t thought at least once what it'd be like to be an uma.”
Tome dashed past them as she made her first lap.
“Yeah, I guess not.”
Sadness. Longing. A desire Yuki didn’t have a word for yet. He did want to be a trainer, but was that only because this was as close to the racing world as he could possibly get? As he watched Tome continue on running, another desire finally made itself known. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say it had always been there, and he could no longer ignore it. He could only think to himself one thing. All uma mothers give birth to male humans and female umamusume.
If I had been born a girl, could I have become a racer?
Of course, it wasn’t really worth dwelling on. Hard work. Dedication. Studying. If it was for his dream, Yuki could make that kind of effort. Yet this was fundamentally different. A human couldn’t just become an umamusume even if they wanted to. So if Yuki wanted to be a part of the world he loved so much, all he could do was keep moving down his current path and become a trainer.