~ Junior Class Arc ~
Petals of cherry blossoms danced in the spring breeze, carrying with them the hopeful voices of young girls. Today, they were taking their first step toward a new dream at Tracen Academy — a place where futures began to run.
These were no ordinary girls. They were the Uma Musume — mysterious beings who resembled humans, yet possessed sleek, twitching horse ears and elegant, expressive tails. Gifted with extraordinary physical abilities, their speed alone placed them among the most remarkable of all living creatures.
And among these gifted ones, only the most exceptional gathered here, at Tracen Academy — formally known as the Japan Uma Musume Training Center Academy.
Everything an Uma Musume could need — facilities, equipment, and guidance — was here. Nearly two thousand students from across Japan had enrolled, yet only a handful would one day seize victory and glory.
Today was the entrance ceremony.
Who among them would grasp their dream? No one knew.
But one thing was certain — unless they ran, their future would never come.
Victory, defeat — everything would be decided by their own legs.
Among the new students stood one girl who stood out from the crowd — the white-haired Uma Musume, Shirono Lily.
Well… she stood out, though not necessarily in a good way.
As the girls made their way toward the academy, two drew particular attention — one small, black-haired girl, and an even smaller white-haired one.
The moment they met, one cried, "Welcome back!" and the other replied, "I'm home!" It didn't take much to guess that they were long-awaited friends reunited here at Tracen Academy.
A touching reunion indeed — surely there was a story behind it.
And truly, it was heartwarming. Some of the girls watching even teared up at the sight. Uma Musume tended to be kind and gentle-hearted — it was one of their many charms.
…The problem came after that.
Some of those same girls probably wished they could take their tears back once they saw what followed.
---
"♪ I love you, I love you, I love you so much, Rice-chan! ♪"
"♪ I love you, I love you, I love you so much, Lily-chan! ♪"
"♪ I love you! ♪"
""♪ I love you sooo much~ ♪""
---
…What are these two?!
The other girls couldn't even hide their confusion — and honestly, who could blame them?
Sing that in your room, not in public!
Worse still was the appearance of the white-haired girl herself. Uma Musume were known for their beauty, true — the black-haired one was adorably graceful. But the white one beside her… was something else entirely.
— Beautiful. So beautiful that a single glance might make one fall in love.
And the cruelest part? Anyone who turned toward that silly, embarrassing duet would inevitably catch sight of the white girl — only to be struck by her divine beauty, then forced to watch her flirt playfully with her friend.
It was pure, merciless torture.
As the brains of countless young girls metaphorically imploded, a new day quietly began.
---
I love Rice-chan so much!!
You know what? Rice-chan has become sooo beautiful! Lily-chan was so surprised!
Ah, right — I'm the cute, smart Shiro no Lily!
It's been… let's see, seven years since our promise! Of course she's even prettier now — it's only natural, since it's my beloved Rice-chan we're talking about!
…Okay, maybe I got a little too excited just now. But that's fine — Lily-chan's super cute, so it's not a problem!
Anyway, everyone — have you noticed anything about cute little Lily-chan? Go on, take a closer look!
…Hehe, figured it out? That's right! Lily-chan got into Tracen Academy! Isn't that amazing? Praise me, praise me!
Lily-chan's cute, smart, strong and hardworking, so of course she passed!
…But I don't mind if you still praise me anyway!
Right now, I'm heading to class after parting with Rice-chan. She said she'll show me around later — how exciting! If I remember correctly, we're supposed to wait in class, then after the ceremony we'll have a little recreation time, check our dorm assignments, meet our roommates, and later tour the facilities.
When I told Rice-chan I was curious who my roommate would be, she said, "It's Rice."
I asked how she knew since no one had told her yet, and she said, "There's no way Lily-chan and Rice would be in different rooms."
…She's right! Rice-chan's so smart!
So Lily-chan is super happy right now — I can't help but hum!
♪ Fufun~ fufun~ fufufufuun~ ♪
Ah! There's the classroom! Lily's comin' in~!
…Hmm? It's kind of quiet. …Ah, I see. I get it now.
Everyone's speechless because Lily-chan's too cute! Being this adorable can be tough sometimes. They say "cute is justice," but being too cute should really count as a crime. Anyway, I'll take a seat and wait for the ceremony to start!
---
The entrance ceremony began, and after Chairwoman Symboli Rudolf's long and very serious speech, we returned to class. She said lots of complicated things, but basically it all meant: Let's run with full power and enjoy racing!
Hehe, Lily-chan's so smart! I could totally be a translator!
Now everyone's doing introductions. Hmm, everyone has their own goals — to win the Derby, to take the Triple Crown, the Triple Tiara… Ambition is good!
Oh, it's my turn! First impressions matter, so let's make it perfect!
"I'm the cute, smart, and strong Shiro no Lily! I love Rice-chan! My goal is the Classic Triple Crown! Nice to meet you all!"
Hehe~ flawless introduction! Everyone's in awe! My first impression is totally perfect!
Now let's take a look at my potential rivals. Lily-chan's eyes aren't just cute — they're sharp! …Hmm, I don't really understand. Everyone looks strong! But of course, I'm the best!
Introductions wrapped up soon after. I can't wait to see what kind of life awaits me here!
---
Now Lily-chan is standing in front of the Miho Dormitory.
And guess what — she's in the same room as Rice-chan! Well, obviously! Lily-chan's worked so hard for this!
From now on, we'll be together every day. I've waited so, so long for this moment. Hehe… I'm so happy!
There's so much I want to talk about, but first, Rice-chan said she'd show me around and introduce me to her trainer. We'll have plenty of time together, so the clever Lily-chan won't rush!
I'm really excited to see what kind of place Tracen Academy is!
---
"Ahh, so today's the day that famous Lily-chan arrives…"
The one muttering that was Aoji Ruru, self-proclaimed "big sister" and Rice Shower's trainer.
Right now, Rice was showing Lily around the facilities, but the academy was already buzzing with rumors:
A breathtakingly beautiful Uma Musume, beyond human, has appeared.
Though Ruru was still a rookie trainer, she had a keen intuition.
"…If Rice's right, that rumor's about Shiro no Lily. But still, no way…"
She laughed at the absurd thought — though deep down, she kinda hoped it was true, just so she could see for herself.
"Rice said she'd introduce her to me… if she's really that good, maybe I'll scout her."
As she sensed two familiar presences approaching — Rice's and another girl's — she smiled.
"Rice, you sound happier than I've ever heard you…"
Seven years apart, apparently. No wonder.
"Now then, let's see this rumored Lily-chan for myself…"
And there she was — the girl from the whispers.
— An angel?
Wait… did I just die?
The sunlight shimmered on pure white hair like spun silk, not a trace of impurity upon it. Her matching white ears fanned out like wings, her flawless skin radiant, her features sculpted to perfection. Snowy lashes framed gem-like eyes of refined golden hue, so dazzling even the finest jewel would seem dull beside them. Her small nose and soft, fruit-like lips lent warmth to a face otherwise divine in its perfection.
Ruru was overwhelmed by her beauty.
"Ah! Big Sister!"
Rice's voice barely reached her — her brain had short-circuited.
— She's… too shocking. I might actually die…
She glanced down to steady herself — only to see the two girls holding hands, fingers interlaced like lovers. And then the "big sister" did die (figuratively).
"B–Big Sister!?"
"Uny?"
---
"Phew… so cuteness can kill a person…"
"I'm sorry for being too cute…"
Having finally recovered enough to speak, Ruru began her proper introduction.
"Alright, let's try this again. Nice to meet you — I'm Aoji Ruru, Rice Shower's trainer. Has Rice told you about me?"
"I'm the cute, smart Shiro no Lily! I love Rice-chan! And she said you're the kind of person who makes her call you 'Big Sister,' but that you're really reliable!"
And there it was again — the inevitable "I love Rice-chan!" so natural it might as well have been breathing.
(What is this adorable creature!? Did she just call herself cute and smart?! Okay, she's right, but still! And that 'I love Rice-chan' came out of nowhere! I'm gonna die— oh wait, Rice said I'm reliable. She trusts me… she likes me… okay, dying again.)
Barely keeping herself upright, Ruru asked, "Can I call you Lily? Do you have a team you want to join?"
"Of course! I want to be on the same team as Rice-chan!"
Ruru clenched her fist in triumph internally. Jackpot.
(Cute… I'm dying… but focus, Trainer brain on. She's a dirt-track runner, clearly strong on power. Her hindquarters — perfectly developed. She could dominate the dirt circuit easily. Grass and long-distance might be rough, though. Triple Crown route seems tough…)
"Then, how about joining my team? Since I'm Rice's trainer, it'd be perfect."
"Is it okay to get scouted on the first day?"
"Of course! I can tell just by looking — you've got potential. And more than that, I can tell those legs were made to run."
"Then please take care of me, Trainer-san."
"Eh? Really? I mean, I'm still a rookie trainer, you know. No real achievements yet."
Lily looked straight into her eyes.
"It's fine. Rice-chan trusts you, and you saw how hard I've worked. That's enough for me to trust you too."
"…You really say the nicest things, don't you? Alright — I'll live up to that trust. Nice to meet you, Lily. And you can call me something friendlier if you like."
Lily clasped her hand tightly.
"Nice to meet you too! Umm… then I'll call you Ruru-chan!"
"Phew, I'm glad I got to scout you first. Let's do our best together from now on, okay?" said Rice.
"Of course! Let's do our best — ooooh!"
As the two girls laughed and cheered together, Ruru silently vowed:
(For these two… I'll give it everything I've got.)
Challenges would come, no doubt. But with these girls by her side, Ruru felt certain — they could overcome anything.
---
"Tracen Academy is so big! I'm worried I'll get lost…"
"It's okay, Lily-chan. If you do, just contact me. And even if you can't reach me, everyone here is really kind — they'll help you if you ask."
"Oooh! That's a relief!"
Night had fallen. Their tour was finally over, and they'd returned to their room.
Tracen Academy was enormous — big enough that even an entire day wasn't enough to see everything.
Of course, the real reason it took so long was probably all the time they spent happily chatting and holding hands. But that, too, was proof of how vast the campus truly was — after all, it had to accommodate nearly two thousand racing girls.
"…You know, I was really lonely," Lily murmured.
"…Lily-chan…"
"I had Mom and Dad… but Rice-chan was always part of my everyday life. I couldn't even imagine being apart from you."
"…Rice felt the same. I was so lonely, too. I ran and studied and trained — anything to bury that feeling."
Rice sat down beside Lily on the bed and gently wrapped her arms around her.
"…I've wanted this warmth for so long. I never forgot it, not even once."
"…It's warm, isn't it?"
"Lily-chan, I was going to say, 'From today, we're rivals.' But right now, I just want to hold you like this. I don't even care about acting cool anymore."
"…Me too, Rice-chan. There's so much I want to talk about — so let's talk a lot, okay?"
"Yeah. I've got so much I want to say too… Hey, Lily-chan… I love you. From now on, we'll always be together."
"Mm-hm! Always together. I love you too, Rice-chan!"
Their night was far from over.
It would take time to fill the void of seven lonely years — but from now on, their days would be warm and happy.
As long as they were together, always.