"What's the deal with this news?"
Fujimasa March glared discontentedly at the report in her hands, especially the section about Nearl.
"Koichi, come look at this—whoever wrote this piece has no shame!"
She waved the article around angrily, so worked up she even called her trainer by his first name.
"I've already seen it."
Beside her, Trainer Shibasaki didn't look pleased either. He was rapidly tapping on his phone, as if contacting someone.
"They picked up."
A cold smirk tugged at Shibasaki's lips the moment the call connected. He motioned downward with his free hand, signaling for March to quiet down for a bit.
"Mm."
Seeing her trainer seemed to have serious business, Fujimasa March did her best to rein in her emotions.
"Hello, is this the Tax Bureau? Yeah, there's something I'd like to report…"
A few minutes later, Trainer Shibasaki put down his phone, looking thoroughly satisfied.
"March, what do you make of this news?"
"What's there to think? It's a load of crap spouted by a bunch of jerks!"
She crumpled the newspaper into a ball and hurled it hard against the wall.
"What do they mean, 'only knows how to bully the weak'? And 'shameless'? How dare they write such hurtful nonsense based on nothing but their own wild assumptions!"
March's striking eyebrows were raised in fury, her sharp eyes now icy cold.
"These people have no professional ethics at all! Do they even care how much their words can hurt others?"
"They don't give a damn."
Trainer Shibasaki pulled out a cigarette and stuck it between his lips, but didn't light it.
"You think scum like them have a conscience?"
"But Trainer, what do we do now? This article makes Nearl out to be some coward who only dares to race locally because she's too scared to move up to the central circuit. But we all know that's not true!"
Fujimasa March was furious that her friend was being slandered like this.
Anyone who'd actually met Nearl, who knew what she was really like, would see right away—no one was more steadfast or upright than her.
There was no way she'd stay in the local circuit just because of some silly fear of failure.
"Calm down, March. Don't panic."
Shibasaki Koichi patted her shoulder. Their years of partnership allowed March to quickly realize her trainer had something in mind.
"You don't have any races scheduled lately, right?"
"Huh? Yeah, I don't… Trainer!"
Halfway through her confused reply, Fujimasa March's eyes widened in sudden understanding.
"That's right, March. How would you like to enter this year's Kasamatsu Year-End Prize?"
Trainer Shibasaki looked at his partner with a faint smile.
They'd been working together for almost three years now. Their bond went beyond a typical trainer-and-Uma-Musume partnership—they were closer than siblings.
So unlike some of his colleagues, he didn't prioritize race results above all. Those achievements were far less important to him than March's peace of mind.
"Well done, Koichi! You're truly my trainer!"
Delighted, Fujimasa March gave Shibasaki a punch in the chest, nearly knocking the wind out of him.
"Take it easy, would you?! I'm only human—your strength is way too much!"
"Ah, sorry, sorry~~"
March quickly stepped forward to pat her trainer's back soothingly.
--+--
As luck would have it, they weren't the only ones with this idea. Over in another office, Norn Ace had also sought out her trainer.
"Hiyori! I'm entering the Kasamatsu Year-End Prize! Sign me up, now!"
Norn Ace, dressed in her tracksuit, burst into her trainer's office, shouting loudly.
"Darn it, I'm Trainer Kawamura to you!"
A young woman with faint freckles yelled back angrily, smacking Norn Ace on the head with a notebook in her hand.
"Ow, you old hag!"
A large bump visibly swelled on Norn Ace's head. With tears welling in her fierce eyes, she glared at her trainer.
"You asked for it! Who told you to be so rude in the first place?" Clapping her hands clean, Kawamura Hiyori sat back down in her computer chair with an exasperated sigh.
She crossed her right leg over her left, propped her chin on her hand, and stared at her Uma Musume.
"What's going on? Why the sudden urge to join the Kasamatsu Year-End Prize?"
"To back Nearl up, of course."
Norn Ace said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"I'm her senior, you know? I showed her around when she first enrolled. Plus, with her connection to Oguri Cap, there's no way I'm not stepping up to help."
Despite her fierce declaration, Trainer Kawamura only looked more resigned.
"Sigh, I get how you feel. But honestly, you going alone won't make much difference."
"Even if I'm the only one, it'll be enough."
Norn Ace argued fervently.
"As long as I'm in the race, even in the worst-case scenario where every other Uma Musume backs out, I can still be Nearl's rival. At least the race won't turn into the most pathetic spectacle."
"A solo run and a two-person race are completely different, Trainer. You know that."
"…"
Under her charge's intense gaze, Kawamura Hiyori's expression shifted from helplessness to seriousness.
She uncrossed her legs, resting her forehead in one hand.
The room fell silent. Norn Ace watched Hiyori nervously—her entire chance to compete now hinged on her trainer's decision.
In the contract between an Uma Musume and her trainer, this was one of the most crucial clauses: race applications required both parties' consent and signatures to be valid.
This was to prevent unscrupulous trainers from registering their Uma Musume for races without permission—after all, frequent cancellations carried penalties, and many Uma Musume would grit their teeth and run anyway.
It also prevented any Uma Musume from acting recklessly, ignoring their trainer's advice and forcing themselves into races where they might get injured.
Norn Ace had made her wish clear. Now, everything depended on Kawamura Hiyori's approval.
"Looks like there's no stopping you."
Lowering her hand, Trainer Kawamura smiled wryly.
"Trainer, thank you!"
Hearing those words, Norn Ace knew her trainer had agreed to let her compete.
"Alright, don't celebrate too soon. Even if I agree, there's no guarantee you can participate."
Pushing away the ecstatic Norn Ace who was trying to hug her, Hiyori teased her charge.
"Huh? Why not?"
Norn Ace looked up, shocked. Her expression made Hiyori want to smack her again.
"You never train seriously! Your current prize money might not even meet the entry requirements for the Kasamatsu Year-End Prize!"
"No way! That can't be!"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.