It had been a few days since he spoke with the three goddesses—five days, to be exact. During that time, Toji had to clean his apartment and buy new clothes. That was a bit difficult, since he didn’t know how to order clothes and couldn’t go to the store; after all, it would be strange to walk around with his Uma Musume parts exposed. So now he wore a loose long-sleeved shirt that covered his sculpted body, a black cap that hid his ears, baggy pants with a pair of black shoes, and finally, a jacket tied around his waist that concealed his tail. The walk was peaceful; he was heading to a specific place.
> “Toji, in exchange for starting your life over as a young man, please become a trainer at any institution. We know we’re asking a lot of you after everything you’ve lived through, but... just this once, do it.”
Toji had his doubts and didn’t hesitate to argue, but in the end, he agreed. His body was now twenty-five years old—he was irritated since the goddesses had promised to give him a twenty-three-year-old body. Still, he felt the familiar tension in his muscles; he didn’t remember clearly, but physically, he felt like he was in his prime—when he’d won his second crown in Japan.
> “To think I’d ever set foot in this place again...”
Toji had arrived at his destination: Trance Academy. The goddesses had told him he could choose any school, but to get things over with quickly, he decided to go for the most prestigious one, full of talented individuals. Five days ago, he had sent in his résumé—or rather, the goddesses had done it for him, making things easy. Fortunately, he was accepted. Toji didn’t know what they had written, but he didn’t care much. He entered the school confidently, but before going too far, a woman in a green dress and matching hat stopped him.
> “Hello, good morning. May I know what brings you to Trance Academy?”
Toji looked at her for a moment before answering.
> “I’m the new trainer at the school. I was hired yesterday, so I came to be evaluated.”
> “Is that so? Hmm, then allow me to introduce myself. I’m Ayakaba Tazuna, the gatekeeper of Trance Academy. It’s a pleasure to have a new trainer here. Please, go inside and join the other trainers for a tour.”
The woman’s posture was impeccable; Toji wouldn’t admit it, but he liked the formal way she spoke to him. Without another word, he walked inside, lost in his thoughts.
> “So, she’s one of those mare types...”
It took him a moment, but he realized it—rigid body, strong legs, straight back. Without a doubt, that woman was an Uma Musume. Without realizing it, Toji had already reached his destination: a group of other trainers. Compared to them, he stood out immediately for his height—1.89 meters. Toji took note of it but wasn’t surprised; back in his prime, he had stood at 2.30 meters tall.
The tour went smoothly. While the others paid attention, Toji didn’t—or only halfway. What caught his attention were the changes in modern times and a certain sexual tension in the air. He also remembered seeing, out of the corner of his eye, a boy being dragged into the shadows earlier. Toji hadn’t helped him—why would he? But it was strange.
> “Any questions so far, newbies?”
Some excited trainees asked silly questions, from how to care for an Uma Musume to how to increase their affection. Toji thought it was all nonsense, but he listened anyway. The senior trainers, curiously, were all in wheelchairs. They answered the questions patiently, until one of them spoke with a cautious tone.
> “Let me give you all some advice. Even if Uma Musume look harmless, it’s better to keep your distance and not get too close... or you’ll regret it.”
The trainer spoke with a hint of fear, glancing around nervously.
> “Excuse me, sir,”
A young trainer raised his hand.
> “Don’t you think you’re exaggerating about the Uma Musume? And what’s this about not getting too close? It’s not like they’d hurt us or anything.”
Murmurs spread through the group. The older trainer only shook his head in resignation. Meanwhile, Toji laughed quietly at the stupidity of these novices. He had already figured it out—or at least, almost. He had noticed it earlier: the tension in the air, the boy dragged into the dark... Over the years, these Uma Musume had become possessive and hormonal females. Why? Because they were given too much freedom—unlike in his era, when females were heavily restricted.
> “This concludes the tour. You’re free to explore the academy, but be discreet and don’t cause trouble.”
With that, Toji didn’t wait; he simply left. He walked down the hallways, everything around him feeling new. He hadn’t left his apartment in a long time, so all of this was unfamiliar. He felt gazes on him—fleeting, yet constant. Turning a corner, he arrived at a courtyard. Nothing special, just a few Uma Musume here and there—but one thing caught his attention: a machine that dispensed food when a Musume inserted a coin.
Intrigued, Toji approached and watched from a distance. Inside the machine were various snacks, but what caught his eye was a strawberry yogurt. To anyone else, it was nothing special—but to Toji, it was something unique. He watched the coin slot and remembered how the Musume had inserted her coin. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a bill, and saw another rectangular slot. He slid the bill in—the machine swallowed it whole. Toji waited for his yogurt, but nothing happened. Scratching his head, he noticed the buttons with numbers. He looked again at the yogurt, saw the tag “3B,” and pressed the corresponding buttons.
A few minutes later, he was walking again through Trance Academy, sipping his strawberry yogurt—with another bottle in his pocket for later.
> “To think they stopped selling this because of production issues...”
He remembered the first time he tasted it and how much he loved it—he had even begged his owner for more. But months later, it was discontinued for “illegal production” and “hygiene concerns.”
> “What a damn shame.”
He tossed the empty bottle into a nearby trash can and, without realizing it, reached his destination—the training field. It was huge, roughly the size of a soccer field, with a few concrete bleachers on the sides. Toji took a deep breath, feeling the open air—but his attention was soon drawn to the scene unfolding below: ten Uma Musume lined up vertically, separated by railings, ready to run.
> “You came to choose an Uma Musume too?”
A woman’s voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked to the side and saw the speaker.
> “Hello, my name’s Mitori Kamikane.”
She extended her hand in greeting. Toji looked at it for a moment before accepting.
> “Toji. Toji Fushiguro, new trainer. And no, I just came as a spectator—I’m not interested in recruiting any Uma Musume yet.”
Toji turned his gaze back to the track.
> “Oh, I see. Well, you’d better choose one soon—otherwise, the talented ones will all be taken.”
Mitori leaned on the railing as she spoke. Toji clicked his tongue at the word “talent.” To someone who had worked hard for every victory, being dismissed for lacking “talent” was like a slap in the face—but he said nothing.
> “We should get closer,”
Toji said as he began walking down to the field. Mitori followed at a distance.
Once they reached the bottom, they continued watching the race. Toji, an undefeated champion, could easily see the potential in each girl—especially the one wearing a red mask. But he also noticed something else: there were only nine runners. He looked farther back and saw her—a small girl with pink hair, poor running posture, terrible stamina, easily distracted. For a moment, Toji saw himself reflected in her and felt a strange sense of familiarity.
When the race ended, the winners’ names were called. Like sharks sensing blood, the trainers rushed to recruit the best Uma Musume.
> “Idiots,”
Toji muttered under his breath. Mitori had already gone off to speak with some of the Musume, leaving Toji alone. He listened to the names—the one who came first was El Condor Pasa, obviously talented. But Toji focused on another: Haru Urara. She had finished last, exhausted and far behind, yet Toji saw something in her—not potential, exactly, but the possibility of building it. He had already made his decision.
He approached the small, tired girl as she drank from a water bottle.
> “Hey, Urara, right? That’s your name?”
The girl turned, surprised that someone had called her by name. Her pink clover-shaped eyes made Toji flinch slightly. Haru Urara looked at him for a few moments before speaking.
> “H-hello, sir. Yes, that’s me, Haru Urara. How can I help you? Are you a trainer?”
Her innocent tone lifted a bit of the emotional weight Toji carried.
> “That’s right. I’m a new trainer, here looking for an Uma Musume. My name’s Toji Fushiguro—but just call me Toji.”
Haru tilted her head, processing his words.
> “So you’re a trainer, huh? Ah! You saw the others run, right? Wasn’t it amazing? Especially Condor-chan! You should go talk to her before someone else does, Mr. Trainer.”
Toji clicked his tongue. This girl is way too naive.
> “Come on, before they take all the good ones! Seiun Sky’s still there too!”
Haru Urara, kind and self-aware of her own limits, tried to help the new trainer find a more “suitable” Uma Musume.
> “Hey, kid. I didn’t come here for that.”
Haru turned back, confused—then realized he was pointing at her.
> “Do you want to become a champion?”
The entire field fell silent