These have truly been difficult months.
No, that would be too kind. The truth would be to say they have been two completely hellish months.
All Pegasus had in his head at that moment were racing methods, numbers, the names of all kinds of races, things about nutrition, etc. Everything a qualified trainer would need to know to even aspire to enter Tracen Academy and be able to take one of the Uma Musume there as an apprentice, to, together with her, make a name for themselves in Japan and, if they were lucky, internationally. Although that's something no one had achieved, considering the abysmal performance of Japanese Uma Musume in races abroad.
Generally, a trainer had to know about nutrition, mathematics, and physics to calculate furlong times, and even dancing, since not all Uma Musume knew how to dance well, which was tremendously important for victory dances.
It was, in general, a huge amount of study material that Pegasus had to absorb in just two months. To say his brain had been smoking wouldn't be an exaggeration. If it weren't for the boy's incredibly good memory and great reasoning ability, he most certainly would have failed in this task.
The extreme surveillance he was under also had to be emphasized. After all, not only had they put an electronic ankle bracelet on him, but he was also watched in an almost exaggerated way, not only by the Symboli family bodyguards but even by the maids.
When he asked Speed Symboli why so much surveillance, since he really had no reason to escape—after all, if he did, he would practically be a fugitive from the law—the answer his grandmother gave was simple and blunt, as she had always been:
"You still don't have my trust, brat. If you want me to believe in you, then earn it with actions, not words."
It was tough, yes, but Pegasus couldn't say anything about it. After all, his grandmother was right, and she had more than enough reasons to doubt him.
In the end, he managed to take the exam to become a Tracen Academy trainer, passing the written test. Of course, this alone wouldn't be enough to enter Tracen Central Academy due to his relatively young age. Normally, he would be assigned to a local Tracen academy, like the one in Kasamatsu, but with a direct recommendation from the Symboli family, he got a direct pass to Tracen Central Academy. Something Pegasus wasn't thrilled about, but he didn't complain; after all, his freedom was at stake. So being proud here wouldn't be worth anything. He had to console himself with having passed the exam with the highest possible score on his own merit.
Which led him to remember the last conversation he had with his grandmother before leaving for Tracen Central Academy, for his first day as a trainer.
---
Flashback
"Well, I didn't think you'd come to say goodbye, old lady," Pegasus said as he slung his backpack over his shoulder, after storing a laptop he would need to store information.
Speed Symboli could only roll her eyes at her grandson's attitude.
"I only came to give you one last warning,brat. You're not going on a tourist trip; you have a duty and I expect results," the veteran Uma Musume said, crossing her arms, her usual serious gaze fixed on her grandson.
The driver behind the grandson-grandmother pair couldn't help but let out an uncomfortable chuckle. After all, since Pegasus's arrival at the Symboli mansion, his relationship with his grandmother had been strange. It wouldn't be described as bad, but very far from the orthodox relationship a grandson and grandmother would normally have.
Although the one that had been a tense relationship was the one Pegasus had with Symboli Kris S. After all, the boy still seemed quite resentful towards the Uma Musume for having destroyed his motorcycle, something Pegasus always brought up whenever he had the chance.
"Yeah, yeah, I know: win the Triple Crown or else I'll spend the rest of my life in a cold cell. You don't have to repeat it all the time," Pegasus rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Honestly, old lady, one would expect you to wish me good luck, like a normal grandmother."
One of Speed Symboli's delicate eyebrows rose as she said with some sarcasm:
"And you really want me to do something like that?"
"Please, no. That would be weird," Pegasus said, shuddering at the thought. His tyrannical grandmother being loving and kind... God, it was a very strange mental image to see, even creepy.
"Then don't complain, brat."
Truly, the relationship between those two was far from normal.
"Anyway, I'm leaving. I can't stand being in this place any longer," Pegasus said as he turned around, about to leave, but stopped dead in his tracks. For some reason, a nostalgic feeling blossomed in his chest. After all, he was about to go to Tracen Central Academy. A scene like this had repeated in his head many times when he was a child; a familiar scene, but so different: him saying goodbye to his grandmother with a big smile as he embarked on the journey to become a recognized trainer. But this was different from what was happening: leaving with a crushing obligation on his shoulders and not with the satisfaction of a fulfilled wish. And without even meaning to, some words came out of his mouth:
"....You know,old lady, the Triple Crown isn't something I wish to achieve..."
Speed Symboli's eyebrow rose and then she narrowed her eyes as she looked at her grandson's back. Her tone began to come out with a steel-like edge, but Pegasus wasn't listening to what his grandmother had started to say. His brain was replaying a memory he hadn't bothered to think about for years, but now it came back as if seeking revenge, making a memory so vivid bloom that it felt as if he were there at that moment.
A little Pegasus sitting on his grandmother's lap, bouncing briefly on the older Uma Musume's leg as they both watched a race on TV. The little boy's eyes shone with excitement as he looked at the television screen. His little finger pointing at the screen with a childlike excitement of his own.
"Grandma, grandma! Someday I'll be the trainer of a famous Uma Musume too, right? I want to be the trainer of the best Uma Musume of the century! I'll be Japan's first trainer who...!"
"I...!" — Pegasus's voice sounded with a firmness he hadn't had in years. The memory of his childhood self hitting hard in his psyche —. "I will conquer the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe!"
Pegasus completed the words of his younger self, determination burning in his voice as he remembered a dream he thought was already buried. The dream of a child who hadn't yet been struck by the cruelty of life, but still burned as an irreplaceable desire in his chest.
The silence that followed, the tension became so thick it could be cut with a knife. Until, after a few seconds, the silence was broken by a loud laugh that came from the mouth of the Symboli family matriarch.
"KUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" — The chestnut-haired horse girl laughed hard, not in mockery, but in disbelief at the words that had come from her grandson's mouth —. "Truly, you've always been a greedy brat, haven't you, Little Star?" — Speed Symboli let out the nickname Pegasus was often called when he was still a baby.
Speed Symboli's eyes shone with a mix of emotions, where disbelief, surprise, curiosity, and above all, an undeniable anticipation predominated. After all, saying that so lightly was equivalent to saying he would revolutionize the entire Japanese Turf, surpassing the undefeated legend Symboli Rudolf, who hadn't even been able to win a race abroad. So, talking so lightly about conquering the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, which was the most prestigious middle-distance race in the entire world, was no exaggeration to say that the best of the best, the strongest in the world, were there.
A thin, small smile formed on the lips of the Symboli family matriarch.
"Alright,you ambitious little brat... Surprise me, then."
"You'll see, old lady. Soon you'll have to respectfully greet Japan's best trainer."
Those were Pegasus's words as his hand finally opened the door of the limousine in which he would travel to Tracen Central Academy.
"I'll be waiting, brat. I'll be waiting."
Speed Symboli's response was clear and sharp.
Although, if both could see each other's face, they could see the soft, relaxed smiles adorning their faces.
---
End of Flashback
Pegasus walked through the halls of Tracen Central Academy, heading to the trainers' room, attracting the curious looks of the Uma Musume who saw him. After all, it wasn't common to see such a young trainer, since the average age for Tracen trainers was 24 to 25 years for gifted trainers. Although, of course, that's just the first step of all, because many of those young trainers stalled in real practice, with the estimated percentage of those who shone successfully training powerful Uma Musume being 1%.
The best known was Hana Toujou, being the trainer of the best team in the entire academy, Team Rigel, where the best Uma Musume like Symboli Rudolf, Narita Brian, or El Cóndor Pasa and Grass Wonder were, all achieving great success.
"I guess I'm here now. I can't show I'm nervous," Pegasus said in his thoughts, his hands sweating from nerves. After all, this was still something he had dreamed of a lot since childhood: the first step to fulfilling his dream. And although after running away from home he had abandoned that dream, now it was rekindling. He took one last breath to calm down and finally opened the door.
The cool, icy air from the air conditioning hit his nose. The subtle burn and change of environment was as if he were diving into a new world; it was almost indescribable, comforting, as he walked through the room attracting the gaze of several curious trainers.
Who blinked a little confused upon seeing the boy. After all, while they had received the news that they would have a new colleague, they hadn't expected one so young. Pegasus was undoubtedly the youngest in the room.
Even though his relaxed exterior didn't show it, Pegasus was really nervous. After all, almost everyone in that room doubled his age and experience. Pegasus might have been an underground trainer, but that experience wouldn't be remotely close to that of an experienced trainer from Central Academy.
It didn't take him long to reach an empty spot, clearly reserved in advance to be occupied by the new trainer. In an orderly manner, Pegasus placed his backpack on the desk, taking out his laptop, notebook, stopwatch, etc., leaving them carefully and in an orderly fashion. He was so focused on organizing his belongings that he hadn't noticed how someone approached until they were in front of him.
"Oh, you're the new kid, right? Well, I guess you can call me your senpai from now on."
A relaxed and cheerful voice, with great confidence, as if they had known each other all their lives and he was greeting an old friend. Although Pegasus knew for certain he didn't know this guy. Looking up, he could see the features of the man talking to him. He appeared to be in his thirties. His calm and confident attitude was reflected in his face, with an arrogant smile and a lollipop in his mouth. He had tanned skin and small, sharp amber-colored eyes. His chestnut hair was fluffy in the front, but he had a shaved haircut on the left side, with the back tied in a small ponytail, and slight stubble on his chin. He wore a black vest over a simple buttoned-up yellow dress shirt. His black pants were held up by a white belt with a gold buckle. He wore plum-colored dress shoes.
"Oh, come on, Okino. Give the kid a break; it's his first day here, don't intimidate him."
This time, the voice of another man spoke, much more relaxed than that of the now-named Okino. Pegasus's eyes now turned to the new person who had joined the unexpected conversation.
"Oh, come on, Kitahara. I'm just greeting the new guy, what's wrong with that?" — The trainer with the lollipop in his mouth said like a childish complaint to his friend and fellow trainer, making Jo Kitahara release a nervous smile at his friend's antics. It was the first thing he had done when he arrived at Tracen, after finally passing the exam to be a Central trainer and finally leaving Kasamatsu Academy.
Kitahara... One of Pegasus's eyebrows rose upon hearing that name, sounding quite familiar to him. Thinking for a few seconds, he finally spoke, although somewhat hesitantly, not sure if he was correct or confusing the trainer in front of him with someone with the same name.
"You... are you Oguri Cap's trainer?" — Pegasus asked doubtfully, catching the attention of the two men in front of his desk.
"Oh, well, I..." — The veteran trainer with chestnut hair said nervously, feeling slightly embarrassed to be asked that. After all, unlike Okino, he wasn't so casual about those topics.
"Oh, wow! It seems our little junior is a fan of yours, Kitahara. You should feel proud," — Okino's arm wrapped around his friend's neck in a fraternal hug, only increasing the man's embarrassment. After all, he wasn't used to such praise, since very rarely, if ever, was he recognized as Oguri's trainer. Almost whenever she was mentioned, his uncle was called as Oguri's only trainer. After all, when he managed to get to Tracen, his uncle handed over the baton for Oguri Cap's training to him. Of course, the media hadn't taken that news very well; after all, it was an unknown trainer from the local circuit taking charge of what was the most popular Uma Musume of that time.
Pegasus shifted a little uncomfortably at the scene in front of him, about to clear up the misunderstanding, but a new voice spoke first before he could do so.
It was definitely a female voice that denoted seriousness. A cold seriousness, but in that tone, Pegasus felt there was something more hidden there, but he couldn't identify it, so he simply directed his gaze to the woman approaching with a firm step. The sound of heels hitting the floor was like nails in the young trainer's ears, who instantly recognized her.
It was a serious woman with jet-black hair tied in a ponytail, secretary glasses on her face. She was dressed in a gray office suit with a black shirt inside slightly unbuttoned, showing a slight cleavage. The woman's cold purple eyes looked with reprimand at her fellow trainers, who quickly straightened up under her gaze.
The name of this veteran trainer echoed in Pegasus's mind: Hana Toujou.
The trainer of Team Rigel, which was the strongest team in all of Tracen Central Academy, achieving great success at the national level, and whose most recognized apprentices were Symboli Rudolf and Narita Brian, both being triple-crowned horse girls of Japan, plus other legends like Maruzensky and El Cóndor Pasa.
However, that wasn't what made Pegasus straighten up seriously in the woman's presence. No. What caused that was the look in those purple eyes, which looked at him not only seriously and calculatingly, but also with... Aversion?
When the thought came to his mind, Pegasus dismissed it immediately. After all, this was the first time he had seen this woman, of whom he had only heard what was said about her, so there was no reason why Hana should show hostility towards him. So, to lighten the atmosphere, he decided to introduce himself.
"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you in person, Hana-senpai. I'm Pegasus, a novice trainer, and I hope to learn a lot from you," — Pegasus introduced himself using everything he remembered learning from his family, extending his hand in a greeting gesture to the veteran trainer in front of him.
But he still shuddered when those analytical eyes, which seemed to calculate even the minimum angles of each of his postures, made him feel nervous.
After looking at him for a few more seconds, the older woman let out a small snort and returned the greeting out of courtesy, although she didn't take his hand, leaving the boy with his hand outstretched, which he lowered upon seeing the woman wasn't going to return the handshake.
"I'm Hana Toujou, nice to meet you, kid," — Hana said without having reciprocated the boy's handshake. The serious and icy tone, characteristic of what she always used, this time was there with much more force than it should have been, the one she used when something truly displeased her; something her colleagues, who knew her, noticed, but perhaps not wanting to start a conflict with the woman, didn't intervene.
"I've heard a lot about you, it's a pleasure to meet you..."
"Your sweet words won't work on me."
"Huh?"
That was all Pegasus could say at the woman's cutting tone. He no longer had any doubt: this woman definitely had something against him. But why? He hadn't done anything to her, and this was definitely the first time he had seen her in person. One could even say he had a certain degree of admiration for her; after all, she had trained so many elite Uma Musume, so it was hard not to admire her.
"I know who you are."
Hana's words were simple and direct, but for Pegasus they were much more than that; they were almost a sentence. He could almost imagine the woman in front of him pointing a gun at his head, ready to pull the trigger at any minimally sudden movement from the boy she was intimidating now.
Did this woman know about his past as an underground Uma Musume race trainer? No, that couldn't be. According to Speed Symboli's words, she had covered up and eliminated his name; there were also no photos of him.
So only one coherent thought crossed Pegasus's mind, looking at it from an objective perspective: Hana was the trainer of Symboli Rudolf, who would probably be the next leader of the Symboli family once his grandmother decided to step down. So perhaps, because of that connection, Hana was aware of him. After all, it wouldn't be strange for Speed Symboli to want to keep her grandson under surveillance, and that despite leaving him a watch that, although it appeared to be a simple smartwatch, actually served the same function as the electric shackle he had when he was in the Symboli mansion.
"Hey, Hana, don't you think you're being too hard on our junior," — Okino tried to intervene in the discussion, trying to calm down his old friend from university, because he was seeing that things could get out of control at any moment, and he knew that, in case Pegasus lost control and responded hostilely to Hana, things could get worse. After all, in a country like Japan, where respect for superiors is deeply ingrained—where juniors always have to show unconditional respect to their seniors, no matter how well they get along—any bad attitude from the junior would be severely punished.
"Don't get involved in this, Okino. He has to hear it," — Hana said, looking at her colleague harshly, then turning to look again at the boy with chestnut hair and white forelocks, narrowing her eyes with clear anger and aversion —. "Someone who came in through the back door, using connections and barely passing with the established minimum grade, is not fit to be a Central trainer."
The disgust and anger were more than noticeable. She, who had been the best in her class, studying day and night everything needed to know to be a trainer, and with many trial phases to gain experience, it had been a titanic effort. And now she felt it wasn't worth it, because here, in front of her, was a boy who didn't even seem to have gone to university to study what was required, entering here at Tracen Central Academy, where not only the best Uma Musume in the country are supposed to be waiting to make their career, but also the most qualified trainers to make those dreams come true... and their own.
All that effort, all the hell endured by those trainers just to be able to enter here, and not even that was sometimes enough to stand out. And now, here, such a young and inexperienced boy entering as calmly as if it were his backyard, having entered through connections, was like mocking all of that.
For Hana, the boy in front of her represented the complete opposite of what she stood for: effort, dedication. All of that contrasted with what she could see on that exam sheet she had been assigned to review by pure coincidence, after the instructor who did it had a domestic emergency to attend to.
Hana had seen it with her own eyes: dozens of exams, many of them wrong, but the effort was noticeable in every answer, whether correct or incorrect. Until she saw the most qualified one, with a grade of 88/100: a veteran trainer with years of experience in the local circuit who was finally trying to enter the central circuit. In contrast, Pegasus's much lower grade was a barely acceptable 65.9/100, the minimum grade to even say he had passed the exam.
For Hana, it was obvious who deserved to go as a trainer to Tracen Academy. At first, Hana didn't pay much attention; after all, surely that boy, with a little more experience in a few years, could enter the central circuit. So, imagine her surprise when she found out that the trainer she thought would be accepted turned out not to be, and Pegasus was the one chosen to enter in his place. That clearly caused enormous outrage in Hana, and that's where her rejection of the boy in front of her began, not hesitating to tell him what she thought of him.
"Listen to me clearly, kid, because I want you to know it well: I don't like you, but I won't do anything against you because it would lower me to do so. But, as your senior, take this as a consideration: people like you don't last long here. Those who have entered through the back door never last; their inefficiency is always shown with every failure and with every impossibility of doing things right," — Hana began, the harshness in her tone still holding, but now adding a tone of forced teaching, as if this were the only kindness she would give this inexperienced boy —. "In a place where the best are the only ones who shine, those who entered through the shadows are scared away once they are illuminated, because... in Central Academy, scum can never mingle with the others. So, if like everyone here you feel a little respect and love for this sport, then leave and don't humiliate yourself just for wanting to prove something you can't do."
The harsh words of the black-haired woman left the trainers' room in silence. No one dared to say anything, making the silence even thicker and more suffocating.
A Kitahara, next to Okino, shuddered at Hana's words. After all, when he entered Tracen it was with a grade barely above the minimum, and it was even harder when his uncle passed him the baton to be Oguri Cap's trainer again. The criticism and wary looks from the media almost suffocated him more than once; if it hadn't been for his uncle's wise advice and the help of Oguri and Berno Light, he surely would have quit.
That's why he could sympathize with Pegasus, believing he knew what was going through the boy's mind, who surely must have been feeling insecure because of the harsh words Hana hadn't hesitated to tell him; which, although true, were still harsh and cruel words for a boy.
Although, really, Pegasus's thoughts were going in another direction.
On one hand, he felt relieved because Hana didn't seem to know about his past, but on the other...
Of course, he felt angry at the words of Team Rigel's trainer towards him. After all, he had had to work very hard, barely sleeping 3 hours, only to return to the same routine: study, eat, and sleep, sometimes without having time to shower, delegating it to another time, until finally being ready for the exam. So, when Hana told him he had barely obtained a minimum grade, that left him in shock. It couldn't be true, since once he finished the exam, he corroborated the answers and they were all correct; he hadn't failed in any. And although he hadn't been able to see his exam sheet, since it ended up in his grandmother's hands and she only answered with a "You passed," Pegasus decided not to ask more about the subject, and now it seemed that was coming back to bite him.
But something was evident in Pegasus's mind at that moment: he needed answers, and he only knew one person who could give them to him. Not caring what they might say later, he stood up from his chair hurriedly, almost running out of the trainers' room in search of a private place to call Speed Symboli and seek answers.
Although this perhaps wasn't the best thing to do at the time, because getting up in such a hurried manner and leaving only made it clear to Hana that she hadn't been mistaken about the boy: he really wasn't qualified to be here.
"Dammit, Hana! You were too harsh on the kid," — Okino scolded his friend, giving her a slightly serious look. After all, Okino himself had also been in a situation similar to the boy's, and he knew how hard simple words could hit morale, making you do foolish things. Okino himself experienced that firsthand: when several of his disciples left him to seek a more successful trainer, and only Gold Ship had stayed with him, something he would always be grateful to the gray-haired Uma Musume for. After all, he managed to form Team Spica, having great appreciation and gratitude; after all, when he felt inefficient and quit, they had dragged him back to be their trainer again, a gesture that only strengthened his bond with his apprentices.
However, Pegasus didn't have that; he had just entered and his spirit was destroyed by Hana. Without apprentices or anyone who could help him properly, the boy's time here was already in danger.
No.
The correct thing would be to say the boy already had a timer on his head from the moment he entered the academy.
60 days.
Two months.
That was all the time the boy had to take a horse girl under his tutelage. With such a low grade, the boy had to show results or he would be demoted to a local Tracen academy, as had already happened to so many others.
Jo Kitahara was about to go through the same thing, if it weren't for his uncle handing over Oguri Cap's training to him.
Really, that boy was in a race...
---
Time Skip
Pegasus bit his thumb in frustration. The stress accumulated in these days had been hard to handle.
He had found out that his grandmother had sabotaged his entrance exam to lower his grade to the minimum passing score, and then helped him get in with a direct recommendation from the Symboli family and, perhaps, a little money under the table.
That cunning old lady really didn't seem to leave him alone at any moment; she had thrown him to the wolf pack. And apparently, the fact that Hana knew about his grade wasn't a coincidence; that old lady had placed the pieces so Hana would look at him.
This set the imaginary counter in Pegasus's head running: two months to take a horse girl as an apprentice. The pressure of not leaving him in a comfort zone, and making him indirectly an enemy of the academy's best trainer, only left the chestnut-haired teenager in an even more complicated position. It was obvious that Hana would pressure him in some way; perhaps not directly, but Pegasus was sure she would be the first to burn him if she had the chance.
And, well, what Pegasus did after finding out his grandmother had sabotaged his grade... so many insults came out of his mouth at high speed that it was fortunate he didn't bite his tongue. Every insult and curse being worse than the last, even scaring some Uma Musume passing by nearby. The poor ears of the innocent girls had been tarnished and corrupted with so many insults, some of which they didn't even know existed.
And that ended up bringing more problems...
First, he received a verbal reprimand from the director. Second, his enmity with Team Rigel's trainer had increased; after all, once the rumors of the poetry that had come out of his mouth, combined with the fact that just minutes before his argument with Hana had happened, ended in the inevitable conclusion that Pegasus had dedicated a flowery and colorful poem to the woman.
And then, also thanks to that, his reputation with the students was even worse now, since they were a little afraid of him; that, and most were looking for more experienced and professional trainers.
Yes, to put the cherry on top, 50 days had already passed and he still hadn't found any horse girl who wanted to be his student. The sum of all these things made Pegasus's patience about to explode at any moment, not even letting him sleep comfortably.
And today had ended another day without any results.
Sighing, he decided to go distract his mind somewhere else. Leaving Central Academy, his legs moved almost on autopilot. He didn't care how far the place he wanted to go was; he simply walked until he arrived.
A betting house: a place he used to go when he wanted to distract his mind. Although he really didn't go to bet much money, only enough to distract himself and try to relax. It's not like he could drink alcohol in a tavern either; after all, the drinking age for alcoholic beverages in Japan was 21.
As he sat in a game booth to play Pachinko in an almost bored manner…
Fzzzzzz…
A shiver traveled down Pegasus's spine, making his relaxed and bored posture straighten up immediately. His head turned to his sides to try to find the source of the tingling, but he found nothing more than two people sweating as they concentrated and prayed not to lose their money.
That tingling sensation was something Pegasus had felt a lot lately. After all, in Central there were strong horse-girls, who, even without serious training, far surpassed the Uma Musume from the underground circuit. In general, "instinct" was something Pegasus used a lot to try to find a strong apprentice, failing miserably in the attempt by being rejected more than a dozen times.
"I guess I have nothing to lose by trying," — the young trainer said as he got up from his seat, after collecting the money he had won. After all, who knew how long he could enjoy it?
He walked until the sensation gradually became stronger, walking through the betting house until he reached a poker table where several men and women were playing. Of course, there were two Uma Musume there, but Pegasus knew for certain that the sensation didn't come from either of the two women.
The boy's eyes scrutinized until he found the true source of the sensation: a person of small build, with a long hood covering their face, but who was undeniably a girl. An Uma Musume, to be exact, because of the horse tail swishing behind her.
"I found you…"
Without Pegasus fully realizing it, this would be the true beginning of his journey.
End of the Chapter
---
Yes, I suppose I apologize because this chapter is late, but things have happened these weeks. Also, this chapter was rewritten more than eight times, and in fact it was likely to be twice as long as it is now; but I prefer to publish this so as not to leave you without a chapter.
I want to clarify that I will take a vacation to spend Christmas and New Year's with my family. Perhaps I'll return after January 5th.
Without further ado, I say goodbye and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year with your families.