After treating the wound and finishing the bandage, Chiya returned to the track.
One of the few perks of being a trainer was that he could examine a runner's feet without it seeming inappropriate. Even now, the image of Rice Shower's toes curling nervously while he wrapped the bandage lingered in his mind. It almost made him want to tease her by tickling the sole of her foot.
…But that would definitely lower her affection level.
Just imagining Rice Shower suddenly avoiding him one day and saying, in a soft but hurt tone,"Onii-sama… I hate you…"was enough to deal critical emotional damage.
Yeah. Better not.
Through Shirayuki, Chiya checked on the training.
First up was Gold Ship.
Before Shirayuki even gave the signal to start, Gold Ship had already dashed out ahead. But the moment Rudolf and Brian caught up, she completely gave up. She just stopped trying.
No acceleration, no attempt to overtake, just casually jogging along like she was out for a stroll.
This was supposed to be an obstacle training run. The whole point was to overtake your opponents. Shirayuki had already given the signal to speed up, but Gold Ship acted like she did not even see it, maintaining the same lazy pace.
After finishing, she shrugged and said,"Yeah, no chance. Brian blocked too tight. There was no way through."
Because you did not even try to accelerate!
Shirayuki could only nod and reply, "Yeah… that was really difficult," even though internally she was screaming.
She was not the trainer here, so she could not correct her properly. All she could do was go along with it as a fellow student.
Then there was Meisho Doto.
Her performance was somehow even worse.
Right before the run, her shoelace came undone. By the time she bent down to tie it, the training had already started, and Rudolf and Brian were dozens of meters ahead. They came back to restart with her.
Then her other shoelace came undone.
So they had to stop again.
What followed was nearly a full minute of Meisho Doto apologizing nonstop.
Rudolf patiently reassured her with a smile. Brian, on the other hand, looked increasingly annoyed.
Finally, after tying her shoes properly, they started again. She took two steps, and then her horseshoe came loose, flying off and embedding itself into the ground.
Shirayuki instinctively slapped her forehead.
How do you not even secure your horseshoes properly?!
What made it worse was that Meisho Doto did not even notice.
She kept running unevenly across the grass. When Shirayuki gave the signal to accelerate, Doto stepped forward hard, but her damaged sole gave way. She slipped and rolled off to the side.
Thankfully, her body was absurdly sturdy. Aside from getting dirty, she was completely unharmed.
At least that was one advantage.
"With Rice Shower around… thank goodness," Chiya muttered.
"…Eh? Onii-sama?" Rice Shower looked down, startled. Then, shyly, she said, "Rice Shower also thinks… having Onii-sama here is a wonderful thing."
She meant it from the bottom of her heart.
Because she admired those shining Uma Musume, she came to Tracen Academy, hoping to become like them. But it did not take long before she realized the truth. Those girls shone because they were strong.
In mock races, the talented ones were quickly picked up by trainers. Rice Shower was not. She remained behind, training under the instructor. The instructor was kind and kept telling her that one day, a trainer would notice her. Rice Shower believed it.
But as time passed, more and more students were signed and left. Only she remained.
Even as the instructor continued to encourage her, Rice Shower no longer had much hope.
She understood it clearly. She was not special. She did not shine.
One day, she sat alone by the wall, staring blankly at the sky.
Maybe… I should try one more time.
If she could perform well in the next mock race, maybe a trainer would finally notice her. And if no one chose her even then… that would mean she truly could not become an Uma Musume.
Just thinking about it filled her with darkness.
Then, someone spoke to her.
"Would you be willing to become my runner?"
From that moment on, her world lit up. She had a trainer. She had a team.
But that happiness did not last.
"It's your fault I lost!"
"I'm sorry. If I had stayed calmer—"
"Calmer? Would that magically take me from seventh place to first? You're always telling me to trust you, but look at the results!"
"I…"
"In the end, you're just a rookie. I shouldn't have signed with you in the first place. It's a waste of time. I'll apply to change trainers."
She left without looking back.
Chiya stood alone in the hallway.
At that time, Rice Shower had just finished baking cookies and was on her way to give them to him. She saw everything.
Something inside her quietly shattered.
She turned away, pressing herself against the wall, clutching the box of cookies tightly to her chest. She never gave them to him. She left alone.
The next day, Chiya announced that a team member had withdrawn. His eyes were filled with sadness, but he forced a smile and continued training.
But it did not stop there.
Like a chain reaction, another runner came forward.
"Now I understand why she left," she said bluntly. "You're not good enough as a trainer. There's too big a gap between you and others. Sorry, but I don't want to waste my time here. Can you process my withdrawal?"
She did not just leave. She tore open his wounds.
Rice Shower, who had been quietly watching nearby, clenched her fists.
Chiya said nothing. He simply nodded.
After she left, he sat alone in the hallway, defeated.
Rice Shower saw his expression. Guilt, helplessness, pain. It made her heart ache.
She knew what kind of person he really was. Because others skipped training, he constantly had to revise plans. He worked late into the night. Every training schedule he made was carefully thought out.
He was sincere. Responsible.
Rice Shower could see how much he cared.
But no one appreciated it.
They were the ones at fault. Not him.
She ran to him. She comforted him and helped him stand back up.
Onii-sama would always be Onii-sama. He had saved her from the darkness. And she would become his support in return.
Back on the field, Rice Shower looked at the white-haired girl giving instructions.
Shirayuki…
When Onii-sama needed someone the most…
Where were you?