She had "placed" in the top five, but only the top three get to perform in the Winning Live. I left the stands and waited for her at the paddock.
"Ah! Trainer!"
Urara spotted me and came running over, beaming. You would never have known she just lost; her smile was as bright as ever. I had to look away. I couldn't face that smile.
I couldn't even bring myself to ask how she felt. But she bounced up to my side, hopping with excitement.
"Ehehe! I heard you again, Trainer! I heard your voice while I was running! When I hear you cheering for me, I feel like I can do anything!"
She looked up at me, radiating joy. She must have changed in a hurry; a small clump of dried mud was still stuck to her forehead from the track.
I pulled a handkerchief from my pocket and knelt down to gently brush the dirt away. She giggled, saying it tickled, but looking at her, the words finally spilled out.
"…I'm sorry, Urara."
"Eh? Why are you saying sorry, Trainer?"
She looked genuinely confused. I reached out and patted her head through the handkerchief.
"That race… if I had come up with a better plan, I could have helped you win. I let you down."
"Muu… is that how it works? I don't really get it, but it's totally okay! Because I had so much fun!"
She tilted her head, then dismissed my apology with a carefree laugh.
"Besides, it's my first time ever getting fifth! The… 'Order of Finish' board? I saw my number up there for the first time!"
Back in her hometown, she told me, she was always dead last. Getting 5th place—actually seeing her number on the giant scoreboard—was a victory to her. She was smiling from the bottom of her heart.
"I see… But Urara… I want to see you win."
She had grown so much more than I ever anticipated when we started. I wanted this innocent, sunbeam of a girl to know what victory felt like.
—Even if I'm the one who failed to give it to her today.
"Is fifth place not good enough?"
"Fourth, third, second… they aren't enough. I want you to take first. I want you to be the one standing in the center of that stage, singing and dancing for everyone. That's my—"
I stopped myself.
I was saying what every trainer dreams of. Every trainer wants their girl to be the best. They want to see them move up the ranks, crush the competition in the G1 races, and claim the glory.
Only a fraction of the girls at Tracen ever win their debut. Even fewer ever win a Maiden Race. The rest spend their days in frustration before leaving the academy or transferring to local circuits. Even if they keep trying until they finally scrape a win, they often get crushed the moment they step into a higher class.
In fact, a few girls had already left Tracen after losing their debuts. It's a brutal world, and the trainers are just as desperate as the athletes.
But that was it. I didn't want her to lose. If Urara's priority was having fun, then I wanted her to win while having fun. I wasn't going to just sit back and wait for a lucky break. If she loved the thrill of the race, I wanted to take her to the biggest stages, where the thrill was even greater.
That was my job. Not just as a trainer, but as Haru Urara's trainer.
"Trainer?"
She tilted her head, wondering why I'd gone quiet. I placed my hand on her head, my voice firm with resolve.
"I want you to get stronger, Urara. I want to see you take first place and go wild in the center of the Winning Live. I don't want you to settle for 'placing.' I want to give you the win."
To someone like Urara, who didn't care about results, this might have been an unwanted burden. But I didn't just see a name or a legacy in her—I saw a spark of pure, untapped potential.
"The Winning Live… Yeah! I want to try that! It looks like so much fun!"
She seemed more interested in the dancing than the winning, which made me chuckle despite myself.
(You can get on stage if you're in the top three… but fine, this is progress. If she wants to be on that stage, then it's my job to make sure she's the one in the center.)
There was still no "killer instinct" in her eyes, no obsession with victory. But wanting to be on stage was a start. It was the first step.
Suddenly, a loud, adorable stomach-growl echoed between us. Urara clutched her tummy with both hands and gave me a sheepish grin.
"Racing made me hungry! Hey, Trainer! Let's go eat something!"
"Haha… yeah. Let's do that. We're in Fukushima, so let's get something local before we head back. How about some Ika-ninjin?"
"Squid and carrots?! That sounds super yummy!"
I smiled back at her, but as we walked, I slowly tightened my fist.
The next dirt sprint wouldn't be until late August. I didn't know how much I could sharpen her skills by then, but I made a silent vow. Next time, I would see her at the finish line first.