The Trainer With Little Time Left Just Wants to Live [21]

“Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Hakodate Racecourse! Coming up next is the 1,800-meter turf debut race!”

“It’s finally starting… Nakayama Festa’s debut race.”

Hakodate Racecourse was already packed with spectators on the morning of the debut race. In the stands, the Umamusume from Tracen Academy, led by Symboli Rudolf, had claimed a section with an excellent view, looking down over the race that was about to begin.

“So whether Trainer Kitano’s dream can take its first step here all depends on Nakayama.” Mr. C.B. waited eagerly for Festa to make her entrance. During this period, she had not seemed particularly involved in taking care of Kitano, but in truth, Kitano had entrusted her with something even more important: serving as Festa’s sparring partner before her debut.

Having once been C.B.’s trainer, Kitano naturally understood his former trainee’s racing style. It was no exaggeration to say that before the oddballs of the Gold Family made their debuts, C.B. had been the “freest Umamusume.” Many of her traits practically mirrored the Gold Family, so Kitano believed she could offer Festa useful points of reference in many aspects of racing.

Like many Gold Family Umamusume, C.B. was better suited to tactics that kept her toward the back of the pack, such as Late Surger and End Closer. Festa was not good at End Closer, but she had considerable talent for both Late Surger and Pace Chaser. It was just that most of the time, she ran as a Late Surger. She rarely ran as a Pace Chaser, because in her own opinion, a tactic that maintained an advantage from early on did not really suit her thrill-seeking, breakthrough-chasing racing style.

C.B. had taught Festa a great deal about running as a Late Surger, and her End Closer tactics had also given Festa excellent material to study. In the future, if Festa ever encountered an Umamusume skilled at End Closer in a race, she would likely have more ways to respond.

Still, this is only a 1,800-meter Mile race. I imagine most of the Umamusume will be using Front Runner or Pace Chaser tactics. Even Late Surgers like Nakayama should be rare, let alone End Closers.

With that thought, C.B. could not help feeling a little nervous. It was almost like watching her own disciple make her debut. But C.B. knew she was not nervous about this race. She was nervous for someone else—someone who was not here now, but was surely watching all the same.

Trainer Kitano… had staked all of his hopes on Nakayama Festa. C.B. did not want to see those hopes come to nothing, especially when, after that serious illness, he had so little time left…

“Don’t worry. I think Trainer Kitano will get what he wants.”

Unexpectedly, beside C.B., Symboli Rudolf—who had clearly been furious yesterday because Festa had refused to form a racing team—had appeared in the spectator seats today with her expression as calm as ever. Judging from the dark circles under her eyes, which had grown even heavier, the Prez had clearly not rested well last night. But compared with yesterday’s anxious state, Rudolf looked much calmer now.

That surprised C.B., who did not know the full story. She did not know that Rudolf had been angrily rebuked by Festa, but she did know that whenever something involved Kitano, the Prez could not help getting worked up. On that point, she and Rudolf should have been the same.

“Rudolf, with Nakayama’s racing style, no matter what race it is, the risk is always high. Are you really that confident she’ll win this time?”

“You’ll understand soon enough, C.B.”

At that moment, Rudolf and the others all turned their gazes toward the paddock. There, the Umamusume participating in this debut race entered one by one in descending order of popularity. Since this was a debut race, however, most of the contestants were unknown, so the popularity ranking was not especially meaningful as a reference.

“NEXT IS THE SEVENTH FAVORITE, NAKAYAM FESTA!”

As the commentator finished speaking, Festa stepped into the paddock wearing her ever-present knit cap and tracksuit. Her expression was cold. Her eyes held neither sorrow nor joy, as if she had no fighting spirit at all for this lukewarm race. She looked utterly languid.

“So that’s Nakayama Festa? The Umamusume the Prez mentioned—the one whose racing team she wants me to join?”

“She looks… completely ordinary. I really don’t get why the Prez would want me to join her team.”

At the moment Festa appeared, on the other side of the spectator seats stood a row of Umamusume who were also wearing Tracen Academy uniforms, though their faces were clearly a little younger. Evidently, most of them were from the Junior Division, and they were not far in age from Festa, who had only just debuted.

Among them, the one who drew particular attention was a bay Umamusume with long bangs streaked white, almost exactly like Symboli Rudolf’s. Even her features resembled Rudolf’s by a good eighty percent. At first glance, she looked entirely like an underage version of Symboli Rudolf, making it hard not to wonder whether the two were related.

This Umamusume was Tracen Academy’s rising star. Though she had yet to debut, she had already drawn much attention as a genius: Tokai Teio, the Umamusume said to have the greatest hope of becoming Japan’s second undefeated Triple Crown winner.

Teio had clearly dragged her friends along to watch this race. Her purpose was not that she thought any Umamusume in this debut race would become a future rival. It was simply because yesterday, President Rudolf—the person she had always regarded as her model and idol—had actually tried to introduce her to the racing team of a trainer she did not even know.

That was right. Tokai Teio was the candidate Rudolf had tried to pull into Kitano’s team. And Teio was here now to see what was so extraordinary about that trainer’s trainee that made the Prez go to such lengths.

But the result… how should she put it? When she looked into Festa’s eyes, which showed no fighting spirit and not even the slightest desire to run, Teio could not help feeling deeply disappointed. How could an Umamusume like this possibly be worthy of being her opponent?

“Don’t look down on her, Teio. The Umamusume of the Gold Family all have great potential.”

Beside Teio, Mejiro McQueen—who had once witnessed Kitano and Gold Ship’s intimate interaction together with her older sister—stepped forward of her own accord and shared what she knew about the Gold Family.

“Although the Gold Family’s senior, Stay Gold, does not have especially outstanding results, the potential hidden within the Gold Family Umamusume is enormous. I once heard Grandmother say that the greatest obstacle the Gold Family Umamusume face in races is often themselves.”

“Huh… Does that include Gold Ship?” Hearing her friend’s evaluation, even Teio, who had always believed herself to be extraordinarily gifted and a genius, froze slightly and instinctively thought of the Gold Family member closest to her.

At the mention of “Gold Ship,” even McQueen, who had been born into the Mejiro family and raised as the most gifted Umamusume of this generation, wore an expression that was hard to describe. Only after a long moment did she say in a subtle, uncertain tone:

“As for Gold Ship… I’m sure she isn’t weak. But… she still has no intention of entering a debut race, and she’s never trained properly either, so I don’t know what her true level is.”

“Gold Ship is really strong!” At that moment, an Umamusume beside them, who had been holding a huge bag of carrots and constantly stuffing them into her mouth, finally could not resist joining the conversation. This Umamusume, whose appetite seemed no less impressive than Oguri Cap’s and whose handsome face carried a simple, honest air, immediately said:

“Last time, when the carrots Suzuka and I had were snatched away by the eagle El Condor Pasa was raising, Gold Ship was the first one to chase after it! The speed Gold Ship burst out with back then definitely wouldn’t lose to anyone.”

“Right, Suzuka?”

“…Mm. Spe-chan is right. Gold Ship really is strong.”

On the other side, the Umamusume called Suzuka, who had long reddish hair and a tall, slightly slender figure, immediately suppressed the trace of melancholy that had slipped out while she was lost in thought. After being asked, she forced out a small smile and replied:

“Gold Ship’s legs… are very powerful. It’s honestly enviable. I think that once she debuts, she’ll definitely accomplish something.”

“Suzuka…”

Beside Suzuka, the simple-hearted girl named Special Week heard the sadness in her friend’s tone. A closer look would reveal that one of Suzuka’s legs was still bandaged—a sign that she had once suffered a fracture, received treatment, and had not yet fully recovered.

“Sorry, everyone. I think I brought the mood down.” Suzuka also sensed the atmosphere growing slightly heavy, so she immediately gave a relieved smile and let the matter pass as if it were a joke. To liven the mood, she pulled herself together and continued:

“Still, Nakayama Festa seems to be Gold Ship’s older sister. I really wonder how strong she is. If possible, I’d honestly like to race her someday.”

“Yeah. I wonder who’s stronger, her or Gold Ship, and who has the better talent.”

Suzuka’s words quickly won everyone’s agreement. Teio even nodded seriously. After all, from the looks of things, she was going to be competing in the same generation as Gold Ship’s older sister. In other words, on her future road to challenging the undefeated Triple Crown, Festa would definitely be one of her formidable rivals.

Then all she needed to do in this race was pay close attention to her, right? With that thought, Teio focused her gaze on the paddock again. And as Festa’s introduction ended, the final Umamusume of this debut race was finally about to reveal herself.

“NEXT IS THE EIGHTH FAVORITE!”

“—C.B., weren’t you wondering why I’m not the slightest bit nervous about the result of this race?”

Just as the commentator was about to announce the name of the final Umamusume, Rudolf spoke to C.B. again without warning. In the next instant, Rudolf’s gaze focused on the paddock. She watched as a figure taller than most Umamusume slowly became clear, and only then did she finally reveal the answer.

“Late last night, I received two reports. One was that an Umamusume had signed a new Trainer-Trainee Agreement with Trainer Kitano. Both parties had pressed their fingerprints onto the report. After I stamped it with the official seal, the report formally took effect.”

“And the second was that she had registered for today’s debut race. In exchange for entering as the lowest favorite and being assigned the outermost lane, she would participate in this debut race.”

At this point, a faint smile appeared on Rudolf’s face, and she said with certainty, “And I believe in her ability. As long as she gives it her all, she will definitely become a rising Umamusume star that everyone recognizes.”

“—AN UMAMUSUME BORN INTO THE GOLD FAMILY, JUST LIKE THE SEVENTH FAVORITE, NAKAYAMA FESTA! THE GOLD FAMILY’S RISING STAR! GOLD SHIP!”

In the next moment, as the commentator’s voice slowly fell, a tall, imposing gray-haired figure no one had expected appeared in the paddock. And when that gray-haired figure, so familiar to every Umamusume at Tracen Academy, stepped onto the stage, everyone fell into a long silence. No one knew how long it took before sharp inhales began to rise one after another throughout the spectator seats…

”””””””EEEEEEEHHHH—!!”””””””

…

“Oguri, we need to hurry. Festa and the others’ race is about to start. If we leave now, we might still make it in time to see it live.”

Meanwhile, at the Mejiro family’s private hospital, Kitano, who had completed the discharge procedures early that morning, had sat back down in his wheelchair with Oguri Cap’s help. What he wanted most right now was to go to the race in person and cheer on his trainees. That was all he could do now.

Just then, the door to the hospital room slowly opened, and a dark, slender figure silently stepped inside. Only after Kitano, seated in his wheelchair, struggled to turn around did he discover that the black figure standing in the doorway was an Umamusume he knew all too well.

“—Long time no see, Kitano. Are you heading to Hakodate Racecourse?”

“If so, I may be able to give you a ride. Festa and Gold Ship both need your support.”

T/N: oooh i wonder who that uma is also what uma dont you know well you fuck

anyway gotta post pictures of the girls…………

tokai teio

mcqueen

special week

silence suzuka

This is a fan translation of 时日无多的训练员只想活下去 by 许氏子谦 Rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!