After pre-registering for Umamusume: Pretty Derby, he had the misfortune of getting knocked straight into Tracen Academy the very next day—and becoming a Trainer.
And that was when his system awakened!
From then on, being a deadweight Trainer became Higashiyama Akira’s Side Business!
As for his Primary Business… copying!
The worse his Team’s Umamusume performed and the more money they lost each cycle, the easier it was for him to use the system to become a winner at life!
Barely managed to debut, only to rack up a losing streak and have your contract terminated? I’ll take you!
From the regional circuit, looks like a total goof, and eats like there’s no tomorrow? You’re in!
And then there was the ridiculous Umamusume who came knocking on his door because of the stories he’d copied as a transmigrator—only to turn out to hate training! Come on in!
…
“Higashiyama-san, how do you feel about being named Trainer of the Year?”
“So you’ve all been acting this whole time, huh…” Akira said. “Just end me.”
Heaven knows—the world had gotten a version update!
The problem was, as a transmigrator, he couldn’t benefit from the update at all!
Great! Now his own Umamusume definitely wouldn’t be able to outrun the competition!
Twin Turbo: “Hssss—Thunder Breathing! Thunderclap and Flash! Flashflashflashflash!”
Symboli Rudolf: “Though I have grown old, my arrows remain sharp.” (draws bow)
Mihono Bourbon: “Main engine activated. Mihono Bourbon ready. Preparing for ignition.”
Wait, ridiculous running techniques and debuff skills were one thing.
Now you’re planning to make your teammates fly with you too?!
Tracen Academy—an educational institution dedicated to training Umamusume.
For young Umamusume who dreamed of becoming idols and competing, this was where those dreams could become reality.
Here, a newly enrolled Umamusume with a talent for racing would study and train under a structured program, gradually growing and developing along the way.
She would work hard to prove herself, partner with a compatible Trainer, and ultimately claim victory in her Debut Race to become a professional Umamusume.
And then, her own legendary career would begin…
“Now then, Higashiyama-san!”
The first thing Higashiyama Akira heard was the clear voice of an unfamiliar woman right beside him.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a spacious room he had never seen before.
This place was…
Wooden office desks and chairs stood alongside modern computer monitors, while a display cabinet near the wall held several trophies.
Looking outside, he could vaguely make out an athletic field and several distinctive buildings.
As for the voice he had just heard…
His gaze shifted toward its source: a petite woman who looked rather young.
“Confirmation! Even though you’ve already come in person, we must confirm your intentions once again!”
As she spoke, she picked up the fan beside her.
When she flicked it partly open, he could just make out what seemed to be the word “WELCOME” written across it.
“…Confirm? Confirm what?”
A tall, mature-looking woman beside her, dressed in a green uniform, immediately took over the explanation.
“You are a Trainer recruited by Tracen Academy through a special channel.”
“Under the Academy’s recruitment rules, once your interview is complete, you must review the contract again and make your final decision, Higashiyama-san.”
“The contract includes, but is not limited to, a Trainer’s obligations toward their Umamusume and the three-party revenue-sharing arrangement. Once you’ve reviewed it, we hope you’ll raise any questions on the spot so both parties can reach an agreement as quickly as possible.”
The campus outside had an atmosphere not unlike a university, and some of the terms she used sounded vaguely familiar.
Especially words like “Tracen,” “Trainer,” and “Umamusume.”
…Had he seriously transmigrated?
Or was this some massive prank?
The kind where they told you that you were the chosen one, then hauled you off to northern Myanmar the moment you agreed for a very different kind of “otherworld” experience.
Just as he was still wrestling with his doubts, a message suddenly appeared in his mind.
[SYSTEM LOADING…]
[CURRENT PROGRESS: 1%]
Oh.
Then he really had transmigrated.
And what these two vaguely familiar women were talking about basically matched the contents of Umamusume: Pretty Derby, a game he had pre-registered for not long ago.
Truth be told, Akira had never been all that interested in the mobile game.
Recently, though, some of the idiots in his TRPG group chat had been talking about yet another “prison simulator.” Curiosity had gotten the better of him, so he went over to Bilibili and hit the pre-register button.
Then, the next morning, while he was heading out to buy food, a white flash came around the corner and slammed straight into him.
Physically.
By the time he came to, he was already here, and judging by the way they spoke, he was apparently about to become a Trainer.
A rookie Trainer at Tracen Academy, responsible for training the Umamusume under his care.
Hmm…
Now that he thought about it, that didn’t sound half bad.
As for why he had landed such a sweet deal immediately after transmigrating…
They had already told him, hadn’t they?
Tracen Academy had recruited him through a “special channel.”
If they were going to use such an aggressively hands-on headhunting method to ram him straight into another world, the least they could do was give him a decent position afterward, right?
That left only one problem.
As a transmigrator, Akira knew next to nothing about Umamusume.
He knew absolutely nothing about racing. His knowledge of Umamusume amounted to glancing at a few promotional images and introductions, an anime preview he’d once seen, and some memes posted by the idiots in his group chat.
When it came to anime-related content, he couldn’t even remember much in the way of Umamusume doujinshi.
Tragic, with a capital T.
And yet, despite being a complete novice who had suddenly been dumped into a position requiring professional expertise, Akira wasn’t worried in the slightest.
After all, he was a man with a system!
This is the confidence my system gives me.jpg
[SYSTEM LOADING…]
[CURRENT PROGRESS: 99%]
See?
It had only been two or three minutes since he transmigrated, and the loading was already nearly complete.
At this rate, even if it slowed down a little at the end, it should only take a few more breaths.
Turning his attention back to the present, Akira considered what the woman in the green uniform had explained.
“I see. Then I’ll take a look at everything first.”
His expression was three parts thoughtfulness and seven parts confidence, perfectly calm as he held off on accepting the Director’s invitation.
It couldn’t be helped. His system still hadn’t finished loading, so there was no guarantee his cheat actually had anything to do with being a Trainer.
If the two had nothing to do with each other and he still had to waste his time on this job, wouldn’t he be taking a huge loss?
Since the details of the contract weren’t particularly relevant to him for the moment, he skimmed past them and instead focused on the introductory materials provided for reference.
And so, Akira spent some time in the office gaining a basic understanding of Tracen Academy.
Among other things, he learned what was expected of him as a Trainer, as well as the fact that the two women before him were the Director and the Director’s Secretary.
Then he glanced at the progress bar in his mind.
[SYSTEM LOADING…]
[CURRENT PROGRESS: 99.01%]
Akira was speechless.
Dear System, if you’re planning to stay stuck like this for another three, four, five, or six years, I’m afraid I’ll have ascended to heaven and reached the peak of my life before you’re finally done.
Oh, right. He was a real-life loser. If he ever did “ascend,” the only place he’d be ascending to was the rooftop.
Never mind, then.
He put away the introductory materials and closed his eyes for a moment to collect himself.
Finally, Akira stood and addressed the two women solemnly.
“Then, Director Akikawa, Secretary Hayakawa—I look forward to working with you.”
“Welcome! Welcome to Tracen Academy as one of our Trainers!”
“Yes. I look forward to working with you too, Trainer Higashiyama.”
Once the three of them had exchanged greetings, that final sliver of progress finally reached completion.
[CURRENT PROGRESS: 100%!]
[DING! SYSTEM LOADING COMPLETE!]
[ANALYZING CURRENT WORLD.]
[ANALYSIS COMPLETE. CURRENT WORLD IDENTIFIED AS THE BASE UMAMUSUME WORLD.]
[ANALYZING HOST IDENTITY.]
[ANALYSIS COMPLETE. HOST’S CURRENT IDENTITY: TRAINER.]
Tsk, tsk. “Host” sounded awful. Shouldn’t you be calling me “Master” or something?
Akira casually tossed out the complaint in his head, only for the system to obligingly change its wording.
[REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGED. SYSTEM FORM OF ADDRESS CHANGED TO: “MASTER.”]
Akira stared blankly.
Hello? What should a weak and pitiful transmigrator do when he suddenly starts feeling like his own system might be a little unreliable?
T/N: THIS IS A LUMINARY/TREASURY REQUEST BY GANOUSH! NO VOTES NEEDED!
This is a fan translation of 亏钱养马娘，但呼吸法是什么鬼？by 恰米的鼠鼠 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!
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