The Trainer With Little Time Left Just Wants to Live [23]

“Gold Ship is actually running End Closer?”

In the spectator seats, Tokai Teio and the others, who had become deeply interested in this race because of Gold Ship’s entry, were just as surprised that Gold Ship had chosen End Closer tactics. After all, this was Gold Ship’s first official race. None of them had expected her to choose such an aggressive strategy.

An Umamusume’s tactics could broadly be divided into four types: Front Runner, Pace Chaser, Late Surger, and End Closer. Among them, Pace Chaser and Late Surger could be called the “orthodox tactics” chosen by most Umamusume. In practice, they involved staying in either the front half or back half of the pack during the race, conserving strength while maintaining position, then unleashing all that stored energy during the final sprint.

Front Runner and End Closer, meanwhile, were two completely opposite extremes. To put it simply, a Front Runner needed to stay at the very front of the pack from start to finish, bearing the strongest wind resistance and the greatest energy drain while showing off her speed advantage from the moment the race began and seeking victory by “leading all the way.”

Among the group, the one who had once been best at Front Runner was Silence Suzuka before her fracture. She was an extreme example even among Front Runners. Her outstanding “Runaway” tactics were the very definition of a Front Runner among Front Runners: sprinting at full force from early on, building such a massive lead at the beginning that even if the Umamusume behind her made their move later, they could no longer turn the race around. She was a true representative of leading from start to finish.

As for End Closer, the name said it all: it was a way of running as if pursuing prey. The Umamusume would remain completely at the back of the pack, storing up a great amount of energy, then unleash all her strength when the other opponents were exhausted but still had to sprint. Umamusume of this type could often reverse defeat at the very end by the smallest of margins. It was a running style with incredible spectacle value, but also an extremely high level of difficulty.

“An End Closer needs a long enough final straight to bring out as much of her physical advantage as possible, but this race is only 1,800 meters.”

Beside them, Mejiro McQueen could not help showing a trace of worry when she saw Gold Ship’s tactics, and murmured to herself:

“And this time it’s heavy going. Running on waterlogged turf not only drains stamina faster, but more importantly, it also affects explosive power.”

McQueen had debuted a year earlier than Gold Ship, and she was also an Umamusume who had experienced the test of heavy going. She knew that under these conditions, the best choice was to win through steady, solid racing. If you did not dare to push hard, most of your opponents would not dare to either. In that case, whoever could gain an advantage early in the race would be the most likely to win.

“I’m really worried. This is Gold Ship’s first time running on heavy going like this. Will she really be okay?”

“—She’ll be fine. If Festa still has some concerns about the influence of heavy going, then a little problem like this poses no threat to Gold Ship at all.”

At that moment, however, a male voice that sounded abrupt to the Umamusume entered their conversation. When they all turned to look, they discovered an Umamusume whose hair and clothing were both pitch-black slowly approaching while pushing a man seated in a wheelchair.

And at Tracen Academy, there was only one person famous for appearing in such a state. So the moment he appeared, McQueen, who had once seen Kitano from afar together with Mejiro Ramonu, immediately said in surprise:

“You are… Nakayama Festa’s Trainer? Ryuichi Kitano?”

“Why are you here? I remember Ramonu-oneesama saying you were only discharged today. The environment at a racecourse can’t be good for your health.”

“My health is fine. Besides, this is my trainee Umamusume’s first race. As her Trainer, how could I not come in person?”

Kitano answered McQueen’s question gently. At that moment, upon hearing the especially famous name “Ryuichi Kitano” at Tracen, everyone looked curiously at the rumored Trainer who “burned his life for his dream.”

Tokai Teio in particular blinked her large eyes and carefully sized him up. After all, the racing team Rudolf had once asked her to join had been Kitano’s. However, the proud Teio had not been willing to join the team of a Trainer she did not acknowledge, and had therefore rarely refused the President’s request.

And now, seeing Kitano for the first time, Teio made no attempt to hide her appraisal. But as time passed, her gaze could not help settling on Kitano’s sickly pale yet still faintly handsome face.

This person… feels so familiar. Have I met him before?

Such doubts rose in Teio’s heart, and she stared fixedly at Kitano. What she did not know was that her companions beside her were now feeling something similar. And Kitano himself, who had been observed by them all this time, was actually secretly glancing at Teio and the others from the corner of his eye. Looking at these Umamusume he knew all too well, he could not help feeling a little emotional.

…If I said now that every Umamusume around me had once been my trainee, someone would definitely send me to a psychiatric hospital for delusions, wouldn’t they?

Even so, facing these familiar Umamusume again now, Kitano could not help feeling a little pride along with that emotion. Among them, there were a few he had not even had time to see step onto the track before he died in that timeline. Even so, within the limited time he had, he had done everything he could to arrange things for each of them, doing his utmost so that even after he was gone, they could follow the warnings he had left behind and avoid many unnecessary detours.

He could even say with a clear conscience that he had once saved the life of one of those Umamusume. Although doing so had directly cost him his life in that timeline, he had absolutely prevented the tragedy of the historical record. That was the act Kitano considered his proudest, and the one he would never regret.

Although that child could not possibly remember those things now, it was enough that Kitano remembered everything he had done for her… Those were all precious memories to him, and he would only cherish them properly.

Besides… perhaps it was a good thing that child had forgotten all of it now. After all, while his sacrifice had been rather heroic, the blow to that child had truly been too great. He had not even had the chance to find out what happened afterward before passing away, but just thinking about it, he knew that child must have found it very hard to accept.

“…Suzuka, do you feel like Trainer Kitano looks familiar somehow?”

Not far away, Special Week, who had also been staring at Kitano for quite some time, finally could not suppress her curiosity and tentatively asked Silence Suzuka beside her. Perhaps because she thought her question had come out of nowhere and sounded strange, Special Week’s cheeks were even a little pink with embarrassment, making her look especially playful and cute.

However, Special Week’s words made Suzuka, who had been slightly dazed, subconsciously turn her gaze toward Kitano. After narrowing her eyes slightly and looking at him for a good while, the girl shook her head with a trace of hesitation and answered softly:

“No… I don’t think I’ve ever met Trainer Kitano before, Spe-chan. Why do you ask?”

“Huh? But Suzuka and I are almost always together. Why am I the only one who feels like Trainer Kitano seems familiar?”

Special Week also found it strange and subconsciously rubbed her head, as if wondering whether it was just her imagination. Because of that, she did not notice that Suzuka, beside her, looked toward Kitano once again with something faintly different in her eyes.

No… Although I don’t feel any familiarity toward Trainer Kitano, there seems to be some other emotion…

Is that… sadness? Unease? Why do I feel afraid to see him? This is clearly the first time we’ve met.

Even though I’m only looking at him from this far away, why is there this fear deep in my heart… as if I want to stay away from him?

For a time, Suzuka’s mind was a mess. She had no idea why her emotions were stirring like this. But both her mind and heart were constantly sounding alarms, making her unconsciously put distance between herself and Kitano, as if afraid she might draw his attention.

What Suzuka did not know was that Tamamo Cross, who was not present now, had felt the same way when she first met Kitano. And the resistance and instinctive distancing both girls showed toward Kitano seemed to prove that they had also once shared extremely similar pasts…

However, as time passed, the gazes of the Umamusume still lingered on Kitano without moving away. Behind Kitano, the black Umamusume let out a “tsk.” In the next moment, that black Umamusume suddenly spoke in a warning tone.

“I know this guy’s face is pretty nice to look at, but you’ve all been staring for way too long. It’s rude, you know?”

“Ah…”

The black Umamusume’s words made the dazed Teio and the others snap back to their senses almost at once. Seeing Kitano look over in confusion, the slightly embarrassed Teio shook her head, then said to the black Umamusume, unconvinced:

“We weren’t staring the whole time! Also, who are you, senpai? I don’t think I’ve seen you at Tracen Academy before.”

“—Her name is Stay Gold. She’s the head of the Gold Family, and also Festa and Gold Ship’s older sister.”

At this moment, Kitano, whose gaze had returned to the track, answered Teio’s question while analyzing the changes taking place on the racecourse. The competition between Nakayama Festa and Gold Ship in particular made Kitano feel more nervous than ever before.

Kitano had already learned from Stay Gold that Gold Ship had secretly registered for the debut race. Although he had been somewhat surprised at first, after thinking it over, he understood Gold Ship’s intention. Clearly, Gold Ship was worried that Festa’s performance would be unstable, so she had voluntarily taken on the role of pressuring Festa to show her true ability.

It was just that, judging from Gold Ship’s behavior… if Festa did not bring out her real strength, Gold Ship did not mind taking the championship of this race at all.

It seemed that his existence as this little butterfly was affecting the world of Umamusume more and more… Nakayama Festa and Gold Ship were clearly the faces of the Gold Family in two different eras, yet now they had gathered in the same year to race. With this kind of impossible cross-era matchup, even someone as experienced as Kitano could not be certain who would win or lose.

“Golshi-chan and Festa both look like they’re planning to give it everything they’ve got.” Stay Gold also saw what the two children of her family intended. Her gaze shifted to Kitano, and she could not help asking:

“Kitano, what do you think? Who will win, Golshi-chan or Festa?”

“…This kind of turf condition is actually Golshi’s advantage. Her power and physique are quite a bit stronger than Festa’s, which lets her stay as steady as if she were on flat ground even on heavy turf.”

“But… I believe in Festa. Festa is an Umamusume who can create miracles. With her personality, I don’t think she’ll give up easily this time.”

As soon as Kitano finished speaking, it was as if his words were immediately proven true. As the pack passed the third corner, the race finally began to change.

Gold Ship had already found her timing. Her “warm-up” was over.

Now—it was time to overtake!

T/N: STAY GOLD!!!!!! also how many fucking loops has this man had? idk where i got the impression that he only did a few loops, anywayyyyyyyyyyyyy i think this was before stay gold got an official design

im a member to the above artists patreon teehee, thernz

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!