"Did you hear it?"
It was a distorted voice, but unmistakably male.
The darkness obstructed her vision; even trying to move was very difficult, no—it was impossible to move.
"Isn't it fun to run?"
The voice became clearer and clearer, yet remained unrecognizable.
The darkness soon began to warp; what looked like flames started dancing around her, seeming to form a path at the end of which stood four figures.
'Who are they?'
Doubts filled her mind as she silently watched those dark figures. She could only make out the color of their eyes and a faint object resting on their heads that exuded a dazzling, overwhelming presence.
"At this rate, you won't catch up to me."
The clearly male figure spoke, his words still reaching her despite the great distance between them.
"Oguri Cap, will you ever catch up to me someday?"
Her thoughts and questions halted the moment she heard her name come from that shadow's mouth.
Unlike her thoughts, her body tried to move, to reach out a hand as if to grasp something.
"Why are we getting faster than you?"
Crack!
Her eyes shot wide open as sweat streamed down her face.
Her chaotic thoughts began to calm as she looked at her sweaty hand extended upward as if trying to grab something.
'Was it just a dream?'
She wondered, trying to steady her breathing.
Everything felt so real—the voices, that invisible weight that kept her from moving. Even those words kept echoing in her head, the fact that that male figure had called her by name.
"Who are you?"
Although the figures were mostly indistinguishable, they all shared that gleam above their heads, like crowns.
Oguri felt she should set those thoughts aside and checked the time.
"It's already four."
She murmured, simply got up, found her worn-out shoes, and quickly put them on.
Even with so many doubts, her training routine couldn't be skipped.
---
"Though it's not a big city, the view is nice."
Kiyoshi murmured, taking a sip of his coffee while observing the large city visible from his vantage point.
"Looking at everything from above."
He murmured, lowering his gaze from his perch and watching as someone began climbing the stairs to the lookout at great speed.
"Fujimasa March."
Kiyoshi murmured, recognizing the person from a distance.
She was an Uma Musume he had met on his first day as a chef at the cafeteria. He had gathered information, and rumors said she was the greatest promise at Tokai Academy.
Although he hoped to investigate her personally, he didn't expect their second meeting to be at this hour and in this place.
He simply watched silently as the uma reached the lookout and quietly observed the city.
"Isn't it a bit early for you to be here?"
After several minutes, he decided to start a conversation, which clearly surprised the Uma, who began searching for him with a panicked expression.
"Up here."
He indicated, and finally the Uma looked up and saw the black-haired young man sitting quietly on the rooftop of the building.
It took her a moment to recognize him, but she still had many questions in mind.
"What are you doing here?"
She became somewhat guarded while checking a watch on her wrist that read 4:30 AM.
"The same as you, I suppose."
Kiyoshi responded lazily, then jumped down to the ground—a move that surprised the gray-haired girl as he didn't lose his balance upon landing.
"Although it's very early, it's admirable that you're awake at this hour."
Kiyoshi walked to the railing that prevented a fall into the abyss.
"I suppose it's a training routine."
Kiyoshi spoke boredly while taking another sip of his coffee.
"Yes..."
The uma could only nod in response, still perplexed to find someone in this place at this hour.
"Do you train too?"
Although she wasn't one for many words, she preferred conversation to an awkward and strange atmosphere in this situation.
"You could say I'm always training."
Kiyoshi responded calmly while looking up at the moon.
"What do you think of the moon?"
She felt a bit confused by the direction of the conversation but nevertheless looked up and observed the moon.
"It's beautiful and imposing, even when its shape is indistinguishable."
Kiyoshi smiled at the response and nodded, pleased.
"You're among those who don't know it."
He said softly, but the Uma's ears caught it clearly.
She said nothing; it wasn't something that interested her.
"I think we've met before, but you don't know my name."
Kiyoshi turned around and gave March a smile.
"I'm Kiyoshi Ishikawa, part-time chef and trainer at Trance Academy in Kasamatsu."
March's eyes widened slightly in surprise, then she placed her hand on her chest, calming her emotions, and introduced herself politely.
"Fujimasa March."
Her introduction was simple. Kiyoshi also noted she held back many words and simply snorted while turning his gaze back to the city.
It felt the same as the second time he met Oguri Cap—as if it weren't an ordinary encounter. The discomfort and not knowing what to say.
'Weird for me. What a bother to be like this.'
Kiyoshi thought with annoyance, and without realizing it, he began squeezing the bottle containing his coffee, cracking it with extreme ease.
When he felt the liquid touch his skin, his mind quickly cleared, and the pressure he was exerting vanished.
"What is your dream as a racer?"
Again, Kiyoshi asked, this time being rude and trying to learn something one would only share with close beings.
He noticed it too, and just as he was about to apologize, Fujimasa was already beside him, observing the city below.
"The Tokai Derby."
Fujimasa murmured while extending her hand toward the city, as if wanting to encompass it completely.
"Winning the Tokai Derby—that is my dream."
Her open palm closed into a fist.
There was so much determination in her words, but Kiyoshi wasn't moved in the slightest; even that feeling everyone would despise in a situation like this emerged.
'So small?'
He couldn't help but scoff.
It was despicable; he knew it. Mocking others' dreams was the lowest among humans, but he couldn't help but look down on it.
When you're at the top, you despise that those below aim for something so low.
The Tokai Derby might not be as big as the Japanese Triple Crown races; comparing them was stupid, in fact.
"Good luck."
"Luck doesn't exist."
March cut him off while frowning.
"Only talent and effort exist in racing. That's why I've been pushing myself since I was little."
The uma clenched her fists as a strange sensation invaded her, and she couldn't help but open up to this stranger just once.
"That's good. But when you achieve it... what's next?"
Kiyoshi asked while finishing his coffee in one gulp and then tossing the broken container into the trash.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
March was confused, a bad premonition invading her.
"There's the Arima Kinen, the Satsuki Sho, the Japanese Derby, and the Kikuka Sho."
Kiyoshi looked at March calmly. The girl's eyes had grown strange, and soon anger began to form in them.
"All are races of great national prestige."
Crack!
It was as if something had broken.
"You..."
March gritted her teeth while looking at Kiyoshi.
She felt as if he were looking down on her, despising the dream for which she had been training her entire life.
"Be that as it may... it's your dream."
Kiyoshi turned his gaze back to the city without giving March more time to express herself properly.
"I'm just a stranger who can wish you luck."
His blue eyes only reflected his indifference toward March's gaze.
There was no malice, no real mockery of her dream—it was more like someone who understood nothing about the world of Uma Musume giving an opinion out of ignorance.
But still, she felt annoyed.
"How did someone like you get permission to be a trainer?"
She questioned while gritting her teeth angrily and somehow had closed the distance with the black-haired man, grabbing his shirt and lifting him slightly.
Despite her outburst of anger, she only received a confused look from Kiyoshi.
This was the second time he had received this kind of treatment.
'Boredom?'
Those murmurs from the director, this girl's question who had felt comfortable enough to tell him her dream—they were similar.
When he tried to answer the question, he couldn't formulate a response quickly and simply turned his gaze back to the city.
"I don't know..."
To be an Uma trainer, did you need something more?
Perhaps it was something beyond mere knowledge—something you feel.
March finally let him go, and he simply regained his balance.
There was silence, and only the sound of March's accelerated breathing could be heard.
For his part, Kiyoshi only watched the girl try to catch her breath.
She seemed more affected by their conversation than by her training.
"I'm sorry."
He apologized as well, and March limited herself to listening.
"Perhaps I said something that upset you, so I apologize for it."
He sighed.
"I still don't fully understand this world of racing. I can understand everything in theory, I can know all the secrets, but I'll never know what a true Uma race entails, and I also won't understand others' dreams."
Kiyoshi extended his hand to March, who was still bent over, catching her breath.
"Could you teach me how to be a trainer?"
As expected, his hand was slapped and pushed aside by March, who, without giving a response, left, leaving Kiyoshi in silence as he watched her walk away with steps filled with anger.
"I thought I was being sincere."
Kiyoshi let out a light laugh while shaking his hand.
Surprisingly, the slap had actually hurt him.
---
A week had passed.
A week in which he had begun forming small friendships with some Uma Musume.
Although every time he crossed paths with March, she preferred to avoid him at all costs.
At least she hadn't spoken about him being a trainer.
Or well, she didn't have friends either.
On the other hand.
His rivalry with Oguri Cap only grew stronger.
Neither of them yielding, although that ended up affecting their own finances—reason why he had also received a warning from both the director of Kasamatsu Academy and the principal of the central academy.
But that didn't worry him.
He also received good news from Souji.
They had all received financial aid or had some of their debts paid, thus greatly reducing poverty in Japan—so much that even world news highlighted the fact of the anonymous company that helped with this.
For his part, he kept reading and listening to documentaries about Uma trainers, mostly trying to find what March had pointed out he lacked as a trainer.
Although in the end, he didn't find it, and he certainly didn't want to use a more advanced method to search for it.
Today.
As had become customary, he was sitting at the lookout since four in the morning.
Enjoying his coffee while thinking about the fact that there was still time before he could take any of the newly admitted umas as his disciple.
While enjoying his early morning tranquility, the sound of footsteps soon made him raise an eyebrow. He didn't need to turn around; he knew who it was just by remembering what day it was.
"Is it routine?"
It was a dry question, without any greeting.
It seemed she still held a grudge.
"Yes, it's a beautiful view."
He responded boredly without turning around.
Nothing more was said; only silence accompanied them both as they observed the city.
The cold morning wind caressed their skin, but neither of them seemed to care.
"About the other day..."
"It's better to forget it."
March said in a more relaxed tone than the initial question.
"Although... I keep wondering."
March paused and glanced sideways at Kiyoshi.
"Are you really a trainer?"
"I am."
March snorted and, as if having reached some conclusion, asked seriously.
"Then tell me, what is your goal as a trainer?"
Kiyoshi fell silent while playing with the object in his hand, his gaze now on the moon, which was no longer as bright as before.
He remembered what happened the last time he talked about his interest in being a trainer, but did he really have a goal?
Not really. He had researched a lot about trainers.
They all had something in common.
Winning a local or even national Grand Prix.
Few had seriously aspired to that prize.
Or rather, winning that race.
"To dominate the world of racing and... make a Japanese Uma win the..."
Kiyoshi made a dramatic pause while extending his hand toward the sky.
"Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe."
His words even seemed to dim the world's brightness, and March could only watch, astonished.
Then a bit of amusement emerged in her heart.
"Hahaha."
And then laughter.
She didn't know when she had started laughing, but now she did—it was more a disbelieving laugh than a mocking one, but it was there nonetheless.
That was Kiyoshi's dream as a trainer?
Did Kiyoshi know the history of Japanese Umas abroad?
It seemed more and more foolish to her that he was a trainer.
"So little faith do you have in Japanese umas?"
Unlike what she expected, Kiyoshi only asked curiously, not feeling bad about her laughter, and simply looked at her with his curious blue eyes.
"The track record is bad. In fact, it's very discouraging that even someone like the undefeated champion failed abroad. But if there's no talent in Japan to even compete abroad, this will be a waste of time."
Kiyoshi seemed to be talking more to himself than to March, who simply listened to his words.
Ignoring March's presence, Kiyoshi took out that letter that had brought him to this point in the first place.
He hadn't read it in a while, so perhaps this would help him decide what to do.
"By the way, I heard your residence is in Japan, so I got very excited about it and wanted to ask you a small favor."
Kiyoshi rolled his eyes and continued reading, unconsciously preventing March from seeing the letter's content.
"Could you train Japanese umas and make them succeed abroad? Lately in Asia, it's become a joke that Japanese umas can't succeed outside their home country."
"How convenient."
Kiyoshi put the letter away again after reading those two paragraphs.
Those three women were Asian; it's normal they'd want Asia to stand out above others.
"But beating European and American Umas is complicated."
If Japan's talent was so bad that even the undefeated one failed, the average level must be lower.
To achieve a miracle, it seemed he had to play seriously, from the bottom up until finally achieving glory.
His blue eyes wandered to March, who had been spying on him from a few meters away.
"Do you want to join my team?"
"I won't join a madman's team."
"That's cruel."
Kiyoshi crossed his arms and snorted.
March would be hard to convince, and Oguri Cap was ruled out.
The reason is simple...
'Her destiny must not be twisted.'
The three goddesses guided the Umas—something he learned the hard way when he wanted to teach martial arts to an Uma who had become very close to him.
"But... I would consider it under one condition."
His attention returned to March, who crossed her arms and looked at him with cold eyes, still despising him for being crazy or lacking trainer aptitude.
"No, rather..."
March denied and rephrased her words.
"I'll give you three days to convince me to join your team."
Just by looking at Kiyoshi, she could tell he still had no members on his team; she'd be really surprised if he did.
But if he really was qualified to be a trainer, she'd test him during these three days before deciding whether to accept his proposal.
It was more a way to get back at him for mocking her dream than anything else.
"That's good."
Surprisingly, he only seemed expressionless about it—not excited as a trainer would be expected to be.
"Shouldn't you be excited?"
"I'm not desperate. Although I don't know the requirements that loli has, I think I have all the time in the world to return to the central academy."
March froze as she watched Kiyoshi dismiss her words and simply stroke his chin, thinking.
'Central academy?'
She didn't have to think much; he had been clear.
'Could this guy have been accepted into Trance Central Academy?'
"Well."
Kiyoshi stood up and smiled cheerfully while looking at March.
"You're not a bad prospect to start with."
Now she felt a bit fearful for some reason.
"Fujimasa March, you will be the first member of Team Stella!"
---
Finally, Friday had arrived.
It was the last weekday; Saturday and Sunday were rest days.
This afternoon, a public tryout would be held where trainers could take on new members for their team.
But for March, it wasn't like that.
"Why are you so tired?"
The gray-haired Uma wanted to grab the guy who spoke by the shirt and simply throw him out the window.
But she couldn't—more due to exhaustion than will.
It was lunchtime, and as always, she would be alone at a table.
But the last three days were different.
Kiyoshi always accompanied her for lunch, with meals specifically prepared for her based on a diet she didn't even know the purpose of.
Even with her face on the table, she could still watch the black-haired man in his chef's attire put more and more food on the table, finishing with a green juice.
"If you weren't herbivores, I would have bought the best meats for your diet."
Kiyoshi lamented while March managed to sit up and simply ate one of the "meatballs."
"The only good thing about these three days is that you cook well."
March complained, but Kiyoshi just mocked her and was cruel with his words.
"You're too weak even to take that entry tray, and yet you've belittled me as a trainer."
Her sharp eyes again fixed on the young black-haired man, and she limited herself to continuing to eat.
The morning workouts were brutal—not just running, but carrying heavy things on her back for several kilometers while he just rode his bike and timed her.
And it wasn't just that "training" for endurance.
"Today I also prepared a dessert for you. According to what I read, rewards are also a way to improve your relationship with your Pokémon—I mean, with your Uma Musume."
March rolled her eyes, though she also felt interested to know what dessert this expert chef had prepared for her.
"Well, eat well. You need to regain energy for the afternoon."
He said goodbye without further ado and returned to the kitchen, where that girl who wasn't happy with eating just a few times was already waiting.
He had a better relationship with her, but strangely he didn't seem to want to invite her to be part of his team.
"That's curious."
She murmured while continuing to eat and silently enjoying her meal.
No matter how annoying he was, he was a good cook.
---
"I really regained my energy."
March murmured while stretching a bit.
Her bones could even be heard with each stretch—more proof that that guy had pushed the limit.
Still, she began to search for him with her gaze and soon found him there, sitting on a railing next to the other four trainers who were already established at Kasamatsu.
When she spotted him, he waved lazily at her, as if he had always been watching her.
"He seems like a stalker…"
She sighed and tried to calm her breathing.
He had promised her dessert, but maybe it was just one of his jokes.
She could never tell when he was joking or being sincere, as his eyes never revealed anything more than a cold, superior indifference.
She had felt it many times already—Kiyoshi wasn't normal. Even when talking about being a trainer, he always spoke from a theoretical point of view.
He was more like a machine with slight flashes of humanity that only seemed to stem from frustration or mockery.
But also from concern. He always ended up worrying about her during every training session, wanting to make sure she didn't get hurt by his brutal exercises.
'Who are you really, Kiyoshi?'
It was a question she had asked herself ever since she let him convince her, but certainly ever since he revealed he came from the central Trance Academy, he had already won her over.
It wasn't just the possibility; even qualifying for the national exams was something that highlighted her skills.
But apparently, they had also noticed the small weakness he possessed.
"But that can be changed."
March gritted her teeth as she remembered those words from the first time they met and his subsequent invitation.
"I, Fujimasa March, will show you what it takes to be a good trainer."
"Why is she talking to herself?"
March's cheeks flushed when her classmates' murmurs reached her ears, and she could only huff in response.
"Girls, pay attention."
Conveniently, their assigned teacher appeared to get everyone's attention.
"Today we'll practice with the starting gates."
The teacher paused and looked toward the sand track.
"The track is 800 meters long. This is practice for your first race, so take it seriously."
The teacher looked back at the Uma Musume under his care.
"I'll choose four of you. As you already know, races begin when the gate behind you opens."
'That's basic knowledge for anyone who's made it this far.'
March thought as she continued stretching. Her body still ached, but she felt running 800 meters wouldn't be a problem.
"Hey, look."
An Uma's voice caught her attention, and she turned to look in that direction.
"It's the trainers."
The girl pointed toward the trainers, and March recognized the Uma who was close to Kiyoshi.
"Are they going to recruit people for their teams?"
"Trainers?"
March felt a bit perplexed hearing that question from her.
"Hasn't that guy explained it to you?"
"Are you kidding?"
Apparently, the girl Belno thought the same.
"The trainer is the person who supervises us, and when they recruit us for a team, we can participate in races."
"Eh…"
Oguri's face remained uninterested, and March decided to simply stop paying attention to her.
She already had her place secured anyway.
——————————
"The students this year are… Fujimasa March."
"Eh? She's my first pick in the draft."
"You too? Stop eyeing her, I saw her first."
"One of them will be the star of the future."
"Or maybe not, right?"
Kiyoshi remained silent as he listened to his fellow trainers' conversations at Kasamatsu.
He was already informed about all their talents and attitudes, and seriously speaking,
Only Oguri Cap was a great talent among all these Uma Musume.
But she wasn't someone he could choose for several annoying reasons.
"Tsk."
He clicked his tongue as he got down from the railing.
"I'll only choose one."
He spoke in a bored tone to the other four trainers, who looked at him with slight curiosity upon seeing him finally join the conversation.
"Do you have someone special in mind, Kiyoshi-san?"
Shibasaki Kouichi asked with some discomfort.
It was no secret that Kiyoshi's presence here caused some friction.
"Having someone in mind…"
Kiyoshi looked at the first four Uma who had begun the race.
"March, but it's more her decision."
Kiyoshi shrugged.
"If she doesn't accept me, maybe I'll look for another Uma Musume, but I doubt anyone will come to me."
Kiyoshi waved his hand dismissively.
"Aren't you really interested in inviting someone to your team?"
Kawamura Hiyori asked, a bit confused by this boy's behavior.
"Well, as long as I have someone on my team, I have the chance to meet some requirements. But if it's not my fate, I'll just accept it and move on."
Kiyoshi replied as the other trainers fell silent.
'This guy is weird.'
It was a common thought among the four adults, who simply decided to watch the race taking place on the track.
"50 seconds!"
The stopwatch halted, and simultaneously, three of the trainers hurried down to try to recruit Fujimasa March.
Kiyoshi and Jou Kitahara remained there, standing silently.
The black-haired one gave him a look and then smirked slightly.
'I won't touch your destiny, Kitahara… I hope you're not an idiot.'
Finally, only Kitahara remained there, watching emotionlessly as four of his fellow trainers headed toward the same target.
When Kiyoshi finally made it to the track, the three trainers who had beaten him there fell silent for a moment, waiting to hear the offer this boy would make to the Uma Musume.
"So, what's your decision?"
The black-haired one asked, putting his hands in his jacket pockets.
"A guy like you shouldn't be a trainer."
March crossed her arms as the other three trainers blinked in surprise at the Uma Musume's words—
Especially because they knew about Kiyoshi's transfer from the central academy.
"You've told me that many times already."
Kiyoshi replied boredly, not bothering with March, who remained silent for a few seconds before simply walking up to him.
"Kiyoshi Ishikawa…"
March called him by his false name and then gave a small bow.
"I'll be under your care and guidance from now on."
A slight smile appeared on Kiyoshi's face as he raised his hand and then—
He simply stroked the Uma's hair.
There was no physical reaction like before.
She only shuddered. When she tried to look up and complain to this unscrupulous trainer,
She froze in the act. That hand was heavier than she remembered.
Not just her head—her whole body felt heavy.
The sound of a clock reached her ears, becoming unbearable to the point of making her want to scream.
And soon—
Crack!
The sound of shattering glass echoed completely in her mind. The clocks had stopped making noise, as if they had broken down.
"Fuji…"
"Masa…"
Whispers began to fill her mind, a mix of resentment and surprise blending within them.
She couldn't see who they were. She couldn't move.
"Are you okay?"
Suddenly, everything returned to normal.
Those blue eyes watched her with concern,
As if he had noticed something was wrong with her.
"I'm… fine."
She was a bit disoriented.
She felt exhausted—not physically, but mentally.
"I see. Go back with the girls from your class. I'll go get something to drink."
Kiyoshi said with a small smile as March nodded.
Somehow, she managed to regroup with her class and simply dropped to the ground to rest.
'What happened?'
It was her only question as she stared at the grass she was sitting on.
All the voices around her seemed blurry.
'Maybe that guy put something in her food?'
Who knows…
———————————————
"Don't you think they exaggerated?"
The black-haired one asked into the void while searching for something in the refrigerator.
"You three old hags and those old Uma are so annoying." Kiyoshi huffed as he took out a carrot cake.
"I wish they were like that idiot Chaoxiang."
Kiyoshi complained again as he took out ingredients and threw them into the café's blender.
Then he took something out of his clothes, dropped a single drop into the mixture, and put it away.
"Tsk, tsk. Damn old folks, leaving their obligations to me—a teenager just trying to live his life."
"It's your fault for not keeping quiet."
"What do you know, Charlotte?!"
Suddenly, Kiyoshi froze after his outburst.
A nervous smile began to form on his face as he looked at the black-haired woman leaning against the refrigerator.
"Getting angry so easily now?"
The black-haired woman tilted her head curiously, not at all bothered by Kiyoshi's outburst.
"How did you get in here?"
"I'm in the middle of an investigation into alleged doping among the Uma Musume at the Trance Academy in Kasamatsu."
"I'm innocent."
Kiyoshi responded quickly.
"I know."
Charlotte didn't give it much importance and simply shrugged.
"It's something I made up to come here."
"You know that goes against all Japanese laws and could be grounds for revoking your detective license?"
Kiyoshi asked as he relaxed and began searching for a container for the smoothie he had just made.
"I don't care. They'll never find out."
Charlotte waved her hand and smiled.
"Are you having fun playing trainer?"
"I don't see where the excitement is. I just got one member for my team."
Kiyoshi replied calmly, then set his blue eyes on the black-haired woman looking out the kitchen window.
"Did you come to take me back?"
Kiyoshi asked seriously.
"For the first time since that incident, you're being responsible. Why should I deprive you of your attempt to fix things and try to find what you lost?"
Charlotte tilted her head and looked at Kiyoshi curiously.
It wasn't hard to figure out if you knew the Kiyoshi from years ago, especially when you were one of the few people he had trusted during his worst phase.
"Being a trainer is very hard, especially when dealing with sentimental matters. Getting involved is tedious and can cause fluctuations."
Charlotte touched her chin and then smiled.
"Although your actions to help with poverty are good, they're really quite naive. You should know that."
Charlotte turned around and began walking calmly to leave the café.
"I want to see at least one of those girls under your command win a nice crown, so I can at least know that investing my savings in poor people was worth it."
And like a shadow, Detective Charlotte disappeared from the café, leaving Kiyoshi in silence as he quietly stared at the carrot cake and the smoothie he had prepared.
"Even if I wanted March to win a crown, for her to reach that point she would have to put in triple the effort, even with me subtly helping her."
Kiyoshi murmured. Besides, March's dream was the Tokai Derby, a regional race that would prevent him from entering her to even aspire to the Satsuki Sho as a minimum goal.
"What a dilemma."
He smiled incredulously. March's personal wish, or the path to greatness as a trainer and as an Uma.
Without a doubt, the choice was obvious.
But was it truly the right one?.
End of Chapter.
And here's a new chapter.
Since I've had some free time and because of the warm reception this fic has received, I felt motivated to keep writing more often, haha.
But well, tomorrow is already Sunday, and Monday I'm back to work, so updates will be slower.
Anyway, I hope you're enjoying the story, which, as you can see, mixes in a bit of the supernatural.
And here's the explanation I think some of you might want: why March?
Simple: to step a little outside the Oguri mold that seems so common among fanfic writers. But well, maybe I'm not really breaking that mold much after all, lol.
Another reason is that Kiyoshi still doesn't have a strong, genuine interest in racing and isn't yet aligned with the feelings of Umas/trainers.
And I have to bring this up again, but due to some issues I've run into with WebNovel, I still haven't found a cover image that meets the requirements. So for now, the story will remain without a cover unless my friend shares with me the festa image they have, which does fit the requirements.
Be that as it may…
I don't have anything else to say, so…
Until next time!!.