As Night fell, most of the Uma Musume had already returned to their dorms to rest for the day.
However, in the Trainer-exclusive dormitory building, their separate rooms didn't prevent familiar Trainers from visiting each other.
"Wada, I didn't expect you to be the first to find your Uma Musume. Not only that, you didn't choose T.M. Opera O, but Meisho Doto."
In Wada's dorm, the three of them were sitting at a table, having bought some bottled drinks and snacks from a nearby convenience store, and were chatting while eating.
Ikezoe, with unhealed injuries on his face, spoke to Wada without a care for his appearance:
"So, have you decided what you want to do? Are you planning to change your way of life, just like me? Not training T.M. Opera O this time, but her rival, helping Meisho Doto to beat Opera O and fulfilling her dreams?"
Ikezoe was still a bit confused by Wada's choice.
He didn't want to train Orfevre anymore because he didn't want to face life-threatening situations every day like in his previous life, and planned to live a more relaxed life. But Wada clearly shouldn't have such worries, right?
T.M. Opera O's calm temperament was famous in their circle. Even when Wada and his "makeshift team" were training him, T.M. Opera O was easy to care for, never lost his temper, and could win GIs almost on autopilot. Whether it was a Jockey, a Trainer, or a stable hand, T.M. Opera O—a god-like existence—was practically the "dream Racehorse."
Such a great Uma Musume, and Wada didn't want her? Yutaka Take would go mad from envy if he knew what was happening. An Uma Musume who can lead even a clueless newbie to victory, and someone who could grow on her own without needing assistance—how could you not hold onto her tightly?
Honestly, if it weren't for Wada being T.M. Opera O's designated Jockey, Ikezoe would have wanted to take T.M. Opera O for himself. A Racehorse that even his grandmother could ride to win a GI without doing anything, now transformed into an Uma Musume—wasn't that a free ticket to glory?
—Of course, Ikezoe wouldn't do such a thing. They were all Jockeys and understood the bond between a Jockey and their designated Racehorse. Just as Imanami refused to train Orfevre, Ikezoe wouldn't go and try to poach T.M. Opera O from Wada.
"Don't say that, Ikezoe, Wada-kun must have his reasons."
Imanami also naturally felt that given the well-known bond between Wada and T.M. Opera O, Wada's personality meant he wouldn't easily give up on training T.M. Opera O. Now that he was training Meisho Doto, who was undoubtedly one of T.M. Opera O's biggest rivals, he must have his reasons.
"...Actually, T.M. Opera O already has a Trainer in this world, and if I want to become her Trainer, I had to make a wager with her current Trainer."
"If I can't get my Uma Musume to win against T.M. Opera O in the Mainichi Hai in late March, I might truly not be T.M. Opera O's trainer..."
Wada also smiled bitterly. Although the situation was not completely hopeless, the pressure Wada was facing was still significant...
The three people present all knew that Meisho Doto was one of T.M. Opera O's strongest when they were racing. His ability to consistently finish second, often just a nose or a neck behind T.M. Opera O in so many races, clearly demonstrated Meisho Doto's strength.
In their memory, though most of Meisho Doto's duels with T.M. Opera O ended in defeat, he did manage to win against T.M. Opera O once in the Takarazuka Kinen, when T.M. Opera O was about to retire, though he never won against T.M. Opera O again.
However, to say that Meisho Doto had no chance of beating T.M. Opera O... would be to underestimate Meisho Doto's abilities excessively. Meisho Doto had the strength to contend with T.M. Opera O for victory, but the process would obviously be incredibly difficult.
"—Don't worry, Wada, Imanami-san and I will help you."
Ikezoe patted Wada's shoulder, realizing the immense pressure Wada was facing, and said to him,
"Though your experience is still a bit lacking, Imanami-san and I will also help you train Meisho Doto. I refuse to believe that with the three of us—top-tier Trainers—working together, we can't beat a singular T.M. Opera O."
"...Thank you, Ikezoe-kun, but... I want to win this race myself."
However, in response to Ikezoe's kindness, Wada spoke gently yet stubbornly:
"I was once a designated Jockey by JRA, and although most of my honors were given to me by T.M. Opera O, for me, winning a GIII... even against T.M. Opera O, I won't lose to her."
"I want to win the Mainichi Hai fair and square. Only then can I meet T.M. Opera O with my head held high."
"—That's right, Wada-kun."
Imanami-san also smiled and nodded, patting Ikezoe's shoulder to signal that he didn't need to help Wada with this matter.
Although Wada was humble and admitted that most of his honors were bestowed upon him by T.M. Opera O, he also managed to win a GI race on his own. While he might still seem a bit green compared to Ikezoe and Imanami, Wada was indeed a Jockey capable of winning GIs, and winning GII or GIII races steadily posed no difficulty for him.
Moreover, the significance of this race was different for Wada. He wanted to win against T.M. Opera O, his former most excellent partner. If he relied on the strength of others to win this victory, then even if T.M. Opera O joined his team, he would likely still have a knot in his heart.
This was a showdown for Wada to build actual confidence. If he won, Imanami felt that from then on, Wada would achieve a genuine breakthrough, not just in strength, but also in his mindset.
"However, Wada, I must ask you a question."
At this moment, Imanami's expression became a little more serious, and he solemnly asked Wada Ryuji:
"If you ultimately can't beat T.M. Opera O, what do you plan to do? Will you truly stop pursuing T.M. Opera O and instead focus solely on training Meisho Doto?"
"..."
Imanami-san's question made Wada fall silent. Although Wada spoke confidently, deep down, he was still unsure on whether he could beat T.M. Opera O. He knew T.M. Opera O too well, and precisely because of this, he felt that beating T.M. Opera O was an extremely difficult task, no less challenging than winning a GI race.
Therefore, he had naturally considered the possibility of losing... What would he do?
"...If I really lose to T.M. Opera O, then it means I'm indeed not a Trainer worthy of an Uma Musume like T.M. Opera O..."
As Wada thought of this possibility, his expression became very dejected, yet there was also a hint of relief in his demeanor as he said with a smile:
"If I lose, I will hand over all my best tactics and training methods from my years of partnering with T.M. Opera O to Ms. Hana Toujou. I will entrust her to train T.M. Opera O into an Uma Musume that surpasses the 'Emperor'."
"Such an excellent Uma Musume deserves a better and more outstanding Trainer than me, and she doesn't need to be dragged down by a useless Trainer like me."
"Then... I will also train Doto into an Uma Musume that is no less than T.M. Opera O, which can be considered my responsibility as a Trainer."
Did Wada want to lose? Of course not. But he could afford to lose. Because he cherished T.M. Opera O deeply, he only hoped that T.M. Opera O could live a better life, even if it meant she wasn't by his side...
And at this moment, as if sensing Wada's thoughts, in the Uma Musume dorm, T.M. Opera O was also uncharacteristically silent today. Biwa Hayahide, who shared a dorm with T.M. Opera O, had noticed T.M. Opera O's oddities.
"...What's wrong with you, T.M. Opera O?"
"—Nothing."
However, T.M. Opera O's first words immediately made Biwa Hayahide feel that something was terribly wrong. Based on her understanding of T.M. Opera O, if T.M. Opera O was truly fine, her reply should have been very exaggerated.
"Wahahahahaha! How could I, the supreme overlord, be listless?"—or something like that.
"What exactly happened, T.M. Opera O? You've been acting strange all afternoon today."
Biwa Hayahide had started to actually worry about her roommate's health.
"Nothing... It's just, my mind is a bit muddled."
T.M. Opera O also covered her little head, a hint of fatigue appearing on her face...
She didn't know when, but whenever she closed her eyes, many inexplicable memories would always surface in her mind. These memories were like shattered glass, difficult to reassemble or make sense of. T.M. Opera O couldn't pinpoint what these memories were about, but she knew that they made her feel very uneasy and uncomfortable.
Perhaps I'm sick?
T.M. Opera O shook her head, chasing these thoughts out of her mind, and reluctantly recovered her usual demeanor, saying with her chest puffed out:
"Hahahaha, it seems even I, the overlord, can occasionally be swayed by emotions~ I'm going out for a walk to clear my head, and when I return, I'll surely be in better shape to face tomorrow's training!"
With that, T.M. Opera O left the dorm, and Biwa Hayahide seemed to want to call out to her, but ultimately couldn't say it in time...
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T.M. Opera O has those Uma senses.
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.