After Nishikino Cross signed the contract, she packed her bags and said goodbye to her family.
Worried about his little sister home alone, Takeda Makoto left his contact details and took the shinkansen back to Hanshin ahead of schedule.
When he reached Takeda Club it was already ten at night. His sister Takeda Kaori was curled up asleep on the guest-room sofa, a picture book on the table—someone had looked after her while he was away.
Before leaving, Makoto had arranged everything, so first priority on return was collapsing onto the sofa for a proper sleep.
Sofa?
Tama would arrive tomorrow; he couldn't let an Uma Musume sleep on a couch. Makoto rolled off the soft cushions at once.
Their father had hidden his illegal dealings from the family; the bankruptcy struck without warning.
Before any of them could brace for it, the Takeda mansion was seized to pay debts, and the two siblings dragged their luggage straight into the clubhouse.
The Takeda Club once glorious, its grounds were still vast: a racetrack, training rooms, gym, kitchen, canteen, offices, archives, guest lounge, warehouse, girls' dorm, dance studio—everything.
Only it was old, and after bankruptcy no one maintained it.
Apart from the office and guest lounge, the rest had fallen into ruin. The dorm in particular was piled with rubbish and dust; without hiring a cleaner it was unlivable.
Tomorrow would be the new Club's fresh start, and too many tasks awaited Makoto.
First on the list: buy beds. The guest lounge was spacious; folding screens could carve out small rooms.
Luckily there was only one Uma Musume so far; they could squeeze in. He would move to the office and let Tama and Kaori have the guest room.
Makoto dozed off after jotting every necessity he could think of, planning a big shopping trip tomorrow. Too tired, he slumped over the desk.
Kaori murmured and rolled over, a gleam of drool on her lips, muttering, "Carrots…"
How much can a kid love carrots—dreaming about them?
Stars dotted the window; a dim desk-lamp lit Makoto's weary yet content smile.
Everything will be fine; hope tomorrow—happiest thing in the world.
Hmm… A flicker of doubt crossed Makoto's eyes. Was he the player Takeda Makoto or the Trainer Takeda Makoto?
Memories of another world floated in his head, yet he loved the sleeping girl before him without question—he was both and simply Makoto.
In the night he sat up, slid open his phone, and opened the social app to a familiar account.
Takeda Uma Musume Club
Followers: 50k, comments 2k+.
Latest 1: Disqualified just like that? Punishing the whole Club for one man's fault… Latest 2: After supporting so long, disappointed… Any new Clubs around Hanshin?
Latest 3: Filthy management, ruining so many futures… Final post: I'm truly sorry for everyone's support. The Club is bankrupt, this account will go silent. Thank you all.
A century of Takeda management, gone.
From Grandfather's generation step by step into Central, once Hanshin's most popular Club, over a hundred thousand fans nationwide, a top championship stable—vanished in a few years.
Unacceptable.
Makoto tapped to create a new account.
Cinderella Club—a fresh start. The honor the Takeda Family lost, he would reclaim.
That night Makoto thought so much he barely slept.
Besides the family's ruin, what really rattled him was Tamamo Cross reporting tomorrow.
In his past life he'd known the Uma Musume Tamamo Cross and her real-life horse through games and videos.
But this world clearly wasn't the game's Uma Musume universe.
There, Horse Girls of every era gathered at Central's Tracen Academy.
Yet when Makoto searched online for household names like Gold Ship, T.M. Opera O, and Kitasan Black, nothing came up.
Only Emperor, Mr. C.B., and Katsuragi Ace—current stars—showed any results.
In this world the girls appeared era by era; those future superstars might still be toddlers.
Which meant the Horse Girls here might have nothing to do with their game versions.
What does Tamamo Cross like? What are her landmines? Can they get along?
How bad is "short temper" on file? Does disliking crowds mean she's antisocial?
A total mystery. If he followed the game's odd settings, plenty of girls had pretty quirky personalities.
Raising real Horse Girls isn't tapping a screen; it'll take real research.
Of course he was nervous—if Tamamo arrived and took offense and bolted, Makoto would be left eating wind.
Would info on the real horse even help?
Probably not—horses and Horse Girls are different, even the genders don't match… With these scattered thoughts he drifted off… Next morning, brilliant sun.
Makoto waited for his first Uma Musume while sketching training plans and race schedules.
Crucially, he needed to know whether owning a girl would unlock the game's Support Cards.
Sure enough, when he opened the app, the Horse Girls tab now showed Nishikino Cross's icon; tapping it opened a detailed profile.
Name: Nishikino Cross
Age: Two-year-old maiden, human age 17. (Uma Musume age starts at 15 when they "Standardize"; most debut at 3, human 18.)
Potential: SSR
Coat: Gray Mane (ash-white, whitening with age)
Condition: In top form
Talent: [Come-from-behind] – With age, gains come easier; in race Second half chance to exceed limits.
Standardize: Approaching Storm of Thunder (not yet active)
Track Aptitude: Turf E, Dirt F, Synthetic D, Sand G
Distance Aptitude: Sprint G, Mile C, Mid D, Long E
Style Aptitude: Leader G, Front Runner F, Stalker E, Closer D
Weather Aptitude: Fine C, Rain F, Snow G, Windy D
Season Aptitude: Spring B, Summer C, Autumn D, Winter B
(Grades: G awful, F poor, E weak, D average, C good, B fine, A superb, S perfect)
Stats:
Speed 83 (cur. G, pot. A)
Stamina 94 (cur. G, pot. S)
Power 105 (cur. F, pot. A)
Grit 83 (cur. G, pot. S)
Health 54 (cur. G, pot. C)
Intelligence 84 (cur. G, pot. A)
Support Cards equipped: 0/6
He didn't yet know what every stat meant, but this report was sharper than any Club analyst's—just this feature made Cinderella the best data team alive!
Makoto's breath quickened; with a Trainer's knowledge he knew what this meant—training plans and race tactics without costly trial-and-error.
That's the cheat-powered confidence!
He opened Support Cards to equip Kitasan Black's for little Nishikino, only to find another card waiting in his pool.
The card showed bandaged Nishikino as a cute little mummy.
Support Card: Go! Halloween Night (Nishikino Cross)
Equipped to: none
Rarity: SSR
Level: 1/10
Upgrade cost: 100 carrots
Effect 1: Training with other Uma Musume boosts results by 10%.
Effect 2: Training with a Trainer boosts results by 10%.
Effect 3: Post-race fan bonus increases by 1%.
Effect 4: Chance of triggering high-efficiency training rises by 5%.
Effect 5: Post-race condition improves by 1%.
Effect 6: Upgrade unlocked.
Effect 7: ...This card has more perks than Kitasan Black's unlocked ones, but a 1% boost per level is basically negligible.
Because the game forbids an Uma Musume from using her own Support Card, Takeda Makoto could only equip Kitasan Black to Kinoshino Cross and stash this card in his bag, waiting for the next Horse Girl.
After finishing up on his phone, Takeda Makoto opened his notebook to draft future plans.
The wall clock inched forward; the blazing summer sun reached its zenith and then began to descend. At three in the afternoon, a full-throated Kansai accent reached Makoto's ears.
"Trainer, are you home?"
Makoto jumped out of his chair and walked out of the office. At the Club track entrance, a small white figure, towing a suitcase larger than herself, peeked cautiously inside.
It was Kinoshino Cross, reporting for duty. She wore an oversized white T-shirt, and the instant she spotted Makoto she waved happily.
"Trainer, I didn't know the Club was this big! Ah... I really wanna run a lap on the track."
Makoto reached out to take her luggage, found it wouldn't budge, and sheepishly pulled his hand back, rubbing the back of his head.
"This used to be Central's top track, but it's abandoned now. Better not use it—you could get hurt. Come with me."
Kinoshino Cross lifted the suitcase effortlessly and followed Makoto to the lounge.
"What'cha doin', Trainer? Just take me to the dorm, no need for the lounge."
"Uh, the dorm's also out of commission..."
Her eyes widened in disbelief; only when she saw the pillow and blanket on the sofa did she realize he wasn't joking.
"Sorry—I've ordered beds and folding screens. They'll arrive later. The lounge will be cramped, but bear with me for a bit. I'll fix it as soon as..."
"No worries, no worries."
She waved it off. "My place is tiny too; everyone squished together is cozy. We don't even need a heater in winter."
With that she heaved her luggage into the corner, clapped her hands and asked,
"So, if we can't use the track, where do we train?"
"Probably Tracen Academy at Hanshin. It's fully equipped and open free to all Trainers. No reservation needed unless it's packed."
While explaining, Makoto led her to the office and handed her a form from the desk.
It was a Local Uma Musume registration.
Whether it's the Local NAR, Central JRA, or the new URA league, both Trainer and Uma Musume must register together before entering races.
Ridiculously, the three registries don't share data—but that's another story.
Kinoshino Cross began filling in her details. "Trainer, when do we run my Debut Race?"
Tama's still only seventeen—technically a two-year-old. She can't enter three-year-old Maiden Races until after her next birthday.
That's because three-year-olds are fully developed; early bloomers can race sooner.
"Depends on your training. If things go well, winter; latest, next spring."
"Ugh, winter feels forever! Hey, Trainer, what's my track name?"
She held up the form, pointing at the last blank.
"A pro Uma Musume's stage name, like an actor's or a host's. Who'd be called Symboli Rudolf? That's not her real name."
She clutched her head. "I've got zero clue what to pick."
"Your birth name carries your parents' hopes; your track name carries yours. It'll replace your real name—choose carefully."
"I'm doomed—no naming talent. How did the seniors do it?"
"Most asked their Trainers."
"Then mine's up to you."
Makoto smiled—exactly what he'd waited for. Afraid of slipping up, now he could finally say it aloud.
"Tamamo Cross—how's that?"
"Sounds good! Why the English too?"
Watching him write Tamamo Cross beneath the kanji, she asked.
"Because Tama, you'll stand atop Japan and race international Horse Girls—best be ready."
Tamamo Cross put her hands on her hips, beaming.
"Running for my country... nice! You're already using the new name—feels weird."
The doorbell chimed. Outside, a delivery truck had arrived with Makoto's order.
Five new beds, bedding, tables, chairs, folding screens—and a brand-new electric scooter. The crew hauled everything inside.
With Tamamo's help they set up two beds in the guestroom, partitioned by screens, and another in the office. Makoto swept the storeroom and stashed the spares.
By the time they finished, the sun was setting.
At Kaya's "I'm home," the two Horse Girls met, eyes wide.
Third-grader Kaya stood barely shorter than 140 cm Tamamo. Makoto, over 180 cm, had passed on tall genes—Kaya already neared 140 cm at nine.
Side by side they looked like peers, so Kaya wasn't shy and leaned in curiously.
"Big bro, who's this?"
Before Makoto could answer, Tamamo jumped in.
"I'm... Tamamo Cross, your brother's Uma Musume, little lady."
Kaya lifted her chin. "Liar! Kids can't be Horse Girls!"
Tamamo's ears and tail shot up; she shrieked.
"Aaaah! I'm a high-school graduate, kiddo!"
Frightened, Kaya hid behind her brother, big eyes pleading.
"Brother, really?"
"Really. Call her Tamamo-oneechan, and get along, okay?"
He ruffled her hair; her small face scrunched in confusion. And so Tamamo Cross spent her first day in Hanshin.
Maybe the card's +10 affection, or Tamamo's easy nature, or his own good first impression—getting along proved easier than Makoto expected, and chatting with Tamamo was pure fun.
Likely thanks to that initial +10: her file's "short temper" wasn't baseless—it was her homeroom teacher's three-year summary.