Wu You returned home, took a shower, changed clothes, and lay down on his bed.
His hearing was his sight. Listening to the traffic outside, he reviewed everything that had happened today. It was a habit he'd formed long ago.
And at the very end, remembering Mr. C.B.'s question, he let out a quiet sigh.
Truthfully, he really had carried her inside himself, even up to the second floor.
Even with his body weakened, a little yokai power was enough to reinforce himself and manage it.
As for why Mr. C.B. had recovered so quickly, it was not only because of the food.
It was because of what he was.
As a natural spirit born of the world itself, Wu You had the ability to help people recover from injuries and ease fatigue.
But it came at a price.
If it was only simple fatigue, he could substitute his own power.
But if it was a major injury, the kind that could ruin a life, then something had to be taken from him in exchange.
Like a trade.
A carrot bitten once does not grow back.
One for one. Fair.
His eyes, and the fragile body he now lived with, had been traded away years ago to heal certain Uma Musume.
Did he regret it?
Not even a little.
Wasn't that what a trainer was?
Someone who could give everything for their partner.
And besides, he still remembered that if not for Uma Musume, he likely would not have the life he had now.
When he had just taken human form, he understood nothing about humans.
Why did you need paper called money to exchange for food?
Why did humans go back at night to a big box called home?
Why did humans have other humans beside them called family?
He did not understand any of it.
It was like throwing a four- or five-year-old child into the street and saying, "All right. Go fight life."
By any normal logic, he should not have survived.
Until one day, an older girl with ears and a tail brought him home.
Only later did Wu You learn that she was an Uma Musume.
To be honest, from Wu You's perspective now, her talent was ordinary.
She loved running, but limited by ability and lacking systematic training, she could only compete in small, unofficial events.
So she did not have much money.
And the box called home was not large.
But there was one thing he received in abundance.
Family.
They were not rich, yet he was never hungry.
Their home was small, yet he was never abandoned.
His name, Wu You, was given to him by that Uma Musume.
The reason was ridiculous enough to make him groan: she had been watching an overseas drama and fell in love with a phrase meaning carefree.
So she named him Wu You.
After that, he went to watch every race she ran.
Maybe at first it was only because he did not want to be separated from her.
But the first time he saw her cross the finish line in first place, sweat streaming down her face, smiling like the world had cracked open into sunlight, he could not look away.
He did not understand what that feeling was, so he asked her.
She sat by the window with a can of ice-cold beer, bold and bright, and grinned at him.
"If you cannot take your eyes off it, that means you've fallen in love with the sport."
Is that so?
Wu You did not understand.
He was just a little spirit who had only recently become human.
Still, the two of them lived that way for two years.
In that time, Wu You learned more about Uma Musume, and a seed took root in his heart.
When he grew up, he would become a trainer.
If he was a trainer, she could receive proper, systematic training.
If he was a trainer, she could stand on a higher stage.
If he was a trainer, she would smile even brighter after winning.
If he was a trainer…
Unfortunately, there was no if.
One day, two years later, she died in an accident.
All that remained was their small home, a large sum of money called an insurance payout, and a letter.
She had written a will long ago. Everything she owned went to Wu You.
But what did any of it mean to him?
To live on, in days without her?
To chase a dream, when becoming a trainer without her felt pointless?
He did not understand any of it.
After all, he was only a little spirit who had recently become human.
He only knew this:
He sat in the middle of that small home, hugged his knees, and cried for an entire day.
Time passed in a blur.
Then one day, he finally found the courage to open her letter.
There was only one sentence inside.
"If one day I'm gone, take the money I leave behind and go see the world. When you do, you'll understand what I wanted to tell you."
Wu You did not understand what it meant.
But he did what the letter said.
He traveled through many cities and met many people.
There were good ones and bad ones.
Good Uma Musume and bad Uma Musume.
He went to the race she had once dreamed of seeing with all her heart: the Arima Kinen.
In the roaring cheers that nearly shattered his ears, Wu You watched the winner burst through the finish line.
On her face was the same kind of smile.
The same kind his sister had worn.
And just like that, Wu You remembered again.
He remembered the way his heart had jolted the first time he watched her win.
He remembered the dream that had sprouted because of her.
He remembered the words she had said.
If you cannot take your eyes off it, you've fallen in love with the sport.
After that, Wu You studied like a madman.
He truly became a trainer, and he spent everything he had on the work.
Was it to fulfill the dream that had once failed to happen?
Was it because he genuinely loved the feeling?
Was it both?
It did not matter.
Wu You became a trainer.
And for his partner Uma Musume, he would give everything.
Beep.
A car horn outside snapped him out of the memory.
He rolled over and pulled the blanket up.
He had to get up early tomorrow.
…
Tracen Academy, Chairwoman's Office
"Chairwoman!"
A beautiful woman in green hurried in through the door, breathless.
Behind the desk sat a small orange-haired girl in a dress, a cat perched on the hat atop her head.
"What is it? Tazuna, why are you in such a hurry?"
This was Akikawa Yayoi, the chairwoman of Tracen Academy.
And the elegant woman in green was her secretary, Hayakawa Tazuna.
"Chairwoman, it's him. He's back!"
Tazuna could barely contain her excitement as she slapped a file onto the desk.
At the top was the profile of a "new trainer."
Wu You.
"And I heard someone spotted him on campus today!"
"Astonishing! He's back. He really is back!"
Akikawa Yayoi's face bloomed into a radiant smile, as if a priceless treasure had been recovered after being lost.
"Yes… it's been two years…" Tazuna murmured, warmth flashing through her gentle eyes. "He's finally back."
"Excellent! When he comes tomorrow, bring him to my office immediately!"
"Understood, Chairwoman! Leave it to me!"
Tazuna gathered the papers, preparing to leave.
But Akikawa Yayoi suddenly called out to stop her.
"Hm… for now, do not let her in the student council know about this."
Her expression tightened with a rare hint of difficulty.
Tazuna paused for a few seconds, then awkwardly scratched her cheek.
"I understand."
That person's fixation on Wu You was no less intense than theirs.
After all…
He was her trainer.
…
Tracen Academy, Student Council Office
A brown-haired Uma Musume, beautiful and carrying the unmistakable aura of an emperor, sat behind her desk.
On the laptop in front of her, a video was playing.
It was a replay of today's stream from Carrot Sensei.
"All right, that's it for today's stream. See you next time, everyone."
The video ended abruptly, but the girl did not look away.
She raised her hand, soft fingertips brushing the carrot avatar on the screen, gentle as though she feared she might pop a fragile bubble.
"Trainer… two years…"
Her whisper lingered in the quiet office.
"Are you finally coming back to my side?"
In her longing was something else as well.
Guilt.
And when those emotions intertwined, they hardened into something deeper than longing.
A true obsession.
Symboli Rudolf gripped the mouse and pressed replay for the third time.
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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