As the evening kicked in, Ishida remained by the sideline.
He folded his arms and sighed as his gaze wandered across the training grounds.
Eventually, it landed onto a familiar pink-haired Umamusume.
Urara.
She was stretching by herself.
Poorly.
Very poorly.
One moment, she was reaching for her toes.
The next thing, she was somehow twisting sideways in a way that looked completely unrelated to running.
Around her, other Umamusume were preparing for their own training sessions.
Some jogged around the track, some practiced starts.
Others followed instructions from their trainers.
Meanwhile, various trainers, too, gathered around the sidelines.
Some chatted casually while others observed their trainees closely.
Until—
"It's that girl again, huh?"
One trainer spoke near Ishida.
"Yeah, looks like it."
And another nodded.
"Seems she still hasn't given up."
"I mean... Look at her."
"Still trying to blend herself into the crowd."
"Not knowing that she simply doesn't belong here."
"I wonder how long the officials are going to let this continue," the other one chimed in.
"If I remember correctly, she'll probably be gone by the end of the year."
"Well, that's good to know."
"It's not like Tracen Academy is a charitable organization."
"Someone with her abilities shouldn't have gotten in to begin with."
Another trainer tilted his head.
"What about academics?"
"Maybe she got in through that."
Immediately, another laughed.
"Not a chance."
"I happened to catch a glimpse of her test scores."
"It's about as impressive as her racing results."
"That explains everything."
"Yeah."
"She should've just stayed in her hometown."
"I mean, maybe she would be more suitable there!"
The group then chuckled amongst themselves.
Meanwhile—
Urara paid them absolutely no attention.
Or perhaps she genuinely hadn't heard them.
Either way, she continued her bizarre stretching routine without a care in the world.
Then finally—
"Alright!"
She twisted herself upright with her eyes sparkling.
She then stepped toward the track and lowered herself into position.
And grinned.
"Alright! Here comes...!"
She muttered to herself as her muscles tensed.
Then—
As the wind glided across her.
"URARA!"
She declared and launched forward.
The dirt exploded beneath her feet, and her small frame surged down the track.
A streak of pink racing across the field.
Giving everything she had.
Holding nothing back.
And from the sidelines, Ishida silently watched.
His eyes followed that pink blur as it sped across the track.
Running with all the determination she possessed.
Except...
She just wasn't as fast.
Not when comparing to the others.
As a matter of fact, her running form was all over the place.
Her stride lacked efficiency.
Her pacing was inconsistent.
And before she even reached the halfway point of the course, she was already breathing heavily.
By comparison, many of the other Umamusume training nearby looked far more refined.
And far more capable.
Most importantly... Far more deserving of Tracen's reputation.
At the sight, Ishida found himself genuinely surprised.
Realizing that not only was her academic performance atrocious, but so was her racing.
Then, the trainers' earlier words repeated in his mind.
And they were right...
How exactly had she managed to enroll here?
Her academics were disastrous.
And now, seeing her run in person...
Her racing ability appeared equally unimpressive.
Yet one thing continued to bother him despite her shocking feats.
"She'll be gone by the end of the year."
What exactly did they mean by that?
With that question lingering in his mind, Ishida finally decided to approach the group of trainers.
The moment he neared them, one immediately noticed him.
"Yo, Ishida!"
One of the trainers raised a hand.
"What brings you here?"
"Good evening," Ishida replied as he casually walked over.
Another trainer chuckled.
"Come to clear your head?"
"Well... you could say that."
Ishida stopped beside them.
"What about you two?"
"Same as always."
One shrugged.
"Keeping an eye on the trainees."
"Your team is still growing?" Ishida asked.
"I thought you filled all your slots ages ago."
The trainer laughed.
"A team can never be full if more talent keeps showing up."
"Besides," another added, crossing his arms, "it's rare seeing you around the track."
"You usually stay as far away from this place as possible."
Ishida smiled awkwardly.
"I suppose I was just curious today."
His gaze drifted back toward the track.
Toward the struggling Urara.
"But you always say that the race track reminds you of something unpleasant. It's rare for you to be curious out of the blue."
"Well... Not unpleasant..." Ishida dismissed.
"More like..."
He paused.
"Reminding me of my old incompetence."
"Hey, Ishida, don't be so hard on yourself."
One of the trainers laughed and patted his shoulder.
"You made quite a name for yourself back at your old racecourse, didn't you?"
Then, at those words—
A memory surfaced.
An old one with a familiar racecourse.
A familiar face and a trainee he once guided.
There, beneath the fading evening sky, she stood before him.
Her hands clasped together with her head lowered.
"Hey, Trainer..." the girl echoed nervously.
There, Ishida turned and asked.
"What's wrong?"
The girl hesitated.
Then, finally spoke.
"Do you ever think that... I..."
"That... I..."
"I-I'll make it to the Twinkle Series?"
"Twinkle Series...?"
At that, Young Ishida blinked, taken aback by the question.
"What are you talking about—" but before he can dismiss it.
The girl lowered her head even further.
"Or do you think my fate..."
She clenched her fists.
"...already decided for me?"
"That I'll only ever race..."
"...in local racecourses?"
With that, a silence settled between them.
Ishida tried to open his mouth.
"I..."
But stopped midway.
And no words escaped from her lips.
Because...
...he couldn't.
The air back then felt suffocating, and Ishida remembered it vividly.
After all, he knew he couldn't promise her that she would make it.
Not honestly.
Not when the gap between local races and the Twinkle Series was so vast.
That it was still illogical, even for winners to be part of it.
Yet... at the same time—
He didn't want to destroy her confidence by saying she couldn't.
And at that moment, it...
It sucked.
Because it reminded him of his inability to help others chase ever-greater dreams.
But was it really his fault that he couldn't?
After all...
No matter how much they had already achieved.
No matter how many victories they had collected.
No matter how many milestones they had conquered.
Sometimes, their satisfaction barely scratched the surface.
Even if they earned a Triple Crown.
What came next?
The longest winning streak?
An undefeated title?
International glory?
At some point, the line became blurred.
Was it still aspiration?
Or had it simply become...
...greed?
At that, Ishida subconsciously clenched his fists, overcome by a sense of loathing he couldn't explain...
...
...
...
Until, suddenly—
"AAAH!"
A sharp yelp instantly shattered his thoughts.
"Huh?" Ishida snapped, turning toward the source.
"What was that?!"
His eyes widened.
There, in the middle of the track—
Lay Urara, face-down, arms spread and legs sprawled.
Flattened against the ground like a gecko, as she always was.
"...It was her again," one of the trainers commented.
"She really doesn't know when to quit, does she?"
"Don't mind her," another replied.
"She'll give up eventually."
"And even if her mind doesn't..."
The trainer shrugged.
"At this rate, her body will."
Meanwhile, Urara remained glued to the track.
Only after a few minutes did she finally push herself upright. From afar, Ishida could see her perched on the track, chuckling to herself.
"Hehehe..."
She scratched the back of her head sheepishly.
"I guess I overdid it again..."
Then she clenched her fists.
"But that's a good thing, Urara!"
She nodded to herself.
"It means you actually trained!"
Meanwhile, one of them shook his head.
"Look at that optimism."
"That blind innocence convinced itself it belongs here."
"What a pitiful sight."
Meanwhile, Ishida remained silent, watching as the carefree Urara sat perched on the grass, humming to herself.
Until—
He suddenly turned back toward the group.
"By the way."
The trainers looked at him.
"You mentioned earlier that she'd be removed by the end of the year."
"What exactly did you mean by that?"
One of the trainers blinked.
"Oh."
"You mean the rumor?"
"Rumor?" Ishida repeated.
The trainer nodded.
"Yeah."
"I heard it from one of my trainees. She said she would probably be dismissed by the academy before the end of the year."
"As for the reason, I don't know the details."
He then gestured toward Urara.
"Besides, that girl's become pretty famous around the academy."
He paused.
"Or maybe infamous is the better word."
Ishida frowned.
"Why?"
"Because of her enrollment."
The trainer crossed his arms.
"A lot of people started asking questions when she got accepted."
"After all, this is Tracen Academy."
"One of the most prestigious institutions in the country."
"There are applicants with far better results than hers who fail to get in every year."
"Yet somehow, she secured a seat."
He shrugged.
"People naturally got curious."
"Wouldn't you?"
Ishida remained silent as the trainer continued.
"Some thought there was something they didn't know."
"Others thought the officials had made a mistake."
Then he laughed lightly.
"Or perhaps..."
His grin widened as he rubbed his fingers together.
"Bribery."
The other trainers chuckled.
But Ishida didn't.
The first trainer continued.
"Anyway..."
"No one really knows how she got in."
Another trainer joined the conversation, shrugging.
"Or why she's here in the first place."
"Some people think she's some kind of test subject."
"Others think she's related to someone important."
"Which naturally brings up questions about nepotism, corruption within Tracen's system."
"After all, Tracen has always prided itself on fairness."
"Performance."
"Ability."
"Results."
"The idea has always been simple."
"The only way to earn a seat here is through talent and hard work."
"Not connections or even the status."
"And certainly not family influence."
He then glanced toward Urara.
"But her case?"
He shook his head.
"She's a mystery."
"A black sheep even."
The others nodded.
"Which is why most people keep their distance."
"Especially trainers."
"Some even think she's bad luck."
"How else do you explain someone with her level of ability being accepted?"
"She doesn't fit any category."
"Academics?"
"No."
"Racing?"
"No."
"So naturally people start making up explanations."
The trainer folded his arms.
"That's just how it is."
Then he turned toward Ishida.
"So what do you think, Ishi—"
"Ishida...?"
But Ishida was already walking away without a word.
Leaving the group behind.
The trainers exchanged confused looks as they watched him approach a nearby vending machine.
A moment later, a bottle dropped into the tray, and he picked it up.
Then crossed the fence.
And headed directly toward Urara.
"Wait, Ishida!" one of the trainers called.
"Don't get too close to her! She might rub her bad luck on you!"
Then, they laughed.
But Ishida simply ignored them and kept walking.
Meanwhile, Urara sat on the grass near the edge of the track, still humming.
Still recovering from her collapse just now.
There, her eyes wandered across the evening sky while her legs dangled idly.
Seemingly, nothing in her mind but rest for the next run.
Until—
A hand entered her field of view.
Along with a cold bottle of water.
"Here," said Ishida.
Urara blinked as she looked up.
And her eyes immediately lit up when she did.
"Whoa!"
A huge smile spread across her face.
"It's you, Teach!"
She accepted the bottle.
"Good evening!"