Super Creek's plan ultimately failed.
Chiemi and Fumino quickly sensed something was off and rushed after them, intercepting Creek just before she could drag Wu You into some shadowy corner.
"Mmph—mmph—mmph…"
The moment the warm, obedient "prize" in her arms "flew" away, Creek's expression crumpled into something heartbreakingly pitiful. She stood behind Nase Fumino with a face that looked ready to cry.
"In any case," Fumino said, her tone slightly sharp, "we'll talk about moving later. You two go get the contract paperwork handled first."
If they kept arguing, nothing would be resolved—and the signing was the priority.
Besides, the enemy's momentum was too strong right now. Fumino could only swallow the idea for the moment and look for another opening later.
"Come on, Creek. It's time for training."
"Mmph… okay…" Creek sniffled, then looked back three times over her shoulder. "Yuu, remember to come play with me later, okay~?"
"Hmph. Move it, move it."
Creek was pulled away by Fumino, still reluctant.
Wu You finally let out a small breath of relief.
He'd almost been captured and forced into "baby play."
Whether he liked it or not was beside the point—Super Creek's methods were practically brainwashing-grade.
My friend, do you know?
They say every Umamusume who's played "baby" with Creek ends up a useless pony who can only cry "Mama."
A woman as gentle as the grasslands is standing right behind you.
Whether Creek was truly "grassland-gentle," Chiemi didn't know.
What she did know was that she needed an explanation—immediately.
"Trainer~" Chiemi's voice carried a faint, unmistakable sourness. "Shouldn't you introduce her properly?"
Wu You scratched his cheek, then spoke calmly.
There was nothing worth hiding.
Back then, after watching that Arima Kinen, Wu You had made up his mind to become a trainer.
So he went to apply to a school that specialized in producing trainers.
Only… he was too young.
He'd trudged all the way to the school gate, only to learn he didn't even meet the age requirement.
While he stood there in frustration, a man in a sharp suit and impeccable composure walked out of the campus.
He looked like someone everyone respected. A small group trailed behind him—until he lifted a hand, and they reluctantly dispersed.
Whether out of concern, or simply to pass the time while waiting for his ride, the man struck up a conversation with Wu You.
They talked about Umamusume.
Even when Wu You's "big sister" was still alive, he'd already been helping with her post-race care and training arrangements. With his fairy-born intuition, he picked things up fast, and the discussion went deeper and deeper.
The deeper it went, the stranger the man's gaze became—like he was staring at a rough gem worth cutting.
When he learned Wu You was effectively an orphan, the man asked a simple question:
Was Wu You willing to be adopted?
He promised that he would send him to trainer school when the time came.
Wu You agreed.
And that "handsome uncle" was the apex of the trainer world—
Nase Hidehito.
"Ooh so that's how it is" Chiemi stretched both hands behind her head, peeking at the slender figure walking beside her.
She understood Wu You's connection to the Nase family now.
But what stunned her even more was something else:
Even as a child, Wu You's talent had been enough to amaze Nase Hidehito—enough that the man had decided to adopt him on the spot.
Nase Hidehito.
If someone asked about his achievements as a trainer, most people would freeze—not because there weren't any, but because there were too many, too brilliant, too legendary to even begin listing.
In short: there was no Umamusume who didn't know his name.
Even Chiemi's own father—once a famous trainer himself—couldn't be compared to Nase Hidehito.
Anyone chosen by that man for their talent was destined for a staggering future.
And Chiemi couldn't help it.
She started to look forward—genuinely—to the kind of training her chosen trainer would design for her.
They kept talking as they walked, until they arrived without realizing it.
The office Tracen specifically allocated for trainers.
When Wu You had visited Akikawa Yayoi earlier, she'd handed him the key.
He opened the door.
Behind him, Chiemi let out a soft, impressed sound.
The room was spacious—bigger than most classrooms. The facilities were comprehensive: desk, coffee setup, shelves, tactical whiteboard, television, even some simple workout equipment.
As the primary "base" where a trainer and his Umamusume would work, plan, and build everything together, it was practically flawless.
Chiemi stepped in and began inspecting everything, touching this and poking that, curiosity written all over her face—then she plopped down on the sofa.
"Wow~ this has to be one of the best offices in the entire academy, right?"
She'd been at Tracen long enough to know what the standard looked like.
Even Tojo Hana's office—one of the better ones—was only on par with this.
But Wu You was a newcomer. Why would the Chairwoman be so attentive?
Then Chiemi remembered: the Nase connection.
It made sense.
But Wu You had gone quiet.
He walked to the desk, and his fingertips drifted lightly over the surface.
The solid wood carried fine grain beneath his skin, cool and smooth.
Then his hand stopped.
A shallow, jagged crack.
It had been left by a vice president of the Student Council.
On the day he left, she had been the only one who stormed into this office. Wu You still remembered the frantic, desperate slap she'd driven into the desk.
The desk hadn't broken—just a single fracture remained.
Good quality.
And this office…
he knew it too well.
Once, he had lived here with the Emperor.
Trained here.
Built everything here.
And then, in the end, walked away.
"Trainer?" Chiemi approached, her voice gentler now. "Are you okay?"
Wu You shook his head lightly, burying the memory for the moment.
"I'm fine."
He opened a drawer with practiced ease and laid a sheet of paper flat on the desk.
The official contract application.
Tracen had prepared everything—only signatures were needed.
From the inner pocket of his coat, Wu You took out a black-and-gold fountain pen.
The gift Fumino had given him the day he became a trainer.
He signed his name at the bottom, stroke by stroke—precise and steady—then offered the pen to Chiemi.
"Are you sure?" he asked, voice low. "Once you sign, you won't be able to—"
Snap.
Before he could finish, the pen was whisked from his hand.
Chiemi leaned over the desk and signed her name in bold, sweeping strokes—fast, free, unapologetic—then shoved both the contract and the pen back into Wu You's hands.
"I don't regret decisions I've made."
Wu You stood there for a heartbeat, stunned.
Then he smiled.
At the bottom of the page, two names sat side by side.
One written carefully, each stroke neat and firm.
The other wild and soaring—reckless in the best way.
Two signatures.
Two lives.
And from this moment onward, a single road.
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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