"Platinum, what do you run for?" Agnes Digital sat beside Platinum, the warm sea breeze enveloping them both.
After their sweat had dried, the air no longer felt sticky and oppressive, but rather comforting.
"Why ask that all of a sudden?" Platinum cut off her own chattering and looked curiously at Agnes Digital.
"Just making conversation, that's all."
Agnes Digital nudged Platinum encouragingly.
"Because, if it wasn't for some special reason, some particular goal, you wouldn't have come to Tracen Academy, right?"
Agnes Digital counted on her fingers: "Think about it—even though thousands of Uma Musume clamor every year at Tracen Academy for just a few debut spots, the actual number of Uma Musume out there is way more than a few thousand, right?"
"Even a thousand might seem like a lot, but compared to all the Uma Musume, it's just a tiny fraction."
"Most Uma Musume have ordinary names, work different jobs, live different lives."
"Some become journalists, some pursue further studies—there are so many options. Life offers many paths, doesn't it? So I think, us meeting here at Tracen Academy is nothing short of a miracle among miracles."
"Not just us—everyone around us, miracles are happening every single moment."
"And what drives those miracles, there's always some kind of momentum pushing us together, right?"
"Is that so? I never really thought about it that much," Platinum said lazily.
Her very first debut race hadn't given her any choice at all—run or end up sleeping under a bridge; only by running could she keep scraping by.
"Though I feel a bit embarrassed to say it, I don't have much competitive drive... Seems pretty rare among Uma Musume, huh?"
What happened after that was half just going with the flow, and half for the sake of unlocking the tier-two shop after the Yayoi Sho.
Platinum was actually quite lazy and unambitious. Even though people around her always tried to push her forward, sometimes she just didn't feel like moving.
Still unwilling to tell me—guess our friendship level isn't high enough yet! Agnes Digital sighed inwardly.
She'd already learned about Platinum's situation from Miss Hayakawa Tazuna.
Though Miss Tazuna had been vague, the fact that Platinum had come all the way from Poland to Japan for her debut race undoubtedly meant she was chasing some lifelong dream.
"Then let me talk about myself," Agnes Digital said, shaking the bow on her head. "As for me, I became an Uma Musume because I love Uma Musume."
"Then hasn't your wish already come true? You're a pretty famous Uma Musume now."
"We're not talking about the same thing," Agnes Digital waved her hands dismissively. "How to put it... It's not that I like being an Uma Musume, but that I love seeing Uma Musume shine."
"You get it, right? That feeling when you see girls with their hair flying as they race down the track, watch those nail-biting competitions, and then see them singing sweetly on stage after the race—you can't help but think, 'Ah, this is why I was born into this world.'"
Once on this topic, Agnes Digital immediately became enthusiastic, her words tumbling out rapid-fire.
"And then, naturally, you want to learn more about these lovely girls, follow their accounts on social media, carefully read every tweet they post, notice their little unconscious habits on TV shows—that could be the start of a friendship…"
"Just thinking about stories like that makes my heart feel elevated, like I have endless energy inside, rushing downstairs to run ten laps, cheer out loud, then write it all down and share it with fellow fans..."
Ahem, ahem. "Sorry, anyway, as long as you understand what I mean."
Seeing Platinum's increasingly amused expression, Agnes Digital, realizing she'd gotten carried away, quickly coughed twice.
"So, I didn't really step onto the track aiming to win championships or anything. Who wins is all the same to me. When I first started racing, it was actually just to get a VIP seat to watch the girls I liked up close."
Agnes Digital giggled, covering her face: "The first time I stepped onto the track, my brain almost short-circuited. I was thinking, 'I'm really about to race? I'm not ready! At least let me get an autograph first!'"
"I get it, I totally get it—the nerves!" Platinum immediately chimed in upon hearing this.
She could still remember the nervousness of her first time on the track.
Everyone around her was a trained Uma Musume; stars like Leap of Faith and Fuji Kyoji were the center of attention, while she had barely learned to walk properly.
That feeling of her heart about to leap out of her chest was etched deeply into Platinum's memory.
"But Platinum, you know what?" Agnes Digital said softly. "There's a reason that momentum pushes us together."
"It's precisely because we're kindred spirits that we gather. If you ask what guides these miracles, it's none other than ourselves."
"Anyway, I've also had a full career as an Uma Musume. I've even had fans organize events for me—kinda embarrassing, really..."
Agnes Digital patted the dust off her clothes and stood up.
"But that doesn't conflict with me still loving other Uma Musume and being their devoted fan."
"What I'm trying to say is—Platinum, do you remember your first race? Do you remember the first time you won?"
"No matter how it looks on the outside, no matter the reason we run, there are some things that remain the same."
"Just being able to run is a joy in itself, isn't it?"
"So... cherish every run. The track is just the track, yet it's more than that. You could even say it's only on the track that an Uma Musume truly comes alive."
"That goes for you, for me, for everyone."
Agnes Digital turned, smiling brightly against the sunlight. The Agnes Digital who usually hunched her shoulders timidly actually had a cheerful, open side to her.
She wasn't just the slightly odd, petite girl others often perceived. Her slightly flushed cheeks blended with her sideburns, charming as a wisp of rosy clouds peeking through.
Her first victory? Platinum also patted her clothes and wobbled as she stood up.
Back then... she had been pretty happy, hadn't she?
Well, not just pretty happy. But very, very, very—the happiest she'd ever been in her life.
Winning the Saudi Arabia Royal Cup was happy too, but not that happy. Because that was a race decided for her by Okino and the others.
But her debut race was one she decided herself, persevered through herself, and won herself.
Just like... this special race.
"I still don't really get it, and I don't know what Agnes Tachyon wants me to do," Platinum pouted.
"Doesn't matter. I also think Tachyon went a bit overboard..." Agnes Digital hadn't expected to change Platinum's mind with just a few words.
"But you're right. Staying this lazy does seem... a bit too disrespectful to my opponents." Platinum stretched, rose onto her tiptoes, and stepped onto the spectator seats before jumping down.
"Hey—Agnes Tachyon—" Platinum cupped her hands like a megaphone, shouting at Tachyon's distant figure standing on the far bleachers. "Help me out! Got any surefire way to win?"
"If you're so set on me taking first place, you must have something in mind, right—Don't hold back on me now—"
Sometimes, it's worth giving things a little try.
After all, if she won, there'd be an extra 150 carrots, right? Not a bad deal.
Plus, all those strong rivals, a brand-new track...
It reminded Platinum of the first time she stood on a racetrack.
[Consider this race my greeting to this land.]
Not too shabby, actually.
"Have you lost your mind—" Agnes Tachyon's voice carried from afar.
"Of course there's a guaranteed way to win—just go use some stimulants—"
A cold sweat dripped down Platinum's forehead.
Seriously? Tachyon, my savior? You don't have a way for me to win, yet you've been drilling me like this?
"You jerk!" Platinum was furious.
Watching Platinum shouting and carrying on in the distance, Agnes Tachyon crossed her legs and took a sip of black tea.
A freshly debuted filly facing a peak-condition Uma Musume—not a shred of chance to win.
But—if she wants to win, that's another story.
Platinum had been right about one thing. Agnes Tachyon never did anything without a purpose.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.