"Wow—"
The girl's face was practically pressed against the train window, eyes wide as she watched the scenery blur past. Her tail wagged enthusiastically, and the ears atop her head twitched with every passing moment.
Uma Musume, a being unlike any ordinary human.
They possessed physical abilities far beyond the ordinary, yet their existence was singularly devoted to running. Those who competed on the racetrack were called Uma Musume.
Uma Musume races were nothing short of world-class events—not because the world was obsessed with seeing them sweat, but because of the hope, dreams, and inspiration carried on their swift legs.
Admittedly, it wasn't exactly scientific.
Zero watched the excited Uma Musume with a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.
Her arrival in this world had been nothing short of an accident. After all, who expects to be struck by lightning on a bright sunny day while strolling down the street?
Later, through the explanations of the system—a being that seemed to embody the Goddess of this world—she learned that her fate was the result of a quarrel among the Three Goddesses and a simple mishap.
Though resentment simmered within her, life went on. Upon arriving, she had been nominally adopted by an elderly couple who, in truth, never existed. Their home in the remote mountains became her entire world. The couple's identities had been carefully crafted by the Three Goddesses to serve as guardians.
She was five years old when she arrived. With the Goddess-system's guidance, she trained, cooked her own meals with ingredients and techniques provided by the Three Goddesses, and grew under their meticulous supervision. At first, it felt like they were compensating for guilt. Over time, however, their care became strangely reminiscent of a Development game—raising her like a prized character in a simulation.
She studied diligently, eventually enrolling in Central Tracen Academy, joining the Spica team, and beginning her official journey as an Uma Musume.
Her resentment toward the Three Goddesses had not vanished entirely, but years of careful nurturing softened her attitude. And, in truth, she had developed a tsundere streak—though not quite the classic kind.
Now, she was on the train, returning from a vacation secretly arranged by the Uma Musume Association. The break had been granted because, after her official debut, she had achieved something extraordinary.
Though she had lost her debut race due to a minor mishap, she quickly triumphed in her first G1 race—the Hopeful Stakes—setting her on an unstoppable trajectory. She claimed victories in the Satsuki Sho, NHK Mile Cup, Japanese Derby, Yasuda Kinen, Takarazuka Kinen, Sprinters Stakes, Kikka Sho, Queen Elizabeth II Cup, Japan Cup, Champions Cup, and Arima Kinen.
From early May to late June, she conquered consecutive races—the NHK, Derby, Yasuda Kinen, and Takarazuka Kinen—without showing an ounce of fatigue. Even when she wished to enter the Japanese Dirt Derby in July, the Student Council President, Symboli Rudolf, vetoed her participation and dragged her off to a training camp.
That camp, however, ended up being a solo endeavor, watched over by her exasperated trainer and teammates. After October, she stormed through a sequence of races, breaking records and claiming five consecutive victories from the Kikka Sho to the Arima Kinen. Only then was she forcibly sent back to her hometown, ordered to rest until the Osaka Hai and forbidden from returning to school until February.
(Is there really anything special about her?) Zero's gaze lingered on the curious Uma Musume before her.
[Yes. Very much so. Do you want to be friends with that child?]
(Well, I suppose I'll take my chances.) After all, friendship was never something simple to claim.
[Not necessarily, you know? (Light chuckle)]
(So why is she writing her expression in parentheses?)
Closing her eyes and chatting with the Three Goddesses in her mind, she naturally didn't notice the Uma Musume across from her looking over.
====================
My name is Special Week, and I'm an Uma Musume from Hokkaido!
Today, I left my second mother and am finally about to embark on the path to becoming the best Uma Musume in Japan!
This vehicle called a train is so amazing, and the feeling of the scenery rushing by is great!
This is a big city... So many windows! And signal towers! Things I've only seen in textbooks!
I don't know why, but I keep feeling a gaze. Is it that kind of... perverted look my mother always talked about!?
No, the city is too scary!
But when she turned her gaze, she saw a cute Uma Musume.
Compared to her own brown short hair, this child's hair was almost pure black and long, but there were also some silvery-white strands naturally falling on both sides of her head. It didn't look like highlights; it must be natural, right?
She looked quite a bit smaller than herself in height. Is she a child? But why is she sitting alone? Where are her parents?
Although it's not good to speculate about others, because there wasn't a single Uma Musume in her village when she was little, I'm very curious about this child!
This is my first time seeing an Uma Musume outside of video tutorials and race broadcasts!
====================
When Absolute Zero opened her eyes, she met the gaze of the Uma Musume across from her directly, which startled her.
She didn't know why, but looking at the other party's eyes full of curiosity, a thought that could be described as impolite surfaced in her mind.
Is this kid... a bit goofy?
"Th-that! My name is Special Week! Please to meet you!"
After staring at her for a while, the other party might have felt shy, blushed a little, and then closed her eyes and loudly announced her name.
Then she was warned by the flight attendant for "Please keep quiet on the train."
"Wuwuwu..."
Looking at the other party huddled up, Absolute Zero also smiled slightly.
"Absolute Zero, returning to Tracen Academy after the holidays."
"Huh? She looks so small, but she's a senior!?"
"'Small' is unnecessary, you know?"
"Yes!" Seeing the other party's expression, which was smiling but suddenly clouded with displeasure, even Special Week felt a sense of dread and immediately complied with her wishes.
Being 'small' was a lifelong pain for Absolute Zero.
Her actual age was a bit younger than her peers. Although she had already debuted, it was mainly because she had matured too early. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to participate in races at her age.
Maturation is a special... setting for Uma Musume? Anyway, the Three Goddesses said so.
After an Uma Musume reaches a certain age, she will experience extremely rapid growth. Once she grows to her most suitable form, she will stop growing and will remain in that appearance for the rest of her life. The body shape and timing of maturation for each Uma Musume are different.
It sounds wonderful, as it's like eternal youth, but what if this time was set to her 14-year-old appearance?
And what if her 14-year-old appearance (148cm) was only a few centimeters taller than her 12-year-old self (143cm) at the time?
In short, she would be stuck with this loli height and figure for the rest of her life, making it a lifelong pain.
"Hmph, so you're a new student?"
"Ah, I'm a transfer student!"
"I see, well..."
[The next stop is Fuchu. Passengers wishing to alight, please prepare to exit.]
"Ah!"
"?"
"It's time to get off!"
"???"
She was pulled off the train by the other party with a bewildered expression.
"Phew, that was close, almost missed it."
Looking at the other party's relieved expression, Absolute Zero thought for a moment and decided to let this child understand reality.
"I say, if you're going to the school, the next stop is the one, you know?"
"Huh?" (You're lying to me, right? That kind of look.)
"..." (Understand it yourself, that kind of look.)
"!!!"
"Ah, she's petrified..."
So this child really is a goofball... Absolute Zero also confirmed her impression of the other party.
I'll try to maintain double updates daily from now on. I hope everyone enjoys reading it, and if possible, please support me qwq