Chapter Text
When did it all go wrong…?
Was it the time I failed to train her properly the day before the race?
Or was it when I gave us both a rest day?
“Trainer! Trainer! Did you see how I ran?”
I looked at Haru Urara. She had just placed last in her most important race—the Arima Kinen.
She had promised to win this race for Christmas.
Always optimistic. Always cheerful, even when she loses.
“If my legs were just a bit longer, I could’ve overtaken her!”
I stared at her, my hand slowly reaching for her hair.
Tears.
Tears began to fall from her eyes, the same eyes that had shone brightly during the race.
“Huh… that’s weird…”
Instinctively, I stayed quiet. And finally, she said:
“I was having so much fun…”
“You did great out there, Urara,” I told her, my voice threatening to break.
I had failed her as a trainer.
I held her close as she cried on my shoulder.
This was the first race she had taken seriously.
“I promise you… you’ll win next time,” I whispered, patting her head until her sobs faded.
She qualified for her dream race—that should be enough.
I’ve told myself that countless times.
But the way she looked after the Arima Kinen…
I can’t sleep.
“What the hell do I do…” I muttered to myself as I stared at the ceiling.
Urara was happy, yes, but I knew she could’ve done better.
We could’ve done better.
We could’ve won.
But it’s like the world is testing us.
Challenging both of us.
I got out of bed and went for a walk.
Eventually, I found myself sitting at the bench near the Three Goddesses Fountain.
I looked at it, then closed my eyes.
“If I could find a way for her to win that race… I’d be satisfied. I’d be happy,” I muttered.
Just then, when I opened my eyes—
A faint shimmer of light glowed from the fountain.
As if drawn by something beyond me, I walked toward it.
And then…
I touched it.
The light flared, forcing my eyes shut.
Something began to take form in my hands.
When I opened them, I saw…
An alarm clock.
Strange.
I stepped back as the light from the fountain faded.
I examined the clock carefully.
“What… the hell…?”
It looked completely ordinary. Nothing special.
But something about it felt off—wrong, or maybe… right?
I returned to my room, staring at the clock like it might suddenly come to life.
“Why… was there an alarm clock?”
And from a fountain, no less.
I’d heard rumors—that the fountain could grant mysterious powers to Uma Musume.
But this?
Why a clock?
Was it because I’m human?
Or was there something more to it?
There was only one way to find out.
I flipped it over to inspect the back.
Just like a regular one, a simple notch for adjusting the time.
Curiosity took over.
I turned the knob. Once, twice, again.
I counted the ticks.
Twelve.
Twenty-four.
Thirty-six ticks.
Then, nothing.
I tried turning it again, but the knob wouldn’t budge.
Again. Still nothing.
I sighed and gave up, placing it next to my bed.
A miracle wouldn’t happen now.
But then again… Maybe it just did.
˙˙uǝddɐɥ plnoɔ ǝlɔɐɹᴉɯ ɐ ɟᴉ s∀
…ʍou ɹǝʇʇɐɯ ou 'ǝpᴉspǝq ʎɯ oʇ ʇxǝu ʇɥƃᴉɹ ʇᴉ ƃuᴉʇʇnd ǝɹoɟǝq pǝɥƃᴉs I dn ƃuᴉʌᴉפ
˙˙sʇlnsǝɹ ou oʇ ʇnq 'uᴉɐƃɐ pǝᴉɹʇ I 'ǝƃpnq ʇ,upᴉp ɥɔʇou ǝɥʇ ʇnq 'uᴉɐƃɐ ƃuᴉuɹnʇ pǝᴉɹʇ I
pǝddoʇs ʇᴉ uǝɥ┴
˙sʞɔᴉʇ 9Ɛ uǝɥʇ 'ㄣᄅ uǝɥʇ 'sʞɔᴉʇ ɹɐlnƃuᴉs ᄅƖ 'ʞɔolɔ ǝɥʇ ɯoɹɟ pɹɐǝɥ I ˙uᴉɐƃɐ puɐ uᴉɐƃɐ ʇᴉ pǝuɹnʇ I 'ǝɯ ɟo ploɥ ʞooʇ ʎluǝppns ʎʇᴉsoᴉɹnɔ ɟᴉ sɐ 'ǝɯᴉʇ ƃuᴉʇsnɾpɐ puɐ ƃuᴉuɹnʇ ɹoɟ ɥɔʇou ɐ sɐɥ ʇᴉ 'sǝuo ɹɐlnƃǝɹ ǝɥʇ sɐ ǝɯɐs ǝɥʇ 'ʎlɹɐǝlɔ ʞɔɐq sʇᴉ ǝǝs plnoɔ I os ɹǝʌo ʇᴉ pǝddᴉlɟ I
˙˙ʇno puᴉɟ oʇ ʎɐʍ ǝuo ʎluo sɐʍ ǝɹǝɥ┴
˙˙ʇᴉ oʇ ǝɹoɯ ƃuᴉɥʇǝɯos s,ǝɹǝɥʇ ǝsnɐɔǝq ʇᴉ sɐʍ …ɹO ¿uɐɯnɥ sɐʍ I ǝsnɐɔǝq ʇᴉ sɐʍ 'pǝɹǝpuod I ”¿ʞɔolɔ ɐ ʎɥM“
¿sᴉɥʇ sᴉ ʇɐɥʍ ʇnq …sǝɯnsnW ɐɯ∩ oʇ sǝᴉɔɐƃǝl snoᴉɹǝʇsʎɯ ƃuᴉʌᴉƃ uᴉɐʇunoɟ ǝɥʇ ɟo sɹoɯnɹ pɹɐǝɥ I 'llǝʍ sɐ uᴉɐʇunoɟ ɐ ɯoɹɟ ssǝlǝɥʇǝuoN ”¿˙˙ʞɔolɔ ɯɹɐlɐ uɐ ǝɹǝɥʇ sɐʍ ˙˙ʎɥM“
˙˙ƃuᴉɥʇʎuɐ op plnoʍ ʇᴉ ɟᴉ sɐ ʞɔolɔ ǝɥʇ ʇɐ pǝʞool ʎlǝsuǝʇuᴉ I 'ɯooɹ ʎɯ oʇ ʞɔɐq pǝuɹnʇǝɹ I
˙˙ʇɥƃᴉɹ ʇ,usᴉ ʇɐɥʇ ǝɯ sllǝʇ ƃuᴉɥʇǝɯos ʇnq
˙˙sᴉ ʇᴉ sɐ lɐᴉɔǝds ƃuᴉɥʇou …ʞɔolɔ ɯɹɐlɐ ɹɐlnƃǝɹ ɐ ǝʞᴉl ʇsnɾ sɐʍ ʇᴉ 'ʇuoɹɟ ǝɥʇ oʇ ʞɔɐq ɯǝɥʇ puᴉɥǝq ɯoɹɟ ʇᴉ pǝuɹnʇ I 'snoᴉɹnƆ ”¿˙˙llǝɥ ǝɥʇ …ʇɐɥM“
˙ʞɔolɔ ɯɹɐlɐ ǝɥʇ pǝuᴉɯɐxǝ ʎllnɟǝɹɐɔ I ˙uʍop pǝᴉp ʇᴉ ɯoɹɟ ʇɥƃᴉl ǝɥʇ sɐ uᴉɐʇunoɟ ǝɥʇ ɯoɹɟ ʎɐʍɐ pǝʞɔɐq I
…ǝƃuɐɹʇS
…ʞɔolɔ ɯɹɐlɐ uɐ ʍɐs I
˙ɯǝɥʇ pǝuǝdo I 'ɯɹoɟ ǝʞɐʇ oʇ uɐƃǝq spuɐɥ ʎɯ uᴉ ʇɔǝɾqo uɐ 'ƃuᴉɥʇǝɯos ɟo ƃuᴉlǝǝɟ ǝɥʇ ǝɔuO ˙sǝʎǝ ʎɯ ǝsolɔ oʇ ǝɯ pǝɔɹoɟ ʇᴉ sɐ ʎlʇɥƃᴉɹq ǝuᴉɥs oʇ uɐƃǝq ʇɥƃᴉl ǝɥ┴
˙˙ʇᴉ pǝɥɔnoʇ I
˙˙˙uǝɥʇ 'ʇᴉ spɹɐʍoʇ pǝʞlɐʍ ʎlʍols I ǝɔᴉoɥɔ ʎq ɟᴉ sɐ 'ɟlǝsʇᴉ uᴉɐʇunoɟ ǝɥʇ ɯoɹɟ ʎlʇuᴉɐɟ pǝɹǝɯɯᴉɥs ʇɥƃᴉl 'sǝʎǝ ʎɯ pǝuǝdo I uǝɥʍ 'uǝɥʇ ʇsnɾ 'ɟlǝsʎɯ oʇ pǝɹǝʇʇnɯ I ”˙˙ʎddɐɥ ǝq ll,I …pǝᴉɟsᴉʇɐs ǝq ll,I …ǝɔɐɹ ʇɐɥʇ uᴉʍ oʇ ɹǝɥ ɹoɟ ʎɐʍ ɐ puᴉɟ plnoɔ I ɟI“
…sǝʎǝ ʎɯ pǝsolɔ uǝɥʇ 'ʇᴉ ʇɐ pǝʞool I 'uᴉɐʇunoɟ sǝssǝppoƃ ǝǝɹɥʇ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝu ɥɔuǝq ǝɥʇ ʇɐ ƃuᴉʇʇᴉs ɟlǝsʎɯ punoɟ I'ʞlɐʍ ɐ ɹoɟ ǝpᴉsʇno ʇuǝʍ I sɐ pǝq ʎɯ ɯoɹɟ dn pooʇs I
˙˙ǝƃuǝllɐɥɔ ɐ sn ɟo ɥʇoq ǝɥʇ ƃuᴉʌᴉƃ sᴉ plɹoʍ ǝɥʇ ǝʞᴉl s,ʇᴉ ʇnq
˙uoʍ ǝʌɐɥ plnoɔ ǝʍ ʍouʞ I ou …ɹǝpɹɐɥ pǝuᴉɐɹʇ ǝʍ ɟᴉ ɹǝʇʇǝq ɹɐɟ op plnoɔ ǝɥs ʍǝuʞ I 'ʎddɐɥ sɐʍ ɐɹɐɹ∩ ɥƃnoɥʇlɐ 'ƃuᴉlᴉǝɔ ǝɥʇ ʇɐ pǝɹɐʇs I sɐ ɟlǝsʎɯ oʇ pᴉɐs I ”…op I op llǝɥ ǝɥʇ ʇɐɥM“
˙˙dǝǝls ʇ,uɐɔ I 'uǝuᴉʞ ɐɯᴉɹ∀ ǝɥʇ ɹǝʇɟɐ 'ʇɐɥʇ ǝʞᴉl ɹǝɥ ƃuᴉɹǝqɯǝɯǝɹ ʇnq sǝɯᴉʇ ssǝlʇunoɔ ɟlǝsʎɯ oʇ ʇᴉ ʎɐs I …ɥƃnouǝ ǝq plnoɥs ʇɐɥʇ 'ǝɔɐɹ ɯɐǝɹp ɹǝɥ ʇɐ pǝᴉɟᴉlɐnb ǝɥS
˙˙ƃuᴉʎɹɔ pǝddoʇs ǝɥs lᴉʇun pɐǝɥ ɹǝɥ pǝʇʇɐd I sɐ ɹǝɥ oʇ pǝɹǝdsᴉɥʍ I ”˙˙ǝɯᴉʇ ʇxǝu uᴉʍ ll,noʎ …noʎ ǝsᴉɯoɹd I“
…ʎlsnoᴉɹǝs ʞooʇ ǝɥs ǝɔɐɹ ʇsɹᴉɟ ɹǝɥ sɐʍ sᴉɥʇ 'sɹǝplnoɥs ʎɯ oʇuo pǝᴉɹɔ ǝɥs sɐ ǝsolɔ ɹǝɥ plǝɥ I
…ɹǝuᴉɐɹʇ ɐ sɐ ɹǝɥ pǝlᴉɐɟ I 'ʞɐǝɹq oʇ ƃuᴉuǝʇɐǝɹɥʇ ǝɔᴉoʌ ʎɯ ɹǝɥ oʇ pᴉɐs I ”˙˙ɐɹɐɹ∩ ǝɹǝɥʇ ʇno ʇɐǝɹƃ pᴉp no⅄“
”…unɟ ɥɔnɯ os ƃuᴉʌɐɥ sɐʍ I“
˙ʎllɐuᴉɟ sɐ 'ʇǝᴉnb pǝʎɐʇs I ʎlǝʌᴉʇɔuᴉʇsuI
”˙…pɹᴉǝʍ s,ʇɐɥʇ …ɥnH“
˙ǝɔɐɹ ǝɥʇ ƃuᴉɹnp ʎlʇɥƃᴉɹq ǝuoɥs ʇɐɥʇ ǝɯɐs ǝɥʇ 'sǝʎǝ ɹǝɥ ɯoɹɟ llɐɟ oʇ uɐƃǝq sɹɐǝ┴
sɹɐǝ┴
˙ɹᴉɐɥ ɹǝɥ ƃuᴉɥɔɐǝɹ ʎlʍols spuɐɥ ʎɯ 'ɹǝɥ ʇɐ pǝɹɐʇs I
”¡ɹǝɥ uǝʞɐʇɹǝʌo ǝʌɐɥ plnoɔ I ɹǝƃuol ǝɹǝʍ sƃǝl ʎɯ ɟI“
˙ƃuᴉsol uǝɥʍ uǝʌǝ lnɟɹǝǝɥɔ sʎɐʍlɐ 'ɔᴉʇsᴉɯᴉʇdo sʎɐʍlɐ s,ǝɥS
˙sɐɯʇsᴉɹɥƆ ƃuᴉɹnp ǝɔɐɹ sᴉɥʇ uᴉʍ oʇ ǝuo ǝɥʇ ǝq oʇ pǝsᴉɯoɹd ǝɥS ˙uǝuᴉʞ ɐɯᴉɹ∀ ǝɥʇ 'ǝɔɐɹ ʇuɐʇɹodɯᴉ ʇsoɯ ɹǝɥ uᴉ ʇsɐl pǝɔɐld ʇsnɾ ǝɥs 'ɐɹɐɹ∩ nɹɐH ʇɐ pǝʞool I
”¿ʇɥƃᴉɹ uɐɹ I ʍoɥ ǝǝs no⅄ ¡ɹǝuᴉɐɹ┴ ¡ɹǝuᴉɐɹ┴“
¿ʎɐp ʇsǝɹ ɐ ɹǝɥ puɐ ɟlǝsʎɯ ǝʌɐƃ I uǝɥʍ ǝɯᴉʇ ʇɐɥʇ ʇᴉ sɐʍ ɹO ¿ǝɔɐɹ ǝɥʇ ǝɹoɟǝq ʎɐp lɐuᴉɟ ǝɥʇ ƃuᴉɹnp ʎlɹǝdoɹd ɹǝɥ uᴉɐɹʇ oʇ pǝlᴉɐɟ I ǝɯᴉʇ ʇɐɥʇ ʇᴉ sɐM
¿…ƃuoɹʍ oƃ llɐ ʇᴉ pᴉp uǝɥM
I opened my eyes… I wasn't in my bed, no..
“Huh..?”
I stood by the director's office, I looked around then back to the chair where she was.
“Ah! So Tazuna has brought the newest trainer!”
“What..?” I tried gathering my thoughts to no avail, this whole scene… is like…
I went back to the past..?