Uma Musume: Becoming a Legendary Trainer Chapter 35 - 35 – That Year, Hands in Her Pockets

Hayakawa Tazuna is the secretary to the Chairwoman in the Uma Musu ani, ga, and manga.

Hayakawa Tazuna, In this world, she holds the sa position.

Because of her appearance in a green uniform, and her in-ga role of testing the player's "luck," fans gave her the nickna "Green Devil."

For many players, Hayakawa Tazuna was one of the few "human won" at Tracen Central Academy—since she had no visible tail, wore a hat, and seemingly had no horse ears.

However, so players researched deeply and concluded that she was not a human at all, but rather a legendary Uma Musu who once raced on the track.

So powerful she was almost unbelievable—a phantom-like existence.

Upon debut, she had 10 races, 10 wins.

Short-distance, mile, middle distance, long distance, dirt track—she dominated them all.

In her debut 800-ter race, she won by eight lengths.

Across ten races, she beat her rivals by a total of forty lengths.

Before the Tokyo Derby, she broke records six tis.

Even with an injured right leg, she won the Derby, breaking her seventh record.

She was one of the strongest horse girls Kitahara had ever studied.

Her na was rembered as "Tokino Minoru"—

As players pieced together this hidden identity, more details surfaced.

Her character card, story fragnts, and illustrations all pointed to the sa truth: the gentle, calm Tazuna was in fact that mythical Uma Musu.

A simple example—

As the Chairwoman's secretary, Tazuna patrolled the campus at night, ensuring no horse girls snuck out to play, or tried to sneak back into the dorms past curfew.

In other words, she was the one who caught latecors.

Of course, guilty Uma Musu would run.

Yet, to this day, not a single Uma Musu—despite having personal bests at 60 km/h and being champions themselves—ever managed to escape her once they broke the rules.

That small detail alone was evidence enough.

But what left Kitahara with a deeper impression was not her overwhelming strength, nor her in-ga importance, but her tragic fate and gentle character.

After 10 perfect victories, she contracted tetanus.

In her era, there was no cure.

So, after dazzling the world like a teor, she faded away just as suddenly—her brilliance gone in a single flash.

But in the ga and ani, she survived.

She lived on as the gentle, dependable secretary, helping trainers raise horse girls.

Only once did she ever lose composure.

In one storyline, when dical supplies for the Uma Musu were delayed, she broke down in front of the Chairwoman and the player. When the trainer (the player) comforted her, she said:

"Most of the children who co to this academy love running. But only a small number of them will shine safely and without trouble."

"Many… will never run again, due to injuries and accidents."

"They staked their whole lives on running, yet they can no longer feel the wind's speed… how hopeless must that be?"

"...That is just too frightening."

Kitahara thought—perhaps she spoke from her own life experience. Perhaps that was why she cared so deeply for every Uma Musu.

Rembering Tazuna also reminded Kitahara of countless horse girls who had suffered tragic ends from injury or illness:

Tamamo Cross, isho Doto, jiro Ardan, Rice Shower, Silence Suzuka, Narita Taishin…

Even Oguri Cap had endured no small share of injuries.

Others were not exempt either.

Even the mighty "Emperor" Symboli Rudolf, after five consecutive victories, was riddled with injuries. If not for sheer luck with a dangerous "acupuncture treatnt" that could cripple a horse girl, she would never have won seven crowns.

Even the resilient "Prince" Tokai Teio suffered three bone fractures before her miraculous coback. In the end, retirent also ca because of yet another fracture.

And the jiro family, notorious for their "glass legs"—nearly every one of them plagued by fractures, myositis, and other chronic injuries.

Perhaps… Kitahara thought, his very arrival in this world was a chance to change such fates.

Maybe he was still unknown, but with his knowledge, he could at least prevent so tragedies—and maybe, just maybe, reshape the future of the entire Uma Musu world.

In that daze, his dream shifted again.

At first, he had beco a trainer for money and fa.

Later, because of Oguri Cap, he wanted to do sothing, to change sothing.

And now, what to do—and what to change—was becoming clearer than ever.

"Hey, hey, hey! What are you daydreaming for, brat?! You spilled the sake!"

Musaka Ginjirō's complaint jolted Kitahara back to reality. He looked down to see that, lost in thought, he had tilted his sake cup, spilling it on the table.

He set the cup down and grabbed tissues to wipe the ss, his mind retracing the earlier conversation.

Soon he rembered: his uncle had just been scolding him.

"…I'm just a small-town trainer, Uncle Roppei. It's only natural I don't keep up with the big nas sotis."

Using his background as an excuse, Kitahara quickly shifted topics before his uncle could lecture him with a "I'm from the provinces too, but look where I am now."

"Of course we'll go see Central Tracen Academy. I'll take Oguri Cap and Belno Light to see it."

"Seeing the top athletes firsthand—it's a direct inspiration for the Uma Musu. That's what you taught , Uncle Roppei."

"So, since you know such important people, I won't be shy about using those contacts. I'll reach out when the ti cos."

"…Hmph. You've learned a thing or two." Musaka nodded in approval at the complint—before snapping again:

"Call Musaka!"

"Alright, Uncle Roppei, got it, Uncle Roppei."

Brushing that off, Kitahara then added sothing new:

"Also, I want to take Oguri Cap to a Central hospital for a full examination."

Rokuhira's face imdiately turned grave.

"Hm?! What's wrong? That child has symptoms?" He turned toward the diner's corner with sharp eyes.

There sat Oguri Cap, cheeks puffed like a hamster as she smiled and chatted, with a mountain of food stacked in front of her.

"What's going on?" Rokuhira demanded, turning back, voice urgent.

"Uncle Musaka, don't worry." Kitahara matched his seriousness, even switching to the proper na. "Oguri Cap isn't sick. I've been training her properly, making sure she rests."

"Then why Central hospital?" Musaka frowned.

"Actually, it's more like a check-up," Kitahara explained. "You know how limited our local dical facilities are. The academy infirmary is barely adequate. So I want a top hospital to run a full exam on her."

"To put it bluntly, if there is a problem, it's best to catch it early. But honestly, I don't think there's anything wrong—just look at her appetite. Doesn't look like soone sick, right?" He ended with a light tone, half to ease the tension.

Musaka glanced again at Oguri Cap, expression twitching oddly, wrinkles pulling tight.

"Doesn't look sick at all. If anything—if overeating is a disease, then she's very ill… That girl eats way too much! Can Kasamatsu Academy's cafeteria even keep up?!"

Hearing his uncle complain about Oguri's bottomless stomach, Kitahara couldn't help laughing.

"Funny you say that. The cafeteria has actually complained to more than once. Oguri alone eats the rations of a dozen horse girls—they can't keep up."

"Fortunately, with her recent winning streak, she's brought in a lot of revenue for the academy. The principal and chairwoman approved a special budget for us, so the cafeteria stopped complaining."

Then, following the thread, Kitahara added:

"But that's exactly why I want the Central check-up. Her appetite is extraordinary—it'd be good to understand it better. If we can get precise body data, I'll be able to arrange her training even more effectively."

(End of Chapter)