It was early in the morning—early enough that the sun hadn't even risen from the horizon.
I sat on a bench just outside the motel I'd be staying at for the entire summer camp, nursing a cup of warm tea I'd bought from the nearby cafe. It was entirely quiet, and I was fairly sure I was the only one awake at this moment.
In truth, I wasn't sure why I was awake in the first place. I'd just woken up earlier than usual and found myself incapable of falling asleep. So I decided to get myself a cup of tea to warm myself, all while watching the distant waves that crashed onto the sandy beach below.
…Well, not quite.
I just had a feeling that I needed to be awake, if that even made sense. A nagging scratch in the back of my head, constantly telling me that I needed to be here—that this was an opportunity that I couldn't miss.
For a while, nothing happened. The area around me remained quiet, interspersed only by the distant sounds of the ocean's waves. Even after I'd long finished my cup of tea, I remained seated on that bench, waiting for something to happen.
And then something did.
It happened suddenly. One moment I was sitting alone just outside my motel, and the next, there was someone sitting to my right, calmly drinking from a regal porcelain cup. The transition was so sudden that I dropped my own cup, though I'd thankfully emptied it a while ago.
The one who sat next to me was an umamusume unlike any other. Her hair was as blue as the ocean itself, with the tips of her hair seeming to glitter like reflected moonlight. She wore a fairly standard blue tracksuit, yet the seemingly mundane outfit only served to highlight her otherworldly beauty.
I worked my jaw for a good moment before I cleared my throat. "Good morning." I said, grateful that I didn't stutter. "Sorry about dropping the cup, by the way. Tend to do that when someone suddenly appears right next to me like a ghost."
She giggled at my completely serious tone. "It is of no worry, Blossom Star." She smiled as she lowered her cup. "T'is a personal hobby of mine, you see?"
Right, of course this uma somehow knew my name. "So, you're admitting you're a ghost?"
She smiled. "Perhaps."
I huffed. Ah, the usual indistinct answer. "Right." I chuckled. "The name's Blossom Star, though I guess you already know that." I smiled. "May I have your name?"
The umamusume hummed as she pondered over it, before she smiled simply. "My name has long been lost, but you may call me Dolphin-chan."
Dolphin, was it? A fitting name I suppose, considering her hair reminded me of the ocean. "That's a nice name." I said. She smiled sweetly at me, her gaze warm and kind and loving. Even I couldn't help but blush slightly, before I quickly cleared my throat to compose myself. "So, any regrets you want me to clear, Dolphin-chan?"
She laughed softly before she shook her head. "Nay, I am quite free of any regrets, Blossom Star." She smiled mysteriously. "Instead, I have a curiosity I wish to satiate, I suppose."
I grinned. "I'll do my best."
Dolphin smiled silently for some time before she spoke. "What do you think of this world, Blossom Star?"
I blinked. I definitely wasn't expecting that. "That's a bit loaded, ain't it?"
She giggled. "There's no need to stress, Blossom Star. Speak freely from your heart."
"...right." I pursed my lips for a moment, rolling the question over in the back of my head. It certainly wasn't a question I'd considered in a while. Umamusume, racing, legends—they were all things that'd become commonplace to me.
But, if I were to look at this world as a whole,
"It's magical—mystical, even." I breathed out as I gazed at the ocean. "Umamusume really are special, if you think about it. We're born with strength that far surpasses most of the world, and yet the world remains kind." I closed my eyes. "This world is a miracle granted by the Three Goddesses."
I didn't notice the way Dolphin's eyes softened, as if delighted by a praise I'd unknowingly mentioned.
"Yet there are things you despise, no?"
I glanced at her. "There are." I eventually said. "Umamusume are born to run; that is true." I clenched my fists. "But those words are written as Destiny, as if it's something that must happen." I sighed. "How many umamusume have burnt themselves in the chase for glory? How many have been cast into the shadows, left as nothing but stepping stones for another?"
As wondrous as this world was, it wasn't free of darkness. The pressure umamusume to run is immense, and the chase for glory had become so normalized that those that actively didn't were seen as outcasts. I would know, considering that was how I'd been before Oguri came into my life.
Even if they did run, the nature of racing meant only one could attain victory.「Eclipse first, the rest nowhere」That was the motto of Tracen Central, and as flowery as it was, it also highlighted how cutthroat the competition was.
Even those who did win were not spared. The pressure would only continue to build, weighing them down like blocks of steel tied around their legs. In the manga, not even Oguri had escaped this, and had it not been for Belno and Kitahara, she would've broken apart like many others before her.
And that wasn't even getting into the risk of injuries. Racing was a dangerous sport, where a single misstep could turn into a life-altering injury, or worse.
…hah.
"But what can I do?" I eventually said, shrugging my shoulders. "I want everyone to run because it's fun, but I'm just one person. I can't change things that easily."
"And if you could?"
I stared at her. She stared back, completely serious. I took a small breath as I prepared my answer.
"Then I'd give that power to someone who truly loves umamusume." I said, thinking of a certain director. "I wouldn't know where to start; better leave it to someone that knows how to make real changes."
Not that I'd need to. Akikawa Yayoi was not a force to be reckoned with, and she was willing to stake it all against the URA if it meant building a world where umamusume could run as their hearts desired. Out of everyone I knew, she was undoubtedly the one whose love for umamusume was the purest.
"Is that so?" Dolphin smiled gently at my answer. "But you've already begun changing this world."
I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
Dolphin hummed as she slowly swirled her cup of…glowing tea? "Team Kitahara has proved that Central is not the sole heir of talent." She glanced at the still dark skies above. "Every umamusume is a star of their own—each a blessed one marked by a destiny written in the stars." She smiled. "Many will soon follow your example, and this country shall grow in many ways."
"...I see." I smiled as well. "That's good."
That was the reason I began this all in the first place. Beyond my System urging me to become a professional racer, it wanted me to be a Hero. And while I could not punch mountains to dust or cleave the devil with a destined blade, I could at least become a shining example to inspire others to follow in my steps.
"May I ask another question then?"
"Hmm?" I raised an eyebrow. "Sure. What is it?"
Dolphin smiled gently. "Are you happy?"
…
"Yeah." I smiled at her, just as streaks of orange began appearing across the skies. "Yeah, I am."
"That's wonderful indeed." She clapped her hands together in delight, her cup mysteriously having disappeared. "And that is all I wish to ask for the time being." She then winked. "Though I will be sure to inform you of any further inquiries I might have in the future."
I nodded. "I'll be waiting for it then!"
She giggled as she stood up. She hummed as she began stretching her hands. "Why don't we go on a light jog together then, Blossom Star?" She smiled as she gazed at the sun that'd barely risen from the horizon. "There is no better time for a morning run than now, don't you think?"
I was about to agree when my System suddenly appeared.
[Mission: Request of the Noble
You have recently encountered an umamusume who calls herself Dolphin. After sharing a deep talk, she now requests that you run together to enjoy this early summer morning.
Task: Run at least 35 Km
Reward: {Standard Distance ○}, 160 SP
Failure: 40 SP]
I blinked as I read the words on the panel only I could see. It'd been some time since I'd seen a Mission. The last time I did was during that strange dreamlike race I had. I'd failed that one unfortunately, so I was going to do my best to complete this one. Not that it's going to be too hard—this one was just a test of endurance, and that was something I had quite a lot of.
I didn't notice the amused look Dolphin had, nor the way her fingers glittered with a bluish spark that matched the color of my System's panels.
After I finished reading the Mission, I stood up and began stretching as well. "I'm down for that."
She smiled. "Then let us go."
I grinned back. "Let's."