Green buds sprout, flowers sing—the season that marks the beginning of new life. That is spring.
The sharp, grassy scent of vigorously growing turf, and within it the faintly sweet fragrance of flowers.For some reason, the beautiful sight of cherry blossom petals fluttering down strikes deep into my heart.
A warm breeze gently strokes my skin, and the sunlight pouring down from above sparkles brightly, as if sending its blessings to the newcomers—new students who have just set foot upon this land.
The place is the plaza before the statue of the Three Goddesses at Tracen Academy. In this very spot, the same as that moment exactly one year ago when I remembered my past life, I am now...
"Man... it's really sparkly, isn't it?"
"Huh? What are you suddenly talking about, idiot?"
At the moment, Sirius and I were leisurely enjoying tea together on a bench.
Sitting side by side with Sirius, fiddling with the plastic bottles of tea we bought from a vending machine, I murmured while watching the freshly enrolled, lively new students cheerfully walking about the academy grounds. Sirius replied with an exasperated tone.
"You and I are only one year older than those freshmen, you know. We're still young ourselves."
"Then let me ask you this, Sirius. Do you really think you and I could go all giggly and flirty like those girls?"
"...No way."
When I shot back like that, Sirius—probably imagining it for just a moment—furrowed her brow slightly and gave a short reply.
"Neither of us has that kind of personality anyway. You're more of the prince type, Sirius... and if that's the case, I guess I'd be more like an old grandma."
"Prince or not aside, yours is absolutely wrong, isn't it?"
"Really? Don't I kind of suit drinking tea on a veranda?"
"Knowing what you were like that day, I'd say you're more like some kind of Russian mafia boss fresh back from a warzone.."
Chuckling quietly as she said that, Sirius earned a "That's cruel!" from me. Still, laughing just like her, I turned my gaze once more toward the new students happily walking along.
Having finally reached the starting line, filled with hopes for tomorrow and passion for their dreams, they look—how should I put it—positively radiant.
It's like reading a frustrating romantic comedy youth light novel, or like accidentally seeing small children playing happily in a park you happened to pass by. A strange mix of warmth, nostalgia... and just a little bit of envy wells up inside me.
"...Are they blinding?"
Sirius spoke to me as I stared blankly at the new students while sipping my tea.
"Yeah. Maybe I am a little jealous."
With my social circle—especially friends—still quite limited outside of trainer-related connections, perhaps I did envy the way they could laugh and make noise together in large groups.
That said, I don't have even a shred of regret right now. Thanks to my dreams and choices, I've gained irreplaceable friends, rivals, seniors, and so many things from our predecessors like Okino-san.
"Ridiculous."
"Is it?"
Sirius snorted dismissively at my words.
"Jealousy? Longing? Those are the emotions farthest from understanding the reality of racing."
"Oh my, Sirius, you're awfully harsh."
"Of course I am. Sure, it's fine for that to be your starting point... but this is Central Tracen Academy. Every year, thousands—sometimes over ten thousand—racing horse girls knock on its gates, yet not even a tenth of them make it inside."
She gulped down the remaining tea in her bottle and continued.
"Those freshmen over there made it through that narrow gate to get here. Maybe they're from prestigious lineages... or undefeated geniuses from their hometowns...
Ha! Sorry to say, but at Tracen Academy, 'genius' is so common you could sweep them up with a broom and still get change back. In this harsh world where geniuses become background characters and protagonists get sidelined, if you can't face reality and keep floating on excitement alone, you won't survive in racing."
"Yeah... just like you last year, Sirius."
"Guh... don't say that."
As Sirius spoke with a nihilistic smile, I couldn't help but jab back at her. She awkwardly spun her empty bottle in her hand, but really, that one was on her.
"Even so, I kind of want those girls to stay the way they are."
"What, Nice Nature-sama? You happier if you've got fewer future rivals?"
"Don't say stupid things, Sirius."
As I replied to her teasing, I quietly closed my eyes.
What surfaced behind my eyelids was that exchange from that day—the memory of me speaking about my dreams to Ten Point-san in the student council room.
"My dream is to become a trainer and witness a horse girl's shining moments up close. Even if they lose, even if their hearts break, even if they fall to their knees in despair, I want to support them so that in the end, they stand up again and achieve their dreams. Sharing that dream with them—that's my dream."
"That's awfully naïve. What, you don't care about your own races?"
"Of course I do! I want to race seriously against Ryan, Air Groove, Suzuka, Flash—against everyone. Compete, compete, compete, and then win. And yes, Sirius, I want to beat you too."
Hearing my dream, Sirius had replied with slight irritation, but I made it clear—that wasn't the case.
I'm a horse girl too. I once told Ten Point-san I'd even win the Triple Crown for my dream, but now, dream or not, I want to compete with Sirius and the others. To face them on the grand stage of graded races, and to shine myself—I've come to realize that feeling.
Whether it was being fired up by Rudolf-senpai, advice from Okino-san, or that first race with Sirius... well, with Sirius, I absolutely refuse to lose. Flipping some strange switch just to wake her up.
There were many triggers, but what I have to do hasn't changed since that day a year ago. For my dream, because I want to win against everyone, and so I won't regret it—I'll just do my best, right here and now.
"As long as you haven't forgotten our match, that's enough. Honestly... I never thought you'd have a dream as soft-hearted as Rudolf's."
"'Happiness for all horse girls,' right?"
"Oh? Did Rudolf tell you that?"
I couldn't exactly say I knew it from my past life... but since it was true that Rudolf-senpai had told me, I said I heard it from her on my first day.
Hearing that, Sirius let out a deep sigh, as if expelling something pent up inside her.
"I'm sick of hearing that sweet fantasy of 'happiness for all horse girls.' To begin with, how far does Rudolf's 'all' even extend?
All members of her team?
All students at Tracen
Academy?
All racing horse girls?
Or literally every horse girl living in the world?
If it's the last one, that's nothing but grandiose nonsense. As I said earlier, just getting admitted here means stepping over someone else.
For every horse girl who takes first place, there's another who breaks down behind the strong.
For every horse girl who debuts with a trainer, there's another who leaves in despair before ever debuting.
See? Even within Tracen Academy, this dog-eat-dog world of racing makes everyone equally unequal. In a world where someone's happiness means someone else's misfortune, 'happiness for all horse girls' can't possibly stand on its own."
Sirius spat those words out, then tossed her empty bottle into the air. It traced a perfect arc before landing in a metal trash can—specifically, the one for plastic bottles—with a satisfying clang.
Casting a glance at it, Sirius exhaled, looking faintly satisfied.
"Symboli Rudolf can't see that reality... or maybe she does, and still chooses this path. Either way, what she'll end up with is the very misfortune she wanted to erase."
Plucking a cherry blossom petal that had landed on her shoulder, Sirius held it up to the sun.
The warm sunlight filtered through it, turning into a pale, fleeting pink glow that gently washed over her.
Her eyes looked as though they were gazing at something far away. What exactly Sirius saw beyond that petal, I couldn't tell—but for a moment, I felt like I glimpsed another side of her, different from her usual self-assured demeanor.
"Sirius?"
"Huh?"
"…Are you maybe worried about Rudolf-senpai?"
"What?"
At my question, Sirius turned to me with a look that screamed what is this idiot saying?
"Worried about her? Don't be ridiculous. Symboli Rudolf is a wall I have to overcome—not someone I'm going to hold hands with and play nice. You know that."
She fluttered the petal as she spoke, but despite her words, I could tell—just a little—that she was embarrassed.
Her voice pitched slightly higher. Her speech quickened, barely perceptibly. And though it was hard to see in the shade, her cheeks were faintly tinted.
(You're really not honest…)
Sirius probably thought she'd hidden it well, but to me, it was obvious enough to think that.
Truthfully, I believe Sirius cares about Rudolf-senpai. Not romantically—but with genuine affection.
After summer break, Sirius, who previously never even showed her face around Rudolf, apparently began visiting her almost daily. I can't confirm it myself, but whenever I'm with Rudolf-senpai, Sirius usually shows up, provoking her in ways that somehow look… fun.
Rudolf-senpai also told me in her dorm room that she was happy to be able to talk with Sirius again, like in the old days. Maybe they're more like siblings close in age than anything else.
"Well… I do get what you're saying, Sirius."
I slowly shifted my gaze from Sirius to the sky.
A single cloud drifted across the clear blue, changing shape as it rode the wind, utterly unconcerned with our conversation.
"You know, dreams and goals are kind of like that cloud. Like reaching out to it."
I gently raised my right hand toward the sky as I spoke.
"No matter how far you stretch, you can't reach it. Of course you can't—it's far away. You can scream all you want, stretch until your arms tear, but it won't reach. With who we are now, there's no way it could."
Lowering my hand, I turned my eyes back to Sirius.
"Reckless, impossible, absurd... I understand why you'd say that. Rudolf-senpai's dream of 'happiness for all horse girls' really is like a cloud—far, high, vague, and unclear, with no visible path."
"That's right. 'All horse girls' is impossible."
"But Sirius—that's not for you to decide. The only one who gets to say that is the person who actually steps onto that path, even once. The path with no map, where you don't know what trials or hardships await."
I tapped the stone pavement lightly with my loafer, emphasizing the act of stepping forward.
"'Give up, it's impossible, you'll never reach it.' When people who've never taken a single step say that, it's nothing more than empty, irresponsible noise—just like cheering 'do your best' from the sidelines.
Sirius… your dream is the same. People who know nothing will say conquering the world is reckless, impossible."
"My dream might be reckless, but it's not impossible. My grandmother—Speed Symboli—knocked on the door to the world. All I have to do is run through that door she opened, faster than anyone."
Her slightly dissatisfied reply made me smile wryly.
For all her bluster, Sirius is kind to those close to her.
That's her hidden virtue. People misunderstand her because of how she talks, but once you're in her inner circle, she's genuinely kind—not indulgent, but kind. She understands the meaning of tough love.
The origin of Sirius Symboli's dream—her challenge to the world—surely began with Speed Symboli's run. Wanting to race on the world stage, wanting not to waste the path her grandmother opened.
That's what I felt behind Sirius's words.
…Of course, she never said it outright, so I could be wrong.
"That's exactly it. What outsiders say doesn't matter. Inside Rudolf-senpai—no, inside Symboli Rudolf—the line has already been drawn. Her resolve is locked in, and she's already stepped forward."
"So what, you want me to just watch her break and fall to her knees?"
"Of course not."
I shrugged lightly at Sirius's irritated retort.
"We all have different dreams. For others, for ourselves, for pride, glory—maybe even money.
Everyone's chasing their own dream, getting muddy, pushing themselves to the brink, battered and bruised
But you know… isn't it okay to carry someone else's dream too? No one ever said you're only allowed one.
Different dreams, competing fiercely, sometimes joining hands, kicking each other back up when someone's about to fall—running together toward whatever lies at the end. That's what rivals are, isn't it?"
"Hah! You're saying we should look after others while chasing our own dreams? No way. At least, count me out."
Spitting out those words, Sirius earned another wry smile from me.
The freshmen were already gone, leaving just the two of us in the plaza. Surrounded by fresh green leaves and falling petals singing in the breeze, we sat in silence, simply watching the blossoms drift down.
"You're right. Not everyone can stand up for someone else. No matter how cool or beautiful it looks, in the end, it's for yourself—just a desire to satisfy your own heart."
"…Yeah."
"But there is one person here."
"…Huh?"
At Sirius's puzzled look, I answered with a smile.
"I want to see it too, Sirius. 'Happiness for all horse girls.' What lies at the end of that dream? What kind of world spreads beyond it? Just imagining it makes my heart race."
It really does.
A world where scouts judge by ability, not pedigree or wealth.
A world where debut isn't tied to age, where seniors and juniors, young and old can debut based on talent.
A world where the wall between local and central racing disappears.
"Maybe every year, horse girls challenge the world. The Arc de Triomphe, the Breeders' Cup, the King George, the Melbourne Cup—France, America, Britain, Australia, Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, Dubai…
What was once called reckless could become the norm. Instead of rejection, invitations might come from abroad. Just imagining such a future excites me."
As I spoke passionately, Sirius wore a thoughtful expression, perhaps imagining that world herself.
"The path Speed Symboli opened. The path you'll blaze toward the top of the world. And after you, maybe juniors will follow, saying 'We'll chase after Sirius-senpai!' Isn't that kind of happiness too?
One person can't make everyone happy—but if chasing your dream makes even one or two people happy… if someone decides, 'Someday, I'll catch up to her'…
If dreams and happiness pass from one to another, maybe we won't reach 'all,' but we can get closer."
In the end, it was just one example.
Not stagnation, but happiness found in continuing to challenge and move forward.
I'm not saying my way is right. Happiness means different things to different people.
"So, in short: it's a hard dream alone, but with others, even if it's impossibly far, you can get closer.
What comes after depends on Rudolf-senpai. Wanting happiness too much leads to endless desire—you have to compromise somewhere. If she misjudges that, she'll break. And if that happens… that's when you and I step in."
I laid out everything I thought. Sirius stayed silent, eyes closed. For a moment, doubt crept into my chest.
Did she understand? Or would she dismiss it all?
Either way, I won't deny her feelings or choices.
"…I think I understand what you're saying. But I'm not changing my stance."
After a stretch of silence, Sirius finally spoke.
"Happiness is something you seize yourself. In racing, you only get it by beating others and taking first place. 'Happiness for all horse girls' will never work for racers."
"Everyone on the turf is serious. They run with resolve."
"Yeah… but I did realize one thing."
"Huh?"
"In racing—no, because it's racing—dreams and happiness aren't the same."
She grinned slightly.
"You're talking about outside the turf. Results and process, you could say."
"Results… and process…"
Before I could fully digest it, Sirius pulled out a box from her pocket—aroma cigars, the same brand as mine. Without hesitation, she lit one.
Hey, this is a no-smoking area—
Before I could protest, she shoved the half-smoked cigar into my mouth.
"…Sirius."
"No one's watching. And if we get caught, we're accomplices… right?"
My overheated brain gave up.
One drag, and the sweet aroma melted through me.
Ahhh… it really soaks into the brain…
She took it back and smoked it without hesitation—so effortlessly cool I couldn't help thinking she'd have tons of fans after debut.
"Dreams are results. Happiness is the process—training, daily life. Results remain as records. Process lives only in memory."
"You're surprisingly poetic, Sirius."
"Don't tease me, Nature! Thinking this way is how I make sense of Rudolf's dream—and yours."
Exhaling smoke, she watched it rise into the sky.
"Dreams and happiness look alike, but they're different. No clear answers—just personal interpretations."
"That's because there's no standard."
"Exactly. I'll walk my own path. I won't deny Rudolf's—but I won't help her either."
"That's fine."
As we shared the cigar, the tension eased.
"And my path includes beating you. Someday, I'll pull you away from Rudolf's road and toward the first star—Sirius."
"I'm rooting for you too, you know… Guess I'd be a star traveler then."
"Hahaha! A star traveler, huh? Then I, Sirius, will guide you across the world someday."
Crushing the stub into her ashtray, Sirius stood up.
"See you, star traveler."
"Yeah, yeah. Be careful on your way back."
Watching her go, I sighed with a smile.
"One year already…"
Time really does fly.
Before leaving, I glanced at the statue of the Three Goddesses.
(Thank you for bringing me into this world.)
As I bowed lightly—
"…Huh?"
My vision warped.
"Oh… no…"
Strength drained from my limbs. I tried to stand—but failed.
As my knees gave way, my consciousness snapped into darkness, like a puppet with cut strings.
『…Oh my.』