"Why... why exactly am I here..." Ishida muttered, his eye twitching.
"Why am I doing this to myself again?" He sighed, slumping slightly in his seat as the reality of his situation finally sank in.
He was sitting in the audience stands, directly facing the vast racecourse—the very place he had spent years avoiding.
Today, however, the track was bustling with preparations for another Trial Race.
Unlike major events, the venue wasn't particularly crowded.
After all, this was still a restricted event.
No ordinary spectators were permitted.
Only academy staff, trainers, officials, and students were permitted access.
And somehow, nestled right among them, sat Ishida Kai.
"I had every opportunity to reject Rudolf's invitation..." He rubbed his forehead, groaning.
"And yet here I am."
"Ready to watch the race of that..."
He paused.
Then, he sighed.
"R-Right."
His posture straightened slightly as a realization resurfaced.
"I'm not here to watch the race. I'm here to help Urara find a trainer... That's all."
He nodded, desperately trying to convince himself of his own words.
After all, this was an ideal opportunity to speak with the numerous trainers who had gathered to scout new potential trainees.
With so many trainers gathered to scout potential talent, it was also the best possible place to get someone to notice Urara.
With that, his confidence slowly returned.
"Once that happens..." He folded his arms, "My job is officially done."
"Then I can finally stop worrying about her and go back to my normal life."
"No more unnecessary ruckus, and no more trouble."
He nodded to himself again, a smug smile nearly breaking through.
"Right... That's the plan."
Then, his eyes drifted back toward the track.
And for some reason... A bad feeling crawled up his spine.
"...Why do I suddenly feel like things aren't going to be that simple?"
Suddenly—
"Ishida?! Is that you?"
A voice called out from nearby, making Ishida jolt slightly.
He then turned toward the sound, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the newcomer.
"Oh... It's you," Ishida muttered. "Trainer from Spica. What are you doing here?"
"Hi Ishida, well..." The trainer scratched the back of his head as he walked over.
"Things have been a bit complicated with my team lately. I figured I'd see if there's any fresh talent around." He shrugged.
"I see..."
The trainer then folded his arms.
"But what about you?" He looked genuinely puzzled. "It's rare to see you anywhere near a track."
"Don't remind me," Ishida sighed instantly. "I feel like I'm being held at gunpoint just for showing up."
The trainer blinked, taken aback.
"W-Wait. It's that serious?"
Ishida stared at him deadpan for a second before sighing again.
"Nah. I'm just kidding."
"Besides," Ishida continued, leaning back into his seat, "I didn't have any plans this Sunday. So I thought I'd come and... spend some leisure time, I guess."
The trainer looked unconvinced but chose not to press further. Instead, he casually sat down beside Ishida.
"Well, trust me, it can't be that bad," the trainer said. "You're an ex-trainer. Who knows?"
He gestured toward the track.
"Maybe a race like this will reignite that old spark of yours. That passion; that fire residing within you, just waiting to return!"
Ishida immediately shook his head and dismissed.
"The fire in this heart was extinguished long before I became a teacher."
"I have no intention of going back."
"Still holding onto that, huh?" The trainer laughed.
"Besides... What can I say..." Ishida suddenly smirked.
He then turned toward him as he rubbed his thumb against his finger.
"...teaching pays more."
At that, the trainer stared at him in surprise.
"So it's money you're after...?"
"Well, maybe. Who knows...?" Ishida shrugged.
He then returned in a more stern tone.
"But truth be told, I think you know just as well as I do how difficult it is to train an Umamusume."
"Every single one of them has a dream. A goal. A flame they want to grasp one day." Ishida's voice dropped. "And sometimes... those dreams are simply impossible."
He paused, the silence stretching between them.
"And yet we still have to support them. We still have to encourage them to keep moving forward... even when the truth tells us otherwise."
"And when the time finally comes," he continued, his gaze drifting back to the track.
"When you have to watch them fail... watch them lower their heads, question every decision they ever made, doubt themselves, and fall apart right in front of you..."
A bitter smile crossed his face.
"It hurts, doesn't it?"
"...As if you're the one responsible for breaking them," Ishida murmured. "Yet, we can't fall apart alongside them. We're trainers. We have to stay standing and maintain our professionalism."
"Keep advising them... keep guiding them. Keep encouraging them to fight on, even when we already know..."
He lowered his gaze.
"...that their dreams will only ever be dreams. Nothing more than a figment of self-made beliefs."
"And I..."
"...I despised that."
"That crushing powerlessness to shape someone else's future. That sense of—"
"Just like today. You're trying to change that, aren't you?" the Spica trainer suddenly interrupted, smiling.
"What...?"
"Your body language is all over the place, Ishida," the trainer continued. "You keep claiming you gave up, yet your actions prove otherwise."
"Isn't that the real reason you're here in the first place?"
"Specifically... for someone?"
Ishida flinched, visibly taken aback, but remained silent.
"You see... You can keep lying to yourself that you gave up. That you stopped wanting to guide them to something greater. That you didn't want to be part of their journey."
"But your heart can't deny the truth. You cared for them. You cared for their dreams. That's why you walked away, wasn't it?"
"Because you cared..."
"And you cared too much."
With that, a silence settled between them.
Only a moment later, Ishida sighed and shrugged. "Whatever you say. But I left that life a long time ago, and I have no intention of returning to it."
"You really don't miss it at all?"
"Not particularly," Ishida continued, "Besides, it's not like I ever became a trainer because of some grand passion."
"What do you mean?"
"Let's just say... I always wanted to be a carpenter instead."
"...A carpenter?" The trainer blinked.
"Yup. But that didn't work out, so I became a trainer instead."
The trainer stared at him, utterly dumbfounded. "...That's it?"
"That's it."
Ishida then rose from his seat, stretching his arms slightly. "Anyway," he said, glancing down at the man beside him. "You mentioned you're here scouting, right?"
The trainer nodded. "More or less. I haven't really decided if I'll actually recruit anyone yet."
"I see, if that's the case..." Ishida adjusted his shirt as he stepped out into the aisle. "Then good luck."
The trainer looked up, surprised. "Leaving already?"
"Yeah. I've got something I need to do."
"Okay... then." The trainer waved lazily. "See you around, Ishida."
"See you around."
And with that, Ishida walked away, offering a casual wave over his shoulder...
...
...
...
Soon after leaving his seat, Ishida began wandering aimlessly through the venue. As he walked, the trainer's words lingered in his thoughts.
"Cared too much... Huh..." he muttered to himself.
Suddenly, a memory flashed before his eyes.
One that he was standing at a small, local racecourse and an Umamusume was gazing wistfully across the dirt track, a bitter smile on her face.
As Ishida approached beside her, she slightly turned to him.
"Trainer..." she uttered.
"Do you ever think I could run in a bigger race one day? Do you think that's actually possible for someone like me? Or do you also think that..."
"...it's too much for someone like me..."
Before the young Ishida could reply, before he could reach out to her...
Just as quickly as it had appeared, the memory vanished.
And instantly, Ishida let out a sigh, shaking his head. "Whatever..."
He then continued walking, trying to push the voices aside while searching for a trainer for Urara.
And a moment later, he finally stopped midway down the corridor, his eyes shifting from one corner of the facility to another.
He began surveying the area, carefully looking for trainers.
More specifically, he was looking for someone willing to take the bait.
"Let's see," he murmured, his gaze drifting across the stands.
There, scattered throughout the stands and walkways, various trainers stood around chatting.
Some were intently reviewing data packets, while others were already fixated on the track, waiting for the incoming race candidates.
"It's going to be difficult..."
Until—
*Bump*
Someone suddenly collided with him.
"Oof—"
Ishida instinctively steadied himself.
Then immediately turned toward the person.
"Oh, sorry." He smiled politely. "Are you alright?"
The man in front of him instantly panicked.
"I-I'm sorry!" He bowed repeatedly. "I didn't see you there!"
"It's okay." Ishida waved dismissively.
"Please don't worry about it."
The man looked relieved.
"Oh, I-I'm sorry! N-no! Th-Thank you—!"
Suddenly—
"Trainer! What are you doing?"
A voice suddenly called out from ahead of them.
Both men turned.
And the moment Ishida saw the figure, his eyes widened.
"King-King Halo...?" He muttered, standing a short distance away was King.
At the same time, King also froze. Her eyes widened just as much.
"M-Mr. Ishida?!"
For several seconds, neither moved nor spoke.
Simply staring at each other while completely caught off guard.
Then, in perfect unison, they asked,
"What are you doing here?!"