Trainers Are Educators Who Teach Uma Musume!

Was your headache caused by Air Groove and Digital telling you a bunch of things you didn't understand, then saying some trainer thought of you as his wife?

"I have a friend."

Girl, that opening was ancient. It had no punch!

Why not just say Special Week?

"She really wants to find a trainer."

Holy shit, was she asking me to dox myself?

No Tamamo-ing way!

Listening to Silence Suzuka, Zhou Yuang began to panic.

He really couldn't keep his composure over something like this.

"That trainer and that friend met online and were already planning to meet in person, but she never saw that trainer come looking for her."

Huh?

"Then, in real life, that friend met another trainer. He seemed a lot like the trainer she met online, but she couldn't exactly ask him outright. Teacher Z, may I ask..."

"What should that Uma Musume do?"

A trainer was an educator who taught Uma Musume!

Silence Suzuka's words made Zhou Yuang's scalp prickle.

She had met a trainer online, and although they planned to meet in person, he hadn't gone. Then she met a trainer in real life who seemed a lot like the one she met online...

Tamamo damn it! Hold on!

"Um, sorry. Let me sort this out first."

If that "friend" was actually herself, then the trainer Silence Suzuka had met online... wasn't that his alternate identity, AT?

The Silence Suzuka in the game had promised to share everything with him, and he had accepted that promise.

He had even said he wanted to marry Silence Suzuka in real life.

And afterward, she had even encountered...

Was Silence Suzuka actually watching the stream? And did she figure out it was me back then?

Wait, what was going on?

This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

Zhou Yuang thought of a possibility that utterly terrified him. Did he really have to verify it?

But before that, he still had to solve this problem.

"Generally speaking, the internet is complicated. Some people wear one face online and another in real life."

After all, this account had two million followers. Naturally, Zhou Yuang wasn't going to tell her to stick with an online romance.

That would teach a whole bunch of Uma Musume the wrong lesson.

First of all, the internet put a filter over things while also separating them from reality.

Online relationships weren't something that tended to last. Even long-distance relationships easily ran into trouble, let alone online relationships where you couldn't even see each other's faces.

But Zhou Yuang's stomach hurt a little, because if Silence Suzuka was watching his stream, then her online love interest was him.

Zhou Yuang admitted that raising Silence Suzuka's affection for him through his streams would be a good thing.

But as a relationship adviser, he absolutely couldn't encourage this kind of online romance.

Misleading those innocent Uma Musume listening to the radio for his own benefit was something he could never tolerate.

He hadn't forgotten why he had become a trainer in the first place.

A trainer was an educator who guided Uma Musume down the right path!

"My opinion might offend some decent people, but I still have to say this. Some people might say one thing online and something entirely different in real life. Very few people can easily be the same inside and out."

Anyone could talk big, but following through was difficult.

People weren't saints. Unless they were truly straightforward, who could keep their words and actions perfectly aligned?

"If you... if your friend is willing to trust that trainer she met online, then please urge him to take action soon. If he can't follow through, someone whose word means nothing can't be trusted. I suggest giving up on him sooner rather than later."

"As for that trainer in real life who seems like him..."

At this point, Zhou Yuang found himself in a bind. The earlier matter involving those Uma Musume sisters was a good example.

The older sister wasn't stupid, but even an impartial judge struggled to settle family disputes.

When it came to his own affairs, Zhou Yuang also found it difficult to respond quickly.

Unless he could repeatedly examine himself from an outsider's perspective—but he couldn't ignore his own perspective, either.

He thought for a moment, remembering his contempt for trainers who resorted to underhanded methods to compete for outstanding Uma Musume.

Taking a deep breath, Zhou Yuang silently swore an oath.

He would never use this identity to benefit himself as a trainer!

And although this identity wasn't that of an educator, he was still someone who helped others develop sound values!

"Seeming like him is only seeming like him. Without evidence, you can't confirm whether he's actually the same person. But you can observe him and determine whether he's a good trainer."

"However, there's something I have to emphasize here. Choosing a trainer is an extremely important decision."

"An Uma Musume only gets one three-year career, and she'll probably have just one trainer in her lifetime. A trainer, on the other hand, will definitely work with more than one Uma Musume over his lifetime. The time each side commits is extremely unequal."

Unless he met an Uma Musume from Trep, a trainer would train many Uma Musume.

For an Uma Musume, choosing a trainer was a gamble. For a trainer, choosing an Uma Musume was a matter of personal preference.

That distinction couldn't be confused.

The choice itself wasn't really equal, either.

But there were still cases where both sides chose each other wholeheartedly.

Some trainers might marry an Uma Musume after training her, but they were always the minority.

Most trainers would continue working at Tracen for a long time.

Although the game's official lore said Tracen was hungry for talent and recruited many trainers every year.

But wasn't that simply because Tracen wanted trainers and Uma Musume to work one-on-one?

You shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket. When it came to job hunting or applying to schools, Zhou Yuang strongly recommended sending out multiple applications.

But that wouldn't do when educating Uma Musume. If he told them something like that, would some of them start keeping several prospects on the hook?

No, no. He absolutely couldn't say something like that casually. It would teach people the wrong lesson.

"You must think things through carefully before making a choice. Speaking of which, have you heard of the wheat-ear theory?"

"The wheat-ear theory?"

Silence Suzuka didn't seem to understand.

It was a story about the great ancient Greek philosopher Socrates.

Three of his students asked how to find their ideal partner, so their teacher sent them into a wheat field.

They were to choose the largest ear of wheat, but they couldn't turn back and could only pick one.

One student hurriedly chose what he believed was the largest, only to look back and find that plenty were much bigger than the one in his hand.

The second kept hesitating, and when he reached the end, he realized he had passed up a very large ear of wheat.

The third divided the field into three sections. In the first, he only looked without picking anything, quietly forming a plan. In the second, he checked whether his judgment was correct. In the third, he chose the one he liked best.

Perhaps the one he ultimately chose wasn't necessarily the largest or best in the field, but it was certainly the one he was most satisfied with.

"Our lives are like walking through a wheat field. We only get one chance. Choosing someone important is the same—we only get one chance."

An Uma Musume's career was short, and she only got one.

Although retired Uma Musume could return after the standard three-year career stipulated by the central racing authority and participate in the Twinkle Series, which was designed for retired Uma Musume and didn't count toward their career records, those were exhibition races for stars. They couldn't be treated as equivalent to the races held by the central racing authority.

"Most Uma Musume can only choose one trainer. So you must keep your eyes open, see clearly who deserves your trust, and make a choice that matches your resolve."

"Once you've thought it through, walk up to the ear of wheat you want, then carry it out of the field."

"Look carefully, make a plan, then act without wavering. After that, you won't regret it."

"Your youth may leave you with things you wish had gone differently, but we must do our best. You can have unfulfilled wishes, but you mustn't regret your choices."

Zhou Yuang responsibly explained to Silence Suzuka how she should handle the situation.

As for how Silence Suzuka would evaluate him as AT and as a trainer, that was her business.

Only an incompetent fool lacking talent and virtue would fret over gains and losses. Would someone truly capable fear a challenge?

Zhou Yuang didn't consider himself a gentleman, but he could learn how to become one.

At the very least, as a trainer, he couldn't lead Uma Musume astray.

"Teacher Z, thank you so much. I understand now!"

Silence Suzuka's voice carried a little hint of meaning.

Teacher, I've seen the light!

I think I have an answer for what I should do next.

Silence Suzuka thanked Zhou Yuang.

Sure enough, as an Uma Musume, she still needed to choose the trainer who suited her best.

She planned to speak up during the next stream and talk to that AT.

But before that, she would first check whether that Mr. Zhou Yuang was AT.

Then she would observe him, because according to Zhou Yuang, people had two faces.

Though she couldn't rule out the possibility of three.

But if she liked his other side too, wouldn't liking one person mean twice as much affection?

Now Silence Suzuka could sleep peacefully.

She planned to end her day early, then go find Zhou Yuang tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yuang was still working. He had to put in his full hours before he could finish.

Silence Suzuka thanked him, then ended the call.

Everyone still watching the stream was left listening to Zhou Yuang's Heartstrings Radio.

But time passed quickly, and after handling a few more cases, it was time for Zhou Yuang to end his stream too.

Beside a tent in a mountainous wilderness area, a black-haired Uma Musume on a camping trip sighed as she looked at the phone in her hand, where she had entered the number but never placed the call.

She exited the dial screen and stopped listening, too.

Meanwhile, in an Uma Musume dorm room, a short-haired, black-haired Uma Musume switched off her device and looked at her roommate in the bed across from hers.

She found that chestnut-haired roommate sprawled on her bed in a ridiculous sleeping position. Despite aspiring to become an idol, she slept like that.

I really hope my roommate doesn't wake me up with her racket tomorrow morning and throw off my plans.

"..."

In a rather luxurious room, a maturely dressed Uma Musume listened to Zhou Yuang's voice.

Then she picked up an exquisite cup and took a sip of tea. After hearing Zhou Yuang's stream end, she switched off her device.

She looked out at the moonlight beyond the window, silently considering what came next.

The Uma Musume and trainers listening to the radio reluctantly closed the stream, then returned to their own affairs.

Zhou Yuang himself, meanwhile, considered what he ought to do.

Silence Suzuka would definitely take some kind of action afterward, so he...

"Why worry about all that! French masterpiece! Launch!"

Without another word, Zhou Yuang started his network accelerator, ready to play a round of Rainbow Six.