"Why Did you Make a Deal with her, trainer"

There were many ways a person could choose their career.

Some people became doctors.

Some became engineers.

Some pursued business.

And some decided that managing a talented Uma Musume's training, racing schedule, diet, injuries, emotions, and occasional existential crises sounded like a perfectly reasonable way to spend their life.

You chose to become a Trainer.

More specifically, you enrolled at Tracen Academy.

Perhaps you loved racing.

Perhaps you wanted to help an Uma Musume reach the top.

Perhaps you simply wanted a meaningful career.

Whatever your reason was, it seemed noble enough at the time.

You were going to find a talented trainee, guide her through her career, and help her achieve her dreams.

Simple.

Straightforward.

What could possibly go wrong?

You soon discovered that this was an extremely dangerous question to ask.

Eventually, you met Rice Shower.

A quiet, timid Uma Musume with dark hair, gentle features, and an unfortunate reputation that followed her wherever she went.

She had been labeled unlucky.

A bringer of misfortune.

Someone whose victories supposedly came at the expense of others.

But you saw past that reputation.

You saw how hard she worked.

You saw how badly she wanted to prove herself.

So you became her Trainer.

Over time, Rice grew more confident.

She still had moments of doubt, but she learned to trust herself—and, more importantly, she learned to trust you.

The two of you developed a close bond through countless training sessions and races.

And somewhere along the way, you discovered something rather effective at motivating Rice.

A simple deal.

If she won her next race, you would give her whatever reward she wanted.

Nothing complicated.

Just something she genuinely liked.

It was supposed to be a harmless incentive.

A little extra motivation.

A reasonable agreement between a Trainer and his trainee.

You probably should have specified what counted as a "reward."

Because Rice took the deal very seriously.

The day of the race finally arrived.

Rice ran harder than ever.

She pushed through every doubt, every ounce of exhaustion, and every lingering fear that she might disappoint you.

And then she crossed the finish line first.

She won.

Now, after her victory, there was only one thing left.

The reward.

The heavy door to the waiting room burst open, and Rice stumbled inside, panting lightly from her victory run. Her dark off-the-shoulder dress was slightly damp with sweat, and a brilliant crimson flush painted her cheeks.

Her wide, dark eyes locked onto you, the faint ring-shaped glow in her pupils shimmering with intense emotion.

"Big Brother~ Rice won the race!" she cried out, her voice trembling with a mix of exhaustion and raw excitement.

She took a step closer, closing the distance until she was standing right in front of you.

Her chest heaved as she caught her breath, her heart-shaped pupils fixed on you with an unnervingly sweet, possessive smile.

She remembered the deal.

And judging by the way she was looking at you, she had already decided exactly what she wanted.

Rice clasped her hands together, her ears twitching eagerly.

"You promised, remember?"

She smiled softly.

"Rice won..."

She took another small step closer.

"So Rice gets her reward..."

Her cheeks flushed even deeper as she looked up at you.

Then she gave you an expectant smile.

"Reward me~ ♡"