Chapter 11: Have You Thought About What Races You Want To Run In Someday?
After completing the entire training session, Makoto Yasui found himself once again surprised by his Umamusume.
There had been scheduled breaks throughout the several-hour training period, but overall, it had been nearly nonstop.
And yet, after all that time, Kitasan Black showed barely any signs of fatigue.
Not only that—there was hardly any sweat on her face. She looked lively and full of energy, as if she could jump straight into the next round of training without a second thought.
He'd already known from the data that her physical stats were outstanding, but seeing it in person was another thing entirely. Her stamina was so incredible, it was almost outrageous.
Because of that, Makoto hadn't rested either. Every time he collected new data, he immediately ran preliminary calculations.
While Kitasan Black took her breaks, he used the time to analyze and adjust her plan further, which quickly began to show results in her subsequent training rounds.
Of course, credit also went to Kitasan Black's own talent.
It wasn't just her physical abilities—her sense for rhythm was unexpectedly sharp.
Aside from a few missteps during the first couple of sets, her movements gradually began syncing with the music, the overall average reaching over 75% rhythm match.
To put it into perspective, an Umamusume achieving 50% in her first rhythm-based training would already be considered impressive. Hitting 75% was nothing short of genius.
Realizing this, Makoto's impression of his trainee was quietly being rewritten.
"That's enough for today."
Admiring her performance, Makoto began packing up.
"I'll take you out for a meal. Also..."
He paused, considering something.
"Say, Kitasan—aside from the dance and music training you've gotten at school, did you ever study anything on your own?"
"Today's meal is on me, Trainer! No arguments!"
Bubbling with energy, Kitasan Black practically jumped over.
"I'll carry your bag!"
Snatching Makoto's shoulder bag, she tapped her lips thoughtfully before answering his question.
"Music and dance, huh... I guess you could say I didn't study them formally."
"But I've always loved singing!"
"My dad, my grandpa—lots of people in my family are amazing singers. I grew up listening to them sing all the time!"
That made things click for Makoto.
He recalled seeing it in her file—Kitasan Black came from a well-known family. Her grandfather was a famous singer whose students were scattered across the country. It was safe to say she came from a musical lineage.
In a household like that, it wasn't surprising she'd developed a strong sense of rhythm through simple exposure.
She'd probably never applied that sense to running before, which would explain her previously uncoordinated steps.
Of course, her raw power was another factor.
Singing and running use very different muscle groups. Singing relies mainly on the neck and core, while running demands coordination of the entire body. Mastering rhythm in that context was much more difficult.
Still, with her musical background as a foundation, it was only a matter of time before her running form stabilized through consistent training.
Which meant it was time to start thinking about her next stage of training...
As Makoto pondered, Kitasan Black was still happily talking about her family and childhood memories.
"—We used to live way out in the countryside, so in the summer, my friends and I would go catch fireflies in the woods at night—and beetles too!"
"We even had beetle battles to see whose was stronger!"
"Come to think of it, maybe that's when I first started thinking about becoming an Umamusume..."
"Hehehe, I was the fastest runner among my friends back then! Everyone said I'd grow up to be an amazing Umamusume!"
Her tone rose with excitement.
"Papa and Grandpa said so too! And—"
Her eyes sparkled with passion.
"After watching Teio-senpai's races, I've always dreamed of becoming an Umamusume as dazzling as her!"
She turned to look at Makoto, her voice full of hope.
"Trainer… do you think my dream can come true?"
Looking into Kitasan Black's clear, shining eyes—where his own reflection faintly appeared—Makoto couldn't help but smile.
"I'll do everything I can to make it happen."
"Mm-hmm! Thank you, Trainer!"
She beamed, raising both arms in glee. But a moment later, this lively, energetic Umamusume awkwardly placed a hand over her belly.
"Still… you were right. Before chasing dreams and all that, I should probably fill my stomach first."
By then, the two had arrived at the cafeteria of Tracen Academy.
Most of the students had already finished eating, so the cafeteria was relatively quiet. After ordering their meals, Kitasan Black took it upon herself to carry both trays to their table.
Though, calling them both trays was a bit generous—Makoto's meal was a modest bowl of ramen. Kitasan, on the other hand, had ordered what looked like ten times that amount: fried rice, yakisoba, grilled meat, glazed carrots, and more, stacked nearly half as tall as a person.
The cafeteria chefs were highly skilled. All the food was carefully tailored to suit the nutritional needs of Umamusumes without being too greasy.
So while Makoto was certainly surprised by Kitasan's appetite, he understood. After a full afternoon of training, she was genuinely hungry.
"Thanks for the food!"
She clapped her hands in front of the mountain of dinner and picked up her chopsticks—but paused when she noticed Makoto's slightly taken-aback expression.
Her cheeks flushed red.
"U-um… actually…"
She fidgeted, pressing her index fingers together shyly.
"I don't normally eat this much, I swear…"
"I usually eat around… this much… no, maybe this much…"
"No wait, it's probably more like this…"
She made three different hand gestures, each lower than the last.
Finally, she gave up and puffed her cheeks.
"Okay, fine, Trainer, you can laugh if you want! I am really hungry today—but this is more than usual!"
"…Why would I laugh?"
"Really, it's just a little more than—eh?"
Her ears twitched.
"Trainer… you're not gonna tease me for eating too much?"
"There's nothing to tease. And besides—no decent trainer would laugh at an Umamusume for eating."
Picking up his own chopsticks, Makoto added coolly:
"Besides, this doesn't even count as 'a lot.' I've seen someone who eats way more than you."
"S-seriously?! Then I won't hold back!"
Relieved, Kitasan lit up once again and gleefully lifted her massive plate of fried rice, chomping down with an enthusiastic ahh~m.
"Mmmf… Trainerf, yuh said theref's someone who eats more than me—who ish if?"
"…Swallow before you talk. You'll choke."
After a moment, when she repeated the question more clearly, Makoto gave her a thoughtful look—but didn't answer right away.
"You'll see soon enough. But more importantly…"
He leaned forward slightly.
"Tell me, Kitasan. What kind of Umamusume do you think is truly exceptional? What kind of brilliance do you want to shine with?"
He met her eyes with a steady gaze.
"Have you thought about what races you want to run in someday?"
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
That night — in the shared dorm room
"I'm back, Diamond-chan!"
"Ah, welcome home, Kitasan."
A gentle voice greeted her. It belonged to an Umamusume with soft brown hair and pale golden eyes.
Her elegant features and refined presence strongly resembled someone Kitasan had seen earlier that day in the dance studio—Satono Crown.
And indeed, she was Satono Crown's younger sister… and Kitasan Black's roommate.
Her name was Satono Diamond.
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