Chapter 9: I Have a Dream
After a simple warm-up stretch, Sakura Bakushin O stopped and turned to look at Kisei.
"First exercise: a ten-lap slow jog for warm-up, at a pace of three minutes per kilometer." Kisei pointed toward the turf track. "The focus isn't on speed, but on rhythm control. I'll observe your gait at the turns."
"Understood." Sakura Bakushin O nodded, turned, and stepped onto the track. A 10,000-meter slow jog was just an appetizer for Uma Musume like her. However, maintaining an exact pace of three minutes per kilometer for every lap posed a slight challenge, requiring intense concentration and a strong sense of rhythm.
On the first lap, as Sakura Bakushin O passed by, Kisei pressed the timer in his hand: 03:01:13 per kilometer.
An error of about one second—this innate sense of rhythm was a truly precious talent.
By the second lap, Sakura Bakushin O was gradually getting into the groove: 03:01:01 per kilometer.
As the laps progressed, her focus sharpened further. By the end of the fifth lap, the error was less than half a second—truly remarkable talent.
However, after five laps, Kisei noticed another issue.
Every time Sakura Bakushin O passed through a turn, her left shoulder would imperceptibly rise, and the extension angle of her right knee at the moment of pushing off the ground was slightly smaller than that of her left leg.
This asymmetry might be hard to detect during high-speed sprints, but it became more noticeable during a steady-paced jog—not due to fatigue, but purely a matter of force application.
As for how Kisei spotted it—don't ask; his eyes were like precision instruments!
"Bakushin O!"
"What is it, Trainer-san?" Sakura Bakushin O stopped and looked over curiously—she was only halfway through the ten laps.
Kisei didn't answer immediately. Instead, he walked straight up to her, crouched down, and grasped the muscles of her thighs with both hands.
"Now, alternate exerting force as if you're pushing off while running. Left leg, right leg, left leg, right leg."
"Huh? Right here…" Sakura Bakushin O's face flushed slightly, but she complied.
Kisei's fingertips sensed the hardness and speed of the muscle contractions. After three alternations, his brow furrowed. "Again, with eighty percent effort."
This time, the difference was even more pronounced: the left leg muscles contracted swiftly and fully, while the right leg's response was slightly delayed.
"Just as I thought…" Kisei released his hands, his expression grave.
"Is something wrong, Trainer-san?" Sakura Bakushin O felt a pang of anxiety seeing his serious expression.
"For the remaining five laps, run in the opposite direction." Kisei pointed toward the track. "Switch to left turns (counterclockwise), but maintain the same pace. I need to confirm something."
Puzzled, Sakura Bakushin O stepped back onto the track, while Kisei crouched by the turn with his phone and started recording.
For the five counterclockwise laps, her pace fluctuated by about two seconds per kilometer, and the irregularities in her gait at the turns became even more apparent.
When she completed the ten laps and returned to the starting point, Kisei handed her a prepared electrolyte drink and turned his phone's screen toward her.
"Look here." He pointed to the slow-motion replay of her passing through the counterclockwise turn. "Pay attention to your pelvic position. During the right leg's support phase, your pelvis tilts about five degrees to the left. But during the left leg's support phase, it remains almost level."
Sakura Bakushin O leaned closer to the screen, studied it carefully, and widened her eyes. "It's true! I didn't feel it at all."
"That's the issue." Kisei paused the video. "Your left leg is noticeably stronger than your right, causing an imbalance in power distribution during running. You can barely maintain symmetry on straightaways, but once you hit the curves, your body has to engage more core muscles to compensate. This increases energy consumption, and more importantly..."
He put down his phone, his tone serious. "Long-term imbalance will lead to compensatory injuries. Your right knee and ankle joints will endure unconventional shear forces, significantly increasing the risk of tibial periostitis and patellar tendonitis. If left unresolved, by the time pain appears, you might already require long-term rest."
Sakura Bakushin O tightened her grip on the water bottle. "Then... what should I do?"
"Starting today, all training sessions will include unilateral strengthening exercises." Kisei opened his training notebook. "The focus will be on enhancing the driving power of your right leg, eccentric control of the quadriceps, and stability training for the gluteus medius. Simultaneously, we need to adjust your running form to reestablish a balanced power distribution pattern."
He paused, his tone softening slightly. "This process requires patience—it might take two or three months to fully correct. But this isn't just about injury prevention."
"When your leg strength is balanced, you'll also reduce speed loss on curves and improve your final kick explosiveness."
Sakura Bakushin O nodded earnestly, her eyes regaining their sparkle. "I understand! So what's next for today?"
"Today, we'll start with a basic ability assessment." Kisei closed his notebook.
After a short break, Sakura Bakushin O spent the next two hours cooperating through various ability assessments and data monitoring.
Kisei looked at the contents of his notebook with great satisfaction. As expected of an Uma Musume with an A in Long Distance aptitude—all her data was exceptionally outstanding.
It seemed that the main focus for the coming period would be resolving Sakura Bakushin O's power imbalance to prevent injuries.
"Trainer-san, how do you know so much about all this?" Sakura Bakushin O asked while stretching, looking up at him. Her cheeks were flushed, and fine beads of sweat glistened in the morning light.
Kisei smiled gently, his gaze drifting toward the distant track. "I have a dream."
"A dream?"
"Yes." His eyes softened, his voice calm and sincere. "I really love Uma Musume. I love watching you all run on the field, giving it your all. That brilliance always moves me deeply."
He paused before continuing, "So I want to use my abilities to help as many Uma Musume as possible achieve their dreams. At the very least, I don't want their careers to end prematurely due to preventable injuries."
As his words faded, Kisei didn't notice that not far behind him, an Uma Musume with water-blue long hair happened to be passing by and stopped upon hearing his words.
She looked at Kisei's back, a flicker of complex emotion crossing her eyes, then lowered her gaze to look at her own legs.
"Hey, Trainer-san!" Sakura Bakushin O's voice pulled Kisei's thoughts back. "What's our team's name?"
Just as Kisei was about to answer, he suddenly sensed a gaze from behind. He turned around and saw an elegant Uma Musume with water-blue long hair, poised and dignified, like a noble lady stepping out of a classical painting.
Their gazes briefly met in the air. The girl gave a slight nod, offering a faint yet polite smile before turning to leave, her steps light and graceful.