Chapter 254: Taking Care
Makoto hadn't actually expected what Kitasan Black meant when she said she would "take care" of him.
As the final turf G1 race of the year, the Arima Kinen was lively not only before and during the race, but also afterward. The award ceremony and the winner's stage were just as bustling.
However, because of his unexpected injury, Makoto spoke with Tokai Teio and the others, asking them to help handle some of the procedural matters. Then, following the doctor's instructions, he went with Tokai Teio to another hospital for another examination.
It wasn't that he distrusted the doctors at Nakayama Racecourse. Rather, injuries like this required a relatively long treatment and recovery period, and receiving treatment at a hospital would make follow-up checkups more convenient.
After the examination, his arm was put in a cast. He returned home, ate a simple dinner, watched the broadcast of the winner's stage, and then lay down on his bed.
With his arm injured, there were naturally many things he couldn't do. The doctor had also told him to rest well and avoid being too busy before he fully recovered.
But he couldn't fall asleep right away.
Lying in bed, scene after scene from the Arima Kinen replayed in his mind again and again.
Especially Kitasan Black's final dash across the finish line, the thunderous cheers from the crowd in the stands, and the dazzling results displayed on the board.
Thinking back on it now, Makoto felt as though everything had been an extraordinarily brilliant yet unreal dream.
Particularly since he, the trainer, had been inexplicably injured and hadn't participated in the later proceedings—the sense of unreality felt even stronger.
Only when Kitasan Black, familiar runners, and even his parents called or sent messages to congratulate him did that unreal feeling gradually fade.
Kitasan Black was the first to call. Her voice through the receiver was, as always, full of energy, though there was unmistakable concern mixed in.
"Trainer! How's your arm? During the winner's stage earlier, I kept thinking how great it would've been if you were there beside me… You have to get plenty of rest! I'll be able to come over and take care of you very soon!"
Right afterward came the somewhat boisterous voice of Tokai Teio.
"Makoto-kun! Make sure you get some proper rest! I've already come back to the racecourse here, so you don't need to worry too much. Hurry and get better—then we'll celebrate properly!"
Then Deep Impact called as well. Her tone was much calmer.
"Yasui-san, Kita-chan's performance was truly wonderful. You've worked hard. Please rest well and recover soon. I look forward to seeing even more brilliant performances from the two of you in the future."
There were also calls and messages from other runners who had heard about his injury.
Each call and every congratulatory message felt like a reassuring weight settling in place, making him feel more and more clearly the significance of this victory—and everyone's care for him.
His parents, on the other hand, didn't know about the injury. Neither did Daiwa Scarlet and the others. In their calls and messages, they expressed nothing but pride and congratulations.
As he responded to each call and message one by one, the sense of unreality in his heart gradually filled instead with warmth and joy. Inevitably, Makoto's thoughts drifted toward the future.
This year's racing schedule had already come to an end. As his thoughts shifted, plans for the coming year began to sprout wildly in his mind like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.
He thought about creating a brand-new training plan for Kitasan Black—about uncovering even more of her hidden potential, challenging more races, and carving her name onto the brilliant monument of racing history.
These thoughts intertwined and collided with one another, stirring his heart until it surged restlessly, leaving him with not the slightest hint of sleepiness.
He couldn't help but simulate future training sessions in his mind, imagining Kitasan Black tearing across the training grounds like the wind and cutting through competitors on the racetrack.
Just thinking about it made his heart pound violently, his emotions impossible to restrain.
Careful not to jostle his injured left arm, he unconsciously tossed and turned in bed, the mattress letting out faint creaking sounds as he shifted again and again.
He didn't know how much time had passed before excitement finally gave way to fatigue.
Some time later still, under the combined pull of exhilaration and exhaustion, he finally drifted slowly into sleep.
In the early morning, Makoto woke up groggily under the influence of his biological clock. Just as he noticed the sunlight streaming through the narrow gap in the curtains not far away, he heard a soft yet somewhat urgent voice calling from beside him.
"Trainer! You're awake? Hurry and get up—it's time for breakfast!"
"Oh… okay…"
He answered reflexively, but then Makoto suddenly froze and quickly turned his head.
Beside the bed, Kitasan Black was standing there at some unknown time, smiling brightly at him. Her eyes sparkled, and she was holding a neatly folded set of clothes.
When she saw him look over, Kitasan Black's eyes lit up. She stepped closer with the clothes, shook open the shirt, and looked as if she was about to help him get dressed.
Makoto woke up instantly. A little flustered, he quickly reached down to check himself. Only after realizing he was still properly wearing his pajamas did he secretly sigh in relief. Somewhat nervously, he said in astonishment:
"W-wait a second! Kitasan, what are you—"
Seeing Kitasan Black getting even closer, he became more flustered.
"Hold on! I can dress myself, just put the clothes down—"
"—That won't do!"
Uncharacteristically, the usually obedient and sensible Kitasan Black immediately interrupted him. With a serious expression that allowed no refusal, she said:
"Trainer, you're injured right now. What if you accidentally hit your wound?"
Then she added gently, with a hint of pride:
"I specially asked Dia-chan about it. She said that if you're going to take care of someone, then things like helping them dress, cooking, serving tea, and pouring water—you have to do everything attentively."
"I think she made a lot of sense, so I came here early this morning!"
"Luckily I have the key to your place, Trainer, and you don't have many clothes anyway… In short, Trainer, don't move around—I'll help you get dressed!"
…Wait, what exactly was Satono Diamond thinking? I only have a minor bone fracture. It's not like I'm completely paralyzed and unable to take care of myself…
While silently complaining in his mind, Makoto instinctively wanted to refuse.
But seeing the earnest look on Kitasan Black's face—mixed with a stubbornness he had never seen from her before—he suddenly felt that if he rejected her, it might… make her very sad.
"…How about this: you put the clothes here first. I'll put on my pants, and then you can help me with the shirt?"
Quickly thinking up a compromise, Makoto stammered anxiously:
"Well… putting on pants… with you like this… it's a bit inconvenient, right…?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Kitasan Black clearly froze for a moment.
Then her ears twitched, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. Biting her lip, she hesitated for a second before nodding reluctantly.
"Th-that's… okay… Then I'll just turn around. Trainer, be careful…"
She hesitantly placed the pants at the bedside, turned around while holding the shirt, and added worriedly:
"Actually… helping you put on pants… might not be impossible…"
"After all, that's what Dia-chan said…"
…He's starting to suspect that Satono Diamond has some serious problems with common sense in certain areas. A very serious problems…
To be honest, this was the first time Makoto had ever encountered a situation like this, and he had no idea how to handle it.
But seeing how unusually stubborn Kitasan Black was right now, he could only think quickly and put on his pants with one hand.
Then, under Kitasan Black's cheerful and attentive care, he completed the simple everyday task of getting dressed.