Feeling like he'd explained everything clearly—and that his words were flowing smoothly now—Yasui Makoto couldn't help but relax. He glanced back at Kitasan Black.
And then he saw it.
Kitasan Black, who'd been flushed with excitement and a touch of shyness moments before, now had something like disappointment flickering across her eyes.
A moment ago, she hadn't even realized it herself.
Only now did she dimly understand: that inexplicable embarrassment had come from the belief that Yasui Makoto had commissioned pajamas styled after her race outfit—just to support her.
And as her thoughts drifted, the kitchen fiasco from last time flashed vividly in her mind.
Even with Bamboo Memory-senpai talking her through it, that scene had stuck with her. Whenever it surfaced by accident, it still made her face burn.
She was usually easygoing—she didn't dwell on things like that.
Yet now, confronted with a similar situation, the memory bubbled up unbidden.
If Yasui Makoto really had ordered pajamas just to show his support, it would've made her unbelievably, ridiculously happy.
Because knowing he supported her wholeheartedly, and seeing that support made tangible—right there, worn by him—were two completely different feelings.
But after hearing his explanation, she realized she'd misunderstood.
She'd gotten carried away. Read too much into it.
The disappointment lasted only a moment.
Even if it wasn't custom-made, Yasui Makoto's words revealed one thing clearly: he'd been running around for her sake this whole time, and she'd barely known it.
The pajamas, the other collaborations, the endorsements—she'd been oblivious, so she'd never paid attention.
Thinking about it now, even if the reason wasn't exactly what she'd imagined, it still proved she hadn't been wrong about the bigger picture. Yasui Makoto truly had poured enormous effort into her career.
With that thought, Kitasan Black perked right back up—and finally remembered why she'd come tonight in the first place.
"Trainer, you…"
She opened her mouth, only to realize her heart was still racing. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
"Actually, I came today because there's something really important I want to tell you…"
Yasui Makoto couldn't quite follow her mood swings.
When he'd opened the door, she'd seemed shy.
Not long after, disappointment had flickered across her eyes.
Then in the next blink, she was back to her usual bright, bubbly self—only to turn solemn immediately afterward.
Seeing her so serious now, recalling that earlier, almost bashful look… Yasui Makoto's mind drifted despite himself.
Outside the window, the bright moon hung high. Silver light spilled across the earth, cloaking everything in something dreamlike.
In this deep, quiet night—when the world was still—a lively, earnest girl stood outside his door, her expression shifting again and again, before she finally said, with absolute seriousness, that she had something important to say.
In this moment, this setting… wasn't it natural for a few romantic thoughts to slip in?
But then—after unconsciously holding his breath and listening to what Kitasan Black actually said—Yasui Makoto couldn't stop a flicker of disappointment.
"Gold Ship… her strength dropped? Oh, that's what this is about. I thought you were going to…"
He muttered it before he could stop himself. The instant he realized how disappointed he sounded, he shook his head sharply.
This is serious, isn't it? I was just thinking nonsense, what on earth was I imagining…
He pushed those stray thoughts aside—and only then noticed he still hadn't even invited her inside. He stepped back into the room casually and said, apologetic,
"I was actually thinking about that too. But… anyway, come in first. Let's talk inside."
Kitasan Black blinked, bit her lip, and gave a small, deflated "Oh," before obediently stepping inside and closing the door.
The reason she'd hesitated to say it—her suspicions about a senpai, and the feelings accompanying them—was because she feared Yasui Makoto would be disappointed in her.
Pinning her hope of victory on an opponent getting weaker… it was cowardly. No matter how she looked at it, it wasn't a thought an Umamusume—especially one like herself—should have.
Yasui Makoto probably didn't want her thinking that way either… right?
Just now, she'd sensed it—dimly, yet unmistakably—like he'd briefly been disappointed. If things were truly sliding toward that worst-case possibility, her chest tightened painfully.
But she quickly realized she'd been overthinking it.
Once inside, Yasui Makoto gestured toward the sofa, signaling her to sit. He walked over to his desk, picked up a stack of documents and his tablet, and began flipping through the pages as he spoke.
"Actually, I've been keeping an eye on Gold Ship's situation too. Of course, not just her—we've been monitoring all of your Arima Kinen opponents closely."
"It's just that we're especially familiar with Gold Ship."
"And…" He paused. "Because of her losses at the Takarazuka Kinen and the Japan Cup, Orfevre specifically came to see me and asked what I thought about Gold Ship's current state."
Kitasan Black had still been worrying about how Yasui Makoto felt toward her earlier thoughts—but hearing that, she instantly forgot her own little concerns.
Sitting forward slightly on the sofa, she fixed her gaze on Yasui Makoto as she listened intently.
Orfevre-senpai had even come to Yasui Makoto…? Her brows drew together, her worry for Gold Ship deepening.
"From what we've observed, and combined with what Orfevre shared, I don't think there's any real problem with Gold Ship's physical condition."
Yasui Makoto looked up, meeting Kitasan Black's eyes.
"You know you all have regular annual physicals, and when necessary, you get additional exams."
"And those medical records—we Trainers can apply to review them during preparations."
As he spoke, he pulled out a set of papers from the stack, walked over, and handed them to Kitasan Black.
"How should I put it… based on Gold Ship's exam reports, her overall health…"
"Is downright astonishing."
"Counting from her debut, she's been racing for a full four years. That's far longer than the average Umamusume's two-year active period."
"And as of now she's run twenty-seven races, and nearly ninety percent of them were high-level graded stakes—hard, intense competitions."
"But through all that, she hasn't had a single serious injury. You could even say she hasn't had so much as a minor issue."
Kitasan Black skimmed the reports quickly. The more she read, the more startled she looked.
"Seriously…? I always knew Gold Ship-senpai was crazy tough, but there isn't even one hospitalization record? Not a single doctor's visit?"
She looked up in disbelief, blurting it out.
"No. Not once."
Yasui Makoto nodded again, something odd flashing in his eyes.
"Honestly, looking at a report like this makes me suspect something…"
"Suspect… what?" Kitasan Black blinked.
"Suspect…" Yasui Makoto gave a wry smile. "Whether Gold Ship has actually ever gone all-out in a race, from her debut until now."
"Her numbers are too healthy. Her body's condition is too good—so good it's like she's never raced at all…"
"Brand-new."
"Yeah. Brand-new. That's the only word I can use to describe how it feels."
---
T/N: 4 chaps meeting this weeks quota, last week it was 7dtd this week it was tomodachi life........ teehee
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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