In truth, Yasui Makoto had not expected what Kitasan Black meant by "taking care of him."
As the final turf G1 of the year, the Arima Kinen was lively not only before and during the race, but afterward as well, with the award ceremony and the Winner's Live just as bustling.
Since he had been injured unexpectedly, Yasui simply said a few words to Tokai Teio and the others, asked them to help handle some of the follow-up procedures, and then, following the doctor's instructions, went with Tokai Teio to another hospital for another examination.
It was not that he doubted the doctor at Nakayama Racecourse. It was just that this kind of injury took a while to treat and recover from, and getting seen at a hospital would make later checkups more convenient.
After the examination, his arm was put in a cast. He returned home, had a simple dinner, watched the broadcast of the Winner's Live, and then lay down on his bed.
With his arm injured, there were of course many things he could not do. The doctor had also told him to get proper rest and not overwork himself before it healed.
But he still could not fall asleep right away.
Lying there in bed, scene after scene from the Arima Kinen kept replaying in his mind over and over again.
Especially Kitasan Black's final charge to the line, the thunderous roar of the crowd in the stands, and the dazzling result on the board.
Thinking back on it now, Yasui felt as though all of it had been some impossibly brilliant, unreal dream.
And the fact that he, the trainer, had somehow gotten injured and missed everything that came afterward only made it feel even less real.
It was not until Kitasan Black, the familiar Umamusume, and even his parents called or texted to congratulate him that that sense of unreality finally began to fade.
Kitasan Black called first. Her voice through the receiver was as energetic as ever, but her worry was unmistakable.
"Trainer! How's your arm? During the Winner's Live, I kept thinking how nice it would've been if you could've been there beside me... You really need to get plenty of rest, okay? I'll be over soon to take care of you!"
Right after that came Tokai Teio's slightly noisy voice.
"Yasui! Make sure you get some rest, okay? I'm already back at the racecourse, so you don't need to worry too much. Hurry up and heal already—then we'll celebrate properly!"
Deep Impact called too, and she sounded much steadier.
"Yasui-san, Kita's performance was wonderful. You've worked hard. Please rest well and recover soon. I'm looking forward to seeing even greater things from the two of you in the future."
There were also calls and messages from other Umamusume who had heard he was injured.
Every call, every word of congratulations, was like a reassurance, making him feel more and more clearly the weight of this victory—and everyone's concern for him.
His parents, on the other hand, did not know he was injured. Nor did Daiwa Scarlet and the others. Their calls and messages were filled only with pride and congratulations.
As he replied to each call and message, the sense of unreality in his chest gradually gave way to warmth and joy, and before long Yasui found himself thinking about the future again.
This year's race schedule was already over, and as his thoughts shifted, his plans for next year began springing up in his mind like bamboo shoots after rain.
He thought about drawing up a whole new training plan for Kitasan Black, bringing out more of the talent still hidden inside her, taking on more races, and carving her name into the shining monument of racing history.
Those thoughts tangled and collided inside him, stirring his heart so violently that not a trace of sleepiness remained.
He could not help but start simulating future training sessions in his head, imagining Kitasan Black flying across the track in practice and carving a path through every race she entered.
Just thinking about it made his heart pound, his emotions impossible to suppress.
Mindful of his left arm, he unconsciously tossed and turned in bed, making the mattress creak softly beneath him.
He had no idea how much time passed before excitement finally gave way to fatigue.
And after quite a while longer, worn down by both exhilaration and exhaustion, he finally drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, he woke in a haze under the pull of his body clock. The moment he noticed the sunlight coming through the gap in the curtains, he heard a soft but urgent call from beside him.
"Trainer! You're awake? Hurry up and get out of bed—it's time for breakfast!"
"Oh... okay..."
He answered instinctively, then abruptly froze and whipped his head around.
By the bedside, Kitasan Black—who knew when she had arrived—was smiling at him, her eyes sparkling. In her hands was a neatly folded set of clothes.
And the moment she saw him look over, her eyes lit up. Carrying the clothes, she took two steps closer, shook out the shirt, and very clearly looked ready to help him get dressed.
Yasui woke up all at once. A little flustered, he hurriedly felt at his body. Only after confirming that he was still properly wearing his pajamas did he secretly let out a sigh of relief, then stare at her in astonishment.
"W-wait a second! Kita, what are you...?"
As Kitasan Black drew even closer, he became more flustered.
"Wait—hold on! I can dress myself, just put the clothes down—"
"How could I do that!"
Completely unlike her usual self, the normally obedient and sensible Kitasan Black cut him off at once. Her face was serious, her tone allowing no refusal.
"Trainer, you're injured right now. What if you hit the injured spot?"
Then, with a touch of proud gentleness, she added, "I specifically asked Dia-chan for advice. She said that if you're going to take care of someone, then you need to help them get dressed, cook for them, bring them tea, pour their water, and everything else—you have to be absolutely thorough."
"I thought she made a lot of sense, so I came over first thing in the morning!"
"Luckily I had a key to your place, Trainer, and you don't have that many clothes anyway... In any case, please don't move around, Trainer. I'll help you get dressed!"
...No, what is Satono Diamond thinking? This is just a minor fracture. It's not like I'm paralyzed or completely unable to take care of myself. This is a bit much, isn't it...?
Even as he grumbled inwardly, Yasui instinctively wanted to refuse.
But looking at Kitasan Black's serious face, with that unfamiliar hint of stubbornness mixed in, he suddenly had the vague feeling that if he turned her down... it might really hurt her.
"...How about this? Put the clothes here first. I'll put on my pants myself, and then you can help me with the shirt?"
Coming up with a compromise at top speed, Yasui blurted it out in a hurry, no longer caring how awkward he sounded.
"I mean... um... putting on pants... with you like this... that's really kind of inconvenient... right...?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Kitasan Black visibly froze.
Then her ears twitched, a faint blush rose to her cheeks, and after biting her lip, she nodded with a mixture of hesitation and reluctance.
"Th-that... then... then I'll just turn around, okay? Trainer, be careful..."
She hesitantly placed the pants by the bedside, then turned around with the shirt still in her hands, adding uneasily,
"Actually... helping with the pants... might not be impossible either..."
"That's what Dia-chan said, anyway..."
...I seriously suspect Satono Diamond's common sense is broken in some areas. Very broken...
To be honest, this was the first time Yasui had ever been in a situation like this, and he had no idea how to handle it.
But seeing how unusually stubborn Kitasan Black was being right now, he had no choice but to think fast and put on his pants one-handed.
And then, under Kitasan Black's cheerful care, he somehow managed to complete the simple everyday task of getting dressed.