That afternoon, after their morning classes, the four members of TCB came to the team's clubroom, ready to begin their afternoon training.
"Good afternoon, Trainer-san."
"Hello, Trainer-san~"
Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond greeted Sakura Bakushin O with energetic voices.
These two newly enrolled Little Horse Girls had arrived even earlier than Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen.
"Hello, have you finished lunch?"
Sakura Bakushin O also smiled and greeted Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond.
"Yes, we have," Satono Diamond replied.
"Tracen Academy's buffet cafeteria is really delicious; they have everything, and it's unlimited," Kitasan Black said with a smile.
"Good, then. Our training time is very tight. If you haven't eaten enough, you might not have enough stamina to sustain your training until dinner time."
Sakura Bakushin O casually said, then took out two printed documents and placed them in front of Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond.
"Take a look; these are the race plans I've customized for you two for this year. For Diamond, the focus will be on intensified training. For Kita, your training time will be shorter than Diamond's, and you'll have more races."
"Okay."
"Thank you, Trainer-san."
Satono Diamond and Kitasan Black thanked Sakura Bakushin O, then each picked up their respective training and race plans and began to read them.
Satono Diamond had no objections to the arrangements, but Kitasan Black suddenly froze after flipping through the plan a few times.
She showed a look of disbelief, immediately flipped the plan to the very beginning, and then carefully re-read it.
By the time she finished reading it a second time, Kitasan Black's usually energetic and cute face was filled with surprise.
"Kita, what's wrong?"
Satono Diamond looked over in confusion, then also froze when she saw the plan in Kitasan Black's hand.
Because she saw that Sakura Bakushin O had arranged twice as many races for Kitasan Black as for herself.
"Tra...Trainer-san, is this what you meant by 'a little more'?"
Kitasan Black was full of shock.
"Diamond and I are only making our debut at the end of June, right? Including the debut race, Trainer-san, you've arranged a total of six races for me...that's one race a month. Are you serious?"
Satono Diamond was greatly surprised to hear Kitasan Black's words. Sakura Bakushin O had only arranged three races for her, and she hadn't expected Kitasan Black to really have twice as many.
"It's true, but don't be surprised. Even if the training is insufficient, it doesn't matter. Your main goal is to accumulate race experience, preparing for the Oka Sho next April. After all, your running style isn't very suitable for mile races, and to adapt as soon as possible, you can't train at such a leisurely pace."
Sakura Bakushin O explained.
"Al...alright."
Kitasan Black's teeth chattered a little. One race a month from her debut—let alone training, it would be difficult to even adapt to new tracks.
She could even foresee herself running an unwatchable race in the future due to insufficient training and not adapting to the track.
"Kita." Sakura Bakushin O saw Kitasan Black's hesitation and called out, "If you have any opinions on the race schedule, you can bring them up at any time. If you are determined to aim for an undefeated Triple Crown, then I can help you customize a new plan."
Kitasan Black's ears twitched slightly when she heard Sakura Bakushin O's words, and she felt a little moved.
While eating lunch today, at the table next to her sat an Horse Girl senior who looked very serious, with a glowing blue ear accessory around the base of her right ear, and what looked like a robot's signal receiver on the other side.
Kitasan Black recognized her; it was Mihono Bourbon, who had almost achieved the Triple Crown previously.
In her conversation with Mihono Bourbon, she learned that Mihono Bourbon's Trainer was very strict, and the training tasks and plans he set were not to be changed by Mihono Bourbon.
Although Mihono Bourbon didn't seem to defy her Trainer's wishes, Kitasan Black felt that if Mihono Bourbon were to go against her Trainer's instructions, she would probably be reprimanded by her Trainer.
Regarding race schedules and training arrangements, an Uma Musume certainly cannot compare to a Trainer who has undergone professional training and examinations to enter Central Tracen Academy.
Therefore, Sakura Bakushin O, as a genius Trainer who had already nurtured two of the strongest Horse Girl in the previous generation, had no need to listen to her opinions at all.
Kitasan Black, of course, had no objections to Sakura Bakushin O's plan; she was merely startled upon seeing such a frequent racing schedule.
However, what she hadn't expected was...
Upon seeing her expression, Sakura Bakushin O actually said directly that she could modify the training and race plans according to Kitasan Black's wishes.
Kitasan Black instantly felt the distance between herself and Sakura Bakushin O shorten considerably. Sakura Bakushin O's respect for her made Kitasan Black feel extremely pleased, even a little touched.
Sakura Bakushin O was truly much easier to talk to and much kinder than other Trainers.
Kitasan Black raised her right arm in a gesture like a bodybuilder flexing her bicep. She shook her head gently and said to Sakura Bakushin O with a smile:
"It's alright, Trainer-san. Just go with whatever you've arranged. I'll do my best to live up to your expectations. Don't let my recent joining of the team fool you; my stamina and strength are top-notch!"
"Alright, then let's proceed with this for now. If you feel uncomfortable later, be sure to tell me at any time. Don't worry about making me unhappy or anything like that; keeping your thoughts to yourself could lead to big problems."
"Okay!" Kitasan Black nodded heavily.
"You two wait a little longer. Once Teio and McQueen arrive, we'll start training."
Sakura Bakushin O pulled out her phone, checked the time, and felt that Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen would arrive soon, so she continued chatting with the two newcomers.
This is an essential part of fostering the relationship between a Trainer and an Uma Musume.
"By the way, you two have already started regular classes this morning, right? How was it? Where were your seats assigned?"
"Diamond was assigned to the corner seat at the very back row by the window, and I'm next to her."
Satono Diamond, elegantly seated on a chair in the clubroom, replied softly.
"Oh, that's the special spot for the protagonist and heroine. Good luck, Kita."
Sakura Bakushin O smiled and patted Kitasan Black's shoulder, which left both her and Satono Diamond a bit confused.
"Only excellent Horse Girl sit in your spot, Kita. From what I know, Teio, Special Week, and Oguri Cap have all sat in that position. I'm sure you're aware of their track records, which is why I said you're lucky."