Chapter 55
Satono Crown was actually quite curious about Yasui Makoto.
Not only had she watched Kitasan Black's debut race, but she had also gone over the trainers in her family's post-race analysis and review for the second race.
The trainers all agreed that if the debut strategy had been planned on purpose, then Yasui Makoto was either a genius or had received guidance from a highly experienced trainer. It could have been his father, or perhaps one of his teachers.
In any case, no ordinary young trainer would have dared to use such a bold tactic on debut.
While the first race showed Yasui Makoto's daring side, the second race revealed his meticulous attention to detail.
Once explained, the tactic Kitasan Black used in that race was not complicated at all. She simply followed the opponent who controlled the pace best and accelerated one step earlier than expected.
The problem was that the simpler the tactic sounded, the harder it became to pull off perfectly.
In a race with more than a dozen Uma Musume, each with very different strengths and conditions, the situation on the track could grow incredibly complex. Even the smallest change could lead to completely different results, even on the same course with the same group of runners. The tiniest mistake could cost everything.
After the race, anyone with a little experience could point out the key moments. But reading the flow correctly and making those decisions before the start? That was what truly mattered.
And Yasui Makoto had done exactly that.
Before the race even began, he must have noticed how well Satono Rasen adapted to the track and once again boldly told Kitasan Black to follow her. Then he gave the precise command to begin the final sprint, almost exactly at the limit of Satono Rasen's pursuit, securing the win by less than a second.
This was one of the analyses Satono Crown had heard from her family's trainers.
The other analysis, however, was that whether it was the debut race or the second one, that young trainer… was simply guessing.
And from the very beginning, this second view gained more support and eventually became the general consensus.
The reason was simple.
The trainer was too young and far too inexperienced. In fact, he had virtually no experience at all.
Especially when it came to judging Satono Rasen's adaptability to the track.
The Satono family had poured in a great deal of time and gathered a team of veteran trainers who used every advanced tool available before they could confirm it.
How could an eighteen-year-old boy, whose father was just a small-time local trainer and whose mother was not a particularly outstanding Uma Musume, with no connections to any famous seniors… possibly reach the same conclusion on his own?
As a result, Yasui Makoto's name gradually stopped coming up in their discussions.
Even so, Satono Crown had a strange intuition that differed from her family's trainers.
She felt the first analysis… might actually be closer to the truth.
She was not entirely sure, though.
Because she also thought Yasui Makoto seemed far too young and inexperienced compared to the professionals in her family.
Still, there were those occasional moments she had witnessed herself, along with the unusual training methods and special postures her sister had casually mentioned. They all subtly hinted that the young man was anything but ordinary.
It was precisely because of this that she could not help wanting to ask Kitasan Black about him these past few days.
However, with the Twinkle Series full of possibilities where anyone could become a rival at any moment, training details and race tactics were closely guarded secrets. She could not simply ask about them casually.
So after getting a general idea of Yasui Makoto's schedule, Satono Crown smoothly changed the subject.
"Oh, by the way, Kita-chan. I heard from Satono Diamond that you were planning to play games together this weekend, but it sounds like you have something to do tomorrow and won't be able to make it?"
She tried to keep the conversation light.
"Ah? Yeah, I do have plans."
Kitasan Black nodded honestly.
"The Trainer said he's really happy with how my training has been going these past few weeks, but I still feel like I'm not quite there yet."
"Even though he told me I should just rest properly during the break, I still want to run a little more."
"Run a little more?" Satono Crown asked, surprised that her friend had brought up training herself. "So you're not going home for the next two days?"
She had assumed Kitasan Black wanted to practice on the track.
"No," Kitasan Black shook her head with a smile. "I just want to do a light run, like a review."
"The teacher also said we should review properly, right? So it doesn't go against what the Trainer said."
"In that case, the track at home should be more than enough."
Satono Crown nodded in understanding.
She knew her friend had basically grown up living with her grandfather. The old man owned a huge mansion in Hachioji City, west of Fuchu.
It spanned about fifteen hundred tsubo, which was roughly five thousand square meters, almost the size of a football field.
She had visited a few times and remembered the large gardens there.
According to what she had heard, those gardens had been renovated since last year. By the beginning of this year, they had cleared a very large lawn, clearly meant to give Kitasan Black a proper place to run.
"You really are hardworking, Kita-chan," Satono Crown said with a smile. "It looks like you're fully determined to win the Spring Stakes, aren't you?"
"Mhm! Of course!"
Kitasan Black nodded firmly, then declared with confidence:
"There's only one week left until the Spring Stakes. I still have so much more I want to do. But with the Trainer and my seniors helping me, I know I'll be ready!"
"Alright then. I'll be looking forward to your victory."
Satono Crown extended her fist with a confident smile.
"And don't miss the Satsuki Sho, Kita-chan!"
After bumping fists with her, Kitasan Black returned an equally confident grin.
"Don't worry, Crown-chan! We'll definitely see each other at the Satsuki Sho!"
…
Two days later, on the road to Tracen Academy.
Yasui Makoto was riding his motorcycle when he slowed down near the last traffic light.
Not far ahead, just off the sidewalk, his black-haired girl was enthusiastically waving a small notebook while gesturing energetically.
Standing in front of her was a blonde, blue-eyed foreign woman who appeared to be listening very attentively.
Was she giving someone directions? This person…
From a distance, the foreign woman looked somewhat familiar. Yasui Makoto twisted the throttle and rode closer.
"…Go Tracen, and go Tracen, and go Tracen and race. Do you understand?"
His hand, which had been reaching for his helmet, froze mid-motion. Yasui Makoto quietly turned his face toward the traffic light, deciding it was best to pretend he was just an ordinary passerby.
"Ah! Trainer! What a coincidence!"
After a surprised cry, Kitasan Black spotted Yasui Makoto immediately and waved at him excitedly.
Then she turned to the foreign woman with sparkling eyes.
"This is my Trainer-san! His name is Yasui Makoto!"
"Oh, right! I forgot to introduce myself. Sorry, sorry…"
"My name is Kitasan Black! Nice to…"
Yasui Makoto finally could not stay silent any longer.
"…Kita-chan, please stop. Just stop for a second."
He brought his motorcycle to a stop, removed his helmet, and let out a small sigh at his Uma Musume's extremely clumsy English pronunciation. Forcing a polite smile, he extended his hand toward the foreign woman.
"I'm Yasui Makoto, and this is Kitasan Black."
"Like you, I'm a trainer at Tracen Academy. She made her debut this year."
"Nice to meet you, Trainer Chris."
---
Bonus chapters
200 Stones
And so on
Also visit my patreon for advance chapters!
patreon.com/LizTL