Chapter 180: Isn't the Trainer Still Awake Too?
With Kitasan Black's current popularity, even before the voting for the Arima Kinen began, securing the right to participate would hardly be difficult.
And once that happened, it would mean her opponents would no longer be limited to peers of her own generation like Duramente and Satono Crown, but would also include the veteran racers from the senior division.
The Arima Kinen…
Unconsciously tightening his grip on the training report in his hand, the paper rustled softly as Makoto murmured to himself.
"With fan voting, Kitasan's current popularity shouldn't be a problem… but winning the Arima Kinen in her Classic year…"
Just as he was about to open the records of past Arima Kinen races, a series of soft knocks suddenly sounded at the door. Without thinking much of it, he replied casually,
"Come in."
"You're not asleep yet, Trainer? Then I'll come in."
Hearing the familiar voice, Makoto snapped out of his thoughts at once.
He instinctively turned his head, and his gaze was immediately drawn to the figure at the doorway.
Clearly just out of the bath, Kitasan Black seemed to give off a different kind of presence now.
The braid she usually tied up with a ribbon accessory was completely undone, her hair flowing freely down over her shoulders, smooth and glossy like black satin.
Her red eyes still held their usual vitality and energy, but under the gentle glow of the lamp, they looked a little less lively and exuberant, and instead carried a hint of quiet softness.
Staring at the girl who felt subtly different from his usual impression, Makoto's gaze seemed to freeze. It took him a moment before he snapped back to his senses.
Realizing that he had been staring rather obviously, he cleared his throat in mild embarrassment.
"Ahem, um… it's pretty late. You're not asleep yet either, Kitasan?"
"Aren't you still awake too, Trainer?"
Unaware of Makoto's earlier stare, Kitasan Black turned around to slide the wooden door shut, smiling as she asked in return.
Her slippers tapping softly, she swayed over with her hands clasped behind her back. When she reached Makoto's desk, she leaned forward slightly, upper body tilting as she brought her head close to the training reports and notes spread across the tabletop.
A few strands of hair slipped down from her shoulders and dangled over the reports. She quickly reached out to pinch them aside, then scanned the pages with curiosity.
"So you're still working after all… Oh right, my training today should've been pretty good, right, Trainer?"
"That it was. This afternoon, I—"
He answered reflexively, following along with Kitasan Black's words, but Makoto suddenly paused, a flicker of surprise stirring in his mind.
The training intensity during the camp had been high, but the overall duration was actually shorter than usual—otherwise there wouldn't be enough time for proper rest.
That meant training had already wrapped up by late afternoon, well before dinner, and he had already gone over the day's results with Kitasan Black at that time.
So why ask about it again now…?
After a moment of puzzlement, a thought clicked into place, and he suddenly felt that Kitasan Black probably had something else on her mind.
Thinking back, whether it was when she comforted Duramente, helped Air Groove talk things through, or even earlier moments, he had already noticed that his Umamusume wasn't as carefree and rough-and-tumble as she appeared on the surface.
Training and racing aside, her understanding was actually quite sharp. Even if she couldn't immediately extrapolate from one thing to many, she grasped most instructions the moment they were pointed out.
It seemed to be the same in everyday life.
The incident with Duramente was one example, as was how she looked after Almond Eye, or how she went out with Satono Crown and the others…
Perhaps because she'd been warm-hearted since childhood, Kitasan Black was especially sensitive to the emotional changes of those around her.
She might not always know the best way to respond, but she would always do her utmost to help her friends with genuine enthusiasm.
So… did she sense what I've been thinking about these past few days, and that's why she came over specifically to say something?
If that's really the case…
Guessing as much, a warmth welled up in Makoto's chest, and the corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously into a faint smile.
Still, he didn't let that emotion show too much. He simply raised a hand to pick up the report on the desk, his expression instantly turning focused and professional as he began methodically analyzing the recent training results.
"Overall, the effects of the overload training over the past two months have been the most pronounced. Your stamina has improved again."
As he spoke, he picked up a pen and circled several sets of figures on the report.
"Look here. Running a 3,000-meter drill at a cruising speed of 15 meters per second is considered standard training."
"Generally speaking, an average Umamusume can complete about five runs like this in a single cycle. You can manage at least seven."
At that, he looked up and saw Kitasan Black leaning in, her upper body tilted forward as she stared intently at the data.
They were very close—close enough that he could faintly catch a light, pleasant scent. It seemed like bath soap, or perhaps something else.
His earlobes heating up involuntarily, Makoto quickly turned back around. He spun the pen between his fingers twice, then continued circling figures.
"After increasing the pace even further, the number of sessions drops quickly, but your completion times are still more than 5% better than the average."
"Five percent…"
Murmuring to herself, Kitasan Black nodded. Without even looking back, she pulled over a chair from beside the desk and sat down next to Makoto.
Propping her cheeks in her hands, she frowned slightly and puffed out her lips.
"That sounds… not all that obvious?"
"How could it not be obvious?"
Makoto suddenly laughed. He glanced around, picked up the calculator at the corner of the desk, and tapped the buttons rapidly before lightly tapping the screen with his finger.
"Don't underestimate that 5%. In your races, even a 1% increase is already a huge improvement."
"Using last year's Kikuka Sho finishing time—3 minutes 01 seconds—as a rough reference, if the current you ran that race, in theory you'd be almost a full second faster."
"To put it in concrete terms, that's about a six-length lead—roughly 17 meters of absolute advantage."
"Seventeen meters…"
Kitasan Black's eyes widened in sudden realization and surprise. "My progress right now… is really that big?"
With a trace of disbelief mixed with awe, she reached out toward the calculator.
Instinctively setting it down on the desk and pulling his hand back, Makoto shifted his chair slightly backward.
"So, like I said, many of your metrics have improved significantly."
"Especially judging from the medical checkups and the special training over the past few days, the techniques you learned from Suzuka and Rice Shower have advanced even further."
"On top of that, the tactics I observed during the Dream Trophy should also help raise your actual race performance."
"Of course, in a real race you still have to factor in opponents, track conditions, weather, and so on. It can't be this idealized."
Makoto's expression gradually grew serious—almost stern.
He wrote down several key terms on the report, circling the corresponding data and notes, and without realizing it began talking about his thoughts on the next race.
Matching his seriousness, Kitasan Black slowly straightened up. Her eyes never left her Trainer as she listened, occasionally asking questions, occasionally nodding silently.
After a long while, feeling his throat grow dry, Makoto glanced around—and then noticed Kitasan Black standing up.
She walked over to the room's water dispenser, poured a glass of water, and brought it back, smiling as she handed it to him.
"Trainer, you're thirsty, right?"
"Ah, thanks…"
He nodded gratefully and took the cup, drinking a sip. The temperature was just right, and he almost thanked her again.
Before he could speak, Kitasan Black suddenly looked at him with concern and asked softly,
"Trainer… have you had something on your mind lately?"
<+>
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind paying $5 each month to read till the latest chapter, please go to my Patreon[1].
Latest Post In Patreon: Chapter 274: Adjusting the Start and Pacing Rhythm[2]
Link to the chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/155512898?collection=1617249[3]
https://www.patreon.com/collection/1617249?view=condensed[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1617249?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/155512898?collection=1617249
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/155512898?collection=1617249
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1617249?view=condensed