Chapter 215: Kitasan Black's Overwhelming Stamina
Makoto had originally planned to give Kitasan Black some time off, letting her relax properly, rest, and savor the joy of victory.
What he never expected, however, was that he himself would end up getting a rare break as well.
Even though their training loads weren't exactly the same, ever since the training camp began, he had led by example and thrown himself into the high-intensity training alongside Kitasan Black.
In fact, ever since the day he became a trainer, he had always maintained a consistent training routine and never slacked off.
It was true that the physical constitution of humans and Umamusume couldn't be compared directly.
But many physiological principles were the same.
As a trainer, having a strong body and personally experiencing the physical responses brought on by each training task wasn't just an effective method for giving precise guidance—it was also an indispensable part of daily coaching.
However, as Kitasan Black's dedicated trainer, he felt that what he faced was somewhat different from most trainers.
Kitasan Black's stamina was simply too good, so good that ordinary people probably couldn't handle it at all.
Training volumes that other Umamusume had to exhaust themselves to complete were nothing more than light work for her, easily finished without effort.
Training intensities that left others struggling and barely coping were, for her, only just the right level.
And the level of training that other Umamusume couldn't endure at all? That was merely the starting point of her upper limit.
During the period of focused preparation for the Kikuka Sho, the tense atmosphere and total dedication left Makoto with no time to pay attention to his own fatigue.
And thanks to the physical conditioning he'd built up through years of self-training since childhood, he had been able to endure the strain.
Now that the race was finally over, he could truly feel it—
Keeping up with Kitasan Black's training all this time had actually left his body completely worn out.
Perhaps misfortunes never came alone. Starting the very night the Kikuka Sho ended, and for several days after, interviews and invitations poured in one after another.
There was no doubt that after finishing the Classic Triple Crown campaign, Kitasan Black's popularity had skyrocketed like a rocket, and the public's evaluation of her was nothing like before.
As her trainer, his own reputation had naturally risen along with hers.
Yesterday morning was a long, drawn-out media interview.
Facing the reporters' rapid-fire questions, he managed to keep a polite smile on the surface and patiently answer according to the prepared script, but inside he was already utterly exhausted.
After the interview ended, before he even had time to recover, the association somehow arranged another celebration banquet.
It seemed to be some kind of Classic Triple Crown promotional program, or a special event for the Kikuka Sho.
In any case, people kept coming over to chat without stopping, either praising Kitasan Black's outstanding performance or tactfully probing for the "secret" behind their training methods.
His fame had indeed grown, but so had his fatigue.
Yet the attendees were all influential figures from various fields, and academy leaders like Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen were also present.
He had no choice but to force himself to stay alert and deal with them one by one, repeatedly raising and lowering his wine glass, exchanging endless pleasantries.
After finally escaping the banquet, before he'd even taken a few steps, he was stopped again by a sponsor representative.
The man, smiling broadly, wanted to discuss collaboration and promotional opportunities involving Kitasan Black.
Fortunately, this part was easier to handle.
On the very night the Kikuka Sho ended, Saburo Kitajima had hosted another celebration banquet.
The old man had already hinted that Ōno Trading should support Kitasan Black's training. That night, he made the decision on the spot to not only to continue supporting them, but to go all in.
And not just for Kitasan Black, he also promised to continue supporting any Umamusume Makoto signed in the future.
With that relationship in place, Makoto simply entrusted all commercial collaborations and promotions to Ōno Trading.
Even so, while listening to those business representatives talk endlessly, Makoto felt his head buzzing and his eyelids growing heavy.
At that moment, a thought even crossed his mind:
He'd rather go run the Kikuka Sho alongside Kitasan Black one more time than deal with these never-ending social obligations.
Of course, running the Kikuka Sho again was just a joke.
But the exhaustion was very real.
So that day, wrapped in the warm comfort of his blankets, Makoto slowly woke up. His head still felt groggy, like last night's hangover hadn't fully faded.
Subconsciously, he reached out, habitually feeling around the bedside table.
When his fingertips touched the familiar shape, he lazily hooked his phone over and brought it in front of his eyes.
Unlocking the screen and glancing at the time, his eyes widened in surprise.
"Almost noon already? I slept that long… haaah…"
Muttering to himself, he yawned and rubbed his sleepy eyes as he slowly got up.
He rolled out of bed, slipped his feet into his slippers, and the moment he stood up, his stomach growled loudly.
Rubbing his belly, just as the thought "Maybe I should order takeout" crossed his mind, he suddenly caught the smell of delicious food.
He paused slightly, sniffing.
It seemed to be coming from the kitchen.
Dragging his slippers along the floor, he followed the aroma in a daze.
When he opened the door, he saw a familiar figure inside.
A simple black knit top on her upper body, paired with a playful red plaid skirt below, and an apron tied around her waist for cooking.
Compared to her usual energetic image, she still looked lively, but now there was also a warm, homely kind of cuteness.
"Kitasan… why are you… oh…"
Rubbing his eyes, Makoto mumbled and yawned again.
"Right… I did give you a key to this place…"
"Trainer, you're finally awake. Just wait a moment, the omurice will be—"
While speaking, Kitasan Black skillfully stir-fried the rice in the pan and turned back with a smile.
But before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly froze.
Then, at a speed visible to the naked eye, her face flushed red—starting from her cheeks, spreading to her ears, until her entire face turned bright crimson.
At the same time, steam from the frying pan rose above her head, making it look like she herself was steaming.
The next second—
"AHHHHHHH—!!"
A scream rang through the kitchen like a hammer blow, making Makoto's ears hurt and instantly jolting him fully awake.
He froze for half a second, then suddenly realized something and looked down.
Used to living alone, he always closed the curtains before bed and never had the habit of wearing pajamas.
So at this very moment, he had walked into the kitchen wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs.
Realizing just how awkward this level of exposure was, he rarely panicked—but now he did.
"W-wait! Kitasan! Don't scream! I can explain!"
Shouting, he instinctively covered himself with one hand and started moving, planning to rush back to the bedroom to change first.
But just as he moved, as if something had triggered her, Kitasan Black, eyes squeezed shut, gripping tightly with both hands and pulling her arms down, suddenly acted.
Then, in Makoto's shocked gaze, the outline of a frying spatula rapidly grew larger.
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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 314: Kita, You're Truly Amazing[1]
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/umamusume-it-all-161293563?collection=1617249
[2] https://www.patreon.com/Thatsnakegirl/posts/umamusume-it-all-161293563?collection=1617249