Chapter 232: Kitasan Black Feels Ashamed
When she declared her confidence, it wasn't as if Kitasan Black felt no worry or pressure.
Perhaps her understanding of the other seniors in the Arima Kinen—especially a more direct, personal understanding—had only come gradually in recent days.
But she had known for a long time just how strong Gold Ship-senpai really was.
It was true that, in her eyes, many of this Umamusume's actions were strange and unpredictable.
Yet that explosive speed, powerful strength, and outstanding stamina… those were all beyond doubt.
Because she herself possessed similar levels of strength and endurance, she often sought advice from Gold Ship, which meant she understood her even better.
To be honest, she had asked herself many times about whatever she can win against an opponent like that.
Each time, the answer was the same: she had no guarantee of victory.
But beyond all that, she also had something else—
A burning desire to win this Arima Kinen.
A desire to run a race that would truly shine.
Maybe she still hadn't found a reason as pure as Oguri Cap-senpai, or a reason like Sounds of Earth-senpai, who wanted to perform a melody that belonged to herself.
But whether it was the vague admiration she once felt, or everything she had accumulated through countless practices and races, or all the experiences that had carried her this far—
There was one thing she firmly believed.
She wanted to give everything she had, and respond with her own two legs to everyone who supported, encouraged, and helped her.
So as long as someone was cheering for her, she would keep running with all her strength.
As for winning the Arima Kinen as a Classic-year runner like Gold Ship-senpai—
She wasn't just saying that lightly.
Ever since the Kikuka Sho… no, even earlier than that, she had been preparing for this.
And now, fighting side by side with her Trainer, she was still preparing.
If she keeps working this hard, then the chance of her winning even against an opponent like Gold Ship-senpai and all the other powerful seniors is not zero!
Kitasan Black believed this with all her heart.
…
More than a month later.
After finishing a full day of training and returning to the dorm after dinner, Kitasan Black pushed open the door. A voice came from inside.
"Mhm, I'll definitely win beautifully, just like in my debut race."
The voice was gentle, filled with excitement and pride.
Hearing the door open, Satono Diamond glanced over from the corner of her eye. When she saw it was Kitasan Black, she blinked and lightly pointed at her phone.
Kitasan immediately understood—her friend was video-calling her family.
Thinking of her own family, Kitasan couldn't help but smile warmly.
She changed her shoes at the door, slipped on her slippers, and quietly tiptoed inside, lying down on her bed as gently as possible, trying not to make a sound.
Meanwhile, the call continued.
"The condition race is the day before the Arima Kinen, right? I remembered correctly this time, didn't I? Your mom kept complaining that I couldn't remember your schedule."
A middle-aged man's voice came through the phone.
"Don't get nervous at the track. Just perform the same way you do in training, okay, Dia?"
"And don't neglect your studies or slack off on training. Remember that too."
Before Satono Diamond could reply, a slightly reproachful woman's voice chimed in.
"It's not even race day yet. Why are you saying that so early?"
The woman's tone quickly softened.
"Training is important, racing is important, studying is important too, but make sure you rest properly. Don't exhaust yourself. Your health is the most important thing."
The man cut in, "That's what I was about to say—"
The woman in the phone ignored him.
"Get along well with your classmates, and if there's anything you don't understand, ask your sister for help."
"Uncle, Auntie, don't worry," came the confident voice of Satono Crown.
"Dia is way more outstanding than I am."
"She's basically always near the top of the first page in her exam evaluations. She works really hard in training too, her training volume is almost catching up to mine."
"As for racing, there's no need to even mention it. She won her debut race even more beautifully than I did. Her next race will definitely be an easy win."
"Of course, I'll do everything I can to help her. Uncle and Auntie, please don't worry."
"Sis, it's not nearly as exaggerated as you make it sound…" Satono Diamond said again, her voice tinged with embarrassment.
Listening to the warm conversation from the next room, Kitasan Black lay on her back staring at the ceiling. The corners of her lips kept lifting higher, and a quiet sense of reassurance slowly filled her heart.
After more than a month of preparation, the Arima Kinen was drawing closer and closer.
Between all kinds of training and discussions with her Trainer, she believed she had stayed focused the whole time.
And yet, some things still distracted her no matter how hard she tried to suppress them.
For example, Satono Crown's crushing defeat in the Autumn Tenno Sho.
And the winner of that G1 race just so happened to be her next opponent in the Arima Kinen—Lovely Day-senpai.
Counting it up, that senior had already achieved four consecutive victories in just half a year.
After watching the entire race that day with her own eyes and realizing what kind of form Lovely Day was in, Kitasan was instantly struck with a complicated shock.
On one hand, she knew how much Satono Crown had put into preparing for the Autumn Tenno Sho, and she felt heartbroken and worried for her friend's loss.
On the other hand, she and Satono Crown were from the same generation of runners. Aside from race results, their physical development, racing experience, and even overall ability weren't that far apart.
If her friend could only achieve that kind of result in the Tenno Sho…
Then what would happen when she herself faced the same older-generation runners in the Arima Kinen?
Carrying those tangled feelings, she had only managed to comfort Satono Crown with their other friends before the following races once again stole her attention.
First was the recent Japan Cup.
In that race, after the Takarazuka Kinen, the hugely popular Gold Ship-senpai suffered another crushing defeat, finishing only 10th.
Meanwhile, Lovely Day-senpai—who was in the middle of her four-win streak—also ran in the Japan Cup, but didn't win either, finishing 3rd.
The champion of the Japan Cup turned out to be another exceptionally strong seniors, Shonan Pandora.
Kitasan watched the entire race as well and once again felt the same complicated emotions she had during the Autumn Tenno Sho.
Or rather, even more complicated ones.
She knew very clearly that in the upcoming Arima Kinen, she would be racing on the same track as Gold Ship-senpai.
The loss at the Takarazuka Kinen could still be explained away—maybe she hadn't fully recovered after the Spring Tenno Sho, or maybe it was just one of those hard-to-control temperament issues.
So before the Japan Cup, if she had to pick the strongest opponent, it would definitely have been Gold Ship-senpai.
But nearly half a year separated the Takarazuka Kinen and the Japan Cup. Poor recovery simply couldn't be the reason. Training surely wasn't a problem either.
Her temperament didn't seem to be an issue this time, since Gold Ship-senpai's start out of the gate had gone extremely smoothly.
That was what made Kitasan both worried and confused and faintly, guiltily relieved.
Could it be… that Gold Ship-senpai's strength had declined?
If that were really the case, then I—
The moment the thought reached that point, she forcefully cut it off.
Because feeling such relief made a trace of shame well up in her heart.
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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.
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