Imanami Takatoshi stood by the track, his gaze following the figures racing across the course.
Once every Umamusume had dashed out, he tilted his head slightly toward Yasui Makoto and said, a hint of admiration in his eyes,
"Yasui-san, that Kita-chan of yours really has an eye-catching start.
"That explosiveness and reaction speed—she must put a great deal of work into her usual training. She has a bright future."
That Kita-chan of mine...?
A strange feeling stirred briefly in Yasui Makoto's heart, but he quickly reined it in. He smiled modestly and replied,
"You're overpraising her, Imanami-senpai."
"Kita-chan has always worked hard, true, but there are still plenty of areas where she needs to improve."
"For example, today is also a very good learning opportunity when it comes to adapting to different starting methods."
As he spoke, his gaze fell on Lucky Lilac, and he continued,
"And Lucky Lilac must train very hard on a regular basis too."
"Although she fell slightly behind at the start, that calmness of hers is truly rare."
"Imanami-senpai, what do you think of her start?"
Following Yasui Makoto's gaze, Imanami Takatoshi nodded slightly and said with feeling, "Lilac-chan is a steady-natured child. She doesn't panic when something happens, and that's her greatest strength in terms of personality."
"She didn't seize the initiative at the start, true, but you should be able to see that her adjustments in breathing and stride weren't slow at all."
Yasui Makoto nodded, deeply agreeing. "Yes, her ability to react on the spot is quite good, and her mentality is very stable."
"She doesn't lose her composure just because she's behind early on... That kind of mindset is extremely important in a race."
"Personality, mentality..."
Imanami Takatoshi nodded as well, rubbing his chin as he said, "Those things have a deep influence on an Umamusume."
"Lilac-chan's personality gives her an advantage when it comes to the start and controlling her early rhythm."
"But in the middle to late stages of a race, when she faces high-intensity competitive pressure, whether she can unleash a strong fighting spirit and perseverance is something we still have to observe."
Something stirred in Yasui Makoto's heart, because what Imanami Takatoshi had said was exactly what he had judged before the race.
In a certain sense, Lucky Lilac's slow start was within expectations.
She was indeed much calmer than Almond Eye, but correspondingly, her reaction speed might be slower than the lively Almond Eye's.
If, beneath her calm appearance, she was still somewhat nervous about having so many senpais around her in this race, then it would be perfectly normal for that to affect her starting speed.
And calmness, like Almond Eye's competitiveness, had both advantages and disadvantages.
The disadvantage was naturally that it might affect her reactions. The advantage, however, was that because she was steady and cool-headed enough, her performance in actual competition might be even better than Yasui Makoto imagined, and better than what Imanami-san was worried about.
Thinking that, Yasui Makoto gave a slight nod and said to Imanami Takatoshi, "What you said is exactly right, Imanami-senpai, but I do have a slightly different view."
"Lucky Lilac's calm personality may not have given her an advantage at the start, but it leaves many possibilities open for the rest of the race."
"Maybe in the middle to late stages, she'll be able to use that calmness to handle complex situations skillfully and turn things around."
"Take her performance just now, for example. Although she fell behind at the start, she quickly adjusted her condition. Surrounded by several senpais, her stride is still steady, and her breathing hasn't lost its rhythm."
"Given time, once she masters the knack of a quick start, her strength will certainly be nothing to underestimate."
Imanami Takatoshi's gaze remained fixed on Lucky Lilac on the track. After listening to Yasui Makoto, a gratified smile appeared on his face.
"Yes, this child has always had great potential."
"And there's nothing to criticize about her attitude toward training. She gives it everything she has every day."
"I'm looking forward to seeing her break through her limits in actual races and become an Umamusume who shines in the Twinkle Series."
While Yasui Makoto and Imanami Takatoshi exchanged their thoughts at high speed, the situation on the track gradually became clear.
Kitasan Black was still leading.
Orfevre and Nakayama Festa were clinging tightly behind her.
Dream Journey and Stay Gold were lying in wait in Late Surger positions.
And Gold Ship and Lucky Lilac were also steadily accelerating, working hard to catch the group ahead.
Running at the very front, Kitasan Black maintained the controlled lead she was most familiar with, while most of her attention was focused on the senpais behind her.
Her keen senses made her deeply aware that although this mock race had no formal status to speak of, the pressure coming from behind her was in no way inferior to a G1 race.
When she thought about it, that was only natural. Aside from Lucky Lilac, whom she had only just met, every runner chasing her from behind was a G1-level Umamusume.
Orfevre-senpai's running style was solid, her steps fierce, pressing closer with every stride.
Nakayama Festa-senpai's agility and explosiveness on the racecourse were not to be underestimated either. At any moment, she might break through the line and overtake.
Dream Journey-senpai and Stay Gold-senpai were silently lurking in Late Surger positions, like leopards hidden in the dark, waiting for the best moment to strike.
And Gold Ship-senpai, despite starting a little slowly, had begun a fierce pursuit from the middle stage onward, making her another force that could not be ignored.
Beyond that, the course setup for this race was completely unfamiliar to Kitasan Black.
Two thousand meters, two and a half laps. That meant a course with ten turns, something she had never tried before.
This was not as simple as the turns being longer and the straights shorter.
It also meant she needed to spend more stamina through the turns to counteract the influence of centrifugal force.
And on the straights, she had to adjust her condition more quickly and enter the preparation phase for the next turn.
Every turn was like a unique challenge lying across her path, requiring her to control her body's balance and rhythm with precision, and to skillfully use the arc of the turn to maintain her speed.
The shortened straights, meanwhile, were more like a race against time, demanding that she quickly build up enough momentum within each brief straight-line sprint to prepare for the next turn's challenge.
That freshness ran through her body like a current, leaving her both uneasy and excited.
She was uneasy because she was not certain whether she could perfectly handle all the complicated situations brought about by this unfamiliar course. Every turn and every straight was full of unknown variables.
She was excited because she longed to explore the limits of her body and potential through this brand-new challenge, and to feel the exhilaration of breaking through herself.
Those complex, intertwined emotions made her heartbeat quicken without her noticing, and her blood surged even hotter through her veins.
At the same time, she did not forget to pay attention to Lucky Lilac at the very back.
From time to time, the corner of her eye swept behind her. Although she could not turn her head and look directly while running at full strength, she could sense Lucky Lilac's position and movements.
She discovered that although this junior she had only just met had fallen behind at the start, her steady rhythm had not been disrupted in the slightest.
Appreciation rose in Kitasan Black's heart.
As a fellow Umamusume, she knew very well how difficult it was to remain calm in an atmosphere like this.
The powerful presence of the senpais behind her was enough to make many inexperienced Umamusume lose their composure.
And yet, beneath the airflow and pressure created by all those senpais, Lucky Lilac still maintained her unique, composed stride. Every step she took was as if she were measuring the track, precise and firm.
If you really meet an opponent like this in a race... Almond Eye, you'll have to work twice as hard.
Admiring her, Kitasan Black could not help thinking so.
---
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
hehe every 100 followers on either instagram or twitter is 5 bonus chapters...? (for all tls ongoing)
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl
instagram: hanbaowise
twitter: WiseKingOfUruk_