Chapter 35
Daiwa Scarlet sighed.
"Yeah… She won so many races in the regional circuits, but because of all those messy rules, she was shut out.
"Still, if it weren't for that, I probably never would have met him.
"Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"
Vodka shrugged.
"Just a random thought.
"Trainer Yasui said he usually watches from the front. Most rookies don't dare stand there — that spot is reserved for veteran trainers.
"Well, it's a silly rule. I don't know what they were thinking.
"Anyway, I think this trainer is pretty likable, so…"
She smiled, picked up her tray, and stood up.
"Let's go. We'll save him a good spot."
...
When Yasui Makoto arrived at the grandstands from the prep room, he thought he would have to spend some time looking for a place.
The front viewing area at major racecourses had no seats — it was all standing room, first-come, first-served.
There was also an unwritten rule among trainers: the best viewing spots were reserved for seniors.
The same kind of unwritten rules applied to resource allocation.
Things like private offices, access permissions, and even dormitory rooms closer to the academy were not available to rookies like him. That was why he had been renting a place farther away.
He knew these rules, but he had never really paid much attention to them.
However, today's race was later in the day, so there were more spectators than last time.
In particular, the front viewing area with the best sightlines was already packed.
After searching for a while without finding a good spot and thinking he might have to move to the back, he suddenly received a call from Daiwa Scarlet.
"Trainer Yasui, we can see you. Walk a bit further forward… Do you see me now?"
Following her directions, Yasui Makoto immediately spotted the two horse girls he had eaten lunch with. While feeling puzzled, he was also quietly relieved that they had saved him a spot.
"Thank you. Otherwise I probably would have had to watch from the back."
Gratefully, Yasui Makoto took out his binoculars, stopwatch, and tablet from his shoulder bag.
Daiwa Scarlet looked completely used to this, while Vodka seemed a little surprised.
"Trainer Yasui, are you going to work while watching the race?"
"Yeah. The Shining Series is full of uncertainty. Sometimes raw data isn't as accurate as intuition."
Putting on a Bluetooth earpiece, Yasui Makoto explained:
"Recording my first impressions through data while watching and then comparing them with precise numbers can help correct errors in intuition to some extent.
"This is something my father taught me.
"He said trainers of his generation relied on intuition and experience. Newer generations like us need to combine various methods to find training approaches that can better help horse girls."
This time, not only Vodka but even Daiwa Scarlet looked surprised.
"So Trainer Yasui's father is also a trainer?" Daiwa Scarlet asked in surprise.
"A local trainer. He never came to Central."
Yasui Makoto smiled. "Many of my training methods and philosophies were taught to me by him.
"My mother also taught me a lot. She used to be a horse girl at a local racetrack."
The two horse girls exchanged a glance, their surprise turning into a subtle sense of closeness.
"I see. Now I understand why Trainer Yasui is so outstanding."
Vodka swept her index finger across her nose.
"But besides your parents' guidance, you must have worked extremely hard on your own… Is it okay if I call you Yasui-kun?"
"Of course. I don't really mind how people address me…"
Yasui Makoto had only said half the sentence when loud cheers erupted from the grandstands and the broadcast became even louder.
"Now, the seventh race of the day is about to begin."
The female commentator's clear voice first drew everyone's attention, then she began introducing one of the horse girls.
"Without further delay, the top favorite has entered!
"In her three races so far, she has achieved one first, one second, and one fourth place.
"Moving from 1600m grass to 2000m hasn't diminished her strength at all. Her final 600m time of 33.5 seconds in the last race proves her excellent closing speed.
"She is Crusher Rez!"
The cheers grew even louder. At the same time, on the giant screen facing the grandstands, a horse girl with long black hair, wearing a sports short-sleeve top and shorts with a long sports jacket draped over her shoulders, stepped out onto the presentation runway.
She raised her arm and waved, then grabbed her jacket and flung it off in a very cool motion.
After the commentator finished introducing her information, she bowed and picked up the jacket she had thrown, returning behind the presentation stage.
This was the standard "presentation segment" before every race.
Yasui Makoto had watched many of these while studying races in the past, and he had done the same during the previous race.
But this time he suddenly felt curious.
He glanced to the side. The two horse girls next to him were chatting with great interest.
"1:36.3, 1:38.2, 1:34.8… Not very consistent results."
"Probably because of the inconsistency that her trainer wants to move her from the mile to middle distance."
"Probably… But her closing speed is solid. 33.2, 34.3, 33.5 — it feels even better than mine was at debut."
"After so many years, the younger generation is bound to improve."
After saying that, Daiwa Scarlet's eyes moved and she noticed Yasui Makoto's gaze.
"Is there something you wanted to ask, Yasui-kun…? Is it okay if I call you that too?"
"Of course, feel free. As for me…"
After hesitating for a moment, Yasui Makoto shook his head and lowered his head, pretending to organize his data.
"It's nothing. I suddenly forgot what I wanted to ask. It must not have been important, so don't worry about it."
What he actually wanted to ask was whether horse girls ever felt embarrassed when they flung their jackets off during the presentation and then had to pick them up again.
But after thinking about it, if they really did feel embarrassed, asking would only make it worse.
After pretending for a moment, he really started organizing his data and unconsciously began looking forward to Kitasan Black's entrance.
After quite a while, the commentator finally announced the black-haired girl's name.
"Delivering a brilliant debut victory with a spectacular late-race acceleration.
"This is her second appearance — also only the second race of her trainer's career.
"Compared to her experienced seniors, this rookie duo's spirit is no less impressive, as shown by her.
"Kitasan Black!
"Let's look forward to this energetic girl giving us a brilliant performance!"
Yasui Makoto unconsciously lifted his head and smiled.
A moment later, the corners of his mouth stiffened.
Beside him, the delighted half-sentence "Oh, Kitasan is finally coming out!" was cut off short. Vodka's expression also froze.
As if she suddenly didn't recognize the junior on the big screen, Daiwa Scarlet turned her head away and pretended to look at the scenery.
Laughter began to spread through the grandstands.
"This girl… why did she think to zip up her jacket during the presentation?"
"Looks like the zipper got stuck. She's been struggling to take it off…"
"Hahaha, this is too funny. What's this horse girl's name? I'm going to follow her — hahaha, this is hilarious!"
Hearing the amused voices around him and seeing even Vodka start turning her head and whistling, Yasui Makoto looked around, desperately wishing there was a crack in the ground he could crawl into.
There was no helping it. His own horse girl getting her jacket zipper stuck during the presentation and turning bright red while struggling…
It really was too embarrassing.
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T/N: Heya~
Just checking in if you guys are still reading this? saw the stat's today and it seems low, either you guys are stock pilling or got bored, sorry!
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