Chapter 76
"It's not impossible to learn."
Facing the eyes of all the Uma Musumes, Yasui Makoto thought for a moment before speaking in a calm, steady voice.
"For most Uma Musumes, Gold Ship's Satsuki Sho really isn't the best reference. That race was run on a slightly heavy track. Because of the water content and the wear from the previous ten races, the track condition was quite poor. It demanded a high level of strength, stamina, and balance."
"Although there isn't any specific data, if I'm not mistaken, Gold Ship's ability in that area is exceptionally strong. Am I right?"
"Oh? Not bad at all, Yasui-san."
Gold Ship proudly flexed her arm and struck a bodybuilding pose.
"Putting everything else aside, when it comes to strength, physique, and balance, I haven't met anyone who can match me yet. Of course, there have been plenty who tried to challenge me... but unfortunately, I sent them flying! Hey!"
"Knocked... knocked flying?" Kitasan Black's eyes widened. "What... what happened? Did someone get into a fight with Gold Ship-senpai...?"
"No, no, it was during a race! A race!"
Gold Ship's expression grew even more triumphant as she continued smugly, "Some girl kept saying how strong she was, and during the race she kept trying to bump into me. And then..."
She spread her hands and shrugged.
"She got knocked flying by me."
Kitasan Black still looked confused, while Daiwa Scarlet wore a helpless expression.
"Come on, it's not very nice to talk about others like that, Gold Ship. Besides, I remember in that Takarazuka Kinen you mentioned the 'insistent bumping' happened at the final turn, right? Collisions are pretty normal when coming out of a turn. How can you say Gentildonna did it on purpose?"
Gold Ship immediately retorted, clearly unhappy.
"Hey, Vodka! Whose side are you on, mine or that Gentildonna's? She definitely had bad intentions toward me back then. That's just how it is!"
"Alright, alright. We all know Gold Ship is really strong."
Daiwa Scarlet smoothly stepped in. "Right now we're talking about Kita-chan's Satsuki Sho. Let's hear what Yasui-kun has to say first."
Yasui Makoto found the exchange rather amusing.
The race the Uma Musumes were referring to was Gold Ship's Takarazuka Kinen during her first year as a three-year-old. There had indeed been a collision in that race. Yet Gold Ship had barely been affected. After the turn, she surged forward and won in spectacular fashion.
That was exactly the point he wanted to make, so he didn't interrupt.
Race tracks can be classified into four conditions depending on water content: good, slightly heavy, heavy, and bad.
A good track, also known as a fast track, is dry with very little moisture. This allows for the ideal high speeds.
A slightly heavy track can be described as sticky. Moisture mixes with grass, mud, sand, and water to create a gummy surface. Runners can feel a noticeable stickiness when lifting their hooves, and it takes more effort to reach the same speed as on a good track.
A heavy track has even more water content. Stepping on it causes some sinking, which demands greater strength and makes it difficult to accelerate.
A bad track is the rarest condition, sometimes called a rotten track. The sinking is far more severe, almost like running in deep pits with every step. The surface becomes a complete mess, making it extremely difficult to perform at one's usual level.
Gold Ship's Satsuki Sho had been run on a slightly heavy track.
Thanks to heavy rain and the wear from the previous ten races, the outer part of the turf was still decent, but the inner track had deteriorated to nearly heavy-track conditions.
Just as Gold Ship herself had said, almost all the other Uma Musumes chose the outer track in that race. Meanwhile, she started from the innermost lane, charged up from the very back, passed sixteen competitors in an unbelievable fashion, and claimed victory.
Theoretically, Kitasan Black was more than capable of running on such a track.
Like Gold Ship, she possessed outstanding strength, powerful legs, and a robust physique.
That meant they could train together to further develop those abilities.
When Daiwa Scarlet brought the topic back, Yasui Makoto nodded naturally and continued.
"Actually, that's exactly what I wanted to say. It was thanks to her exceptional strength, stamina, and balance that Gold Ship could win the Takarazuka Kinen without being affected by that collision. The same goes for her Satsuki Sho."
"A slightly heavy track is very muddy. Reaching high speeds on it requires a lot of strength. After ten races, the inner part of the track becomes even worse."
"It's not just about speed. Simply running steadily demands not only power but also excellent stamina and balance."
After explaining, he turned to Kitasan Black.
"And Kita-chan happens to have some of the best strength and physical fitness among her generation. For the past three months, I've been working to bring out that potential in her."
"That's why training together with Gold Ship will be a huge help in turning that potential into the speed and other qualities needed to win."
Hearing this, all the Uma Musumes nodded, except for Kitasan Black, who remained deep in thought.
"Indeed. Looking at it that way, Gold Ship isn't completely useless..."
Daiwa Scarlet nodded, completely ignoring Gold Ship's loud protest of "What do you mean I'm not completely useless!" before asking,
"Since you've already thought this far, Yasui-kun, do you have a specific plan?"
Without holding anything back, Yasui Makoto went straight to the point.
"That's right. I want to 'train through races.' We'll use practice races to improve some of Kita-chan's abilities."
"Unlike official races, these training matches aren't about winning or losing. The focus is on whether we achieve the set training goals. The physical load won't be too heavy either."
"Compared to simply running side by side, this method lets us work on multiple goals at once. The training time will also be much shorter, which fits Kita-chan's current needs perfectly. It should be easier on everyone's schedules too."
"After all, no matter how much you care about Kita-chan, you all still have your own things to do. If we end up holding you back, both Kita-chan and I would feel terrible about it."
At that point, Yasui Makoto stood up from his seat, bent his knees, and bowed deeply.
"Of course, even with this arrangement, I will still be troubling everyone. But I sincerely hope you can all agree. Please."
Seeing Yasui Makoto suddenly become so formal, the Uma Musumes were all taken aback.
"...Wait, Yasui-kun, why are you suddenly so serious...?"
Daiwa Scarlet asked, looking puzzled. "Even if you didn't say all that, we would still help without any hesitation."
Although Vodka and the others didn't speak, their expressions and nods clearly showed they felt the same way.
Kitasan Black stared blankly at Yasui Makoto and unconsciously murmured,
"Trainer...?"
Straightening up and facing their bewildered gazes, Yasui Makoto smiled gently and said,
"I've decided to do everything I can to help Kita-chan win every race from now on."
"I know it sounds a little unrealistic. After all, the Twinkle Series has been around for nearly a hundred years, and no Uma Musume has ever achieved something like that. I've never thought this way before either."
"But precisely because it's so difficult, aiming for it feels even more meaningful. Don't you think?"
"Or rather... Kita-chan once told me about the dream she holds. What I just said is the dream I, as her trainer, only realized a little late."