Kitasan Black still couldn't quite figure out what had caused all that sudden panic earlier. But that was just how she was—she never wasted time worrying about things she didn't understand. Shaking the thought off like water from her ears, she spotted Yasui Makoto and Almond Eye near the entrance and broke into a bright, energetic grin.
"Long time no see, Almond Eye! We're gonna have a huge feast later—wanna come with us?"
Before the younger girl could react, Kitasan Black swept her up in a powerful hug. Almond Eye went rigid for a second, twisting uncomfortably in the older girl's arms, then gradually relaxed with a small, resigned sigh.
"Congratulations on winning the Satsuki Sho, Kita-chan-senpai… I watched the race. It was incredible. I'll work hard to reach that level one day."
"Mhm! I believe in you, Almond Eye!"
Kitasan Black nodded so hard her ears bounced, then forced her expression into something more serious, puffing her cheeks out.
"But skipping class isn't okay, you know? If I remember right, when we video-called the other day you said you had tutoring today! If you want to win races like that, you can't afford to slack off on your studies!"
She had exchanged contact info with Almond Eye after a previous event and had taken a real liking to the quiet junior. Whenever she had a spare moment, she'd send messages or call—checking if the girl was eating properly, asking about her grades. She'd even promised to take her out to celebrate once the Satsuki Sho was finished. Knowing Almond Eye had tutoring, she'd planned to adjust their outing around it. With the Japanese Derby still a month and a half away, there was plenty of time.
Finding out the girl had skipped anyway genuinely bothered her.
Almond Eye fidgeted, guilt written all over her face. She shot a desperate glance at Yasui Makoto, silently begging for help.
Noticing the look, Yasui Makoto stepped forward with a helpless smile.
"Actually, Kita-chan, Almond Eye already knows she messed up."
Almond Eye's eyes lit up with relief, but Kitasan Black's gaze immediately narrowed with suspicion.
She had seen that pleading glance. Her Trainer was usually pretty easygoing in daily life—happy to join her and Satono Crown whenever they invited him out. But when it came to training or studies? He was strict. He never hesitated to point out mistakes and always reminded her to pay attention in class.
So seeing him defend Almond Eye like this felt… off.
"…Trainer, are you trying to cover for her?"
Yasui Makoto scratched his cheek, looking a little awkward.
"It's not like that. We've talked a lot since the last event. This wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment thing. Almond Eye's been seriously researching how to break out of the short-distance races her family has lined up for her. She's written proper training notes and everything. They might look a bit naive from a professional standpoint, but every single page shows how dedicated she is."
He met Kitasan Black's unconvinced stare and continued, "Today's tutoring session was about short-distance races. From her perspective, watching the Satsuki Sho was more important. And honestly… I don't think she was wrong to do it."
Kitasan Black stared at him for a long moment, then let out a small sigh.
"I should probably be lecturing her too, huh…?"
Yasui Makoto glanced away for a second, then looked back at Almond Eye.
"When we got to the administrative hall earlier, I already told her not to do this again. She promised she'd apologize properly to her parents and her tutor. Right, Almond Eye?"
"Yes! I'll apologize properly."
Almond Eye bowed deeply to Kitasan Black. "And I'm really sorry for making you worry about me, senpai."
Kitasan Black's stern expression softened. She reached out and gently patted the top of Almond Eye's head.
"You don't have to apologize to me. Just… don't skip class again, okay? That's all I'm asking."
She turned back to Yasui Makoto, curiosity returning to her voice.
"So what are you planning to do with Almond Eye now? You want to bring her to the celebration party? Have her parents agreed? You contacted the staff here earlier, right? They helped you get in touch?"
Before Yasui Makoto could answer, his attention shifted.
The administrative hall of Nakayama Racecourse had grown quiet. The race was long over, and most of the day's crowd had already gone home. The remaining people moved with the tired but purposeful steps of staff finishing their shifts.
One group, however, wasn't heading for the exits. They were moving deeper into the facility, clearly on their way to overtime or the next round of meetings.
At the front of that group walked a striking Uma Musume.
Long, ink-black hair with a vivid silver streak running straight down the center of her forehead—like a comet slicing through the night sky. Her ears and tail were the same deep black. Most striking of all were her heterochromatic eyes: the left a warm golden amber, the right a cool, deep ocean blue. Her expression was icy, almost severe.
She wore a long black trench coat, accented only with silver details on the collar and cuffs. The sharp-looking men and women in suits around her spoke to her in low, urgent voices, but she answered only sparingly, her face remaining cold and unreadable.
Kitasan Black let out a small gasp.
"Th-That's… Director Yukishiro? I thought she was still overseas…!"
Her voice carried farther than she intended. The group turned to look.
Director Yukishiro's gaze swept over them and lingered for a moment on Kitasan Black. She gave a slight, precise nod.
"The early pace control differed by more than twenty percent from previous races of this type. The cornering angles were unusually tight, and you treated the third turn as the decisive point rather than saving everything for the final straight… That kind of bold, almost unreasonable running style hasn't been seen on Japanese tracks in a long time."
A very faint smile touched her lips—there and gone in an instant.
"A brilliant performance, Kitasan Black."
She then turned to Yasui Makoto and extended her hand.
"My apologies, Trainer Yasui. The meeting ran longer than expected."
They shook hands.
"You should have met me already, but allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Director Yukishiro, current Director of Tracen Academy. It's a pleasure to meet you."
After the handshake, her eyes softened just a fraction with something like quiet resignation. She looked down at Almond Eye, who had quietly lowered her head at some point.
"Have you watched enough of the race? If so, I'll be taking you home shortly."