Chapter 256: Satono Diamond, Well Done
Regarding the teasing tone in Agnes Tachyon's remarks, Makoto simply found it amusing. Kitasan Black, however, blushed deeply for a moment before her eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had realized something.
The examination that followed wasn't much different from the previous one—if anything, it was even simpler.
The medical records, X-rays, and doctor's notes were all already prepared. After reviewing them, Agnes Tachyon quickly reached the conclusion that there was "nothing seriously wrong."
Then, after reminding Makoto to rest well and Kitasan Black to take good care of him, she changed the topic.
"In a certain sense, Makoto-kun, you getting injured right now might not necessarily be a bad thing."
Since they had become fairly familiar with each other, the way she addressed Makoto had become more casual.
Hearing this, both Makoto and Kitasan Black were momentarily stunned.
Makoto quickly fell into thoughtful silence, while Kitasan Black puffed out her cheeks slightly and folded her ears back in dissatisfaction. Clearly she didn't like what Agnes Tachyon had said, but because the other was her senior, she held back from speaking.
Noticing Kitasan Black's mood, Agnes Tachyon neither panicked nor changed her words. Instead, she calmly continued:
"Don't look at me like that, Kitasan Black. I mean it sincerely."
Her gaze became a little more serious as she spoke.
"You may not have realized it yet, but Makoto-kun probably already has."
"He's only eighteen… oh, no—he's nineteen now."
"Anyway, he's not even twenty yet, and he's been a trainer for just over a year, but his trainee already has seven victories. That alone, while not completely unprecedented, is still quite rare."
"More importantly, among those seven victories are five graded stakes races and three G1 wins. That can unquestionably be described as one of a kind."
"Not to mention that one of those G1 victories is the Arima Kinen. Do you know, Kita-chan…"
She looked at Kitasan Black, whose face now showed both pride and contemplation.
"...Just how sought-after your trainer is right now?"
"Every year there are nearly ten thousand Umamusume capable of debuting in races. But those who can win graded stakes are one in a hundred. Those who can win a G1 are one in a thousand. And those who can win the Arima Kinen—calling them one in ten thousand wouldn't be an exaggeration."
"To put it dramatically, the Umamusume—or their families—who want to entrust Makoto-kun with their training could form a line stretching from Tracen Academy all the way to my office."
"And that's not all. The URA, collaborations with the academy, interviews from all kinds of media, endorsement requests… without any exaggeration. They've already lined up outside the academy."
At this point, she pointed at Makoto's left arm wrapped in plaster.
"If this hadn't happened, your trainer might have been so busy today that you'd need to make an appointment just to see him."
"Because of this incident, he can instead leisurely play this little 'nurse role-playing game' with you."
Hearing this, Kitasan Black froze for a moment before folding her ears again in irritation.
"This isn't role-playing! I'm seriously and sincerely taking care of Trainer!"
"Alright, alright—I was just putting it that way. As long as you understand what I mean, Kita-chan."
Agnes Tachyon waved her hand casually, though the seriousness in her eyes grew clearer.
"What I'm trying to say is that Makoto-kun is an extremely outstanding trainer, there's no doubt about that. And you, Kita-chan, are also a top-tier runner."
"But all those messy matters I just mentioned aren't things everyone can handle easily."
"If you get dragged into them too deeply and end up spending too much energy dealing with them—affecting training and races… and then lose a few races next year…"
Her tone grew heavier.
"The higher someone is praised right now, the more…"
She didn't finish the sentence. Just like how she had suddenly brought up the topic, she abruptly changed the subject again.
"Anyway, that's about it. I've finished the examination. Would you like to sit here for a while? I can brew you a cup of green tea."
After drinking a cup of black tea in Agnes Tachyon's office and chatting about topics unrelated to training and racing, Makoto and Kitasan Black returned to the rented apartment.
Makoto understood very well how many tedious matters existed in the industry outside of training and racing. After the Kikuka Sho, he had spent nearly a week dealing with those things.
Just as Agnes Tachyon had said, if he hadn't been accidentally injured, he would definitely be busy with those trivial matters again right now.
And her meaning had been very clear—she wanted to remind him that no matter how things changed outside, he, as a trainer, had to stay true to himself and not lose his way during this period.
Makoto actually felt quite confident about that.
He had experienced similar situations before. Although he hadn't been an absolutely top-tier athlete in the past, he had still won many competitions and received numerous interviews, endorsements, and similar engagements.
Back then, he really had lost himself for a time amid the glitter and excess. Perhaps that had been one of the reasons he never reached the very peak.
With that experience behind him, he knew how to deal with such matters. And now, with the excuse of being injured, it would be even easier to handle them.
After returning to the rented apartment and sitting down on the sofa, Makoto kept thinking about all this.
Because of that, he didn't notice that just after entering the apartment, Kitasan Black had searched around the room for something before turning and heading into the bedroom.
Only when his thoughts were halfway through did he hear a somewhat strange voice—tinged with anticipation.
"T-Trainer… do you think… this look suits me?"
"Hm? What do you—"
Makoto turned his head instinctively, and froze.
Kitasan Black had changed into a pure white nurse uniform and was standing gracefully at the doorway of the bedroom.
The well-fitted uniform outlined her slender yet strong waist perfectly. The skirt swayed slightly, revealing her long, straight legs wrapped in white stockings.
Her usual lively ponytail now hung loosely behind her head, with a few strands of hair falling beside her pink cheeks, adding a hint of charm to her naturally energetic and cheerful appearance.
In one hand she held a mug, while the other nervously tugged at the hem of her skirt. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes carried both shyness and anticipation as she looked carefully toward Makoto.
Makoto felt as if something had caught in his throat. For a moment he couldn't say a word and could only stare blankly at the scene before him.
In his mind flashed Agnes Tachyon's earlier remark about "nurse role-playing game," but he had never expected Kitasan Black to actually take that joke seriously—and appear before him like this.
"I… this was Dia-chan's suggestion too. She also helped prepare the clothes…"
Seeing that Makoto still hadn't said anything, Kitasan Black grew even more nervous, her voice becoming softer and softer.
"She said that if I'm going to properly take care of Trainer, then I should wear a nurse uniform…"
"At first I thought this nurse outfit felt a little strange, but…"
"But Doctor Tachyon said something like that too, so…"
"Does it really look weird, Trainer…?"
"Th-then I'll go change…"
As she spoke, she bit her lip and began to step back toward the bedroom.
"You don't need to change!"
The sudden outburst clearly startled Kitasan Black—and it startled Makoto himself as well.
In the next moment he snapped back to his senses. Swallowing hard and trying to calm himself down, he stammered:
"I—I mean… th-that… it… it suits you very well. It looks really good, so you don't… um… you don't need to change…"
His voice grew quieter and quieter as he finished speaking.