The next day, as Kitasan Black walked towards the academy's sports grounds, Yasui Makoto's words from the previous night still lingered softly in her mind.
When she'd heard those words, she'd felt as though her trainer had suddenly changed.
Exactly what had changed, she couldn't quite say clearly, but it felt as if he'd grown closer, somehow more vivid and distinct.
From their first meeting until now, Kitasan was always aware of Yasui Makoto's age.
Due to their honkaku-ka—the competitive maturation unique to Uma Musume—their physical growth differed from ordinary humans, but strictly speaking, she was only a few years younger than Yasui.
Yet, despite this small difference, every time they interacted, she felt as though her trainer was much older.
Sometimes, she even had the illusion that the person in front of her wasn't an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old youth, but someone more mature, perhaps in their twenties or even older.
Yet last night, for the first time, she'd sensed youthful vigor radiating from Yasui.
It was similar to the spirit she'd felt from Grandpa Kitajima's youngest disciples or from her father's students—each incredibly talented in music, each bursting with enthusiasm and ambition.
Perhaps it was this youthful energy that made her feel the distance between them shrinking, sharpening the clarity of his image in her mind.
But what exactly brought about this change…?
Arriving at the field, Kitasan Black saw Yasui Makoto as usual, carrying his single-strap bag, with an extra, large travel bag slung over his shoulder. Seeing him like this brought those thoughts of change to mind again, but she quickly shook her head.
Whatever it is, Trainer now has a dream, one that was inspired by me, no less. That means I must work even harder!
Filled with renewed determination, she ran towards him.
"Trainer! Let me help you carry those!"
When Kitasan Black saw Yasui, he noticed her at the same moment.
"No need; these can wait until later."
He patted the large bag, placed it down on the ground, then took out a tablet and a stack of notes from his single-strap bag. After looking around briefly, he gestured towards the stairs by the field's edge.
"As usual, let's first go over our review of the Spring Stakes before starting today's training."
"Yes!"
Pulling out her little notebook and carrot-shaped pen from her pocket, Kitasan eagerly responded with seriousness.
This review of the Spring Stakes differed greatly from the two previous ones, especially now that the plan to use practice races as training had been established.
This stakes-level race was significantly more challenging and detailed, and Kitasan's performance served as a summary of her progress so far.
Future training would build on this foundation, but first, Yasui needed to clearly explain the underlying theory, integrating the experiences she'd already accumulated.
Some of the upcoming training content needed to be covered as well.
Last night, Daiwa Scarlet and the others had agreed to participate in practice races, so their preparations naturally included both these training sessions and the Satsuki Sho itself.
As Yasui explained, he carefully observed how well Kitasan was absorbing the information, soon nodding quietly in satisfaction.
This Uma Musume of his was no longer the rookie she had been at her debut.
Through classes, regular training, and her races, she'd unknowingly grown immensely in both knowledge and ability.
Compared to earlier sessions, she no longer passively absorbed information. Instead, she actively asked thoughtful questions.
Judging by her notes and queries, she seemed to grasp nearly everything, even reaching some conclusions on her own.
"...So, if I'm going to continue using a 'slow-escape' running style, then sprint training becomes absolutely crucial."
Chewing the tip of her carrot pen thoughtfully, Kitasan Black mused aloud:
"That makes sense… At the Spring Stakes, it felt exactly like that—the competitors behind stuck very close. Several times, I honestly thought they might catch up and overtake me."
"If their sprint had been just a little stronger, I could've lost."
Hearing this, Yasui Makoto responded encouragingly:
"You're right to feel that way; that scenario was entirely possible."
"In fact, Duramente's late kick ability is very strong."
"However, from what I can tell, her trainer hasn't fully settled on a running style or tactics yet, so some of the details at the Spring Stakes weren't ideally executed."
"In contrast, you and I had already clearly established our tactics well before the race—almost three months ago. That's our advantage."
"But Duramente isn't our only challenge. The Satsuki Sho will feature competitors with even stronger late kicks, such as Satono Crown and Battle Flag."
"They'll surely undergo targeted training before race day, enhancing their existing strengths and narrowing our lead."
"For this reason, even if you can't match their late kicks just yet, improving your sprint will help secure enough of an advantage at the finish line to win this Grade 1 race."
Yasui clearly outlined Kitasan's weaknesses and her rivals' strengths, yet he showed no concern.
He'd identified these issues from the start.
Due to lingering uncertainties about her own control, Kitasan had previously held back in sprints, compensating by extending her sprint duration in races to secure the advantage in speed and distance.
However, three months of persistent effort had strengthened her bones, muscles, and ligaments. She was now ready for focused sprint training.
"'Slow-escape' style…requires specialized sprint training…"
Murmuring Yasui's explanations, Kitasan scribbled them carefully in her notebook with her carrot pen, then paused thoughtfully.
"We've had sprint training before, haven't we? But the training you're mentioning now must be different from those previous sessions, right?"
"Clever girl."
Smiling, Yasui nodded appreciatively.
"What I've prepared for you is 'parachute sprint training.' It's not a particularly new method—it was introduced twenty or thirty years ago—but other trainers don't seem to use it frequently nowadays."
"This type of training significantly boosts your explosive power and sprint ability, and it'll greatly enhance your lower-body strength."
"But strengthening only your lower body isn't enough. If your upper-body strength remains comparatively weak, your overall balance might suffer."
"In other words, the training ahead will be tougher, so you should mentally prepare yourself."
Hearing Yasui describe it as "tough," Kitasan Black didn't feel particularly concerned.
Over the past few months, she'd conscientiously completed various training tasks. During class and dormitory conversations with classmates and friends, she'd casually compared their respective training regimens.
She'd found that her own training was already slightly more intensive, lasting an extra hour or two each day.
This seemed entirely natural to her.
Yasui had told her very early on that she had exceptional physical talent, but to unlock her full potential and win races, she'd have to work harder than others.
For months now, she'd handled training comfortably, always finishing sessions with energy to spare.
In fact, she'd long been wishing Yasui would increase the intensity of her training. Now, that wish had finally come true.
Rather than feeling worried, she was actually quite excited about what was to come.