Yasui Makoto stood on the edge of the track, arms crossed, watching Kitasan Black finish her first full training lap with a critical eye. The morning sun had already climbed high, casting long shadows across the perfectly maintained surface of Tracen Academy's grounds. As her hooves slowed to a trot and she finally pulled up, he gave a single, satisfied nod.
"Alright, take a break," he called out, voice carrying clearly across the track. "You did well on that lap."
Kitasan Black trotted over, chest heaving, a bright smile already lighting up her face despite the sweat glistening on her skin. Yasui Makoto studied her closely, concern flickering in his gaze.
"How do you feel?" he asked. "Any discomfort on your right side at all?"
"Hehe… I felt really comfortable running just now," she replied, still smiling as she rubbed her right shoulder and lifted her right leg experimentally. "My right side feels totally fine. Is something wrong, Trainer?"
Yasui Makoto shook his head and pulled out the tablet he always carried, fingers already sketching a quick diagram on the screen. "You didn't switch leading legs correctly during the second gradient acceleration phase."
He paused, letting the words sink in before continuing. "I told you before—keeping the same leading leg for too long puts too much strain on one side of your muscles. You were supposed to switch to your left leg leading on the third turn, but you stayed on the right a little too long, then flipped back to the left when you entered the turn."
He looked up from the tablet, meeting her eyes with calm emphasis. "Switching legs isn't just about gaining speed. It balances the load across your body and slows down single-sided muscle fatigue. You have to remember this—it's important."
Kitasan Black leaned in, studying the hand-drawn sketch on the screen while replaying the lap in her mind. A sheepish look crossed her face.
"It seems so… I'm sorry, Trainer. I got too caught up in how comfortable everything felt and didn't even notice."
Yasui Makoto chuckled softly, the sound warm and reassuring. "There's nothing to apologize for. This is the first time you've tried combining all those techniques at once. You're still getting used to it. Like I said—you performed really well on that lap overall."
He gave her a small, encouraging smile before his expression grew a touch more serious. "Just pay close attention in the next few practices. If we use all the tactics we worked on today, you'll need to switch leading legs at least three times during positioning and the two gradient accelerations—that's six switches total. Add in the ones on the straight, and the frequency is pretty high. You need to get comfortable with it before the Satsuki Sho."
The rest of the morning stretched into the afternoon, filled with one complete 2000-meter lap after another. Lap by lap, the issues Yasui Makoto spotted grew fewer and fewer. Each smooth, powerful stride from Kitasan Black filled him with quiet pride… but also a deep, almost reluctant sigh of admiration.
His Uma Musume was undeniably a hardworking genius. Honestly, he doubted he could have endured an entire day of such monotonous, repetitive laps himself. Even if he somehow managed it, the boredom alone would have driven him crazy. And that was without the added resistance of parachute sprints. This kind of training was grueling on its own.
Kitasan Black's straight-line speed was still only average compared to many of her rivals. To create a real edge, she had to dominate the turns—and the routes they were practicing now had incredibly tight entry and exit angles, which placed an even heavier load on her body.
Only the rigorous fitness tests over the past few months had convinced him her physique could handle it. Otherwise, he never would have designed these tactics in the first place. Yet every time he glanced her way, even as the sun climbed higher and the hours dragged on, she still looked full of energy. When exhaustion finally started to creep in, the fiery fighting spirit in her crimson eyes never dimmed for even a second.
In the end, a pang of concern tugged at Yasui Makoto's chest. Still, he waited until she had completed every single scheduled lap before he finally raised his voice.
"That's enough for today!" he called out loudly from the side of the track. "Let's go eat!"
Kitasan Black shook out her damp black hair, golden sunlight catching on the fine beads of sweat that traced shining lines down her skin. She wiped her face with the back of her hand, then broke into an excited run toward him.
"Okay! Food!" she cheered. "Oh, Trainer—do you want to try the 'Goddess of Victory's Energy Bomb' today?"
"What kind of bomb…?" Yasui Makoto paused mid-motion, sliding the drone remote into his backpack with a puzzled frown.
"It's today's special in the cafeteria!" Kitasan Black swallowed hard, rubbing the corner of her mouth as her eyes sparkled with pure longing. "I heard about it at lunch—Kochi Prefecture bonito festival ingredients, Hokkaido Tokachi beef drizzled with secret honey, and carrots in that special sauce…"
A thin trail of drool had already started to escape the corner of her mouth. Yasui Makoto pointed at it with a wry smile.
"Wipe it first before you keep talking."
"Huh? Drool… Oh! Oh no…" Her earlobes flushed pink as she quickly turned her face away, scrubbing at her lips in a flustered hurry before spinning back with the same hopeful expression. "Anyway, Trainer, do you want to try it? I'll treat you!"
"It does sound delicious," he admitted, slinging his single-shoulder bag and the drone backpack over his shoulder. He shook his head regretfully. "But I've got a trainers' meeting later. It'll probably run pretty late…"
"That's fine! I'll just wait for you in the cafeteria!" Kitasan Black answered instantly, as if it were the easiest quiz question in the world. Then her head tilted with curiosity. "Is it a trainers' meeting?"
"Yeah. The notice came last night," Yasui Makoto replied with a nod, a spark of anticipation showing in his smile. "It's about the Uma-log account and the winning outfit."
Uma-log accounts were like race accounts—one of the key symbols every Uma Musume carried. The main difference was that race accounts only came after a successful debut, while Uma-log accounts had no restrictions at all. Through them, anyone could share daily life updates and browse public posts from others.
Among those accounts, Uma Musume qualified for graded races received official certification from the URA and similar organizations. The certification came in three levels—gold, silver, and bronze—based on G1, G2, and G3 participation.
Since Kitasan Black had already won the Spring Stakes, her Uma-log account had naturally passed certification. Yasui Makoto hadn't paid much attention to it until the notification arrived, reminding him that the account needed regular updates in coordination with the Association and Tracen Academy—especially with the Satsuki Sho coming up. It was all part of the official promotional efforts.
The winning outfit followed a similar pattern, but it was reserved exclusively for Uma Musume competing in G1 races. Yasui Makoto already knew the details. In this world, the three goddesses bestowed their blessings upon all Uma Musume, and the most visible sign of that blessing was the winning outfit itself. Only while wearing that special attire could an Uma Musume unleash her full potential—or even surpass her usual performance—on a G1 racecourse.
"W-winning outfit?!" Kitasan Black's post-training fatigue vanished in an instant. She cheered with pure delight, clenching her fists tight. "Y-yes! The Satsuki Sho is a G1 race, and winning outfits are only for G1 races! I'm about to run in the Satsuki Sho, so I'm finally getting my own winning outfit…!"
Seeing the way his Uma Musume's eyes lit up like she had only just realized it, Yasui Makoto let out a soft chuckle. He was about to tease her when she suddenly stepped forward and gave him an eager push.
"Then Trainer, what are you still standing here for?! Hurry to the meeting! If you're late, there won't be any winning outfit, and I… I'll be really mad at you!"
Hey, hey… are you serious? The second you hear "winning outfit," your poor trainer gets completely forgotten? Is there really an Uma Musume like you?
The thought made him laugh even harder. He understood her excitement completely and couldn't help grinning.
"Don't worry," he reassured her. "Winning outfits are custom-made. Every Uma Musume participating in a G1 race gets one."
Then, unable to resist a little joke, he added with a playful wink, "But you should be careful about how much you eat later. Don't overdo it. The measurements I gave them are based on your current size. If you suddenly gain weight, be careful you don't burst out of the winning outfit when the time comes."