Chapter 28: As Expected of Teio-Senpai

Chapter 28: As Expected of Teio-Senpai

Over the next few days, each morning and evening without fail, Kitasan Black ran side by side with Daiwa Scarlet for more than an hour.

Thanks to these paired training sessions, Makoto could clearly see how rapidly Kitasan Black was improving. But alongside that, he couldn't help being quietly impressed by the sheer strength and raw talent of Daiwa Scarlet herself.

In general, an Umamusume’s career golden years lasted about three years. After that, their physical abilities and competitive edge typically began to decline—speed dulled, reflexes slowed, and stamina faded.

But… for a rare few top-tier athletes, it wasn’t so simple.

These elite Umamusumes aged more gracefully. Even if they could no longer maintain their peak condition, they still managed to stay at a remarkably high and stable level.

Daiwa Scarlet was one such Umamusume.

The data didn’t lie. Every session she ran was efficient and calculated, yet she never once looked strained. Whether it was raw speed, muscular power, technical skill, or race awareness—she surpassed Kitasan Black in every single category.

With a senior like that guiding her, Kitasan’s growth was all but guaranteed. Even Makoto felt like he was learning from Daiwa’s example. 

If only she could keep training alongside them…

But he knew that was wishful thinking.

Scarlet had her own responsibilities back at the academy—research, official work, and a life that didn’t revolve around Kitasan’s training. It was unreasonable to expect her to keep this up forever.

And as expected, after that morning’s run, Scarlet finally brought it up.

“This’ll be the last one for a while,” she said, stretching out her arms with a satisfied sigh. “I’ll probably be tied up for the next two or three weeks.”

“Haaah—That was great, though,” she added, downing a long swig from her energy drink and wiping the sweat from her forehead. Her voice carried a note of nostalgia. “Coming back was definitely the right choice. I got to run with you, Kita-chan, and feel that school-day energy again.”

Kitasan Black, also sipping from her drink and toweling off her sweat, looked disappointed.

“It’s such a shame you’re going to be busy again, Scarlet-senpai… I was hoping we could run together more—Ow!”

She yelped as Scarlet flicked her forehead with a practiced motion, the older girl chuckling softly.

“What’s with the ‘farewell forever’ attitude, Kita-chan?” Scarlet teased. “You do remember I’m taking over as the dorm manager at Ritto soon, right? We’re basically going to see each other every day.”

She gave her a mock stern look.

“If I catch you sneaking back late, I will treat you like one of those suspicious Umamusumes and leave you locked outside.”

The way she said “suspicious Umamusumes” made it sound like an inside joke. Scarlet stifled a laugh, clearly remembering something amusing.

Still rubbing her forehead where she’d been flicked, Kitasan tilted her head in confusion.

“Huh? What are you laughing about, Scarlet-senpai? I swear I won’t come back late!”

Scarlet waved it off with a grin and tapped her finger under her nose in a nostalgic gesture.

“I wasn’t laughing at you. I was remembering… your dear Teio-senpai.”

“Teio-senpai?” Kitasan’s ears perked up immediately. “What about her?”

“Well, the first time she ever came to Tokyo, she went straight to the Tokyo Racecourse,” Scarlet said, already smiling at the memory.

“You know how she’s always been obsessed with racing? That day, she saw a match where Suzuka-senpai was running. And that’s when she decided she wanted to be on the same team as her.”

“After watching the race, she even stayed to see the winner’s stage. And just as it was wrapping up, she suddenly remembered—‘Wait, today’s the day I’m supposed to report to the academy!’”

Kitasan’s eyes widened. “Eh?!”

“Yup. So she panicked and ran all the way back to the school.”

“Ran… all the way?!”

“She even got off at the wrong station when she arrived and ran to the racecourse, too,” Scarlet added, laughing now. “I’m not exaggerating—she sprinted the whole way back. And apparently, she was overtaking so many cars on the sidewalk that she scared a bunch of drivers.”

Kitasan gasped, awestruck.

“That's amazing… As expected of Teio-senpai!”

Scarlet just shook her head, still grinning fondly.

“Yeah. That’s just who she is.”

Daiwa Scarlet shrugged with an amused grin.

"Anyway, you know how it went. Teio rushed all the way here but still showed up late in the end. She almost got locked out because Fuji thought she was some weirdo wandering around the dorm."

“R-Really? Hahaha…” Kitasan Black forced an awkward laugh, scratching her cheek in embarrassment. “Don’t worry, Scarlet-senpai! I definitely won’t cause you that kind of trouble—I’ll be back before curfew for sure!”

"Good. Since you said it yourself, don’t blame me if I do lock you out, alright?"

Scarlet’s tone was joking, but her smirk carried the faint glint of someone who just might follow through. Then, her gaze shifted to the side—to the young man beside them, Makoto.

Makoto had been quietly organizing and analyzing data on his tablet the whole time. Even so, it was clear he’d been listening in on their lighthearted exchange.

To him, it was oddly entertaining—especially the part where they mentioned “Teio-senpai.”

Tokai Teio was a top-tier racer in every sense, she was a legendary Umamusume who had claimed one of the Classic Triple Crowns: the Japanese Derby. She was only the second in history to ever pull off back-to-back victories in both the Spring and Autumn Tenno Sho, earning her the grand title of Japan’s Number One General.

Makoto had seen her in URA promotional footage before. She always struck him as awe-inspiring—commanding and fierce.

But now, hearing these casual comments from her friends, she suddenly seemed… kind of goofy?

Noticing Daiwa Scarlet’s glance his way, Makoto assumed she was reminding him about something and gave a small nod.

“I’ll make sure to keep an eye on the schedule and remind Kitasan to get back to the dorm in time.”

“I figured you would,” Scarlet replied with a chuckle. “But actually—what I wanted to ask was, what’s your plan for this afternoon’s training?”

There was genuine curiosity in her eyes.

Over the past few days training alongside him, Scarlet had come to realize that this young trainer was no ordinary rookie.

She had met a lot of trainers before, but never one like this. Eighteen or not, Makoto had a calm and seasoned demeanor that rivaled people ten years older.

Most newcomers would hesitate constantly, worried about making mistakes. Even the older ones would at least sneak off to ask for help when things got tough.

But Makoto didn’t shy away from trial and error. His approach to training felt practiced, almost polished. Not perfect, of course—he still made beginner mistakes. But he spotted them quickly, admitted them without ego, and adjusted course right away.

And his methods… were unconventional.

The trainers she’d known usually clung to advice from their seniors, or followed the textbook like gospel. Some relied solely on intuition and experience.

Makoto? He didn’t seem to care where the method came from. If it worked for Kitasan Black, he’d use it. If it didn’t, he’d change it—simple as that.

So now she was honestly curious: what kind of training did this unorthodox rookie have in mind for the afternoon?

“Same plan as yesterday,” Makoto replied simply. “Though I usually don’t schedule training on Friday nights. I want her to have time to unwind.”

He looked over at Kitasan Black with a gentle smile.

“And she already told me yesterday that she made plans to go to karaoke with her friends tonight. Asked if she could leave a bit early, and I said yes.”

“Mm-hmm! Trainer, are you coming too?” At the mention of karaoke, Kitasan Black’s eyes sparkled like stars.

Makoto shook his head.

“Not this time.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a neatly folded sheet of paper.

“I learned a bit of music theory back when I was studying. Wrote a few songs here and there. I figured… since you're going anyway, maybe you could try singing one of them tonight.”

Kitasan Black blinked.

“Huh? You write songs, Trainer?”

He handed her the paper. Her eyes widened as she unfolded it.

“Whoa~ it’s in numbered notation? You can write sheet music too?”

“Just a little,” Makoto replied with a modest smile. “It was part of an elective course I took. Nothing too advanced.”

He tapped the edge of the paper lightly.

“Still, you’re the expert here. If there’s anything off about it, just tell me.”

“Wha—Me? An expert?” Kitasan Black laughed, her cheeks turning slightly pink. “That’s an exaggeration…”

Even so, she looked down at the page again, her fingers gently tracing the melody line.

“Well… I’ll give it a try. I’ll hum it first and see how it feels.”

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