Hearing the trust and reliance in Kitasan Black's words, a quiet sense of satisfaction rose in Yasui Makoto's chest. The corners of his mouth lifted, and he let out a small smile before he could stop himself.
As a trainer, helping your assigned Umamusume solve problems of every kind was simply part of the job. It was why they trusted their trainers in the first place.
Most pairs got along well because of that bond, but to have his Umamusume say it so plainly…
Yeah. It felt kind of good.
But after that brief smile, Yasui's expression shifted into thoughtfulness, and he nodded.
"So, Kita-chan… you've got a lot on your mind right now."
"Mm-hm. Before I knew it, I just started thinking about all this."
Kitasan Black nodded, then hurried to explain. "But I'm still really focused when I'm training!"
"I feel like even if these things are related to training and racing, the daily tasks come first. And like I said earlier—since you're here, Trainer, it's better if I leave this stuff to you."
She hesitated.
Her eyes grew cautious, almost timid.
"I'm… not causing you trouble, am I?"
"Why are you suddenly acting so formal with me?"
Yasui tossed the question back at her, half joking—but his tone turned serious right after.
"I'm your assigned trainer. The whole point of me being here is to support you, in every way. If you can handle something on your own, I'll be proud of you. And if it's something you can't deal with yet, then it's only natural that I'm the one who should help you figure it out."
Even as he spoke, his mind was already racing ahead.
In the year and a bit since becoming a trainer, he'd spent plenty of time thinking about every aspect of the job.
Questions like this—about shifts in mindset, about growth—he'd also found his footing with.
Umamusume were straightforward by nature, but that didn't mean they lacked the ability to think.
If anything, once you laid out the situation plainly, their simple, direct way of thinking often made it easier for them to see what mattered.
In many kinds of work, that even made them more capable than humans.
It was why the URA Association, the academies, and even international organizations were largely led by Umamusume in areas related to racing affairs.
They excelled at it. Many had deep experience, and they acted without selfish motives—something that put active Umamusume, trainers, and even fans and investors at ease.
So maybe, right now, the best way to help was to share what he'd gathered from every channel—along with his own analysis—and let Kitasan Black work through it.
With that thought, he looked at her and said, contemplative,
"A reason that belongs only to you… it's too abstract. All I can tell you is, in my view, you only find an answer by looking back over what you've lived through."
"Lived through…?" Kitasan Black frowned slightly, confusion and thought mingling as she repeated his words.
Yasui narrowed his eyes a little. After a brief pause, instead of answering directly, he asked her something else.
"Right. Do you know Oguri Cap's career? Her story?"
"I do! I do!"
Kitasan Black lit up instantly, like a student scrambling to answer in class. She raised a hand high, her voice buzzing with barely contained excitement.
"Before, I just knew Oguri Cap-senpai was amazing. But these past few days, when I was learning cooking from her, I went and watched her races over and over, and now I really get just how incredible she is!"
"After she debuted on the local circuit, she absolutely crushed everyone—twelve starts, ten wins, and that included a terrifying eight-win streak!"
"Then she came to Central and won six graded races in a row—it was insane!"
"Sure, she lost the first two times she faced Tamamo-senpai, which was really frustrating, but in her Classic year she won the Arima Kinen—and that race was just… unbelievable! And after that, the Sankei Sho and the Mainichi Okan were amazing too. But the most incredible has to be her Arima Kinen right before retirement!"
"Oh, and—Oguri Cap-senpai's also the Mile King! She's never lost a mile race!"
When she finally finished, she looked up at Yasui with shining eyes and an eager expression.
"How was that? I didn't get anything wrong, did I, Trainer?"
Yasui knew the records of every legendary Umamusume by heart. He smiled, nodding with approval.
"You're right. And you remember Oguri Cap's racing history very clearly."
Then his tone shifted—pointed, leading.
"But what about beyond that? For example… do you know anything about Oguri Cap before she debuted?"
"Before she debuted…?"
Kitasan Black froze. The lively light in her face stiffened into stillness.
She knitted her brows, tapping a finger lightly against her chin, squeezing her brain for an answer. In the end, she could only shake her head awkwardly, her voice dropping to a tiny mumble.
"I… I really don't know that, Trainer…"
"That's fine. Don't look like you've committed a crime."
Yasui found her expression so comically guilty he couldn't help smiling.
After a brief moment of thought, he reached into the sling bag he carried with him and pulled out a tablet. His fingers slid smoothly over the screen as he opened a few pages.
"Take a look."
As he spoke, he turned the tablet toward Kitasan Black. When she leaned in with curious eyes, he continued.
"It's understandable you wouldn't know. Early interviews and articles mentioned it, but that was years ago. And the focus of those interviews quickly shifted to Oguri Cap's strength on the track."
"Outside those reports, the only place with detailed records is probably the academy's internal files. Look—here."
He pointed to a line on the screen.
"A congenital nerve disorder in her legs."
"That's a condition Oguri Cap was born with."
Kitasan Black's gaze locked onto the page describing the illness.
And when Yasui finished speaking, her eyes went wide—so wide it looked like they might pop out. Shock flooded her face. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out.
Only after a long moment did she manage to stammer,
"T-this… this is real? B-but—this says people with it can't even stand up. Then Oguri Cap-senpai—senpai, she…?"
Her voice shook. The words came out jumbled, overwhelmed by the sheer impact of it.
"That's why, I think, Oguri Cap told you that as long as she can run, she's happy."
Yasui spoke with deep respect, a quiet heaviness in his eyes.
"Breaking the prejudice that 'gray Umamusume can't run fast.' Becoming the Mile King. Being called the Gray Monster from the local circuit. Creating a miraculous, storybook finish at the Arima Kinen…"
"Those achievements are absolutely part of why she became a legend.
"But I think—being born unable even to stand properly, then going through who knows how many unimaginable efforts just to learn to stand, to walk, to run… and then to run that well…"
"The hardship behind all of that… maybe that's what Oguri Cap treasures most. And maybe that's her reason to run—one that belongs to her alone."
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