Chapter 58
Kitasan Black didn't fully understand what Daiwa Scarlet meant by a "valuable mindset," but she never doubted the words of the seniors or her trainer.
If Trainer Yasui and the seniors said it, there had to be a reason. It was just that she hadn't learned enough, trained enough, or run enough yet, so she couldn't understand it for now.
Without getting a clear answer from the two seniors and without asking Yasui Makoto, she still felt motivated during the rest of the training.
But that motivation was soon replaced by a familiar mix of doubt and unease.
It was still an 1,800-meter training race.
The start, early race, cornering, cruising, and sprint were all without issues — at least in her eyes, she had run them exactly as she had trained day after day, so there shouldn't have been any problems.
But the result was the same. She still crossed the finish line a step behind Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka.
This time, however, she didn't ask after the training ended.
Instead, while listening to Yasui Makoto's review, she thought to herself.
'…So that's it. Daiwa-senpai said before that your eyes can sometimes deceive you, and that's when you need to use your ears.
That means her positioning and seizing position in the early race were much more precise than mine.
My rhythm was constantly suppressed by her, so I couldn't run in the most familiar way.
Vodka-senpai was the same.
Her racing instinct is no worse than Daiwa-senpai's, so her timing for chasing was so good that I never saw it coming, and it made running really hard.
And their competition probably wasn't even at full strength, otherwise they might have pulled even further ahead.
But…
Their handling at the finish line didn't seem particularly special…
Is it because my level is too low to notice?
Yeah… it must be that.
So why doesn't Trainer Yasui explain these things to me…?'
Just as Kitasan Black was wondering, Yasui Makoto's review focused on breaking down the race before the finish line, and he didn't mention much about the final part.
Noticing this, Kitasan Black thought for a moment and decided to ask later.
Running paired with two top-level seniors, she realized there was so much to learn.
There were already a ton of points she could think of or had heard, and mastering them would take time.
So rather than asking questions, the best choice was to solidify what she already knew first.
Besides, if she could notice it, Trainer Yasui definitely knew.
If he wasn't saying it now, it was probably like the last race — he would explain it the day before or on the day of the race.
This thinking continued from the training review all the way to dinner at the cafeteria together.
Then a topic that came up during dinner shifted Kitasan Black's attention.
"Eh—? You two senpais are going to Osaka on Sunday?"
Facing Kitasan Black's surprise, Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka put their hands together at the same time.
"We're really sorry, Kita-chan. We really can't come cheer for you."
After apologizing in unison, the two horse girls smiled mysteriously.
"But we're going to cheer for an old friend. Once you hear her name, you'll definitely forgive us."
"Hehe, that's right. Kita-chan will definitely forgive us. It's just a shame that Kita-chan has a race too, or we could all go cheer for her together. The look on her face would be priceless."
Hearing this, Kitasan Black became curious.
"Eh? So the old friend you two senpais are talking about… I know her?"
While wondering, she unconsciously looked at Yasui Makoto.
Yasui Makoto was actually quite puzzled too.
To be honest, he had only known Kitasan Black for a few months, while Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka had known each other for a long time.
So if it was a horse girl they knew from before, he might not know who it was.
But seeing the two seniors acting all mysterious and refusing to say who they were going to cheer for, he became curious too.
After thinking for a moment, he took out his phone and opened the trainer-exclusive app.
"The race on the 22nd in Osaka… is at Hanshin Racecourse?"
"That's right! Oh, by the way."
After confirming, Vodka rubbed her chin, her eyes sparkling as she leaned in with a grin.
"I've always thought you know a lot for someone so young, Yasui. Why don't you try guessing who Daiwa and I are going to cheer for?"
Daiwa Scarlet's eyes lit up and she joined in.
"Yeah, yeah! Now you know it's at Hanshin. There are only about a dozen races that day. Why don't you guess who we're talking about?"
Yasui Makoto smiled helplessly.
"There are over a hundred entrants in those dozen races. With only the Hanshin Racecourse as a hint, how am I supposed to guess?"
"That's true…"
Daiwa Scarlet nodded and exchanged a look with Vodka, rubbing her chin.
"Then what kind of hint should we give you? If it's too obvious, Kita-chan will guess it right away and it'll be no fun… Oh, right, Kita-chan, haven't you figured it out yet?"
"I actually…"
Her eyes filled with thought, which gradually turned to surprise, and Kitasan Black started to smile.
"It seems like I've already guessed it's… mmmph…"
"Looks like Kita-chan has figured it out."
Together with Daiwa Scarlet, Vodka covered Kitasan Black's mouth and grinned mischievously at Yasui Makoto.
"Now only you don't know, Yasui.
"So, do you need a hint, Yasui?
"It's not that we can't give you one, but Daiwa and I will have to think about it since that girl is a bit too famous…"
"I already know."
Before Vodka could finish, Yasui Makoto stopped scrolling on his phone. With a very strange look in his eyes, he scanned the three horse girls' faces.
"The person you three are talking about… it wouldn't happen to be Gold Ship, would it?"
"…"
"…"
"…"
After a moment of stunned silence, Kitasan Black, Daiwa Scarlet, and Vodka all cried out at the same time.
"Trainer Yasui / Trainer , how did you guess it right away?!"
His gaze became even stranger. Looking at the phone screen, at the silver-gray-haired horse girl in a fiery red outfit in the center, Yasui Makoto couldn't help but sigh.
Journey, Dream, Festival, Master, Gold Ship.
It was said to be the golden family full of courage, hope, friendship, freedom, and greatness.
It was said that this family was famous far and wide, known by everyone.
It was said that anyone who had seen a horse girl from the golden family would have an unforgettable impression.
It was said that any trainer who had worked with them would have an unforgettable experience.
It was said that any horse girl who had raced against them even once would have a memory etched deep in their bones.
And the one Kitasan Black and the others mentioned, the one on Yasui Makoto's phone, was the most famous active member of the golden family.
The new generation's gray legend, the unsinkable battleship, the golden giant ship that plowed through the waves like a great voyage…
Gold Ship.
So Kitasan Black already knew this horse girl…?
He hoped she hadn't known her for too long or interacted with her too deeply.
He could still fix problems in running, but if problems appeared in other areas… he really wouldn't know how to deal with it.
Staring at Gold Ship on the phone screen, Yasui Makoto felt a headache coming on.