Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 286 Little Trainer Northern Black Steed
Hearing Apricot's question, Yasui Makoto unconsciously smiled, his hand on the notebook unconsciously rubbing the edge as he pondered for a moment.

“Wang Ziding is very polite and composed.”

As he spoke, he picked up a pen and circled the word "temperament" in the dense notes in his notebook:

"Its resilience is also quite good."

"In all the training sessions today, her results... well, she was last in every single one."

"There's nothing we can do about it. After all, the people she trains with are either your senior Xiao Bei or outstanding racehorse girls like Golden Ship and Golden Master."

"However, she would quietly check her grades, ask or listen to what her shortcomings were, and then quietly practice."

"You're quite similar to Almond in that respect; you both refuse to admit defeat."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but laugh out loud:

"But if we're really talking about not admitting defeat, Aloe is stronger."

"After all, not every female racehorse at your age is so relentless during training, always trying to prove herself superior to her seniors."

"By the way, I heard that you used to compete in shuttle runs with older students when you were in elementary school?"

As soon as Yasui Makoto finished speaking, a defiant snort came from the other end of the phone:

"That's because the senior students said 'freshmen always wobble during shuttle runs'! I just wanted to prove to them that not every freshman is like that!"

Smiling as he listened to Apricot's rebuttal, Yasui Makoto added in his mind.

In the end, I was so exhausted from proving it that I dozed off during class...

Hmm... that's somewhat similar to Xiao Bei. She's often daydreamed in class too, and the homeroom teacher even came to talk to me about it a few times...

Recalling the scandalous affair of Genko Kita, Yasui Makoto refrained from exposing his senior's shortcomings in front of his junior, Anime. Instead, he circled the word "competitive spirit" in his notebook.

Then, while listening to Apricot's rambling, he turned to the section on Northern Genko in his notebook.

After training that day, while organizing the running data of the Northern Genko in unfamiliar terrain with Takatoshi Imanami, he suddenly had a new insight.

When he first became a trainer, he, like everyone else, believed that "good running styles" were calculated and deduced from data and experience.

Speed, endurance, stride frequency... all these factors come together to eventually piece together an optimal solution, much like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle.

His judgment of the racehorse girl's running style was somewhat different, which was based on his memories from his previous life.

It was because of those memories that when he first signed the agreement with Beifang Xuanju, he resolutely pushed her to the forefront and established various escape methods centered on the leader's release.

However, looking back now, this certainty, calculation, and deduction actually overlooked a very crucial thing.

That is "temperament," or the personality of racehorse girls.

This is what he suddenly realized after hearing a casual remark from Takatoshi Imanami.

“This kid, Ah Chuan… haha, is a bit special.”

"But who can say that a kid like that can't win the game or win Game 1?"
"They all yearn to reach the most dazzling stage; it's their dream."

"As trainers, shouldn't we do everything we can to get them onto that stage, and ideally, win the championship?"
"Other children have their own way of running, and special children naturally have their own way of running."

"I guess this is the secret to my success as a trainer? Haha, that's probably it."

Recalling those words, and hearing Almond's rambling seem to have come to an end, Yasui Makoto smiled and turned the notebook back to Almond's section.

“That’s great…” he suddenly nodded with a smile. The person on the other end of the phone was taken aback, clearly not understanding what he meant by saying that suddenly.

After a short while, almond-shaped eyes rang out hesitantly: "...What's so good, trainer?"

"I mean, you and Xiao Bei are both doing well."

Nodding, Yasui Makoto pondered, "Actually, I originally planned to tell you and Kobei during training tomorrow, but it's okay to tell you in advance now."

"Thanks to Jinlang's guidance, I have some new ideas about temperament."

"I used to think that the running style you are good at could be calculated using data and experience, but I ignored your own feelings."

"Just like Xiao Bei, the reason she was able to run away is actually related to her cheerful and optimistic personality."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, and when Almond-eyed's voice came through again, it was filled with a thoughtful expression:
"Senior Xiao Bei... is indeed very cheerful and warm-hearted. How should I put it... she's like a little sun. Being around her makes you feel warm and cozy."

"That's how I feel too."

Yasui Makoto smiled and nodded, saying, "Actually, generally speaking, you guys prefer to run or play together. Trainers call this 'group trait'."

"It's like running ahead alone in a race, or falling behind, which doesn't quite match the original intention."

"When you're alone, you might actually feel lost because of a subtle sense of loneliness."

"From a racing perspective, the lack of other female racehorses as a reference can lead to some inaccuracies in judging race distances, paces, and other factors."

When Yasui Makoto explained it this way, he was thinking of trying to apply his experience of guiding Kita Genko to Alime.

The Northern Black Steed is very quick to understand; it grasps things very easily.

Starting with Arima Kinen, they have been preparing more and more in-depth with me, and have gained a deeper understanding of training guidelines.

Especially after injuring her left arm, she helped with many work-related matters, and sometimes when assisting with training, she looked every bit like a "little trainer".

This transformation, or progress, is not only evident in competitions, with Arima Kinen being a prime example.

This is also evident in training.

For example, when instructing Wang Ziding today, although she didn't have the experience of the Golden Masters, the Northern Black Horse's demonstration and explanation looked quite convincing.

Upon hearing this, Almond-eyed seemed unresponsive, whether she was pondering or simply hadn't understood.

Yasui Makoto wasn't in a hurry, after all, the Northern Genko hadn't shown any aptitude from the start.

Instead, it was after a period of training that they gained a basic professional understanding of training and competition, which enabled them to grasp things quickly.

So he patiently said:
"And your senior, Xiao Bei, happens to be someone who can endure loneliness and solitude. At least because of her cheerful and optimistic nature, she can ignore a lot of negative emotions."

"In addition, her sense of rhythm is also quite excellent, so running away became the best option."

"Therefore, the running method is not a formula, but rather transforming everything you have into a speed as swift as the wind and lightning beneath your feet."

Just as Yasui was about to continue speaking, an excited voice suddenly came from the other end of the phone.

"I see, so..."

Almond-eyed's voice was full of interest: "Trainer, have you figured out how to use my temper?"

(End of this chapter)