Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 367 Celebrity Yasui Makoto

The three of them analyzed and decided on the specific tactics for the Emperor's spring appreciation in the preparation room, and had lunch at the stadium's special canteen at noon.

After confirming some minor adjustments in the afternoon, Yasui instructed Kita Genko to conduct a final check before the match, then left the preparation area with Ange and walked along the underground passage towards the spectator stands.

On the way out of the preparation room, Almond kept a small notebook in her hand, sometimes frowning and thinking carefully, sometimes hesitantly asking Yasui Makoto some questions.

She asked about all sorts of details from today's preparations, and Yasui Makoto patiently explained them while feeling quite satisfied.

It wasn't just this time; Xingmu had asked this question many times throughout the day.

At first, he didn't feel it very clearly, but as the number of times he answered the questions increased, Yasui Makoto gradually realized that Alimee was actually somewhat unwilling to accept that he had to help explain things to her.

A little thought reveals that this is still driven by the racehorse girl's competitive spirit.

The Northern Black Steed can communicate smoothly with me, and I can quickly understand most of the content. If I don't understand something, I can understand it with a little reminder.

With an indomitable spirit, Almond naturally didn't want to appear much inferior to Northern Genko.

This mindset is not a bad thing. Whether it's learning in training or winning or losing in a competition, a competitive spirit is one of the best motivators. With proper guidance, it can often achieve unexpected good results.

More importantly, Xingmu did not stubbornly insist on being strong, nor did she get stuck on trivial matters.

Even if she showed her reluctance, she would still ask questions about her confusion instead of trying to figure it out herself.

This can be considered a positive aspect of competitiveness. Now that we've realized this, we should guide it along that path.

However, as he walked into the stands and instinctively headed towards the section closest to the track, Yasui Makoto paused slightly, his explanation involuntarily stopping.

Ahead, next to the familiar grandstand, were two racehorse girls who looked somewhat familiar.

She was nodding repeatedly at the notes in her notebook when she suddenly heard no sound. Her almond-shaped eyes widened in confusion as she looked up.

"What's wrong, trainer? Is something the problem?"

"...That's not the case."

Looking at the two racehorse girls ahead, Yasui Makoto pondered for a moment, then said as he walked forward:

"Actually, many competition arrangements cannot be explained in just a few words. What I just told you is only the general part that you can understand."

"Afterwards, Xiao Bei and I will do a post-match analysis, and I will explain it to you slowly during this time."

"On the other hand... do you see those two seniors up ahead?"

As he spoke, he pointed forward, and after Almond-shaped eyes looked over, he gestured:
"Let me briefly introduce them to you. If I remember correctly, they should be Gao Shangjunyi's older sister, Jifeng, and his younger sister, Qiangji."

"Senior Jifeng...and Senior Qiangji?"

She subconsciously repeated it, her almond-shaped eyes widening in surprise, before quickly recalling the name Gao Shangjunyi.

During this spring festival celebration for the Emperor, this senior was one of the rivals of the Northern Genko.

Although he missed the classic three-time champions competition, his previous victory in the 3000m Hanshin Grand Prix is ​​enough to prove his strength in long-distance races, making him a formidable opponent.

Popularity rankings can also corroborate this point.

Since there were no previous away races, the popularity of the Northern Black Horse race was second only to the Golden Recruit, which won the G2 Nikkei Award in March.

The third most popular item is precisely the Gaoshang Junyi.

"I see, so you're worried about the opponent overhearing Senior Kobe's tactics...?" Almond-eyed made a guess in an instant, and she looked at Yasui Makoto and nodded repeatedly:

"I understand, trainer! I will keep it a secret and I will never tell anyone!" Just as he took a step forward, Yasui Makoto paused, turning back to look at Almond with a puzzled expression.

He didn't understand what the secret was all about.

Beibu Xuanju and Gao Shangjunyi usually had a good relationship, and he had met the latter before, so he would definitely greet Jifeng and Qiangji later.

In that case, it would be extremely impolite to continue explaining to Xingmu on my own.

After thinking for a moment and not understanding what Xingmu meant, he didn't dwell on it and continued walking forward.

Ahead, having apparently heard the noise from Almond-eyed, the two racehorse girls looked over curiously.

"Huh? What a coincidence, Trainer Yasui."

Upon recognizing Yasui Makoto, Jifeng smiled and said, "It's an honor to meet such a famous person as you here. Are you here to watch the game too?"

As she spoke, she looked at the somewhat puzzled and curious Qiangji beside her: "This is the trainer of Kita Genkoto, whom I mentioned before, Yasui Makoto."

Qiangji suddenly realized, she quickly smiled, took a step forward, and bowed politely:

"Hello, Mr. Yasui. I have heard of your great reputation for a long time. It is an honor to meet you in person today. Please give me your guidance."

Then, she looked Yasui Makoto up and down with some curiosity.

Yasui was somewhat surprised.

He had a few chance encounters with Jifeng while at school, and they greeted each other, but they didn't really know each other.

He had met Qiangji a few times, and just like the latter said, they met from a distance without even exchanging greetings.

However, he did not expect, and perhaps because he wanted to set a good example for his sister, that Jifeng was much more polite this time compared to the previous times.

Moreover, he was not quite used to the term "celebrity" and was also curious about its origin.

However unexpected it was, he quickly composed himself and bowed, saying:
"...Hello, both of you. Please take care of me."

Then, reaching behind Almond-shaped eyes, he pushed forward slightly while applying a little force, and introduced:

"This is my designated racehorse girl, Aloe. She just enrolled this year and will probably have to wait until next year to participate in her debut race."

At this moment, following Yasui's signal, Almond-eyed took a step forward and bowed, saying:
"Greetings, seniors. I am Xingmu. Please feel free to guide me."

After introducing themselves, the group naturally exchanged pleasantries for a while, discussing everything from the view from their spectator positions to their studies and training at school, and then to today's Emperor's Spring Viewing Event.

When the race was mentioned, on the screen directly in front of the stands, amidst the sudden loud cheers and applause from the stands, a racehorse in a dark red suit waved and walked into the circle facing the camera.

Looking at the screen, Qiangji nodded thoughtfully:
"Golden Actress is really popular..."

Then she looked curiously at Yasui Makoto and Aloe: "Speaking of which, I originally thought that the most popular person in this competition would be Kita Genko-senpai."

"After all, in this race, the Northern Senior must be the most outstanding in terms of strength and reputation to have won against Arima Kinen in the classic year."

"I didn't expect to only be second in popularity..."

When she first spoke, neither Yasui Makoto, Alimee, nor Gyokumine reacted.

At this moment, Jifeng's eyes flickered slightly, and he said in a low voice with a hint of helplessness, "Strong attack..."

Almond-eyed, however, brightened up and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Right, right? Senior Strong Strike thinks so too, doesn't he?"

(End of this chapter)