Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 431 What did you just call me?
"A more affectionate way to address someone?"

After a moment of surprise, Beibu Xuanju's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands loudly, saying, "That's right! How come I never thought of that?"

"...I didn't expect that?" The Great Sun God was stunned.

“Yes,” said Northern Black Horse with a smile, “Actually, I had thought before that after knowing the trainer for so long, it was time to change how I address him.”

"I'm just used to calling him 'trainer, trainer' and I always forget."

"But since you mentioned it, senior, I will definitely remember it!"

The Great Sun God remained silent.

Changing how you address someone is quite important in interpersonal relationships, especially in romantic relationships.

They always use polite terms of address, and even if they have feelings for each other, they will unconsciously maintain a certain distance.

Correspondingly, the more often you use affectionate terms of address, the closer you will feel psychologically.

Therefore, one of her key pieces of advice in various consultations is to use more intimate terms of address for people you like.

She was certain that Genkobuki had feelings for Yasui Makoto, which was why she had gone to great lengths to come to the lingerie store and exchange glances with Meguro Zenshin.

And the reason for encouraging the change of address is the same.

The problem was that she thought she would have to use a lot of persuasion, but she didn't expect that Beibu Xuanju would agree so readily.

"The 'mission' was completed so smoothly, but I feel... a little uneasy..."

Thinking this, he glanced at Meguro Zenshin's face and saw that he was also somewhat surprised, but also excited.

Da Tuo, the Sun God, immediately understood that his friend shared the same thoughts as him.

I only paid a little attention and felt that I couldn't tell anything from Beibu Xuanju's smile, only a little bit of lingering embarrassment and shyness.

She could only temporarily put her doubts aside and smiled as usual:

"No need to take it so seriously, as long as you think it's okay."

She then reached out and picked up a set of lingerie hanging in the dressing room, and changed the subject, saying, "Now that we've chosen, let's go pay. Don't keep Yasui-san waiting."

After the three racehorse girls came out, they all looked for Yasui Makoto's figure.

When they found that Yasui Makoto was already standing outside the store, they quickly went to the cashier to pay, and then returned to the bustling streets of Harajuku with their packed clothes.

Holding the shopping bags in both hands, Kita Genko looked excitedly at Yasui Makoto and said:
"Trainer! I... oh no, um, little... um... ah... it's..."

She suddenly paused.

When responding to Da Tuo Sun God in the store, she didn't think too much about it, just felt that changing the way she addressed him was no problem.

Just like when I met Hikari Satomi and the others, I initially addressed them by their surnames or honorifics, but as we got to know each other better, I naturally switched to more intimate terms of address.

Moreover, my grandfather and father both taught me that this is also part of social etiquette.

However, when it came to actually changing how I addressed him, I didn't know why, but I couldn't bring myself to say it.

A strange feeling, vaguely familiar, that I had in the locker room sprouted silently, like weeds growing in the cracks between the floor tiles.

Then, with immense vitality, it instantly filled the entire heart.

Unconsciously, she lowered her hand holding the shopping bag.

Her gaze shifted away from Yasui Makoto as if she were guilty, and she looked at the shops on the street as if she were very interested in the trendy street.

"...It's just changing a form of address, right? How...how did this happen..." Her gaze wandered aimlessly as she secretly felt annoyed.

When he saw Kita Genko and the others come out, Yasui greeted them and then naturally walked along the street. He had already decided to accompany the three racehorse girls shopping, and judging from their enthusiastic appearance, they would probably shop until they were tired.

However, after hearing Beibu Xuanju utter only half a sentence before falling silent as if stuck, he unconsciously looked over:

"Huh? What's wrong?"

"Huh? W-what's wrong?"

Startled, Kita Genko turned around abruptly, met Yasui Makoto's gaze, and then quickly turned back:

"Oh...that's it...that's it..."

Her gaze wandered aimlessly between the shops, and she felt annoyed again.

"...Ugh... So why can't I speak..."

While she was secretly getting anxious, the Great Sun God and Megumi Zenshin in front of her were even more anxious.

Feeling that today's "love wing" had finally paid off, the two deliberately walked faster after leaving the store, giving Kita Genko and Yasui Makoto enough space.

While pretending to be a tour guide, they kept their ears perked up, listening intently to what was happening behind them, and occasionally stealing glances.

When they heard that the Northern Black Horse had changed its mind, they felt their hearts were about to jump out of their throats, and they exchanged glances of smug joy and triumph.

But as I listened to his stammering, my heart continued to race, and my temples throbbed.

Anxious, his hands clenched uncontrollably, the Great Sun God's brows furrowed into a deep frown, and after a moment of grimacing, he silently spoke to the benevolent believer:

"Ugh, why can't I say it, Xiao Bei? It's driving me crazy!!"

Equally anxious, when Mubai Shanxin kept glancing back, he realized what his friend meant and silently complained:

"That's right, Xiao Bei... you mustn't miss such a great opportunity..."

When the two were communicating silently, it was as if they had forgotten what they wanted to say, and then there was no sound at all.

The Great Sun God could not hold back any longer. He suddenly stopped, turned around, and stared intently at the Northern Black Steed, his eyes full of urging.

She opened her mouth, about to speak up and remind them, but then swallowed her words back and could only stomp her feet in frustration.

Megumi Zenshin also stopped, crossed his arms over his chest, and leaned forward, wishing he could rush over and call out "Shin-chan" for Kita Genko.

Almost at the same time they turned and stopped, the Northern Black Horse also stopped.

With a hint of shyness and blush in her eyes, she quickly glanced at Yasui Makoto walking beside her, then turned her head to look at the street to the side.

Hesitation lingered in her eyes for a long while, then she suddenly took a deep breath, as if she had made a decision, and slightly opened her mouth to say:
"Hey, little... little Zhen...?"

"Hmm, how come..."

As Yasui Makoto was casually browsing the startup showcases on the street, he suddenly heard this unfamiliar yet affectionate address. After instinctively responding, he abruptly turned his head:
"...Huh? Ah? Um... Xiao Bei, what did you call me just now...?"

In an instant, the Northern Black Steed felt its whole body burning up again, and its ears trembled slightly.

She lowered her head, her voice so soft it was barely a whisper:
"Um... I... can I call you Xiaozhen from now on...? The Sun Goddess and the others said that it would be more affectionate to call you that..."

In an instant, she looked up sharply and waved her hands repeatedly, saying:
"But, but Xiaozhen..."

"No! If the trainer doesn't think it's right, I won't call it that anymore..."

"Or...or...or, if we address each other like that in private, then...it should be fine, right?"

(End of this chapter)