Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 439 What are you two doing in the grove?!

"A palace, of course... wait?"

As I strolled with Yasui Makoto outside the dormitory building, I subconsciously responded with a comment, when Kita Genkoto suddenly stopped in his tracks.

After a while...

"Eh? The Palace?!"

Completely astonished, she stared wide-eyed at Yasui Makoto and exclaimed, "Makoto, are you... serious?"

It wasn't too late yet, and warm yellow light shone through the windows of the dormitory building.

There were racehorse girls strolling around, as well as those who had just returned from training.

Some of them walked in twos and threes, chatting and laughing, while others walked with tired steps, yet still exuded vitality.

The cry of the Northern Black Steed was so loud that it immediately attracted many curious and surprised glances.

Noticing the curious gaze directed at him, Beifang Xuanju's cheeks instantly flushed.

She hurriedly looked around and instinctively reached out to grab Yasui Makoto's arm.

Without waiting for Yasui's reaction, she pulled him toward the tree-lined path leading to the school's courtyard, her steps hurried as if she were a thief.

Only when he felt there were not many people around and the tranquil atmosphere of the night enveloped him again did Beifang Xuanju breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Pressing down her chest, which had heaved violently from her rapid breathing, she turned around to face Yasui Makoto again, and said with a hint of reproach:
"It's all your fault, Ah Zhen, for suddenly saying such scary things..."

In an instant, a look of surprise and uncertainty returned to her face. She bit her lip and repeated the question she had just asked:
"Ah Zhen, are you... really talking about something like a legendary racehorse girl?"

According to Makoto Yasui, after day after day of training and countless matches, the current Northern Genko is no longer the green newcomer he once was.

Moreover, when facing almond-shaped eyes, she increasingly displayed the demeanor of a composed and dignified senior.

Therefore, the time is ripe to talk about the goal of becoming a top-tier female racehorse. It will not only not put extra pressure on her, but should instead become a source of motivation.

More importantly, Yasui Makoto was well aware that Kita Genko definitely had this ability.

But he never expected that the reaction from the Northern Black Steed would be so strong.

The series of astonished "Eh!"s, along with her wide-eyed, incredulous expression, all spoke of the shock she felt.

However, upon closer examination, it is not entirely incomprehensible.

In a sense, let alone experienced trainers and veteran racehorses, even Kita Genko himself probably doesn't know his own potential; only he knows all of this.

This makes him feel that "becoming a hall-of-fame" is a matter of course, but others do not see it that way at all.

The Shining Series has been established for several decades, with an average of several thousand racehorse girls debuting every year, totaling two to three hundred thousand.

To reach the top tier, you need more than just skill; you also need a large number of victories in major competitions and influence throughout the industry.

Of all these racehorse girls, only those in their early 30s can be honored with a Hall of Fame title, which shows how difficult it is.

From the perspective of the Northern Black Horse, this level of difficulty is perhaps the reason for the surprise.

Upon realizing this, Yasui couldn't help but secretly blame himself:

"Was I a bit too hasty? As Xiao Bei said, almond-shaped eyes and her... I really did overlook many of their thoughts..."

Yasui Makoto fell silent for a moment, and Kita Genkoto also hesitated and remained silent. However, even without hearing a definite answer, she could tell from the fact that Yasui Makoto was probably serious.

Unconsciously, her heart suddenly started racing, and she felt as if something was choking her throat.

She was not unaware of the Hall of Fame achievement, and her longtime idol—the Emperor of the East Sea—was precisely such a racehorse girl.

However, at this moment she suddenly realized that she had never seriously considered this matter.

As she tried to control her thoughts and think carefully, she suddenly realized that the Hall of Fame level... seemed very far away from her.

That supreme honor, coveted by countless racehorse girls yet forever out of reach, is like the most dazzling star in the night sky, something to be admired from afar...

Will I really have a chance to touch it...?
But in an instant, she shook her head vigorously, took a deep breath to calm herself as much as possible, looked directly at Yasui Makoto, and said hesitantly but seriously:

"So, the Hall of Fame level... is that A-Zhen's idea?"

Subconsciously, Yasui Makoto said without hesitation:
"Of course, I'm definitely serious."

As he spoke, he took a deep breath, nodded solemnly, and looked firmly at Beifang Xuanju, trying to convey the sincerity and frankness in his words:
“You haven’t even finished a year of the Year of the Horse yet, and you’re talking about such an achievement as the Hall of Fame? I know that if other people knew, they would be surprised, or even find it funny.”

"But your current strength, potential, and performance in training and matches, as well as my abilities..."

"All of this makes me firmly believe that you, Northern Black Horse, have the potential to become a top-tier female racehorse."

As he so firmly stated his thoughts, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

He instinctively felt that the thought was important, but because it was fleeting, he couldn't quite figure out what it was for a moment.

The Northern Black Steed remained silent for a moment, then pondered and repeated:
Is it possible to break into the Hall of Fame...?

"That's right. Think about it carefully. How much have you been through since your debut?"

Before he could clear up the fleeting thought from earlier, Yasui Makoto smiled gently, patted Kita Genko on the shoulder, and said encouragingly:

“You give your all in every game and constantly push your limits. Your growth is evident to all. You are no longer the rookie you once were.”

"The reason I brought this up in front of the Takarazuka memorial is because I felt it was time."

“This Game 1 is a very important opportunity. If you can achieve excellent results in this tournament, it will undoubtedly bring you one step closer to the top, won’t it?”

Having vaguely realized that Yasui Makoto had made up his mind, Kita Genko nodded and gradually fell into deep thought.

Following Yasui Makoto's words, she unconsciously recalled the bits and pieces of her journey:

Every moment of training where sweat is poured out, every tense and exciting competition, every fall and subsequent rise, every moment of joy after breaking through limits...

These thoughts flashed through her mind, and she secretly affirmed her own growth.

However, at the same time, I also recalled the phone call I made to Kou Satomi after returning to the dormitory from that date, the training scenes I had seen intentionally or unintentionally these past few days, and something I wanted to tell Makoto Yasui.

“Indeed, I am much stronger than before, but…” After pondering for a moment, Beibu Xuanju hesitated before speaking.

Suddenly, a sharp, surprised shout came from ahead on the tree-lined path:

"Hey! You two... what are you doing in the woods so late? This is against public order!"

(End of this chapter)