Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 469 The Northern Black Steed Wants to Compete Overseas

When Kita Genko first heard Yasui Makoto's idea, he was quite excited.

That trip to Dubai—the brand-new races, the overseas horse races so different from those in Japan, the broader stage—all left a very deep impression on her.

After returning to Japan, besides mentioning her experience when chatting with friends, she thought more than once when she was alone that it would be very interesting and rewarding to compete outside of Japan in the future.

Upon hearing the final part about the evaluation, she couldn't help but feel a pang of anxiety and began to ponder.

In the past, she didn't care about such evaluations, or rather, her thinking used to be very simple.

Following in the footsteps of my idols on the field, and running alongside friends like Crown-chan and Diamond-chan who grew up together—that's enough.

However, with her admission to Central Tereson Academy and her debut, Yasui Makoto's family's joy and excitement, the recognition from idols and seniors, the expectations from fans, the reliance from juniors, and her dedication...

All of this gave her more and more reasons to run.

If you're still the same clueless person you were before and after your debut, you might accidentally overlook these things.

She wasn't good at thinking about complicated things, and when faced with them, she would habitually put them out of her mind.

But after more and more training and competitions, especially after this Takarazuka Memorial, she has decided that even if she can't figure it out, she will face it head-on.

These are everyone's expectations and dreams for themselves, and also their own expectations and dreams.

Only by actively taking on these responsibilities can running on the field have more meaning.

As a result, one's own strength will become stronger.

These were thoughts she had during her solitude after the Takarazuka memorial, and she hadn't had a chance to tell anyone yet.

And vaguely, she felt that if she agreed to Yasui Makoto's idea, she... might have to shoulder more expectations and dreams.

There are many things she doesn't understand about overseas competitions, or rather, she knows nothing about anything except Dubai and the Arc de Triomphe.

But it was undoubtedly a completely new challenge, a completely new stage.

Stepping onto that path not only means entering a wider world, but also facing the world's strongest racehorse girls.

More importantly, if it were me, embarking on this path... I would have to give it my all, without the slightest hesitation or retreat.

So, this kind of challenge, this kind of stage, this kind of world, and myself right now...

Can we afford it...?
If we fail, then everyone's expectations and dreams...

What if all of this comes to nothing...?
Lost in thought, the Northern Black Steed remained silent.

Seeing the black-haired girl display such a serious and focused expression, Yasui Makoto was pleased but did not disturb her.

During this time, he has increasingly felt the growth of the Northern Black Steed.

In her daily life, she remains as cheerful and lively as ever, though occasionally a bit eccentric and silly.

When it comes to training, competitions, or other important matters, she is becoming more and more proactive in thinking for herself, rather than passively waiting for herself or others to tell her what's going on.

Therefore, it's best not to disturb her at times like this, and let her confirm her thoughts first.

Ultimately, whatever her answer may be, I will be able to help her.

Alimei, Alice, and Yamato Akaki also noticed Kita Genko's appearance and remained silent, creating a quiet atmosphere around the table.

The conversations of other customers seemed to fade into the distance, as if everyone's attention was focused on Beifang Xuanju, waiting for her to make some important decision.

After a while...

"Ugh... I guess I still am..."

Suddenly, his face fell, and Beibu Xuanju's thoughtful expression vanished. With his familiar silly grin, he vigorously scratched his head:

"I'm not good at thinking about such complicated things..." she said self-deprecatingly, then clenched her fist in excitement.

"No, but... I should be able to spend more time thinking about this important matter carefully, right?"

"It's just like...right, like a final exam."

"I actually... still really want to try competing outside of Japan, but I'm completely unfamiliar with those places and haven't even tried training there, so I definitely need to prepare properly."

"and……"

She paused, silently looked at her fist for a moment, then looked at Yasui Makoto:

"I... am actually thinking about the goal of building a palace, but I haven't come to a conclusion yet."

"So if I decide to aim for the Hall of Fame and compete overseas, I definitely have to win."

"Then... we need to prepare even better!"

The girl's thoughtfulness and determination were evident in her words, and Yasui was very satisfied.

"Of course I need to think about it carefully," he said with a smile and a hint of reassurance in his explanation.

"And I didn't expect you to have an answer right now, because making such a decision is actually a challenge for me too, and I need to prepare properly."

"But since you said you want to give it a try, we can arrange some related exercises during this training camp."

When he said this, he had already decided on the solution he wanted to adopt.

He wasn't in a hurry to bring it up now; his immediate priority was to help Beifang Xuanju pass his final exams.

Besides myself and Anzu, I'll definitely need to ask Yamato Akame for help as well.

However, before he could think of a way to change the subject, an unexpected voice came from the other end:
"Overseas competitions, and...the Hall of Fame?"

With a surprised expression, Alice put down the origami crane she was folding in half, exchanged a glance with Yamato Akaki, and then looked over:

"It's an unimaginable decision, but..."

She suddenly smiled, her gaze towards Yasui becoming playful:

"Yasui-kun has never seemed to be a well-behaved person, and the decisions he makes... are always unexpected."

"So setting your sights on overseas markets and even the Hall of Fame right after your debut seems... exactly the kind of thinking you would have."

It was hard to tell whether the words were praise or criticism, but since he had originally wanted to talk to Alice or Yamato Akamachi about math tutoring, Yasui smiled and went along with it:

"It can't really be called a decision, since as I just said, we plan to try some things through joint training camps."

"We will make a real decision only if everything goes well."

Alice nodded, stroking the paper crane in her hand, while mentally adjusting her feelings of amazement.

To be honest, if it's just about overseas expeditions, she doesn't think it's a good idea, but she can understand it.

Her friend, Manchester Tea House, once went to France to participate in the Arc de Triomphe while he was playing, but the results were less than satisfactory. So, in this regard, she could only say she understood and wished him well.

But the idea of ​​a palace as a goal truly surprised her.

To be honest, Alice doesn't consider herself a very lucky horse girl, but she never doubts her own abilities.

More than once, after completing various studies, she would sit alone in the laboratory filled with all kinds of instruments and think about whether she could have left a more significant mark on the history of the competition if she hadn't encountered injuries back then.

Even so, she never considered a goal like the Hall of Fame.

(End of this chapter)