Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 510 Did you miss me, Miqi?
Upon hearing Miqi Rocket's words and that hesitant and bewildered tone, Beibu Xuanju immediately understood.

In order to help Miki Rocket, she tried her best to learn a lot and knew very well that Miki Rocket's current trainer was none other than the former Dangdang of Good Opera.

Just like the rumor of "the monster in the mansion", ever since she partnered with the good opera, the trainer has never been able to guide Saima Musume to win a high-stakes race like G1.

This incident left a deep impression on her, and she had heard about it by chance before inquiring about it through the Miqi Rocket.

At the time, I just thought that I would never terminate my contract with Yasui Makoto, and that we should work together until the very end.

Now that she's gone further and further in the Shining Series and has seen more and more, she's gradually come to understand that legendary racehorses like the great opera predecessors will undoubtedly put tremendous pressure on trainers and Miki Rocket.

If our predecessors have achieved such remarkable success, we should at least be able to match them, if not surpass them.
When faced with a good opera, all junior performers probably think this way, and that trainer must have had similar thoughts.

Realizing this, Genkobu Kita not only asked Yasui Makoto about it, but also put himself in Yasui Makoto's shoes and considered the possibility.

It turned out that, just as the Miki Rocket had always longed for a good opera, he had also longed for the Emperor of the East Sea.

If it were me, after my debut, I had never been able to achieve the same level of success as my seniors, I would definitely feel a complex mix of emotions, such as resentment, shame, and guilt.

If I were to project these emotions onto the Miqi Rocket at this moment, I... would probably feel both excited and at a loss.

Thinking this, Beibu Xuanju pondered for a moment, staring at his phone as if the Miracle Rocket were right in front of him, and said earnestly:

"I... can understand how Miki-chan feels, after all, as I said, we are all following in the footsteps of our seniors."

"So my thought is that if a senior takes the initiative to invite us, we certainly can't refuse."

"As for feeling lost... I'll go with you to see the opera veterans. We can also bring Xiao Xingmu along, so you shouldn't have to worry too much."

"Is this okay, Miki-chan?"

There was silence again on the other end of the phone, followed by a low, grateful response after a long pause:
"Yes, thank you, senior..."

Northern Black Horse's spirits lifted, and he quickly confirmed the agreed time and place for the meeting:
"Great, in that case, Miki-chan, don't think too much these next two days. Just focus on training. We definitely won't break our promise!"

...Two days later, early in the morning, at the seaside park in Atami City.

Similar to their previous trip to Izu, wearing sun hats and large sunglasses, Kita Genko and Anme walked along the park road to the wooden observation deck. After looking around, they soon spotted Miki Rocket leaning against the railing, lost in thought.

"Miki-chan! So early!"

Greeting from afar, the Northern Black Horse led Almond-eyed Horse over at a trot, then looked around again:
"Dear opera senior...will you be here in a while?"

"Senior Xiao Bei, Xiao Xingmu."

He quickly straightened up from the railing, greeted them, then bit his lip, took out his phone and shook it:

"Actually, I had an appointment with my senior a little later, so coming so early... actually..."

She hesitated for a moment, then looked away guiltily, and didn't say anything more for a long time.

"Huh? In a little while...?"

He subconsciously asked a question, and seeing the expression on Miqi Rocket's face, Northern Black Horse quickly made a guess.

Perhaps... it's because they didn't know the purpose of the renowned opera master's visit, and wanted to tell me something, that's why we met a little earlier...

Thinking it over, pretending not to have noticed anything, Beifang Xuanju looked around again and saw that the three of them were all wearing casual sportswear. His eyes lit up and he pointed to the beach where the tide had just receded.

"Since the senior won't be here for a while, shall we go for a run on the beach?"

"...Huh? Run for a bit...?"

The hesitant-looking Miqi Rocket froze instantly, and the almond-shaped eyes that had been looking around with the Northern Black Horse also looked over blankly.

"Yeah, the beach right after the tide has receded is perfect for morning exercise. That's what I've been training like this for a while now!"

Smiling and nodding, Beibu Genko casually took off his sun hat and sunglasses and began to loosen his joints:

"There aren't many people around right now, so let's go for a quick run, and I'll also check on Miki's training progress over this period."

"Miki-chan...you're not scared, are you?" She teased him a little at the end.

Having spent time together, she feels that Miqi Rocket's personality is very similar to hers, even more straightforward.

Especially with his neat chestnut-brown short hair and his penchant for hooded clothes, he mostly looks more like a boy.

If they met Vodka-senpai, the two of them would surely get along very well—that's what Kita Genko once thought.

However, whenever she encounters her trainer or something related to her senior, Good Opera, this spirited junior becomes as anxious and insecure as she is now.

Northern Black Horse had no experience in how to solve this kind of problem.

But she learned one thing from many of her predecessors.

If that's the case with Uma Musume, running together is the best way to communicate.

"Fear... How could I be afraid?"

Stirred up by a single sentence from the Northern Black Horse, Mi Qi Rocket paused for a moment, then all hesitation vanished from his face.

She swept her nose and nodded confidently:

"Perfect timing! I also want to show my seniors if I've improved, so let's run a race!"

After Miqi Rocket agreed, Xingmu immediately nodded as well.

Seeing this, a knowing smile quickly flashed across Beibu Xuanju's lips as he led the way onto the beach.

After analyzing and preparing with Yasui Makoto for so long, and undergoing a lot of special training on the beach, she quickly identified a suitable running area after turning left and right a few times.

She collected over a dozen seashells and arranged them to mark the starting and finishing points. She stood side-by-side with Xingmu and Miqi Rocket behind the starting line and took out the coin given to her by the Emperor of the East Sea:

"Let's run a quick 2000 meters. The coin dropping is the starting signal, pay attention..."

As he spoke, seeing the two juniors looking at the coin in his hand with increasing tension, Beifang Xuanju smiled, gripped the coin with his thumb and forefinger, and then applied a little force.

Under the morning sun, the coin traced a shimmering silver line in the air.

The moment the silver light fell onto the beach, three figures rushed out from the starting line marked by the seashells.

Having already adapted well to the "beach track", Northern Black Horse took the lead over Almond and Miki Rocket as soon as it started, thanks to its experience in starting and leading.

The cool sea breeze brushed past her ears, and she turned to listen behind her. She found that the breathing rhythm, arm swing frequency, and gait behind her were very steady, and she couldn't help but nod in approval.

It seems that Xiaoxingmu and Miqi-chan are both working very hard...

Very good, then I, as a senior... can't fall behind!
With his mind made up, the Northern Black Steed became even more serious, and the momentum of Almond Eyes and the Miracle Rocket behind him also became more and more intense.

However, since it was just a spur-of-the-moment run, 2000 meters is only a matter of two or three minutes for a racehorse girl.

When they crossed the finish line, all three were only slightly out of breath and showed no signs of fatigue.

"Ah—! It really feels so good to go for a run first thing in the morning!"

Wiping non-existent sweat from his face, Beifang Xuanju turned and smiled:

"Isn't that right, Almond-eyed, Miki-chan?"

"Mmm! It really feels good!"

Nodding vigorously and rubbing his shoulders, Miqi Rocket said with a look of anticipation:

"And running with seniors is definitely different from training. I feel like I learned something just now..."

Before she could finish speaking, a boisterous and exaggerated laugh suddenly came from the direction far from the beach:

"Ha ha ha ha--!
"Excellent! Absolutely excellent!"
“Every step is full of power and rhythm, just like Kaoru dancing on the waves in ‘The Dancing Girl of Izu’, but without a doubt more agile and charming!”
"Long time no see, did you miss me, Miqi?"

(End of this chapter)