Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 593 I didn't mean to scare you
The changes in the Northern Black Steed are actually very subtle and difficult to detect accurately with the naked eye.

But faced with Eliseko's detailed data records, they had nowhere to hide.

According to her calculations, whether it's exiting the gate, starting, sprinting in a straight line, or cornering, the average reaction time of Genko Kita is about 150 milliseconds slower than the data from the Japan Cup and previous years.

0.15 seconds in a race means a distance of more than 2.25 to 2.7 meters, which is the height difference of a horse's body.

In the G1 arena, where victory is decided by the smallest margin, this is a formidable barrier that can determine the outcome.

If he participates in Arima Kinen in this condition, he might still have a chance of making it, but the hope of winning is so slim that it's less than one in ten thousand.

What's even more crucial is that, aside from these occasional, brief reaction delays, her physical fitness, endurance, and explosiveness are all maintained at an extremely high level, even better than before the Japan Cup.

This abnormality in "selectivity" is what made Alice describe it as "terrible".

This is also the reason why Yasui Makoto was still at a loss after checking all the conventional possibilities.

He had a vague guess, or rather, an idea that should have been put into action long ago.

At the moment of victory in the Japan Cup, watching that figure giving her all on the field, he thought that he needed to find some time to have a deeper conversation with this rapidly growing racehorse girl and better understand her thoughts outside of the race.

However, the pressure of preparing for Arima Kinen was mounting, and he habitually immersed himself in the competition, so this matter was put aside again.

Now, he feels he can't wait any longer.

"How about this……"

Breaking the silence, Yasui Makoto took a deep breath and looked at Alice:

"Actually... I have some thoughts, I mean about Xiao Bei's current situation. But... let me try first and then we'll talk about it."

Alice gave him a deep look and nodded.

She trusted the trainer's judgment and methods:

"Then... good luck."

Then, she and Yamato Akaki looked in the direction where the northern black horse had left:
"Don't forget, that's... the Autumn Triple Crown."

"And...it's right here."

……

While Yasui and the others were talking about themselves at the training ground, Kita Genko had already quickly packed two bento boxes at the cafeteria and went straight to the student council office.

She knocked on the door, introduced herself, and received permission to enter. The moment she opened the door, she saw the Emperor of the East Sea and Megumi McQueen, each with a desk, engrossed in their documents.

"Emperor! McQueen!"

Northern Black Horse quickly stepped forward and handed over the still-steaming lunchbox:

"Excuse me! This... please use it!"

"Eh……?"

Looking up from the documents, the Emperor of the East Sea was surprised: "Little Bei...?"

Megumi McQueen stood up directly from behind the table:

"Have you...eaten this?"

Northern Black Horse did not answer. She originally thought that only the East Sea Emperor was in the office, so she thought she would have a meal with her idol and slowly ask for his opinion.

But since Megumi McQueen is here now, these two bento boxes should definitely be given to the two seniors.

And with two senior colleagues around, perhaps my question will be easier to answer?

Thinking this, she nervously placed the two bento boxes on the two desks.

"This……"

Looking at the bento box, Megumi McQueen hesitated for a moment, but the Emperor of the East Sea had already picked it up with a grin:

"Oh, Xiao Bei is a lifesaver! I was just about to get hungry, McQueen, shall we take a break?"

"This... alright." After a moment's hesitation, Megumi McQueen nodded, elegantly put down his pen, gently rubbed his wrist, looked at Genkoku, and smiled:

"How thoughtful of you, Xiao Bei. Thank you for bringing this over especially for us."

"N-nothing!" Beifang Xuanju quickly waved his hand, "It's just...it's just..."

She "just" talked for a long time but didn't say anything more.

The Emperor of the East Sea couldn't wait to open the lid:

"Let me see what good dishes the cafeteria has made today... Oh! It's a fried pork cutlet set meal! Not bad luck!"

Megumi McQueen, on the other hand, was much more refined; she carefully set out the tableware:

"My tonkatsu is also on a timer, thanks, Xiao Bei... By the way, aren't you having lunch with Trainer Yasui and the others today?"

He was pondering how to begin when he heard the question, and Northern Black Horse paused, his eyes suddenly becoming unfocused:

"Huh? This... well, something else happened today, so they gave me some free time. That's about it..."

"That's it..."

Nodding, the Emperor of the East Sea took a bite of the pork chop, chewed it contentedly, and mumbled:
"Hmm... at least that guy has some conscience, he knows to let you rest more."

Meanwhile, McQueen was eating his meal in small bites, and the conversation turned to work:
"Your Majesty, regarding the agenda for this afternoon's meeting with the URA Association, I think we need to double-check this part..."

"Okay, okay, let's talk about it after we finish eating..." the Emperor of the East Sea tried to protest.

"You..."

Shaking his head helplessly, McQueen pondered for a moment:
"Alright, for Xiao Bei's sake, I'll allow you to finish eating first."

"Hehe, I knew McQueen was the best."

"Come on, don't even try..."

The atmosphere in the office gradually shifted from a busy work break to a warm lunchtime atmosphere.

The northern black horse, however, seemed increasingly restless.

Before the Emperor of the East Sea and Megumi McQueen could notice her unusual behavior, she took a deep breath.

As if summoning all her courage, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her dress, she took a few steps forward, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible:
“Um…that…Senior Emperor, Senior McQueen…I…I have a question…”

"Ok?"

The Emperor of the East Sea raised his head from his lunchbox, his cheeks still bulging:
"What's wrong, Xiao Bei? Did you run into trouble with your training? Or did Yasui give you some ridiculous training again?"

Megumi McQueen also put down his chopsticks and looked over with concern:

"Are you having any problems? It's okay, tell me slowly."

Northern Black Horse's cheeks flushed rapidly, and she lowered her head, her voice trembling with nervousness, her words becoming hesitant and stammering:
"No...it's not training...it's...it's about...'like'...that feeling..."

She paused, as if those few words had exhausted all her strength, then her voice became even softer, almost a whisper:
"If...if this feeling...is related to A-Zhen...I mean, to the trainer, then...what should I do...?"

"puff--!"

"Ahem! Ahem!"

The Emperor of the East Sea and Megumi McQueen choked almost simultaneously, spitting out grains of rice from their mouths.

The two of them widened their eyes in shock and stared at the Northern Black Steed, as if they had heard something unbelievable.

Northern Black Horse was startled by the two seniors' violent reactions. He shrank back like a frightened little animal, his cheeks instantly turning bright red.

She unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes with both hands, her voice clearly filled with panic:
"I'm so sorry! Emperor, McQueen... I didn't mean to scare you..."

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down:

"It's just... it's just that I haven't been able to concentrate during training lately, that kind of thing..."

(End of this chapter)