Chapter 4: To Become a Miracle of an Umamusume
Upon hearing Tokai Teio's proposal, Kitasan Black blinked in shock and turned to look at Makoto.
"Ehh—? You want Yasui-san to train me? That's..."
Makoto didn't immediately respond. Instead, he quietly studied Tokai Teio with thoughtful eyes.
Meeting his gaze, Tokai Teio turned to Kitasan Black and asked seriously, "What? Do you think he's not good enough?"
"Don't be fooled just because Trainer Yasui looks about your age—he's incredibly capable."
"Passing the central trainer qualification exam at just 18 years old... That's something that's never happened before."
"No, actually—nobody even imagined something like that was possible. It's like... having three horses cross the finish line at the exact same time in a G1 race. Pure fantasy."
"With that kind of talent, he's more than capable of unlocking your full potential."
"My... potential?" Kitasan whispered, lips pressed tight.
She lowered her head, clenched fists resting on her knees.
"But, so many trainers have told me that, well… aside from having a bit more raw strength, I'm just average everywhere else..."
"With talent like this, I probably won't get far in anything but short-distance races..."
"If Yasui-san really is that amazing, wouldn't I just... drag him down?"
"Then," Makoto interrupted gently, "would you be willing to become the umamusume I coach?"
"I-I would—but wait, huh?!"
She answered on reflex, then jolted upright as the words registered, her ears twitching wildly. She stared at Makoto, eyes wide in disbelief.
Even Tokai Teio looked surprised.
"Well, it seems that settles it."
Makoto turned to Teio and gave her a nod.
"I'm confident I can coach Kitasan Black well. Since she just accepted, I'll leave the remaining paperwork and arrangements to you, President."
"But there's something I want to ask."
He leaned forward, eyes sincere.
"As you said, I've been searching for the right umamusume these past few months."
"But all the ones I believed were suitable didn't think I was ready to guide them."
"Some of the more experienced trainers told me I should start as an assistant, spend a few years learning the ropes before going solo."
"So, Teio-senpai—why is it that you believe I can coach Kitasan Black?"
Kitasan also looked toward Teio with a questioning gaze.
"Hehe~ good question."
Teio gave a quiet chuckle, then raised her head high, pride gleaming in her eyes.
"Because I believe Kitasan Black is like me—someone who can't be held back by boring things like convention or common sense."
"And you—Makoto Yasui—are that kind of trainer, too."
"To create miracles, don't we have to throw all those rules and traditions aside?"
"Don't you think so?"
"Teio-senpai..." Kitasan's eyes sparkled with admiration as her hands came together in front of her chest, ears trembling uncontrollably.
Makoto gave a quiet nod to himself.
Those words... perfectly fit the image he had of Tokai Teio.
She had won the Satsuki Sho and the Japanese Derby undefeated, top-level races few ever touched.
She'd suffered multiple fractures during her career, yet returned again and again—stronger each time.
In her final race, after an entire year away from competition, she miraculously came back to defeat a field of peak-form rivals and retired as the champion. A perfect, storybook ending.
If that wasn't a miracle, what was?
An umamusume like her playing by the rules was simply unthinkable.
And maybe... just maybe, Kitasan Black was one of those miracle girls too.
After all, in his previous life, Makoto had studied extreme sports, including stunt riding—dangerous, risky moves where one mistake could lead to disaster.
And in this world, that knowledge had started whispering something familiar to him…
He still didn't know why, but for some reason, the names of many umamusume in this world matched the Horse from his previous life. Tokai Teio was one such case.
And so was Kitasan Black.
He only had a rough understanding back then, but the Kitasan Black of his previous world had a stellar racing career.
If the two worlds really did have some kind of mysterious correspondence… then from a metaphysical point of view, this world's Kitasan Black should also be destined for greatness.
However, strangely enough, both versions of her were met with doubt before debuting—and even early in their careers.
In that other world, it was because of her unimpressive bloodline. In this world, it seemed to be about her perceived lack of aptitude.
Makoto wasn't a jockey or a racehorse trainer in his past life, so he didn't know how the Kitasan Black of that world managed to rise from obscurity to become a champion.
But he did have a good idea of why no one in this world believed in her yet—after all, no one else had the unfair advantage of knowing the answer sheet ahead of time.
Of course, knowing the answer wasn't enough without knowing how to get there.
If he were still in his old world and someone asked him to train racehorses, even the best horse would've been wasted in his hands.
But this world… this world was different.
He believed in the knowledge and experience he'd accumulated quietly over the past decade.
For one, he had extensive data on both past and current umamusume—especially those about to debut. And he'd looked into Kitasan Black's data in particular.
First, she had outstanding strength.
All umamusume underwent physical assessments when entering the academy. Whether it was grip strength, pushing force, or raw leg power—Kitasan Black consistently ranked near the top.
Second, she had exceptional physical resilience.
Just like human athletes, umamusume faced intense training and competition. Injuries were common.
But Kitasan Black, aside from catching the occasional cold, had no history of major illnesses or injuries. Her medical record was practically spotless—something exceedingly rare in the world of umamusume.
Lastly, her instantaneous explosive power.
Whether it was how she dashed out to save that child earlier, or how she yanked an entire door off its hinges by accident, both incidents were clear proof.
With that kind of foundation—combined with his guidance—Makoto had absolute confidence that Kitasan Black could achieve a career matching, or even surpassing, her parallel world counterpart.
With that thought, he nodded firmly.
"As expected of the 'Emperor'... Then I'll give it my all with Kitasan Black—no, with Kitasan—to create a new miracle."
He looked at the anxious but hopeful girl before him.
"Is it alright if I call you that?"
"Mhm! Totally fine!"
She jumped to her feet and gave a deep bow, full of excitement.
"From now on, I'm in your care, Trainer Yasui—"
Thunk!
"—Ow, that hurt!"
She'd smacked her head right on the edge of the table.
Makoto glanced at the shaking tabletop, then at Kitasan Black, who was rubbing her forehead with watery eyes.
He let out a quiet sigh.
It seemed that, aside from her weak control over her strength, that clumsy personality of hers... was something they'd have to work on as well.
Seeing the two finally agree, Tokai Teio couldn't help but smile.
Just then, the server arrived with the drinks they had ordered. Teio thanked them politely and placed a cup of coffee before Makoto, and a honey drink in front of Kitasan Black. She herself held up a jumbo-sized special.
"Alright then! To celebrate Trainer Yasui finding his umamusume—and Kitasan finding her trainer—let's have a toast!"
"Oohh!! Cheers!"
Kitasan Black lifted her honey drink with both hands, a bit flustered, but clearly overjoyed.
Makoto gave a small smile and raised his coffee just slightly in return.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Later that evening – at a single-person apartment building, in Makoto's room...
"Trainer, here's the information President Teio asked me to deliver. Let me know if there's anything else you need."