Chapter 73: Training Expenses
Saburo gave a subtle nod.
As one of the top musicians in the industry, he had met many newcomers eager to make a name for themselves, some of whom were bona fide musical prodigies.
A single song wasn't enough to fully judge Makoto's musical talent, but the quality of this song alone was proof that this young man's abilities could not be underestimated.
Most people in such a situation would easily grow arrogant because of their talent, or else become impatient for quick success.
Yet the young man before him seemed completely unmoved, his heart steady and resolute—a rare quality in Saburo's eyes.
Of course, there was a sense of regret.
If Makoto were not a trainer, and instead brought that kind of talent to learn under him, it wouldn't take long before he became one of the hottest rising stars in the music world. Calling his future "limitless" would not be an exaggeration.
But that regret was soon overshadowed by what could only be called a personal sentiment.
Ever since he fell in love with the Twinkle Series races, he had sponsored no fewer than a hundred Umamusume over the years—and their results were, to put it mildly, less than stellar.
Now, his beloved granddaughter had debuted as an Umamusume and gone on to win three races in a row, one of them being the Spring Stakes—a G2-level graded race.
Among all the Umamusume he had sponsored before, there had only been two graded race wins in hundreds or even thousands of races, with not a single G1 victory, and only one G2 win.
Those results had already made him overjoyed to the point where he almost ignored his family's objections and announced to the world—at a concert or some other major event—"This amazing Umamusume is my child!"
How far Kitasan Black could go in future races, as he had said earlier, he couldn't predict—he wasn't a professional trainer.
But what he did know was that it was the young man before him who had trained her, and compared to discovering a musical prodigy, his granddaughter's future was far more important.
With that thought in mind, Saburo said without hesitation:
"No problem. I'll have someone arrange all of this. And I'm also very grateful for your trust, Yasui-san."
Then, after a moment of thought, he asked curiously:
"By the way, I've been following Kitasan's races closely. I hope I'm not being too forward, but ever since we last met, Yasui-san, you haven't gone to see Ōno Trading. Is there some inconvenience?"
"As far as I know, training expenses can be quite high. When Kitasan comes home, she often says that even just the running shoes cost a lot—something like needing a new pair every week."
"Are you sure you have no financial pressure, Yasui-san? If you do, please don't hesitate to tell me."
Makoto fell silent in thought.
What Saburo said was true—training was an expensive business.
Take running shoes, for example.
With current technology, Uma-exclusive running shoes would barely show any wear for years if worn by a human.
But when used for training, with the tremendous leg strength of an Umamusume, a pair would be worn out in just two or three weeks.
And that was even with horseshoes to provide extra cushioning and reinforcement.
Kitasan Black's power was exceptional even among Umamusume, so the wear was even greater.
As Saburo had said, the black-haired girl went through a pair of running shoes every week.
The average price of a pair of specialized running shoes was about 50,000 to 80,000 yen—meaning that just for shoes, Kitasan Black had a fixed monthly expense of around 200,000 yen.
Horseshoes were another major cost.
A set could last one to two months, and was much cheaper than running shoes—about 4,000 to 6,000 yen a set.
The alloy ones were pricier, averaging 8,000 to 10,000 yen.
But because of differences in training routines and venues, multiple types of horseshoes had to be prepared at the same time, and they also had to be swapped out in full sets to match an Umamusume's growth.
Kitasan Black happened to be in the rapid-growth stage of her full development, so her horseshoes were replaced roughly every two weeks—adding up to quite a sum.
Then there were sportswear, nutritional supplements, training equipment, and more. In truth, the Twinkle Series was like any competitive sport—it burned through money at an incredible rate.
What Makoto wanted to discuss with Saburo was precisely these expenses.
It wasn't just a matter of money. Thanks to his past savings and the prize money from the past three months of races, he wasn't under too much financial pressure.
Mainly, as a trainer, preparing training equipment for an Umamusume requires going through the academy's approval process in order to receive the corresponding subsidies.
The review procedure itself wasn't troublesome, but Kitasan Black's consumption rate was so high, and each subsidy had a set limit.
Over time, if nothing else, even just filling out things like the "Running Shoe Purchase Application Form" ended up taking quite a bit of time.
Thinking about all this, Makoto paused for a moment, then looked straight at Saburo with a calm but earnest expression.
"In that regard… I won't be shy about asking."
"But as for Kitasan's regular training expenses—her running shoes, horseshoes, sportswear—the academy gives quite a lot in subsidies every month."
"On top of that, with the money I earned from part-time jobs before coming to Tokyo, the trainer stipend, and race prize money, I have no trouble covering either the daily consumables or any additional training equipment we might need."
"What I do hope for is that Kitajima-sensei could assign some people to help with things like filling out application forms and other small errands."
"That way, I can focus more fully on guiding Kitasan."
"I see…"
Saburo gave a small nod, then praised, "I've heard about your diligence back when you were still in school, Yasui-san."
"But since it's all for Kitasan's training, there's no reason for you to pay out of your own pocket."
"How about this—later, I'll send someone to coordinate with you, and from then on, any expenses beyond the academy's subsidies will be handled by Ōno Trading."
"If you need to submit any documents to the student council, those people can handle it as well."
Makoto was genuinely pleased.
He didn't know if it was the same in other industries, but in the world of trainers, there were a lot of chores outside of training and racing.
He had always felt those things were a waste of time, though he wasn't sure how other trainers managed them.
Now that Saburo had taken the initiative to offer help, there was no reason to refuse.
Moreover, the contents of a phone call he had received last night happened to be about a similar matter, so he figured it might be worth asking if Saburo could take care of that as well.
"Then I won't be polite—thank you very much, Kitajima-sensei."
…
After finishing their discussion about support, and under the old man's guidance, Makoto toured the various treasured collections in the mansion.
In this life, his family background was fairly ordinary, and before coming to Tokyo, he had always stayed in his hometown, so he couldn't say he'd seen much of the world.
That said, thanks to his past life's experiences, he had seen a fair share of remarkable things, so he felt he carried himself reasonably well during the tour.
At the same time, he was quietly considering the next stage of Kitasan Black's training plan.
It was clear that her training approach needed some optimization.
Umamusume had a strong herd instinct, and when training alone, the performance they showed couldn't fully represent their true ability.
To gain a complete understanding of their capabilities, it was often necessary to put them through several official races, or have them run in practice matches with a sufficient number of other Umamusume.
Only after that stage could trainers truly assess an Umamusume's abilities and go on to arrange their race schedule, tactics, and training plan.
Thanks to the memories from his previous life, Kitasan Black had skipped that step entirely.
Before her debut, he had already determined the most suitable training direction, running style, and race tactics for her.
With that foundation, the first two wins out of her three victories so far had been expected.
The third win, at the Spring Stakes, had clearly been much harder.
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