Chapter 81: The Fastest, the Strongest, the Supreme
Makoto nodded quietly to himself.
Air Groove's mother had also been an outstanding racer, once taking the crown in the Oaks, a G1 race.
After retirement, she first became a Trainer, and later went on to work at a Tracen elementary school.
Cross-checking with the records he had read before, Makoto knew that Duramente had attended that very school, which meant she must have known Air Groove from a very early age.
On top of that, since the two Umamusumes came from the same family line, it was only natural that their relationship would be close.
"After discussing with my mother and my Trainer, we felt that we needed to think of a way to adjust her temperament a little."
Air Groove continued, "Although I'm not working here at the moment, I've always kept an eye on each class of students."
"Kitasan Black is quite famous in the Academy, you can often hear her name on the school broadcasts or see her on the commendation board for helping others here and there."
"I haven't met her personally, but I imagine she must be lively and outgoing."
"So my thought is, if Duramente can spend more time with such a cheerful classmate, perhaps her personality will change a little."
"What do you think, Trainer Yasui?"
Listening to her explanation, and seeing Air Groove's expression that resembled a "worried mother," Makoto pondered while also feeling a bit relieved.
Duramente's problem was not unique.
Umamusumes were pure, kind, and gentle—this much was true.
At the same time, however, their sense of competition was also very strong. Otherwise, there wouldn't be events like the Twinkle Series.
Handled properly, that competitive spirit would allow them to unleash even greater strength in races.
Handled poorly, it could become an obstacle instead.
For example, the very thing Air Groove mentioned—a common issue known as "race anxiety."
In that state, an Umamusume would ignore pacing and her own condition, fixating only on overtaking a certain rival or rivals. She might accelerate when she shouldn't, or expend energy at the wrong time, wasting stamina and losing her chance at victory.
It could be said that all Umamusumes faced this possibility at some point.
By contrast, Kitasan Black's bright and easygoing nature made her less prone to race anxiety—a very reassuring advantage.
Thinking along those lines, Makoto looked at Air Groove's earnest expression and said after a pause:
"It seems Duramente's competitive drive is very strong."
"Only someone who cares that much about winning and losing would display this level of anxiety so early, even before and right after debuting."
"As it happens, since Kitasan Black is a carefree type, she might indeed help balance that out for Duramente."
Air Groove's eyes lit up.
"Then, Trainer Yasui, you mean you'll agree?"
"Training together is certainly worth a try."
Makoto nodded. "And besides, everything has its pros and cons. Kitasan Black's cheerfulness means she doesn't get anxious easily in races."
"But on the other hand, she lacks a certain sharpness—or you might say, an obsession with racing."
"I've reviewed Duramente's data. She's truly exceptional—consistently able to unleash a 33.7-second finishing burst in official races. That's not something just anyone can do.
"Kitasan Black would also have much to gain by training with someone like that."
When he agreed, Makoto had thought through many angles.
Having Kitasan Black and Duramente train together would allow their personalities to complement each other. But beyond that, it was also a matter of knowing one's allies and rivals.
In a parallel timeline, Kitasan Black and Duramente had been contemporaries, facing each other numerous times throughout their careers.
The crucial point, however, was that in all those encounters, Kitasan Black had not won even once.
Especially in their classic year—she was utterly defeated.
In the Satsuki Sho and the Japanese Derby, they had faced off twice. In the first race, Duramente finished first, while Kitasan Black came third—close enough to be called a narrow loss.
In the second, however, the former once again claimed first place, while the latter sank all the way down to fourteenth, not even making it onto the results board afterward.
In this world, many things might not unfold exactly the same, especially with his presence in the mix. But judged purely by training performance and race results, Duramente was indeed an opponent who had to be taken seriously.
Perhaps it would be best to let the two Uma interact more early on.
Through that process, he could learn more about this rival—and maybe even alter the outcome of those races in the parallel timeline.
Of course, knowing one's rival went both ways.
Just as he could help Kitasan Black understand Duramente through this, Air Groove and Duramente would also be able to learn about him and Kitasan Black.
But refusing contact out of fear of being understood by an opponent was, without question, nothing more than a form of cowardly evasion.
After all, even without interacting beforehand, a race itself would expose plenty—things that could never truly be hidden. To avoid contact was simply to cover one's ears and pretend not to hear.
Makoto had never been the kind of person to do that, and he never would be.
Rather than evasion or retreat, he preferred to face challenges head-on, doing everything he could to overcome them.
Beyond those thoughts, he also considered his own future.
Air Groove had spent no small amount of time in the Tracen Academy's student council, and now she was in charge of the university division. When it came to matters related to the Twinkle Series, she was far more familiar than he was.
From a Trainer's perspective, that made her a senior he could learn from.
More importantly, Umamusumes did not deal in hidden agendas or roundabout thinking. With most things, you could simply ask directly, and they would answer without concealment.
Staying in contact with such an Uma could only bring more benefits than drawbacks.
As Makoto pondered all this, he caught Air Groove's gaze shining with approval.
"You really are just as outstanding as the rumors say. No wonder you placed first in this year's Trainer exam. It seems Kitasan Black's streak of victories is far from undeserved."
"Shall we exchange contact information, then?"
Naturally, Makoto had no objections.
. . . .
While they were exchanging contact details on one side, at another table—
"Um… Dura-chan, can I call you that?"
"…Ah."
"D-Don't like it? If you don't like it then… maybe Durara? Duramente-san? Or… Duramente-chan?"
"…Mm."
"Then… I'll just stick with Duramente-chan. So, Duramente-chan, are you sure eating so little is enough?"
"…Oh."
"Uh… should I give you some of mine? Or maybe… order something else for you?"
"…No need."
"O-Oh, okay…"
Awkwardly finishing her words, Kitasan Black forced a twitching smile and buried her face into the mountain of food piled on her plate.
She had no idea how to keep a conversation going with Duramente.
At first, she thought Duramente might just have a shy personality.
She'd dealt with that sort before and figured she could handle it.
But after trying all kinds of greetings and small talk, the other girl only ever responded with curt, short answers.
Kitasan Black even began to wonder if she was talking too much, or maybe being too forward and rude.
Yet after eating in silence for a while, she reconsidered—it was probably just that they didn't know each other well yet, and Duramente felt awkward talking too much.
With that thought, she couldn't help but try another question, carefully testing the waters.
"Um… can I ask, Duramente-chan, why do you want to become a racer?"
When she asked, Kitasan Black expected Duramente to react as before, taking a long pause before muttering a noncommittal reply.
But to her surprise, the other girl quickly lifted her gaze from the meal in front of her, meeting her eyes with a cold look.
"Because… to be the fastest, the strongest, the supreme."
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