Chapter 100: Would You Be Willing to Train Me?
Almond Eye hadn't expected that the burden of running 2000 meters would be so much heavier than a short mile race. After crossing the finish line, aside from hearing that she had won, everything else felt hazy and indistinct.
By the time her mind cleared, she looked around in confusion, only then realizing she was lying on a bed, her upward gaze filled with the stark white of the ceiling.
This place is… the school infirmary?
Just as she figured out where she was, a voice rang out nearby, loud with worry.
"Ai-chan! H-how are you feeling—? Does your foot hurt? You have to tell me if it does!"
She immediately recognized the voice as Kitasan Black's. Almond Eye froze for a second, then her expression lit up as she turned toward her senpai.
"Senpai, I… did I win?" she asked. Her tone was calm, because she truly wasn't sure whether she had.
"Mhm! I watched the whole thing! You won beautifully. That final sprint—you pulled it off in a way I never could!"
Standing beside the bed, Kitasan Black's face was bright with excitement as she praised her kouhai. But her gaze soon shifted to Almond Eye's feet, and her expression turned worried again.
"So, Ai-chan… how do you feel now?"
'How do I feel? My foot…?'
Recalling the earlier question, Almond Eye subconsciously followed her senpai's gaze downward. Only then did she realize that her shoes and socks from the race had already been removed.
Her pale little feet were bare in the open air, her round toes curling idly in response to her thoughts.
There doesn't seem to be anything wrong… huh?
Just as she was about to reply, she noticed adhesive bandages stuck to the insides of both feet.
Leaning forward, she touched one. A faint sting pulsed beneath it, and she looked up in puzzlement.
She was just about to ask when she noticed someone behind Kitasan Black—a young man who's speaking quietly with the infirmary doctor.
From news clips she'd seen before, she recognized him immediately. That young man was Kitasan Black's trainer, Makoto Yasui.
"…I don't think anything's wrong. I mean, with my feet."
Though her words were directed at Kitasan Black, Almond Eye's eyes lingered on Makoto.
Worried her senpai might not believe her, she sat upright on the bed and slowly lifted her leg until it was raised above her head.
"My legs are fine too. If I had to say… how exactly did I get injured?"
Almond Eye truly didn't understand.
Neither by feel nor by memory did she recall any moment where she might have hurt herself. So why were there bandages on her feet?
"About that…"
Scratching her head, Kitasan Black glanced back toward her trainer, then answered with a thoughtful look.
"According to trainer, it's because your flexibility is too good, your speed is too high, but your footwork isn't trained enough yet."
"Simply put… you accidentally kicked your own feet. Your back foot hit your front one."
Almond Eye blinked, stunned. This was the first time she'd ever heard such a thing.
Just as she was about to ask more, Kitasan Black turned toward Makoto and waved him over.
"Trainer, it looks like Ai-chan's all rested up now. Could you explain it to her?"
Almond Eye's spirits immediately lifted.
She had wanted to meet Trainer Yasui from the start. In her impression, he was the one who had guided her senpai to break through distance limits in races—someone whose abilities were without doubt.
With his experience in guiding her senpai, surely he would understand her dreams too. Maybe, just maybe, he would be willing to give her advice.
And besides, she was really curious about this "kicking your own feet" explanation.
As she watched, Makoto nodded at Kitasan Black's words, whispered a few final things to the doctor, and then walked over with a gentle smile.
"Hello, Almond Eye-san. My name is Makoto Yasui. I'm Kitasan Black's trainer. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Almond Eye thought for a moment, then chose not to get out of bed. Instead, she nodded in acknowledgment.
"Nice to meet you, Trainer Yasui."
Almond Eye touched her ankle. "So this is what happened…?"
After greeting the young Umamusume, Makoto's gaze fell on the bandages on her feet, and there was a hint of admiration in his eyes.
"Actually, it's more or less like Kitasan Black said. Your flexibility is exceptional, and your stride is much longer than most others."
"Your speed is high, and your burst power is outstanding."
"Because of that, without fully mastering the right steps and rhythm, during a sustained sprint, your back foot can easily overtake your front."
As he spoke, Makoto extended his hands in front of him, one behind the other, mimicking Almond Eye's running motion.
"It's like this: before your front foot has fully retracted, your back foot already swings forward, and in the blink of an eye, it reaches the same position.
"At that moment, you're airborne, with no stable footing. Both your legs and balance are hard to adjust."
"And then…"
His leading hand drew back slowly while his rear hand quickly moved forward. He clapped them together.
Slap!
"That's how they end up colliding. I mean—your feet."
"This doesn't happen often, because not everyone has your level of flexibility, stride, and explosive speed."
"But don't worry too much. Once you've officially started proper training, it's something that can be fixed easily."
Understanding dawned in Almond Eye's eyes, quickly replaced by a hopeful gleam.
"I see… Thank you, Trainer Yasui. Then, in your opinion, could I run middle-distance races like senpai—or even long-distance ones?"
Makoto's heart stirred.
When he had heard from Kitasan Black after the race that Almond Eye had run into some trouble, he had rushed over without hesitation.
Finding that her injury was minor, more a matter of training than anything serious, he was relieved. He had also asked Kitasan Black a little about Almond Eye's situation.
After all, he was curious how his own Umamusume had ended up befriending someone destined to become a "queen of the track."
What surprised him, though, was learning that in this world, Almond Eye's family had directed her toward specializing only in short-mile races.
From what he remembered, her sire was indeed Lord Kanaloa, a short-distance champion.
But looking further up her pedigree, there were also names like King Kamehameha and Sunday Silence—bloodlines that weren't limited to short distances at all.
So based on what he remembered from the "other" world, Almond Eye shouldn't have been confined to sprinting events alone.
'Then again,' Makoto thought, 'it made sense. Different worlds naturally had their differences.'
"As for long-distance… I'm not too sure. But middle-distance shouldn't be a problem."
He recalled how Almond Eye's only long-distance race had been the Arima Kinen, where she had lost. Still, Makoto mused:
"Even though that race wasn't of the highest level, I could still see it—your explosive strength, endurance, and flexibility are all quite good. More importantly, you clearly have a strong closing kick."
"These are exactly what middle-distance races demand."
"With enough training, you'll definitely be able to shine on that stage. And long-distance isn't entirely out of the question either."
As Makoto spoke, Almond Eye felt her heart pounding harder and faster in her chest. Still, she made a great effort to keep her excitement under control.
"Thank you, Trainer Yasui. Then…"
Looking him directly in the eye, she asked calmly:
"If—just if—I had the chance… would you be willing to train me?"
The request genuinely caught Makoto off guard.
He had no idea that someone like Almond Eye, who to him seemed like a genius, could think of him—who considered himself fairly ordinary—as worthy of such a request. Nor did he yet understand her future dreams.
But his reply came without hesitation.
"Of course. That is—if you'd like me to."