Chapter 102: UmaNote and Signature Racewear
While Makoto cross-checked theory with the results of past training, Kitasan Black had just finished her first lap.
"Alright, take a break. That lap was good."
Nodding in satisfaction, he added with concern, "How's your right side? Any discomfort?"
"Hehe~ I actually felt really good while running just now."
Smiling, Kitasan Black rubbed her right shoulder and lifted her right leg.
"My right side… feels fine. Is there a problem, Trainer?"
"You didn't switch properly during your second gradient acceleration."
Shaking his head, Makoto pulled out his tablet and began sketching a diagram.
"I've told you before—if you keep using the same leading leg, it puts too much strain on one side of your muscles."
"At the third corner, you should've switched to leading with your left leg, but you failed to switch to your right leg in advance, and then switched to your left when entering the curve."
"Changing leads isn't just for speed—it's also to balance the body's load and slow down fatigue buildup on one side. Keep that in mind."
Looking at the rough sketch on the tablet, Kitasan Black replayed the lap in her head and grew apologetic.
"Ah, I think you're right… sorry, Trainer. I was feeling so comfortable while running that I didn't notice."
"There's no need to apologize." Makoto chuckled. "This was your first time putting all the techniques together—you're just not used to it yet."
"And like I said, that lap was solid."
"But for the next drills, you'll need to pay attention."
"Assuming you use all the tactics we practiced, you'll need to switch your leading leg at least three times during positioning and the two gradient accelerations. That's six switches."
"Add in the necessary straight-line changes, and the frequency isn't exactly low. You'll need to be comfortable with that before the Satsuki Sho."
…
The training that followed lasted all the way into the afternoon, almost entirely consisting of full 2000-meter runs.
With each lap completed, Makoto found fewer and fewer issues to point out.
That pleased him, but also filled him with an uncontainable sense of awe.
His Umamusume was without question a hardworking genius.
Honestly, running nothing but lap after lap all day—he doubted he himself could stick it out.
Even if he did, he would definitely grow irritable.
What was more, this training might not have the heavy resistance of parachute sprints, but it was still extremely demanding.
For Kitasan Black at her current stage, her straight-line ability could only be described as average—at least compared to many of her peers.
To gain a decisive advantage, she had no choice but to work on the turns.
The physical strain of corners was much greater than straights, especially on the routes they were practicing now, where the entry-to-exit angles were very tight. That only added to the burden.
It was only because of the checkups over the past few months, which confirmed Kitasan Black's physical fitness, that he even dared to assign her these tactics and drills.
Yet, despite the monotony and the intensity, the girl always carried herself with boundless energy.
Even when fatigue finally began to show, the fighting spirit in those crimson eyes never dimmed in the slightest.
By the end, Makoto couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her.
Still, he let her finish the scheduled training before quickly calling it off.
"That's enough. We're done for today—time to go eat."
Calling out loudly to Kitasan Black on the track, Makoto began packing up his tablet, drone, and other tools.
Shaking out her damp black short hair, droplets scattering into golden lines under the setting sun, Kitasan Black exhaled deeply. Wiping the sweat from her face, she ran over to him, excitement in her step.
"Alright! Food time! Oh—Trainer, do you want to try the Victory Goddess Energy Bomb?"
"Bomb?" Makoto froze mid-motion, the remote still in his hand.
"It's today's special at the cafeteria!"
Swallowing hard, Kitasan Black dabbed at the corner of her mouth, her eyes sparkling with longing.
"They've got katsuo from the Kochi Festival, Tokachi beef from Hokkaido, drizzled with secret honey, plus carrot sauce~"
"You are drooling. Wipe it off before you keep going." Makoto pointed at the glistening trail at the corner of her mouth, half laughing, half exasperated.
"Eh? Drool—oh, oh…"
Her earlobes flushed red. Turning her head away, she fumbled at her lips before looking back at him expectantly.
"Anyway, Trainer, do you want to try it? My treat!"
"Tempting, unfortunately, I must decline."
Shouldering his single-strap bag and the drone case, Makoto shook his head with some regret.
"I've got a meeting later. By the time it's over, it'll probably be late at night—"
"That's fine! I'll just wait for you at the cafeteria!"
She cut in immediately, but quickly turned curious.
"Is it a trainers' meeting?"
"Yeah, the notice came in last night."
He nodded, and with a hint of anticipation, let out a small laugh.
"It's about UmaNotes and the Signature Racewears."
UmaNotes were like race accounts—symbols of an Umamusume's identity.
The difference was that the latter could only be obtained after debuting, while the former had no restrictions on who could apply.
Through an UmaNote, anyone could share updates about their daily lives, as well as see posts others had made public.
Among all accounts, those qualified to enter graded stakes races received official verification from the URA Association.
Depending on the race class—G1, G2, or G3—the verification came in gold, silver, or bronze.
Having won the Spring Stakes, Kitasan Black's account naturally got certified. Makoto hadn't noticed until now, when the notice explained that the account had to post updates regularly in coordination with the Association and the academy.
For example, updates about the upcoming Satsuki Sho.
It was part publicity, part promotion.
The Signature Racewear worked in a similar way, though it was exclusive to Umamusumes competing in G1 races.
That, Makoto did know about.
In this world, the Three Goddesses watched over every Umamusume.
Their most visible blessing came in the form of the Signature Racewear.
Only by wearing these special outfits could Umamusumes unleash their full power—or even exceed their normal limits—on a G1 stage.
"Si-Signature Racewear?!"
Kitasan Black's fatigue from training vanished in an instant, replaced by a bright cheer as she clenched her fists.
"R-right! The Satsuki Sho is a G1, and you can only wear the Signature Racewear in a G1. That means— I'm finally going to have my very own outfit!"
Watching his Umamusume suddenly realize what should have been obvious, Makoto couldn't help but laugh. He was just about to tease her when she rushed forward, shoving at him impatiently.
"Then why are you still standing here, Trainer?! Go! If you're late, they might run out of suits, and I-I'll— I'll get mad at you!"
—Hey, hey. Is this for real? Forgetting all about her trainer the second she heard "Signature Racewear"? What kind of Umamusume does that?
Still laughing helplessly, Makoto understood her excitement, and said with a smile:
"Relax. They're all custom-made. Every Umamusume who enters a G1 gets one."
"But what you should watch out for is dinner later. Don't stuff yourself too much."
"The suit's being tailored to your current size. If you eat too much, there's a chance that the outfit won't fit anymore."
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Note:
UmaNote is Umamusume version of RedNote / Xiaohongshu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiaohongshu
The reason why it's UmaNote and not UmaTok or Umastragam is because of the raw.
It's 骏书, with 骏 mean Horse or Steed, which basically mean Uma, and 书 which mean book, letter, calligraphy, write, script, etc.
So, after checking the list of Chinese social apps, I found RedNote, who's 'Note' part of the name use the chinese word '书' too, just like in the raw.
So, after comparing it with some other chinese social media apps, I believe 骏书 is the Umamusume version of RedNote, hence, UmaNote.
I'm troubled about whether to use UmaTok, Umastagram, or any other Game Equivalent social account, but after thinking about it again, I'm going to stick with the raw for now, it might get changed to other social account in the future though.
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1615744?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/uma-musume-it-i-141501318
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/uma-musume-it-i-141501318
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1615744?view=condensed