Chapter 286: Little Trainer
Hearing Almond Eye's question, Makoto couldn't help but smile. The hand resting on his notebook idly traced along its edge as he thought for a moment.
"As for Lucky Lilac… she's very polite, and quite steady."
As he spoke, he picked up his pen and circled the words "temperament" in his densely written notes.
"She's also pretty resilient."
"In all of today's training sessions, her results… well, they were all last place."
"There's nothing that can be done about that, though. After all, the ones training with her weren't just your Kita-senpai, but also outstanding Umamusume like Gold Ship and Orfevre."
"But after checking her results, she would quietly ask about her shortcomings—or listen to feedback—and then go practice on her own."
"In that sense, she's actually quite similar to you, Almond Eye. Neither of you can stand losing."
As he said this, he couldn't help but chuckle.
"But if we're talking about not accepting defeat, you're even stronger."
"After all, not many Umamusume your age would train with that kind of relentless attitude, always insisting on competing with their senpai."
"Oh right, I heard that when you were in elementary school, you even competed with upperclassmen in practice races?"
As soon as Makoto finished speaking, a dissatisfied little huff came from the other end of the phone.
"That's because those senpai said, 'New students always wobble during practice races!' I just wanted to prove to them that not every freshman is like that!"
Makoto smiled as he listened to Almond Eye's rebuttal, silently adding in his mind:
And in the end, you pushed yourself so hard you dozed off during class…
Hmm… that's actually a bit like Kita. She's had her fair share of zoning out in class too, there were even a few times the homeroom teacher came to talk to me about it…
Recalling Kitasan Black's embarrassing moments, Makoto didn't expose his senpai's shortcomings in front of her junior. Instead, he circled the words "competitive spirit" in his notebook.
While listening to Almond Eye chatter on, he flipped to the section about Kitasan Black.
After today's training, while organizing her running data on an unfamiliar track together with Imanami Takatoshi, he had suddenly gained a new insight.
When he first became a trainer, like everyone else, he believed that a runner's "best running style" could be calculated and deduced from data and experience.
Speed, stamina, stride frequency… all of these factors came together, eventually forming an optimal solution—like piecing together a puzzle.
Of course, his evaluation of running styles had always been somewhat different, because he relied on memories from his previous life.
It was precisely because of those memories that when he first signed with Kitasan Black, he decisively pushed her to the front, establishing a front running strategy centered on leading from the start.
But now that he thought about it, whether it was that certainty or the calculations and deductions—he had overlooked something crucial.
That was "temperament," or rather, the personalities of the Umamusume themselves.
It was something he only realized after hearing a casual remark from Imanami Takatoshi.
"Ah, Gold Ship… haha~ she's a bit special."
"But who can say that a girl like that can't win races—or even G1 titles?"
"They all long to stand on the brightest stage. That's their dream."
"And as trainers, shouldn't we do everything we can to help them reach that stage—and ideally, win the champion's crown?"
"Different girls have different running styles. And special girls, naturally, have their own unique ways of running."
"I suppose that's my secret as a trainer? Haha, something like that."
As Makoto recalled those words, Almond Eye's chatter on the other end of the phone gradually came to a pause.
He smiled slightly and flipped his notebook to the section about Almond Eye.
"That's great…" he suddenly said with a nod.
There was a brief pause on the other end, clearly confused by his sudden comment.
After a moment, Almond Eye's hesitant voice came through:
"…What do you mean 'that's great,' Trainer?"
"I mean—you and Kita are both just fine the way you are."
Nodding, Makoto pondered for a moment.
"Actually, I was planning to talk to you and Kita about this during training tomorrow—but it's fine to tell you now."
"Because of Imanami-senpai's advice, I've developed some new thoughts about 'temperament.'"
"I used to think that a runner's best running style could be determined purely through data and experience, but I overlooked your own feelings."
"Take Kita, for example—her ability to run a front running style is closely tied to her cheerful and optimistic personality."
There was a brief silence on the other end. When Almond Eye spoke again, her voice carried a thoughtful tone.
"Kita-senpai… she really is cheerful and warm. How should I put it… she's like a little sun. Being around her just makes you feel warm."
"That's exactly how I feel too."
Makoto smiled and nodded.
"Generally speaking, you all prefer running or playing together. On the trainer's side, we call this a 'group trait.'"
"In that sense, running alone at the very front—or falling far behind—doesn't quite align with that instinct."
"When you're by yourselves, you can feel a subtle sense of loneliness, which may throw you off."
"From a racing perspective, without other Umamusume as reference points, your sense of pacing and race judgment can also become distorted."
As he explained this, Makoto was thinking about applying what he had learned from guiding Kitasan Black to Almond Eye.
Kitasan Black had great intuition—she could grasp many things with just a hint.
Since the Arima Kinen, she had continued training more deeply under his guidance, gaining a better understanding of training methods.
Especially after his left arm was injured, she had helped with many work-related tasks. Sometimes when assisting with training, she even looked like a "little trainer" herself.
This kind of growth wasn't only obvious in races—her performance in the Arima Kinen was a great example.
It was also evident in training.
For instance, when guiding Lucky Lilac today—even though she didn't have as much experience as Orfevre and the others—Kitasan Black's demonstrations and explanations were surprisingly convincing.
After hearing all this, Almond Eye on the other end didn't respond immediately. It was unclear whether she was deep in thought or simply hadn't fully understood.
Makoto didn't rush her. After all, Kitasan Black hadn't shown such understanding from the start either.
It was only after a period of training, once she had built a basic professional understanding of training and racing, that she began to grasp things so quickly.
So he patiently continued:
"And your Kita-senpai just happens to be someone who can endure solitude."
"At the very least, thanks to her cheerful and optimistic nature, she can ignore a lot of negative emotions."
"On top of that, she has an excellent sense of rhythm, which is why front running suits her best."
"So, a running style isn't a formula—it's about turning everything you are into the speed beneath your feet, like a flash of wind and lightning."
As Makoto finished summarizing and was about to continue, an excited voice suddenly came from the other end of the phone.
"I see, so that means…"
Almond Eye sounded full of enthusiasm.
"Trainer, have you figured out how to make use of my temperament?"