Chapter 290: I Learned My High-Knee Running from Rulership!
As they kept playing, the conversation gradually drifted away from the game itself.
During a break between rounds, Dream Journey looked toward Lucky Lilac, her gaze filled with concern.
"What's wrong, Lilac? You look a bit sleepy. Was training too tiring? If so, we can stop here and go to bed early."
Lucky Lilac, who had been staring at her dice, suddenly looked up.
"Huh? I'm not sleepy, it's just…"
She hesitated briefly, then nodded honestly.
"I got a little distracted."
Dream Journey thought for a moment. "Were you thinking about training? Or… the entrance exam?"
A flash of nervousness passed through Lucky Lilac's eyes, quickly replaced by a look of earnestness.
"Journey-senpai guessed right… I ended up thinking about that without realizing it."
"I've been training with all of you these past few days, and I think I've been working really hard."
"Although I still have many shortcomings in my cornering technique—and it was quite obvious in today's training—I've also received guidance from all of you, as well as Grandpa Imanami and Trainer Yasui."
"But when I think about the exam… I start to feel a little uneasy."
The other Umamusume stopped shaking their dice cups and exchanged glances.
Nakayama Festa was the first to stand up, wearing a gentle smile.
"We've played about enough anyway. I'll clean up—why don't you all sit and talk with Lilac?"
With that, she began efficiently gathering the scattered dice and cups from the floor.
Kitasan Black shifted closer to Lucky Lilac and gently patted her shoulder, speaking in a soft, encouraging tone:
"Lilac, it's totally normal to feel nervous."
"When I took the entrance exam, I was just as anxious."
"Especially when I took it together with Dia-chan, I was even worried that she would pass while I might get eliminated."
"That kind of pressure was really intense… but in the end, I passed just fine."
"You have to believe in yourself. Everyone has seen how hard you've been working."
At that moment, Gold Ship spoke up casually:
"What's there to be nervous about? It's just an entrance exam—"
Before she could finish, Orfevre expressionlessly drove an elbow straight into her side.
Gold Ship instantly doubled over, the rest of her sentence cut off, leaving only a sharp "Hiss—!"
Orfevre shot her a glare, then turned to Lucky Lilac. Her usual sharpness softened as she spoke gently:
"Don't listen to her nonsense. The entrance exam is important for every Umamusume, so it's only natural to feel nervous."
"But you need to understand, your effort and talent won't betray you. The resilience and determination you've shown in training already prove you have what it takes to pass."
"From here on, we'll help you reinforce your weaker areas."
Dream Journey adjusted her glasses and said seriously:
"Lilac, it's true that you still have a lot of room to improve in your cornering technique—but that also means you have great potential for growth."
"We can work together to create a focused training plan for your turns and concentrate on improving that before the exam."
"And remember, the exam doesn't just test technique, it also tests your mindset."
"What you need to do now is steady your mind and trust in your abilities."
Stay Gold nodded slightly and added in a gentle voice:
"Lilac, we've all been where you are now. We've all gone through the same anxiety and uncertainty before the entrance exam."
"But as long as you take it step by step and follow your training plan, there's nothing to fear."
"We'll always be here to support you."
Lucky Lilac's expression softened quite a bit, though she still looked a little hesitant.
Pressing her lips together, she turned to Kitasan Black and asked softly:
"Kita-senpai… you're being trained by Trainer Yasui together with Almond Eye, right?"
Kitasan Black paused for a moment, then quickly understood and asked:
"Lilac, are you asking about Almond Eye's current condition?"
Seeing Lucky Lilac nod, Kitasan Black thought for a moment and said seriously:
"Honestly, Almond Eye… doesn't seem nervous at all."
"She throws herself completely into training every day and stays very focused."
"And rather than just training, it feels like… she's trying to surpass me and beat me during practice."
"Every session, she gives it everything she's got. I can really feel that unwillingness to lose."
Lucky Lilac was instantly surprised, her eyes filled with admiration for Almond Eye.
At that moment, Gold Ship spoke up again in her usual carefree tone:
"See? I told you—it's just an entrance exam. Lilac, you should learn from Almond Eye's mindset."
This time, Orfevre didn't interrupt her. Instead, she spoke with a serious expression:
"That's true. There's a lot to learn from your opponents."
"Not just Almond Eye, but also the Satono family that Kita just mentioned."
"I recall that Satono Diamond has already won two races in a row, both as the favorite. She's also the top favorite for the upcoming G3 Yayoi Sho."
"I've seen Satono Crown's training a few times before, she carries herself very much like Satono Diamond."
She paused slightly, then looked directly at Lucky Lilac and continued:
"And there's also Lily Noble. She's trained by the same trainer as Rulership."
"As for Rulership…"
She glanced at Gold Ship.
"She's extremely strong. Even I would feel pressure facing her."
"I imagine Golshi feels the same way."
"As for Lily Noble, I've heard her training performances are outstanding. She might show great strength in the entrance exam and future races, she's not an opponent you can take lightly."
"Lilac, while preparing for the exam, you should also pay attention to these excellent Umamusume and learn from their strengths."
"Orf is right."
At that moment, Dream Journey adjusted her glasses and calmly added:
"The reason you're feeling so conflicted is probably because you don't really know what kind of opponents you'll be facing."
"That's something we overlooked. We'll be more mindful of it going forward."
"I think once you clearly understand your own abilities and what kind of opponents you'll encounter, you won't feel so uncertain anymore."
Kitasan Black nodded thoughtfully, inwardly feeling that helping Almond Eye learn more about her competitors had indeed been the right decision.
Lucky Lilac's current confusion stemmed from a lack of understanding about her rivals.
Gathering information for Almond Eye in advance might help her feel less lost and more confident in future races.
At that moment, Gold Ship's eyes lit up with excitement as she suddenly exclaimed:
"Oh right! Rulership-senpai!"
"Lilac, I think you have to meet her!"
"You know, Rulership-senpai's high-knee running style is super cool!"
"Especially during the Arima Kinen, that's where I learned it from!"
As she spoke, she enthusiastically demonstrated exaggerated high-knee movements, completely oblivious to the increasingly dark expressions of those around her.
"Don't you dare teach Lilac those weird, random things!"
Orfevre, Dream Journey, and Stay Gold shouted almost in unison.