Chapter 12: Her Eyes Are as Cool as Mine
Satono Diamond was sitting at her desk, reading quietly. She looked up when Kitasan Black entered the room and greeted her with a cheerful nod. Closing her book, she tilted her head in curiosity.
"You're back kinda late today… Were you training?"
"Training? Hmm… I guess you could call it that. I'm not totally sure."
Kitasan Black shook her head and glanced around the room.
"Diamond-chan, didn't you have a dance mat? Mind if I borrow it? I'll get a new one for you tomorrow!"
"The dance mat? It's right there next to the wardrobe. Go ahead and use it."
"Yay, thanks! You're the best, Diamond-chan!"
Beaming with gratitude, Kitasan Black trotted over to the wardrobe, grabbed the rolled-up mat, unfurled it onto the floor, and plopped herself down with her legs crossed.
Diamond smiled softly and walked over, curiosity still sparkling in her eyes. But as soon as she saw how Kitasan Black was sitting, she blinked in surprise.
Her roommate's sitting posture was… strange.
Instead of the usual cross-legged position with legs down, Kitasan Black's legs were crossed upward, with the soles of her pale little feet practically flipped over and tucked into the opposite knee hollows.
And then there were her hands—moving in odd patterns, fingers intertwining awkwardly like she was trying to sign something in an unfamiliar language, or maybe play shadow puppets in the air.
"Um… Kitasan? What are you doing?"
"Oh, this? My Trainer taught me after our walk earlier."
Kitasan Black answered casually, her eyes still fixed on her hands.
"Said these are mudras or something, from Boro… and Buddhism? Oh, and the sitting posture too. He taught me that."
"Boro… You mean like, Boro religion?" Diamond asked, puzzled.
"Yep, that's the one!"
Diamond leaned closer, more intrigued than ever.
"If I remember right, that's from South Asia, right? And Buddhism too… I think they started from around the same region?"
"Wow, you really know a lot, Diamond-chan!"
Still concentrating on her hands, Kitasan Black smiled brightly.
"Trainer said the same thing. He told me these hand gestures and poses basically cover every motion the body can make. Practicing them regularly helps you control your strength better."
"But he only taught me a few so far. He said there are a lot more, and he'll teach them gradually, depending on how my body adjusts."
"...He sounds like a really amazing Trainer."
Diamond's eyes sparkled with admiration. "I've never even heard of a training method like that. And…"
She hesitated for a moment, then studied Kitasan Black's hand gestures closely before raising her own hands and trying to mimic them.
But she noticed something was off the moment she started.
From her angle, it looked like Kitasan Black was simply cupping her hands together—yet somehow, both pairs of index and ring fingers seemed to "grow" out from the other hand like an illusionist's trick.
And the next shape was even stranger. It looked like a regular intertwining of fingers… but the way the index fingers crossed gave off a bizarre illusion, almost like a butterfly knot tied out of flesh.
Neither she nor Kitasan Black realized that these postures and gestures originated from another world.
In this world, even the most elite physical techniques were still in their infancy. But in Makoto's past life, these movements were considered fundamental drills—fused with practices from multiple athletic disciplines, all designed to refine body control at the most precise level.
Mastering them meant being able to strike any pose, under any circumstance—and that included controlling one's strength with surgical precision.
Of course, for ordinary people, learning something this intense would be next to impossible. Without enough natural talent, trying to force it could easily lead to serious injuries.
The bodies of an Umamusume were far beyond what any ordinary human could achieve. And even among them, Kitasan Black's physical foundation was considered excellent.
Thanks to that, and with Makoto's in-depth knowledge of training methodologies, she was able to grasp some of the techniques in just a short time.
Satono Diamond, on the other hand, couldn't replicate them—not because of effort, but because the technique itself was missing.
"Whew—done! —Ah! Diamond-chan! Don't copy those moves!"
Just as she finished her special "before-bed training" session following her trainer's instructions, Kitasan Black turned her head—and panicked.
Diamond was sitting there awkwardly, fumbling with her fingers in the air, clearly trying to imitate the hand signs.
"Trainer said these gestures might look simple, but without knowing the proper technique, forcing them can seriously mess you up—like, bone-fracture levels of bad!"
"B-Bone fracture?!"
Diamond yelped and immediately let go of her hands. Only then did she realize—just from mimicking a few gestures, her fingertips were tingling, and a faint prickling ache had crept into her knuckles.
"...He really is an incredible trainer…"
She blinked in amazement again, eyes wide in awe.
"Mhm! Trainer is super amazing!"
Kitasan Black nodded enthusiastically, then let out a small grunt as she stood from the mat. With practiced ease, she rolled it back up and returned it neatly to its spot beside the wardrobe.
Then, almost giddy, she pulled out her phone, tapped around a few times, and turned the screen toward Diamond.
"Also, look, Diamond-chan! My Shining Race account! Trainer helped me register it this week! And I already have fans!"
Diamond had just leaned over to peek when Kitasan Black dropped the bomb—and her eyes widened like saucers.
"Wait— seriously?! Congrats, Kitasan Black! That means… you're officially a racer now, just like my sister!"
"Heehee~ I've been dreaming of this day forever… heave-ho—"
Kitasan Black flopped onto her bed with a delighted squeal, legs swaying back and forth in the air as she clutched her phone like a treasure.
"Now that I've got my race account, people can see how many fans I get from events or matches or whatever…"
"Ah! My follower count just went up again!
"There's even a comment! Eee!"
Still basking in the moment, Kitasan Black wiggled excitedly. Diamond, unable to hide her curiosity (or envy), leaned in and sat beside her, tilting her head to glimpse the glowing screen.
In the world of Umamusume, all competitions fell under one banner: the Shining Star Series.
Unlike traditional sports, the Shining Series was a hybrid of athletic competition and idol performance. Races followed the Grade system—ranked G1, G2, G3, then OP and Pre-OP from highest to lowest.
And to qualify for races at each grade, a certain number of fans was required.
A race account was more than just an ID—it was a symbol that a Umamusume had officially stepped onto the Shining Series stage. It synced with numerous platforms, collecting total follower counts from across the net.
Unlike her roommate Kitasan Black and her older sister Satono Crown, Diamond, despite having the athletic ability and grades to get into the Central Academy, hadn't made her debut yet.
She wasn't cleared for full training or high-level competition—for now, she was still considered a pre-debut student.
'So nice… Kitasan Black already has a race account, just like big sister…'
'Still… the doctors at home said I'd probably be cleared for competition by next year…'
'When that time comes…'
"Diamond-chan! Do you think my eyes are cool?!"
Lost in her thoughts, Diamond jumped at the sudden question.
Kitasan Black was sitting up now, eyes sparkling, looking straight at her with hopeful anticipation.
"Eh…? Umm… yeah. They're… really cool."
Diamond blinked and nodded after a moment of quiet observation, taking in Kitasan Black's gleaming, determined eyes.
"…Why do you ask all of a sudden?"
"Oh, because of a comment from one of my fans!"
Kitasan Black beamed as she held out her phone proudly, puffing up like she'd just won first place.
"Look! It says: 'Her eyes are as cool as mine—this kid's definitely gonna be an amazing Umamusume!'
"I don't know who that fan is, but it made me so happy!
"And I believe it too! I really will become an amazing Umamusume!"
<+>
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind paying $5 each month to read till the latest chapter, please go to my Patreon[1].
Latest Post In Patreon: Chapter 42: "Simulated Training"[2]
Link to the chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/134594530?collection=1615744[3]
https://www.patreon.com/collection/1615744?view=condensed[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1615744?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/134594530?collection=1615744
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/134594530?collection=1615744
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1615744?view=condensed