Hearing Kitasan's excited words, Yasui Makoto fell briefly into thought.
Uma Musume had a unique developmental phase called "Honkaku-ka" ("full maturity"). During this period, their bodies rapidly matured, granting them the ability to undergo high-intensity training and racing practically overnight.
It wasn't uncommon for an Uma Musume to look like an elementary school student one week and then appear as a graceful young lady the next.
Each Uma Musume experienced "Honkaku-ka" differently—in timing, speed of growth, and duration. Based on Makoto's recent analysis, Kitasan Black had just entered this critical stage herself.
Satono Crown had clearly entered hers last year and was now steadily developing at a rapid pace.
"Satono Crown... If I remember correctly, her last race was the Tokyo Sports Hai Nisai Stakes," Makoto mused aloud, glancing at the excited and admiring Kitasan beside him.
"Her debut race was the same distance as your practice this afternoon—a 1,800-meter turf maiden race at Tokyo Racecourse."
"There was an interview mentioning she hasn't raced in two months, and she plans to run in the Yayoi Sho this March."
Kitasan's eyes widened, her ears instantly perking up.
"The Yayoi Sho...? Isn't that...?"
Makoto nodded seriously. "Yeah, it's the primary prep race for the Satsuki Sho—the first leg of the Classic Triple Crown."
He paused meaningfully.
"After running the Yayoi Sho, she'll almost certainly target the Satsuki Sho itself. So she's definitely aiming for the Classics."
"I haven't officially applied for your race schedule beyond your debut yet. But if you also aim for the Triple Crown, then this young lady from the Satono family may become your rival someday..."
He corrected himself quickly.
"No, to be precise—in just two months, she may already be your opponent."
Kitasan's breath caught sharply.
A moment later—
"Me?"
Stunned, she pointed at herself, then turned to point at Satono Crown, who was still dancing gracefully across the hall.
"Crown-chan?"
"Am I really going to compete against Crown-chan?!"
Her startled cry instantly drew attention. The teachers and other students turned, frowning in disapproval at the noise.
Feeling the weight of annoyed stares directed at him, Makoto sighed inwardly.
Next time she's about to yell in surprise, I'll have to cover her mouth first.
He wasn't exactly unfamiliar with being noticed—but receiving these kinds of irritated looks was definitely a first. Resolving silently to prevent future outbursts, Makoto gave a soft sigh.
"…Make sure you train quietly later."
"Ah… I-I'm really sorry, Trainer. I'll be careful next time!" Kitasan whispered frantically, hands flying up to cover her mouth.
"…I hope you remember that."
After gently scolding her, Makoto composed himself and walked over to apologize to the teachers, promising they'd train quietly away from the main group.
This situation was common enough at Tracen Academy, so while the instructors initially stared in surprise at Makoto's young age, they quickly accepted his apology, simply reminding him to maintain discipline during training.
Returning to Kitasan, Makoto reached into his shoulder bag and took out a pair of Bluetooth sports earbuds, carefully inserting them into Kitasan's fluffy black ears.
"Remember what I mentioned earlier about your sense of timing and distance?"
Kitasan nodded energetically, and Makoto continued:
"Clear, rhythmic footsteps will help you manage both timing and distance."
"The gallop's beats are fixed. Once you master them, your timing becomes consistent. That means, even without checking markers or a stopwatch, you'll have an intuitive sense of how far and how long you've been running."
"Then you'll naturally understand when to save energy, when to sprint, and how to handle corners or break away from the pack."
"That's why this rhythmic training will be your main focus right now."
"There's another special training method, but I'll explain it later. For now..."
Makoto walked over to the studio's equipment storage, putting down his bag and retrieving a small stepladder, a three-level aerobic step, and some resistance bands.
"Have you ever practiced the 'hip-flexion step-down' exercise?"
"Hip-flexion step-down…?" Kitasan echoed blankly, then shook her head. "I've never even heard that name before."
"So they haven't taught that yet… Understood."
Makoto nodded, holding up a wristwatch-shaped band from his bag.
"Stand straight and raise your arms, then just follow my instructions."
Kitasan obediently raised her arms, allowing Makoto to fasten the band snugly around her wrist.
He then placed the aerobic step before her, taking out a waist belt and harness from his bag and carefully helping her put them on.
Next, he attached resistance bands to her waist and harness, securing the other ends to the floor, the ceiling beam, and a pillar, forming a cross-shaped setup anchoring her in place.
From behind, it looked as if the girl was firmly secured by a cross of elastic cords in front of the training step.
"I'll be playing music from here," Makoto indicated his tablet, pointing at her ears.
"The music has a clear rhythm. Just step up and down continuously in sync with the beat, keeping your arms swinging accordingly."
"Understood?"
Curiously inspecting the step in front of her and tugging gently on the resistance bands around her waist, Kitasan had just nodded when rhythmic beats began playing clearly through the earbuds.
Without hesitation, she instinctively stepped onto the platform with her left foot, then quickly stepped back down, switching immediately to her right.
"Trainer, I think I—"
She started, worried she'd missed the rhythm.
"Don't worry about making mistakes at first," Makoto interrupted gently.
"You've never practiced the hip-flexion step-down before, so initial missteps are perfectly normal."
"Don't dwell on early mistakes. Just focus completely on stepping to the beat."
"Oh, and just a heads-up—the tempo will gradually get faster, eventually matching your usual training speed."
"G-got it!"
Kitasan quickly replied, taking a deep breath as she began fully concentrating on stepping rhythmically up and down.
Seeing her intense focus, Makoto quietly nodded in approval, monitoring her closely while frequently checking his tablet.
Kitasan simply had to keep moving, but Makoto needed to pay close attention.
First, he had to ensure her posture remained perfect, immediately correcting any errors to avoid potential injury.
The black wristband he'd attached earlier was actually a heart-rate monitor. It transmitted real-time data about her heartbeat, breathing, and indirectly calculated key indicators like maximal heart rate percentage and VO₂ max.
With the tablet connected to this device, Makoto could precisely track Kitasan's condition, adjusting the training intensity accordingly.
Besides the hip-flexion step-down, he planned additional complementary exercises—such as step-skipping, glute bridges, and hip-extension movements.
Like the current exercise, these would be performed in rhythmic sets with short rests in between, carefully synchronized with the music's tempo.
All these exercises shared a common purpose: helping the trainee deeply understand how individual joints and muscles exerted force and explosiveness.
Paired with music, these exercises perfectly addressed Kitasan's immediate rhythm-control problems.