For the next few days, Kitasan Black and Daiwa Scarlet trained together for over an hour each morning and evening.
Throughout these sessions, Yasui Makoto was pleased by Kitasan's noticeable improvement, but he was equally impressed by Daiwa Scarlet's natural talent and enduring strength.
Generally, an Uma Musume's prime racing career spanned roughly three years, after which their abilities gradually declined.
But a few elite athletes were different.
Their skills deteriorated far more slowly, and even though they couldn't maintain their peak forever, they often remained at a consistently high level.
Daiwa Scarlet was exactly this kind of Uma Musume.
The data clearly showed that Scarlet handled each training session with ease, and in every aspect—speed, power, technique, and racing awareness—she thoroughly outclassed Kitasan.
Having such a senior as a practice partner had been highly beneficial even for Yasui himself, let alone for Kitasan. If possible, Yasui wished Scarlet could continue training with them indefinitely.
Unfortunately, that was impossible.
Daiwa Scarlet had her own responsibilities and research to pursue upon returning to the Academy, and Yasui knew better than to impose further.
After their morning session today, Scarlet announced that this would be their last joint training session for a while; the next session might not occur until two or three weeks later.
...
"Ahh, this was really great."
Drinking deeply from her energy drink and wiping sweat from her forehead, Daiwa Scarlet sighed contentedly.
"Coming back here was the right choice after all. Not only do I get to train with Kitasan again, but it even feels like I'm back in my student days."
Also sipping her drink and toweling off, Kitasan wore a slightly regretful look.
"It's just a shame you'll be so busy afterward, Daiwa-senpai. I wanted to train with you even more often—ouch!"
Lowering her hand from delivering a playful flick to Kitasan's forehead, Scarlet laughed.
"What's with that tone, Kitasan? You sound like we won't see each other again!"
"Don't forget, I'm about to be the dorm manager at Ritto Dormitory. We'll practically see each other every day."
"Just don't ever let me catch you coming back late, or I'll lock you out like a suspicious Uma Musume."
Mentioning "suspicious Uma Musume," Scarlet seemed to recall something amusing, and she giggled softly to herself.
Holding her forehead where she'd just been flicked, Kitasan asked curiously, "What's so funny, Daiwa-senpai? I'd never come back late!"
"I'm not laughing at you," Scarlet said, rubbing her nose nostalgically. "I was thinking about your Spe-chan-senpai."
"Spe-chan-senpai?"
Kitasan's curiosity intensified. "What about Spe-chan-senpai?"
"The very first time Special Week-senpai came to Tokyo, she went straight to Tokyo Racecourse first," Daiwa Scarlet explained cheerfully. "That's when she saw Silence Suzuka-senpai race and decided she wanted to join Suzuka-senpai's team."
"After watching the race and the Winner's Stage, Spe-chan-senpai finally remembered that it was the day she was supposed to report to the Academy. She panicked and dashed straight back from the racecourse to school. Oh right—she had gotten off at the wrong station in the first place, so she had run to the racecourse too."
"All the way back…?" Kitasan's eyes widened. "Wow! That's just like Spe-chan-senpai—amazing!"
"Well, not literally in one breath," Scarlet laughed. "But she was incredibly fast, overtaking several cars on the road and startling a lot of drivers. Anyway, Spe-chan-senpai rushed and rushed but still ended up arriving late. Fuji Kiseki-senpai almost locked her out, mistaking her for some weird Uma Musume."
"S-so that's how it was? Haha…"
Kitasan laughed awkwardly but quickly assured her senior, "Don't worry, Daiwa-senpai! I'll never trouble you by needing you to open the door for me late at night!"
"Good. You said it yourself—so don't blame me if I really lock you out."
Scarlet smiled playfully, then turned her gaze to Yasui Makoto.
Yasui had been quietly analyzing data on his tablet but had still caught every word of their conversation.
It was rather amusing, especially hearing their anecdotes about Special Week, affectionately known as "Spe-chan."
Spe-chan was also a legendary racer, having won the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) and becoming only the second Uma Musume in history to conquer both the Spring and Autumn Tenno Sho, earning her the impressive nickname "Great General of Japan."
Yasui recalled URA promotional videos featuring Special Week, where she had appeared incredibly dignified and inspiring.
Hearing Scarlet's anecdote, it was pleasantly surprising to discover such an endearingly goofy side of that same Uma Musume.
Noticing Scarlet's glance in his direction and mistakenly thinking she meant to remind him of something, Yasui nodded politely.
"I'll keep an eye on our training schedule and remind Kitasan to return to the dormitory on time."
"Oh, I trust you completely on that," Scarlet replied with a relaxed smile. "But actually, I was just curious—how are you planning this afternoon's training, Trainer Yasui?"
Her curiosity was genuine.
After spending several days training together, Scarlet had become increasingly aware of Yasui's extraordinary nature as a trainer.
Forget eighteen—even among trainers nearly thirty years old, she'd rarely encountered someone with Yasui's temperament.
Most new trainers hesitated constantly, terrified they'd make mistakes. Even more seasoned trainers typically hid their anxiety well but secretly panicked, immediately seeking senior trainers' help as soon as their Uma Musume weren't looking.
Yasui, however, was different. Despite his youth, he was surprisingly calm and mature in his training approach.
He wasn't flawless—he sometimes made common rookie mistakes in minor details. But he recognized those errors quickly, openly acknowledged them to Kitasan, and swiftly found solutions.
Scarlet was even more impressed by his flexibility in training methods.
Most trainers she knew closely followed either traditional senior advice, textbook methods, or their own stubborn experience.
Yasui was refreshingly different. He didn't care about tradition. If he believed a method would help Kitasan, he used it without hesitation and adjusted immediately whenever needed, never bound by convention.
Given such flexibility, aside from joint runs, Scarlet wondered what Yasui might have planned next…
"The afternoon training will be the same as yesterday," Yasui answered casually. "However, on Friday evenings, I usually don't schedule training. It's good for Kitasan to get proper rest."
He glanced warmly at Kitasan and continued, "Besides, she told me yesterday that she'd arranged to go to karaoke with her friends tonight and asked to finish training a bit earlier. Of course, I agreed."
"Oh right! Trainer, you're coming too?" Hearing this, Kitasan's excitement soared immediately.
"No, I'll pass," Yasui gently shook his head, pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket.
"When studying for the trainer exam, I learned some basic music theory. In my free time, I also wrote a few songs. You can try singing this one at karaoke tonight. If you think it's good, I can arrange to record it later and upload it to your official race account."
"Race account?" Kitasan blinked in surprise, unfolding the paper. "Huh? Trainer, you know how to write musical notation?"
"Music theory was an elective in the trainer exam, so I studied it a little," Yasui replied modestly.
Smiling at Kitasan, he added gently, "But you're the real expert here. If anything seems off, please feel free to tell me."
"I-I'm not really an expert…"
Kitasan shyly smiled but quickly nodded. "Alright! Then I'll try humming it first!"