After McQueen's True Blooming, her old "little horse-girl" training plan obviously no longer fit.
But that didn't stump Kuroha.
When the rest of his team headed out to train, Kuroha kept McQueen in the trainer's office.
The girl stood tall and straight; the hint of girlishness on her face had given way to a poised, elegant air.
She wore the standard PE kit, yet that noble grace born of her bloodline was impossible to hide.
McQueen nervously rubbed at the hem of her top.
In those pale-violet eyes mixed expectation for the future—and a sliver of hard-to-spot uncertainty.
After all, this would be her first formal session since True Blooming.
"Trainer…"
"Don't be nervous, McQueen."
Kuroha smiled gently and motioned to the sofa opposite.
He sat, then willed open the girl's brand-new status panel.
[Mejiro McQueen]
[Track Aptitude: Turf A / Dirt E]
[Distance Aptitude: Short G / Mile F / Medium A / Long A]
[Running Style Aptitude: Front Runner B / Pace Chaser A / Late Surger D / End Closer F]
[Unique: None]
[Domain: None]
[Skills: Prudent Positioning, Focus, Wet Conditions ◯, Professor of Curvature, Hydrate, Medium Straightaways ◯, Long-Distance Straightaways ◯]
[Speed: 217 / Stamina: 272 / Power: 183 / Gut: 197 / Wit: 234]
Good grief.
Staring at that panel, Kuroha couldn't help clicking his tongue.
It's only the day of her True Blooming, and these already match the opening values he'd seen last year when planning out Fujimasa March.
That Stamina, especially—far ahead of the pack and already nosing up toward the 300 wall.
This was the fruit of a noble bloodline plus a full year of foundational work.
"So it really is true—before True Blooming, growth is slow."
He mused: if he'd just let McQueen follow routine academy training like normal,
then after blooming, she would probably have only half of what he was seeing now.
For more than a year he'd designed for her: hyper-targeted basic athletic capacity, core strength construction, and precision nutrition.
What he'd done, in his own eyes, was merely preserve her innate potential and guide it out.
And even then, he found it only "barely adequate."
"In that case… we'll schedule your debut for the Autumn meets."
He reached a quick decision, pulled out a fresh notebook,
and, based on the panel and McQueen's current condition, drafted her road map.
For a trainer already coaching five active Uma Musume, laying out a plan was like breathing.
The pen scratched softly over paper. McQueen watched in silence, even holding her breath.
Watching Kuroha's focused profile, watching him sketch her future, the mist of confusion in her heart slowly gave way to something called —relief.
After a moment, Kuroha set the pen down and looked up:
"McQueen, what's your goal?"
"I…" She blinked, then straightened, eyes shining with steel:
"My goal is to don my Winning Outfit and seize the Tenno Sho crown!
It's the duty and the dream I've carried since birth!
I will bring glory and honor to the Mejiro—
and to my trainer, to everyone!"
"Good." Kuroha nodded, satisfied.
"A clear goal is the starting line of every great endeavor—
and the doorway to your Domain."
For every girl on his team now, the roadmap included: grasp a Domain. That was baseline.
He turned the notebook to her. A crisp training frame filled the page.
"Your talent is exceptional—especially your Stamina.
But Stamina alone isn't enough. From today until the end of summer camp, we'll split your plan into two phases."
"Phase One: Body Forging."
He tapped the header; beneath ran a column of drills.
"I'll keep building your cardio and Stamina base—but the emphasis is Power and Speed.
Power is your short plank; it decides your finishing burst and your ability to hold position at the line."
It wasn't just data on a page; even on the original timeline, it had shown up:
in the spring Tenno Sho, Rice Shower, having forced open an incomplete step-two Domain, surged late—
and McQueen lost in the Last Spurt, falling to second.
A small shortcoming—
but decisive.
"Alongside that, we'll hammer your leg chains,
until you've got a frame sturdy enough to run to the ends of the sky."
McQueen listened, nodding earnestly.
"Phase Two: Technique Polish."
Kuroha flipped the page. "Technique is a deciding factor in victory.
I'll grind it into your sharpest blade—so you hold pace on any corner without wasting a breath."
"At the same time, I'll teach you to read a race—how to meter your Stamina, how to choose the best line.
Every long-distance runner needs that.
Especially since your favorite style is Front Runner, these are indispensable."
"Long races are not only a test of body—but a chess match of wisdom."
His voice was calm, certain—as though narrating an already-written future.
"When autumn comes, and body and technique are honed to peak—that's your debut.
We'll open with a 2000m rookie debut, then step into G3 and even G2 graded stakes.
The end target…"
He pressed the pen hard and wrote three characters:
Satsuki Sho.
"Next spring's Satsuki Sho!"
For Classic-year Uma Musume, the Triple Crown stage is the pinnacle of proof.
A rookie McQueen crossing swords with the seasoned old-guard is a huge gap;
late-year G1s are hard to crack.
And the Classic long-distance menu is just Kikuka Sho in November and Arima Kinen at year's end.
So Kuroha's blueprint for McQueen wasn't only "queen of long distance,"
but the sovereign of medium-and-long alike.
And thus—the Classic Triple Crown was non-negotiable.
"Use that first G1 to kick open your Classic-year campaign—
then fulfill your dream and Mejiro's: dominate the Tenno Sho."
He closed the notebook and handed it to her.
"Welcome to the world of Uma Musume, McQueen. From today, you're no longer a spectator—you're a maker of eras."
McQueen accepted the notebook that carried her future. The paper felt warm.
Looking into Kuroha's deep, confident eyes, gratitude and excitement swelled to the brim.
She drew a deep breath, rose, and bowed solemnly.
"Hai, Trainer! I won't fail your expectations!"
Kuroha laughed and waved her on. "Alright—head to the track and find Aoi. She'll show you the ropes."
"Right!" McQueen answered, then left the office at a run.
(End of Chapter)
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