Looking at Kitasan Black standing beside him, Yasui Makoto's lips twitched slightly.
Apart from their long ears and swishing tails, Uma Musume looked almost identical to ordinary human girls, and Kitasan Black was just at that age—fifteen or sixteen, full of youthful energy.
Yet now, talking earnestly about becoming a magical girl, her long ears flicked gently, fists clenched eagerly to her chest, tail wagging nonstop, eyes sparkling with absolute seriousness.
Shouldn't she have already passed the age to dream about magical girls…? How does she still have such unrealistic fantasies—
Just as he was about to voice his skepticism, Yasui suddenly paused, a memory from a distant afternoon—or maybe a morning—flashing vividly in his mind.
He'd also been in his teens then, supposedly beyond the age of fantasy.
Yet, on that particular morning or afternoon, he clearly remembered engaging in a passionate debate with someone about something equally "unrealistic."
Between WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon—which one was stronger?
His earlobes suddenly flushed hot, and he coughed awkwardly, laughter rising in his chest.
Fine, having some fantasies isn't exactly a problem. Besides…
So, between WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon, which one really is stronger?
Realizing he'd again stumbled onto that embarrassing childhood memory, Yasui quickly tried to find something else to distract himself. At that moment, he suddenly became aware of a persistent warmth coming from his hand.
He instinctively glanced down, and like before, his earlobes turned hot. He coughed once more, guilt washing over him as he nervously looked around.
Kitasan Black was still enthusiastically explaining her invented "Magical Girl transformation chant" to Almond Eye and Duramente.
Several spectators nearby overheard bits of her speech, glanced over amusedly, shook their heads in bemusement, and smiled to themselves.
Farther away, everyone's attention had shifted back to the track and the paddock area. There was still one final race after the Dream Trophy, and the commentator was already listing the names of the participating Uma Musume.
Thank goodness no one noticed…
Muttering inwardly, Yasui discreetly slipped his hand away, exhaling with relief.
Then froze.
Wait—why am I acting like I just got caught stealing…?
I didn't even do anything… right?
Yes, nothing happened.
But…
Less than half a second after firmly assuring himself, he unconsciously rubbed his just-released hand, a strange feeling rising within his chest.
This is wrong.
Something was twelve-tenths wrong.
It can't be… right?
Kita-chan...?
Dimly, he realized this strange feeling probably involved emotions towards Kitasan Black that went beyond trainer and Uma Musume.
Recognizing this, he was suddenly startled.
Romantic feelings developing between trainers and their Uma Musume wasn't something incomprehensible. After all, his own parents were exactly that—a trainer and his Uma Musume.
But according to the strict rules set by both the association and academy, as well as societal morality, romance during active racing was absolutely forbidden.
Each Uma Musume had only a short golden period in her racing career—about three to four years on average.
After that, unless she possessed exceptional talent like those competing in the Dream Trophy, maintaining top form became nearly impossible, and physical decline set in rapidly.
Romantic attachments during this crucial period would undoubtedly impact training and racing performance, jeopardizing an Uma Musume's future.
On the other hand, aside from exceptionally talented young trainers like himself, most trainers earned their licenses much later in life.
Uma Musume, compared to humans, were inherently simpler, more innocent, and younger in experience and emotional maturity—making them especially susceptible to emotional manipulation.
Therefore, these rules and ethics were primarily designed to restrict trainers, since even rigorous screening couldn't entirely eliminate the risk of exploitation.
Yasui knew this clearly. His parents had subtly—and not-so-subtly—warned him, and he'd always intended to make a name for himself professionally before considering any romantic entanglements.
Besides, to him, while Kitasan Black was bright, cheerful, and genuinely likable, their interactions always felt open and casual, never carrying romantic undertones.
Specifically speaking, she felt like… a buddy, just one of his bros, only female.
As he thought of that, Yasui couldn't help but recall their conversations about Extreme Acrobatics, favorite movies, or their late nights spent playing console games together, reaffirming his conclusion.
Right, Kita-chan's definitely just a buddy.
But then now…
Buddy, you're smelling kinda nice today…?
Wait, wait, wait—this is getting worse…
Realizing his attempt to sort his emotions was only making things more chaotic, Yasui shook his head quickly, glancing left and right, desperately searching for a distraction.
"…Trainer, you disagree?" Kitasan Black's curious voice suddenly reached his ears.
"Of course I disagree! Something like that is absolutely impossible right now—"
He snapped loudly, instantly feeling like a thief caught red-handed. Noticing Kitasan Black, Almond Eye, and Duramente all staring at him in shock, Yasui stood dumbly for several seconds before coughing awkwardly again.
"S-Sorry, I was just… right, thinking about training plans."
He attempted a casual tone, desperately changing the subject. "So I wasn't paying attention to anything, wasn't imagining anything weird—anyway, what were you girls talking about?"
"Oh, I see…"
Without a hint of suspicion, Kitasan Black's startled look faded, replaced with a bright smile as she pointed at the racetrack.
"We were discussing the next race! Spe-chan and the others have already gone to rest. The introductions for the next race are about to start—we're guessing who'll win."
"Trainer, who do you think?"
Yasui's attention immediately shifted fully—though not exactly to the race before them.
Instead, discreetly glancing at Duramente, he thought of her "next" race.
Race planning wasn't a trivial matter, especially for Duramente's family, the association, and the academy.
Duramente came from a renowned lineage of Uma Musume, and she was currently her family's most promising racer. Her future competition schedule was thus immensely significant.
From conversations he'd heard with Tokai Teio and others, Yasui understood the association's stance on overseas expeditions was more conservative than the academy's, yet they still desired international glory.
Considering Japan's obsession with the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, plus the expectations from Duramente's family, her next race was absolutely going to be the Arc—there was no doubt about that.
So Duramente clashing with her family and trainer, and running away from home over such a disagreement, wasn't incomprehensible. Emotionally, it made perfect sense.
Yet reality always needed facing, and Duramente certainly couldn't remain away forever.
Most likely, Air Groove would soon contact him, requesting his help in bringing Duramente home—and afterward, something strange might happen…
Yasui Makoto considered this carefully, quickly making up his mind.
Truthfully, he wasn't overly concerned with preventing that mysterious accident.
But he knew deep inside—though Kitasan Black had never openly voiced it—she desperately wanted another race against Duramente to settle things clearly.
He wanted that just as much as she did. So maybe, just maybe, he could do something ahead of time.