How does she know...?
This thought flashed through Yasui Makoto's mind. Almost immediately, he recalled his earlier speculation when Kitasan Black first entered the room.
He had felt that maybe the girl noticed something—and now it seemed he was right.
Seeing Yasui suddenly fall silent, Kitasan gently pursed her lips before softly speaking up:
"I don't know if my guess is right, but... it's about Almond Eye, isn't it?"
Yasui was genuinely taken aback now. "…You even guessed that?"
"So, it really was that…"
Nodding slightly, Kitasan also went quiet for a moment.
"You must have been thinking about it all this time, right? Honestly, I also really wanted Almond Eye-chan to join us for training, so... I guessed that's what was troubling you lately."
Remembering how Kitasan and Almond Eye had enjoyed their time playing together, Yasui Makoto understood her reasoning immediately.
"So… What do you think about it?" He subconsciously asked.
"Hmm, for me…" Kitasan paused thoughtfully. "I think I can understand Uncle and Auntie—I mean, Almond Eye's parents."
"If you think about it, they must be worried. Worried about your future, Trainer."
"My future…?" Yasui stared blankly.
"It's just like my Grandpa," Kitasan nodded earnestly. "He's trained many, many apprentices."
"No matter how gifted those apprentices were, none of them were recognized by everyone right from the start."
"Even Grandpa himself only gained his current fame step-by-step, through one performance after another."
"So maybe, Trainer, you're in the same kind of situation right now."
As she spoke, Kitasan tilted her head slightly, eyes curving gently like crescent moons, the corners of her lips lifting into a soft, gentle smile.
Seeing her thoughtful expression, Yasui Makoto felt an indescribable warmth spreading through his chest.
It was like a soft spring breeze, sweeping away the lingering gloom he hadn't even fully realized he'd been carrying lately.
Yet, at the same moment, a strange sense of loneliness quietly surfaced.
This loneliness wasn't from being alone; rather, it stemmed from the long-standing isolation of having no one who could truly understand the depths of his frustrations.
Due to memories of his previous life, he'd repeatedly tried fitting in with those his "age." Yet no matter how hard he tried, his past-life experiences inevitably slipped through, creating an invisible barrier between himself and those around him.
Gradually, feeling like he'd built a high wall around himself, he stopped sharing his true feelings easily.
Although he could talk about some things with his parents, even they couldn't fully touch those deepest corners of his heart.
Like his conversation with Almond Eye's parents—the worries and uncertainties plaguing his thoughts—telling his own parents might simply cause them unnecessary worry, while ultimately solving nothing.
But now, facing Kitasan Black, he suddenly realized that it wasn't that no one wanted to understand him. It wasn't that no one could see things from his perspective or try analyzing things from his viewpoint.
It was as though, after stumbling in darkness for a long time, he had finally glimpsed a faint ray of light, prompting him to open up completely.
And thus, following that impulse, he began quietly sharing everything with her—the polite yet firm attitude of Almond Eye's parents, the thoughts and guesses swirling within him—all laid bare little by little.
As he spoke, he kept looking into those bright crimson eyes, feeling comfort and strength in their quiet gaze.
After a long time—
"So… just winning the Classic Triple Crown isn't enough, huh…"
After listening to Yasui's confession, Kitasan Black murmured softly, involuntarily recalling the emotions she had just seen.
Much like the passion Yasui displayed about extreme acrobatics, the flashes of uncertainty, the occasional sighs filled with subtle loneliness—those were emotions she'd never before witnessed in her Trainer.
At that moment, she realized this person—someone she'd always seen as invincible—also carried difficult burdens and hidden loneliness.
Being someone Yasui could confide in right now gave her a sense of understanding, deepening her connection to him—but it also stirred another vague feeling within her.
That vague feeling was quickly pushed aside, replaced by firm determination.
"If the Classic Triple Crown isn't enough, then we'll just have to win even more races!"
"The St. Lite Kinen! Then the Kikuka Sho!"
"And finally, the Arima Kinen at year-end!"
"I'll definitely give it my all to win these three races, so everyone can see just how amazing my Trainer really is!"
"Trainer…!"
Instantly regaining her usual cheerfulness and passion, Kitasan locked eyes with Yasui intensely.
"Didn't you say earlier that I might try a big escape at the St. Lite Kinen?"
"Then let's do it!"
"Together, we'll run a race that leaves everyone stunned and speechless!"
"Starting from the St. Lite Kinen!"
Kitasan Black had always felt, from a very young age, that she was especially sensitive to the emotions of those around her.
Sometimes happy, sometimes sad—though perhaps sadness was more frequent.
And, for some reason, she herself rarely felt sad. She hoped those around her could always be joyful too, free from troubles.
How exactly she could achieve that, she wasn't sure—but she was always willing to share her naturally bright and easily satisfied self with everyone around her.
Once she sensed Yasui Makoto's recent emotions, she wanted to find a chance to ask. And just as she'd guessed, her Trainer really had been burdened lately.
Habitually, she tried to encourage him in her own way.
And during the last few days of their training camp, she gladly noticed Yasui no longer carried that faint worry she had sensed before.
After the training camp concluded, Kitasan enjoyed the last few days of summer vacation relaxing with friends. And soon enough, the new semester began.
After class on the first day back at school, the classroom filled with cheerful chatter as Uma Musume happily shared tales from their summer breaks.
But suddenly, a shocked cry shattered the atmosphere.
"What?! Dura-chan is… sick?!"
Kitasan Black's eyes widened, her mouth hanging open, clearly still digesting the unexpected news.
"How can that be…? Why didn't she mention it earlier? No wonder she said she was busy when we tried to invite her out a few days ago… Crown-chan, what's going on?!"
Standing across from her, Satono Crown wore an expression of worry mixed with mild helplessness. Glancing around carefully, she sighed softly.
"I don't really know either. I just overheard some teachers talking about it earlier in the office."
"Also…"
"Um, Kita-chan, could you lower your voice a bit? Your shouting is echoing through the whole classroom..."
Following Satono Crown's glance, Kitasan realized the entire class had turned to stare at her in surprise. Her face flushed red, and she quickly bowed apologetically around her.
"Ah, sorry everyone! Sorry, sorry for disturbing you!"
Without waiting for a response, she quickly turned back to Satono Crown, eyes filled with urgency.
"Then… after training, let's go visit Dura-chan! She's sick—she must really need our support."
"That's exactly what I was thinking," Satono Crown nodded gently. "I was just about to—"
Suddenly, the classroom's back door slammed open with a loud bang, cutting off her words. An energetic voice, no quieter than Kitasan's earlier outburst, rang out boldly:
"Hey! Which one of you is Kitasan Black?"