Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Ten Meters

Half an hour later, in the cafeteria of Tracen Academy.

"…I see. Good thing I didn't say anything in front of Trainer Yasui; that would've been so rude," Ines Fujin said thoughtfully, seated at the dining table.

"When I was delivering that package, I never imagined someone so young was already a Trainer, especially one who's already guided Kita-chan to two consecutive wins."

"Kita-chan, you're really lucky to have found such an amazing Trainer."

"Yeah! I think so too!"

Kitasan Black nodded enthusiastically, eyes bright with gratitude. "I just enrolled this year, and there's still so much I haven't learned yet—my training results weren't good at all. But Trainer never looked down on me. He always patiently teaches me, whether it's training or during a race."

"Meeting a Trainer like him was truly wonderful!"

At the same table, Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka exchanged smiles.

"Well, it's not entirely luck," Daiwa Scarlet said warmly, reaching out to gently pat Kitasan's head. "Your kindness and enthusiasm played a big part as well, Kita-chan."

"My kindness… enthusiasm?"

Kitasan blinked. "Why do you say that, Daiwa-senpai?"

"I think so too," Vodka picked up smoothly. "The other day, Daiwa told me how you and Yasui-kun met—you collided by accident."

Kitasan instantly blushed bright red.

"Senpai…! W-why are you suddenly bringing that up…?"

"Relax, I'm not teasing you," Vodka said, waving her hand cheerfully. "Daiwa explained to me afterward. Both you and Yasui-kun ran forward to save a little kid, which is why you crashed into each other."

"Though I have to say, Yasui-kun's physical strength is really impressive—being fine after a collision with you is no joke."

"But mainly, I'm talking about how kind and passionate you are, Kita-chan. Think about it: if you hadn't rushed out to save that child, you never would've run into Yasui-kun. And if you hadn't insisted on taking him to the hospital, you wouldn't have known he was a Trainer—and certainly wouldn't have signed the contract afterward."

"I think your sincere kindness is what made Yasui-kun want to become your Trainer in the first place."

Kitasan tilted her head thoughtfully.

"That's right… When Teio-senpai first suggested Trainer Yasui guide me, I honestly thought he'd refuse, like the other Trainers usually did. I never imagined he'd agree immediately."

Vodka smiled knowingly as she summarized, "So, it's a combination of luck, kindness, enthusiasm, and many coincidences—that's how your bond came about."

Then she paused thoughtfully.

"But speaking of luck… Kita-chan, meeting Yasui-kun was indeed fortunate for you. With that in mind, the Japanese Derby… You might really have a chance."

The sudden mention of the Japanese Derby might've sounded abrupt, but none of the four Uma Musume at the table found it strange.

There was a widely held saying among Trainers and Uma Musume:

The fastest Uma Musume wins the Satsuki Sho.

The luckiest Uma Musume wins the Japanese Derby.

The strongest Uma Musume wins the Kikuka Sho.

This saying made sense, given the nature of each race.

The Satsuki Sho, at 2000 meters, was the shortest of the Classic Triple Crown, demanding exceptional speed and a powerful final sprint.

The Japanese Derby, or Tokyo Yushun, was historically considered the race to determine the strongest Uma Musume of the generation. The competition was fierce, as every Uma Musume who qualified would never willingly miss such an opportunity. With a distance of 2400 meters—400 meters longer than the Satsuki Sho—luck indeed played a crucial role in determining victory, given the relative inexperience of the contestants at that age.

As for the Kikuka Sho, it was straightforward: a grueling 3000-meter race that few Uma Musume could even finish strongly, let alone win against fierce rivals.

"The Japanese Derby, huh…"

Excitement and longing flickered in Kitasan's eyes, but she quickly took a deep breath and shook her head lightly.

"I really do look forward to it. But Trainer always tells me that, rather than worrying about the future, I need to focus on completing each training session and racing every race seriously."

"And regarding luck… Trainer doesn't seem to care about that very much. He prefers tangible things he can control. Knowing him, rather than relying on luck, he'd prefer spending time coming up with new training methods. Like that something-machine he ordered… uh, what was it called again?"

"Drone. It's called a drone," Vodka interjected, laughing lightly.

Beside her, Daiwa Scarlet and Ines Fujin were also chuckling at Kitasan's forgetfulness. Daiwa Scarlet thoughtfully added:

"Exactly. Yasui-kun does seem quite practical and grounded… In that sense, you've always been down-to-earth too, Kita-chan. You two actually suit each other very well."

"Yes! I think so too—"

Just as Kitasan began nodding eagerly, Vodka suddenly shot up from her seat, flushed and flustered.

"They—they suit each other?! Daiwa, what in the world are you saying?! Isn't it way too soon for Kita-chan to think about things like that?!"

Before anyone could react, the normally confident and straightforward Vodka suddenly turned beet-red, slapping a hand quickly over her nose.

Seconds later, a bright red trickle slipped between her fingers—she was clearly having a nosebleed.

"N-no, I can't… this topic is way too stimulating! Daiwa, seriously, what are you thinking…?!"

"S-senpai?! What's wrong?!" Kitasan panicked as Vodka stood frozen, nose bleeding.

Daiwa Scarlet and Ines Fujin simultaneously sighed, sharing identical expressions of exasperation.

"…Vodka, you still haven't gotten over this problem?" Ines Fujin asked with resignation.

"More importantly, just what kind of thoughts are you having, anyway?" Daiwa Scarlet shot back.

One handed Vodka tissues, while the other quickly explained to the confused Kitasan:

"This senpai of yours has always been like this. She absolutely can't handle romantic topics, and hearing even a hint of it makes her so excited she gets nosebleeds."

"We had to take her to the infirmary multiple times back when she was still in school. I can't believe she still hasn't outgrown it…"

After finishing the explanation, Daiwa Scarlet shook her head helplessly and leaned over toward Vodka, concerned.

"Hey, Vodka, are you feeling a bit better now?"

Kitasan stood rooted in place, stunned.

Romance…? We weren't talking about romance just now…

Wait! Could it be because Daiwa-senpai said… we "suit each other"?

H-how could she possibly link that to romance? Clearly, she was just saying that Trainer and I have similar personalities…

Geez, Vodka-senpai! Seriously, what are you thinking—

Eh…?!

Originally amused by Vodka's strange misunderstanding, Kitasan suddenly felt her heart skip uneasily.

Glancing around nervously at her senpais and finding no one looking her way, she quietly lowered her head, staring down at her feet as her toes curled involuntarily.

Come to think of it, during my debut race… even with so many people watching, Trainer changed my horseshoes as if nobody else was there.

He… usually doesn't seem to care about that kind of thing, but…

He probably wouldn't think about romance, unlike Vodka-senpai…right?