For quite some time afterward, Kitasan Black carried something weighty in both her pockets, whether she was going to school, returning home, or resting after training.
It was, naturally, the pebble that Yasui Makoto had split barehanded.
After standing frozen in shock for a long moment that day, she had asked in disbelief for the two halves of the pebble, only to find herself stunned once more.
The stone’s cross-section was astonishingly smooth—too smooth, as though sliced cleanly by something sharp, or cut and polished meticulously.
In that instant, she had no doubt about what Yasui had said. If she mastered all those strange postures, she too could split a stone barehanded…
No, rather, she’d gain full control over her own strength, running at a speed that would amaze everyone.
The thought made her impatient to learn what other postures would come next.
Yet, as if sensing her eagerness, her trainer firmly emphasized, even before she could voice it:
“I know you’re eager, but don’t rush.”
“Rushing won’t help. Your innate talent is excellent—honestly, it’s almost too good. To fully master and harness your potential will take even longer than it would for others.”
“The things I’m teaching you will help speed up the process, but you must strictly follow my instructions step-by-step, or you’ll risk serious injury.”
“Now, let’s move on to regular training. Start running.”
Truthfully, Kitasan was still curious about what future training might entail.
But she knew her strengths: perhaps she wasn’t good at many things, but she always listened carefully to elders and upperclassmen.
Even though Yasui wasn’t much older than her, he somehow felt as mature and dependable as many of her family elders.
Moreover, he always appeared calm and confident, knew countless things, and had even placed first on the trainer’s examination.
In that case, it really was best to follow Trainer-san’s instructions.
But…when will I reach Trainer-san’s level…?
Unconsciously dwelling on this, Kitasan pulled the two halves of the pebble from her pocket and began examining them carefully again.
“…Then, Kitasan-san, please answer this question.”
As if by reflex, Kitasan jumped to her feet and declared loudly:
“Hai! The answer is Tokai Teio!”
The classroom fell silent for a brief second, then erupted into muffled laughter.
Standing at the lectern, facing away from the blackboard, the teacher sighed.
“Kitasan-san, I know President Teio is your idol, but…”
“You can’t possibly give her name as the answer to every question, can you?”
“Also, could you kindly explain what you’re holding right now?”
“Ah…?”
Dazed momentarily, Kitasan suddenly realized she was still clutching the pebble halves.
Instinctively hiding them behind her back, she stood embarrassedly for a few moments before slowly extending her hands, face red, head lowered.
“It’s…two stones…”
“Stones…”
The teacher sounded exasperated, then shook his head helplessly.
“Please don’t get distracted in class or do unrelated things.”
“You can sit down now, but come to my office after class.”
“Alright everyone, please stop laughing. Now, Satono Crown-san, can you answer this question?”
“Hai.”
From diagonally ahead, a graceful Uma Musume with flowing black hair stood up elegantly and answered clearly:
“The first undefeated Triple Crown winner in the Twinkle Series was the former Student Council President and current University Division Chairwoman, Symboli Rudolf-senpai.”
“Correct. The answer is Symboli Rudolf. Thank you, Satono-san, please be seated.”
Only then, hurriedly stuffing the stones back into her pockets, did Kitasan realize what the teacher had been asking. She muttered under her breath, slightly disgruntled.
“But Teio-senpai was just one Kikuka Sho short…”
“Alright, next point… Hmm? Kitasan-san, did you just say something?”
“Hai! N-no, nothing! Sensei, I didn’t say anything!”
“Sit down, pay attention, and remember to visit my office after class.”
…
Later that evening, after finishing training at the dance hall.
“I heard you got called to the teacher’s office today for daydreaming?”
Eyes fixed on his tablet, Yasui asked casually while doing some calculations.
“Eh? Trainer-san, you… already heard about that…?”
Currently doing cool-down stretches, Kitasan looked awkwardly embarrassed.
“Ah…well…hehe, it was just a little distraction. I got caught accidentally…”
“So if you hadn’t been caught, you’d have kept daydreaming?”
Glancing up at her with a hint of exasperation, Yasui shook his head.
“General education classes are important. Plenty of things from academics can apply directly to training and races.”
“Looking at it in the long term, regardless of what you do after graduation and retirement, having poor grades isn’t acceptable.”
“In the short term, if you fail and end up needing a makeup exam, I’m not going to beg your homeroom teacher to go easy on you.”
At the academy, academic and specialized training were managed separately; teachers and trainers generally avoided interfering with each other’s educational plans.
“Oh, it’s okay! I regularly ask Dia-chan to help me study!”
Kitasan proudly patted her chest, then her confidence quickly wilted.
“But language and history are fine… Math is so difficult…physics and biology too…”
“Oh, that’s right, Trainer-san! I noticed you’re really good at math and biology. Maybe you could tutor me?”
“I strongly suggest you pay attention in class instead.”
Yasui shook his head slightly.
“My own knowledge doesn’t mean I’m good at teaching those subjects. Trainer evaluations don’t include tutoring academics.”
“Oh…then I’ll try harder in class.”
Kitasan nodded obediently.
“And well… math and sciences are tough, but my grades are still okay, I think. Not as good as Dia-chan or Crown-san, but at least I’m not failing.”
Hearing this, Yasui nodded approvingly.
Academic performance didn’t directly affect racing results, but understanding various subjects could certainly make training more efficient.
Failing courses and makeup exams were incredibly troublesome—not only would the trainer have to get involved, but the Student Council as well.
Having just become Kitasan’s assigned trainer, causing an academic incident before her debut race would indeed be quite awkward.
“Good. That’s reassuring. I’ll also make some time to keep an eye on your grades.”
With a satisfied nod, Yasui packed up his things to leave.
As always, Kitasan cheerfully called out, “Trainer-san, let me help!” before eagerly picking up his shoulder bag.
They went to the cafeteria for dinner, and afterward, Yasui pulled out his tablet from the bag once again.
“I asked you before about your future plans. Have you decided on an answer yet?”
Choosing a career path was, strictly speaking, the trainer’s responsibility.
Only trainers had the authority to request specific races for their Uma Musume from the academy and URA Association.
However, trainers usually respected their Uma Musume’s personal wishes unless she had no clear ideas of her own. If differences arose, both sides typically discussed patiently to reach a mutual decision.
Yasui Makoto privately acknowledged he was rather headstrong.
In his previous life, he’d rarely relied on companions. He preferred to shoulder the consequences of his actions alone.
Even in this world, during the first few years, he hadn’t discussed decisions with anyone—not even his parents.
—
This is a fan translation of 赛马娘：从被撞飞十米开始 by 百升飞上天 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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