Umamusume: Full of Flavor! [8]

After looking over Silence Suzuka’s data, Haruto first sketched out a preliminary training plan in his head.

As expected, what she needed to work on most was Stamina. Next was Power. As for Wit… the explanation he was giving her right now was already training that.

Ordinarily, the Front Runner Style did not require especially great strength. After all, at the very front, there would be no physical collisions with other Umamusume, nor would she need to squeeze through the pack or break out after being surrounded.

But Runaway was different, because Power was also related to explosiveness. Silence Suzuka needed to take the lead at maximum speed right from the start of the race and shake off the other Umamusume.

So Power Training could not be delayed either. At minimum, she needed to raise it to C+. Otherwise, there was a real chance she would fail to seize 1st place at the opening… though even if her Power was lacking, there were still other ways to make up for it.

On that point, Haruto had already thought of a solution.

Next was Stamina, which hardly needed explaining. Without enough Stamina, there was no way she could run away all the way to the end.

Especially for a Runaway Umamusume like Silence Suzuka, who went all-out from the opening and then maintained top speed for the entire race. Her Stamina had to be above B, or else in the final stretch, she would face the desperate situation of slowing down and being caught by the Umamusume behind her.

If her Stamina ran dry then, she could only force herself to endure with Guts… but that would be especially damaging to her ankles.

Most likely, Silence Suzuka had relied on that unusually excellent Guts of hers before, gritting her teeth and holding on until the end to win her Debut Race. But that was also why her previous Trainer had believed that if Suzuka kept running like this, she would be injured after only a few races.

An Umamusume’s legs were a finite resource, after all. Haruto did not want his assigned Umamusume to have her legs ruined after barely two races.

And now, Haruto had to convey all of that to Silence Suzuka as well. Along with the way to avoid injury.

“First, we need to understand why your previous Trainer was worried about your career longevity.”

“Mm… Is it because I was pushing myself too hard?”

“Close, but not specific enough.”

Haruto nodded, then shook his head. Then he pointed at Silence Suzuka’s left foot.

“The real problem is actually this left foot of yours.”

“My left foot? What’s wrong with it… Trainer-san, could you help me take another look?”

Only then did Silence Suzuka realize that she still had not put her socks back on.

But it seemed there was no need to put them on anymore.

She should just let her Trainer examine them carefully again. Ideally, he might even spot some hidden problem.

So even though she felt embarrassed, Silence Suzuka endured her shyness and stretched her foot out in front of Haruto once more.

“Um, you can touch it with your hands too…”

“Oh, that’s perfect. It’ll let you see where the problem is more directly.”

Haruto did not hesitate. He took both of Silence Suzuka’s feet in his hands and brought them together.

“…!”

Silence Suzuka covered her mouth with both hands and desperately held back a sound.

An Umamusume’s most precious feet were now completely held in her Trainer’s hands.

Strictly speaking, with Silence Suzuka’s strength, she could break free from his grip at any time. But right now, Silence Suzuka felt as if both her feet had been locked in shackles, as if her very lifeline had been taken into her Trainer’s grasp.

But strangely enough… she did not hate it, nor did it feel unpleasant… Instead, her heart was beating a little faster… It felt completely different from being examined by Doctor Anshinzawa in the Infirmary…

“Suzuka, your dominant foot is your left, isn’t it?”

“Ah, mm… Yes. Trainer-san, you can even tell that?”

“I’m a professional. Of course I can. And I can also tell that your left foot is 0.5 centimeters longer than your right.”

This was not a hint from the system either. It was information Haruto had discovered through his keen eye.

After all, Haruto was a certified Trainer. With an Umamusume’s feet laid out in front of him, there was no way he would miss something like that.

Though in truth, even among Trainers, very few could manage this. Haruto simply did not know this was his own unique ability.

Incidentally, that ability also worked on measurements, so he could tell an Umamusume’s cup size at a glance. Silence Suzuka, for example, was AA.

“Huh?! Y-You’re kidding, right?”

Silence Suzuka once again said the phrase that slipped out whenever she was shocked.

Even she had not known that her left foot was a little longer.

“No wonder, when I run, I always feel like my left foot is pressed against the shoe…”

“The shoes you’re wearing now don’t fit. Looks like we’ll need to have a pair of running shoes made specifically for you in different sizes from now on. Even if it’s only a 0.5-centimeter difference, for an Umamusume running at extreme speed, that detail can’t be ignored.”

“Yes. I’ll buy new shoes as soon as I get back!”

Silence Suzuka loved collecting all kinds of shoes, so even the shoes paired with her Racing Outfit—the outfit worn specifically for G1 races—were mismatched black-and-white shoes. She even bought many pairs of the same running shoes, and her family had specially increased her allowance for buying shoes.

Haruto nodded. He had originally wanted to say that he would buy Silence Suzuka a pair of running shoes himself, using it to raise her affection for him so she would listen to him more. But then he considered that he was currently very poor, and an Umamusume’s running shoes were generally custom-made, meaning they were ridiculously expensive. With Haruto’s salary, he could not even afford half a shoe, and that was for a cheap model.

Although there also seemed to be running shoes for Umamusume in the Uma Coin Shop, the prices were just as expensive. Even the cheapest cost several hundred Uma Coins. Putting aside the fact that Haruto could not afford them at all, even if he could, he did not want to spend his few Uma Coins on something that had little effect on the chance of winning a race. And he did not know whether the running shoes in the Uma Coin Shop could have their sizes customized either, so for now, he would not consider it.

“Also, Suzuka, you seem to be better at left-handed tracks.”

Silence Suzuka’s skills included [LEFT-HANDED ○], which showed that she was naturally better at counterclockwise tracks.

Now that Haruto had pointed out another of her “bad habits,” Silence Suzuka once again felt that ticklish sense of being seen through. With a hint of embarrassment, she said,

“Yes. Um, it’s a little embarrassing to say, but sometimes in the dorm, I’ll unconsciously start walking in circles counterclockwise… Spe-chan and El-chan have both laughed at me for it…”

“Spe-chan?”

“Ah, Spe-chan is my roommate, Special Week. She has the grand ambition of becoming Japan’s No. 1 Umamusume.”

“Oh… Japan’s No. 1 Umamusume, huh? That’s a big dream.”

Haruto did know of the Umamusume named Special Week. She should have been the Umamusume printed on the icon for the Umamusume mobile game app, and it seemed she was also the protagonist of the anime’s first season.

Unfortunately, Haruto had never watched the Umamusume anime, so he did not know what kind of Umamusume Special Week was.

But since she was a protagonist, she must have had quite the leading-lady presence, right?

He wondered if he would have a chance to bring her under his command someday too.

Although he was still a rookie Trainer, and without an assignment from the Academy, he could not recruit Umamusume on his own, as long as he led Suzuka to good results, the Academy would surely loosen its restrictions step by step.

There was no reason not to let a capable Trainer lead more Umamusume!

And since she was Suzuka’s roommate, he had the advantage of proximity.

Haruto’s Career with Silence Suzuka had not even officially begun yet, but he was already eyeing his next target while his first was still right in front of him. He had committed the sin of greed.

At this moment, he still had no idea what terrifyingly heavy going this “wavering heart” would bring him…

This is a fan translation of 赛马娘，味真足 by 夜幕下的鬼 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!