Satono Diamond was reading at her desk. After greeting Kitasan Black, she closed her book and asked curiously,
"You're back pretty late today... Were you training?"
"Training? Um... I guess you could call it that. I'm not really sure."
Kitasan Black shook her head and glanced around.
"Diamond-chan, I remember you have a dance mat. Can I use it? I'll buy a new one tomorrow!"
"The dance mat... It's beside the wardrobe. Go ahead and use it."
"Okay! Diamond-chan, you're the best!"
After thanking her with a grin, Kitasan Black went to the wardrobe, picked up the rolled-up dance mat, spread it on the floor, and sat down on it cross-legged.
Satono Diamond smiled and nodded, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she moved closer.
She soon noticed that her roommate's cross-legged position was quite strange.
Instead of crossing downward, her two shapely calves angled upward, so that her pale feet were almost turned over and tucked against the backs of her knees.
Her hands were positioned strangely, too. Rather than resting dutifully on her knees or in her lap like they would at a shrine or dojo, her fingers crossed and uncrossed clumsily, shifting about like sign language or shadow puppets.
"Little Kita, what are you...?"
"Ah, the Trainer taught me this after our walk."
Keeping her eyes on her hands, Kitasan Black answered casually,
"These are apparently hand seals from Brahma and Buddhism or something. Oh, right, he taught me how to sit like this, too."
"Brahma... Brahma worship?"
"Yeah! That's it!"
Satono Diamond grew even more curious.
"I remember it's a religion from South Asia, and Buddhism... I think it originated around there, too?"
"Diamond-chan, you know so much."
Still watching her hands, Kitasan Black praised her.
"The Trainer said that, too. He said these hand seals and poses cover almost every movement we can make, and practicing them regularly helps me control my own strength better."
"But he only taught me these few hand gestures and this sitting position. He said there are lots more, and he'll teach them to me gradually, depending on how my body is doing."
"...He sounds like a really impressive Trainer."
Satono Diamond exclaimed in amazement. "I've never heard of this kind of training before, and..."
She hesitated, studying Kitasan Black's hand gestures for a moment. Then she raised both hands, thought it over, and tried to imitate her.
But she immediately sensed something was off.
From where she stood, her roommate's hands looked as if they were cupped together to hold water.
Yet somehow, the two index fingers and two ring fingers seemed to "grow" out from the other hand, as if by magic.
The next gesture was similar. It looked like an ordinary interlacing of fingers, but a normal interlacing of index fingers would never give the impression of "tying a bow."
Neither Satono Diamond nor Kitasan Black knew that these gestures, including the sitting pose, came from another world.
Extreme Skills were still relatively undeveloped in this world. In Anjing Zhen's previous life, these exercises were basic training that combined techniques from many athletic disciplines. At their core, they were a way to train the body.
In theory, once mastered, they allowed someone to assume any pose in any situation—and that kind of control naturally included control over one's strength.
For humans, learning this kind of training was extremely difficult. Anyone without sufficient talent who forced themselves to practice it would almost certainly suffer an injury.
Uma Musume were far stronger than humans, and Kitasan Black's physical foundation was excellent even by their standards.
On top of that, Anjing Zhen knew the training techniques well, which was why she had been able to master a little of them in such a short time.
Satono Diamond couldn't imitate her, naturally, because she lacked the necessary technique.
"Phew—I'm done... Ah! Diamond-chan, don't try to copy what I'm doing!"
After finishing this special "before-bed training" as Anjing Zhen had instructed, Kitasan Black turned and saw her roommate awkwardly moving her hands around. She panicked.
"The Trainer said these poses look simple, but they're hard to do if you don't know the technique. If you force it, you might break a bone!"
"B-break a bone...?!"
Satono Diamond was startled, too, and quickly released her hands.
At the same time, she noticed that after imitating only a few gestures, the joints in her fingers had started to feel a little numb, with faint tingles of pain.
"...He really is an impressive Trainer..."
Once again, she exclaimed in amazement, her eyes widening slightly.
"Yeah! The Trainer really is amazing!"
Kitasan Black nodded enthusiastically, then hopped to her feet and carefully rolled up the dance mat before putting it back beside the wardrobe.
Eagerly, she took out her phone, tapped a few times, then held it up in front of Satono Diamond.
"And look, Diamond-chan! My Shining Series account! The Trainer helped me set it up a few days ago! I already have fans, too!"
Satono Diamond had barely leaned in when she heard what Kitasan Black said. Her eyes widened, and she quickly offered her congratulations, tinged with envy.
"Congratulations, Little Kita. Now you're a racehorse girl just like your big sister."
"Hehe, I've been looking forward to this day for ages... Heave-ho—"
Kitasan Black flopped onto her bed and lay on her stomach, her lower legs bent in the air as they swung back and forth. She gazed happily at her phone.
"Now that I have a Racing Account, people will be able to see my fan count, whether I'm racing or doing something else..."
"Oh! I have another new fan!"
"And a comment, too! This is great!"
Still envious, Satono Diamond moved closer and sat beside Kitasan Black, leaning over to look at the phone.
Uma Musume races were collectively called the Shining Star Series. Unlike other competitions, the Shining Series had a clear "idol" element in addition to the athletic competition.
The races followed a Grade racing system, with levels ranging from G1, G2, G3, and OP to Pre-OP. To enter a race at a particular level, a racer needed to have a corresponding number of fans.
A "Racing Account" was one of the signs that an uma musume had officially entered the Shining Series. The account was connected to many platforms and could tally her fans across the internet.
Unlike her roommate, Kitasan Black, and her big sister, Satono Crown, Satono Diamond had entered Central Academy based on her grades and physical ability, but she had yet to reach Full Maturity. For now, she couldn't take part in intense races or training.
How nice... Little Kita already has a Racing Account, just like her big sister...
But the doctor at home said I should be able to race next year...
Then...
"Diamond-chan! Do you think my eyes look cool?"
Satono Diamond had just been quietly cheering herself on when Kitasan Black's sudden shout caught her by surprise. She turned and saw that her roommate had sat up at some point and was watching her expectantly.
"Um... They look very cool."
She wasn't sure why Kitasan Black had asked, but after taking a good look at her sparkling eyes, Satono Diamond nodded, then asked curiously,
"What made you ask all of a sudden...?"
"Well, it's because of a fan's comment."
Grinning, Kitasan Black raised her phone, brimming with confidence.
"'Her eyes are as cool as mine. A girl like that is sure to become an outstanding uma musume!'"
"I don't know who this fan is, but I'm really happy they said that!"
"And I believe it, too. I'm sure I'll become an outstanding uma musume!"
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