Three days later, early in the morning at the Academy's track, Anjing Zhen and Kitasan Black met a racehorse girl famous for her twin tails—or rather, her "three tails."
The moment she saw the racehorse girl, Kitasan Black excitedly rushed over and threw her arms around her.
"Senior Yamato! It's been so long!"
"You're a little late, Little Kita. Don't tell me you overslept again?"
The "three-tailed" racehorse girl hugged Kitasan Black back, her face alight with the same warmth and nostalgia.
"I didn't! I've officially debuted now, so I don't oversleep like I used to!"
"I watched your Debut Race. You did wonderfully. Little Kita's grown up!"
"Hehe, thanks, Senior... Oh, I haven't introduced you yet!"
Letting go, Kitasan Black eagerly came over, grabbed Anjing Zhen by the sleeve, and tugged him toward her.
"This is my Trainer, Anjing Zhen. I won my Debut Race thanks to him!"
"I've heard all about you, Trainer."
The "three-tailed" racehorse girl smiled at Kitasan Black, then extended her hand to Anjing Zhen with graceful ease.
"Hello, Trainer Yasui. I'm Daiwa Scarlet. It's nice to meet you. Please take care of me."
"It's nice to meet you too."
After shaking Daiwa Scarlet's hand, Anjing Zhen looked at Kitasan Black and smiled.
"Little Kita's exaggerating. I won't deny that I put a lot of thought into planning her training.
"But her own hard work and talent were just as essential to winning the race.
"So I'd say we won that race together."
Daiwa Scarlet smiled approvingly and looked at Kitasan Black.
"Little Kita, your Trainer really is excellent."
"Hehe, that's what I think too."
Kitasan Black scratched her head with a silly grin, then eagerly asked, "So... can we start running together? I'm all ready, Senior Yamato!"
"Still as impatient as ever... Don't rush, Little Kita."
Daiwa Scarlet smiled and shook her head. Then she turned to Anjing Zhen, her expression growing serious.
"There are a few things I'd like to ask you, Trainer Yasui. Is that all right?"
Anjing Zhen and Kitasan Black both paused in surprise. Anjing Zhen nodded.
"Go ahead, Senior Yamato. I won't hide anything I'm able to answer."
Without any fuss, Daiwa Scarlet nodded.
"Before coming here, I looked over Little Kita's race schedule.
"She has the Satsuki Sho in April, the Spring Stakes in March, and a Condition Race this month.
"Thanks to her Debut Race win, Little Kita already has nearly ten thousand fans.
"But that's still a long way from the hundred thousand required to enter the Satsuki Sho, and she's also far short of the fifty thousand needed for the Spring Stakes.
"This may sound discouraging, but these things aren't impossible for a racehorse girl.
"Suppose—I'm just saying, suppose—
"Suppose she doesn't win the Condition Race, or the Spring Stakes, and she doesn't have enough fans to enter the Satsuki Sho...
"Trainer Yasui, have you considered that possibility?"
Her questions were delivered calmly, but there was an unmistakably challenging edge to them.
Kitasan Black sensed it at once. She faltered, her gaze darting between Anjing Zhen and Daiwa Scarlet.
"Senior Yamato, this... And Trainer..."
"It's all right, Little Kita."
Noticing his racehorse girl's nervousness, Anjing Zhen gave her a reassuring look, then turned to Daiwa Scarlet and nodded gratefully.
"That's a sharp question, especially when Little Kita has just won her Debut Race.
"Most people would avoid bringing it up to spare her—and me—the discomfort.
"But that's precisely why, Senior Yamato, I can tell how much you care about her.
"Because, just as you said, there are a dozen or more runners in every race, but only one champion.
"Losing a race is entirely possible for any racehorse girl.
"In fact, losing is the norm."
A glimmer of approval and relief crossed Daiwa Scarlet's eyes.
As an experienced racehorse girl, she had seen countless talents and also-rans over the years, and had witnessed countless races. She knew that victories were rare and defeats were far more common.
Many racehorse girls, whether gifted or not, couldn't withstand the pressure of losing and failed to make it to the end.
It didn't matter if Little Kita didn't understand that yet. But if this young Trainer didn't understand it either, Daiwa Scarlet would have to consider bringing it up with Tokai Teio, her senior and old friend.
For now, Anjing Zhen's answer was satisfactory.
But she didn't speak. She simply met Anjing Zhen's gaze without flinching.
Understanding what Daiwa Scarlet meant, Anjing Zhen replied calmly, "It's simple. The Spring Stakes is called a Prep Race for the Satsuki Sho because its top three finishers can enter the Satsuki Sho ahead of others, regardless of their fan count.
"This year's Satsuki Sho is on April 19, so there are still two months to go.
"That's plenty of time to enter another OP Class Race and replace the Spring Stakes with a less demanding OP race.
"With her Debut Race and two OP Class Races, there's a good chance she'll qualify for the Satsuki Sho.
"And besides, I have other ways of supporting her outside the races, as well as..."
Smiling, he patted Kitasan Black's shoulder.
"I can't guarantee she'll win the Satsuki Sho, or even finish in the top three at the Spring Stakes. Those are Major Races, and the competition is fierce.
"But I've compared the competitors in all the OP Class Races over the next two months. I don't think many of them can beat Little Kita.
"And that's the worst-case scenario. If even that worst-case scenario is acceptable to you, Senior Yamato, then can I say...
"I don't think Little Kita will lose either of her next two races—not even the Spring Stakes."
Kitasan Black grew excited, while Daiwa Scarlet's eyes filled with surprise.
Even before Agnes Tachyon called her, Daiwa Scarlet had been following Kitasan Black's debut and had heard about Anjing Zhen, the remarkably young Trainer.
In her eyes, the strategy used in that Debut Race was unlike anything a new Trainer would come up with—or dare to try.
Kitasan Black had plenty of strength and stamina, yet he had deliberately abandoned the front-running style that was easiest to win with in a Debut Race. He had risked her getting boxed in by placing her toward the back of the pack, all to improve her adaptability for future races...
It was a tactic she had seen only from a handful of Trainers.
Every one of them was a renowned veteran in the industry. It would have made sense if they had taught Kitasan Black to run that way, but Anjing Zhen had the same vision and nerve. She couldn't help but take notice.
She was immediately satisfied.
It wasn't that Anjing Zhen's answer had been flawless. Rather, his meticulous consideration had confirmed her earlier impression.
He might have looked young, but his training philosophy and methods were exceptionally mature.
With a Trainer like him, she was quietly glad for Kitasan Black—and decided she would leave the upcoming practice run entirely to him.
"I'm already looking forward to it—the practice run today, and Little Kita's next race."
Rather than praising Anjing Zhen directly, Daiwa Scarlet smiled, laced her fingers together, and cracked her wrists.
"Though I haven't raced in a long time, I still make a habit of training. Running a few practice races with Little Kita won't be a problem.
"So, just tell me what you need, Trainer Yasui."
I really want to...
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