Her Eyes Are as Cool as Mine

Satono Crown was reading at the desk. After greeting Hokubu Genkoma, she closed her book and asked curiously:

"Seems like you came back pretty late today... Were you training?"

"Training? Um... I guess you could call it that. I'm not really sure."

Shaking her head, Hokubu Genkoma glanced around.

"Light Diamond-chan, I remember you have a dance mat, right? Can I use it? I'll buy a new one tomorrow!"

"A dance mat... It's next to the wardrobe. Just use it."

"Mm-hmm! You're so nice, Light Diamond-chan!"

After thanking her with a grin, she went over to the wardrobe, picked up the rolled-up dance mat, spread it across the floor, and sat down on it cross-legged.

Satono Crown nodded with a faint smile, but her curiosity remained. She moved closer.

She soon noticed that her roommate's way of sitting cross-legged was strange.

Her two plump calves did not cross downward, but upward, causing her pair of fair little feet to nearly turn over and press against the backs of her knees.

Her hand gestures were strange too. Unlike at a shrine or dojo, where one would honestly rest one's hands on one's knees or place them over one's lower abdomen,

she crossed and uncrossed her ten fingers somewhat awkwardly, moving them as though signing or making shadow puppets.

"Xiao Bei, what are you...?"

"Ah, the Trainer taught me this after our walk."

Staring intently at her hands, Hokubu Genkoma answered casually:

"He said they were mudras from Brahmanism and Buddhism or something. Oh, right, he taught me the way I'm sitting now too."

"Brahmanism... the Brahman religion?"

"Mm-hmm! That's the one!"

Satono Crown grew even more curious.

"I remember that it's a religion from South Asia, and Buddhism... seems to have originated there too?"

"Light Diamond-chan, you know so much."

Still looking at her hands, Hokubu Genkoma praised her:

"That's what the Trainer said too. Then he said these mudras and postures practically encompass every movement we can make, and practicing them regularly would help me control my own strength better.

"But he only taught me these few gestures and this sitting posture. He said there were many more, and he'd teach them to me gradually according to my physical condition."

"...He sounds like a very impressive Trainer."

Satono Crown exclaimed in amazement. "I've never heard of this kind of training before, and besides..."

After hesitating, she studied Hokubu Genkoma's hand gestures for a while. She raised both hands, thought for a moment, and tried to imitate them.

However, as soon as she began, she sensed that something was wrong.

From her angle, her roommate's hands looked as though they were cupped together to hold water.

Yet somehow, her two index fingers and two ring fingers seemed to "grow" out from the other side, as if by magic.

The next gesture was the same. It looked like an ordinary interlacing of ten fingers, but normally interlacing one's index fingers would never give someone the impression of "tying a bow."

Neither Satono Crown nor Hokubu Genkoma knew that these gestures, including the sitting posture, originated from another world.

That world's Limit Special Skill was still relatively underdeveloped, while in Yasui Makoto's previous life, this training had been basic practice. It incorporated techniques from many athletic disciplines and was, at its core, a way of training the body.

Once mastered, it theoretically allowed one to assume any posture under any circumstances, and such control naturally included control over one's strength.

For humans, learning this training method was extremely difficult. Anyone without sufficient talent who forced themselves to practice it would almost certainly suffer crippling injuries.

Uma Musume had physiques far stronger than humans, and Hokubu Genkoma's physical foundation was outstanding even among Uma Musume.

Combined with Yasui Makoto's familiarity with training techniques, that was what allowed her to master a little of it in such a short time.

Satono Crown could not imitate it because she lacked the necessary techniques.

"Phew—it's over... Ah! Light Diamond-chan! Don't try to imitate my movements!"

After completing this special "before-bed training" according to Yasui Makoto's instructions, Hokubu Genkoma turned around and saw her roommate awkwardly moving her hands back and forth. She panicked.

"The Trainer said that these postures look simple, but they're hard to perform without knowing the techniques. If you force them, you might even break a bone!"

"B-break a bone...?!"

Satono Crown was startled too and quickly let go of her hands.

At the same time, she noticed that after imitating just a few gestures, the joints of her fingers had already become slightly numb, with a faint prickling pain.

"...He really is an amazing Trainer..."

Once again, she exclaimed with her eyes slightly widened.

"Mm-hmm! The Trainer really is amazing!"

Nodding repeatedly in agreement, Hokubu Genkoma stood up from the dance mat with a grunt, carefully rolled it up, and put it back beside the wardrobe.

With some anticipation, she pulled out her phone, tapped it a few times, and held it up in front of Satono Crown.

"And Light Diamond-chan, look! My Shining Race Account! The Trainer helped me set it up over the past few days! And I already have fans!"

As soon as she leaned over, Satono Crown heard what Hokubu Genkoma said and widened her eyes. A moment later, she said enviously and congratulatorily:

"Congratulations, Xiao Bei. Now you're an Uma Musume with a race account, just like your sister."

"Hehe, I've been looking forward to this day for so long... Heave-ho—"

Flopping onto the bed, Hokubu Genkoma curled her calves up into the air and swung them back and forth, happily cradling her phone.

"Now that I have a race account, people will be able to see my fan count whether it's a race or anything else...

"Ah! I gained more followers again!

"And there are reviews too! Great!"

Still envious, Satono Crown came over, sat beside Hokubu Genkoma, and leaned over to look at the phone.

Uma Musume races were collectively known as the Shining Star Series. Unlike other competitive events, the Shining Series had a clear "idol" element in addition to its athletic competition.

On the athletic side, it used the Grade Race System. From highest to lowest, the grades were G1, G2, G3, OP, and Pre-OP. To enter a race of a given grade, one needed the corresponding number of fans.

A "race account" was one of the symbols that an Uma Musume had officially entered the Shining Series. The account was linked to many platforms and could track her total number of fans across the entire internet.

Unlike her roommate Hokubu Genkoma and her older sister Satono Crown, Satono Crown had entered Central Academy because of her achievements and physical abilities, but she had not yet reached Full Bloom. For the time being, she could not participate in races or training of such intensity.

That's great. Xiao Bei already has a race account just like her sister...

But the doctor at home said I'll probably be able to compete next year...

By then...

"Light Diamond-chan! Do you think my eyes look cool?"

Just as she was secretly encouraging herself, Satono Crown suddenly heard Hokubu Genkoma shout. When she looked over, she found that her roommate had sat up at some point and was gazing at her expectantly.

"Mm... They look cool."

Although she did not know why Hokubu Genkoma had asked, Satono Crown studied her roommate's sparkling eyes for a moment and nodded before asking in confusion:

"Why did you suddenly ask that...?"

"Well, it's because of a fan's comment."

Grinning as she raised her phone, Hokubu Genkoma said with lofty confidence:

"'Her eyes are as cool as mine. A girl like this is sure to become an outstanding Uma Musume'!

"I don't know who this fan is, but I'm really happy he said that!

"And I believe it too. I'm definitely going to become an outstanding Uma Musume!"