After arranging the follow-up training in the dance hall, Yasui Makoto packed up with Hokubu Genkoma and Vodka, then left the hall to eat at the academy cafeteria.
As soon as they stepped outside, a figure suddenly darted over from beside the door.
"Hello, hello~ Are you Mr. Yasui? I have a package here that needs your signature. Please sign for it!"
The figure was an Uma Musume with medium-length brown hair, a single ponytail tied on the left side of her head, and faint tan freckles on her cheeks. Her delicate features and green eyes were full of liveliness.
She held a large package nearly a meter wide in her hands. As she offered it to him, her eyes shifted toward Vodka and Hokubu Genkoma.
"Huh? Vodka? Weren't you in Europe? And this girl... Wasn't she the one who was always following Teio and McQueen around? Her name was Bei, Bei something, right?"
"Hi! Hello, Senior Fuujin! My name is Hokubu Genkoma. It's nice to meet you!"
After straightening up and introducing herself, Hokubu Genkoma made Vodka curious.
"Why are you still delivering packages, Senior Fuujin... Oh, right, I haven't explained. I just recently returned to Japan and plan to stay at the academy for a while."
"I see..."
Fuujin nodded knowingly, then smiled. "Well, I guess I'm just used to it.
"When I was at the academy, I worked part-time to earn money for tuition and living expenses. Although I've earned some prize money from races now, I can't just sit around doing nothing.
"Besides, my two younger sisters have both debuted. They didn't manage to get into the Central circuit, but they've been doing pretty well locally.
"Studying costs a lot of money, and what if they get a chance to transfer to the Central circuit later? The expenses would be even higher.
"So, as their big sister, I naturally have to think a little more about them."
Hearing her explanation, Yasui Makoto and the other two secretly admired her, but they were also filled with bewilderment.
You call that "some" prize money? That was the Japanese Derby champion's prize money...
Fuujin's full name was Aunise Fuujin, and like Vodka, she had won the Japanese Derby.
Although she had retired after that race, the champion's prize money alone had been 110 million yen.
Unlike the agreement Yasui Makoto had signed with Hokubu Genkoma, their prize distribution was a simple fifty-fifty split. The arrangements for other Uma Musume were much more complicated.
Many Uma Musume's Trainers came from a particular team or family. Such forces could provide richer training resources, and they would also take a larger share of the prize money.
Aunise Fuujin was in that sort of situation, so her share was considerably lower than Hokubu Genkoma's.
However, with a total of over 100 million yen sitting there, even with a lower share, the amount she ultimately received was far from small.
It was more than enough to cover her own living expenses, let alone the living expenses, tuition, and miscellaneous school fees of her two younger sisters.
Yet during his few months in Tokyo, Yasui Makoto had gradually come into contact with quite a few top-class Uma Musume.
What was interesting was that they could all be described as rolling in money, wealthy beauties by any standard, yet without exception, none of them liked sitting around doing nothing.
Moreover, while the jobs they took were generally related to their interests, they were more or less connected to running.
For example, Aunise Fuujin before him, as well as Oguri Cap and Aotake Omoide, whom he had met earlier.
Delivering packages, delivering food, and working as a Police Officer all required running.
Yamato Akagi, Vodka, and Alice Speed were similar. Their fields of research were all related to Uma Musume—or speed, to put it another way.
Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen were even more so.
As the President and vice president of the student council, they had to interact with their juniors every day, and occasionally he could see them offering guidance to some students.
It seemed that running truly was an inseparable instinct and pursuit for them.
While marveling at this, Yasui Makoto took the package and mailing slip from Aunise Fuujin, checked them, and signed his name.
"Thanks for the effort, Fuujin."
After nodding, he looked at Hokubu Genkoma and Vodka.
"Since the things I ordered have arrived, I won't have dinner with you tonight. I have to go back and calibrate them. Ideally, we'll be able to use them in tomorrow's training."
"Huh? We can't have dinner with the Trainer? What a shame..."
After expressing her disappointment, Hokubu Genkoma grew curious.
"From the sound of it, what the Trainer ordered was... training equipment?"
"Equipment?"
Vodka moved closer as well. "What kind of equipment?"
At the same time, she began speculating inwardly.
She had heard Yamato Akagi say that Yasui Makoto was different from most Trainers in Japan.
Other Trainers relied more on experience, followed the guidance of their seniors and peers, or simply trained according to textbooks.
Yasui Makoto was different.
In addition to traditional training, this Trainer also liked to look up overseas literature and then combine it with his own ideas to formulate training plans for Hokubu Genkoma.
This method was undoubtedly novel. Vodka, in particular, was more familiar with traditional methods, so she wanted to know what new contraption Yasui Makoto had come up with this time.
"A drone. For filming."
Without keeping them in suspense, Yasui Makoto patted the package and explained with a smile:
"Before coming to Tokyo, I did some research. At present, this kind of tool is mainly used in agriculture, such as using drones to spray water and fertilizer.
"But some people have also tried mounting high-speed cameras on drones for filming.
"You run very fast, so it's difficult to capture ideal training footage through conventional methods. The usual filming technique is to use multiple camera positions during a race.
"But I can't exactly apply to set up that many cameras around the track.
"In theory, drone filming can not only meet the need for multiple camera positions, but also follow you as you run. The results should be even better.
"Of course, I'll have to spend some time testing it. After all, no one has used this method for training before.
"So I'll head back first. If things go well, you'll understand what I mean tomorrow."
With the package tucked under one arm, he waved with the other and walked toward the academy gates.
Watching his back, a strong interest appeared in Vodka's eyes.
"A drone... Interesting. I learned a little about them in Europe too, but I never expected Anzai-kun to think of using one to assist with training."
"Senior Vodka, are these things really that amazing?"
Hokubu Genkoma asked curiously, "I've never heard of them before."
"Let alone you—I've never heard of anyone thinking of using them this way either."
Vodka sighed. "Those machines can indeed carry high-speed cameras, and they can fly faster than we can run.
"So Anzai-kun was right. In theory, filming training with a drone could very well reveal things people hadn't noticed before.
"Even if the results are no better than filming from multiple positions, it would still mean Xiao Bei had a better way to train from now on.
"Xiao Bei, Anzai-kun is truly amazing.
"If this method succeeds, he'll probably become the first Trainer in Japan to think of using it."
Hokubu Genkoma nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah! The Trainer really is amazing!"
At that moment, Aunise Fuujin, who had been looking curious all along, spoke up.
"Um, judging from what you're saying, that young man just now... is Xiao Bei's Trainer?"
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