CB's POV
"...And for the last time, what do you want?" I asked, leaning against the hallway wall with a heavy sigh. "If you're here to scout me, save your breath. I'm already Hachiman's trainee. I'm not going anywhere."
The senior trainer—the same guy who'd been pestering Hachiman earlier—scoffed, his face red with frustration. "How can you say that?! Don't you see what's happening? His training has reached an insane level of intensity. From a professional standpoint, it's beyond excessive—it's reckless! At this rate, he's going to break you and Symboli Rudolf before you even get to debut!"
I looked him dead in the eye, my usual playful smile nowhere to be found. "I'm doing that training because I want to. Besides, Rudolf and I still have it pretty easy. If you want to talk about 'hard,' look at Rice. Hachiman nitpicks everything from her gait to her split times down to the millisecond. Why don't you go bother her? She's the one actually walking through fire."
"T-that's different!" he stammered. "She's the one he picked first! Her body is already conditioned for it! But you and Rudolf just joined up—I'm worried about your health!"
"Thanks for the concern, but it's misplaced," I said, pushing off the wall. "Hachiman handles our after-care personally. Not a single one of us has a scratch or a strain. So, good luck with your scouting, but you can give up on me."
"You...!"
I didn't wait for his comeback. I just waved over my shoulder and kept walking. Honestly, I don't get people like him. If he has a problem with Hachiman's methods, he should take it up with the man himself. Why come to me?
"Ugh, seeing his face put me in such a bad mood," I muttered to myself. "I need a dose of Hachiman, fast. I'd better get to the clubroom."
Rudolf and Rice were probably already there, waiting.
The Clubroom
"Sorry I'm late! Ran into some dead weight in the hall!" I called out as I swung the door open.
"Ah, CB. We were wondering when you'd show up," Rudolf said, though she looked unusually relaxed for someone about to start a 'demon' training session. "It's unlike you to be the last one here."
"Yeah, well... things happened. Anyway, where's Hachiman? Is he late too?"
"Brother sent a message on LINE saying he'd be a few minutes behind," Rudolf noted, glancing at her phone. "Did you not see it?"
"Oh. Oops. I haven't checked my notifications... Ah, there it is."
"I wonder if Big Brother has an errand to run?" Rice wondered aloud. "He's usually so punctual when it comes to training."
"It's a day for rare occurrences, it seems," Rudolf remarked.
Knock, knock, knock—Click.
Hachiman walked in, looking even more drained than usual. "Sorry. I'm late."
"Hachimaaan! We were waiting for you!" I chirped, immediately lunging for a hug.
"Yeah, yeah. Good girl," he muttered, his hand automatically finding its way to the top of my head for a few brief, half-hearted pats.
"I'd prefer a bit more feeling in the head-pats, but I'll take what I can get," I teased, letting him go.
"Glad you're satisfied. Now, listen up. I hate to do this, but today's training is canceled. An urgent matter came up that I absolutely can't get out of. I have to head out immediately."
Rice tilted her head. "Oh... is it the 'Teacher'?"
Hachiman let out a dry huff. "Close. Something like that."
"Ehh?!" I groaned. "But I finally got here! I wanted to see you!"
"I apologize," Hachiman said, though his eyes remained fixed on the task at hand. "I know you can train on your own, but I don't want you doing the high-intensity stuff without me there to monitor your vitals. It's too risky."
"Is it really that important of an errand?" I asked, pouting.
"Yes. That important."
"Well, what is it? Who are you meeting?"
Hachiman hesitated for a second, then sighed. "...My Grand Master is arriving in Japan. I have to go greet them. My regular teacher was supposed to handle it, but the Grand Master insisted on seeing me, so I've been drafted into service."
Rice nodded knowingly. "They came by after the summer camp last year, too. I remember being so surprised to see them in the clubroom."
Rudolf perked up, her intellectual curiosity piqued. "Forgive me, Brother, but CB and I aren't familiar with your 'Grand Master.' Is this a person of some renown?"
Hachiman shrugged. "It's not exactly a secret. My Grand Master's name is Man o' War. I think the name speaks for itself."
The air in the room seemed to vanish.
"...Hachiman," I whispered, my jaw dropping. "Are you for real?"
"Dead serious."
Rudolf stood frozen. "...I'm stunned. One of the greatest legends in the history of American racing... the Man o' War? You studied under a legend like that?"
"Just some fundamental coaching," Hachiman said, downplaying it as usual. "But they're the one who taught my teacher, so their grasp of technique and theory is on a different level. Their biggest lesson was always about being 'unconventional.' Not being bound by the mold."
"Not bound by the mold?" Rice repeated.
Hachiman turned to Rudolf. "Rudolf, when you first saw my training menus, what was your honest thought?"
Rudolf took a moment to reflect, a look of realization dawning on her face. "I think I understand what you're getting at. Compared to a standard trainer's curriculum, your menus are structured entirely differently. The time frames are the same, but the internal logic—the way you weave aerobic and anaerobic stress—is completely 'rule-breaking.' Is that what you learned from Man o' War?"
"Basically. But the catch is, if you're going to break the rules, you have to be twice as precise, or the whole thing falls apart. It requires a lot of... mental gymnastics. Anyway, I've talked too much. I've gotta go. Leave the clubroom unlocked; I'll be back later to lock up."
And just like that, he was gone, moving with more speed than I'd seen him use all week.
"Well," I sighed, looking at the door. "There goes our afternoon."
"It can't be helped," Rudolf said, though she looked deeply thoughtful. "I think I'll go for a walk. I need to process this new information."
"I'll come too!" Rice said. "I'd like to stretch my legs a bit."
"Me three! A walk sounds like just the thing."
Man o' War is in Japan... the plot thickens.
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