After hearing Kitasan's message, Yasui Makoto sent a quick text to Tokai Teio to schedule their meeting.
He genuinely disliked dealing with work on his rest days, and judging by Teio's brief reply, she didn't seem particularly urgent either.
Thus, it wasn't until Monday noon that he finally made his way to the student council office.
The moment he stepped inside, he immediately backed out again.
Behind the desk sat Tokai Teio, wearing her fake glasses again.
Beside her was another Uma Musume, with short brown hair and unusual red eyes, pupils bearing an intricate shutter-like pattern.
She wore an oversized white lab coat, sleeves so excessively long they practically invited someone to tie them in knots.
Her hands were hidden beneath the sleeves, loosely clasping a steaming cup of tea.
She'd been chatting with Teio, but upon sensing his entrance, she turned toward him with brightened eyes.
"Ohoho, it's been quite a while, Yasui-kun—"
But before she could finish, Yasui had already retreated back outside the doorway.
He glanced up at the sign on the door.
It definitely read "Student Council Office."
So why on earth is Doctor Tachyon here?
Inside the room, Agnes Tachyon paused at his reaction, then turned with an amused smirk to Teio.
"So... am I really that frightening?"
"Hahaha, well…"
Teio laughed awkwardly, pushing her fake glasses up slightly and clearing her throat.
"Trainer Yasui, please come in. Doctor Tachyon has an interesting suggestion. I think it's worth hearing out."
In fact, Yasui had already stepped back inside.
While he was unsure what Tachyon was up to, abruptly leaving would surely seem rude. And even if those infamous human-experiment rumors weren't entirely baseless, he trusted Teio wouldn't allow anything truly absurd to happen…
…Probably.
"Good afternoon, you two."
Trying to mask his confusion, Yasui cautiously asked:
"So the one who wanted to meet me wasn't you, President, but Doctor Tachyon?"
"You could say that."
Without giving Teio a chance to speak, Agnes Tachyon's eyes sparkled mischievously.
"I happened to see Kitasan Black's race the other day. It was a marvelous victory. Congratulations, Yasui-kun—guiding your very first Uma Musume to a debut win shows you're quite extraordinary indeed."
…'Happened to see?' You've definitely been monitoring us ever since that hospital visit, haven't you?
And what's with the 'extraordinary'? Now you're even more interested in experimenting on me, aren't you?
Suppressing his complaints, Yasui grew increasingly wary.
It had already been a month since that visit, and he'd had practically no interaction with Tachyon since. At the end of that examination, she'd declared him perfectly healthy and never asked him to come back for follow-up.
So if she was really still observing him—or rather, observing him and Kitasan—did she genuinely have some strange intentions?
Though, to be fair, Yasui was simply someone who'd begun training himself from a young age, resulting in above-average fitness among humans. Wouldn't someone with extraordinary physical traits like Kitasan Black be far more interesting?
As he pondered, Tachyon abruptly changed the subject.
"I have a consultation to attend soon, and you surely have training scheduled as well, Yasui-kun, so let's skip the pleasantries."
Taking a slow sip of tea, Tachyon's voice carried a tantalizing tone:
"I checked your published schedule briefly—you've chosen the classic route for Kitasan, yes?
Winning the Classic Triple Crown isn't simple. I assume you've prepared plenty of specialized training."
"For instance… joint running practice?"
"When I asked Teio earlier, she mentioned you haven't applied for any practice partners yet.
I have someone perfect in mind, if you're interested."
It didn't surprise Yasui at all that Tachyon knew about their future training and race plans.
Just like every active Uma Musume, Kitasan's race schedule was public knowledge. It wasn't difficult to find with a quick check.
As for training specifics, the reason was even simpler.
Agnes Tachyon had not only been a former competitor herself, but also a Satsuki Sho champion.
From her debut to winning the Satsuki Sho, she'd won four consecutive races, earning a popularity rating near 60% before the big race, easily ranking her first among competitors.
Her astonishing winning streak and incredible speed on the track had earned her the nickname "Superluminal Princess."
For such an accomplished Uma Musume, it wasn't speculation but personal experience guiding her words.
As Tachyon mentioned, Yasui indeed had planned several crucial training sessions for Kitasan, and joint running practice was among them.
As the name suggested, joint running involved training alongside other Uma Musume, beneficial for honing tactical awareness and finding the most effective running styles.
Usually, seasoned trainers had plenty of Uma Musume under their care or could easily invite famous runners as partners. But Yasui lacked such connections, meaning he had to rely on submitting formal applications through academy procedures.
However, the Uma Musume available through this method were typically average in ability, often even weaker than Kitasan. More talented runners rarely had time for joint sessions, being busy with their own rigorous training.
But something was better than nothing. After achieving their primary debut goals, Yasui couldn't overlook the necessity of finding Kitasan's ideal racing style through joint practice.
He'd already prepared an application—just hadn't submitted it yet.
He disliked altering carefully laid plans and remained wary of Tachyon's abrupt offer. After weighing the situation, he shook his head cautiously.
"I sincerely appreciate your offer, Doctor Tachyon. However, please forgive my frankness—I've already prepared my application, and I'm not comfortable changing plans once they're set. Furthermore—"
"Daiwa Scarlet."
"…But on second thought, given that you've generously gone out of your way to help Kitasan and me despite your incredibly busy schedule, outright refusing your kindness would be unbearably rude."
"Moreover, the candidate you've suggested intrigues me immensely. Please disregard my earlier remarks entirely—I meant nothing negative at all, only sincere gratitude."
Without missing a beat, Yasui smoothly corrected himself.
"Oh? It appears you accept, then."
With an intrigued eyebrow raised, Tachyon smiled lightly and stood, stretching lazily.
"I won't trouble you two further, then. As I mentioned, I still have a consultation shortly, so I'll take my leave."
With that, she swiftly exited, leaving Yasui and Tokai Teio alone in the office, both slightly stunned by her sudden departure.
"President, about Doctor Tachyon…" Yasui began hesitantly, looking to Tokai Teio for clarification.
Meeting his uncertain gaze, Teio sighed thoughtfully.
"To be honest, I was also surprised. Tachyon called me suddenly the other night, suggesting a joint-practice candidate specifically for you. When I asked why, she simply said she's very interested in you and Kitasan."
"Trainer Yasui, I'm sure you've heard… Tachyon does have some… questionable rumors surrounding her. However, as Student Council President, I can assure you her… experiments, so to speak… have never truly harmed anyone."
"Moreover, after hearing who her recommended candidate was, I believe it will be greatly beneficial to both you and Kitasan. After all… it's Daiwa Scarlet."
"Surely you're aware of her abilities, right, Trainer?"