It was painfully obvious that Dream Weaver had completely misjudged her own training standards.
She assumed anyone could handle her hellish regimen, never once stopping to consider just how much of a torture rack it was for the average Uma Musume.
This was especially true for Hishi Miracle.
Before crossing paths with Dream Weaver, she had been as ordinary as they come.
Her peak physical exertion consisted of tacking on two extra laps after training with friends, and her biggest daily stressor was worrying about her English quizzes.
She lacked that burning, "win-at-all-costs" will that drives a girl to leave it all on the track.
She was just a normal girl. And while she'd initially fired up after hearing the glorious future Dream Weaver promised her, that spark—like it does for most people—started to flicker out after a week.
Sure enough, once the seven-day mark hit, Hishi Miracle began cutting corners.
It started with staying up late and letting her efficiency tank the next day, and spiraled into "accidentally" overeating until her weight hit the red zone.
One mishap followed another.
Dream Weaver was frantic, her nerves frayed to the breaking point.
She actually found herself feeling a twinge of envy toward Chizuru Haibara; for the first time, she truly realized just how lucky a trainer had to be to sign an Uma Musume like herself.
But as stressed as she was, she still had to drag Hishi Miracle through the dirt.
From hauling her out of the dorms at the crack of dawn to the training grounds, to hovering over her like a hawk during mealtimes, Dream Weaver felt like the mental load of managing this girl was heavier than her own physical training had ever been.
She had tried turning to Agnes Tachyon and Sugar Lights for help, but aside from their eagerness to measure her vitals, they were functionally useless at this stage.
Agnes Tachyon had a stash of mysterious tonics with unknown side effects, and Dream Weaver flatly refused to let them anywhere near Hishi Miracle until she knew exactly what they did.
As for Sugar Lights, she could technically use the mechanical Uma Musume, ST-2, for practice matches, but the thing was still a prototype and usually fell apart before the workout even got started.
Sugar Lights claimed her recent research into "Virtual Dive" technology was hitting a breakthrough—promising that Hishi Miracle could eventually test her mettle against data-ghosts of legendary racers—but that was a "someday" solution.
It did exactly zero for them right now.
One afternoon, the four of them—Agnes Tachyon, Sugar Lights, Dream Weaver, and Hishi Miracle—were huddled together in the clubroom.
Technically, it wasn't the lab used by Tachyon and Sugar Lights.
Since their workspace was cluttered with volatile chemicals and expensive high-tech gizmos, Dream Weaver had simply applied for a separate room for the team.
"Alright, here's the training plan for today," Dream Weaver said, slapping a folder onto the table.
She directed her gaze at Hishi Miracle, who was currently trying to sneak a snack on the other side of the desk.
Seeing that vacant, dazed expression on the girl's face, a surge of righteous fury spiked in Dream Weaver. She lunged across the table in a single stride, pinched the girl's midsection, and let out a frustrated wail.
"Three days! I only looked away for three days! How has your waistline expanded again?!"
Caught by the "pinch of destiny," Hishi Miracle froze, her heart hammering. She let out a pathetic "Uwaah!" and flailed her limbs against the chair, looking genuinely aggrieved.
"But... but I was hungry!"
"Besides, I'm still growing! Eating more is just fuel for my development!"
Dream Weaver let out a sharp, incredulous laugh. She reached up and gave the girl's increasingly round cheeks a firm tug.
"Then why is your 'development' only happening horizontally?"
"Well... growing sideways has its perks too, doesn't it?" Hishi Miracle mumbled, having grown comfortable enough with Dream Weaver to know she wasn't actually in danger.
"In a race, I might be able to block the other girls from passing..."
"You have to actually keep up with them to block them," Dream Weaver countered, giving those soft, round cheeks one last squeeze before sighing in defeat.
"Gaining weight inevitably means losing speed. We're here to run, not enter a sumo stable."
"Are you planning to win your races with a shiko stomp?"
Agnes Tachyon, who had been busy tinkering with a vial of some neon liquid, couldn't help but swivel her chair around to join the fun.
"But haven't you heard the saying?" Tachyon lifted her oversized sleeves, flexing her arms as if showing off massive biceps. "An upright triangle beats an inverted triangle every single time! Guaranteed!"
"Actual generals on the battlefield were always those over-muscled, 'fat-wrapped-muscle' types—true upright triangles. Their combat power is off the charts."
Dream Weaver batted the sleeve away, deadpan. "We are Uma Musume, not 'War' Musume."
Sugar Lights, who was busy running diagnostics on ST-2, seemed to get a spark of inspiration from that. She chimed into the conversation with a thoughtful look.
"If I add some combat modules to ST-2, she really could become a 'War' Musume."
"Trainer Dream, didn't you mention adding a power pack earlier? If ST-2 can take to the skies and rain down fire on the enemy, she'd be invincible!"
As she spoke, she mimicked a gun with her fingers, making "pew-pew" noises as she mock-sprayed the group.
Agnes Tachyon and Hishi Miracle played along perfectly, letting out dramatic death rattles as they collapsed, but Dream Weaver remained motionless.
Any other time, she would have happily geeked out with Sugar Lights over mechanical modifications. But this was training time.
Hishi Miracle and Tachyon were already a handful; seeing the usually dependable Professor Sugar join the chaos was the last straw for her mood.
Noticing Weaver's stony expression, Sugar Lights realized she'd overstepped. She scratched her head awkwardly and raised a hand in a gesture of truce.
"One month. Give me one month and I'll have the Virtual Dive tech finished! Then Miracle can train against world-class racers in a digital world."
"And according to the latest studies, 'image training' through vivid simulation can produce actual physiological results," Tachyon added quickly, backing her up.
"Combine that with my supplements, and Miracle will be making leaps and bounds in no time!"
Even Hishi Miracle set her snacks aside, putting on a mock-serious face as she gave Weaver her word.
"Don't worry, Trainer! Once the Virtual Dive gear is ready, I'll work super hard. I'm much better at the virtual world than I am at getting all sweaty and breathless in real life!"
Looking at the three of them trying so hard to cheer her up, Dream Weaver was momentarily speechless.
When she started this, she really thought she had put together a formidable team.
Two geniuses with extraordinary research capabilities, a girl with a hidden talent for stamina, and herself—a world-class Uma Musume with a prestigious background.
On paper, it was an elite lineup.
Who could have guessed that, when put together, they'd turn into this circus? But what could she say?
Faced with three sets of puppy-dog eyes, she could only throw up her hands in surrender.
"Fine, fine. I get it," she sighed. She always was a soft touch when people acted like that.
"Yay!"
Hishi Miracle cheered, reaching for her snacks to resume her feast. But just as the room was about to descend back into its usual rowdy atmosphere, the door swung open.
"Excuse me... is this the clubroom for Dream Weaver's team?"
As the voice drifted in, an Uma Musume with a flower ornament pinned to her hair poked her head through the doorway.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.