A safety helmet alone obviously wouldn't save anyone's life.
At best, it was psychological comfort. Besides, when the Uma Musume played, they all kept a tight grip on their strength.
It was rare—very rare—for a volleyball to rocket out of bounds and flatten some "lucky" spectator.
Well. Rare.
Minamizaka, as the resident computer genius, wasn't about to trust Toujou Hana's survivorship bias. Nor did he possess Okino's absurdly oversized nerves.
After grumbling inwardly for a while, he finally decided to listen to his instincts.
"How about… we move a little farther back?"
The three of them didn't have vision problems. Even Toujou Hana, who was nearsighted, wore glasses. Did they really need to sit this close to commentate on the "Summer Dream Cup"?
And honestly, calling it the Summer Dream Cup felt a bit grand.
In Minamizaka's eyes, it was more like a beachside summer activity—an event organized among the Uma Musume under their charge. Now that three teams had gathered, it felt even more like a friendly mixer.
The girls were just competing among themselves.
If they sat too close, it might actually limit the girls' performance instead of adding any "professionalism" to the match.
Worse, if one of them got smacked by a stray ball, it might leave an unforgettable psychological scar on the poor Uma Musume who hit it.
Minamizaka's proposal was simple: move the table back—far enough that if a ball came flying at them, they'd at least have time to react.
That way, the girls could let loose without restraint, and their own safety would be guaranteed.
"Move farther back?"
Toujou Hana lowered her head in thought. Okino looked indifferent as ever.
Yet they quickly agreed, which gave Minamizaka the distinct impression that the two of them were just as nervous.
Toujou Hana probably hadn't said anything because she'd been maintaining her stern trainer image ever since taking over Rigil. As for Okino… maybe he'd kept quiet out of respect for her being present?
Or maybe Okino's physical condition had already surpassed the limits of humanity.
Within trainer circles, Minamizaka had heard more than once about Okino being kicked into the air by the Uma Musume under his care. And when he thought about Barbatos stopping a car with her bare hands…
If you did the math, even accounting for the girls holding back and not being as strong as Barbatos, a single kick could still send a full-grown adult straight to the hospital.
As for why he got kicked in the first place—
Okino's pervy habits weren't exactly a secret. If you randomly grabbed one of your trainee's legs without her consent, you deserved to be punted into orbit.
Unlike him, Minamizaka prided himself on being upright and righteous. He would never stoop to something so indecent.
Together with Okino, he dragged their table a good distance back.
From there, he had a clear view of Urara and the others on the sidelines, armed with little horns and ready to cheer for Barbatos and Seiun Sky.
Even though Twin Turbo and the others were also in swimsuits, his gaze didn't linger—
Today, Nice Nature had tied her hair into a high ponytail.
She looked far more capable than usual. There was still a trace of youthful softness on her face, but the mature, almost elegant vibe of her swimsuit created an oddly charming contrast.
Her legs, revealed by the swimsuit, looked pleasantly full—just the right amount. They looked… soft. Probably felt nice too.
…?!
Wait!
What was he thinking? He couldn't let Okino corrupt him too.
It was just a thought. Just thinking. Surely that didn't count for anything.
Minamizaka consoled himself. Perhaps he'd stared a bit too long—Nice Nature noticed his gaze and gave him a small wave in greeting.
--+--
"Welcome, everyone, to the 23rd Summer Dream Cup!"
"I'm one of today's judges—Toujou Hana."
"I'm Okino."
"I'm Minamizaka."
As the auspicious hour arrived, Toujou Hana announced the start of the match.
Barbatos and the other competitors were already brimming with anticipation, while Twin Turbo and the rest of the audience began cheering wildly for their respective teams.
"This tournament is exclusively sponsored by King Halo! Each participant will receive one cup of vegetable juice!"
"After losing their first match, players will receive vegetable juice to replenish their stamina!"
"And the champion pair of the Dream Cup will win King Halo's special vegetable juice! According to professionals, this special blend is effective not only in preventing fractures, but also in aiding recovery after one!"
Hearing that, Barbatos couldn't help glancing toward King Halo.
As her cabin roommate, she knew quite well that King Halo had chosen vegetable juice as the sponsor prize.
The juice was genuinely helpful for restoring stamina and aiding recovery.
The so-called "special vegetable juice" had been refined from Toujou Hana's original recipe by the King family's attending physicians and specialists.
It had real scientific backing. It actually worked.
But the ingredients for just one cup were said to be extremely expensive. Even a young lady like King Halo couldn't afford to hand it out to everyone.
"Vegetable juice, huh… Just looking at it makes it seem hard to swallow."
"I wonder what's different about the special version."
Living in the same cabin, Barbatos often saw King Halo drinking it. But she'd never tried it herself. After all, who would ask to sample someone else's "medicine"?
Even if vegetable juice wasn't truly medicine—more like a supplementary tonic.
And even though King Halo never once frowned while drinking it, as if it didn't taste bad at all.
"Vegetable juice…" Grass Wonder's expression turned faintly nostalgic. She didn't miss being injured—but she did miss that flavor.
The moment Matikanetannhauser heard the words "special vegetable juice," her eyes lit up. A special blend crafted by King Halo—just like something made by royalty for royalty.
They were absolutely going to win the Summer Dream Cup.
"The first match is Group '94's Narita Brian and Hishi Amazon versus Team Sei-B-chan's Seiun Sky and Barbatos!"
"Contestants, please enter the gates!"
Barbatos and Seiun Sky stepped onto their side of the court. Barbatos took position near the net, while Seiun Sky stood diagonally behind her, ready to cover and—more importantly—give herself time to scheme.
Across the net, Narita Brian claimed the front position, with Hishi Amazon set slightly farther back.
That was probably their optimal formation.
Barbatos thought it through. As a late-charging runner, Hishi Amazon was the type to build momentum. In beach volleyball terms, she was a slow starter.
If the beginning of the match was like the opening sprint, her reaction speed might not match Narita Brian's, making the front line risky.
But once the match entered its "final straight," her explosive finishing kick as a chaser would be terrifyingly hard to deal with.
And in front of her stood Narita Brian.
--+--
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.