"Oh?" Shuta An blinked, genuinely surprised. "Does Miss Agnes Tachyon know Mejiro Dober?"
"Of course I do." Agnes Tachyon replied without looking up, fingers dancing across her phone screen. "Miss Dober tried the energy drink I recommended. I'm not sure what she used it for, but she praised it highly. Thanks to that, we've kept in contact."
"Is that so?" Shuta An couldn't begin to imagine what Mejiro Dober would need an energy drink for. It definitely wasn't anything strange, right? He wisely chose not to ask further.
"Here." Agnes Tachyon turned her screen toward him, showing her chat log with Mejiro Dober. "This should be enough, right?"
"In that case, I have no objections. However, I hope Miss Agnes Tachyon can behave a little more normally tomorrow. The Mejiro Family is not like my place." The young Trainer gave a direct reminder.
"I understand~" Agnes Tachyon made an "OK" gesture with a bright smile.
"Anyway, it's just one day. Nothing should happen."
Shuta An reassured himself—probably more than her.
The next morning, after breakfast, he drove Agnes Tachyon and his laptop to the Mejiro Family ancestral home. The trip took about an hour. To avoid awkward silence, Shuta An brought up various topics: Oguri Cap's training schedule, how he first met Dr. Grace, rumors swirling around West Coast Tracen Academy, and even some of the negative controversies in Japan Central Tracen Academy's history. After they finished discussing the Mejiro Family's lineage, Agnes Tachyon suddenly spoke:
"Speaking of which, Oguri Cap-senpai, Berno Light-senpai, and Shuta-kun's relationship—"
Before she could finish, a chill ran down Shuta An's spine. His hands stiffened around the wheel, nearly making him swerve.
"Oh dear~" Agnes Tachyon covered her mouth playfully. "I feel like I understand everything now."
"What exactly has Miss Agnes Tachyon understood?" Shuta An shifted his gaze just enough so that she could see his expression through the rearview mirror, one brow lifting sharply.
"Nothing, nothing. I'm not some tabloid paparazzi." Her tone softened. "On the contrary, I'm grateful Shuta-kun is letting me participate in this training experiment. By the way, I've had some inspiration recently. If I produce results later, would Shuta-kun like to try them out?"
"I don't make a habit of being anyone's mormot, though" he muttered, corner of his mouth twitching.
"Oh, but it will definitely be extremely effective! I'm sure it'll satisfy both Shuta-kun and Oguri Cap senpai and the others."
"What do you mean satisfy them all?!" Shuta An finally snapped back.
When they reached the Mejiro Family ancestral home, Miss Ramonu was already waiting at the entrance.
"This must be Shuta-kun's first time here?" she greeted warmly. "Would you like me to give you a tour first?"
"I appreciate the offer, but it's unnecessary," Shuta An waved off the suggestion. "I'm here today for my part-time work, so let's get straight to business."
Although it was her first visit to the Mejiro home, she seemed far more interested in the day's tasks than the scenery. Her gaze lingered on Shuta An's back.
"In the Academy, some Trainers say the Trainer of Team Sadalsuud only performs well because of Oguri Cap's talent—that his own ability isn't noteworthy," she thought quietly. "But after observing him all this time, those rumors don't hold up."
"Still, how well can he handle different Uma Musume?" Her eyes narrowed in contemplation. "That's the real test of a Trainer."
The young man walked on, completely unaware of the white-coated girl's scrutiny. Miss Ramonu led him to the back garden, where the Triple Tiara Uma Musume had already arranged various equipment.
"Please take this seat." Miss Ramonu offered him the central chair and sat beside him. "Should we bring them in one by one, or all together?"
"One by one," Shuta An decided after a moment. Today's goal was to guide the younger Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family — and among them was Mejiro Dober, who openly disliked him. He wasn't confident he could converse with her normally. With a crowd watching, any awkwardness would only multiply.
"Then let's begin with Mejiro Ryan," Miss Ramonu suggested. "She added slope-road training this week, just as Shuta-kun proposed."
"Good." He nodded.
As expected of a top Uma Musume household, the Mejiro Family possessed outstanding fundamentals. Shuta An consulted with Mejiro Ryan, Mejiro Palmer, and Mejiro Bright one by one, pointing out minor issues in their training. No major mistakes appeared.
"But I do have one suggestion," he said just as Miss Ramonu was about to fetch Mejiro McQueen. "Although it may be a bit difficult, I hope you can introduce timing equipment similar to what Central Tracen Academy uses."
"No problem." To his surprise, Miss Ramonu agreed immediately. "Even if you hadn't mentioned it, I intended to purchase a set soon for our training grounds."
"Using that equipment makes it easier to track the time of each section," Agnes Tachyon added. "It's very useful for Trainers."
"Then I'll go call McQueen over." Miss Ramonu resumed walking.
As her figure disappeared, Shuta An casually picked up his glass of soda water.
"Miss Agnes Tachyon, aren't you drinking? You haven't touched your glass at all."
"I'll pass." She waved her hands repeatedly. "The Mejiro Family's soda water isn't sweet. I don't like it."
"Not sweet?" Shuta An blinked, taking another sip. "Isn't this sweet?"
"Not sweet enough." Agnes Tachyon turned away with a small huff.
"So Miss Agnes Tachyon is…a super sweet tooth?!" Shuta An finally realized.
———
Although they had never spoken deeply before, both Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen were well aware of the invisible rivalry pulsing between them. If she could make Tokai Teio's Trainer acknowledge that she was stronger than Tokai Teio at this stage—it would be a small but undeniable victory.
With such thoughts fueling her, Mejiro McQueen had trained with almost manic focus. So much so that Mejiro Palmer and the others had begun to suspect that they were the ones slacking.
But none of them could guess the real reason behind McQueen's determination. Of course, the Mejiro Family had their own theories—and the most absurd of them all belonged to Mejiro Dober.
If anyone ever discovered this young lady's secret drawer, they would find several questionable short stories drafts she had drawn during her free time—stories featuring a certain gray Uma Musume and a tutor. Mejiro Dober knew her imagination was nothing but far-fetched fantasy, so she kept those drafts locked away, guarded with utmost vigilance.
After Mejiro McQueen sat down, Shuta An turned on the projector. Her recent training videos began to play. He didn't even make it past the first segment. His brows furrowed deeply.
Mejiro McQueen felt her heart tighten.
"Is there a problem?" Miss Ramonu asked straightforwardly.
"There is indeed a problem," Shuta An replied with a helpless sigh. "I distinctly remember telling Miss McQueen to lower her cruising speed. If she wanted to train her explosive power, the acceleration should only begin in the last 2F. But clearly, Miss McQueen didn't take it to heart."
He tapped the table lightly.
"I can see her talent for long-distance acceleration in this first video. But if she keeps training with this intensity, how long do you think her body can endure? 4F in 53 seconds, last 1F in 12 seconds. If every session pushes those numbers, even iron will crumble."
Mejiro McQueen remained silent.
Seeing this, Miss Ramonu stepped in. "She didn't ignore the training plan. McQueen isn't being lazy—she's simply too serious."
"But I remember saying very clearly that she should lower her cruising speed. There's no need to burn unnecessary stamina during training." Shuta An exhaled through his nose. "Well—I can guess why Miss McQueen is so competitive."
He glanced at her meaningfully. "Because I also train Teio, correct?"
McQueen's expression stiffened—and Miss Ramonu noticed everything.
"Teio told me she feels that she and Miss McQueen are destined rivals. She believes the two of you will inevitably clash on the Twinkle Series stage," Shuta An continued. "So even if the two of you barely talk, it makes sense that there would be strong rivalry. After seeing this training footage—it confirms it."
Mejiro McQueen opened her mouth as if to explain, but Shuta An raised a hand to stop her.
"However, as Teio's Trainer, let me share one of my instructions for her: No going all out. No entering any races."
"Eh?!" McQueen couldn't hide her shock. Why would a Trainer restrict their star athlete like that?
"For Uma Musume who haven't fully matured yet, excessive racing or overexertion in training will absolutely cause injury. And if you get injured, your growth will suffer. Before you stand on the Twinkle Series stage, all publicity and achievements are meaningless. What's the point of winning a hundred private battles?" His voice was level, but the truth behind it was sharp.
"If you can't win the Twinkle Series races, then by the time September of your classic year arrives, you'll have to consider withdrawing from Central Tracen Academy and transferring to a local one."
The final line struck like a hammer—harsh, but undeniably true.
"…I understand." Mejiro McQueen lowered her head. Even the beautifully arranged desserts on the table no longer tempted her. "I'll suppress my cruising speed and lower my training intensity from now on."
"Look at the bright side." Shuta An offered her a softer tone. "Your Stride Gait has improved during this period. If your goal is the Kikuka Sho or the Spring Tenno Sho, refining a long-distance Stride Gait is crucial."
Once McQueen left, Agnes Tachyon rose and followed Miss Ramonu to find Mejiro Dober, leaving Shuta An alone in the garden.
His phone vibrated. He unlocked it and checked Line. To his surprise, the message wasn't from Oguri Cap, Berno Light, Symboli Rudolf, or Dr. Grace—but from Tokai Teio.
"Huh?" Brows lifting, he tapped the notification.
A voice message. And a photo.
The photo was a selfie taken right after training. Wearing a tight two-piece tracksuit, Tokai Teio leaned against a wall, sports bottle in hand, gazing directly at the camera.
"Why are you suddenly sending me this?" His mouth twitched. He opened the voice message—
"Trainer! You went to the Mejiro Family, didn't you?! Don't let them trick you! Remember—
you're my Trainer!"
He immediately muted his phone, looking thoroughly annoyed. "What is Tokai Teio thinking?"
He typed a reply:
"Don't overthink things, Teio. Rest well after today's training. I'm just working part-time."
Shuta An set down the phone and took another slow sip of soda water, trying to settle the inexplicable irritation that had risen inside him. Just as he placed the glass back on the table, Miss Ramonu and Agnes Tachyon returned—bringing Mejiro Dober with them. As expected, Dober was hiding behind Tachyon.
"If it's too overwhelming, she can face away from me," Shuta An offered.
"It's impolite to talk to someone with your back turned," Miss Ramonu gently refused. "Even if Dober isn't used to it, she must follow the rules here."
As an outsider, Shuta An had no right to argue with the Mejiro Family's rules.
"Then before we start reviewing the latest footage, I have a suggestion for Miss Dober." He looked at the young lady, who hung her head low, unable to meet his eyes—and began slowly.