Trainer Imanami's injury had no major impact on the lives of the others; the evening surgery went very smoothly, and McQueen didn't have to wait long.
Imanami, having received an anesthetic, was already wheeled out, sleeping very peacefully.
After all, it was just a minor surgery for a broken nasal bone, with no risks involved.
But even so, Mejiro McQueen still had plenty of tonics and fruits sent from the Mejiro Family to ensure Imanami recovered safely and swiftly.
Don't misunderstand; while Imanami was someone McQueen was close with, even if it hadn't been Imanami but an innocent passerby who had been harmed by her, Mejiro McQueen would definitely have done the same.
McQueen now understood that perhaps her apology and respect could no longer be expressed in words; therefore, she would present him wins befitting of an Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family to demonstrate her respect for Imanami.
She had to win this mock race beautifully, and then win her Debut Race; only then could she stand tall and, with the most solemn etiquette, ask Imanami to become her Trainer.
No, not just a Trainer, but an exclusive Trainer!
Within that week, McQueen behaved very well, taking her injections and medicine on time every day, and then carrying out her daily training—the weights had also been removed as per Imanami's request, but besides jogging, she never attempted to overexert herself.
She was accumulating strength, strength that will only be unleashed on the racecourse.
"Hehe, McQueen, you seem very diligent."
On the training ground, McQueen was still jogging when suddenly, Tokai Teio, dressed in her training uniform, appeared out of nowhere, jogging at the same speed as McQueen, and laughed softly:
"I heard your leg seemed to have a problem; I was very worried, you know? But it looks like you've recovered very well; it seems I don't have to worry about not seeing you in the mock race."
"But don't push yourself, okay, McQueen? You still have your Debut Race, right? If you really can't run the mock race, how about you take a break and watch me, the invincible Tokai Teio, win it?"
Tokai Teio's words carried a hint of provocation, yet in reality, this was Teio's way of caring.
Teio was very proud, and she is an inherently kind-hearted child, but her personality was a bit unforthcoming, easily shy. Thus, she liked to put on a brave front.
In this regard, many prideful Uma Musume are quite similar, and McQueen was no exception.
Therefore, they would all use their unique ways to motivate their opponents and friends.
An Uma Musume cannot easily cry.
Unless they lost a race where they gave it their all, or encountered an unbearable tragedy, Uma Musume would almost always encourage each other to keep on running.
"Teio..." McQueen noticed Tokai Teio beside her, but this time, she showed a slight smile and said:
"Don't worry, even though I'm recovering, I will definitely make it to the mock race."
"At that time, let's have a showdown, Teio."
"Hehe, then McQueen, you'll have to work hard, okay? Last time, I was two lengths ahead of you~"
Seeing that McQueen was energetic and full of confidence, Teio's competitive spirit was undoubtedly aroused, but even more so was the huge weight that was lifted from her heart knowing McQueen was fine.
McQueen was so confident; that means she must be fine!
"Hehe, then I am going to run ahead, McQueen; see you at the mock race!"
Tokai Teio immediately accelerated and ran ahead of McQueen, who remained behind, swinging her arms and jogging lightly.
She really wanted to burst forward and overtake Teio right now; in the past, she would have definitely done so, but this time, after the incident with Imanami, McQueen seemed to have changed a little.
She might be stubborn in listening to the advice of others, but what Imanami said about "Don't let your pride ruin your career" made McQueen suddenly realize.
Only by ensuring her health could she continue to run; temporary humiliation was not an issue, and she would repay it with future victories!
"Teio, wait for me, I will surpass you, definitely."
McQueen calmed her urge to sprint, maintaining her steady movements and breathing, continuing to jog unhurriedly...
Meanwhile, Air Groove and Symboli Rudolf, who had accompanied Tokai Teio, were also standing on high ground observing this scene.
Air Groove nodded subtly and said with an appreciative tone:
"McQueen has truly grown. The old her would have definitely challenged Teio to a showdown, even with an injured and ailing body, but now, she can actually restrain herself from doing those impulsive things."
"It seems McQueen's choice of Trainer Imanami was indeed the right one, President. This time, our Tracen Academy has really drawn three good cards."
However, Air Groove's words did not receive a response from Symboli Rudolf.
Air Groove looked over curiously and found that Symboli Rudolf's gaze was overly concentrated; following her line of sight, Air Groove noticed that Symboli Rudolf's gaze had been fixed on Tokai Teio's body the entire time, as if she were observing some precious treasure.
"President..." Air Groove was quite helpless.
Lately, Symboli Rudolf has been acting strange; she would get distracted during Student Council work, her attention would wander, and she would often be seen spacing out.
At first, Air Groove thought it was just the effect of fatigue from the mountains of paperwork, but recently, especially when Tokai Teio came to the Student Council, Symboli Rudolf would fulfill Teio's requests regardless of whether she was busy with anything, and she even stopped telling dad jokes when Teio was around, which made Air Groove feel a hint of something amiss.
The President... seemed to be pandering to Teio more than before? But why?
... "Tokai Teio's running style is... problematic?"
"Yes."
That day, Imanami, representing Ikezoe and Wada, relayed their thoughts to Symboli Rudolf—it could be said that it was firsthand experience, but for this world's Tokai Teio, who has yet to even debut, this undoubtedly seemed like speculation and theories.
"Tokai Teio's legs are incredibly flexible, extremely explosive, and their flexibility is practically tailor-made for an Uma Musume to run the Japanese Derby—but the big problem behind this is that while her explosive power is strong, her flexible legs will experience immense pressure during bursts of speed."
"It's like a strong force constantly compressing a spring; the stronger the compression, the greater the force released when the spring is let go, but all of this has a prerequisite, which is that the spring doesn't break."
"The explosive power Teio can currently exert does not exceed the limit of pressure her legs can withstand. But springs rust and the force can increase; the bones in her legs will experience increasingly greater pressure with each compression. If Teio's flexibility is her greatest weapon, then this flexibility is also her greatest drawback."
"She will undoubtedly be a dazzling new star, but if she continues to keep running, the path she must take would undoubtedly be full of thorns and blockades."
... "Teio... what should I do?"
Symboli Rudolf's heart was incredibly conflicted at this moment.
Ever since hearing what Imanami and the others had to say that day, Symboli Rudolf had been sleepless, repeatedly recalling every moment she shared with Teio.
She had witnessed her growth, becoming Tracen's brightest rising star.
She once held immense hope for her future, wishing she could surpass herself, and one day, they would gallop together on the racecourse, deciding who was the true "Emperor."
But on that fateful day, when Symboli Rudolf heard those words, she truly felt fear for the first time in a while—not for herself, but for Teio's repeated runs.
Her mindset underwent a huge shift; the former Symboli Rudolf would only look at Teio's growth with a look of contentment, but now, every time she watched Teio run, it was as if she were watching a fragile piece of glass, cautiously, fearing that something might happen to her.
"Teio, do you want to keep falling and getting up on a thorny path, never knowing which fall would be your last, or live the life of an ordinary Uma Musume...?"
"Perhaps even if I don't want to, I'll know your choice for this answer, but... should I tell you all of this?"
Symboli Rudolf still didn't know the answer to this question, and she wasn't even sure if the statements from Imanami, Ikezoe, and Wada, three new Trainers who had just joined Tracen Academy, were even true.
After all, no matter how talented they were, they were still new Trainers; even other more experienced figures had never said such things about Teio.
Where was the source of their confidence?
However, when it came to Tokai Teio, Symboli Rudolf would never be careless; she had to prepare herself mentally and for everything that can happen.
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I've been reading Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo and damn is it good.
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.