"Old man! My old man! What's wrong with you?!"
"Gold Ship? Why are you here?"
The gray-haired girl who arrived was, of course, Gold Ship—the only one who would address Imanami as "old man." However, before Imanami and McQueen could react, Gold Ship shoved aside the spot where McQueen had been sitting and took her place beside Imanami.
McQueen, after stumbling from being pushed, seemed to want to say something, but seeing Gold Ship's tearful (A/N: It was feigned) appearance, she couldn't bring herself to scold her.
"Gold Ship, why are you here? Weren't you training by yourself?" Imanami was also surprised. Gold Ship hadn't shown up all day today, and Imanami had heard from McQueen that Gold Ship had been called by other Uma Musume to train together. Although he found it strange, he didn't doubt anything.
"What?! I was clearly set up!"
Gold Ship shed a few bitter tears (A/N: Fake ones). Although her voice sounded like a pitiful child crying, no actual tears fell, which left Imanami a little speechless. Really, if you don't want to cry, you don't have to, Gold Ship; don't force yourself.
"I was grabbed by Ikuno Dictus early this morning. She said she wanted me to be a 'Training Facility Tester' and try out some new training facilities. I thought it sounded fun at the time, so I went!"
"But I didn't expect it to take several hours! I don't know where those facilities came from; they were all so difficult to control. I wouldn't have gone if I had known!"
After seeing Imanami's condition, Gold Ship immediately knew that Imanami was not in any serious danger. However, her chaos-loving personality, after being separated from Imanami for a while, seemed to have worsened, becoming even more rambunctious than usual.
Especially now that Imanami was injured, although Gold Ship knew Imanami was not in serious danger, she was still incredibly tense; it just wasn't obvious on the surface, concealed by her comedic personality.
"Old man, I suspect this was all pre-arranged. Your injury now is definitely because someone schemed against you! That's why they incited Dictus to keep me busy while the others attacked you while I was away!"
Gold Ship suddenly adopted a serious expression and mysteriously said to Imanami, "I suspect that they have infiltrated Tracen. Someone is definitely watching us in secret."
"Old man, why don't we leave Tracen Academy now? We'll go to Mars for refuge! The life forms there will surely welcome our arrival!"
Imanami, Mejiro McQueen: "..."
How to put it, it's just fortunate that Gold Ship didn't know the truth yet. The "culprit who infiltrated Tracen" she was talking about was standing right by Imanami's bed. Moreover, Imanami knew that, strictly speaking by bloodline, Mejiro McQueen was actually Gold Ship's maternal grandfather, and seeing Gold Ship slandering her own grandfather like this, Imanami couldn't help but smile slightly.
"Alright, Gold Ship, I'm fine, and no one is trying to harm me. It was just an accident."
Imanami naturally rubbed Gold Ship's head. Although Gold Ship's remarks just now were very outlandish, the concern revealed in her words still warmed Imanami's heart, and he said gently:
"Don't worry about me, Gold Ship. Go back and rest. Miss McQueen is right here."
"No way! I want to be with you, old man!"
However, Gold Ship was quite stubborn on this point. She hugged Imanami's arm and said coquettishly, "I've been separated from you all day today, old man. I don't want to go back. I want to stay here and protect you."
"And didn't you say you wanted to see me run 3000 meters? I've been preparing for days. I can start right now!"
How could you run 3000 meters in a hospital? Should we bring a treadmill in here? Imanami and McQueen exchanged glances, both seeing helplessness in the other's eyes.
"Gold Ship, I'm discussing the upcoming training and races with Miss McQueen. Miss McQueen also has periostitis, so we're... well... fellow patients."
Imanami reluctantly found an excuse, then comforted Gold Ship, saying, "We'll both recover very quickly. I'm discussing what McQueen should do for next week's mock race, so..."
"That's alright! If McQueen can't go, then Gold Ship-sama can take her place!"
However, upon hearing about the race, Gold Ship's reaction was different from usual, showing enthusiasm. She immediately stood up and said to Imanami:
"Old man, I'm not the same as before, you know? Don't worry, I will definitely win the mock race for you! Then you'll become the 'Trainer who can win a GI even while lying in a hospital bed!'—wait, what grade is the mock race?"
"Alright, stop messing around, Gold Ship."
And at this moment, McQueen, who was beside them, finally couldn't hold back when she heard Gold Ship suggesting to replace her in the mock race. Although McQueen's expression was calm, her tone was more serious than ever before. She said to Gold Ship, and also to Imanami, word by word:
"I will receive treatment and recover within the week. I will participate in the mock race."
"Now, I need to discuss tactics and training with Trainer Imanami. Gold Ship, could I trouble you to go back? Trainer Imanami needs rest."
"Oh."
When it came down to it, McQueen was the one who had authority. McQueen's serious expression immediately subdued Gold Ship. At this point, Gold Ship, who had been lively and playful in front of Imanami, quickly settled down, her ears drooping unhappily. She then left the hospital room feeling very dejected.
Watching Gold Ship, whom she had scolded away, McQueen seemed to feel a slight pang of guilt, but she still maintained her composure and turned back to Imanami, saying with an apologetic tone:
"I'm sorry... Trainer Imanami, I lost my composure."
"McQueen, there's no need to be so harsh on Gold Ship." Imanami, however, showed no signs of blame, and said gently as always:
"That child's personality is like that; she needs our encouragement more than strict discipline. She needs to express her nature to achieve greater success."
"I'm just worried that her... personality will carry over to the racetrack and cause a great incident." McQueen, of course, had a say in this. She was quite familiar with Gold Ship, and whether as a friend or a secret rival, McQueen still cared for Gold Ship. (T/N: 12 billion yen incident)
"Also, Trainer Imanami, as I said before, I have decided. I will recuperate, and then participate in the mock race."
McQueen placed her hand on her chest and said to Imanami, "Since I am the one who caused you to be in this hospital bed, Trainer Imanami, I will take responsibility for my actions. I will not bring shame upon you."
"This week, I will complete my daily training while recovering from my injury. In the mock race, I will definitely live up to your expectations and win for you."
"—Don't push yourself, McQueen."
Imanami's eyelids twitched slightly upon hearing this. He sat up from the hospital bed and said, "Although periostitis is a minor ailment, if not treated properly, it can lead to very serious problems, perhaps affecting the rest of your entire racing career."
"A single victory in a mock race is not that important. The most important thing is to be able to keep running. McQueen, don't let your pride ruin your career."
"I won't, Trainer Imanami, trust me."
McQueen also nodded. She had already made up her mind to win, but she also knew she couldn't push herself. If Imanami hadn't discovered it early, her condition would have worsened quickly, which could have caused serious issues.
"I promise, Trainer Imanami, I will heal my injury as soon as possible. If I cannot fully recover within a week, I will withdraw from the mock race and absolutely not push myself."
"By then, wouldn't Gold Ship be able to take my place if I can't make it?"
McQueen's words also provided Imanami with a safety net. Seeing Imanami's expression seemed to soften, McQueen immediately felt that this matter was already a sure thing.
However, deep down, she didn't entirely think that way.
Gold Ship participating... perhaps it was a good idea. Gold Ship's strength was good, and it wasn't impossible for her to win this race.
But she, Mejiro McQueen, was an Uma Musume with the pride of being an Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family.
She had now made up her mind: the position of Trainer Imanami's assigned Uma Musume—it belongs to her and only her!
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Well, we've got somewhat obsessive McQueen now.
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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.