"Hmm… They grow more than I anticipated…"
"What?! Did McQueen grow two cups!?"
"I haven't measured that number yet."
After a brief rest, the entire team returned to their usual training ground. There were some Umas that used it before them, but Goldship and Igo shooed them away.
After having the field for themselves, Agnes Tachyon conducted several tests on all of them. What she wasn't expecting was the leap in their stats. The jumps weren't big enough to warrant being locked away and studied for science, but they were enough to allow them to run on equal terms with girls who debuted a year earlier than they did.
"Oohh… So what is it then?"
"Their stats, boss. They grow more than I had predicted."
"That's great and all, but what about their three sizes?"
"Don't just graze over that as if it was nothing, you big dummy!! That's my growth!!"
"I want to know your growth in other areas, McQueen!!"
"You pervert!!"
"What's so wrong with me looking forward to your growth, McQueen? Isn't that what you trained for?"
"Goddesses… Please brainwash him right now."
He doesn't sound surprised. It's as if he had expected this development. Does he have that much confidence in his trainees or in his methods?
Unknown to Tachyon, the young man had been using a fundamental feature this whole time. Friendship training. Having his trainees train with each other would increase their stats so much more than when they did it alone. Suzuka and Teio for speed. McQueen and Goldship for stamina. Haru Urara for guts. If, for example, McQueen needs to train in speed, then he'll have her train with either Suzuka or Teio.
"Oh~ Good morning everyone~~"
"PREZ!!"
"WAIT! WAIT!! MMPPPHHHHH!!!"
While everyone was busy looking at their score sheet, the 3 figures standing at the top of StuCo walked by. Teio instantly uses her signature face hugger attacks on the President of StuCo, covering her entire face with her little body. The young man finally gets to see how it is from a third-person POV. It looks as ridiculous as how it feels.
"Trainer… Igo…"
"Good morning, Air Groove. How are your flowers doing?"
"They're… doing great…"
Air Groove bites her lips. The young man's sweat on her handkerchief has been fading and fading, and she can feel herself getting more and more agitated by the day. She doesn't know what the young man's excrete through his sweat, but she needs it. She needs it to calm down after being constantly bombarded by Rudolph's awful puns. But how does she ask for it? Wouldn't it be weird if an unrelated trainee asked for your sweat? How can she justify it?
"MMMPPPHHH!! MMMMMMMHHHHHH!!!"
"You finally get close to Teio again, Pres."
"I don't think this is how she wants it to be, Brian."
"MMMMMMPPPPPHHH!!! MMMMMMMMHHHHHHHH!!!"
"No, she looks like she is enjoying herself. By the way, why are you all here? If you want to arrest Goldship, then go ahead."
"Why did you think it's always me, trainer?"
"Who else?"
"It could also be you, you know?"
"What? I'm a gentleman of the highest order. I'm the bon vivant of Uma Musumes, a licensed trainer who dines in the highest society to the sound of violins. How can someone like me cause trouble for a bunch of beautiful ladies in the Student Council?"
"Goddesses… I'm going to puke…"
Want me to choke your throat with something big and girthy, McQueen?
"Or is it Agnes Tachyon?"
"I had just been discharged. Give me several days to brew some dangerous stuff, okay? It takes effort to create a disaster, you know? Or it'll just be an accident."
"Is it Cafe? She has an ankle—GUH!!!"
Before the young man could even suggest Cafe, her stand moved in and kicked the young man in his big butts. The young man threw a questioning glare at Cafe, and the black cat only returned his glare with another glare.
I'm going to oversaturate your coffee with sugar, Cafe.
"No. Not this time. We're just here on regular patrol."
"Brian actually doing StuCo's tasks?!"
"Your reaction is the same as mine, trainer Igo. I couldn't believe myself when Brian was tagging along with us."
"Fuck you both…"
So it'll be a threesome then?
"I assume you are all here to train. Are you doing any sweat-inducing act too, trainer Igo?"
"...noo…? They are training, not me."
"Ooohh…"
"MMMMMPPPPPPHHHHH!!!! MMMMMMMMMHHHHHHH!!!"
"What?! This is not fair!! Why do I have to suffer, push down my needs, sweat like crazy, get traumatized, and almost die while you're taking things easy?!? I demand a battle!!"
"Goldship… You barely break a sweat…"
"Nuh uh!! Watch this!!"
"Wait!! What are you doing?!?!"
Goldship grabs a hold of McQueen and then uses her like a wiper to wipe her face. McQueen's sweats are then transferred onto Goldship's face.
"See?"
"You stupid!!"
"Fine… If you can defeat me one-on-one, then I'll train with you, Ito-ship Rin. But if you lose, you owe a 'I will do anything' ticket."
The young man suddenly has a ball in his foot.
"Wait! Wait! This isn't how—"
"Go. Try stopping me from passing you."
Goldship watches as the Angel of Death dribbles the ball toward her. She watches as her normally laidback trainer turns serious. His vibes change, his movement becomes quicker, and more importantly, his eyes sharpen. Goldship feels more intimidation by her trainer's eyes than facing death itself.
"Kuh!! Scissor!! So fast!!"
Goldship's eyes darted back and forth between the ball and her trainer's eyes. She wants to predict where he will bring the ball. Left, right, left, right, left, and right. His legs are moving so fast that if he even makes one single mistake, the ball would be kicked to the edge of the course, and Goldship would have the upper hand since she is an Uma Musume. But even knowing that,
Why do your eyes never look anywhere but me?!
*Tap*
"Ah…"
Goldship thought that her trainer had finally made a mistake as he kick the ball forward the ball forward, toward Goldship. Goldship was ready to receive the ball and win, but the young man's other leg came between her and the ball and tapped the ball to the side.
"What?! A double tap!"
Goldship turns her body toward where the young man was heading. He has the advantage since he initiated the attack, so Goldship uses her powerful kick to catch on.
I'm still an Uma Musume! I wouldn't lose in terms of speed and power!
"Fuuuuuh… Haaaah…"
"Kuh! A magic turn!!"
The young man knows very well just how superior an Uma Musume, especially a talented one, is compared to him. Trying to beat them in running is stupid, so he has to rely more on his skills. The young man traps the ball on the outer side of his right foot, plants his left foot, and then slides the ball alongside his right foot while turning around.
Goldship's powerful kick becomes her Achilles heel as she needs more space to stop to a halt. By the time she had already turned around, her trainer had already gained a tiny bit of space against her.
"Don't look down on me!!"
"Goldship… What have you been doing this entire time?"
Goldship fell for the young man's trap. In the middle of their battle, Goldship had forgotten to watch the young man's eyes. His eyes, dark as a black hole, have been nowhere but on Goldship their entire battle. Not on his feet, and not on the ball. All on Goldship.
The young man planted his left foot on the turf. Both of Goldship's feet were in the air when the young man made his move. He tapped the ball lightly with his right foot to adjust it, and with that same foot, he tapped it forward between Goldship's gaping legs.
No way!! Just who is he?!??!
Goldship could only watch as the ball flew under her, and the young man slipped behind her. All her power, all her talent, all of her could do nothing but dread the moment the young man was reunited with the ball and dribble even farther away. She knows that there is nothing else she can do. The fight ended there.
"We're done here."