Due to a sprained leg, she had been unable to carry out normal running training for nearly a week.
After completing the necessary upper-body exercises each day, Narita Brian would come to the student council room.
Being able to smoothly participate in the Autumn [Tenno Sho] was thanks in no small part to Symboli Rudolf's assistance in persuading the trainer.
It could be said that she already owed quite a few favors.
So, whether it was a big or small matter, Narita Brian would do her best to help share the load.
Knocking on the door and entering the student council room, Narita Brian stopped in her tracks. She noticed that beside Rudolf's seat, an additional desk for work had appeared at some point.
A short-haired woman, around twenty years old and whom she had never seen before, was seated there, writing nonstop.
She had human ears—was not an Uma Musume. There was no trainer badge on her chest, nor was she wearing an instructor's uniform.
She didn't seem to be part of Tracen Academy's internal staff.
As if noticing the girl who had entered, the woman looked up, her black pupils reflecting Narita Brian's image.
"Brian, let me introduce you,"
Symboli Rudolf, seated in the main chair, spoke.
"This is Ms. Chiekawa, an inspector dispatched from the central office."
"Inspector?"
Upon hearing this, Narita Brian's ears twitched.
"That's right. My task is to supervise Symboli Rudolf's conduct and work style for two months, until the end of December. During this period, I look forward to your cooperation."
The woman named Chiekawa nodded slightly toward Narita Brian.
"Supervise President Rudolf? Why?" Narita Brian was puzzled.
Usually, the central office only sent inspectors when there were issues with Tracen's management, and the duration was very short—about a week at most, or no longer than a month. Once Tracen's internal situation stabilized, they would leave.
Why suddenly propose supervising Rudolf for two months?
Could it be that something was wrong within Tracen?
"The specific details are not convenient to disclose. I apologize, Ms. Narita Brian."
"But…"
"Brian, don't ask too much," Rudolf interrupted.
This was her judgment.
To place the central office's wedge right beside her.
On the surface, it was to supervise her, but in reality, it was to investigate Tracen.
Of course, Rudolf was certain that the students of Tracen Academy would not have any issues; even if they were investigated, it wouldn't matter much.
However, the methods they employed disgusted Rudolf greatly.
Whether it was their attitude towards that black Uma Musume or their stance toward Tracen, they were somewhat excessive.
Now Rudolf had realized that what hindered the flourishing of the [Twinkle Series] was not the competitors, not the audience, not the black ghost, but the central organization supporting the entire [Twinkle Series]—the URA.
The organization's core was beginning to rot.
She remembered that at the beginning of the central office's establishment, it was originally composed of six committee members and a board chairman forming the management committee, jointly responsible for overseeing the URA's operations and fairness, with appointments made from people with broad experience and knowledge.
But now, the number of committee members had been reduced to four, and the chairman they supervised had been replaced several times.
In addition, the vice chairman and standing directors jointly decided by the committee and the chairman meant that almost the entire upper echelon of the URA had been replaced.
The original system had already changed.
Whether in operations or supervision, the entire URA now had problems.
When the black Uma Musume hadn't appeared, it was fine; everyone followed the rules.
But now, once the gorgeous veil had been pierced by them, various issues began to emerge.
Especially at the management level.
Although Rudolf maintained close contact with the central office, when it came to the URA's management and operations, Rudolf's authority didn't allow her any access.
Now, however, the situation had somewhat changed.
Right beside her sat personnel responsible for the URA's internal management—a secretary under one of the standing directors.
Two months was enough time for her to thoroughly investigate Tracen, but at the same time, it gave Rudolf a tremendous opportunity.
Perhaps she could extract information about the URA's management from this person...
On the track, physical strength was key to determining victory.
Off the track, intelligence was everything.
Thinking this, her gem-like purple eyes faintly glimmered with a barely perceptible light.
--+--
Click.
Pressing the stopwatch, the girl looked at the time displayed.
"You were zero point five seconds faster than last time."
"Only zero point five seconds…"
Slowly jogging off the track, Manhattan Cafe rested her hands on her knees, calming her breath, seeming somewhat dissatisfied with the result.
"A zero point five second improvement is already quite good. Besides, you've been improving every day during this period."
Even if it was only a fraction of a second each time, for an Uma Musume, improvement meant progress, and progress indicated that the training method was effective.
Every evening, the girl would train together with Cafe.
It wasn't just simple running like before.
After months of study, she had acquired the ability to act as a trainer and could guide Cafe.
Even though there was still a significant gap compared to a professional trainer, combined with her own experience on the track, after offering Cafe several targeted suggestions, her speed had indeed become faster than before.
Even Cafe's trainer noticed that the mistakes she hadn't yet corrected had already been fixed by Cafe, and the trainer was quite surprised by her progress.
Yet even so, Cafe remained unsatisfied.
"If it were 'Friend,' she'd definitely be faster—much faster than me…"
Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Manhattan Cafe said.
On the track, even standing in the audience seats, one could feel the chilling, terrifying aura emanating from 'Friend.'
It wasn't hard to imagine what kind of pressure the Uma Musume racing against her had to endure.
With 'Friend's' ability, she could easily exert terrifying psychological pressure on others.
But during every training session, when Manhattan Cafe asked her to get serious, to see the true gap between them, she could never sense that dreadful pressure from 'Friend.'
It was completely different from during official races.
Those who had competed against 'Friend' had become stronger than before, while she, training daily with 'Friend's' help, saw minimal results.
Could it be a matter of talent?
Was the gap in innate ability between her and them so vast that even multiple times the effort couldn't close it?
Or was there a problem with this training method?
In truth, Manhattan Cafe already knew the answer in her heart.
It was a different understanding of running.
Once, Green Grass-senpai said that during intense races, they would unconsciously enter a state of hyper-focus, where spirit and muscles were highly tense, and body control became extraordinary.
Even now, Manhattan Cafe didn't understand what exactly this 'state' the senior mentioned was.
What did 'hyper-focus' mean? What did it mean for spirit and muscles to be highly tense simultaneously? Cafe didn't understand any of it.
She couldn't grasp these things through training.
Of course, saying this wasn't to blame 'Friend.'
She was very grateful to 'Friend' for studying trainer knowledge on her own to help her and taking her to train.
But the more this was the case, the more Cafe felt that her returns didn't match 'Friend's' efforts.
'Friend'… is my 'Friend.'
At the beginning, in the entire world, only she could see her.
Able to see, able to communicate.
She was the only one in the world who could do so.
When she was sad, someone comforted her; when she was lonely, someone accompanied her.
Manhattan Cafe thought this relationship would continue forever.
She fantasized so beautifully.
But fantasy remained fantasy.
'Friend's' remarkable nature began to reveal itself when she became visible to others.
Gold will always shine.
'Friend' was gold.
But she was not.
Now the entire Uma Musume world revolved around 'Friend,' while she could only watch from the sidelines like an outsider.
Even Agnes Tachyon could be of help at this time.
Only she could do nothing.
Having lost the two special abilities of seeing and communicating, Manhattan Cafe could no longer find what made her special.
So now, she urgently wanted to improve herself, to tell 'Friend' that even stripped of her past identity, she was still worth relying on.
She wanted to prove she wasn't useless.
I also have the ability to help 'Friend'...
A stinging pain came from her nails. Manhattan Cafe spoke: "Let's run one more time."
"If I'm faster than last time, we'll stop training for tonight. How about it?"
She asked.
The girl didn't answer, instead slowly approaching.
Her golden eyes fixed on Cafe.
"Your eyebrows are twitching."
"Huh?"
"Take off your shoes," she said.
"Why…"
"I want to see."
Under 'Friend's' persistent gaze, Manhattan Cafe slowly took off her training shoes. Her originally pale toes were already stained with blood.
"Cafe…"
"I'm fine, I'm really fine," she said. "After a bit more training, I'll go back."
Her voice trembled slightly.
She felt that if she stopped training, she would be left far behind by 'Friend.'
This feeling was truly unbearable.
"Wait here for me."
Without giving Cafe time to react, the girl vanished from sight in an instant. When she returned, she was carrying bandages and alcohol.
"Sit on the ground. I'll bandage you."
Hearing the tone that brooked no refusal, Manhattan Cafe slowly sat on the grass.
By the moonlight, Manhattan Cafe gazed at her 'Friend.'
She was rinsing Cafe's wounds with alcohol.
So close…
Really so close.
Manhattan Cafe bit her lip lightly.
Right before her eyes, yet untouchable.
Because a living person's soul would harm her.
Watching 'Friend' carefully wrap the bandages, Manhattan Cafe's thoughts wandered.
For 'Friend,' what is so special about me now...
Manhattan Cafe's gaze dimmed. Just then, a sudden chill came from the sensitive sole of her foot.
Mmm~
Covering her mouth, Manhattan Cafe barely suppressed a strange sound.
"'Friend'…"
"Sorry… Huh?"
Suddenly, the girl's eyes widened.
The finger that had accidentally touched Cafe's foot—was not burned.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, 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.