"So, I'm going to take care of you from today, Mejiro Rivera."
"Wow."
"Nice to meet you, Miss Rivera."
A few days after Thank You's mysterious persuasion, Rivera returned to our trainer's room. She'd gone home after being disbanded, but now she was back—and apparently, she'd made up her mind.
Rice-chan and Thank You welcomed her like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Me? I hadn't even said yes yet!
"Eh? Wait a minute? Fine…"
"Yes, I thought about it, and I decided it would be best to ask Viola-trainer."
"Yeah… that's… nice…"
Refusing wasn't really an option. Rudolph had asked me personally. Whatever Thank You said to her, it worked. And if Rivera thought I was the right choice, then from today, she was family.
"So I'll start building my body right away."
"Give me my regards."
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"Moum～ri～"
"Hm… Rivera eats so little."
"Hee."
"That is the normal amount. You two are the insane ones…"
Since body-building starts with food, we kicked things off with a dinner party. But Rivera gave up halfway through her quota.
"If you don't eat, you won't get stronger…"
"I understand that, but there are limits."
Even Thank You knew how much her body had changed. Not just outwardly—her strength had grown dramatically.
Of course, it came with trade-offs. More weight, more strain. But the gains were real.
"Rivera's especially thin. She needs to eat a lot, move a lot, and rest a lot."
"Uuuuuu…"
"Well, let's try a little harder."
"Oh no, where am I being taken?"
"Training now."
"Eueeeeee…"
Rice-chan and Thank You picked her up like a plush toy.
She'd eaten, so now it was time to move.
"You can go about five slopes."
"I can't!!!"
Rivera screamed, but no one listened.
It's fine. You can run like you're dying.
We all did it. Rice-chan and Thank You did it. I did it as well.
"Let's do our best, Miss Rivera."
Rice smiled at her with angelic sweetness.
Rivera turned to Thank You with a look of pure despair.
She was begging for mercy.
"I'm sorry. Because our team is…"
Abandoned.
Rivera's expression collapsed.
In the end, whether she cried or protested, Rivera ran all five hills.
She was crushed by the end.
Afterward came the hellish stretch routine.
By the time it was over, she didn't even have the energy to scream.