"My problem?" Myriad Dreams was stunned for a moment before it clicked— Yaeno Muteki was definitely referring to the way she stood frozen like a statue on the Winner's Stage.
But she honestly couldn't think of any way to transform herself from a "wooden mannequin" in such a short amount of time.
The next race was only two or three months away at most, going from zero experience to a dance expert in that amount of time was an impossible task.
Filled with doubt, Myriad Dreams was led by Yaeno Muteki into a karaoke private room.
Looking at the flickering screen and the two microphones in front of her, Myriad Dreams held the mic, a giant metaphorical question mark practically appearing over her head.
"So... Yaeno-san, the solution you mentioned is... coming to sing karaoke?"
"Exactly!" Yaeno Muteki nodded with certainty, skillfully operating the song selection touchscreen.
"This is the fastest method I could think of."
"Back then, because I was too focused on practicing the 'Kongō Yaenogaki Style,' I once neglected the cultivation of my stage presence, and my progress was slow."
She recalled the past, her tone carrying a hint of nostalgia.
"Later, it was my grandfather who brought me here. By moving to the rhythm of the music, I slowly found the feeling."
"So that's how it is..." Myriad Dreams murmured thoughtfully, regaining a sliver of confidence.
Yaeno Muteki placed a small metronome on the table, which emitted a rhythmic "tick-tock" sound, and then pulled Myriad Dreams to her feet.
"Alright, when the music starts, don't rush into complex moves. First, try to use the simplest steps and body sways to keep up with the beat of this metronome. A sense of rhythm is the foundation of dance."
However, as soon as the intro played, Myriad Dreams immediately panicked.
She completely forgot about the metronome.
Her hands and feet felt like they were borrowed and wouldn't listen to her, she began to wave them about wildly.
Her movements were stiff and chaotic, looking both comical and clumsy.
Watching from the side, Yaeno Muteki let out a helpless sigh.
But soon, her gaze was drawn to Myriad Dreams' legs.
Despite the mess of movements, the flexibility of Myriad Dreams' knees and the agility of her footwork were unexpectedly good.
in this state of chaos, she was able to pull off certain movements that required decent physical coordination.
"This natural flexibility and sense of balance... it's truly rare."
Yaeno Muteki marveled privately. The last Uma Musume who gave her a similar feeling was the exceptionally gifted Oguri Cap.
But applying force so haphazardly could easily lead to injury, so she couldn't just stand by and watch.
Seeing Myriad Dreams veer further and further off course, Yaeno Muteki finally couldn't take it anymore.
She stepped forward, turned off the music, and stood before Myriad Dreams with a serious expression.
"Myriad-san, stop for a second. Your movements are wrong, and you're completely out of sync with the rhythm."
As she spoke, Yaeno Muteki reached out, gently grasping Myriad Dreams' wrist while her other hand supported her waist, intending to help her adjust her posture.
"Come, feel it. The movement should be like this, accompanied by the graceful yet powerful beat..."
Suddenly being approached and touched so closely, Myriad Dreams froze.
Yaeno Muteki was standing so near that she could even smell the faint scent of sweat (from just finishing training) and her warm breath.
This close contact caused a blush to involuntarily creep onto Myriad Dreams' cheeks, and her heart rate accelerated for some reason.
"So... so close..." she couldn't help but mutter in a voice as tiny as a mosquito's buzz.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Noticing her stiffness, Yaeno Muteki stopped and looked at her with confusion, her clear eyes filled with pure concern.
"Are you feeling unwell? Or was I gripping too hard?"
"No... no, no, it's nothing!" Myriad Dreams shook her head vigorously, her ears even twitching slightly, while her voice carried an almost imperceptible tremor.