"Trainer's body... it's so stiff. Am I hugging you too tightly?"
"It's nothing, Doto. You'd better hurry. I don't want to be seen."
Wada didn't dare to move a muscle right now. Letting Doto hug him was already quite risky, and Wada certainly didn't dare to make any moves either. This was a matter of principle. As a Trainer, hugging his Uma Musume was already pushing it. If he dared to do anything, his Central Trainer Qualification certificate would become waste paper the same day!
Plus, he still had a promise with T.M. Opera O to fulfill; there was no way he would ruin his future for something like this. Therefore, his body was absolutely, completely stiff, not daring to make the slightest of movements.
However, it was regrettable that while there might be some tacit understanding between Wada and T.M. Opera O, there was absolutely none with Meisho Doto in his arms.
"Is that so...?" Doto thought Wada might be feeling a bit unwell, so she hugged Wada's body even tighter. (T/N: Death by suffocation)
Meisho Doto, whose cheeks were already flushed red and who was so embarrassed she dared not look at anyone, buried herself even more deeply into Wada's arms, and said shyly:
"Then, let's hug for a little longer. I'm quite confident that my body feels soft. Shakur always said that sleeping while hugging me was as comfortable as hugging a body pillow..."
But I don't want to sleep right now! Wada was also sweating profusely with anxiety. He felt his rational mind deteriorating each second he spent in Doto's embrace. If it weren't for his extremely strong stress resistance, he would've probably lost his composure by now, just like Doto on the racetrack.
He just hoped that no one would see them now; otherwise, he would truly be incapable of explaining himself. And if they got caught, he hoped someone would listen to his explana— "—Hahahahahahaha! What a heartwarming scene! I do hope that I, the Overlord, haven't interrupted this intimate interaction between my most beloved subject and her Trainer~"
A sudden burst of exaggerated laughter made Doto freeze in shock and allowed Wada to successfully escape. As Wada felt the slightly warm "marshmallows" pressing against his chest suddenly retreat, he instinctively looked towards the source of the voice.
"T.M. Opera O?!"
"Long time no see, Trainer Wada~ the one who left a deep impression on me. It seems you and my most beloved subject are getting along very well~"
T.M. Opera O showed nothing on the surface, using her usual exaggerated tone and gestures to conceal all her emotions—in fact, she had originally intended to leave quietly and not disturb Doto and Wada.
But it wasn't until Doto clung to Wada even more tightly, refusing to let go, that she finally couldn't sit still. She suspected that if she didn't step forward, Doto would really keep hugging Wada indefinitely.
"T- T.M. Opera O..."
Doto's face was also completely flushed. Seeing the Uma Musume she admired the most suddenly appear before them, she stammered nervously:
"Y- you didn't see anything, did you? About me and Trainer... W- we didn't do anything really... J- just a hug, really nothing at al—"
...Doto, the way you are talking is making things look even worse. Wada also had a relieved and awkward look on his face, feeling that if it had been anyone else but T.M. Opera O, his job as a Trainer would have probably gone poof on the spot.
"T.M. Opera O, why are you here? When did you arrive?"
"Hmm, I was just worried about the state of my beloved subject, but it seems like the Overlord's intervention was not needed." T.M. Opera O didn't hide her actions at all, smiling as she replied, "I've been following from the beginning, but I felt it wasn't good to interrupt you two."
"F- from the b- beginning, you mean..."
However, T.M. Opera O's words made Doto's eyes turn into spirals. The thought that her action of hugging Wada and not letting go had been witnessed by T.M. Opera O made her legs, still tired from the recent race, unconsciously start twisting on the ground.
It seemed as if she wanted to dig a hole and then bury herself in it... Of course, Doto's actions were noticed by T.M. Opera O and Wada. The two then exchanged smiles and shrugged their shoulders together.
"The Yukinayanagi Sho just finished, right? How did you get back so quickly?"
"Hahaha! A mere Yukinayanagi Sho is nothing in the eyes of the Overlord. Of course, I quickly won it~" T.M. Opera O waved her hand proudly, complimenting her own ability without feeling embarrassed:
"On the contrary, Trainer Wada, I was the one who was surprised that you didn't seem to be present. I thought you, as the one who strives to become my most beloved subject and wishes to compete with me, would come to the scene for reconnaissance."
"I couldn't help it; I was too busy with the mock race and couldn't leave." Wada also waved his hand and said, "But I watched the live broadcast and have recorded it to use for Doto's study."
"Hahahahaha! Hearing that makes me look forward to the Mainichi Hai a month from now!"
Yes, this feeling, it really is magical. T.M. Opera O now consciously felt that she was feeling incredibly natural when facing Wada. There was no tension, nor the tense atmosphere that should exist between rivals. Everything seemed harmonious.
It was as if the two had known each other for a very long time. No matter what the other did, they wouldn't be surprised, with no suspicion or vigilance between them. Just as T.M. Opera O openly admitted that she saw Doto's mock race, T.M. Opera O naturally accepted that Wada recorded her race footage.
If it were any other Uma Musume, they might feel a bit nervous, because having your running be studied could mean that their running style might be deciphered, thereby making the race harder—but T.M. Opera O was not nervous because of this.
It wasn't that she wasn't worried about her running style being deciphered, but rather... she simply couldn't get angry at Wada.
"However, even if you watch the video, don't be misled by my running style. I am the Overlord, and I won't be confined to just one running style." T.M. Opera O said with full confidence, puffing out her chest. Her chest wasn't as formidable as Doto's, but she displayed it very confidently nonetheless, forming a stark contrast to Doto, who usually walked with a hunched back. (T/N: Doto's back must hurt so much.)
"Ah, I know. Not only are you good as a Later Surger, but the way you run as a Pace Chaser is even more—"
"Eh? How do you know I can run as a Pace Chaser...?"
However, after only a few exchanges, Wada suddenly stopped speaking, and T.M. Opera O, who reacted belatedly, exchanged glances. Neither of them spoke, but their eyes suddenly conveyed a lot.
Doto, on the side, was confused by this and asked timidly, raising her small hand:
"Um... can T.M. Opera O also run as a Pace Chaser? I clearly remember that T.M. Opera O always runs as a Late Surger..."
"—Hahahahaha! It's merely something I delve into in my free time. After all, how could the Overlord only pursue a single running style?"
T.M. Opera O naturally steered the conversation away, and also didn't mention why Wada knew she had been researching about the Pace Chaser running style recently—this was something even her Trainer, Hana Toujou, didn't know. Because the Mainichi Hai was approaching, Hana didn't want to spend their training time learning new running techniques and instead chose the most stable path to achieve victory.
So far, T.M. Opera O has been performing well as a Late Surger, and with the Mainichi Hai fast approaching, running as a Late Surger would give her the highest chance to win. This line of thinking was very normal.
However, is what is normal always correct?
"Alright, small talk's over. I'm also here to call you two back." T.M. Opera O quickly turned the page, smiling as she said:
"I'm taking you to the winner's stage. They're already setting up over there. You wouldn't want to miss it, would you?"
...The winner's stage? What's that?
However, T.M. Opera O's words made Wada instinctively pause. He looked at T.M. Opera O, whose expression was uncharacteristically stiff, then turned to look at Meisho Doto beside him, whose face had suddenly turned pale, and gradually realized the seriousness of the problem.
This winner's stage... it seems like... it was something he had never heard of, and had never paid any attention to...
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Special Week 2: Electric Boogaloo
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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.