McQueen, Teio, your next training will be as follows: just follow Gold Ship. I've already told her what to do."
"...Um, Trainer, will this really be effective? I don't feel tired at all."
In Tracen Academy, on an open space not far from Team Miracle's building, Imanami was currently instructing his three Uma Musume on what to do. As the only Trainer in the team who is in charge of three Uma Musume, Imanami's workload was enormous. Thus, Imanami had no choice but to rely on Gold Ship, whom he trusted and who had relatively ample preparation time, to arrange the training schedule for Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen in his stead. Imanami still had many problems and plans he hadn't had the time to deal with yet.
But at this moment, Tokai Teio expressed doubts about the training content. She quietly raised her small hand and stood in place in a one-legged stance, looking very relaxed.
"Trainer, are we practicing dances? But my 'Umapyoi Legend' dance is already very good, why do I have to continue to train it?"
"No Teio, we aren't. The old man is making me help you all train your flexibility."
Meanwhile, Gold Ship was also doing the exact same pose as Teio. She stood on one leg, her body flat, and her other leg was as straight as possible with her torso, forming a "T" shape. Gold Ship was doing quite well too; it was just that she didn't look as relaxed as Tokai Teio, but she could still talk.
"Body flexibility allows an Uma Musume to better exert their muscles, so flexibility is a crucial training point. Don't get complacent."
"Um.... But my body is already very flexible; even President and the others have said so."
Tokai Teio nodded in understanding upon hearing Gold Ship, but quickly retorted by saying that she didn't need such training at all. She effortlessly controlled every bone in her body, easily performing the same move as Gold Ship, and her movements were incredibly stable, like a professional ballerina.
"See! Trainer, my body is very flexible, I don't need this kind of training~"
"—That's true, but."
Imanami already long knew what Tokai Teio would say. Holding a cane he had prepared earlier, Imanami immediately stepped forward and gently poked Tokai Teio's calf, which was the only thing supporting her body.
"ah AH AHHHH—Wait!"
However, with that gentle poke, Tokai Teio's expression instantly changed drastically. Her entire body uncontrollably swayed to the other side, and she quickly put down her other leg, patting her chest with lingering fear.
"Moh~— why did you do that Trainer!" Tokai Teio asked Imanami with a dissatisfied pout.
"Teio, your body is very flexible, there's no doubt about that. This already makes you be able to reach a height that many Uma Musume find difficult to reach from the start. This flexibility is also why your power and acceleration is so strong."
Imanami did not feel guilty by Teio's scolding. Instead, he tapped Tokai Teio's calf with his cane and said, word for word, "But your sense of balance isn't good. Because you were naturally in this realm already, you were unable to cultivate a sense of balance like other Uma Musume can."
"This sense of balance will help you be steady with every step you take in the racetracks, rather than just 'floating' on the tips of the turf, which also reduces the chance of you falling."
"Every time you step on the ground, it's an opportunity to exert force. Teio, you need to learn to steady your steps while letting your propulsion drive your body forward, rather than simply relying on the strength of your ankles to make up for it."
"Aiyahh... That sounds so troublesome~."
Tokai Teio's face immediately fell into a bitter expression. She was already accustomed to her running style, which relied on the power from her toes and ankles to maximize the advantage of her flexibility. This was her unique and powerful "Teio Step," which she had discovered herself.
But now, Imanami was asking her to switch to a more scientific running style. This was basically him telling her that she needed to start from scratch, allowing Tokai Teio to utilize her strengths while trying not to completely rely on her natural talent—this was still somewhat incomprehensible to Tokai Teio.
Shouldn't one's innate talent be the center focus of everything else? Why did her Trainer want her to control how fast she goes, as well as make her choose this relatively basic running style that was only slightly better than a regular old scientific running style?
Although the result will be the same, practicing a running style from scratch would undoubtedly waste a lot of time. She wasn't a child; she didn't want to learn how to walk again... "Isn't there any other training? Trainer~ Please~ I want to run~~"
Tokai Teio immediately resorted to using her childish charm to try and gain Imanami's pity. She had used this trick many times on Air Groove, Narita Brian, and the President when she was in the Student Council. She had long perfected it, able to switch to a playful state in a second. And facing Tokai Teio, who was hugging his arm, Imanami's face also uncontrollably showed a hint of a doting smile.
This child was indeed very cute; no wonder Symboli Rudolf doted on her so much. It seemed that even if there weren't any blood ties between them, they still shared a kind of subtle connection... But Tokai Teio was indeed very likable. Although she had her own little quirks, she wasn't annoying. Her choices at critical moments were always very correct, just like a child who never grew up; she would act spoiled, throw tantrums, but would still obediently listen. She was simply the ideal image of a granddaughter. Imanami felt that Tokai Teio probably embodied all the fantasies of people who liked children in this world, leaving no room for fault.
But even so, Imanami would not let personal biases interfere in such an important matter.
"This is very serious training, Teio. It will be very helpful for you, McQueen, and also Gold Ship too."
"No one wants to see you suddenly collapse while running on the racetrack one day. This is a precaution; it's crucial for your own safety. A correct running style can significantly reduce the stress on your legs, allowing you to run for a longer time."
"Look at T.M. Opera O for example, her running style is very stable and basic. The strongest Uma Musume don't just rely on their unique talents, but on their solid foundation."
"Ummm... But..."
Tokai Teio, though somewhat swayed by these words, still wanted to say something. But at that moment, a commotion from Mejiro McQueen nearby suddenly drew everyone's attention.
"Ouch!" McQueen suddenly stumbled violently and fell down on her bosom with a thud, wincing in pain, which startled Imanami, who was still instructing Teio.
"McQueen? Are you alright?"
"No... I'm fine, don't worry, my Trainer."
McQueen was fine, of course. In fact, she deliberately fell down because she couldn't stand seeing Teio and her Trainer so close together. For some reason, since Tokai Teio joined and her Trainer's attention was divided with Teio, McQueen always felt uncomfortable... It was normal for Imanami to give Teio more care. After all, this was a request from Symboli Rudolf with McQueen also giving him consent to let her join, but McQueen just couldn't stand it.
She was also an Uma Musume entrusted to him by Grandmother, so why, as soon as Teio joined, did her Trainer's gaze, which had originally been focused entirely on her, have to be shared so much with Teio? What? Isn't there Gold Ship? Well, she was just a slacker; her joining or not made no difference, she was no threat at all.
But Teio was different. Like McQueen, she had a significant responsibility behind her that her Trainer couldn't refuse... Therefore, how to attract more of Imanami's attention now became McQueen's top priority. More attention meant more favorable training arrangements for her, just like how to get a bigger slice of cake from limited resources. McQueen understood this principle well.
So, after being helped up by Imanami and Gold Ship, McQueen dusted herself off and said to Imanami very seriously:
"Trainer, let's continue training. My flexibility might not be as good as Teio's, and my balance might not be as good as Gold Ship's, but I will absolutely follow your training plan strictly."
"An Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family always trusts her Trainer's arrangements. Please, watch over my training carefully."
-----+-----
Golshi is just chilling while the other two fight each other to the death.
-----+-----
If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.