Chapter 31: Charging Up the Steep Slope!!

After warm-ups and a water break, the group reached the Sakaba training course. The trainer, Hachiman, stood with a hand on his chin, deep in thought. Whatever he was mulling over, training was in full swing.

"Hey, warm-ups are done," Air Groove called out.

"Got it. Main event next," Hachiman replied.

A thrill coursed through the air. "Time to begin, isn't it?" Symboli Rudolf said, voice steady.

"Before we start, each of you pick a slip from this box," Hachiman instructed. "That's your challenge. Read it, memorize it, then drop it in the other box."

A trainer assigning tasks for Sakaba training was a first. There had to be a reason, like with their tag games. Air Groove drew a slip…

'Compete with anyone in a straight line, then overtake at the end.'

A test of grit? But who here could match her to compete? No one seemed likely.

"This is my forte!" Sakura Bakushin O exclaimed, eyes gleaming.

"Quite a tricky challenge," Rudolf said with a wry smile.

Narita Brian stayed silent, brow furrowed.

Sakura's glee, Rudolf's grimace, Brian's scowl—only Sakura seemed thrilled with her draw.

"Memorized? Into the box," Hachiman said. "Then take your positions. Where you stand is your call."

"Can I take the front, Trainer-san!?" Sakura asked, bouncing.

"Yup, positions are up to you. Oh, and once you pick, don't move. That's your race position."

"Like a real race," Brian muttered.

"Exactly," Hachiman confirmed.

They lined up: Sakura Bakushin O first, then Brian, Air Groove, and Rudolf last.

"When I drop my hand, start," Hachiman said. "Goal's at the marker. Ready… Go!"

Dash!

Air Groove aimed to compete with Brian or Sakura, then overtake. But if possible, she wanted first.

"Baku-baku-baku-baku-BAKUSHIN!" Sakura roared, surging ahead.

"Damn, she's fast!" Brian growled. "But…"

"I won't lose!" Air Groove shouted.

As she closed on Brian, Rudolf shot past from the inside. "No path lies before me. Thus… I charge forward!"

"What!?" Air Groove gasped.

"I carve my own way!" Rudolf declared.

She overtook as Air Groove targeted Brian, but Sakura led. No time to gawk at Rudolf—she had to run her race!

After the Finish

"Wow, Prez, you're incredible!" Sakura panted. "I thought I'd escape, but getting passed? I need more training!"

"I struggled to overtake you," Rudolf admitted. "I'm still lacking."

"I managed to pass, but no real competition," Air Groove said.

Brian stayed silent.

"Good work, first run," Hachiman said. "How was it?"

"Super fun!" Sakura chirped.

"Not that kind of feedback," Hachiman sighed. "But fine. Others?"

"I ran as instructed. Nothing special," Brian said.

"I passed Brian but didn't compete," Air Groove noted.

"Managed to pass everyone, sort of," Rudolf added.

"What was your challenge, Prez?" Air Groove asked. "Mine was 'compete with anyone, then overtake.'"

"Mine was tough: 'pass everyone from the inside,'" Rudolf said.

"Mine was 'escape.' Easy, but fun!" Sakura said.

"Mine was… 'run.' That's it," Brian grunted.

What was with these mismatched tasks? Brian's was just… running.

"You get it now," Hachiman said. "Some are easy, some tough. Rudolf's was hard, Brian's too—'run' sounds simple, but it's vague. Sakura's escape is easy if you're fast, but staying ahead takes serious speed. Air Groove's was what I hoped you'd draw. Your racing style often leads to competition, so facing strong Uma Musume now builds your tenacity. Plus, this is Sakaba—chasing, speeding, passing—it's all a step tougher here."

"Tenacity… I see," Air Groove said.

"This training lets us run from any position," Rudolf noted. "It takes space, but it's race-realistic. Good method."

"Just running's boring, Trainer," Brian said. "Let's go again."

"Whoa, chill," Hachiman replied. "Four more runs planned. I wrote, like, fifty challenges."

"You're thorough when it counts," Air Groove remarked.

"Amazing, Trainer-san!" Sakura cheered.

"So, anything you want to say?" Air Groove asked.

"No, it's not like that, Groove-san!" Fine Motion stammered. "There's a reason for this! I'm overwhelmed too!"

"Then what's all this?" Air Groove gestured. "My sleeping space isn't your family's storage unit…"

Returning from training to drop off her gear, Air Groove found her shared room buried under a mountain of packages—likely from Fine's family. The sheer volume smothered every surface: floor, bed, desk, chairs, no space spared.

"You know how last month they said they were too busy to send stuff, so they'd ship homeland treats this month?" Fine said.

"Yeah, I remember," Air Groove replied.

"Well… they said they sent extra to make up for the loneliness," Fine explained, mimicking a cheerful tone. "♪"

"Your family doesn't know the meaning of restraint…" Air Groove muttered.

"It's not just that! Mom and Dad only sent a bit more, but my sister…" Fine hesitated. "She's been racing all over and sent souvenirs from everywhere."

"Your sister… Pilsudski, right? Never met her, but this explains enough. Truly your family," Air Groove said dryly.

"Haha… sorry," Fine mumbled.

Wonderful, family-oriented folks, no doubt, but this was absurd. Fine's sister, Pilsudski, had racked up wins across Europe—Ireland, England, Germany, France. Fine must be proud, but this haul was ridiculous.

Air Groove sighed. "Let's clean this up. Where do we even start?"

"It's mostly food, so it's bulky," Fine said. "We're not short on food, you know. Was sending Japanese instant ramen the mistake?"

"No idea, but look at this," Air Groove said. "Sweets would've been manageable, but local specialties too?"

"They probably sent what I used to eat back home…" Fine trailed off.

"With this much, picking through it bit by bit won't cut it," Air Groove said. "Fine, just to check—can we give the sweets to someone else?"

"Huh? Yeah, I don't mind," Fine said.

"Good, then…"

"Is this okay? So much?" Fuji Kiseki asked, eyeing the pile.

"Yeah, Fine's fine with it," Air Groove said. "Take it all, no hesitation. Otherwise, I can't sleep in peace."

"I was shocked when I got my delivery," Fuji Kiseki said. "Never seen that many boxes at once."

"I was stunned walking into my room," Air Groove admitted. "It's yours now. Say hi to the dorm folks for me."

"Will do," Fuji Kiseki said. "Oh, Groove, got a sec?"

"What?"

"How's it going with your trainer? Getting along?"

What kind of vague question was that?

"No clue what you mean, but we're managing," Air Groove said.

"Really? Good then," Fuji Kiseki said. "You can be too intense sometimes. No big issues yet, so it's probably fine."

"Hold on," Air Groove said. "That sounds like you're hinting at future problems."

"Haha, Uma Musume and trainer clashes aren't rare, you know?" Fuji Kiseki teased.

"…I'll take it as a warning," Air Groove said.

"Sorry for holding you up," Fuji Kiseki said.

Me… clashing with him?

Dorm Room

"Wow, folded two boxes already!" Fine sang. "Just two less feels so spacious!"

"Still a drop in the bucket," Air Groove said. "I'll take these to the student council tomorrow. Also… is it okay if I take some of this stuff?"

"Sure, but what for?" Fine asked.

"A token of thanks," Air Groove said.

Trainer Dorm, Hachiman's Room

"So that's the deal with these," Hachiman said, eyeing the items.

"Yeah, you live alone," Air Groove said. "Shouldn't be a burden."

"I'll take it, then. Thanks," Hachiman said. "Tell Fine I said hi."

"…One question," Air Groove said.

"What?"

"Do you have any issues with me?"

"Issues? Like what?" Hachiman asked.

"My attitude, maybe," Air Groove said.

"You're aware of it?" Hachiman raised an eyebrow.

"It's who I am. Not planning to change," Air Groove said. "So, do you?"

"If I did, what would you do?" Hachiman countered.

"What?"

"You just said you won't change," Hachiman said. "So me pointing out anything wouldn't matter. Honestly? No complaints. If I sweated every little thing, I couldn't survive this world. So don't worry about it."

"…Got it," Air Groove said.

"Your curfew's close. Better head back," Hachiman said.

"Yeah, my bad," Air Groove replied.

…