Early the next morning, everything that had happened the previous night remained unknown to everyone except for the two individuals involved. Among the Uma Musume who had already started their morning training at the crack of dawn, several remarkably conspicuous individuals arrived at a secluded corner of Tracen Academy.
"Hey, hey, McQueen, what's gotten into you today? Why are you suddenly so serious? Hey, Hey McQueen, He-"
Gold Ship questioned Mejiro McQueen, who had dragged her out as early as 6 AM. McQueen didn't even look like she had woken up properly. Accompanying Gold Ship was another Uma Musume named Ikuno Dictus, who was similar in build to McQueen but appeared taller; she wore glasses and possessed a rather intellectual aura, earning her the nickname of "Iron Lady."
She was Mejiro McQueen's roommate and was also a good friend of hers. She was also one of McQueen's most trusted aides in initiating her "plan."
"McQueen, while I don't know if it's due to your Debut Race being imminent, making you anxious, I must say that this approach is not worth it."
Ikuno Dictus adjusted her glasses and said very calmly and solemnly, "I wholeheartedly support your weight loss plan, McQueen, but I do not condone methods that harm your health for the sake of losing weight."
"Combining scientific body conditioning with exercise and a controlled diet is the only way to successfully achieve healthy weight loss. However, McQueen, even if your current method yields quick results, it puts too much strain on your body."
"Your Debut Race isn't far off, McQueen. Using such a strenuous weight loss method at this time, even if successful, will render you incapable of competing at your peak performance during your Debut."
Faced with her good friend's earnest advice, Mejiro McQueen clearly hesitated, but she quickly made up her mind.
"Don't try to persuade me, Dictus, I've already decided."
"Although I'm reluctant, if I want to guarantee a win in my Debut Race, my current speed isn't enough. I must reduce my weight to a perfect level."
"Eating a little less is nothing to me. I am an Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family; I carry the pride and honor of the Mejiro Family!"
"Alright, now, Gold Ship, please lie down. 100 repetitions start!"
Mejiro McQueen, without another word, suppressed the intense hunger in her stomach while concentrating all her mind and body on the "honor of the Mejiro Family." She then dragged her body and leaped over the lying Gold Ship from side to side.
This was a training method Mejiro McQueen specifically tailored for herself. It not only achieved training effects through jumping but also increased her foot speed training, enhanced her strength and endurance, and, more importantly, had good weight loss results!
This was a suggestion given to McQueen by a senior from the Mejiro Family, and McQueen had always regarded it as her secret method whenever she saw "signs of gaining weight."
And this time, McQueen also planned to add more burden to this training method. She had the determination that, as long as she persevered, within ten days to at most half a month, she could reduce her weight to perfection.
"Thump! Thump!"
"A-are you really okay…?" Gold Ship, uncharacteristically, closed her eyes in fear, feeling McQueen jump over her body repeatedly, and said nervously, "By the way, why do I have to be involved in this?! I clearly promised the old man I'd run 3000 meters for him to see!"
"…According to McQueen, if Gold Ship wasn't lying here, she would feel like there wasn't enough pressure, and thus couldn't find the motivation to jump." Ikuno Dictus, though a bit embarrassed, still explained professionally, "It's probably a psychological effect, but with the help of this psychological effect, McQueen can indeed perform better than without it—therefore, Gold Ship, I'm very sorry, but please help McQueen by lying there."
"I only said I'd help McQueen lose weight to incidentally watch McQueen wanting to eat sweets but not daring to! I didn't hear anything about being a mat!"
However, Gold Ship felt that ever since she and McQueen met the old man yesterday, McQueen's attitude towards her had suddenly changed. In the past, McQueen usually didn't mind her pranks much, maintaining the demeanor of a member of the Mejiro Family and even slightly engaging in her tomfoolery, which allowed Gold Ship to have fun.
But ever since yesterday, Gold Ship sensed a change in McQueen. Faced with Gold Ship's pranks, McQueen just straight up ignored them. Even when Gold Ship took all the dishes from McQueen's plate, she showed no reaction.
Furthermore, Gold Ship even heard that McQueen had given some of her secretly hoarded sweets and snacks to other Uma Musume that very night.
To be honest, Ikuno Dictus, who shared a room with McQueen, was well aware of McQueen secretly hiding and eating snacks when she was ravenous in the middle of the night, but she turned a blind eye out of pity for McQueen.
But McQueen's current determination surprised both girls. They didn't know what had spurred McQueen to train and diet so fiercely, but at least for now, McQueen was clearly overexerting herself…
"I really wish someone would stop McQueen… Otherwise, we'll just have to wait a week until McQueen can't take it anymore and gives up…" Ikuno Dictus was also worried. It had only been 20 repetitions, but she already noticed McQueen was panting…
"Oh? Imanami-san, it seems someone is already here?"
"Ah… Really? I, I thought no one would be here so early… I'm sorry…"
Not long after, a young man's voice was heard, along with a timid-sounding Uma Musume. When the young man said the word "Imanami," Gold Ship immediately reacted, losing her fear and looking up in surprise, asking,
"Old man?"
"Hmm?"
Gold Ship's reaction caused a chain reaction. Upon hearing that address, McQueen's attention also wavered for a moment, and she subconsciously looked up towards the distance.
And in that small moment McQueen's attention was distracted, her jumping distance became much shorter.
"Bang!"
"AAAAHHHHHHHH—!!!" (T/N: Spine: Obliterated)
What followed was a horrific scream from Gold Ship, her pained cry after her spine was stepped on by a heavy Uma Musume whose shoes also had horse cleats on… "Are you okay, Gold Ship?! Does it hurt?"
"IT DOESN'T HURT AT ALL!! HAHAHAHAHAHA! Doesn'thurtdoesn'thurt... Old man, it doesn't hurt with you here, so there's no need to look~"
After some time, and after McQueen frantically apologized to Gold Ship and Imanami, everything returned to its usual calm. Imanami watched Gold Ship's back with some concern, seemingly wanting to lift her shirt to check her injuries, but Gold Ship smiled and simply brushed him off.
And seeing Gold Ship smiling so brightly, as if the blood-curdling scream from a few minutes ago wasn't hers, it was hard to imagine she was truly hurt, which also relieved the tension in everyone's hearts.
"By the way, old man, why are you here? I thought you'd be waiting for me on the track, and you're also with Trainer Wada, and… Doto?"
Gold Ship looked curiously at Wada and Meisho Doto beside Imanami. She knew Meisho Doto and Wada currently had a Trainee and Trainer relationship, but what were they doing here with Imanami?
"The reason, actually, is also training, it's just that the content of the training is a bit different."
Imanami also found it quite amusing. Just yesterday, Wada had grandly declared he would train Meisho Doto all by himself, but he unexpectedly faltered at the first roadblock and had to humble himself to ask Imanami for help.
"Doto is overweight; she has grown heavier since her Debut Race. With her physique, she wouldn't be able to race at her full strength in an OP level race, let alone participating in a GIII level race like the Mainichi Hai. So, we have to focus on weight loss first before considering training and racing tactics."
"…Huh?"
However, as soon as Imanami said this, not only Gold Ship, but McQueen and Dictus all looked at Doto in surprise. And at this moment, the side of Meisho Doto that she didn't want others to know was exposed on the spot, causing her face to flush red as she hid behind Wada, letting out a small animal-like whimper.
And at this moment, Gold Ship said without thinking:
"Special training? Isn't it just weight loss? I'm also helping McQueen lose weight! Her weight is way over the limit to the point the ground would crack under her, even though her Debut Race is almost her—Pwah!"
Before Gold Ship could finish her sentence, a shoe embedded with a metal horse cleat came flying directly at her! It hit Gold Ship square in the cheek, forcefully shutting Gold Ship's mouth.
"…Cough, cough cough!" McQueen, having done all this, forced herself to remain calm and let out a dry cough, saying indifferently, "It's, it's just that I'm a little bit overweight, I can easily reduce i—"
"—If you need help, I can help both of you create a plan."
After Imanami helped Gold Ship up, he saw that Gold Ship still had a cheerful, mischievous expression. So, seeing that she wasn't hurt, he shook his head with relief and said to McQueen,
"Since I'm helping one already, I can also help you lose weight. The effect should be good, and reaching the optimal weight before your Debut Race shouldn't be a problem."
"…Please."
However, after a moment of hesitation, McQueen realized that her image in front of Imanami had already been completely ruined and exposed, and under Ikuno Dictus's suggestive gaze from the side, Mejiro McQueen finally lowered her proud, noble head…
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F A T A S S E S
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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.