"Before we start training, I need to understand the reasons for your weight gain. Only by addressing the root cause can we effectively help you lose weight. So don't be shy; tell the truth."
Trainer Imanami could be said to be quite experienced in dealing with overweight Racehorses. He had spent almost his entire life interacting with them, from being a Jockey to a horse Trainer, and then finally to a stablehand. He had seen more Racehorses than most people could ever imagine, and the amount of tricky situations he had encountered were innumerable.
Compared to Racehorses with kicking or biting habits, or those that would occasionally flare up and become so violent that even he couldn't calm them, weight gain was just a minor issue—a normal occurrence that most Racehorses had experienced.
Even Gold Ship would get fat sometimes from eating too much. Losing weight was something Trainer Imanami, as a stablehand, could do with ease; the only problem now was not knowing how effective those weight loss methods would be for these Uma Musume. If they were like the Racehorses of the past, then McQueen's Debut Race might have to be delayed yet again.
More importantly, Meisho Doto only had two months to prepare for the Mainichi Hai race. If she couldn't successfully lose weight and get into training condition within two months… well, McQueen's debut could be delayed, at most leading to a tighter race schedule. But Doto had no such luxury. If she only went from a negative state to zero, compared to T.M. Opera O's continuous progress, it would be nigh impossible for her to beat T.M. Opera O.
"I-I'm sorry. It's just that after my Debut Race, I didn't have a Trainer for a while, so I became a little… a little self-indulgent…"
Meisho Doto was also cautious, apologizing for the trouble she had caused. She knew that Trainer Wada and Trainer Imanami were good people and wouldn't blame her for her mistakes, but she was well aware that this troublesome situation was entirely her own doing, and thus was feeling incredibly guilty.
"I only ate a little… a little more than usual… really, really just a little…"
"B-but my training hasn't fallen behind, you know! I wake up early every morning and exercise every day. It's just because I ate a bit more than usual," Meisho Doto quickly added, seemingly afraid that her Trainer would think she was a lazy Uma Musume.
After all, Meisho Doto knew that T.M. Opera O would absolutely not accept her request to leave Trainer Wada, and her Trainer certainly wouldn't let her leave either. Since yesterday's events, although Doto was still feeling uneasy, she also understood that if she didn't rouse herself to fight T.M. Opera O, she would certainly lose.
Therefore, the only choice she had was to make herself as strong as possible, compete with T.M. Opera O, and win!
"Weight gain caused by overeating, is it? As expected, it's not difficult to solve."
Hearing Meisho Doto's words, Trainer Imanami and Trainer Wada exchanged glances; both now had a general understanding of Doto's situation.
Although neither of them had experience training the Racehorse version of Meisho Doto, nor did they know if she had a physique prone to obesity—similar to the Racehorse version of Mejiro McQueen in the past—as long as the cause was clear, dealing with it wouldn't be difficult.
"Then, Miss Mejiro McQueen, how did your situation come about?"
"Um… it was just… a little accident."
Mejiro McQueen, however, was even more hesitant than Meisho Doto in this regard. Although she had already admitted that she was indeed training here due to obesity and had accepted Trainer Imanami's help, she truly found it difficult to explain the reason… Fortunately, McQueen had truly good friends. Ikuno Dictus adjusted her glasses and said in a deep voice:
"McQueen gained weight because she indulged in sweets every day. Before this, I had tailored many training methods for her, but the results were not very good."
"D-Dictus…"
McQueen, whose predicament was directly exposed by Dictus, blushed. However, it was precisely Dictus's honesty that made McQueen realize she had no way to salvage her reputation. Thus, she simply gave up and confessed honestly:
"Yes… I have a sweet tooth and always enjoy eating desserts. When I first entered Tracen Academy, because I lacked the family members who usually regulated my behavior, I indulged a little too much…"
"As an Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family, falling into such a state is a disgrace—but, Trainer Imanami, please do not go easy on me during training. As long as my weight reaches a level where I can compete in my Debut Race, I am confident I can win."
"Sweets, huh? It's not difficult," Trainer Imanami nodded. He was quite satisfied with Doto and McQueen's attitudes; at least they could communicate now, and he could understand the thoughts of these Uma Musume who were originally Racehorses.
As a Trainer, the thing they dread the most is knowing that you are working for a horse's future career, but the horse doesn't understand your intentions and resists, refusing to cooperate. Now, that problem was permanently solved. These girls were good, obedient children who understood their good intentions.
"But my training is also very strict. If you are determined, I can guarantee you will lose weight with virtually no injuries or side effects, and you won't be hungry, but you will feel very tired every day. The muscle soreness during the first week of training will be extremely difficult to endure."
"I will also need to restrict your diet. I will directly arrange your daily meal plan. Can you accept that?"
"—I accept! Please begin!" McQueen immediately nodded, taking a step ahead. She had long since made up her mind.
"Y-yes, please guide me," Doto replied nervously. At this moment, Wada, who was standing nearby, walked over and patted Doto's head, whispering to her:
"Don't worry, I will train with Trainer Imanami and you. There's a lot I need to learn too, so don't worry. Training might be tough, but I'll be with you every step of the way."
"T-Trainer…"
Doto was clearly unaccustomed to Wada's intimate gesture. Her ears, which usually drooped slightly, were now completely flattened against her head, yet her tail behind her wagged with exceptional joy. It was hard to tell if it was from nervousness or happiness.
At least, she had someone encouraging her, and it was her Trainer who believed in her and had high hopes for her… "I, I will do my best."
"Very good, then, shall we—" Trainer Imanami nodded, just about to take Wada and the two fat… No, the two slightly fuller Uma Musume to train, when his back was suddenly embraced.
"Honestly—Old man! Don't leave me out and just play with McQueen and the others!"
Gold Ship, who had been neglected from the start, pouted and hugged Trainer Imanami's back, her tone full of dissatisfaction as she said, "Didn't you promise to watch my 3000-meter run? I was so fired up today! Don't you know it's rare for the great Gold Ship to want to run voluntarily, old man!"
"Ah… Gold Ship…" Trainer Imanami almost forgot about this troublesome gray-haired Uma Musume behind him. He immediately and skillfully soothed her, "I really want to watch you run, but you see, McQueen and Doto have very important things they need my help with."
"Gold Ship, no matter what it is, we have to prioritize things. How about I arrange their training first, and then I'll be with you?"
"W-well, I want to train too!"
Gold Ship, however, was very unhappy that Trainer Imanami was only arranging training for McQueen and Doto. She refused to be outdone, clinging tightly to Trainer Imanami and refusing to let go, "I want to train with McQueen and the others too! I'm fat too!"
"Alright, alright…"
Trainer Imanami knew that when Gold Ship was making a fuss, it was best to indulge her. After all, according to the excellent genetic characteristics of the Gold Family, the more you restrict them, the more they would make a fuss. It was better to let them have their way.
"…Gold Ship really likes Trainer Imanami," Ikuno Dictus murmured, looking at the scene before her with some surprise.
"I've never seen anyone subdue Gold Ship in such a short time. It's truly a miracle. Don't you think so, McQueen?"
"Yes… I never thought so either," McQueen nodded, but she was a little distracted.
After all, in her plan, Trainer Imanami was the best candidate for being her Trainer. And if Trainer Imanami's training this time truly allowed her to successfully lose weight and win her Debut Race, then McQueen's plan would involve taking Trainer Imanami to the Mejiro Family to introduce her Trainer to her grandmother, no matter what.
But now… the fact that Gold Ship had such a good relationship with Trainer Imanami made McQueen feel uneasy… Should she… really stick to her own ideas? McQueen didn't think that a Trainer who trained Gold Ship would have any extra energy to train her; after all, it was Gold Ship.
The only thing that made McQueen feel both fortunate and uneasy about was that Gold Ship had yet to become Trainer Imanami's official Uma Musume, so she still had a chance—there was still time.
But she also felt somewhat uneasy about her own actions. Gold Ship had finally found a Trainer she could rely on so much. Should she really do this?
"Sigh… If only there were two Trainer Imanamis, I wouldn't be so worried."
Mejiro McQueen sighed deeply, not knowing why she had such thoughts. However, snatching Gold Ship's beloved Trainer felt truly guilt-inducing. Now, she could only hope that Gold Ship was simply being clingy to Trainer Imanami and didn't truly intend to race.
After all, to uphold the honor of the Mejiro Family, she absolutely needed a Trainer who could bring out and maximize her talents.
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Why the hell is Narita Top Road already in this fic? Isn't she supposed to be introduced way later into the Fic?
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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.