Air Groove's POV

A month has passed since the entrance ceremony, and the freshmen are settling into Trecen Academy. Some have joined teams, others haven't; some scouted, some not. No need to rush—I believe caution is key. Joining a team early isn't always the answer. As for me, the Takarazuka Kinen is less than seven weeks away. My condition's solid, but if anything's lacking… it's time with Trainer.

"…Haa," I sighed.

"Something wrong, Senpai?" Mejiro Dober asked.

"Dober," I said. "No, nothing's wrong."

"You looked… lonely," she said.

"If anyone's lonely, it's you," I said. "Tough break at the Sakura Sho."

Dober took second in the Classic's first leg, the Sakura Sho. She blames the loss on running wide—a fair assessment, from what I saw.

"Yes," Dober said. "But I won't lose next time. I'll win the Oaks! I'm a Mejiro Uma Musume—I won't stop at Best Junior!"

I smirked. "That's the spirit."

"How's your prep for Takarazuka, Senpai?" she asked.

"No issues so far," I said. "Training and tuning are on track. Though the freshmen and rookie trainers watching from afar are a bit distracting."

"Right," Dober said. "This past month, tons of students and trainers have been eyeing you seniors."

No cameras, which is a relief, but being watched at the same time every day makes me wonder if they have lives. It's slightly annoying. Trainer's noticed too, but he doesn't say anything.

"It's lunchtime," I said. "Let's eat."

"Yes, Senpai," Dober said.

Cafeteria

We arrived at the cafeteria, but the vibe was off. The Uma Musume were tense, glancing one way, like they were spying. At the center sat my trainer, facing an unfamiliar trainer—likely a rookie.

"What's going on?" I asked a student.

"Vice President!" she said. "We were eating, but those two's talk caught our attention, so…"

Seems the students started this. But I'm curious too.

"What're they saying?" Dober asked.

"It's… about the Vice President," the student said. "Training, races, stuff like that. They're debating."

"…About me?" I said.

They're talking about me?

"They're discussing training efficiency percentages and injury risks," the student said. "Super complicated stuff. The one with glasses, straight posture, and a tablet is saying it."

"That trainer…" I muttered.

Hachiman's POV

"So," the rookie said, "your current training with Air Groove-san yields only 40% results. The other 60% is wasted. You're doing high-intensity sessions too, but so am I."

"And?" I said.

"With this approach, her next race—Takarazuka Kinen, right?—has a 37% win chance. Even with her raw talent, G1s aren't so easy that pointless training can cut it."

"I see," I said. "What's her win rate compared to all other planned runners, per your data?"

"What, telling me to do my own research?" he scoffed. "You're not dodging because you didn't check, are you? I'm not that dumb."

"Then show me," I said.

"W-Well, I haven't quantified it yet," he stammered.

"Oh?" I said. "Big talk, but you didn't run those numbers? A guy who loves digits forgetting that? Let's try another. What's Air Groove's injury risk post-Takarazuka? Should be easy. Be specific—I need details to plan."

"…!" Tap-tap-tap

"Slowpoke," I said.

"!!" he flinched.

"Listen," I said. "You're yapping about efficiency and injuries, but can you only decide by numbers? I've been running those calculations in my head from the start. That's how I build routines. I don't need your number-crunching nonsense. And what do you take Uma Musume for? Lab rats? Digging into someone else's charge like that… You said G1s aren't easy with pointless training? Right back at you. Numbers matter, sure, but this world's not so simple you can climb it with math alone. Anyone can crunch data."

"Guh…!" he gritted.

"One more thing," I said. "If you had to pick a charge now, your odds are 0%. Who'd want a trainer who only sees numbers? Start from scratch under a real trainer, idiot."

Ugh, what a waste of time… Gotta rethink the menu. I'll talk to Air Groove and Fuji later—experience and instinct versus calculated perfection. Which is better?

Afterword

Hachiman's fiery defense of experience over cold calculation shakes the cafeteria, as Air Groove's Takarazuka Kinen prep and trust issues simmer. Mejiro Dober's resolve adds spark, while Fuji's mention hints at her rising arc. The Yahari crossover fuels Hachiman's "Tengan" passion, with Haruno's shadow lingering. Experience or numbers—what's your pick?

---------------------------------------------------------

🚀 Want more?

📖 Unlock 10+ early chapters on my Patreon!

💖 Support me here: patreon.com/DaoistRoeoNQ

🔓 Get ahead of the story today!