In Tracen, Skilled at Doing Time

"Mm... I'll take you back to the dorm first. Change into your tracksuit and come back."

Zhou Yuang made the arrangements. Although Silence Suzuka was somewhat confused, she still agreed.

They didn't travel particularly slowly. Perhaps because the trainer who had made that vow was by her side, Silence Suzuka felt a little more at ease.

After changing her clothes, Silence Suzuka stood blankly at the dorm entrance because Zhou Yuang wasn't there.

She waited awkwardly for a while. Only when she saw Zhou Yuang arrive did her heart settle.

She had thought she'd been abandoned.

"Trainer!"

As she spoke, she walked over. When she saw the picnic basket in Zhou Yuang's hand, she was utterly confused.

"Trainer, what's that in your hand?"

"This is a wonderful little tool we'll be preparing in a moment."

Zhou Yuang spoke in a mysterious tone, but the Uma Musume watching the livestream all knew that he had stuffed the basket with food, towels, and other necessities for Uma Musume training. There was even a picnic mat.

[Uma Musume Fan]: Somehow, don't you feel like your behavior is a little too crude?

Everyone watched as Zhou Yuang simply took Silence Suzuka on a train to some unknown place.

Quite a few Uma Musume in the comments felt that something was off.

Shouldn't he be properly comforting Silence Suzuka at a time like this? He could even raise her affection.

Yet Zhou Yuang had just taken Silence Suzuka out to the countryside.

It was a lovely place, with woods and turf. In the distance, they could even see mountains beneath a blue sky and white clouds.

There was even a flowerbed nearby.

After arriving, Silence Suzuka instinctively stepped forward, planting both feet on the soft turf.

She felt a cool breeze sweep past her, carrying the scent of grass and soil.

Silence Suzuka felt much better physically, her exhaustion easing considerably.

"Suzuka, want to run a lap?"

Watching Silence Suzuka spread her arms and take in the surrounding atmosphere, Zhou Yuang asked her.

"Yes!"

Remembering how she had run freely across the grassland as a child, Silence Suzuka turned toward Zhou Yuang. A smile she herself was unaware of appeared on her face.

After that, Silence Suzuka, dressed in her tracksuit, began running across the turf.

Although the turf here couldn't compare to the neatly maintained track, it was still fairly high-quality.

Silence Suzuka tried running here.

At first, she was somewhat nervous, but she soon adapted to the place.

The turf here smelled wonderfully fresh.

After running for a short while, Silence Suzuka seemed to cast off the burden in her heart and began to sprint.

She seemed to have found the joy she once had, running around with a smile on her face.

In the distance, Zhou Yuang watched Silence Suzuka run without restraint.

He spread out the picnic mat, sat down on it, took out a pile of food, and brewed some hot tea.

[Tracen Crown Prince]: He's just like an old grandpa.

[Tracen Version Higuchi Madoka]: Hey, are you really just going to kill time like this?

"Don't rush me. Isn't this helping restore Silence Suzuka's mood? Look, the down icon over here is already gone."

Zhou Yuang helplessly pointed at the ugly down-status icon above.

An event had suddenly caused Silence Suzuka's mood to drop by three levels. In a normal game, he would have restarted long ago.

This was an event, and only resolving it could probably restore Silence Suzuka's mental state.

Zhou Yuang brewed tea and sat there, watching Silence Suzuka run lap after lap while observing her physical condition.

"As long as I keep an eye on Silence Suzuka, it'll be fine."

"Just keep an eye on her?"

Outside the screen, Silence Suzuka looked troubled as she watched her onscreen self.

Silence Suzuka continued running, a smile on her face.

While the viewers were confused, Zhou Yuang remained unperturbed, sitting there and watching Silence Suzuka repeatedly run laps toward the left.

After running for a while, Silence Suzuka noticed Zhou Yuang across from her.

She hurriedly ran over.

"Um, Trainer-san, sorry. I got too absorbed in running."

She had dreamed of running so hard that she fractured herself, yet now she had become addicted to running without a second thought—and she was doing it under her trainer's watch.

The flush on Silence Suzuka's little face from exercising deepened.

"It's fine. But why are you apologizing?"

Silence Suzuka, who instinctively ran lap after lap, was the real Silence Suzuka.

Zhou Yuang wouldn't mind something like this.

He waved for Silence Suzuka to come closer and took out a towel.

Using it to wipe the sweat from Silence Suzuka's face, Zhou Yuang spoke gently.

"You don't need to blame yourself."

"But I ignored the trainer beside me and ran around on my own..."

"It's fine."

Zhou Yuang interrupted Silence Suzuka and pulled the towel back.

The sweat on Silence Suzuka's face had already been wiped away.

"As your trainer, my job is to let you run. If anything, it would be my failure if you held yourself back while running."

What trainer wouldn't want to see their own Uma Musume running happily?

In fact, most trainers had been drawn in after falling for the sight of their own Uma Musume running.

"But every time I run, I lose myself in it. If I'm not careful and run somewhere you can't see me, that would be bad."

Silence Suzuka understood her own situation all too well.

Once she reached the turf and began running, she couldn't stop.

She always wanted to follow the road all the way to the end and see what kind of scenery awaited her.

But gentle Silence Suzuka realized that her trainer was still here.

So as soon as she thought of that, she cast aside her instincts and hurried back.

"It's all right, Suzuka."

Judging that Silence Suzuka's affection for him probably wasn't low—and that she hadn't refused when he wiped her sweat, not even closing her eyes—Zhou Yuang boldly placed his hand on her head.

The instant his hand touched her, Silence Suzuka's ears stood straight up.

Then they moved somewhat stiffly. She still wasn't accustomed to this sudden gesture.

But she didn't dislike it, because the person was Zhou Yuang.

"I remember our promise. We agreed that I would do everything I could to help you. No matter how you chose to run, I would stay by your side. Even if you fled to the ends of the earth, I would still catch up to you and keep watching over you."

[Side-Eyeing Lewd Manga Teacher]: Hey, isn't that line a little...

The doujin artist sent that message, intending to say something more, but she saw that the other comments were all delighted.

[Uma Musume Fan]: Help! This streamer is actually selling something... No, he's committing murder! Streamer, hurry up and post the link to your insulin shop! I want to pay my respects—

[Skipping Genius Girl]: What are you talking about? I understand every word individually, but when they're put together, I can't understand any of it!

[Side-Eyeing Lewd Manga Teacher]: She's died of sweetness.

[Invincible Lord of Seaside]: What are you even talking about? It makes no sense at all!

[Tracen Cold-Joke Master]: But it looks like it means she's very happy.

The comments were just as lively.

Empress sat in front of the screen, thought for a moment, and slowly typed.

[Hates Flashes and Manic Guys]: This is a bit of a mood killer, but are you trying to raise Silence Suzuka's affection?

The previous incident was still vivid in her mind. As Empress watched Zhou Yuang, she couldn't help worrying that this guy might suddenly reveal the vicious, detestable face of a scumbag.

If that happened, she estimated she would feel sick for a long time.

"You think I'm raising Silence Suzuka's affection? Wait, that reminds me of a story."

After seeing Empress's comment, Zhou Yuang switched languages.

There were some things he couldn't say to the adorable Silence Suzuka.

"In a steamed-bun shop, there was a newcomer there for an internship. He wasn't very nimble and often forgot things. One day, while steaming buns, he stacked the steamers very high, nearly causing them to collapse. Seeing this, the master worker beside him hurriedly reached out to steady them, then turned around and gave the intern a thorough tongue-lashing."

Zhou Yuang took a deep breath, then spoke in an extremely smug tone:

"Steam buns! Can't you support the steamer?"

[Hates Flashes and Manic Guys]: ???

Listening to Zhou Yuang, Empress typed a series of question marks. At first, she didn't understand, but then she saw another comment.

[Tracen Cold-Joke Master]: Heh heh heh, Trainer, you're really good at telling cold jokes.

[Unbreakable Glass]: That line... Heh heh.

[Side-Eyeing Lewd Manga Teacher]: Good, good, good. Hurry up and skip to the part where he starts talking like an obnoxious brat!

"...What?!"

Air Groove repeated the line, then instantly felt a chill run down her spine. The veins on her forehead bulged.

Fine. Now there was one more reason to hunt you down.

I couldn't do anything about the student council president who told cold jokes, but did you really think I couldn't do anything about you?

Some were happy, while others were miserable.

Air Groove was furious beyond belief, but Silence Suzuka beside Zhou Yuang was in a good mood.

The ears atop her head began to sway, occasionally brushing against Zhou Yuang's hand.

But it didn't hurt. It was even quite comfortable.

They were so fluffy. They must feel great to touch.

Unfortunately, he couldn't touch them right now.

Once I finish the livestream, I'll go back and conquer Oguri Cap.

Then he'd have horse ears to touch.

"However, Silence Suzuka, you must be careful about the races ahead. I'll give you specific instructions, and you must follow them exactly. Do you understand?"

Zhou Yuang looked at Silence Suzuka before warning her.

"Otherwise, something like that might happen again."

"I understand! I definitely will!"

Silence Suzuka hurriedly nodded, agreeing completely with everything Zhou Yuang said.

Chapter Fifteen: A Finger-Link Oath

"Then it's a promise, okay? Whoever breaks their word has to swallow a thousand needles."