At Tracen, My Specialty Is Doing Time

He looked sleazy and suspicious.

Air Groove inspected the offices, watching each trainer as she went.

She couldn't tell which trainer seemed most like AT. From their voices, at least, none of them sounded like him.

After checking several offices, Air Groove reached Zhou Yuang's door.

As before, she knocked politely, said, "Excuse me," and went in.

Inside, she found Zhou Yuang asleep with his head on the desk.

Would the Streamer Get Doxxed in Real Life?

"...What a slacker."

Sleeping in his office?

Air Groove strode over and looked around.

Zhou Yuang's office was clean because he tidied it often.

He didn't want a messy room to spoil his Uma Musume's mood.

The only things that caught Air Groove's attention were Zhou Yuang, asleep at his desk, and the table in the middle of the room.

Two cups of tea on the table had gone cold, and an empty plate looked strangely spotless.

As an Uma Musume with a keen sense of smell, Air Groove could only detect the scent of tea, rice crackers, and another Uma Musume having been there.

Snacks with his trainee this early in the morning?

Plenty of Uma Musume were gluttons. That was nothing unusual.

Tracen's Cafeteria stayed open from the start of classes until the end of the school day.

So Uma Musume went there to eat at practically any hour.

Air Groove let it go. At most, she could remind him to clear the dishes.

A tidy room suggested this trainer didn't keep terrible habits. Why, then, was he sleeping at his desk?

Air Groove went over.

She was a strict Uma Musume, but that didn't mean she lacked manners.

Her mother had been a true empress among Uma Musume, so she, too, had to carry herself like one.

Pride was fine. Poor upbringing was not.

Air Groove leaned closer and caught a scent.

"This trainer wears perfume?"

It was faint but pleasant, easing some of the irritation the messier offices had left her with.

She looked at Zhou Yuang and noticed a notebook pinned beneath his arm.

A notebook? His handwriting!

She suddenly remembered that AT had written out a pile of plans and advice for Silence Suzuka to study in front of everyone.

Of course, he hadn't kept that knowledge to himself, either. He'd taught the other Uma Musume in the Livestream Room, too.

The Uma Musume watching the livestream could all see Zhou Yuang's handwriting.

So she reached out.

But at the sight of him still asleep, her hand paused.

Carefully, she touched the notebook and slowly slid it free.

Once she was sure Zhou Yuang hadn't woken, Air Groove began to read.

The writing was beautiful, but nothing like AT's. Doubt crept over her face.

This isn't AT's handwriting. But don't some people write differently depending on the situation? Couldn't someone easily produce two or more styles?

She still had no real lead.

She stared at the training plan, her head beginning to ache.

The truth was, Zhou Yuang took care with everything. His disguised voice differed from both his usual voice and his radio voice in pace, and even his handwriting and habits were unlike his normal ones.

She studied the training plan a little longer. Its thoroughness and precision gave her another idea.

But what kind of place was Tracen?

The Central Uma Musume Academy was arguably the most competitive place around. Which trainer who got in wasn't a talent on par with a University of Tokyo graduate?

Any one of them could have become an elite professional outside of training!

Even if this trainer was talented enough, that proved nothing on its own!

I should follow the president's approach after all.

Air Groove regretted acting on impulse.

The president was as dependable as ever. Her method was far better than Air Groove's foolish one.

It tested the trainer's composure directly.

"Let's see how this trainer reacts, then."

Air Groove reached out and shook Zhou Yuang's shoulder. With an Uma Musume's strength, she had no trouble waking him.

Before Zhou Yuang could move, Air Groove quietly set the notebook back on the desk.

The slightest movement of his arm would shift it, so he wouldn't suspect she'd read it.

An Uma Musume's training plan was practically confidential. Anyone caught stealing one would earn a bad reputation.

Air Groove knew what she'd done was wrong, but she had no intention of telling anyone.

That way, she wouldn't really be betraying him or his Uma Musume.

She had only checked the handwriting.

"Excuse the interruption. I'm from the student council, here to inspect the trainers' offices."

As Zhou Yuang raised his head, Air Groove promptly gave him a polite explanation.

She also showed him the authorization Rudolf had signed.

But Zhou Yuang froze for an instant when he heard her voice. He looked up and saw the beautiful Uma Musume standing before him.

I got bored at work and took a nap. Then I woke up to an Uma Musume who'd threatened to hunt me down in real life standing before me.

Folks, does anyone know what I'm going through?

I only ended the stream a little while ago. How has this Uma Musume already tracked me down?

Zhou Yuang was utterly bewildered. The stream had exhausted him, and he'd wanted a short nap. Instead, he'd barely slept before opening his eyes to that stern empress.

Um... Can I beg for mercy?

Back in my previous life, when I played the Uma Musume mobile game, I took you to the A Finals plenty of times. You were one of my favorites.

Could you cut me some slack?

Zhou Yuang kept those thoughts to himself. Saying them aloud would give him away.

"Uh, you are?"

He switched to his usual voice, calm and mature.

He questioned the Uma Musume he knew so well as though they were strangers.

"Air Groove, vice president of Tracen's student council. I'm here to check the trainers' offices for prohibited items."

Air Groove politely showed him the slip Rudolf had approved.

Zhou Yuang blinked. Prohibited items?

I see. So it's a search?

She showed up right after my stream ended. I'd have to be an idiot not to suspect a connection.

"I see."

As he spoke, Zhou Yuang examined the search authorization.

Rudolf's signature was elegant and graceful, just like her.

Rudolf's helping her, too. Hmm.

The president and vice president were already making rounds?

Maybe they were hoping to stir the waters and see what surfaced.

If he slipped up at all, they'd probably invite him in for questioning.

Interesting. But I won't let them catch me that easily.

"Go ahead."

Zhou Yuang made no objection and let her search.

The room was clean and held little besides racing materials.

There was also a work computer, which he used only for looking up information and basic office software.

Apart from a certain box the Three Goddesses had just given him, there was nothing in the room to fault.

Yes, apart from that box full of Rings.

If Air Groove saw the Rings, their sheer number would leave her no room to argue. She'd arrest herself on the spot.

Anyone with that many Rings would look suspicious, no matter how you looked at it.

Zhou Yuang had put the box away in the desk drawer right in front of him.

He'd placed it there before his nap and stacked other notebooks on top.

Normally, an inspection wouldn't involve turning every drawer upside down. If she did ask about it...

"Hm?"

Zhou Yuang noticed that his notebook had shifted, but gave no sign.

Whether he'd moved it himself or Air Groove had didn't matter. He had something else to do now.

He rose as though to help with the inspection, then clumsily knocked his notebook containing Oguri Cap's plan onto the floor with his elbow.

"Oops."

Something had fallen. Naturally, he had to pick it up.

Zhou Yuang bent down, drawing Air Groove's attention.

She looked over instinctively. The notebook had fallen open when it hit the floor.

At the sight of its densely filled pages, Air Groove felt a pang of guilt.

She wondered if she should leave at once.

"I only just wrote this training plan. I was going to give it straight to her."

Zhou Yuang muttered deliberately. Uma Musume had excellent hearing; as long as he spoke clearly, she would catch it.

That girl? Your Uma Musume?

Come to think of it, I never checked which Uma Musume those trainers worked with, did I?

Air Groove suddenly remembered something. Did Silence Suzuka have a trainer right now?

If I keep an eye on Silence Suzuka, won't AT eventually come to me?

Air Groove turned from the bookshelf she'd been inspecting and looked at Zhou Yuang.

He wasn't devastatingly handsome, but he had a certain charm.

Air Groove, who now suspected every trainer of being AT, couldn't help wondering.

He could easily get by on his looks or fool girls. Suspicious.