"Bwahahahaha!"
Gold Ship laughter filled the empty streets as we walked back to Tracen.
"You were like this!" She said, imitating me, "Then like this and bwoooo!"
"Come on, come on!" Teio intervened, "She did pretty well!"
For a moment, this felt both strange and dreamy at the same time. I was walking down the street with the game and anime characters I had come to love. The only thing I still don't know is... at which point in time are we right now? Are the events of the anime canon?
'And if things can't change, and supposing it still hasn't happened, is Teio destined to repeat her lessons? Or that already happened?'
"See, Golshi, you made so much fun of her that she is all silent now," Said Teio, looking at me.
"Eeeeh!? That's not it!" I said hurriedly to clear the misunderstanding, "It's just... thank you for the help."
In the end, I don't dare to go and ask her if she has already suffered any injury, it would be too fishy. And even with all their help, they might just see me as a classmate or maybe just a stranger who needed help.
"Hehe," Teio smiled, all happy for her help being recognized. "I can't help it. If you really are going for the triple tiara, then you have to be prepared. That's what the president would say."
"Heee, how did you know about that?" I asked, now a little worried 'Did the rumor already spread?'
"Your trainer was too happy in a meeting and told ours," Said Gold Ship while searching for something on the phone.
So Aoi had told the other trainers, well... there is a bit of a competition between the trainers to see who has the best trainee. And Aoi is young, so she probably is dying to prove her worth, or that makes sense to me. But I can't help to feel worried, I don't want to drag more attention than needed, at least for now.
'But that rumor spreading helped me to get acquainted with these girls...'
The dance practice ended up being very demanding, but once I got the basics of it wasn't bad, actually, it was fun. I would love to repeat the experience, but I don't have the courage to admit it. I'm used to talking to people through a screen and headphones, but just going and talking with people is still strange for me... if it's not work, of course.
After some minutes, we were able to go back to our dorms, where we separated.
...
...
...
"Say, Teio," Gold Ship, who had been fidgeting with her phone, looked to her companion for a moment, a little confused.
"Yes?" Answered the brilliant racer.
"Did you perceive anything strange in that girl?"
"Strange? How so?" Asked Teio 100% confused.
"Mmmm, forget it..."
"Come on, let's find McQueen. I bet she is back now."
Gold Ship looked back at the place where Happy Meek had disappeared a couple of moments ago, it was strange for her, very strange indeed, but she had felt some kind of connection with Meek, not the same she had felt with McQueen when she scouted her for the team... she hadn't felt this in a long time... but the connection was there.
'Oh it's probably that... that girl...'
...
...
...
As I walked back to my room, I felt a disturbance in the force, and a chill ran through my spine. It's the first time ever I felt like this, but I didn't want to look back.
(Optional Quest: Go back, and you will find something interesting)
"Reject!"
Every time, or well, almost every time this cheap system appears is to give me more work. I trained during the morning, and I danced till recently; now I just want to go back to my room and have some fun watching some shows.
(Your bond with Tokai Teio has improved by 5 points. Your bond with Gold Ship has improved by 20 points.
"Eh?"
I can't quite get the grasp of this. I had worked like 90% of the time with Teio, while Gold Ship just played or watched other things. Why did it rise with her, and more than Teio... maybe I was a pain in the neck to Teio? The chill came back, now I feel a little uncomfortable, better just go back to my room and go back to bed, it would be no good if I caught a cold.
'The problems ain't there if I don't see them. Eyes that don't see hearts that don't feel'
And so I rushed toward my room.
...
...
...
Aoi was having a troublesome day. She had managed to get the spot for Flashy Step's debut, but for Happy Meek... it would have to be almost the same day or wait for almost a whole month. The decision was hard, but this year, many new umas are competing, and many of them are very talented, so the competition would be hard.
"Uuughh..." She didn't want to admit it, but being a trainer was more challenging than she had initially thought. Of course, she had to study a lot to get her licence, but... "Preparing plans is such a heavy task."
She knew Flashy could win. No, she knew she would win, but... she felt that Meek's talent was huge, call it trainer intuition, but...
'For some reason, when I think about her debut, my heart feels heavy. Aoi gave a sip of her coffee and looked at the data she had collected. Happy Meek had so much potential, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel as if she was dealing with a glass cannon, like she could collapse at any minute, and not because she was weak... but that was a fear in her mind...
"Should I inscribe her?"
Meek had declared to have a bold objective; it was admirable, but it seemed as if she didn't believe she could achieve it, or that was her impression. Thanks to that, Flashy had a sudden growth spurt, her results were suddenly better, probably thinking she had to compete harder... which suddenly made her into a very popular girl in the academy.
"What would grandpa do?" Her legacy from a family of trainers burned bright between what she was taught to do and what she wanted to do.
If she rushed Meek, she would break. She gave herself a couple of soft hits on both sides of her face and came to a conclusion.
'I chose to believe in her.' She still harbored doubts, but if she doesn't trust in Happy Meek, then she is not worthy of being her trainer.