"A ramen shop?"
"Yeah. I found a good one while having a photoshoot nearby."
"I'm fine with any ramen. It's been some time since I had my last proper Japanese ramen."
The quartet arrives at a small ramen shop hidden among Tokyo's many alleys. What makes it even more hidden is that it is sandwiched between 2 office buildings that rob it of sunlight and moonlight.
*Ring* *Rung* *Ring*
"Excuse us."
"Welcome!!"
"..."
"..."
Silence rains inside the store as the clerk behind the counter greets her customers. Both Ellerslie and Folkqueen are confused as to why Shichi and her boyfriend froze in place upon seeing the clerk.
"Fine Motion, you better have a good explanation for this."
The Ramen Princess from Ireland was the one who greeted the group. Her soft brown hair framed her face on both sides while a soft white streak fell through the center. On both ears, she wore a three-leaf clover pendant to proudly display her heritage from the Land of the Leprechauns.
"Uuuh… Ahh… Shaka!! Please help me!!"
"Huh?! I'm helping you with… this… stupid… idea…"
"I'm waiting for the explanation, Air Shakur."
The other umamusume behind the counter is Air Shakur. An umamusume with spiky and messy black hair. She is the umamusume who completely relies on logical thinking instead of wishing for illogical miracles–most of the time, as when it comes to Fine Motion, all of her logic goes out the window.
"...I can't…"
"Is there anyone else who I need to know?"
"Hey!!"
*BAAAAM*
"Why are you stop making money!?!?! Oh hey, trainer."
"Sigh…"
*Crack* *Crack*
"I have a hunch that you have an involvement in this, Goldship."
The young man wished he would not be seeing one of his trainees' faces here, but he knew he would be wrong considering who was on his team. The Crazy Joker breaks through the door like a horrible boss yelling at her employees.
"Time to put you in your place, Goldcrap."
"Oh!! We're doing this!?! Let's go!!"
The trainer and trainee enter a fighting stance. They lowered their center of gravity, extended their left legs forward, and pushed their left hand toward the enemy while keeping their clenched right fist near their bodies.
Wait a second… Why does this look similar to the last fight in Raid 2?
The 2 stare deeply into each other's eyes. The atmosphere gets thicker and thicker until no one can breathe from the anticipation.
*Thump*
The first one to move was the young man as he threw a slap to his enemy's face.
Goldship quickly hopped back before jumping to the side of the young man.
The young man swung his leg to attack his trainee, but the trainee swiftly ran forward and jumped above the incoming attack.
"Tch!!"
The young man was expecting a counterattack as Goldship was standing behind him, but he got nothing as Goldship bust out the Joestar's legendary technique.
"NIGERUNDAYO!!!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"That's your boss, Shakur?"
"Fine was the one who dragged me into this. Goldship said that the owner of the stall needs our help."
"And you believe her?"
"The more you spell it out, the more illogical it gets… I couldn't believe how low I had fallen."
"Sigh…"
The young man enters the back room where Goldship burst out of. He found a tied-up old man squirming like a worm out of the earth.
"Sigh… I'm so sorry for this."
"AH!! Thank you!! A crazy umamusume tied me up!! We need to call the police!!"
"Don't worry. I'll crush her skull later. For now, can you make six bowls of ramen for us?"
"Huh? Suuuuurreeee…?"
"Good."
The young man was so tired that he didn't bother trying to explain anything to the confused old man. He just casually exited the back room and sat down, contemplating his life choice.
"What did Goldship say to convince you, Air Shakur?"
"She said the owner needed some help."
"And you just believe her, huh? Sigh… both of you get here and away from the counter."
"Aaaww… But I want to make ramen…"
"If you come here, I'll talk with Akikawa to give you permission to sell ramen at the academy."
"Really?!??!!? Okay!!"
"Air Shakur, I'm disappointed in you."
"Don't worry, I'm disappointed in myself, too."
"I always forget how chaotic Japan is compared to New Zealand."
"Please don't think that this is normal around here…"
With the original clerk back at his station, the entire group sits down at one of the large tables that can seat 8 people. The owner shows his years of experience by swiftly serving 8 bowls of ramen in under 10 minutes.
"Sniff… Aaaahh~~ This smells amazing!! How did you do it?! Please teach me!!"
"Shut up and eat, Fine!!"
"Sigh… Sluuurrrrrpppp~~~"
"MMmmhhh~~ This is very good. Your timing skill is bad, but your tongue is good."
"You make a mistake once, and no one will forget about it. You girls are bitches."
"Similarity attracts each other, it seems."
"Sslllluuuuurrrrpppp~~~~ Mmmmhhh~~~ So how come you have another trainer when you're still under contract with your current one, Gold City?"
"Eh? Gold City is a member of Team Minaz?"
"She isn't. I'm just a contractor to her, Fine. She pays me a lump sum of money in exchange for a personalized training menu."
"You can do that?!"
"Nobody specifically said I couldn't."
"But you are still under contract with Tracen Academy, no?"
"I'm training an umamusume who is attending Tracen Academy, no? Is there anything wrong with a trainer from Tracen training an umamusume who is attending Tracen Academy? Isn't that what I've been doing this entire time?"
"But… you're being paid by her…"
"If you think I'm working for free, then girls, do I have something to tell you about jobs. This might sound cRaZy to you, but adults do their job mainly for financial reasons. I know~ I know~ It's very eye-opening, isn't it?"
"Your sarcasm is annoying, Trainer Igo Heita."
"I love you, too, Air Shakur. Ask a stupid question, receive a stupid answer."
"Then, Gold City, why did you ask for a training menu from Trainer Igo Heita? Is Trainer Muyaku refusing to train you?"
"Not necessarily. How do I say this… Muyaku could no longer satisfy my needs. Trainer Igo is the one for me."
"Then why didn't you break your contract with him and make a new one with Trainer Igo Heita?"
"Good question. Would you answer in my stead, Trainer?"
"She is annoying. I don't want her on my team. Isn't that right, Ellerslie?"
"Correct."
"Fucking twats! Okay!! I don't want to be on a team with a trainer who puts his trainees against each other!!"
"Are you putting your trainees in a boxing match, Trainer Igo Heita?"
"You girls are runners, Fine. Why would I put you girls in a boxing match? Any match between you girls would be in a race."
"Like in Takarazuka Kinen, yes? So that's why your nickname is The Villain!!"
"If you think that's bad, he is signing up two of his trainees to run in the Kikuka Sho when one of them is on her way to obtaining the Undefeated Triple Crown."
"Why did you do that? Mejiro McQueen is on her merry way to becoming the next Undefeated Triple Crown."
"Because I want to be a better trainer."