"So, have you noticed? After drinking that unpalatable aojiru, you have to eat cake. But eating cake makes you gain weight easily, so you have to do extra training… Without stamina from extra training, she'll give you something else to drink…"
Mejiro McQueen's lips trembled slightly as she glanced at Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond, speaking in a low voice.
"Uh, so Miss McQueen, you all worked so hard to achieve your current accomplishments…" Satono Diamond said awkwardly.
"Besides that, she has many other quirks. For example, before every race, she makes me remove my horseshoes, and she takes them in her hand and does something with them before giving them back to me. I've checked many times, and the horseshoes haven't changed at all, but she just insists on doing it."
"Perhaps it's some kind of ritual or prayer habit?" Kitasan Black said.
"No, I suspect she either has OCD, or there's really something wrong with her here."
Mejiro McQueen pointed to her own head.
"We cannot understand human thoughts."
"Then Miss McQueen, do you feel anything different after racing with those horseshoes?"
"I don't feel anything different, it's the same as before. But, I don't know if it's an illusion, after the race, the accumulation of race experience feels more and more proficient."
Mejiro McQueen said, always feeling that this shouldn't have anything to do with Sakura Bakushin O.
Kitasan Black listened and felt that she could barely accept it, so she continued to ask:
"It sounds like Trainer-san only does strange things to her own team members. Then why did the senior we asked for directions today seem so resistant to her?"
"Wow, you haven't seen it. Trainer-san's favorite thing to do is harass Horse Girl from other teams, either by staring from afar without saying a word, or by making them do some very strange things," Tokai Teio said.
"Like what?"
"For example… for a while, Trainer-san loved to follow Miss Opera O. She didn't even try to hide it, she just followed her constantly. Even when Miss Opera O went into Canopus's training room, it was the same."
"This scared Miss Opera O, who came over to ask what was going on, but Trainer-san said nothing was wrong and told Miss Opera O not to mind it."
"And then?"
Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond also felt a bit eerie.
"Then, one day Miss Opera O accidentally bumped her nose and got a nosebleed. Trainer-san quickly went over and handed her a tissue, and then stopped following Miss Opera O."
Kitasan Black & Satono Diamond: "???"
"This story has a beginning and an end, but what does it mean? I don't understand."
"That's just how it is, that's all. I suspect Trainer-san just wanted to see Senior Opera O bump her nose, who knows…"
Tokai Teio spread her hands, indicating her helplessness.
"Oh, I have a question, what does our team name TCB actually mean? Why are other team names single words, but only ours is so strange?" Satono Diamond asked.
"TCB stands for Thousand Cherry Blossoms, which translates to Senbonzakura."
Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded behind the four, answering Satono Diamond's question.
The four turned around in unison and saw Sakura Bakushin O's familiar face.
"Senbonzakura originates from the magnificent sight of wild cherry blossoms in full bloom in Nara Prefecture, Japan. People call it 'Ichimoku Senbonzakura' to describe the beautiful cherry blossom scenery. And I hope that you all, like those cherry blossoms blooming all over the mountain, will blossom in your own colors."
Sakura Bakushin O pointed her thumb at the cherry tree behind her, explaining with a smile.
"Wow!! What a cool name."
"Trainer-san must be very knowledgeable, right?"
Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond's eyes immediately filled with admiration when they heard Sakura Bakushin O's explanation.
They felt that this team's name had a much higher prestige than other teams named after stars.
"Train hard."
Sakura Bakushin O was naturally happy to see her team members' admiration, so she placed her hands on their shoulders and encouraged them.
"Yes, she's very knowledgeable. Trainer-san can even write songs."
Tokai Teio complained, crossing her arms.
"Really? That's amazing!!"
Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond's eyes immediately filled with stars upon hearing this.
Sakura Bakushin O's excellence greatly exceeded their expectations.
"Do you want to listen to a song written by your admired Trainer-san?"
Mejiro McQueen asked the two with a clearly disdainful expression.
"Uh… that won't be necessary, right?" Sakura Bakushin O suddenly felt a bit awkward.
"Yes, yes, yes! Please let us hear it."
At this point, Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond were unwilling to refuse, their eyes shining.
Mejiro McQueen took out her phone and started swiping on the screen.
"This is a song our 'knowledgeable' Trainer-san wrote for the disciplinary committee chair, Sakura Bakushin O. Feel it."
As she spoke, she clicked play under the expectant gazes of the two junior Horse Girl.
Only a series of wild sounds came from the phone:
"Bakushin! Bakushin! Bakushin! Bakushin! Bakushin! Bakushin! Bakushin! Bakushin! Bakushin! Bakushin!"
Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond looked as if they had been struck by lightning, their mouths and eyes wide open, instantly petrified.
This song was too brainwashing, one could even say it was a form of mental pollution.
Kitasan Black even initially thought her phone was malfunctioning.
Sakura Bakushin O saw the expressions of the two Little Horse Girls who had just joined the team, and her face felt an indescribable heat.
However, giving this song to Sakura Bakushin O allowed her to complete an achievement and earn system points.
Otherwise, she would never have done such a thing.
She said awkwardly:
"It's not bad, Miss Sakura Bakushin O seems to quite like it."
"Yes, she likes it. Sakura Bakushin O likes it very much, it's said that she listens to her own recording of this song on repeat for over twenty times every morning and evening. Reportedly, Sakura Bakushin O's roommate has already started plotting how to assassinate the author of this song."
"You're exaggerating too much, hey!"
Sakura Bakushin O felt a chill down her spine and quickly shouted in protest.
"So, Trainer-san, you can clearly write good songs, and we can tell you're actually quite knowledgeable, getting into Tracen Academy at such a young age. So why don't you write some good songs?"
Mejiro McQueen asked Sakura Bakushin O with a clear look of disdain on her face.
"Hehe, McQueen, let's go, take the juniors to weigh themselves. And while I'm at it, I'll see how much weight you've gained since Arima Kinen, having been idle until today?" Sakura Bakushin O showed an expression of disdain remarkably similar to Mejiro McQueen's.
Mejiro McQueen's cheeks flushed upon hearing this, and she quickly said loudly:
"What could I do? Teio and I both broke bones after the Arima Kinen race! Today is only my first race since recovering, I've only just resumed training recently!"
"Good that you know," Sakura Bakushin O chuckled softly.
Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond beside them were both a bit stunned, not expecting that Mejiro McQueen, who usually appeared to have the demeanor of a young lady and a strong sense of personal principles, could be so easily manipulated by Sakura Bakushin O.