That afternoon, Fujiwara Chiya stood in front of his team.
"Today is endurance training. The destination is Shinjuku. You'll run to the hill there and back. Around 30 kilometers."
"Thirty kilometers!?"
That sounded like a death march. Gold Ship groaned loudly.
"Thirty kilometers isn't that hard for you. It's harder for me," Chiya said, patting the bicycle behind him. "I'll follow the whole way. No one falls behind. You get a 30-minute break in the middle. Got it?"
""Yes.""
Even Gold Ship answered along with the others, though she clearly wasn't happy.
After organizing the group, Chiya glanced over them. Mejiro Dober stood at the back. Compared to the first day, she wasn't as distant anymore. She could at least respond when spoken to. More importantly, she was standing with the group, looking at him. That alone was progress.
Chiya nodded to himself. Looks like taking it slow was the right choice.
"Alright, let's go."
He got on his bicycle. The moment he pushed the pedal—
Crash!
Man and bike went down together.
Chiya lay on the ground, staring blankly at the sky.
"What are you doing, Trainer? Chain came off?" Gold Ship asked as the others turned back.
"…No. That's not it."
He checked the bike, then got back on. The moment he stepped on the pedal again—
Crash.
He fell again.
"…Trainer, don't tell me you can't ride a bike?" Gold Ship stared at him.
"No, I can. But… what's going on?"
The moment he got on, his sense of balance completely vanished. He tried a few more times. Riding used balance through the pedals, while walking and running used balance through the body. The contradiction made it feel like his body was splitting in two. Like riding for the first time all over again.
"Trainer… maybe you should relearn how to ride first."
"Wait. Movements are stored in muscle memory. Even if someone loses their memory, they don't forget how to ride a bike."
After falling more than ten times, Chiya finally managed to move forward, covered in dust. Gradually, he adjusted to the conflicting sense of balance.
"…Alright. Let's go."
"That fast!?"
"Onii-sama… amazing." Rice Shower looked at him with admiration.
"Easy," Chiya snorted. Still, he had a feeling this kind of thing would happen again.
"Doto, keep up. The rest point is just ahead. Hang in there."
"Yes!"
At his call, Meisho Doto pushed forward. She was drenched in sweat, her body overheating. Compared to the others, her build made running more taxing, especially with the added weight on her chest. Even so, she stayed with the group. That alone showed her ability wasn't lacking.
"Alright, here we are."
Chiya stopped in front of a convenience store. "Take a break. Thirty minutes, then we head back." He parked his bike.
"Excuse me… five bottles of tomato juice."
"Alright."
Inside, the gray-haired shopkeeper nodded. A convenience store out here in the middle of nowhere was strange enough. The first time Chiya saw it while planning routes, he thought it was a shrine.
"Are you here to pray?" the old man asked as he handed over the drinks. "If so, offering fried tofu is best. The gods will grant you blessings."
"I'm not here to pray. Wait, there's a shrine nearby?"
"Of course. That path leads to it." He pointed outside toward a narrow trail hidden in the trees. "Fewer people come these days. Seems like everyone's forgotten about it."
"…I see."
Chiya thought for a moment. Even if it wasn't one of the Three Goddesses, gods in this world were real enough. If it could bring him luck, it was worth a try.
"…Then I'll take some fried tofu."
"Thank you."
After handing the drinks to Rice Shower and the others, he said, "Don't wander off. I'll be back soon."
"Got it."
He climbed the shrine steps.
"…This is long."
After a few hundred steps, he finally reached the top, breathing heavily. No wonder no one comes here. Hidden location, endless stairs.
Still, he had come this far. Might as well pray.
Please let me train an uma musume who can reach the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Just as he made up his mind—
"OOOOOOOOOOH!!"
A shout echoed from inside. Then an orange-haired girl rushed out.
"That shining badge on your collar… that uniform… you're a trainer, aren't you!?"
Chiya blinked. He didn't expect anyone else to be here. Between her starry eyes and the daruma ornament on her head, she looked oddly familiar.
"If we met here, then that must mean you are my destined person!"
"…Destined person?"
What kind of pickup line was that? Though, meeting here did feel oddly fated.
"…Who are you?"
"Ah! I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Matikanefukukitaru! I've been waiting here for my destined person! And now, we've finally met!"
Her eyes sparkled.
"…Don't tell me by 'destined person' you mean—"
"Yes! Become my trainer!" she cut him off immediately.
"Great fortune, great fortune! My destined one, please form a contract with me and become my trainer!"