Slacking Professionally at Tracen [42]

After dropping Agnes Digital off at the infirmary, Kitahara Sota glanced at the time and immediately announced the group dismissed.

Usually, even after his dismissal, he’d be the only one to leave. The Uma Musume would stay behind to chat or head out somewhere together.

But today, perhaps overwhelmed by all the information they'd just absorbed, each of them quietly departed after brief farewells, scattering back to their rooms—except for Eclipse, who properly accompanied Kitahara back to his dorm, as always.

Even after returning, however, none of them fell asleep quickly.

...

...

“Oguri Cap, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing really. Just a little hungry.”

“Did you not eat enough at dinner? I still have some left if you—”

“No, I ate plenty. But somehow... I’m still hungry.”

...

“Tachyon, did something good happen today?”

“Something good? Hmm... not exactly good, but definitely something interesting.”

“Oh? Mind sharing what it is?”

“It's like finding a guinea pig someone carelessly discarded on the road.”

...

“Teio, you're in high spirits today. Did something nice happen?”

“No, not really, Kaichou. Just heard a really interesting story, that’s all.”

“I see… By the way, how's your trainer doing? No further attacks, right?”

“Nope—and there won't be anymore! Because the Invincible Teio-sama will definitely protect him!”

...

“Special Week, you...”

“Uuuuu, Suzuka, do you have any extra carrots? I didn’t get enough dinner…”

“Did something happen?”

“I don’t know! Grass-chan seemed distracted tonight and gave me way less food than usual! My stomach’s growling… Suzuka, please share some carrots with me. I’ll do anything…”

Incidentally, since Silence Suzuka was busy today, Grass Wonder had been taking care of Special Week instead.

But clearly, Grass Wonder had missed another opportunity.

...

Under the rising moon, each Uma Musume drifted off to sleep with their own thoughts lingering in mind.

And soon enough, the sun rose once again.

Tokai Teio woke bright and early, immediately starting her morning routine.

Let’s be clear—she had no particular thoughts about her trainer.

But since they’d be heading out today—possibly even shopping—it was only natural for her to look her absolute best. Otherwise, it would damage the Invincible Teio-sama’s image!

For clothes… Let’s pick that set I usually don’t dare wear.

After dressing up meticulously and bidding farewell to her still-sleeping roommate, Teio left the dorm and headed to the agreed meeting point.

But as she approached, she noticed a figure already standing there, causing her steps to slow and her eyes to narrow.

Although Kitahara had mentioned last night that he hadn’t just ordered a racing outfit for her—Eclipse and Agnes Tachyon would also be joining them—Teio had mentally prepared for that. Even though she felt a faint sense of irritation at the idea, she hadn't let it show.

What she hadn't expected was how shameless Agnes Tachyon could be.

The normally sloppy Agnes Tachyon was wearing an outfit Teio had never seen before—and clearly had spent plenty of effort getting ready!

Her messy hair was neatly tied back into a short ponytail, adorned with a delicate white ribbon. Her clothes featured a charming mix of beige and white, with hints of gray blending smoothly in. Beneath her loosely draped blouse were shorts paired with dark stockings, and completing the look were casual shoes tinged slightly pink.

With this new appearance, not a trace of the eccentric mad scientist remained.

Unlike the mature style Tachyon had sported last time, she now resembled an oversized, adorable hamster, the type you’d instinctively want to pet upon sight.

Unbeknownst to Teio, Agnes Tachyon had similarly noticed her arrival, narrowing her eyes in equal suspicion.

Who would’ve thought that innocent-looking Teio-san had this side to her?

Teio’s hairstyle remained mostly unchanged, but she’d obviously put significant effort into her preparations, her hair still slightly damp at the tips.

She wore a white dress paired elegantly with a soft-pink cardigan, and as Tachyon drew closer, a refreshing scent gently wafted from her.

Though Agnes Tachyon wasn't deeply knowledgeable about perfumes, she could easily recognize this fragrance wasn't some cheap off-the-shelf product. Moreover, she’d never smelled it on Teio before.

As expected, this little brat has her eyes on my guinea pig.

As expected, this mad scientist is targeting my Trainer-san.

Both girls simultaneously thought similar things, smiling pleasantly on the surface, yet hostility clearly smoldered beneath their calm exteriors.

Shortly after their silent standoff began, two more figures arrived, momentarily surprised.

“Why are you two here so early?”

For a moment, Kitahara worried he’d mistakenly arrived late, quickly checking his phone only to find it was still half an hour before their agreed time.

“Just woke up earlier than usual.”

“Had nothing better to do, so I came early.”

The two spoke simultaneously.

Kitahara shrugged, paying no further attention, completely ignoring their unusual efforts at dressing up.

Girls always liked dressing up when heading out, didn’t they?

Compared to those two, Eclipse was far less normal. Although she'd changed clothes, her style remained as monochromatic as ever—pure black. Her wardrobe had no other colors, only varying shades of darkness.

As for Kitahara himself…

He dressed casually as always, putting virtually no effort into appearance, starkly contrasting the carefully groomed pair.

I’m just taking measurements, and we're visiting an acquaintance's shop anyway. Why bother dressing up nicely?

Looking slightly shabby is actually helpful—it leaves a poor impression, reducing the chance of attracting unwanted attention. Less trouble overall, so why inconvenience myself?

But the next moment was somewhat unexpected.

“Trainer-san, your collar’s crooked.”

Tokai Teio suddenly stepped close, gently straightening his collar with delicate fingers. Raising her head, she flashed an adorably exaggerated look of displeasure.

“You should be more careful about your appearance, Trainer-san. Otherwise, when I start winning races, those reporters might mock you, or worse, other Uma Musume might even dislike you.”

That’s exactly my intention, though…

Kitahara silently complained, but outwardly nodded along. After all, Teio’s logic was perfectly reasonable—his sloppy appearance could indeed reflect badly on her as his Uma Musume. It was understandable she'd be upset, so he didn’t suspect her actions at all.

Agnes Tachyon, however, felt differently.

Sensing Teio’s occasional ‘accidental’ glances toward her, Tachyon narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, before stepping close to Kitahara herself, smiling innocently.

“What do you think of this outfit today?”

“It’s nice. Why?”

“Doesn’t it look familiar?”

“Of course it does,” Kitahara shot her an annoyed look. “Isn’t that the outfit you kept pestering me to help pick out? How could I not recognize it?”

The moment those words left his lips, Tokai Teio’s movements instantly froze.

---

T/N: LMAOOOOOOOOOOO

This is a fan translation of 人在特雷森，专职摆烂 by 多功能复读机 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!