...
On Ines Fujin's side, she was also carefully observing.
Passing in front of her at that moment was Nice Nature.
When entering the corner, Nice Nature displayed astonishing core strength and sense of balance.
The angle at which her body tilted was just right—effective enough to counteract centrifugal force without over-tilting and affecting the next burst of power.
"Very stable, Nature!" Ines Fujin walked forward and handed Nice Nature a towel. "Your power control is excellent, but you can try releasing a little more explosive force the instant you exit the corner. The connection will be smoother."
"I understand, Ines-senpai." Nice Nature nodded modestly.
Next came Meisho Doto. Although she was a soft and fluffy big cutie in both speech and manner, the way she took the corners was extremely domineering. She even plowed deep marks into the grass.
Yet the effect was surprisingly good—she used absolute power to make up for any technical shortcomings and forced herself to maintain high speed through the turns.
Ines Fujin also handed a towel to Meisho Doto and said:
"Amazing, Doto. If this is your style and it's still within your comfort zone, then keep maintaining it and improve it little by little."
"Arigatou~ I'll do my best! ٩(๑^o^๑)۶"
...
After the corner training ended, next came core muscle group training.
Plank holds, Russian twists, squats, walking lunges, calf raises... Lucian assigned all of them to the Uma Musume. Gradually increasing the load like this could improve both muscular endurance and explosive power.
When the final set of training finished, the only sounds left on the field were waves of heavy breathing. Lucian looked at the group of panting, flushed-cheeked Uma Musume. "Are your muscles sore?"
"Not sore!" Haru Urara wiped the sweat from her face and answered first.
Twin Turbo, however, exaggeratedly moved her joints and complained, "Sore to death. It feels like my arms aren't even mine anymore! Just like two noodles..."
Although she complained a lot, she had completed the training tasks with exceptional seriousness. Every movement was standard and precise, and sweat had long soaked through her sports tank top.
"Being sore is correct—it means it's effective. Turbo still has the energy to complain about being sore, which means you can still train more. So add one more set."
"What the heck!? Trainer, ask the others. They're definitely sore too!" Twin Turbo showed her signature little fangs and shouted.
Nice Nature said in a completely uninvolved tone, "Not sore. No one is going to be sore just because Twin Turbo added another set."
"Very good. Urara and Nature aren't sore, which means the training intensity was only a warm-up for you two and you haven't trained enough. For the sake of fairness, you two will also add two more sets." Lucian understood how to liven the atmosphere and "torture" the team members equally.
A black line immediately appeared on Nice Nature's forehead as she closed her little mouth.
Haru Urara, who had originally been looking forward to praise, immediately pouted in dissatisfaction. "Trainer, why do we have to train even when we're not sore, and also train when we are sore? You're a big bad guy!"
"Urara actually got that right." Lucian turned to look at the group of Uma Musume who hadn't spoken yet. "What about you all? Sore or not sore?"
It was only a joke. In the end Lucian didn't actually make the Uma Musume do extra training. However, while he was teasing the others, Twin Turbo had already finished half a set, and that was no longer his business.
After the corner training, next came team pacing training.
For example, Suzuka would first lead for 1000 m, then Special Week would catch up and take over the lead position, while Suzuka practiced running behind and conserving stamina.
The team members took turns challenging and switching roles, training their ability to withstand pressure and learning how to wait for the right moment to overtake in the later stages.
...
After a full set of training, the afternoon quietly slipped away in sweat, heavy breathing, and the ache of muscles.
During the final muscle stretching, everyone seemed able to hear their tendons and bones letting out satisfied yet exhausted groans.
But today's training had officially ended.
"Trainer, we're not going to watch races again tonight, right... Urara completely can't take in any more." Haru Urara lay face-down on the table like a dried salted fish, feeling the coolness of the tabletop.
"Gurgle~" A loud sound broke the brief silence.
Special Week's cheeks flushed bright red in an instant. She embarrassedly covered her stomach. "Trainer-san, I… I..."
"Gurgle~" Her traitorous stomach protested again.
"I'm going to the toilet!" Special Week could no longer sit still. She abruptly stood up and fled in a hurry.
"Eh, Spe-chan..." Lucian only managed to call out half a sentence before Special Week had already disappeared. He could only look at the remaining Uma Musume and say, "No need to watch races tonight. After dinner the time is all yours. You can relax properly. But remember, you must be asleep before ten o'clock. Only guaranteed rest can guarantee training results."
He paused and met everyone's expectant or hungry gazes. "As for dinner... you can go now. Everything is ready. You go ahead first. I'll go find Spe-chan."
...
Although she said she was going to the toilet, Special Week had actually just found a small corner in the courtyard and was waiting for her stomach to stop wailing before going back.
Lucian found her and happened to discover her. "Spe, what are you doing hiding here?"
She was hiding beside a cluster of Chinese roses, looking as if she had come to relieve herself.
"Trainer-san… my stomach keeps making noise..." Special Week slowly raised her head when she heard the voice. A thin layer of moisture still shone in her eyes. "It's so embarrassing."
"Does hiding here make it stop making noise?" Lucian laughed. "We can eat now. Everyone has gone to the cafeteria. Let's go too."
"Trainer-san..." Special Week grabbed Lucian's hand.
"What's wrong?"
"I want… a kiss, because... there are still so many days before we can go back." Special Week spoke timidly.
"Hmm? But today is only the first day, isn't it? Training camp will last at least half a month... Has Spe-chan already reached her limit?"
If it was about this matter, Lucian suddenly had all the patience in the world. He deliberately slowed his tone, carrying a hint of teasing.
It was all play. Everyone present was part of the game.
"It's not... I just want to kiss Trainer-san." The urgency of time pushed Special Week to take action quickly. "Please, Trainer-san, don't tease me anymore."
"Alright. Considering how hard Spe-chan trained today, I'll give you a little reward."
Lucian slowly leaned closer. Special Week, however, couldn't wait any longer and bit down on his lips. Like a newborn infant with no manners at all, she simply followed the most primitive instinct.
Just like Lucian himself had been that afternoon in Ines Fujin's room—completely savage.
...
Special Week's soft lips pressed against his with desperate hunger. Her hands clutched the front of his shirt tightly as she kissed him with none of her usual gentleness. Her tongue pushed into his mouth almost immediately, wet and clumsy and eager, licking against his as if she had been starving for this exact taste for days.
Lucian's back met the wooden wall of the courtyard. Special Week pressed her entire body against him, soft breasts flattening against his chest, thighs parting so she could grind the heat between her legs against his thigh. A small, needy sound escaped her throat every time their tongues slid together.
"Trainer-san... more..." she breathed between kisses, already sounding dazed. "I can't wait half a month... I really can't..."
Her hand slid down between them, palm pressing firmly over the growing hardness in his pants. She rubbed him through the fabric with clumsy, urgent strokes while continuing to kiss him like she was trying to devour him. The soft heat of her pussy ground against his thigh in the same rhythm, leaving a damp patch on his clothes.
Lucian finally took control. He turned them so Special Week's back was against the wall, then slipped one hand under the hem of her sports shorts. His fingers found her already soaked folds and slid between them easily. Special Week's whole body jerked. A broken moan poured into his mouth.
"Ah—! Trainer-san's fingers..."
He pushed two fingers inside her while his thumb circled her swollen clit. Special Week's hips immediately started moving, fucking herself on his fingers while she clung to his shoulders and kissed him with even more desperation. Wet, lewd sounds filled the quiet corner of the courtyard.
"So wet already, Spe-chan..." Lucian murmured against her lips. "Were you thinking about this during training?"
Special Week could only nod frantically, eyes half-lidded and glassy. Her inner walls clenched tightly around his fingers every time he curled them. Within less than a minute her breathing turned into short, panicked gasps.
"I'm— I'm going to...!"
She came hard, thighs trembling violently as her juices coated Lucian's hand. Her mouth fell open against his in a silent cry, body shaking through the waves of pleasure. Lucian kept gently working her through it until she finally went limp against him, panting hard.
Only then did he slowly withdraw his fingers. Special Week watched with flushed cheeks as he brought those glistening fingers to her own lips. She obediently opened her mouth and licked them clean without being told, eyes never leaving his.
"...Thank you, Trainer-san," she whispered, voice still shaky. "I feel a little better now."
Lucian wiped the corner of her mouth with his clean thumb and smiled. "Good. Now let's go eat before your stomach starts complaining again."
Special Week nodded, still looking a little dazed and thoroughly kissed, then followed him back toward the cafeteria with slightly unsteady steps.
...