It was just an ordinary, common thing, but Silent Suzuka couldn't take her eyes off it.
Like a thief, she slowly shuffled her feet towards the table, making sure Uralala and Special Week wouldn't turn around.
Closer, closer...
Silence Suzuka, what are you doing...?
The voice in her head instantly sobered her up from her trance.
"Silence Suzuka, what are you doing over there?"
Special Week's voice came from behind her. Silent Suzuka let out a sigh of relief, suppressed the tension and unnaturalness in her heart, and then turned her head, "Nothing, I, I'm going to call the Trainer in."
...
Lu Jue had no idea about the changes in Silent Suzuka's heart.
After he entered the training room, he asked everyone to sit down and held a small meeting.
"So, there's no training scheduled for this weekend, but there's a physical examination that everyone needs to come for. I'll come pick you up then."
"The second thing is that we'll start recruiting new team members this weekend. If you're free then, please come and help out."
The three of them were clearly interested in the latter matter.
Uralala said, "Recruiting new team members!? Trainer, how many team members are we recruiting this time?"
"One."
Lu Jue had thought it through. He simply couldn't spare too much energy to guide other Uma Musume, especially when there would be more team members in the future.
Question Tojo Hana, understand Tojo Hana, become Tojo Hana.
"Does anyone have any suggestions for the test?" Lu Jue asked again.
Uralala raised her hand, "Let's play dodgeball! Those who get hit are eliminated!"
"That's a good idea."
"Right, right, Trainer, you also think my plan is feasible!"
"Mm, next one." Lu Jue directly rejected it, ignoring Uralala's petrified expression.
Special Week thought for a moment and said, "How about a race?"
"That's possible, but only a speed competition?"
Lu Jue didn't have any good ideas either. He probably would end up adopting the race method in the end.
It was simple and direct, while other testing methods would be much more cumbersome.
"Silence Suzuka, what about you? What are your thoughts?"
Lu Jue looked at Silent Suzuka.
He found that Silent Suzuka was a bit too quiet today.
Although she was usually quiet, she would still actively say a few words. But now, she hadn't said a word since he entered the training room.
"I...don't have any."
She had no thoughts, but she did have many random ideas.
All directed at a certain item still placed on the table.
"Alright." Lu Jue rubbed his forehead, his gaze inadvertently falling on the silver whistle. He casually put it into the cabinet.
And Silent Suzuka's gaze involuntarily followed it for a while, until the whistle disappeared from her sight, only then did she snap back to reality.
Silence Suzuka, oh Silence Suzuka, have you gone crazy...?
"Then let's dismiss." Lu Jue suddenly remembered something. "On the evening of the physical examination, if you're free, you can come to my house for dinner. I'm treating everyone to dinner."
The benefits offered must naturally be delivered.
"Yay, I'm definitely coming!"
Special Week had long heard about Lu Jue's cooking skills, so she certainly wouldn't miss out. "I'm free, I'm coming too."
As for the remaining Silent Suzuka, it goes without saying.
"Then that's all. Everyone go back early."
...
The training arranged by Lu Jue was like a roller coaster.
After reaching its peak intensity, it began to slowly decline.
Continuous high-intensity training was also not entirely suitable; it needed to be interspersed with basic training.
Time quickly came to Saturday.
In the afternoon, "Dream" began its first new team member recruitment.
What he didn't expect was that Seiun Sky actually came.
Besides her, there were no other Uma Musume familiar to Lu Jue among the registered participants this time.
It seemed his publicity was still lacking and failed to attract more famous Uma Musume.
Today's test held no suspense, but it still had to follow the procedure.
"Xiao Te, go stand at the starting line."
Applying for and transporting the starting gate was too much trouble, so Lu Jue didn't use it this time.
"Okay."
"Hey, wait, here's this whistle for you. Use the whistle sound as the starting signal." Lu Jue had indeed gone to the equipment room to look for a starting gun, but he couldn't find it.
It was probably because it wasn't used in races.
"Mr. Lu Jue." At this moment, Silent Suzuka suddenly spoke, "I'll go to the starting line."
Lu Jue looked at Silent Suzuka in confusion, then nodded, "Alright."
Although he didn't know why Silent Suzuka was so eager, she was much more reliable than Special Week.
"Here's the whistle for you." Lu Jue added, "Don't worry, it's new, never been used."
"Oh."
Silent Suzuka's expression didn't change much, but Lu Jue still detected a hint of something unusual in her tone.
And why did the surrounding air suddenly get so much colder!?
A chill made him feel quite uncomfortable.
...
The test began.
Due to the large number of participants, the test was conducted in groups, and finally, the one with the shortest time was selected.
As Lu Jue said, there was almost no suspense in this test.
All participating Uma Musume were swept away by Seiun Sky.
"Seiun Sky, welcome to 'Dream'."
"Just lucky, you know." Seiun Sky put her hands behind her back, her face very relaxed. "But I still prefer the Trainer to call me Little Seiun."
"Cough cough... Little Seiun." Lu Jue scratched his cheek. This move by Seiun Sky caught Lu Jue off guard. "There's not that much luck on the racetrack."
"Trainer, will I also receive gifts like Xiao Te and the others?"
"You didn't just come for this gift, did you? You wouldn't leave the team after getting the gift, would you?" Lu Jue asked suspiciously.
This kind of behavior was like pulling out after getting what you want.
"Hehe, of course not~" Seiun Sky smiled sweetly. "So Trainer, you still haven't given me an answer."
"Of course there will be gifts; that's a formal welcome."
"Then I'll look forward to it~"
"Okay. Oh, by the way, there's a physical examination scheduled for tomorrow, as well as a team building event in the evening. You should come along too."
Seiun Sky's eyes lit up, and her eyes narrowed into slits from her smile. "It seems I came just in time."
"That's right, you caught all of it." Lu Jue also smiled. "Alright, quickly put on your clothes, you can leave now."
"Mm-hmm."
The two parted ways.
Seiun Sky looked back in Lu Jue's direction again.
It wasn't some gift that attracted her.
"But...the weather today is really a bit chilly." Seiun Sky mumbled, quickly putting on her clothes.
...
In a corner where Seiun Sky didn't notice.
Silent Suzuka was quietly observing her.
Her innate gentleness prevented Silent Suzuka from disliking anyone casually.
Therefore, there was no hostility or resentment in her gaze towards Seiun Sky.
Instead, it was filled with a sense of crisis, and a trace of self-doubt.