THE GOLSHI EXPERIENCE

by crabster7th

Summary:

A brand new trainer straight out of school tries his luck applying at one of Japan's most prestigious schools, Tracen Academy. After a short interview with the surprisingly young director, he's accepted on the spot and is sent to work and find his first trainee.

Spending time doing nothing but making spreadsheets and educating himself on the school and its students in general, he's finally pushed to choose an eccentric, challenging, but overall silly Uma Musume, Gold Ship.

After just a day of working with her, it's clear it's going to be a tough challenge... Will it work out? Will he be a great trainer and help lead Gold Ship to her future victories and comfort her through her losses, or will it end in something bitter? Perhaps more?

Notes:

NEW EDIT: Just realized how fucking sloppy this was lol, I'll eventually remake this so in the meantime uh... have fun reading a short chapter

Chapter 1: I got the job?

Tracen Academy, one of Japan’s most prestigious academies for Uma Musume… Wow, this place is large! As a recent trainer, you have yet to actually train any Uma, but that's gonna change once I’m accepted by the Director here, right? Maybe? This application might be a bit stretched considering my little to no experience. Oh well! Better to do than not to do. I’ve been sitting in this office for a while, and the little pamphlets are getting stale. I should probably go up and ask.

Just as I'm about to get up and ask how much longer I have to wait for the interview, I get called up by the receptionist at the desk.
“ Alright… Sir? Director Akikawa will see you now. “

I grab my suitcase and straighten my tie as I stand up from my chair, walking right up to the office door. I breathe a sigh and straighten up before opening the door and entering.

The Director has her head on her desk, audibly sighing and mumbling about paperwork. I clear my throat, trying to get her attention. She quickly realizes that she still has an applicant left and straightens herself out.

“ Oh! Forgot I told my receptionist to send you in here. Come sit, please! “
She signals with a hand to one of her chairs.
I gladly take one, waiting for the questions I have long prepaid myself for.

“ So you're applying for the position of trainer? Awesome! Do you have any prior experience? “
My stomach drops. This is the one question I was dreading.

“ I… the thing is I don't… have any. I have studied, though! Let me just get my papers organized… “
I rummage through my briefcase, looking through pre-written papers I have studied.

“ Please! I don't need those fancy papers to know who would make a good trainer. Let's talk about what you want to do if you become a trainer. “
She leans forward, looking into my eyes with a stern gaze.

“ I… I guess I want to make my trainee the best there is? “
I return the look with an awkward face.

“ No personal goals for yourself? Your priority is your trainees? Nothing comes to mind? “
She looks at me with a hopeful look instead of the previous stern one.

" I mean... what would I get? pictures? I find that the best way to better both a trainer and trainee is to focus on building a bond and working together. "
I regain my confidence and give my best answer.

" Hm... Your hired! Congratulations! Welcome to our academy's fine roster of staff! You start immediately! "
She jumps from her chair, shaking my hand while grabbing her phone, typing in something I can't make out. She now leads me out to the waiting room.

" Tazuna! he's hired! Get him to work immediately! Show him around! "
She now pushes me into her assistant while she walks back to her office. I can hear her talking to what I assume are the other applicants to tell them they were not accepted. I barely get any time to process what just happened.
I'm hired? now? I barely spent a minute in there... and now I'm being sent off?

" Well, congratulations! Welcome to the Trachen Academy. I'll show you to an office that is available and give you a tour of the rest of the academy. "
She begins walking, directing me to follow her around the Academy. This is gonna be exciting!

Chapter 2: Off to a... start.

Summary:

You've reached your humble workplace, which definitely needs some work put into it.
You continue talking to Miss Hayakawa and make your way to the track to learn a little more about the day-to-day life of the students here.
A quick tumble down a flight of stairs allows you to meet one of the academy's quirkiest characters...

Notes:

Decided to do another chapter because Its summer and I got nothing else going on, once again please let me know if anything looks weird so I can improve on it!

After being handed to the Director's assistant, we begin our walk to my office so I can begin work. Walking outside and seeing all of the students really shows just how large this place is. While I am lost in awe at the place, the assistant turns her head to face me somewhat.

“ So, this is our beloved academy and your place of work starting now! We do hope that you enjoy working here alongside our students. “
She says, with a large smile and raised eyebrows.

“ I’m sure I’ll enjoy working here, miss… “

“ Hayakawa. Pleasure to meet you as well. “

A few minutes pass as we walk through the academy, finally reaching a passage of offices. Sweet! I can finally get one of those fancy workrooms I see on the internet!

As Hayakawa opens the door to introduce me to the office, my mind fills with black leather chairs, a beautiful mahogany desk, giant TV screens… the works! I’m filled with glee and take a step into the office to see… It's just… a rundown classroom. My heart shatters at this realization that I'm still a new trainer and this was to be… expected.

“ Sorry for the mess! We usually try to get these cleaned in time for our trainers to set up. I hope it isn't a bother? “
She looks at me with disappointment

“ No, no! It's fine! I’m sure I can clean it up in time. It’s no bother! “
I turn around to face her and wave my hands around, assuring her it's fine.

“ I hope so. Well, I’ll be back in around one hour to give you the rest of the tour and what you will be doing, is that enough time? “

“ Yep! Thank you, Miss Hayakawa. I’ll see you then. “

“ See you then. “
She waves goodbye before closing the door, leaving me to my new workspace.

You look around the room to see it covered in school desks, a chalkboard, scattered paper signs, pencils, etc. Thankfully, there's a somewhat empty trash can right next to your feet at the door. You pick it up and start walking around the room, picking up trash and tossing it into the bin. Once you've got all of the trash, you push all of the desks together in a far corner of the room, all except for the teacher's desk, pushing that one in front of the chalkboard. You grab a random chair and set it right behind the desk.

You grab your phone to see how much time passed… 22 minutes? That's it? You look around the room to see if there's anything else you could clean, but there really isn't a whole lot left. You go to the chalkboard and erase the small scribbles with your jacket before sitting down in your chair. You didn't eat a large breakfast, and you could go for some food… I wonder if there's a teachers' lounge to eat at? Or should I just stick here…

You dig into your jacket's pockets, finding a peppermint and a roll of Smarties. You quickly pop both the candies into your mouth and throw the wrappers into the trash can, kicking your feet up on the desk. This is a pretty neat job so far… is this how it's gonna be the whole time? You open your phone and start scrolling on social media, liking the occasional post about cats.

After scrolling for what felt like ages, you take a look at the time, and it's almost 40 minutes after you got to your workspace. Jesus…I need to learn when to quit scrolling for so long. You quickly straighten up and plop your feet back on the ground. You totally forgot to set up your workspace with the contents of your briefcase, so you quickly open it and lay down some papers and your laptop. Just as you finished setting up, Miss Hayakawa opens the door.

“ Hi there! I see you cleaned the room up. It looks good. “
She glances around the room before finally ending the sentence, looking back at you

“ Thanks, took me a little bit, but I think it looks fine for now. “
You stand up, pocketing your phone and walking towards her.

“ Well, are you ready to finish the tour and meet the Umas here? “

“ Yep! Very excited to get started. “

“ Great, follow me. “
She starts walking down the hall as I follow suit.

The walk itself is very enjoyable, learning some historical facts about the academy and answering any questions I had about schedules and the work itself.

After a couple of minutes walking, we reach the Academy's track and make our way down to the gate to watch the Umas who are currently racing or training on the track.

“ Well, here are some of our fine students and possibly one of your trainees! Our students usually tend to spend most of their time out here once they finish the classroom for the day. “
She glances at me before looking out at the students on the field.

“ Usually we don’t have trainers your age, but maybe you’ll be able to connect better with the Uma’s.

“ Well, I hope so! I wouldn’t like to be a bad trainer. “
I chuckle slightly before also gazing at the students.

“ Well, I’m sure you’ll do great. Now, I must get back to the Director, so if that's all, then I think you're good to continue and find a trainee! “
She starts walking off back to the original path we took.

I’m not able to get a word off before she's already outside talking range. So… I guess this is officially the work day. You glance back at the track and the girls before walking back towards your office. Just as you reach the final step, your foot slips and you are sent tumbling down the concrete steps. You tumble down and finally hit the bottom of the stairs like a sack of potatoes. You can hardly move, and your whole body aches. All you can spit out is a weak groan before reaching your phone. It's only been an hour and thirty minutes, and you have already hurt yourself.

Just as you put your phone back in your pocket and begin to stand up, a pair of legs appears in front of you, you look up, and it's Uma who is looking at you curiously.

“ Did you mean to fall or is this some kind of new way to relax? If it's the latter, then it doesn't seem that relaxing… “
She reaches out a hand to you

You quickly grab her hand, and she pulls you up on your feet. You dust yourself off before looking back at the Uma.

“ I did uh… not mean to fall… Nor is it a new way to relax. “
You rub your left arm and crack your neck

“ Hm… Well, my Radar led me to you… Are you a new trainer or something? “
She looks enthusiastically at you

You look at her, confused by what she meant by radar, but ignore it.
“ Uh yeah, I am a trainer… my name is- “

“ I’ll just call you trainer! No need for a fancy introduction! “
She smiles, holding a hand out

You shake her hand, noticing that she was one of the Uma’s on the field.

“ Good training out there… Uhm… what's your name? “

She looks baffled that you don't know her name

“ What?! You don't know the mighty and all-powerful Gold Ship? What kind of joke is this? “
She looks legitimately puzzled and stares at you

“ Eh… can't expect every person to know my name… but soon they will! “

You're still puzzled by this random behavior… Is she trying to get a reaction?

“ Well it was nice meeting you, Goldship. I’ll see you another time. “
You quickly wave bye before walking back up the steps, taking your time to make sure you dont slip.

“ Bye Bye! You're lucky I didn't have my sack! “
She waves bye at you before running back to the track

Did she just say sack? What? Jesus, maybe I got a concussion.

You slowly walk back to your workplace before finally reaching the door. Opening it and promptly sitting down. You open up your laptop and start work on a detailed list of training regimens for several categories. Today started off great, then… kinda turned weird. Oh well… I guess you get all kinds of characters here at the academy.

Chapter 3: Packed Schedule

Summary:

After starting his second day on the job, the Trainer gets a chance to train his first Uma
Going down to the track to meet the Uma, they receive a shocking answer

Notes:

Whats up guys! decided to pump out more slop, just like before point out any mistakes so I can improve and fix it but other then that, enjoy!

Tracen Academy, March 19th, 9:25 AM JST.

You're back in your “ Office “ continuing work on different regimens for any kind of Uma you will have to train. Ranging from Track to Dirt, Sprints to Miles, that kind of stuff. It becomes quite boring after looking up an exercise for different muscle groups and typing it down, but you persist with a single cup of coffee and a peppermint. You still have time to look around for who you want to be your trainee… Some Uma’s you’ve seen around the Academy do look capable.

You're still copying and transferring workouts to Google Sheets when someone knocks on the door. Getting up to open the door and see who it is, you see Miss Hayakawa from the day before with a notepad in her hands.

“ Hey there, trainer! How's work? Found anyone who could be a potential trainee? “
She looks at me before scanning my desk and the room.

“ I mean… not a whole lot… I’ve mainly been working on completing a training regimen for different conditions. “
You rub your neck, slightly embarrassed since it seems that you're delaying.

“ No worries, a lot of trainers usually have cold feet trying to find that perfect Trainee. What about at the track yesterday? Did any of them catch your eye? “

“ Well… not a first, no. However, this girl came up and seemed… quirky? “

“ Quirky…? Oh! Did you mean Gold Ship? “
She was confused at first before realizing that the Uma I met was most likely Gold Ship

“ Yeah… Gold Ship. “

“ Hm… Maybe you should go see if she’d like to be your trainee? It seems you two were already introduced, so she might agree. “
She looks at her notepad, flipping through what appears to be names of the students here

“ Here, this is what her schedule is, so whenever you're free, you can go look for her. If she doesn't work out, then there are some other names on the paper you can go ask! “
She hands me a list of several people with their corresponding schedules, with Gold Ship’s at the end of the page.

“ Oh well, I will go check it out. Thanks, Miss Hayakawa. “
I look at her with a small smile

“ Perfect! See you another time, Trainer. Bye! “
She waves at me before walking down the empty hall, making her way around a bend until I cannot see her.

I close the door and walk back to my chair, plopping down on it while holding the paper up to my face. Really though… Gold ship? She seems a bit… challenging for me. Maybe that's good, right? I can really give it all my all on this and learn some stuff you wouldn't normally learn when trying something basic! This is definitely going to work out.

You look at the schedule and it's time, trying to find a free time or when she's down at the track. Starting at 2:30 to 4:00, she's on the track… I’ll go check it out when the time arrives. In the meantime, I gotta keep doing this Google sheet stuff… That’ll be awesome.

While waiting for the clock to hit 2:30, you quickly abandon doing your research and instead sit around on Social Media, watching cooking videos, cat videos, and several other somewhat related posts. You also packed a quick meal so you didn't have to do dishes, mainly just ziplocs of meats, cheese, bread, and fruits, but it does make you feel great.

After spending most of the work day on social media and eating a makeshift charcuterie board, your phone’s alarm lets you know it’s 2:30. Show time… You quickly pocket your phone, throw the bags into your trash can, and start making your way towards the track.

The walk itself isn’t anything special, just students talking with each other or walking to their next activity. What gets me is my thought process. I’m filled with a mix of regret and fear. Should I go? Should I go and try to get the same person who seems psychotic to be my trainee? My head spins and spins for several minutes until I arrive at the track at around 2:34.

I head down the same steps I fell just the day before, making sure not to slip on the worn edge of the steps. I can make out a few students who have just arrived, but no sign of Gold Ship. I make my way to the small barrier between the track itself and the viewing area, pulling up my phone and checking my notifications.

Maybe this wasn’t a good idea, I’ll just find someone else on the list to scout…

Turning around to make my way back where I came from, I spot Gold Ship sitting in a chair a couple of steps above, fidgeting with a Rubik's Cube.

“ Excuse me, Gold Ship? Is that you? “
I wave a hand, trying to get her attention

“ Hm? Aren’t you the trainer from yesterday? The one who fell down the stairs? “
She looks up from her Rubik's Cube with a slight glare

“ Uh.. yeah… Mind if I come up there? I’d like to talk to you. “
I put my hand down, waiting for her approval so as not to seem pushy

“ Of course! I always need an entourage of supporters, but you should do just fine. “

I begin to make my way up the steps, finally reaching her section before sitting down next to her.

“ So… What does the curious trainer want with the GLORIOUS and amazing Golshi… “
Her gaze is fixated on nothing but the Rubik's Cube

“ Well, I’m a new trainer and I was wondering if you already… had one? Or did you need one? “
I spew out random words, which make me overly embarrassed

“ Eh? The new trainer wants to try and help the mighty golshi? Brave but… foolish. “
She lets out a small smile and chuckle, still fixated on the cube

“ Is that a yes? I’m not trying to push you into saying yes or anything, totally up to y- “

“ Sure. “
What? Just like that, she said Sure? Why? What? I’m… so confused.

“ S-Sure? You’ll be my trainee? “
I was taken aback, surprised that it took this little effort

“ Why not? I have no trainer currently, and plus… it’ll be funny pranking you. “
She finally looks up at me, smiling slightly

“Let's shake on it. “
Her smile widens

I hold out my hand, still unsure of what is going on.

Just as I make contact with her hand, I’m shocked right on the hand, I shoot out of my chair and hold my hand. There isn’t anything wrong with it, and as I look back at Golshi’s hand, I see a smaller buzzer right on her palm.

“ Got you! Hahaha! God, that was funny! “
She leans back, crying and laughing at my expense

I’m slightly annoyed, but still can't help but smirk seeing how much Golshi is laughing at this.

“ Alright… I’m done… Phew… So, are we off now? “
She catches her breath, now standing up and looking at me

“ Are we off for what? Training? “
I’m slightly confused about what she means, glancing over at the track

“ No! I wanna see what kinda place you got here! Let’s go check out that mahogany desk and 24-inch TV you have! “
She continues with her small smile

“Don't you have to train? Your track time has just started. “
I look at my phone's time, seeing it's only been a few minutes since she got here

“ Psh… trainings for losers and peasants, which I am none of, thank you very much. Now lead the way! “
She points to the stairs, waiting for me to show her to my office

“ I… sure, fine. Let’s go. “
Still slightly annoyed, I cave in and decide to lead her to my office.

While walking, she talks about a flurry of topics ranging from Arcades to Michael Jackson in just 5 minutes. Just as she wraps up her deep conversation about Michael Jackson's attire and how it affected the price of the yen, we finally reach the door to my office.

“ Well, here's my Mahogany Desk and 24-Inch TV you wanted to see so much. “
I open the door with a sarcastic tone, revealing a somewhat decent-sized classroom with a pitiful desk and chair.

“ Not what I expected… but it’ll do for the magnificent Golshi! “
She steps into the room, taking it in before walking around and observing everything

She falls into a long and somewhat undirected rant about room decoration and the price of microwaves. After a few minutes, I’m able to get her attention, and I’m finally able to begin questioning her about her training regimen and how she runs.

We spend several hours hanging out in the office, ranging from how she runs and other race-related questions to the sinking of the S.S. Atlantic in 1873. Once it reaches 4:30, it's time for her to head on out and back to class.

“ Welp! That was a good talk. Perhaps you're not too bad… Not! “
She chuckles at me once more, now grabbing her belongings and heading to the door

“ See ya, Golshi. We can figure out a good training schedule for tomorrow. “

“ Sure. I know my leaving will devastate you, Mister Trainer… but don't dwell on it! For I consider you one of my best serfs… good day, peasant! “
She opens the door before walking down the hall

“ Bye, Golshi. See you tomorrow! “
I shout down the hall so she’s able to hear me

I spend the rest of my workday working on several small, detailed workout plans for Golshi, grabbing the occasional protein bar, and the packed meats I had. Once I finish up, I start my drive to my small downtown apartment. Once I finally arrive inside, I start quietly cleaning up whatever I had in my room before falling asleep. Maybe she’s alright…

Chapter 4: Semi-Official trainer/trainee!

Summary:

After spending several grueling hours working, Trainer needs to get a meal for the first time from the cafeteria
Meeting back with Golshi, you begin your first Semi-Official training session down by the track

Notes:

Whats up again guys, sorry this one took a little bit longer then usual, I wanted to make sure this chapter seemed perfect! Like before please do point out anything that sounds weird at all but other then that, enjoy

Tokyo, March 20th, 4:39 AM JST.

I wake up in a daze, quickly reaching over to my phone to turn off the alarm that has been ringing for the past four minutes. I close the alarm and jump out of bed. I spend around half an hour taking a shower, getting clothes on, and packing the essentials for my first true day at work. I stumble out of the door and hop in my car.

The drive takes around 15-20 minutes, depending on traffic to reach the Academy. Once I reach the parking lot, I lock my car and grab my bag before stepping out and making my way to my office. On the walk to my little workspace, I see other staff waking up and preparing for the day, exchanging a nod with anyone passing near me.

I make it to the office and step inside, walking over to my chair and plopping down. I open my phone to see what the time is… 5:36. I usually try to beat Six O’Clock to keep myself on top of the ball, which so far has seemed to help. Welp, time to get started…

Hours and hours pass while I continue doing the same thing I was doing before, reading up on exercises and the best regimens to train certain muscles. It’s not like I don’t know how to do this, but these past few days have taught me to keep busy.

Finally, after several hours of videos, articles, and weird blogs, it’s just hit lunchtime, and I decide to fully check out the cafeteria since I didn’t pack enough to keep my hunger at bay. It’s a small walk to the next building until I reach the cafeteria. It’s jam-packed with dozens and dozens of students eating at tables. I’m able to spot the kitchen and make my way up to the group of cooks changing food trays.

“ Excuse me, are you the cook? I’m looking to get some food. “
I look at the men and then around the food trays they are holding

“ Yeah, your staff, right? “
One of the men speaks up and looks at me

“ Yeah… I’m still trying to learn the ropes, and I don’t know the whole process on how to get food here… “
I’m slightly embarrassed, putting my hands in my pocket and glance around

“You're good… whatcha want? Food options are on the board to your left. “
He points an edge of the tray he's holding to my left, showing a list of different options

“ Oh! Thanks, let me see… “
I look at the board, seeing the different options in front of me

It has the basics, rice, different meats, toppings, and vegetarian options. I decided to play it safe and order plain rice with chicken. I receive my food and thank the chef before turning around and scanning the place, looking to see if there are any staff at a table or if they eat in a completely different room. It seems they do eat in another room, but that raises another question: where? And should I continue to bother the cooks? Would they even know?

I decided not to deal with the hassle and look for an empty table somewhere in a corner so as not to disrupt any of the students. I’m able to spot a table slightly down the room to the right, where I sit down and prepare to eat.

Just as I’m about to pick up my utensils, a shiver goes down my spine and rattles my body. I’m about to dismiss it as a random breeze hitting me until I hear someone to my left calling out, “ Trainer. “

Oh my god, why now?

I glance to my left and see Gold Ship walking over to my table with a decently sized tray of food in hand. She makes it to the table and sits down in front of me

“ Look who it is… Trainer! Didn't expect to see you here. Don’t you pack little bags of food or something? “
While talking, she grabs some chopsticks and starts poking around my food

“ I usually do… can you stop poking my food? “
I grab my own chopsticks and push her’s away

“ I can’t even play around? What a shame… so what happened? You forgot your extravagantly packed meal? “

“ I’m not saying you… nevermind. Yes, I did forget my packed baggies of food. “
I put a hand on my cheek, holding my head up with the other hand, picking at my bowl of food

“ I see… would you care for a fishcake? I didn’t mean to get one. “

“ Eh… sure, why not. “

I lean over and grab the fishcake, holding it up to my mouth before taking a bite. At first, it tastes like a normal fish cake, but that quickly fades away as a rush of spice hits my mouth. I cough out the chewed bits of fish cake and plop the rest of it on my tray, coughing slightly.

I look over at Gold Ship only to realize her face is on the table with her hands holding her eyes. I can hear her feet kicking around on the floor while she groans in pain.

“ Gold Ship? Are you… okay? “
I sit up, reaching a hand over

“ You hit my eye! You coughed up the spicy mustard in my eye, Damn you! “
Her voice is muffled, but I can still make out what she said

“ Oh… Sorry… Can I get you something? A napkin? “
I grab a napkin from my tray and hand it to her

“ Augh… It burns… “
She grabs the napkin, wiping the residue off. She quickly blinks to get her eyes back to working mode.

I sit in silence, embarrassed and upset that I caused this. First REAL day with my trainee, and I caused her to get hurt? God, I suck at this!

“ Wow, that hurt… But nothing stops the great and mighty golshi! Not even bits of spicy mustard fish cake! “
She sits up tall and proud, laughing with her hands at her side.

“ Jesus… Sorry I did that, care to y’know… eat? “
I grab my chopsticks again and grab a portion of chicken and rice.

“ Yes… I need to recharge after that brutal battle. “
She does the same, this time with a slightly larger portion

Lunch is pretty good, most of it is spent talking and learning a little bit about each other. Ranging from personal food favorites to each other's favorite kind of fish. It lasts an hour and a half or so until we finish up our food.

“ Well, that was pretty filling… guess you gotta go now, right? “
I glance over at Golshi, quickly cleaning up the napkins and my chopsticks at the same time

“ Go do what? “
She looks at me, confused

“ Don’t you have a schedule? Like for your class and stuff? “
I look back at her, confused as well

“ Of course I have classes, Other than that I’m free to do whatever my heart desires! “

“ So… what about your track stuff… isn't that also a part of your curriculum? “

“ Nope! That's just what I usually do. “

“ So you… Didn't have to leave yesterday? “
I’m still very confused, but she looks less so compared to before

“ Not at all, just decided we talked long enough! Plus, I had to train for an important task. “
She looks smug, raising her chin at me

“ And that was… what? “
I’m still confused about what she's saying

“ To find Eden, of course! God, some of you peasants need to read up on mystical lands… “
She jumps up from the table and walks off to the trash can

I do the same and follow her, putting my empty bowl and tray together on a dirty plate stack.

“ I’m not gonna ask, I’m sure you’ll explain it to me eventually. Now, do you have class or are you ready to start training? “
I now push up from behind her to her side now, looking over to her as I follow

“ Well… I do have one more class to attend… But after that, I will give whatever training you had in mind a try. “
She looks ahead with her arms tucked behind her head

“ Great, when can I expect you at the track? “

“ Uh… 2:00? I spend a couple of hours doing whatever I must do before going to the track. “
She ponders to herself in her head before finally coming up with her answer

“ Great! I’ll see you then. “

Just as I’m about to leave and get my papers ready, I’m stopped by her grabbing the back of my shirt.

“ Hold on! Let’s shake on it to really… confirm the time. “
She looks around a little before finally looking at me

“ Uhm… sure? “

As my hand reaches her, the same jolt from the day before hits my hand. I once again jumped back before realizing it was another shocker toy.

“ Bwahahaha! I got you! Gosh, that was funny! “
She’s laughing hysterically, walking the other way to her class

As I watch her walk off, she's still laughing insanely hard and mumbling about her greatness. I make my way back to my office to grab my laptop and backpack before quickly making my way back to the stands at the track.

The track is almost entirely empty except for Golshi, who is sitting in the front row of the stadium. I walk down the steps before standing next to her.

“ Alright… ready for a day of training? “
I look enthusiastically at Golshi, who is back at her Rubik's Cube

“ Sure… Let’s see if you have any fun ideas or not! “
She stands up from her chair before jumping over the barrier to the field

“ Okay… let's do some stretching and do a fartlek? “
I glance at my already opened laptop before looking back at Golshi

“ Eh? The insanely talented Golshi doesn’t need to stretch! My body stretches when I’m training anyway… and what's a fartlek workout? I might be extraterrestrial, but I don’t know that language. “

 

“ What? I… okay just… Run around the track at different paces, and we can figure out the other stuff when you're done. Does that sound fine? “

“ Hm… I’ll give it a try as not to discourage a poor sap like you! “
She gives me a quick smile before lining up at a nearby post on the track

“ Let me just get my timer… “
I put down my laptop on a seat before quickly grabbing my phone, opening the alarm app, and going to the timer area

“ In… 3, 2, 1, Go! “
I shout as I press the start button on the timer

She seems to be going decently fast off the bat, quickly gliding along the track. She continues this pace before slowing down near the halfway mark. So far she’s around 1100 Meters into the track and it just hit a minute and five seconds… She continues down the track with her slightly slower pace. It’s just hit 1500 Meters and I see her now bolting down the track at an insane speed, she seems to actually be trying? She’s able to keep this pace until the last 100 meters, where she kicks it up another gear, pushing herself slightly faster, it seems.

She bolts past the goal post, and I hit the timer right as she does. I look at her as she slows down and stops before looking back at my timer. She did a 1800-meter track in… Two minutes and two seconds? For her first training exercise with me?

I look back at Golshi, who is already rushing over to the fence. She gracefully jumps over it and stands in front of me.

“ So? What did you think of that? Pretty good, eh? “
She cracks a smile before slightly shouldering me

“ That was awesome, Golshi! You did that in no time! Take a look. “
I handed her my phone, displaying how fast she did the track.

“ Wow… This is so beautiful, I might cry… Not! There's much more work to behold, Trainer! “
She hands back the phone, looking back at me

“ I see… Well, I got some more we can do for the day if you're not tired. “

“ Hm… Fine. I expect better training than that! Like a Rubik's Cube… “
She laughs slightly before hopping back over the fence to the track

We spend several hours doing different endurance and speed exercises, chatting occasionally, and learning more about each other. After finally finishing up the exercises I had planned, I bid farewell to Golshi for the day before returning to my car. I spend a couple of minutes thinking about our first day as semi-official trainee and trainer. Of course, I’ve yet to fill out the stuff to make it official, so I’ll need to write an email tonight, but… still. This was kinda…special. I can’t really describe it, but working here and being Golshi’s trainer has brought a kind of happiness I haven’t really felt in a while. Maybe it’s just the fact that I’m about to have my first trainee? I don’t know.

I make my trip back to my house, opening up the door to my tiny apartment before immediately turning the light back off and landing face first on my mattress.

Shit, I gotta write that email.

Chapter 5: Feelings.

Summary:

After a distracted Trainer catches Gold Ship's attention, she must get him to feel better!

Notes:

Whats up guys, back with more SLOP for my fellow golshi enjoyers. Hope you enjoy!

Tracen Academy, March 31st, 2:31 PM JST.

It’s been around 10 days after getting Gold Ship as my official trainee, and… it's going fine. Most of the time it's just her messing with me and not doing any actual training. I’ve had to try to incorporate her interests into training, but it's moving at a snail's pace. It gets frustrating occasionally, but I can’t seem to hold a grudge or even feel angry at her.

However, with a race coming up next month, I need her to really try.

I sit on a chair next to a railing at the track, head facing the relatively clean ground. The daunting challenge of the Flora Stakes sits in my mind. I can’t stop thinking about it… what if Gold Ship doesn't win? Or does bad? What if she gets hurt? I would have failed not only as a trainer but as a friend! Are we friends even?

Just as I’m about to go down into a rabbit hole of insecurities of mine, I can see a shadow towering over me.

“ Hey trainer! What's behind your ear? “

I look up to see Gold ship now reaching over to my left ear

“ Woah! A real-life barnacle at Tracen Academy! I must neutralize it… “
She quickly grabs the hidden barnacle behind my ear and chucks it down the track

“ I did it… I saved the world… No need for congratulations, thank you enough, innocent civilians! “
She pats herself, bowing down to an imaginary crowd behind me

“ Was that all, Gold Ship, or are you done with training? “
I grab my clipboard from the ground below, looking at the time logged and what we still have left

“ Yeesh! tough crowd, tough crowd… Well, you seem down in the dumps, and I can’t let one of my many supporters be upset! That would reflect on me. “
She darts her eyes around and continues to flatter herself, looking back at me

“ Yeah, I’m.. sorry. I’ve just been distracted by the Flora Stakes coming up and- “

“ Say no more! I know what we must do. “
She puts a finger on my lips, takes it off, and jumps the fence to stand next to me

“ You gotta relax! Why don't we… go out on the town and find something to do! “
She pulls me up, leaning on me, before moving her hand around

“ I wouldn’t be against that… Got anything in mind Gold Ship? “
I finally cave in, shoving my stuff into my nearby backpack before throwing it on my back

“ Why yes! I do, my faithful supporter. “

“ Should we take my car? Or is it more of a walking distance? “

“ Hm… Let’s take your car to be safe… I need top-tier transportation to get here. Now off we go! “
She now grabs one of my hands, pulling me along towards the parking lot like a doll

What did I just get myself into?

After a few minutes of speed walking, we reach the parking lot and subsequently my car.

“ Might not be a presidential limousine, but it should suffice… unlock it! “
She rushes to the front seat of the car, waiting for me to unlock the car

I grab my keys out of my pocket and unlock the doors, watching as Gold Ship throws the door open and jumps in. I hop in the driver's seat and start the journey to downtown.

We spent a while talking about what the secret could be and if we should've picked up the toy barnacle from before. After almost 30 minutes of driving, we seem to be getting close to this mysterious spot.

“ Take a left here… then another left… go straight for two turns… then take a right… Now! “

We slowly pass by a small arcade down an alleyway. I glance at Gold Ship, who is staring right at me. I think I know what the surprise was. I sigh and take a quick drive to the nearest parking lot, now leaving and locking the car.

“ Let me guess… You didn’t bring your wallet, so you're making me pay for something you wanted to do? “
I now look at Gold Ship, who is on my side, seeing a small but faint smile

“ I mean… if one words it like that, it COULD be mistaken for that… But yeah, you're right. “
She looks back at me, smiling a little more than before

It’s a small walk until we reach the arcade's front. We enter and it’s pretty humble, a couple of racing cabinets, video games, and claw machines. I walk up to the desk and purchase a couple of tokens before returning to Gold Ship who was eyeing a plushie in a nearby claw machine.

“ Which one do you want? I’ll try to get it. “
I shuffle the coins in my hand, trying to grab two to insert into the machine

“ Gold ship must get precious… I’ll die without it… “
She starts pointing towards a small plushie of herself near the back of the machine

“ Sure… let's do this. “
I insert two coins into the machine before placing my hands on the controls

I take a second to get a feeling for the controls and move it towards the plushie. After a quick press of the drop button, it reaches around the plushie, slightly moving it a few inches towards the drop off before falling off the claw.

“ I got two more chances… “
I press the start button again, moving it back to the plushie

“ Please trainer! I need it! I’ll… consider doing actual training for a day if you get it!“
She pleads to me about the plushie, hands clasped together

I move the claw back to the plushie, dropping it once more. It gets a pretty good drip on the plushie, this time actually picking it up and moving it a lot further. It falls just shy of the drop-off and I’m forced to try with this final try.

“ Please, you MUST get it trainer! I’ll grab a real barnacle this time! “
She tries to threaten me, now releasing her hands from one another

The claw is moved back to the plushie once more, taking another second to prepare myself before dropping it. It reaches around the plushie, picking it up before moving back to the drop-off box. It barely holds on before being dropped right into the box.

“ Yes! You did it, trainer! I have another mini-me! “
She pushes one of my legs away from the chute, reaching in before grabbing her plushie self.

“ Alright… was that all you wanted or do you wanna get beat in motorcycle racing? “
I grab my wallet out of my pocket, shifting through a couple of bills

“ You dare threaten the mighty Golshi? You’ll regret that! “

We spend an hour or so playing racing games before going back up each time for more tokens, playing every game in the Arcade around ten times. At the end of the spree, we spent around three hours goofing around and starting challenges with each other. We step out of the arcade at around 6:14, now making our way back to the car.

I quickly unlock the door, opening the door before turning on the AC. Gold Ship does the same before sighing.

“ Welp… It’s getting late. I’ll drop you off at your dorm. “
I grab the wheel before sitting up right, getting ready to get back on the road

“ Eh… It’s getting late, and I don’t feel like dealing with an admin right now… what's your place like? “

What. The. Fuck.

Okay… don't panic, just… play it cool.

“ I uh… It’s pretty… okay, you know it's… good. It’s good. “
I try to make a coherent sentence but stutter almost the entire time

“ Huh… Must be trashy if you're stuttering then! “
She chuckles slightly, still looking up at the ceiling

“ Yeah… Haha… “

“ Oh well, the great Gold Ship can step down to a peasant's level once in a while. Now get going! I need some food and a place to rest! “
She looks over at me, clapping her hands as if I'm a servant

“ Got it, Miss Gold Ship. “
I try to go along with the act to distract myself, but it doesn't go that well

While we start driving to my house, Gold Ship enters a deep rant about high-speed rail in Japan. I try to follow along, but my mind goes to an entirely different space. Why am I acting so embarrassed? Why am I stuttering… why did I curse in my head when she asked to spend a night at my place?

Unfortunately, I’m not able to really dive into these issues before we arrive outside my apartment. I park right outside before stepping out with Gold Ship. I walk up to my door and insert a key into the lock, swinging the door open and leading Gold Ship in.

“ Not much, but it's home. Sorry for the mess, I’ve spent most of my time at that work space office thingy. “
I set my backpack on a stool and emptied out my pockets onto a countertop next to my fridge

“ Eh… I’ve seen worse. Besides, I get to live like a true lower-class person! “
She makes her way to my small TV setup on the floor, sitting on the matted floor while grabbing the remote

I follow suit and sit on the floor, watching her flip through the channels. She decides to pick a… King of the Hill re-run? As I turn to look at her, she’s already starting to move the table out of her view as she lies back, arms behind her head. I once again do the same as her.

“ You know… You're a pretty good servant, Trainer. “
She twists her head to face yours

You pause before doing the same

“ S-Servant? You're still gonna joke… that's nice. “
You twist your head back to the TV, rolling your eyes with a slight smile

“ Okay, okay fine! You’ve been a good friend. Thanks for everything so far. “

I move my head back to face Gold Ships, now seeing she's being sincere.

“ You’ve also been a good… friend, Gold ship. “
You start to observe her face, losing yourself slightly

“ Now… Where's the food? I’m hungry! “
She now jumps up, walking to the kitchen and begins to ransack your fridge.

You quickly compose yourself, coughing and returning your gaze to the TV. You feel your cheeks start to heat up. Jesus… What's going on with me?

You watch and listen as Gold Ship talks out loud about her " home planet " and the rising prices of rent in Shabuya while making instant ramen. After the food is done, you both relax and watch TV together

You start to close your eyes, slowly drifting in and out of consciousness until you finally fall asleep. I wonder what’s in store for the next day…

Chapter 6: Bento Box's and Roller Skating

Summary:

The trainer decides to try and find a fun way to get Gold Ship training!

Notes:

Hello guys! Sorry for the wait, but here it is! ending might be a little sloppy, but I couldn't really figure out what to do with it. Hope you enjoy!

Tokyo, April 1st, 5:28 AM JST.

I slowly start getting up to the sounds of a random show playing on my TV. It takes me a while to open my eyes, but I finally sit up, observing my entire apartment, not seeing a trace of Gold Ship. Maybe it was just some weird dream I had… but wouldn't I remember dropping her off at her dorm? Eh… Who cares.

I finally decide to get up and start my day, I scarf down a granola bar and some OJ before cleaning myself up in the bathroom. I’ve just gotten my work clothes on before I hear the door to the apartment click and rattle. I stare curiously at the door, quickly grabbing a nearby pan.

I’m about to swing the pan as the door swings open, just to see Gold Ship with a plastic bag. I’m overly confused and it takes me a second to realize that the “ Dream “ did in fact actually happen.

“ Woah! What's with the pan Trainer? Did an evil alien probe you on his spaceship and send you back here to take out the planet? Don't worry… I will free you from the alien's mind control! “
She quickly drops the plastic bag, rushing towards me before drop kicking me square in the chest

I drop the pan on the ground next to me, and I’m not even able to process what happened until I hit the wall behind me. I sit in pain and shock until I snap out of it and stand back up, dusting myself off and coughing.

“ I… you… What the fuck? “
I look up at her, shocked and utterly in disbelief at what just happened

“ Oh! You weren't under an alien's mind control… oops! Oh well, I got us stuff anyway, so I think that makes up for it. “
She looks slightly embarrassed before returning to the plastic bag she came with

I groan slightly, catching my breath after having it knocked out of me. I watch as she tosses me a… uhm… Öküzgözü? What the fuck is this? I put it down on the countertop before fixing myself.

“ Alright… Now, are you ready to get back to the rat race? I’ll do the training you wanted to do since you helped the amazingly talented Golshi… “
She looks at me, disappointed, before fixing it into a look of self-appraisal

“ S-sure… jesus christ, why did you drop kick me? “
I walk with her outside my apartment to my car, still holding my chest in pain

“ I thought you were under alien mind control! What was I supposed to do, NOT drop kick you? “

“ Uh… yeah. “

You finally reach your car, hopping back in before heading off to the academy. It’s another 30-minute drive, but you start to dwell on the day before. Why DID you have those feelings? Why did your body heat up when lying on the ground with her? Are you… Having feelings for her? Psh… no… I’ve just recently met her! Not to mention, she's my trainee… That wouldn’t be right. Would it?

It’s a pretty silent trip with the occasional quick talk with each other. You continue to explore the ethics of this weird one-sided relationship before you reach the parking lot of the Academy. You both speed walk to the dorms before making it to the gate of the dorms.

“ Alright… I shall see you soon, peasant! Good day! “
She waves goodbye before skipping along to her dorm.

You watch her walk off before deciding to get to work at your little office. Just as you turn around, you see a somewhat familiar Uma right in front of you.

“ Hey, who are you? What are you doing outside the dorms this early? Was that Gold Ship there? “
She lets out a flurry of questions, looking at you suspiciously

“ Oh! Uh… Hey there, I’m- “

“ You know what, forget the name, the better question is, what are you doing here this early? “

“ Okay… I’m a trainer, and I was just showing off Gold Ship to her dorms. “
You look at her, still confused about who this is and why she's interrogating you

“ Uh huh… What were you both doing out so early? “

Your mind freezes, realizing that saying that you were both at your apartment seems… weird.

“ Uhm… just some… early training… helps wake up and start the body. “
You throw some random words out, hoping they connect

“ Hm… Fine. I’m still going to write her up, but you're fine… “
She walks towards where Gold Ship went, leaving you to yourself

You breathe a sigh of relief, continuing back to your office space. It’s another couple of minutes of walking, but you finally reach it and begin your spreadsheet work again.

You spend several hours making a spreadsheet of your travel plans to the Tokyo Race course, making sure you've got everything ready to go when the day comes. Other than that… You're left to yourself. You ponder this relationship while working on more spreadsheets for trainings. It leaves you confused and… slightly embarrassed. Why would I be attracted? I’ve just met her! She's also my trainee… God, this sucks.

It finally reaches 12:30 P,M and you dive into your bag, grabbing some more granola bars and plastic-wrapped snacks. Just as you're about to dive in, your door slides open and reveals Gold Ship.

“ Ta-da! Got you a Bento Eel Box without the Eel! “
She walks over to your desk, plopping the box right in front of you

“ Oh! Uh… hey, Gold Ship. This is a bento box? “
You sit up slightly, looking at her and now at the box in front of you

“ Yep! Seemed like eating all of that high-fiber lower-class food messes you up behind the scenes, so I decided to grab you another snack! “
She puts her hands on her side, looking smugly at me

“ Well thanks, Gold Ship. I appreciate it. Is there any other reason you're here? “
I open the box, grabbing some plastic utensils to eat with

“ Well… I promised to do the training you wanted for the day… You DID get me another citizen for me to boss around. “

“ Citizen… Oh, the plushie? Well, you're welcome. I mean you don’t have to do the trainings, its just something to help you increase your potential. “
I look around the bento box, taking a couple of small bites while talking

“ Oh, don’t act like that! I know your games trainer… if I don't do it, you’ll hang it over my head and then I’ll be forced to deal with shame for the rest of my life! “

“ Alright then… what if we… “
I pause for a moment, trying to find a way to keep Golshi entertained while still doing training

“ I got it. When you're done with class, I've got a training I think you’ll like. “
I flash a smile before continuing to down the box

“ Hm… I’ll see… If you're wrong, then expect to get kicked! “
She walks off, slightly smiling but still threatening me

I drop the fork and get back on my laptop, looking at the nearest Roller Skating place nearby… This should be fun.

The rest of the day is spent picking at the bento box and planning future events. Time flies by and thankfully, it’s hit 3:00, which should mean Gold Ship should be making her way here pretty soon. I quickly finish my Bento Box and toss it in the trash, standing up and closing down my laptop. A few seconds later, Gold Ship arrives with rising suspicion.

“ So what is it… Track? Swimming? Better fess up soon… “

“ You’ll see… It’s a bit of a drive away, but I’m sure you’ll like it. “
I crack a smile, walking out of the room with her behind me

We walk and reach my car, hopping in and starting the drive to the destination. Gold Ship continues to pester me about what it could be and even tries breaking into my phone a couple of times. After around 45 minutes, we reach the parking lot near the Roller Skating place and walk over.

“ Roller Skating?! Oh wow! This is going to be umazing… get it… You don’t deserve my comedic personality and taste… “
She droops down slightly, annoyed I didn’t respond to the joke

“ Today is gonna be building your Leg Muscles, Cardio, and Balance. Hope you know how to Roller Skate. “
I look at her once again with a slight smile, hoping to catch her stumbling about on my phone

“ I’m sure it’s easy… nothing's too difficult for Earth’s greatest explorer and defender! “
She proclaims loudly to the outside of the building

We enter inside and head to the front, grabbing some skates and strapping them on. We leave our shoes in a little cubby before heading out onto the track. At first, I stumbled but quickly got the hang of it. Gold Ship is somehow already going backwards and doing small tricks.

“ Told you it wouldn’t be hard! Nothing is too hard for the great Golshi! “
She spins around, looking back at me with a smug grin

“ Yeah Yeah… Let’s just skate. “
I roll my eyes, skating at a decent pace

Golshi continues to spin around, occasionally doing laps around the track at pretty insane speeds before returning to my side. I try to speed up, but decide not to push it after almost busting my face on the floor. We spend several hours just hanging out on the track, doing tricks, laps, and all of the above. By the end of it, my legs feel like wet spaghetti noodles, and I’m barely able to make it back to the front to grab my shoes. Gold Ship is behind me, walking with a stride in her step, somehow not affected by the hours of speeding around.

Chapter 7: Embarrassment and a Jog

Summary:

After some “ skate “ training, Goldshi decides to shine as a hero.
A quick joke turns into a unique jog.

Notes:

Decided to do a quick change and splice the last chapter into two after some feedback, enjoy!

“ Woo! That was exhilarating! We should do this every day! “
She has a giant smile on her face, wiping off the sweat from her forehead

“ Jesus… I’m going to need a wheelchair after this… “
I groan, sitting down on a bench, putting on my shoes

“ If you're so hurt, then fear not! The mighty Golshi will show her super strength! “
She walks over to me, bending down to my level

I’m confused about what she’s doing until she puts an arm on my back and one under my knees. Is she carrying me? I’m still in shock and don’t process anything until I realize she’s fully picked me up

“ W-What? What are you doing? I can walk just fine! Put me down! It was just a joke! “
I squirm around, trying to release myself

“ Nope! It’s obvious that shrapnel has destroyed your legs from the Great War with Eden… I must get you to the ambulance! “
She now starts moving outside the door, and people are watching us

“ This is embarrassing, Gold Ship, let me go! Jesus! “
I try to squirm again once more, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work, and I’m stuck in the arms of Golshi

“ Embarrassing?! How dare you say that, Soldier! I’m trying to save you! “
She continues to chuckle slightly, walking over to our car

I can’t help but blush at seeing her laugh and… carry… me… Jesus Christ, I need help.
She looks down at me, smirking before looking back at the car… did she see me blushing? Oh my god, no, please no.

“ Alright, open up the ambulance! We must get you to safety! “
She’s making small moves around the car, moving around and crouching behind the car to avoid being shot

“ Jesus, fine! Just calm down! “
I grab my keys out of my pocket, unlocking the door

Gold Ship opens the door with one of her hands, tossing me in the driver's seat before marching to the other side to hop into the passenger seat. I quickly fix myself into position before leaning my head back, sighing at the whole ordeal.

“ That was amazing! You're not a good actor, though… We can work on that another time though. “
She creeps a large smile on her face, quickly rolling her eyes at my lack luster performance

“ Let’s just go back to the academy. “
I sigh, not trying to feed into her behavior

I start the drive back to the academy, the entire time with just the radio on. Gold Ship tries to get a reaction out of me several times, but I pay no mind to it. Gold Ship slowly starts to become quiet, realizing that maybe she went overboard. After 40-something minutes, we park in the parking lot and step out, walking silently to the campus.

“ Trainer, I didn’t mean to… make you upset. I was just trying to play a joke! “
She looks at me with a worried smile, her eyes darting around

“ I know… It was still… embarrassing. “
I rub my neck, my eyes darting as well

“ Jeez… well, I apologize then… “

“ Thanks… It means a lo- “

Just as I’m about to accept her apology, I feel something grabbing onto me, hoisting me up in the air sideways. I look down and realize Gold Ship has… picked me up?! Again? This time I’m being carried like a log. She starts jogging down a pathway, making her way to what seems to be… the track?

“ Please! I know you were just flustered! My beauty radiates to everyone! So I don’t blame you. Doesn’t mean I’m not gonna do some fun training with ya! “

I slightly blush at this, still squirming around on top of her shoulder. After a few minutes of being held in the air, we reach the track. Golshi pauses at the steps before taking them slowly, almost tripping a couple of times. Once she passes the stairs, she jumps over the barrier and lines up at a post.

She carefully drops me down before wiping her forehead.

“ Alright… carrying you on one side of my body gets kinda tiring… get on top of my back! “
She squats, waiting for me to sit on top of her

“ What? Jesus, what’s going on with you! “
I stammer my words, still blushing but now with added sweat

“ Come on! Don’t you WANT me to train? This is the only way you’ll get the magnificent Golshi to train for the week! “

I ponder it for a second, relaxing with each second.

“ J-Jesus fine… this is a one-time thing! “
I put my legs between her head, now getting pulled up by Golshi as she stands up

“ Alrighty! Hold on! “
She now kicks it into high gear, running down the track while holding onto my feet.

The run itself is insanely fast, I almost fall off right as she starts, but manage to hold on. While doing a turn, I can see a group of people at the seats watching us. Oh my god. Golshi continues to run with me on her back, still going as fast as she started. It’s another minute until it’s almost close to being done. Finally, after another few seconds, Golshi passes the goal and comes to a slow stop. I finally hop off and land on my back, groaning before standing back up.

I look over to Gold Ship, who is sweating and breathing heavily, bent over trying to catch her breath.

“ Nice… Workout… Ugh…. “
Golshi stands up, still panting

“ Yeah… At least you did some speed training… “
I wipe off the sweat on my face, now turning towards the small crowd at the seats

“ Should we… talk to them? “
I scratch my head, observing the laughing but also perplexed crowd

“ Why not! More fans and possibly… gifts. “
A wide and deep grin appears on her face, now pushing me along towards the crowd

We walk across the track and reach the crowd, now waving and standing before them

“ What were you doing? “
“What's with the weird workout? “
“ Gold Ship is actually doing something training-related? “
A flurry of questions pop up

We try to answer most of them with jokes, but occasionally we answer somewhat seriously. After a couple of minutes of talking, the crowd says goodbye and leaves, leaving just me and Golshi on the track.

“ Well, that was… something, huh? “
I look around the track, now back to Golshi

She looks slightly distracted, staring at me before snapping back into reality

“ Oh! Uh… Yes! Anyways, I gotta go see you, bye! “
She throws out several words, now running off the track

Weird… I didn’t even get to say bye. I stand on the field watching Gold Ship jump the barrier and run up the stairs, disappearing from behind the hill.

I do the same, a few seconds later, making my way to my office. Should I just… sleep here? Should I just… sleep here? I could save time by making an actual bedroom out of my office. Once I enter my office, I grab a couple of rags and curtains to make a makeshift blanket, using my backpack as a pillow. I surround a small area with several desks and now dive into the cubby hole. I stare up at the desk in front of me, pondering the events of today… Does she like me as well? Am I overthinking this? Probably… I should go to sleep.

Chapter 8: Deep-sea Submarine Diving

Summary:

Trainer takes Gold Ship out to the pool for some more light-hearted training for the upcoming race!

Notes:

Sorry for the late upload, kinda procrastinated and was distracted with some other stuff but here it is!

Tracen Academy, April 2nd, 7:04 AM JST.

I slowly start to wake up, sliding from out of the desk “ cave “. I stand up and stretch, grabbing my phone and backpack before sitting down at my desk. I grab a water from the bag while opening my phone to see the time and what was on today's agenda. Nothing in particular… just exercises to work on endurance…

I sigh and put down my phone, opening my laptop while chugging the water in my hand. I have to actually start planning for the Satsuki Sho… of course, I’m already prepared with the bus and that stuff, but is Gold Ship? I should talk to her about the race today.

I open my phone, navigating to my messages to text Gold Ship. I quickly realized that this entire time, we haven't actually used our phones to plan and chat. I should probably ask her for her number during some training.

I continue to work and plan as usual for most of the day, typing up work plans on a spreadsheet and then printing them out, making a shopping list of furniture for the office, and the rest of my normal schedule until Gold Ship is ready to train. It’s good work and I’m able to get most of my goals done before lunchtime. Speaking of lunch… I should check how much longer I have until my lunch break.

I glance at the clock in the corner of the laptop, and it shows 11:30 exactly. Perfect! I’m dying to eat… I close my laptop and stand up from my desk, quickly stretching my back. I walk over to the door and start contemplating what might be on the menu at the cafeteria before the door swings wide open with… Oh! Gold Ship. Strange…

I stop in my tracks, slightly taken aback, looking at Gold Ship, who has a bag of food in one hand.

“ Hello Trainer! It is the humble delivery driver with your order… I had to cross mountains and oceans to hand you this delectable food that cost me not only my entire savings… but my very soul! “
She puts up an elaborate take, stumbling into the office and using whatever chairs or desks she can to lean and fall onto

“ I see… What did you get then? “
I sit down at my desk again, rubbing my hands together

“ Only the best gyoza and rice this great academy has to offer! “
She takes out the to-go boxes of food onto the table, opening them up for the two of us to dissect

We both grab a ton of food with our hands and start going crazy, almost eating half of the gyoza in a single swoop.

“ So… What's got you eating here instead of… the cafeteria? “
I continue to shove food down my mouth, taking breathers occasionally

“ Eh… cafeteria’s boring! Besides, I realized I didn’t have your number, so that you can text me your boring schedules. “
She hops on the table and lies down, her head right next to one of the boxes of food

“ Oh! Well, that's something off my checklist… You can just tell me when you're done eating. “

“That's the plan, boss! God, this food is good… “
She continues to shovel food in her mouth, now turning over to face the ceiling

We continue to eat for a few more minutes with some talking in between the breaks. Mainly just about the school and the events of yesterday. Once both of the boxes of food are gone, we quickly get up and clean ourselves off.

“ Alright… Training? “
I look over to Gold Ship, who is still cleaning off her uniform

“ Ugh… I guess. “
She sighs dramatically, walking over to the door

I open the door for her as I lead her to the Pool, hoping to try something other than running or endurance. It’s a small walk and we talk about the weird drink she gave me yesterday and the hours we spent at the Skating rink. We finally make it inside the Pool area, and I open my phone to check what exactly I had planned in mind.

“ Ah… Pool exercises! Was wondering when you’d want to check out the pool… “
She looks around, now walking to the pool and looking at it

“ Heard it was pretty big, so I wanted to give it a try… Got it. “
I finally find the list of today's planned exercises and put my phone down on an empty bench

“ You do know I don’t have any towels or bathing suits… right? “
She turns back to me, looking slightly annoyed

“ What? Oh! Shit… Uh… “
I freeze up and rub my neck, embarrassed at the fact that I forgot to tell her to get a suit and a towel

“ Pffff… I’m messing with ya! I keep a towel and bathing suit in the lockers. “
She now makes her way to the locker room, laughing at my expense

I breathe a sigh of relief and sit down on the bench, opening my phone and looking through my notifications.

As I look through my social media, the light dims on my phone. I look up and see Gold Ship standing right over me.

“ Alrighty… whatcha got planned? “
She looks down at me, smirking, before backing up towards the pool

“ Uh… Let's just… start with some laps. “
I start to blush, now trying to hide my face in my shirt

“ Got it… Submarine GolGol is ready to dive! “
She says, now jumping off from the edge of the pool into the water, she bobs back up and starts to lap the pool

I sigh before sitting back upright, now watching Gold Ship lap the pool as she tries to talk about Sonar and Underwater Naval Warfare…? Does she ever really try to take these seriously?

I pull out my phone and wait for when she hits a wall to time her laps, quickly pressing the go button when she does. She continues to do laps for a couple of minutes before finally swimming up to my feet.

“ Alright… You were timing right? What was my best lap? “
She catches her breath, now resting her arms and head on the tiled floor

“ Let’s see… Twenty Three Seconds! That’s pretty good! “
I smile while looking down at her, now pocketing my phone

“ Great… I knew I could be the next Michael Phelps… Didn’t even break a sweat! “
She throws out a large laugh before returning back to the pool, now floating around

“ You know… I had a big spreadsheet, but why don’t you just do whatever you think might work? I’m gonna trust you this once. “
I now toss my shoes and socks to the bench, now sitting on the edge of the pool with my feet in the water

“ Whatever you say! Alright, Command… this is SS-504 ready to be deployed… “
She starts to sink slowly, now continuing down to the bottom of the pool as she starts to run around on the bottom of the floor

Huh… I guess whatever fits her. As I sit on the pool edge I take a look around the area, watching other students train with what looks like a trainer or two coaching them. I occasionally look down at Gold Ship, who comes up for air every two minutes or so and sinks back down to the bottom of the pool.

After a couple of minutes, I get up and reach into my bag, grabbing a pair of shorts I switch into when I’m off from work. I make my way to a changing room near the locker room with the shorts before coming out in “ swimming trunks. “ I walk over to the pool and dive in, swimming towards Gold Ship, who's still running around.

As I get behind Golshi, I grab her shoulder and see her jolt before turning to face me, quickly rolling her eyes before slightly kicking me in my legs. She starts to surface, and I follow suit.

“ Finally decided to get in, eh? “
She says, slicking her hair back before looking at me

“ I mean… the water looked nice, why wouldn't I jump in? “
I quickly spit out some water, fixing my hair as I do so

“ Well… try to catch up then! “
She quickly dives back to the bottom of the pool, signaling me to follow her

I follow her, trying to keep up as we both walk on the bottom of the Pool. We do a couple of exercises with the occasional resurface to get some air. I’ve exhausted most of my strength around 50 minutes in, while Golshi seems to continue effortlessly. I take longer and longer breaths each time I surface, which catches Gold Ship's attention.

“ Hey! What's the deal? You keep wasting time up here! “
She playfully nudges me, now swimming over to the wall to pull herself up

“ Just getting tired… Keep forgetting you got way more stamina than me… whoo… “
I make my way to the wall as well, holding myself up with my arms on the wall

“ Fine… small break it is then! “
She walks over and grabs my arms, pulling me out of the water and onto my back on the floor

I’m slightly taken aback, but I should expect this kind of stuff from Gold Ship of all people.

I quickly get up and make my way to our bench, sitting down as I dry off my hands and open my phone, scrolling through social media.

“ Come on… You've got this amazing girl next to you, and you're not gonna do anything? Psh… “
She leans up on me, now slightly laughing, before putting on a wide smile

“ I… What? I don't… uhm… “
I’m taken aback and throw out random words, now slightly blushing as I look back at her

“ Oh come on! Stop acting so surprised, I’m just joking! No need to panic… yet. “
She backs off, now stretching before mumbling the last bit of words to herself

“ Haha… yeah… “
I slightly hunch over, still blushing as I try to distract myself by going through my phone

“ Well… I’m going back in the pool! If you need me, you know where to look, of course… “
She stands up, now jumping off into the pool

I quickly sigh, dropping my phone onto the bench and putting my head into my hands

I shouldn't feel like this… she’s doing this on purpose, right? Jesus Christ… I’m sure it's just playful teasing, right? She does it all the time! I should probably hop back in the pool so it doesn't feel weird.

I get up and crack my neck before running towards the pool and diving in, just swimming on the surface while occasionally looking down at Gold Ship whos… meditating? I try not to think about most of her actions but they still catch me off guard sometimes. Gold Ship surfaces for air every few minutes and glances at what I’m doing while shes at it, it repeats for around 15 minutes before she surfaces and makes her way to one of the ladders near our bench.

I watch as she grabs a towel and walks off to the locker room, surprisingly not making a joke at my expense or even glancing at me before. Weird… I get out of the pool and sit on the bench, waiting for her to come out with the Towel so I can dry off and get my clothes back on. I try to dry off my hands as best as I can and open my phone, scrolling through my phone once more while waiting for Gold Ship.

I glance at the time on my phone after scrolling for a bit, 2:31 PM. A couple hours so far… I still have some other things planned so I hope to make the most out of todays time to hopefully establish a regimen. I look back to the time to see how long I spent scrolling and thinking… Jesus 7 minutes already? And shes still not out? I should probably go check on her.

I get up from the bench, leaving my phone there. Now making my way to the Locker Room my mind fills with worst case scenarios about why she could be taking so long… Did she slip and hit her head? Did she get burned alive by a broken water heater? Probably not to the last one but anything could have happened. I make my way into the locker room, peaking from a corner to see Gold Ship sitting on a bench, face in her hands looking at the ground.

I slowly peak out from the corner, walking over to Gold Ship who is visibly sighing.

“ Uh… Gold Ship? “
I say, stopping a few feet from Gold Ship

“ Ah! Jesus! “
Gold Ship jumps from the bench, turning over to me now grabbing the Towel off her shoulder

“ Oh! Sorry I uh… didnt mean to scare you. Are you alright? You seemed a bit bothered. “
I say, slightly concerned for her

“ Of course… why wouldnt I be! I was merely thinking… It takes a lot out of the great Golshi to think up amazing thoughts! “
She says, now perking up as she walks towards me

“ Here’s the towel by the way, I’m done with it. “
She walks past me and towards the exit, tossing the towel at my face

I grab the towel off my face and look back to see she’s already left the locker room. I sigh and dry off my hair and whatever water I had left on me after air-drying on the bench. I decide it’s not worth it to waste time and keep on the Shorts. After drying off I walk out of the locker room and back to the bench, which has Gold Ship balancing on the small pieces of wood that hold it up.

“ Alright… you ready to move on? I think I’ll add the pool to a daily thing from now on. “
I say, grabbing my backpack and the rest of my belongings

“ Yep! Good Idea though… maybe next time I won’t be so complacent and I’ll chuck you in! “
She jumps down from the bench, laughing as she walks up next to me

We walk out of the pool area, walking down a path towards the track. We talk about the running on the bottom of the Pool and about chlorine. I cant help but think back to the locker room. Is she okay? I should confront her about it… maybe not now but eventually.

Chapter 9: Short-lived fun and a piece of paper

Summary:

After completing some swimming for the day, Gold Ship forces her trainer to follow through on a prank instead of the planned regimen. In the process, trainer is introduced to a pretty nice student who is used to Gold Ship's pranks and antics.

Notes:

Hey guys! short chapter for now, decided to try to format sentences differently when a character pauses for a moment or when one interrupts the other, hope you enjoy!

Shortly after leaving the pool, I open my phone once more to check the time. 2:45 PM. I pocket my phone before looking towards Gold Ship who’s bouncing about. Doesn’t seem like shes all that tired… she’s probably up for one more thing right?

“ Alright, Trainer! Keep holding out on me… whatcha got planned? “
She leans in slightly, cupping her hand on her ear as she holds it towards me

“ Well… Nothing major. Just some jogg- “
Just as I’m about to finish my sentencec I’m cut off by Gold Ship

“ JOGGING? We just did swimming! I’m exhausted! You can’t expect me to JOG after all of that? “
“ And to think I gave you Gyoza and Rice! Why must you torture me! “
She stops dead in her tracks, stopping me in the process as she shouts about her tiredness in the middle of a path

“ Okay, Okay! No jogging then… What do… you want to do? “
I back down, both shocked and embarrassed that she did this in public

“ Hm… I gotta go prank McQueen today… let’s go do that so its out of my schedule! “
She begins walking down a different path to the cafeteria, signaling me to follow her

“McQueen? She’s your friend? “
I quickly catch up next to her, matching her pace

“ Sure, you could call our relationship something like that! “
She says, cracking her fingers, and eventually moves to her head

“ Cool… did you say prank before? “
I look at Gold Ship, who appears to be stretching and warming up for whatever she has planned

“ Yep! Every day I try to get in one prank, and since you said we could do whatever I want… This not only gets it out of the way, but it also gives you an opportunity to watch a professional at work! “
She finally finishes up with her warm-up, now walking normally as she flashes me a devious grin

“ Let’s see what you got then… “
A feeling of fear washes over me after seeing her grin

After our walk, we reached the entrance to the cafeteria. Gold Ship lets me enter first and walks behind me, slightly bending down to mask whatever she can.

“ Hm… don’t move Trainer… I gotta use my binoculars to spot her… “
“ Wooooosh… Wooosh… Wooosh… Wooooosh… “
She quickly pops her head to my right, cupping her hands around her eyes to make fake binoculars, turning them to simulate changing the focus on the lens

I look around the cafeteria to see a few students eyeing us, most sighing or laughing. I suspect they already know Gold Ship and her antics, but I still can’t help but feel embarrassed. What can I do about it? Nothing!

“ Ah Ha… ten O’clock… “
She reaches a hand over, directing my eyes with her pointer finger to McQueen, who is sitting down at a table

“ Huh… What is your prank exactly? “
I say, looking back slightly at her face

“ Well, you're going to go up to her and distract her from her food, and I’ll swoop in gracefully, of course. Then squirt some hot mustard into her food! It’ll be genius! “
She moves to my side now, smirking and patting me on the back

“ You sure it’s gonna work? “
I look back at McQueen, who’s eating peacefully. Should I really disrupt that?

“ Please! The great Golshi would never put your life in so much danger without being sure of her own plan! Now get up there, cowboy. “
She pats my back, now pushing me towards the table McQueen is sitting at

I look back at Golshi whose smile is ear to ear, throwing two thumbs up at me. I sigh and turn back to McQueen, slowly making my way up to her table.

“ Uhm… are you McQueen by chance? “
I tap her on the shoulder, trying to get her attention

“ Hm? Can I help you, mister… “
She turns back, confused as to who I am and what I want

“ You can just call me Trainer, something I picked up here, I guess. Just wanted to meet with the Students around the academy and such. “
I make up an act on the spot, still sweaty on my palms

“ Oh! Well, nice to meet you then, Trainer. I’m Mejiro McQueen, if you didn’t know. Are you new here? I don’t think I’ve seen you before. “
She holds out a hand for a handshake, smiling as she seems pleasantly surprised

“ Yep, got accepted for the spot of Trainer a week or so ago. Nice to meet you. “
I shake her hand, smiling back at her

We quickly strike up a conversation, and it’s going pretty well. I almost completely forgot about the prank Golshi had until I spotted her with a squirt bottle behind McQueen. She flashes me a shush sign and grins widely as she slowly approaches the table.

“ Are you okay? Is there something going on behind me- “
“ Oh no no! Just uh… looking at the decor is all… haha! “
I quickly stop her before she spots Golshi, faking a laugh in the process

Golshi finally makes it to the table and puts a small squirt of hot mustard into McQueen’s bowl of food, throwing an okay sign at me before running behind a pillar next to her.

“ Well, it was nice to meet you, McQueen. Hope you enjoy your… food. “
I put my hands down to my side, putting a smile up

“ Same to you, Trainer. “
She smiles back, turning back to her food

I watch as she grabs a chunk of rice with a slight tint of yellow, putting it in her mouth. She freezes before slightly panicking at the spice. Golshi finally appears from behind the pillar to complete her prank.

“ Haha! You got pranked! “
She holds her stomach, laughing and pointing at McQueen

McQueen finally spits out the food, a singular stray piece of hot mustard-stained rice heading straight for Golshi’s face. A second passes, and it hits Golshi right in the eye, smearing the hot mustard on the pupil

“ Gah! It burns it burns it burns! God! “
She immediately drops to the floor, kicking around as she holds her face in agony. Screaming almost the entire time

I reach into my bag and grab a half-empty water bottle, walking over to Gold Ship and putting it in her hands. She removes the cap and pours it into her eyes, rubbing slightly as she still mutters about the pain. Now, slowly opening it with a strained expression. I look back at McQueen, who sighs.

“ Should’ve expected it, Gold Ship, happens every time you try it. “
She scrapes the top layer of her rice to the side, grabbing a chunk of untainted rice.

“ I’ll get you without consequence soon… It’ll be the last thing I do! No one gets away from the mighty Golshi! “
She slowly gets up, pointing at her with disdain before walking towards one of the exits

I follow her to the door, looking back to see some people laughing and others ignoring the mess. I look back to Golshi, who is muttering about revenge and vengeance. She pushes the doors open and sighs as she turns back to me.

“ Well… I should’ve expected my cursed luck with hot mustard… It wasn’t a total loss, however. We still got the prank done! And you played your part surprisingly well for an apprentice. “
She smiles at me, putting a hand on my shoulder.

“ Apprentice…? “
I’m slightly confused, paying no real attention to anything else

“ Yep! Who’s gonna help me with my pranks? Who am I gonna pass my wisdom to before I perish in my eventual fight with the gods of Eden? You and you! “
She removes her hand from my shoulder, posing as a superhero with her hands on her hips in front of me, before pointing a finger at me

“ Well, I guess I can’t refuse then… You up for anything else?
I smile softly at her, still lenient with the training regimen I have

“ Nope! However, tomorrow I have something planned. “
She smiles harder at me now, pulling out her phone

“ I see… I’m looking forward to it then. “
I say, fixing my shirt in the process as I look around

“ Welp, I’m off! Check your left pocket by the way! “
She waves bye to me, turning back towards the path before jogging off

I pause for a moment before reaching into my pocket, pulling out a small piece of paper with a phone number, two carrot doodles, and a winky face on it. I look back up to see Golshi gone. Huh… Each day, I grow more and more fond of who she is.

I pocket the piece of paper before walking back to my office to do some more work on my laptop. Today was pretty fun, dare I say! Maybe following the groove with Gold Ship is gonna be more fun and less challenging than trying to oppose it. Welp, let's get back to work then.