"…" I stared blankly.
"Hey, Groove-san," Fine Motion said.
"! W-What is it, Fine?" I said, snapping back.
"Still not done with that?" she asked.
"That…?" I glanced down. "!"
"Are you okay?" she said. "You've been spacing out a lot lately."
"N-No, sorry," I said.
As Fine pointed out, I've been… off. Not sick, not injured—just distracted. It's not just in my dorm room. At the student council, I've made mistakes I never would've before. I even overwatered the flowers. It's… a mess.
"Groove-san, maybe take a break?" Fine said.
"I'm fine," I said. "Sorry for worrying you. I'm okay now."
"…" She looked unconvinced.
Damn it, what's wrong with me…?
Air Groove's POV Ends
Groove-san was like that again today… She's been this way for a while now. I'm pretty sure it's unconscious, but every few minutes, she murmurs "Trainer" in this lonely, pained way. It's heartbreaking.
Something must've happened with her trainer. But Hachiman-san seems like a good guy—not the type to cause trouble. Still, asking her directly feels… awkward.
"Maybe I should talk to Fuji-san," I said. "She's under Hachiman-san too."
"Did I hear my name?" Fuji Kiseki said.
"Wah!?" I jumped. "H-How long have you been there?"
"Since you started looking all pensive," she said. "Got a problem? I'm happy to listen if you're okay sharing."
"…It's about Groove-san," I said.
I explained everything to Fuji-san. She paused, thinking, her face troubled.
"Actually, the president mentioned something similar," Fuji said. "Groove-san's been off in the student council too."
"Even there?" I said.
"Yeah," she said. "Not as frequent as you described, but enough for the president to ask me to keep an eye on her. I want to help, but it's tricky. It's a trainer-Uma Musume thing—hard for outsiders to step in."
"I didn't know…" I said.
"But in her room too, huh…" Fuji said.
"I can't stand seeing her ," I said. "That pained look—it's too much! I want to help!"
"I feel the same," Fuji said. "How about this, Fine? Let's go to the president tomorrow. Having you there will help. Can you keep watching her today? It's a tough ask, but can you do it?"
"Got it!" I said. "Leave it to me! Oh, is it okay to offer her some support?"
"Yeah, that'd help," Fuji said. "Her mind's probably fragile right now."
Alright, I'm doing this for Groove-san!
Fine Motion's POV Ends
I didn't expect things to get this bad. When the president mentioned Groove-san acting strange, I doubted my ears. But hearing the same from Fine? We can't ignore this.
What now? Fine's watching her today, and we'll get her report tomorrow. I shouldn't tell Hachiman Trainer-san yet. If we can, we should handle this ourselves.
"For now, we wait for tomorrow," I said.
Tonight's gonna feel long…
I'd planned to go to school with Fine, so we could talk. Apparently, Groove-san kept murmuring Hachiman Trainer-san's name in her sleep. Fine pretended not to hear and urged her to rest, but she said if she hadn't, Groove-san might've stayed up all night. This… might be worse than we thought.
"I don't know what happened after I slept," Fine said, "but her morning greeting was so lifeless."
"Should we tell the president?" Fine asked.
"Yeah," I said. "We can't fix this alone. And honestly, students alone can't handle this."
"…! Then!" Fine said.
"The president will probably turn to Hachiman Trainer-san," I said. "He's her trainer, so he's the best shot at a breakthrough."
"Right…" Fine said. "Hey, Fuji-san, if there's anything I can do, just say it! I want to help!"
"Thanks," I said. "I'll need you."
Air Groove's sudden vulnerability shakes Fine and Fuji, her pained murmurs of "Trainer" hinting at deeper trust issues. With Rudolf's insight and Hachiman's role looming, the team rallies for her sake. Fuji's Momiji Stakes waits, but Air Groove's heart takes center stage. The Yahari crossover deepens her struggle—will Hachiman unlock her resolve?
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