Slacking Professionally at Tracen [16]

Walking toward Tracen’s supermarket, Kitahara Sota wore a troubled expression.

Truthfully, he understood why his team had created a chat group without including their trainer.

After all, since forming the team, he’d deliberately kept interactions with them minimal. Even now, he hadn’t added any of them on LINE, let alone joined a group chat.

So logically, their decision to exclude him should align perfectly with his desire to keep his distance from his own Uma Musume. He should be happy about it—yet, somehow, he wasn’t…

Still, though he wasn’t included in the team’s group, he was part of the trainers’ chat group.

However, recently everyone had become quite busy, so conversation there was sparse.

At Tracen, trainers were always busiest during the first days of a new semester.

On one hand, the Uma Musume had just returned from break. Their bodies and minds were still stuck in vacation mode, requiring trainers to devise tailored recovery and training plans, along with annual goal-setting. The workload was substantial.

On the other hand, there was a saying that went: “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

Although some Uma Musume chose to spend holidays alongside their trainers, most spent the break apart. Since trainers and their tantou were usually inseparable throughout the school year, well…

Suffice it to say, certain trainers were now more exhausted than others.

Watching those trainers rushing about campus streets with dark circles under their eyes, arms piled high with documents and files, Kitahara, leisurely strolling out of Tracen’s supermarket with two huge bags of toys, appeared especially out of place.

After the forum incident, he’d become something of a celebrity. Because his photo had been shared online, it wasn’t hard for others to recognize him.

Thus, shortly after stepping outside, countless gazes turned toward him, accompanied by whispers.

Kitahara ignored it completely—having thick skin was essential for someone committed to being lazy.

But after a few more steps, his expression stiffened slightly upon hearing the whispers clearly.

“Hey, that’s Kitahara Sota. Now that I look closely, he’s actually pretty handsome, much better than the photo…”

“To enter Tracen Academy HQ at his age, even just barely passing the cut-off, it’s still impressive…”

“Ahem, about that, I heard a rumor he’s intentionally held back his scores to avoid attention…”

“Oh, really? No wonder the President chose him…”

Wait, hold on, what are you all even talking about?!

Kitahara was stunned.

He understood each word clearly, yet combined, their meaning completely eluded him.

He could admit to deliberately controlling his scores—after all, he’d intended to slack off. He didn’t know how it had leaked out, but at least it was understandable.

But being “chosen by the President”? What was that about?

He had just had a confrontational exchange with Symboli Rudolf yesterday, deliberately tanking any goodwill between them—how had he suddenly become “chosen” overnight?

In reality, it was all a big misunderstanding.

Simply put, when the forum drama escalated yesterday, Chairwoman Akikawa Yayoi realized things might get out of hand and intervened accordingly.

Public opinion, after all, couldn’t just be suppressed blindly—redirecting it subtly would be more effective. Thus, Yayoi attempted a small nudge.

Knowing Kitahara’s abilities firsthand, she figured directly praising him would attract suspicion. Instead, she used anonymous accounts to subtly suggest he wasn’t as useless as he appeared, hinting at hidden secrets, thus encouraging students to dig deeper themselves. People trusted their own discoveries more, after all.

Her intention was for students to discover Kitahara’s hidden strengths (and if they didn’t, she’d plant further hints anonymously). Unfortunately, those brainless netizens immediately veered wildly off-track from the start.

Kitahara Sota had secrets?

Once rumors spread in that direction, those internet idiots didn’t think he was hiding talent—instead, they assumed he had influential backing.

And if someone influential was involved, who was closer to Tokai Teio than Symboli Rudolf?

Was there some relationship between Kitahara and Symboli Rudolf?

Some speculated cautiously, guessing perhaps he had connections with the Symboli family, which explained how he became Tokai Teio’s trainer.

Then something happened to cement their suspicions.

Last night, when most people still treated this theory as a joke, Symboli Rudolf summoned Kitahara Sota.

According to eyewitnesses, she’d deliberately dismissed all other student council members to meet him privately, staying alone with him for quite some time.

Coincidentally, news emerged at the same time about Rudolf secretly arranging a trainer for Tokai Teio—without revealing the identity.

Suddenly, everything clicked into place.

President Rudolf, worried regular trainers couldn’t properly guide Teio, directly requested someone from her family. This new trainer entered just before the semester began, intentionally holding back his scores to remain unnoticed, specifically assigned to Teio.

Given yesterday’s events, many assumed an even deeper relationship…

Perhaps Rudolf directly pulled strings to secure her former family tutor or even—could it be—the Emperor’s personal canary…?

Once Yayoi realized forum discussions had spiraled out of control, she swiftly locked down these topics. But suppressing such speculation only fueled it further, and soon, rumors spread even more aggressively.

Now, Kitahara was forced to confront the bizarre situation firsthand.

Listening to these absurd theories, his palms began to sweat slightly.

Private mockery or criticism didn’t bother him—he’d grown thick-skinned enough that even insults delivered face-to-face were easily brushed off.

But these rumors genuinely scared him.

If it was just gossip, fine—at worst, Symboli Rudolf would dislike him a bit more. The problem was—what if it were true?

Given the negative impression he’d purposefully left yesterday, he was certain this was mere rumor—but what if…?

What if she’d inexplicably developed even the slightest bit of favor toward him?

Unable to withstand the pressure from surrounding stares and whispers, Kitahara eventually took a more secluded route back.

In this situation, he couldn’t devise any countermeasures, so he chose to continue slacking off—out of sight, out of mind.

As he disappeared down an isolated pathway, a lone Uma Musume hidden within the crowd watching him pulled out her phone, whispering quietly:

“Target confirmed alone. No Uma Musume nearby. Proceeding with the operation…”

“Yes, I’ll handle it.”

Pocketing her phone, she casually turned into the alleyway Kitahara had taken, quickening her pace to catch up.

Seeing the man strolling casually ahead, two large bags still dangling from his hands, a hint of apology flickered briefly in her eyes before turning resolute.

She crouched slightly, launched forward, and rapidly accelerated.

In mere seconds, she reached directly behind him.

Only then did he finally sense something amiss, turning around.

But it was already too late.

A distance of just a few meters was nothing for an Uma Musume—no time or space to react or dodge.

Facing the man whose expression was tinged with mild confusion, she silently apologized in her heart and raised her fist.

Then, brought it crashing down.

Bang—

—

T/N: BTW I THIN KECLIPSE HAS A SYSTEM

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