...
"Those ghostly wails are just the wind and rain. They'll probably stop by midnight."
"Teio wouldn't be afraid of being alone in the dark, right?"
...
Since everyone was laying out their bedding here, Tokai Teio naturally couldn't be left out.
A team should always stay together, after all.
But before that, Lucian decided to tease Tokai Teio a little.
Tokai Teio froze for a moment before clenching her fists and retorting with a pout, "I'm not scared! And I don't want to lay my bedding near Trainer!"
With a huff, she turned and stomped out the door in a fit of pique.
"Eh?" Lucian called out to stop her, but it was too late—Tokai Teio had already disappeared, leaving only her retreating figure.
"Someone played too hard and messed up~" Seiun Sky gloated with a smirk.
"Yeah, yeah! There was plenty of space on the left side of Trainer's feet, yet you still had to tease Teio!" Haru Urara also voiced her indignation on Teio's behalf.
Lucian sighed with a wry smile. "You all go ahead and sleep. I'll go bring Teio back."
...
"Stupid Trainer! Mean Trainer!" Tokai Teio grumbled inwardly as she made her way back to the dorm.
"So what if I have to sleep alone? I'm not scared at all."
Just as she thought this, a flickering flash of lightning—like a short-circuiting light—made her freeze in place.
Unable to decide whether to move forward or retreat, Tokai Teio's frustration was tinged with a hint of grievance.
"Teio." Lucian's voice came from behind her.
Tokai Teio glanced back before turning away again. "What are you here for, Trainer?"
"Come back and lay out your bedding? I was just joking earlier."
"Didn't Trainer only agree to let Rice-chan stay?"
"I never said that." Lucian chuckled as he walked up to her. "Come on, I'll help you carry your bedding back."
Tokai Teio remained unmoved.
"Consider this Trainer begging you. Don't be angry. It's late, and everyone's waiting for you to come back so they can sleep."
"Hmph. I'm only agreeing because of everyone else, not because Trainer begged me."
"Alright, alright. I get it."
...
After retrieving Tokai Teio's bedding, Lucian walked back with her to his room.
"Teio, pick a spot to lay it out," Lucian said.
"Then... here." Tokai Teio chose a spot slightly farther away rather than directly opposite Dextrous Bailey.
Even so, Lucian's position still resembled the center of a flower, though one petal was missing from the outer ring.
"Got it."
...
Once Teio had settled in, Lucian turned off the lights.
If his eyes had one more function, he might have been able to see the faint glow of multiple pairs of eyes in the dark, like a sky full of stars.
"Trainer, don't step on Urara, okay?"
"Don't worry, I've got my phone." Lucian turned on his flashlight and carefully stepped around Haru Urara to return to his own bedding.
"Trainer, turn off your phone~ It's too bright," Haru Urara added.
"Got it, got it. Turning it off now."
Whether it was really because the light was too bright or not, Lucian knew the real reason.
Sure enough, the moment he turned off the light and lay down, Haru Urara immediately snuggled up to him.
With Rice-chan right beside them, she wasn't even worried about being caught...
On the other side, Seiun Sky also gradually inched closer.
But since Lucian was lying flat on his back, both of them ended up clinging to one of his arms.
Seiun Sky interlaced her fingers with his.
Haru Urara's heartbeat was racing.
"Trainer..."
"Shh~ No more talking, okay? Everyone needs to sleep. Goodnight."
...
The night passed without incident.
Since everyone had slept late, they woke up late the next morning.
Lucian was the first to rise.
The scene wasn't too chaotic, and everyone's sleeping postures were quite proper.
Except for Haru Urara, who had migrated from her own futon into his.
The little angel looked utterly adorable in her deep slumber, and Lucian couldn't resist pinching her cheeks.
Haru Urara smacked her lips, adjusted into a more comfortable position, and continued sleeping.
Outside, the rain was still falling, though lighter than the night before.
Though it was well past dawn, the overcast sky cast a damp, gloomy atmosphere.
Lucian carefully extracted his arms from Haru Urara and Seiun Sky, then slowly sat up.
Since it was still raining, today's training was canceled.
But he still needed to retrieve the training equipment, so he couldn't sleep in any longer.
"Trainer..."
Despite his caution, Seiun Sky—ever the light sleeper—stirred awake.
She didn't make a sound, instead mouthing her words to Lucian: "Where are you going?"
Lucian simply shook his head and continued getting up without answering.
Seeing this, Seiun Sky decided not to go back to sleep either and followed him.
...
The moment Lucian stepped into the washroom, Seiun Sky slipped in after him.
"Trainer~ Trainer~"
Her drowsy voice rose and fell like rolling hills, growing softer until it melted into Lucian's heart.
Seiun Sky wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her head against his back and closing her eyes.
"Whose horse girl is making such sweet sounds, I wonder?"
Seiun Sky took a deep breath. "Yours."
"Why aren't you sleeping more? We have the day off."
"Why isn't Trainer sleeping more?"
"I have to go collect the markers. We're heading back tomorrow, remember?"
"Oh." Seiun Sky clung to Lucian, even using her foot to nudge the door shut. "Then I'm coming too. With Trainer."
"You're coming too?"
"Mhm~"
Perhaps because she'd just woken up, Seiun Sky was in an especially clingy mood.
"Then shouldn't you brush your teeth and wash your face?"
"No~ I want Trainer to do it for me."
"Do it for you?" Lucian chuckled softly, unwrapping her arms before suddenly lifting her by the waist and placing her on the washbasin counter.
"Trainer..." In an instant, the tips of Seiun Sky's ears flushed red.
"Still want me to help you?"
Lucian smirked, bracing his hands on either side of her and leaning in slightly, his gaze locking onto hers as she tried to look away.
"...Yes." Seiun Sky nodded, her voice so soft it was nearly drowned out by the pattering rain.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Lucian's lips drawing closer. Instinctively, she tilted her head to meet them—only for Lucian to pull back at the last second, leaving her kissing empty air.
Lucian blinked, his lashes fluttering like tiny wings as he leaned in again. "I thought we were just brushing teeth and washing faces. What were you trying to do just now?"
...