...
After one more check at the hospital, Seiun Sky was smoothly discharged and returned to the academy.
The Arima Kinen had ended. What awaited them next was the end-of-year final exams, and afternoon training was temporarily canceled.
Lucian no longer had to wake up early to rush to the academy for classes. In the afternoon, he simply stayed home and wrote his end-of-term teaching report.
...
Time flew by, and Lucian once again welcomed the new year in Japan.
The team-building trip was scheduled for after the new year, once Silence Suzuka returned, and everyone would set off together.
In the days before heading home, several Uma Musume made special trips to his house, reluctant to say goodbye.
But he still wanted to stick to the principle of "stockpiling." After stockpiling, his complexion had been getting better and better.
Haru Urara was easy to handle. As long as she wasn't in Kochi, her only request was to cuddle and sleep—on the condition of complete honesty.
Special Week was easy too. If it was just kissing, even if it lasted over an hour, Lucian would only feel parched.
Not to mention, he and Special Week had long since crossed the boundary of mere kissing. Special Week's soft, fleshy body was simply too plush. He especially loved when she sat on his lap, covering her mouth, enduring yet gazing at him with that pitiful, aroused expression.
Dextrous Bailey was a bit more complicated. If he refused intimate interaction, a role-play session was required as compensation.
There were many scripts: "The Little Maid Who Does Housework", "The Cat Who Likes to Lie by My Legs Has Transformed"... As for costumes and props, Dextrous Bailey brought them herself. Lucian was merely a supporting actor.
The most difficult was Seiun Sky. With no Suzuka in the mountains, Seiun reigned supreme—that was the principle.
Yet Lucian still guarded his chastity, relying on one sentence: "Wait until Suzuka comes back."
Back to the main point: this year's training and teaching results were pretty good. He might miss out on "Best Trainer," but he didn't care about that honor.
...
Last time, he hadn't visited the homes of some Uma Musume who lived far away, which caused dissatisfaction. So this time, he planned to visit their homes.
Moreover, he intended to stay one or two nights at each, mooch a meal or two, so he brought luggage this time.
"Hey, Teio? You're already outside the station? So fast—I haven't even gotten off the train." Lucian left his seat early.
Two days ago, Tokai Teio had called him.
Something about "the wine is ready, come quickly," then immediately negotiating a specific time.
Today, she had even come to the station to wait for him, despite him having visited her home last time.
"Isn't Teio a little too enthusiastic this time?" Lucian thought, puzzled, as he unconsciously got off the train and exited the station.
There were many people at the station entrance. Lucian stood in place and looked around but didn't spot Tokai Teio.
He was about to call her when Tokai Teio's voice came from behind him. "Trainer, welcome."
Lucian turned around and smiled. "Teio? When did you sneak behind me? So mysterious again."
As he spoke, he sized up Tokai Teio in casual clothes.
She seemed to have dressed up deliberately today.
She wore a loose beige long-sleeve top that just covered the hem of her white skirt, with thigh-high white stockings clinging to her beautifully curved legs.
Her pretty face was naturally adorned with makeup. When her pink lips closed, they resembled a cherry blossom petal, glistening under the light as if dusted with sparkling firefly powder.
Or another metaphor: a seven-tenths-cooked tender sausage sprinkled with cumin—ready to taste.
"Again?"
"Didn't you suddenly appear behind me that night too?"
"It's because Trainer didn't notice~"
That night, she had wanted to escort Lucian home. This time, she acted directly. She didn't want Lucian to be approached by other women again, so she came to the station early to wait.
"And here I was kindly thinking of carrying Trainer's luggage, but Trainer's first words were scolding." Tokai Teio looked at Lucian's suitcase, delighted inside—this saved her even the time to buy clothes.
"I wasn't scolding you. I can carry it myself."
Tokai Teio nodded, hands behind her back. "Alright then, shall we... go home?"
"Mm."
...
On the way, Lucian specially bought some fruit. But when he prepared to visit, he found Tokai Teio's house empty again.
"Teio, why are you home alone again?"
"My parents went to deliver New Year's gifts to relatives."
"Don't tell me they left the moment I arrived." With the parents gone, Lucian relaxed and sat on the sofa.
"Of course not."
Of course they did.
To be precise, Tokai Teio's parents had left the day before yesterday—last time was around the same period.
"Then is it still convenient for me to stay one night? With no parents around."
"Trainer, I'm still the little mistress of this house! And I already cleaned the room for you yesterday."
"Then I'll respectfully accept~"
"Trainer, you clearly didn't plan to leave, yet you still asked if it's convenient!" Tokai Teio pouted.
"Well... I'm only staying one night. I'll leave tomorrow." It wasn't a long stay, so Lucian didn't see anything improper.
The two ate some fruit on the sofa and watched TV for a while.
Tokai Teio couldn't suppress her restless heart. "Trainer, let's go get some wine? We can pack some for your uncle later. I think he likes drinking too."
"My dad does love drinking." Lucian nodded. "Then thank you, Teio."
"No problem. Let's go~"
...
The familiar entrance, the still heart-pounding darkness.
The cellar was a bit damp. Tokai Teio led Lucian down the stairs.
She deftly turned on the lights. The bright illumination banished most of the cellar's darkness, though the truly concentrated shadows grew even denser.
Before Lucian could step forward, Tokai Teio unsealed it herself.
Pop—— The bottle opened, and a sharp fragrance spread.
Tokai Teio fetched cups the size of mouth-rinsing cups and poured some for Lucian. "Trainer, try it quick. It's delicious."
"Delicious? Teio, you don't drink, do you?" Lucian frowned.
"No!" The closer to the finish line, the more anxious one gets; the more anxious, the more mistakes—Tokai Teio knew this, so she suppressed her heavy breathing and forced calm. "I saw Mom loves it, so I guessed."
"Really?" Lucian took the cup, sniffed it. The aroma was indeed rich.
"Really. Trainer will know after one sip."
"Alright."
How could Lucian refuse? He downed it in one gulp, even licking his lips with lingering satisfaction. "It's good. My dad will definitely like this homemade brew."
"But personally, I still prefer beer. I guess I'm not used to this kind of alcohol, though it's a bit sweet..."
Lucian rambled on, his gaze returning to Tokai Teio.
The light cast a shadow over her forehead. From Lucian's overhead view, he couldn't see her expression clearly.
"Teio? Why... aren't you talking?" Dizziness hit. Lucian blinked, but his eyebrows felt like two dumbbells, weighing down his eyes.
It couldn't be the alcohol, right? He wasn't the type to get drunk in one sip, yet the feeling resembled drunkenness.
"Suki (I like you)."
"Teio, what did you say?"
"Suki (I like you)." Tokai Teio slowly raised her head. The desire and darkness in her heart, like long-sealed demons, burst unrestrained from her eyes. "Trainer... I said suki te (I like you)."
Lucian stepped back, forcing his body to stay upright.
In his vision, Tokai Teio split into three phantoms, but he could tell which was real—the eyes trailing black mist with the slightest head movement were only one pair.
"I like Trainer, like like... I like Trainer the most." Tokai Teio cupped her face. Her pale cheeks flushed crimson, carved with a stiff, sickly smile.
"Li-like?"
Hearing Tokai Teio's confession, Lucian instinctively looked up.
But this scene wasn't someone tossing a rose through his open window—it was a stone smashing into his sealed one.
He could feel the hot breath from her nostrils. Waves of heat reminded him of Spanish bullfighting; he seemed to have become the red cloth in her eyes.
But he had no strength left. He slowly sat on the ground.
Consciousness seemed forced into sleep. His vision darkened like overexposed corners until Tokai Teio's face completely filled his sight.
She trembled, breathing hotly. "Tra... Trainer, I... may I kiss you?"
...