...
Lucian, completely unaware that he had already been remembered by Air Groove, was still leisurely rubbing Haru Urara's cheeks.
Rice Shower occupied the folding chair beside them and lay down comfortably. "Onii-sama, Urara's face is about to turn red from your rubbing."
"Dummy, I also pinched Trainer's little belly until it turned red~"
It turned out Haru Urara was still playing with Lucian's muscles.
The biggest feeling was that this open and aboveboard sensation was somewhat different from their usual private intimate contact.
"Stop messing around, stop messing around." Lucian pushed away Haru Urara's hand. "Didn't Urara say she was tired from playing? If you're tired, go rest over there while there are still seats."
"Okay~ That's what Urara was thinking too." Haru Urara left Lucian's folding chair and squeezed together with Rice Shower.
"Right, have you seen the others? They should be almost done playing soon, right?" Lucian remembered there was a man-made wave activity in the pool later and was afraid they would miss it.
"Onii-sama, do you want to send a message in the group chat to ask?"
"Mhm, I'll ask them."
...
When the sky gradually darkened, the lights on the stage turned on.
After the host said a few words, the microphone was unexpectedly handed to T.M. Opera O.
Her loud and clear voice echoed above the pool, and the horse girls from Lucian's team had already been summoned as if by a call, jumping into the pool.
People on the nearby folding chairs came and went like flowing water, yet Lucian still held firmly to his own seat.
At this moment, Nishizaki Ryo was sitting beside him.
"Nishizaki-senpai, why aren't you going in to make dumplings?"
"Make dumplings... you really know how to talk." Nishizaki Ryo crossed his hands behind his head. "I'm tired~ I can't play anymore~"
"It seems Nishizaki-senpai needs to exercise more. After all, a Trainer's stamina is also very important. Standing for a whole afternoon is no joke."
"Little Lu, you're even lecturing me now? Although my physical condition can't compare to you young people, Mejiro Ryan won against McQueen in the Takarazuka Kinen last time."
Nishizaki Ryo bent one leg and lightly shook it. The folding chair creaked faintly along with his shaking.
He knew how to bring up old matters and never missed any opportunity to take advantage of Lucian.
"Hiss~ How many times have my horse girls beaten senpai again..." Lucian frowned as if trying hard to recall. "Ah, I can't remember at all. After all, it's not like they only win once in a long while."
Nishizaki Ryo's leg instantly stopped shaking. With a fake smile that didn't reach his eyes, he said, "Little Lu, you're right, but the most recent one was won by Ryan."
"Mhm, I understand Nishizaki-senpai. If I had only won a handful of times, I would also firmly remember every single match."
For Lucian, sometimes bullying Nishizaki Ryo was also a kind of enjoyment, because the other party easily became helplessly furious—just like now.
"Son of a—!!!"
"A 'son of a—' from a greasy middle-aged uncle has zero lethality~" Lucian became more and more addicted as he spoke, which indirectly proved that he and Nishizaki Ryo were getting more and more familiar.
"Little Lu, next time I talk to you, I'm going to carry duct tape with me." Nishizaki Ryo said through gritted teeth.
Lucian raised an eyebrow upon hearing that, the corner of his mouth hooking into a playful smile. He slowly raised his slender fingers. "First, Nishizaki-senpai is not as tall as me. Second, Nishizaki-senpai is not as strong as me... Are you bringing duct tape so I can tie Nishizaki-senpai up? Unfortunately, I don't have such a wicked hobby."
Nishizaki Ryo stood up angrily, stared at Lucian while thinking, and finally locked his gaze on the sunglasses on the table, snatching them away in one motion.
"I just bought them, 3000 yuan..." Lucian sighed lightly and added, "That's about 60,000 yen."
Nishizaki Ryo's mouth twitched a few times. He reluctantly put them back. "Such a small thing is so expensive."
"If Nishizaki-senpai likes them, I can give you a pair later. After all, training in the summer with direct sunlight is really uncomfortable." Lucian said generously.
"That would be great. Little Lu, you're not allowed to go back on your word." Having received a sweet date, Nishizaki Ryo lay back down again.
However, Lucian stood up from the folding chair because he saw his own horse girls waving at him. "Nishizaki-senpai, aren't you going into the pool?"
"I'm really tired~ I'll rest a little longer."
"Oh, okay. I just saw some unfamiliar guy chatting with Hana-nee. I don't know what they were talking about."
"What? Where?" Nishizaki Ryo, who had just lain down, sat up again.
"Over there." Lucian pointed to a spot not far away and headed toward the pool by himself, but Nishizaki Ryo swept past him like a gust of wind and dove into the water with a graceful leap.
"Tsk tsk." Lucian looked at the cluster of splashes and stopped in his tracks. "Nishizaki-senpai's feelings for Hana-nee don't seem that simple."
...
The moment Lucian stepped into the water, he was still maintaining his elegance, but the next second Seiun Sky pulled him and he fell into the embrace of the water.
Haru Urara's laughter rang out as she waved her hand and drew a curving arc of water waves.
"Urara!" Lucian shook his head, scattering water droplets, then bent down to scoop up several handfuls of water and splashed Haru Urara from head to toe.
However, his action quickly prompted the other horse girls to imitate him. But they weren't playing with each other—they were all targeting Lucian alone.
"Wait...!" Looking at Seiun Sky, Silence Suzuka, and Special Week in front of him, Lucian felt as if facing a great enemy and turned to flee backward.
But Mejiro McQueen, Tokai Teio, and Dextrous Bailey had somehow quietly circled behind him.
On the left were Haru Urara, Twin Turbo, and Rice Shower.
On the right were Ines Fujin, Nice Nature, and Matikane Tannhauser.
The situation was very bad. Fortunately, there were still gaps in the southeast and northeast directions to escape... While the members of "Rigil" and "Spica" had not yet swum over, Lucian still held onto that sliver of luck.
"What's up?（What happened?） It looks very lively over here!" Taiki Shuttle alone blocked one of Lucian's escape routes.
Similarly, Daiwa Scarlet did the same.
"Oh~ Trainer said that in his hometown there's a water-splashing custom, and splashing water on him is a form of blessing, so everyone surrounded him." Tokai Teio lied with a straight face.
"Oh! Such an interesting thing, count me in too!" Taiki Shuttle lightly slapped the water surface, yet it sent up splashes more than a meter high.
Air Groove: "Such a fun thing is far more interesting than jokes. Count me in too."
Grass Wonder: "Ah la, if it's a blessing, then I'll join as well. After all, Trainer Lucian takes good care of everyone."
Gold Ship: "Me too! Me too!"
...
In the end, the members of "Dream" didn't even need to do it themselves.
"Wait... Why do you all believe whatever Teio says?"
But no one was listening to his resistance anymore.
For the next several minutes, Lucian kept his head lowered, accepting the horse girls' loving baptism.
...