"I felt drained…"
"You do look drained, Heita."
The sun has dropped down over the horizon. The red-haired young man had only just woken up and noticed that his body felt like he had been swimming in sweat. So, of course, the first thing he thought of was the onsen. He's not going back to sleep with an extremely sticky body.
While he was walking down the hallway, he met up with Trainer Muyaku.
"It's summer after all. You'll get sweaty."
"But the windows were open!! Where are the Goddesses' damn sea wind when you need them?"
"Ahaha!! I get you. I guess it's a good thing we're going to the onsen."
The pair walks out of the inn, greets some of the patrolling PMC, and continues to the onsen. The onsen is divided into 4 sections based on use: male trainers, mixed, female trainers, and trainees. Even though the trainees and trainers share a single building for the onsen, there is a considerable wall separating their sections.
"I still think all the precautions we're taking to separate trainers and trainees are a little bit too much."
"Does that mean you want to share a bath with Gold City, Senior Muyaku?"
"It does sound like that is what I'm saying, huh… No. I don't think she is comfortable with that kind of thing. I'm just saying that Tracen is wasting their money that could be used somewhere else. Like improving the gym."
Really? She doesn't like showing her body? That bitch never wears anything but a single piece of clothing when I visited her apartment.
"So Gold City isn't an overbearing trainee, is she?"
"No. She is an obedient and calm umamusume."
Is she? Are we talking about the same umamusume? She is the complete opposite of what he's describing. Perhaps Gold City wants to look prim and proper in front of her trainer, whom she loves, compared to me, who is just a business partner. That makes sense.
The pair entered the man's bath and were greeted with a futuristic locker room. Both of them tilted their heads in confusion as they walked in front of one of the lockers. When they stood in front of the locker, it started speaking to them.
"Trainer identified as Igo Heita. Please confirm with a retinal scan."
"Huh?!"
"Retinal scan complete. Confirmation complete. You may now open the locker."
"I start to understand your statement of spending too much on this stuff, Senior Muyaku…"
"I know, right?"
The 2 male trainers strip down, store their clothes in the lockers, bring out the towels that are already inside, before making their way toward the bath.
"My condolences about your wound, Heita."
"Don't worry. It'll heal. I'll make sure this won't happen again."
Muyaku was first appalled when he saw the slashes and burnt marks on the left side of Igo Heita's body before he felt sorry for him. He had heard rumors about the young man, but nothing would warrant whatever happened to him. He's a harmless trainer, for Goddesses' sake. What horrible thing did he do to deserve that?
The pair first washes their bodies in the washing station before entering one of the onsen baths. Like an old man, they moan in pleasure as their bodies melt into the warmness of the water. Every single ailment they have on their bodies immediately boils away when it makes contact with the water.
"Goddesses… I know I shouldn't be sleeping here, but fuck me! This is nice."
"I know…"
"Uuuhhh… Hey, Senior Muyaku…"
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask you questions so I don't fall asleep?"
"Ask away."
"I know this is probably inappropriate to ask, but what do you think about the rumors that you are dating Gold City?"
"Sigh… I already said that we're just trainer and trainee, but they never believed me. They dig into every one of our actions and try to connect it with invisible lines for PrOoF… Even if there's none to gain."
"Sigh… The brain and seeing patterns that aren't there…"
"Tell me about it… Sigh… I'm an adult, so I can brush off the rumors easily. I'm concerned about Gold City. Hope the rumors haven't gotten into her mind."
"She is a supermodel, is she not? I bet she has endured worse rumors."
"Sigh… I hope you're wrong. I just don't want our relationship to be strained by the rumors."
"Calm down, Senior Muyaku. Only grade schoolers let the rumors dictate their relationships."
"Ahahaha… Yeah… Hey, Heita."
"Yo?"
"If one day… Gold City stopped being my trainee… Can you take her in?"
"...You're not going to kill yourself, are you?"
"Quite the dark mind you have. No. I just… if things get out of control, and if the rumors are taking a toll on Gold City's mind, then I will do everything to help her. Including severing our ties."
"So that's why people call you the White Knight, huh?"
"And people call you the Villain."
"Should we have a duel to the death?"
"Sounds fun."
"Ahahahahahahaha!!"
"Hahahahahahahahaha!!"