Fumino's decisiveness far exceeded Kuroha's expectations.
Barely a day later—early the next morning—just as Kuroha's girls wrapped up their morning workout and were about to rest a bit before class, Fumino appeared at the training room door… bringing along a tall figure leaning on a crutch.
"Um… Kuroha, sorry to intrude."
Kuroha looked over and saw Fumino's face—apologetic yet urgent.
At her side stood a refined, gentle-looking beauty, taller than Fumino by a head.
The girl's long, smooth chestnut hair was braided neatly and draped across her chest; a dainty blue ribbon tied at her right ear added a touch of cuteness. She blinked her blue eyes as she took in the surroundings. Although her right leg needed the support of a crutch, a warm, sunny smile never left her face.
The third member of the future "Eternal Big Three"—Super Creek.
Before McQueen truly blossoms, she is the reigning queen of long distances for the next two years.
Right now, though, the future monarch of long routes still looked a little dazed—clearly caught off guard by her trainer's whirlwind move.
"So fast?"
Kuroha was surprised for a beat, then immediately understood Fumino's unsettled mind. She had pinned all her hopes on him—hoping Super Creek could recover quickly enough to catch the spring circuit's peak, like the Tenno Sho (Spring).
Super Creek dipped her head slightly and spoke softly, "Trainer Kuroha, nice to meet you. I'm sorry to trouble you."
"It's no trouble." Kuroha smiled and shook his head.
Fumino stepped up and gave her girl a few last reminders—"listen to what Kuroha-san says," "cooperate with the treatment," and so on. Super Creek accepted each one with a gentle smile.
When she finished, Fumino drew in a deep breath, turned to face Kuroha, and—without another word—bowed deeply.
"I'm entrusting her to you!"
Kuroha accepted the bow calmly. Looking at this trainer who had placed all her hopes on him, he answered in a steady, reassuring voice:
"Don't worry. Give me a little time, and I'll return to you a flawless Super Creek."
Only after hearing that promise did Fumino seem to set down the heaviest stone in her heart. She nodded firmly, took one last look at her charge, and left at a brisk pace.
No one was happier about Super Creek's arrival than Ardan and Chiyono O.
"Creek!"
"You really came!"
The two hurried over, delighted. When Kuroha had mentioned it that morning, they thought it couldn't possibly be this quick—maybe she'd arrive by class time. Yet here she was already!
As true "seniors" who had personally experienced Kuroha's treatment flow, they knew better than anyone that Creek's injury would soon stop being a problem here.
"Ardan, Chiyono O."
Super Creek returned their greetings with a smile.
They were already close friends, and in no time they were chirping away, the room turning lively at once.
Watching the scene, Kuroha couldn't help but smile. He stepped forward and said to Ardan and Chiyono O:
"Alright, take Creek to the lounge first."
He paused, then added, "Don't worry about the care arrangements."
"Your job is simply to keep her company between trainings—chat with her, ease any nerves."
"And… walk her through my treatment routine so she can be mentally prepared."
At the words "treatment routine," Ardan blinked, a mischievous glint flashing in her eyes, while Chiyono O sneaked a glance at Super Creek and cleared her throat twice.
The girls on Chasing Light usually had two or three "massage therapy" sessions a week. They were long used to it. Even so, explaining it to someone else was… a bit embarrassing.
"Come on, Creek, I'll take you to the lounge."
"Ah? Oh… okay…"
Baffled by her friends' expressions, Super Creek answered on reflex and let Chiyono O guide her out.
Ardan, meanwhile, tiptoed close to Kuroha's ear.
"Trainer… pervert!"
She beamed and skipped away, leaving Kuroha in the trainer's room, utterly speechless.
"C'mon…"
"I just want to find Inari One a proper rival—and help extend Super Creek's racing career, that's all."
"How did this turn into… that?"
Heaven as my witness—when Kuroha decided to treat Super Creek, he absolutely had no ulterior motives.
That night, in Kuroha's personal training room at Central Tracen Academy—
Since last summer's camp (starting with Ardan), yet another inheritor of the "blanket-over-the-head" tactic had joined the bed.
As for Obey Your Master… that blonde foreign girl hardly knew what "shy" meant. She looked so unfazed that Fujimasa March and the others had started suspecting Kuroha wasn't even using any strength at all…
Right now, the sweet chestnut-haired girl lay with the blanket over her head, letting out the occasional muffled "mm—mm—".
The other girls had all been shooed back to the dorms. No need to make Super Creek endure the shame of being seen like this.
"Hoo…"
Kuroha slowly exhaled and lifted his fingers from the meridian lines along the girl's smooth leg.
A faint glow flashed in his eyes; he nodded, satisfied.
His [Massage] skill really had leveled up. If he had to put it in game terms, last year he was Lv. 1. Now he was Lv. 2.
Under Body and Breath Perception, even without using diluted Panacea, he was very confident he could have Super Creek back in a little over a month.
When that deep-to-the-bones strange sensation finally faded from her body, Super Creek stealthily lifted the blanket and peeked at Kuroha.
"So you're the trainer for Chiyono O and Ardan?"
"It feels… a bit different from what I imagined…"
Her personality hadn't yet warmed into that future, motherly glow. Right now she was just a girl who had only recently finished her Classic Year and stepped into her Senior Year.
"How do you feel?"
Noticing her gaze, Kuroha asked gently.
Prompted by his question, she fully popped her head out of the blanket and smiled a little sheepishly, shaking her head ever so slightly.
"To be honest… I can't feel that tingly ticklish sensation anymore."
"Good."
Kuroha nodded. "Your leg injury isn't that troublesome."
"Fumino's training plan for you is reasonable. There's no long-term fatigue built up in your body; in fact, you're very healthy."
"The injury should've been just an accident—or a training slip-up."
Fumino…
Super Creek tilted her head, her expression turning into a big "OVO."
So Kuroha-san and her trainer were that close?
A lot of questions bubbled up, along with a warmth she couldn't quite name. In the end, she asked softly, "What should I do during this time?"
"You don't need to do anything."
Kuroha smiled. "For the next few days, just rest in peace."
"I'll have someone prepare special herbal medicinal meals for you. Three times a day—don't skip any."
"And every morning and evening, I'll personally do rehab massage for you. You've had a preview tonight, so… be mentally ready."
Super Creek blinked and had the urge to duck back under the blanket again…
"After all, your trainer paid a handsome fee to have me take good care of you. I'll do everything I can."
Kuroha extended a hand to her.
"Come on, I'll walk you back to the dorm."
"…Thank you for the trouble."
(End of Chapter)
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