Fujiwara Chiya was undergoing an unprecedented ordeal. He never imagined that the tiny, soft uma musume could suddenly exude such a powerful allure. Dressed in a sundress and black stockings, Miyu looked adorable yet carried an air of maturity, reminding Fujiwara Chiya of the little devils in storybooks, those who use their cute appearances to deceive people, leading them into an irreversible abyss.
Right now, Fujiwara Chiyo felt exactly that, as if he were sinking into a bottomless swamp.
Just as Miyu had said, her toes were incredibly nimble. As she massaged his body, Fujiwara Chiya could feel the sensation of her round toenails brushing against his skin.
"Rice… that's enough. I'm fine now."
"Onii-sama." Rice Shower blushed as she rubbed her foot against the muscles on Fujiwara Chiyo's back. "Onii-sama's body is still very stiff; you haven't relaxed at all."
Breathing in Rice Shower's sweet scent, Fujiwara Chiya's mind was already in complete disarray.
He felt his sanity evaporating from his increasingly hot head, gradually giving way to primal impulses.
Watching Fujiwara Chiya's body tremble, Rice Shower realized the time was right. She withdrew her foot and moved closer to him.
"Onii-sama," she whispered into his ear, pressing herself against his sweat-drenched back. "Rice likes Onii-sama. No matter what Onii-sama does to Rice… Rice won't resist."
Thud!
It felt as if someone had struck his heart with a hammer; Fujiwara Chiya's body jolted violently.
Rice Shower flashed a sweet smile and wrapped her arms around Fujiwara Chiya's neck from behind.
A pleasant scent filled his nostrils.
"May Rice sleep here tonight, Onii-sama?" Her voice was as soft and sweet as ever, but at this moment, Rice Shower exuded an unprecedented allure. Her soft, delicate feet, slender waist, beautiful eyes, and hair that gave off a lovely scent, everything about her seemed to possess a magical power that drew him in.
"...Rice." After a long silence, Fujiwara Chiyo finally spoke. "Go back to your dorm and sleep tonight."
"Onii-sama?"
Summoning all his strength, Fujiwara Chiya suppressed the urge welling up inside him.
"I like you too, Rice. That's why I'll do my best… to train you into an outstanding uma musume."
"Onii-sama." Hearing those words, Rice Shower's expression shifted. "Rice believes in Onii-sama. Rice will definitely become an outstanding uma musume, so—"
"Wait until that day." Fujiwara Chiya cut her off. "Only when the name 'Rice Shower' is known to everyone will I have truly helped Rice fulfill her wish."
Fujiwara Chiya turned around and looked at Rice, who stood there with her mouth slightly open, her expression complex. "So, can you wait until then?"
Miyu remained silent for a long moment.
"If it's Onii-sama's wish… Rice will wait."
She clenched her fists and hugged Fujiwara Chiya. "Rice… will become a really amazing uma musume, and then tell everyone in the whole world that Rice has the most important Onii-sama. Because of him, Rice can fulfill her own wish. He's the one who will be by Rice's side for the rest of her life."
Looking at the black-haired girl clinging tightly to him, Fujiwara Chiya gently stroked her head.
He understood what Rice Shower was thinking, but he couldn't accept it.
It wasn't because Fujiwara Chiya disliked Rice Shower, quite the opposite, he liked her very much, but now was simply not the right time.
She had just finished her debut race; Rice Shower's life as an uma musume had only just begun. She hadn't achieved any dazzling results yet, and her wish hadn't been fulfilled; she hadn't become a shining star of the racetrack.
So Fujiwara Chiya needed to wait, wait for the right moment, wait for things to settle down. He couldn't just casually accept Rice's feelings like this.
"Onii-sama. " Leaning against Fujiwara Chiya's chest, Rice spoke softly, "Until that day comes, can Rice be Onii-sama's little sister?"
"Haven't you always been my little sister?"
"Hehe~ That's true. Then is Rice Onii-sama's most important little sister?"
"Of course."
"More important than Shirayuki-san?" Rice Shower asked the question she cared about most.
She had always wanted to know whether she or Shirayuki was more important to Onii-sama. Every time she saw Shirayuki interacting with him, it felt like a knot had formed in her heart, causing her immense pain.
Shirayuki was Onii-sama's biological sister, while she was merely his "little sister" in name only. This gave Rice Shower a sense of insecurity, because she had nothing that truly bound her to Onii-sama.
So Rice Shower was terrified. If Fujiwara Chiya were to say something like, "You're not my sister," everything Rice Shower had would vanish. She had staked everything on Onii-sama, her efforts, her determination, and her hopes.
Onii-sama was the driving force behind her perseverance.
"Of course."
With bated breath, Fujiwara Chiya spoke words that moved Rice Shower to tears: "You've always held the number one spot in my heart."
Her nose stinging, Miyu rubbed her eyes and lifted her head from Fujiwara Chiyo's embrace.
"Rice promised Onii-sama she'd become the best uma musume, and on the day Rice stands on that stage, Rice will say those words to Onii-sama in person."
"Those words?"
"Yes. Could Onii-sama close your eyes?"
Though a bit puzzled, Fujiwara Chiya closed his eyes.
Immediately afterward, Fujiwara Chiya felt something soft brush against his lips. That familiar sensation from his dreams sent a jolt through his nerves, and he snapped his eyes open. He then saw Rice Shower, who was tilting her head back slightly to kiss him. Her eyes were closed as well, and her long eyelashes fluttered nervously.
The scene was so overwhelming that it left Fujiwara Chiya frozen for two seconds.
Two seconds later, Rice Shower opened her eyes.
"Onii-sama, I told you to keep your eyes closed," Rice Shower said, her face flushed bright red.
"No… Rice, this…" Fujiwara Chiyo's mind was in a daze.
"This is a 'promise,' Onii-sama." Rice Shower touched her lips, which still held the warmth of Onii-sama.
"If one day in the future, Rice really does become a shining uma musume, then Rice's feelings for Onii-sama will never change."
She would say those words in front of the whole world.
'Rice wants to be Onii-sama's bride.'
Originally, she had come to Tracen simply to fulfill a small wish of her own, but she never expected it to become a decision that would change her life.
Fujiwara Chiya stared at the brown-haired girl who had just kissed him, unable to speak for a long moment.
To be honest, based on his usual standards, Rice Shower wasn't on his radar. His feelings for her weren't romantic; they were more like the affection one feels for a well-behaved child. Fujiwara Chiya had never harbored romantic feelings toward Rice Shower.
But after she expressed such intense affection for him, Fujiwara Chiya realized his own feelings were beginning to shift.
He recalled the grown-up Rice Shower he had seen in his dream: cute, generous, beautiful, and just as prone to acting spoiled as she was now, though more mature.
That person was pretty much Fujiwara Chiya's type.
Late at night, when all was quiet, Rice Shower said goodbye to Fujiwara Chiya and left the room.