On the training ground, a white figure raced past.
Fujiwara Chiya pressed the stopwatch and looked at the time displayed.
One lap, fifty-nine seconds.
This was truly… beyond imagination.
Fujiwara Chiya had not expected Sasabari to be this effective. It had filled in Shirayuki's final one-hundred-meter weakness.
Originally, Fujiwara Chiya had thought of letting Anshinzawa Sasami needle everyone once. But after treating Shirayuki, she really could not take it anymore. She covered her face with bloodstained hands and shouted,
"This is way too tiring! It's completely different from watching from the side!"
After saying that, she ran away, leaving only a note behind.
I'm not becoming a Sasabari practitioner anymore.
Such a promising situation had been forcibly cut short by her. Fujiwara Chiya felt deeply regretful, but he could not exactly capture Sasami and make her do forced labor until every last bit of her value was wrung out.
If I could learn it too, then maybe…
The moment that thought appeared, Fujiwara Chiya immediately shook his head. No matter how he thought about it, that was not something he could understand overnight. Besides, he had not even mastered his own trainer path yet. He had no spare energy to put points into another talent tree.
He could only place his hopes on the legendary Sasabari practitioner the Director had mentioned, hoping they would leave seclusion soon. Fujiwara Chiya wanted to open up all the hidden meridians of his uma musume.
"Shirayuki's condition is excellent."
A graceful figure appeared beside Fujiwara Chiya.
Mejiro Dober placed both hands on the guardrail, her thin lips curving into a beautiful smile.
"I found a Sasabari practitioner and had her adjust Shirayuki's body. As for that person, how should I put it… she was a little unreliable, so I tested it on myself first. Then I let her practice on Shirayuki. I thought that after that, she definitely wouldn't make a mistake, but that person ran away right after finishing Shirayuki. It's not that I only care about Shirayuki…"
Before he could finish, Mejiro Dober held his face and interrupted him.
"Trainer-san, I know what kind of person you are. You don't need to explain it to me. I understand."
Fujiwara Chiya looked at the long-haired girl smiling in front of him.
There was no difference anymore.
Whether toward him or Shirayuki, Mejiro Dober used the same attitude, showing her gentlest side.
"You don't need to blame yourself either, Trainer-san. Some things just happen that way. And compared to me, Shirayuki really did need it more. She's always been troubled by her constitution, hasn't she? Trainer-san has been trying to solve that problem all along."
"I once asked another trainer a similar question. For example, what should be done if someone is born with a physical defect? Trainer-san, do you know how she answered?"
Fujiwara Chiya shook his head.
Mejiro Dober smiled bitterly.
"She said some things are present from birth, and some things are absent from birth. Heaven was never fair to begin with. The best method is to learn to accept it and let nature take its course."
What the other person said was indeed not wrong.
Some people were simply born noble, especially uma musume. Those with extraordinary talent were born stronger than others.
"But Trainer-san gave me a different answer."
"I did?"
"Yes. Between acceptance and resistance, Trainer-san chose the latter. Faced with an almost unsolvable problem of constitution, Trainer-san forced open a path through it. I feel like as long as Trainer-san wants to do something, there is nothing you cannot accomplish."
Fujiwara Chiya scratched his cheek.
Dober thought too highly of him.
He could not have done this with his strength alone. He was simply very lucky that so many people were willing to help him.
"Trainer-san, do you think I can still beat Shirayuki as I am now?"
Mejiro Dober looked at the track, at the imposing white figure racing across it.
"You can."
Fujiwara Chiya's answer was firm.
"No one is born a winner. Even geniuses can fall to ordinary people. Nothing on the racecourse is decided in advance. Whether you win or lose can only be revealed at the moment you cross the finish line. So if you ask me whether you have a chance of winning, then my answer will always be yes. Until the very moment of the race, I will continue helping you, because I am your trainer."
Hearing Fujiwara Chiya's words, Mejiro Dober's eyes trembled slightly.
She looked left and right, then whispered,
"Trainer-san, can you close your eyes?"
Fujiwara Chiya nodded.
After he closed his eyes, he felt a soft sensation on his lips.
That familiar feeling instantly made Fujiwara Chiya understand.
It was Mejiro Dober.
She had kissed him.
Mejiro Dober stood on tiptoe. After a long while, the two finally separated.
"Dober…"
Fujiwara Chiya opened his mouth.
It was not the first time he had kissed Mejiro Dober. Shirayuki's side did that often.
But on this side, it was the first time.
"Trainer-san."
Mejiro Dober touched her own lips.
"I don't know what's happened to me either. Trainer-san's figure keeps overlapping with Shirayuki's. When I rely on Shirayuki, she feels just like Trainer-san too. Sometimes, I even feel like Shirayuki is Trainer-san, and Trainer-san is Shirayuki."
"I know I'm only deceiving myself, but I really have fallen in love with Trainer-san."
Seeing Mejiro Dober like that, Fujiwara Chiya fell silent for a moment.
"After the race, Dober. Once the race is over, I'll tell you everything."
"Shirayuki said the same thing… Does Trainer-san and Shirayuki have some kind of special relationship? Something even more special than siblings…"
Fujiwara Chiya raised his hand and stroked her head. Mejiro Dober's ears swayed.
"I'll wait for Trainer-san. I'll wait for both of you to give me an answer. And also…"
Mejiro Dober held Trainer's hand.
"I hope Trainer-san can help me defeat Shirayuki."
"Mm. Leave it to me."
"Then can I come to Trainer-san's room tonight?"
"My room?"
Don't tell me Dober is already planning to take things a step further with me?
Isn't that too sudden?
"Shirayuki goes to Trainer-san's room every night, doesn't she? Now Shirayuki's problem has been solved, so I was wondering if Trainer-san could look after me too."
So that's what she meant.
I was the one who misunderstood.
"No problem. Of course there's no problem. Don't worry, Dober. I'll definitely help adjust you into the best condition."
During the time he had been taking care of Shirayuki, he had discovered that those medicinal treatments were very effective. Agnes Tachyon had improved them slightly by removing the medicinal residue and leaving only the extracted essence. She had even adjusted the scent, making it smell fragrant.
Fujiwara Chiya felt like that thing could absolutely be patented.
If those medicinal liquids were used for bathing and massage, they could help uma musume recover quickly.
"Then I'll come to Trainer-san's place later."
Mejiro Dober smiled brightly as she spoke. She bowed to Fujiwara Chiya, then ran off to train.
"Trainer, that's not very honest of you."
Right after Mejiro Dober left, Gold Ship crawled out from the nearby bushes.
"Dober is part of Shirayuki's harem. How could you steal her?"