"Trainer-san usually… mm… does this kind of thing with Shirayuki?"
"That's right."
"L-Lighter, Trainer-san. It hurts a little…"
"How about this?"
"That's much better. Sorry, this is my first time…"
"It's fine. Relax and leave your body to me."
Fujiwara Chiya pressed and massaged Mejiro Dober's calves. Waves of intense comfort washed over her mind one after another. His skilled technique stimulated the exact points on her body, making Mejiro Dober unconsciously let out strange sounds.
Trainer-san is way too skilled!
The basin of warm water released a pleasant floral fragrance. As her ankles soaked in it, a hot current seemed to travel between her feet and calves. Her muscles grew increasingly relaxed, and the fatigue that had accumulated over a long time was swept away.
Mejiro Dober lay on the bed. Being served by Trainer-san made both her heart and body stir in a strange way.
Looking at Fujiwara Chiya's pillow placed nearby, Mejiro Dober quietly pulled it over while Trainer-san was not paying attention. She pressed her face against it and breathed in Trainer-san's scent.
It was a masculine scent completely different from Shirayuki's.
It was also a scent Mejiro Dober had once hated deeply.
But now, she was deeply fascinated by it.
Because she had smelled it when Trainer-san touched her.
Trainer-san and Shirayuki.
Shirayuki and Trainer-san.
At some point, Mejiro Dober had begun to place an equal sign between the two of them. She relaxed freely on Chiya's bed, as though this were her own dorm room.
"Chiya."
The door suddenly opened without warning, and Akikawa Yayoi walked in.
"What, someone's here again."
"Director!?"
Seeing who had entered, Mejiro Dober was startled. Just as she hurriedly tried to get up, Akikawa Yayoi waved her hand.
"It's fine, just lie down. When we're in the dorm, don't worry about status and all that."
After saying that, Akikawa Yayoi sat down on the chair and casually turned on the computer.
"Chiya, I received notice from a friend about a training device that can upload an uma musume's consciousness into a computer."
"You mean the VR one, right?"
"You've seen it too! I'm planning to buy a set of those for uma musume training. What do you think?"
"Great idea!" Fujiwara Chiya answered immediately. "But isn't that thing expensive? How many are you planning to buy, Director?"
"Expensive? I think it's quite cheap. I'll buy fifty first and try them out."
As expected of the ridiculously wealthy Tracen.
One of those things costs more than my annual salary, and Akikawa Yayoi starts with double digits.
"Chiya, do you know how to handle these things? I don't really understand them."
"I do, Director. Just leave it to me when the time comes."
Listening to their conversation, Mejiro Dober could not help calling softly,
"Trainer-san."
She called Fujiwara Chiya over.
"Is Trainer-san very close with the Director?"
"I'd say we're fairly close. Just an ordinary superior-subordinate relationship."
Ordinary?
Mejiro Dober looked at Akikawa Yayoi, who was sitting cross-legged on the chair, eating snacks with her left hand while operating the computer with her right. With how familiar and casual she looked, even saying the two were husband and wife would not feel out of place.
Mejiro Dober could not help asking,
"Trainer-san hasn't… done anything with the Director, right?"
"No. Why?"
"Because…"
Mejiro Dober bit her lip lightly.
The two of them lived together and acted so casually with each other. It was hard to imagine they were only ordinary superior and subordinate.
The Director isn't using her position to force or seduce Trainer-san into doing something, is she?
"Don't let your thoughts run wild. The Director and I simply get along well. If I had to say it… we're probably some kind of relatives."
Fujiwara Chiya whispered this beside her ear.
"Relatives?"
That made sense.
During the day, she had just kissed Trainer-san. If that same night she found out Trainer-san was being kept by the Director, Mejiro Dober would not be able to accept it.
If they were relatives, then she could understand.
The room had originally been just for the two of them, but with the Director sitting there, the atmosphere immediately faded quite a bit. The sweet air drifting in Mejiro Dober's heart also gradually dispersed along with Akikawa Yayoi's humming.
Eventually, Mejiro Dober sat up.
"Thank you, Trainer-san. I feel much better now. And tomorrow… can I come again tomorrow?"
"Of course. I said it, didn't I? Before the race, I'll definitely keep you in your best condition. If there's anything I can do, just ask."
Mejiro Dober reluctantly put down the pillow in her arms. She said goodbye to Fujiwara Chiya and Akikawa Yayoi, then left the room.
"Looks like that girl has quite a high affection level for you, Chiya."
Akikawa Yayoi turned the chair around.
"But you'd better be careful. If you maintain relationships with this many people at the same time, things will go wrong if you don't balance them properly. I don't want to see some bloody drama happening in Tracen. It'll scare away future trainers."
Akikawa Yayoi hopped down from the chair and flopped onto the bed.
"Massage me too. You put so much care into your uma musume, so how can you ignore your superior?"
"Yes."
Fujiwara Chiya knelt on the bed and pressed his older sister's petite body.
Akikawa Yayoi happily narrowed her eyes.
"Chiya, in the future… when you go outside, when you go overseas, don't be afraid. Remember that standing behind you is the whole of Tracen."
"…Yes. I'll remember."
From his older sister, he had received the greatest promise she could give.
…
The next day, before dawn had even broken, Shirayuki climbed out of bed.
The bed beside hers was empty.
On the desk, there was a note, with breakfast placed on top of it.
It had been left by Mejiro Dober.
Recently, Mejiro Dober had gone out for morning runs almost every day. She would not wake Shirayuki, because this was part of the competition between them. Preparing breakfast for Shirayuki was already the greatest care Mejiro Dober could show her.
After finishing breakfast, Shirayuki put on her shoes and left the room.
There were only five days left until the race.
She had to seize every moment to train.
The streetlights along the riverbank had not yet gone out. A layer of white frost covered the ground. Even though summer was drawing near, the air in the early morning was still cold. Soon, droplets of water condensed on her hair and slid down from the tips.
Shirayuki's steps grew heavier.
Her concentration also deepened.
Soon, her vision flickered. The scenery around her abruptly shrank into a single point, then rapidly expanded again.
She was becoming increasingly skilled at grasping this sensation.
Her spirit, energy, and body fused completely into one, allowing her body to flow.
Just as Shirayuki gradually began to accelerate, a figure appeared ahead of her. As the person ran beneath the light, Shirayuki saw that long brown hair.
It was Mejiro Dober.
She had already finished one lap and was on her second.
Their gazes crossed.
Both of them paused for an instant.
But that brief meeting did not make either of them stop.
Soon, they continued running forward.
They were opponents.
So at this moment, all they needed to think about was how to defeat each other.