"Gulp——"
Silence Suzuka's throat moved as she swallowed hard.
Angry.
But her fury was directed entirely at the oblivious Lucian beside her. Had there been nobody else present, she would have forced Lucian to give her a massage right then and there.
"Trainer... can you sing?"
Seiun Sky felt warm flames licking at both cheeks, so she set her water glass aside and changed the subject.
"Just a little." Lucian rubbed his fingers together.
He just didn't know if this world had any singers he recognized—like, say, King Von or similar artists.
"You can sing too?" Silence Suzuka interjected.
Lucian chuckled lightly, "Being decent at everything makes life more colorful."
"In that case, why wait for another day? Trainer should sing a song for us later."
Seiun Sky was especially eager to hear Lucian's singing voice.
Somehow, she'd become deeply interested in everything about Lucian.
"With star singers like you all here, I'd rather not embarrass myself." The horse girls seemed born with natural talent for singing and dancing—Lucian knew he couldn't compare.
"We're at karaoke—why wouldn't you sing? Trainer, don't forget you're splitting the bill~ Not singing would be such a waste."
"Small change, I'll cover it."
Seeing how transparent Seiun Sky's motives were, Lucian felt playful and deliberately refused to indulge her.
"Trainer, how could you..." Seiun Sky puffed her cheeks, looking every bit the picture of a wronged victim. "Hmph, if you won't sing, then I won't perform later either."
"I never asked you to perform—I called for Suzuka."
"Lucian-kun, if you don't sing, then I won't either."
When it came to teasing Seiun Sky the cat, Lucian had his methods—but Silence Suzuka wasn't on his side this time.
"Fine, fine~ Later I'll see if there are any songs I know. If there are, I'll sing one for you."
A person ought to have some talents—even mastering just one song was better than nothing.
...
Before long, Tokai Teio's teaching session finally concluded.
Though Special Week usually seemed a bit slow, her comprehension in this area was surprisingly good—with more practice, she'd improve quickly.
"I'm exhausted." Tokai Teio bounced onto the sofa, which barely dented under her weight.
"Thank you for your hard work, Teio-chan." As thanks, Special Week produced a carrot from somewhere. "This is a small token of my appreciation—please accept it!"
"Alrighty, I'll gladly take it then."
"Hey, Spe-chan, lend me one of your carrots! I want to thank Tokai Teio too." Haru Urara sat beside Tokai Teio.
The two petite, adorable girls sat on the sofa, their legs not even touching the ground—yet the joy of swinging them back and forth was something only they could understand.
"Urara, why not prepare a gift for Teio next time? That would show more sincerity, don't you think?"
"That makes sense! Spe-chan, you're so smart!"
"Of course I am!"
Tokai Teio watched as Special Week and Haru Urara hyped each other up, smiling knowingly before turning her gaze to Lucian and the others. "Lucian-sensei, are you all planning to head back now?"
"Not yet—it's still early. Leaving without singing our fill would be a waste."
"Oh~ Well then, hurry up and pick some songs! We'll rest for a bit first." Tokai Teio hopped off the sofa and walked to the control panel.
She turned off the bright lights and set the lighting mode to a rotating spotlight effect.
The room dimmed considerably, with only the small stage area illuminated—very much like the atmosphere of a Winner's Ceremony stage.
"Little Seiun, your turn." Seeing the mood properly set, Lucian urged Seiun Sky onward.
"Got it, got it... But Trainer, you promised to sing later too—no backing out."
"Don't worry—if I break my promise, I'll let Suzuka's name be written backward from now on."
"What does that have to do with me...?"
Silence Suzuka murmured her protest.
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
The moment the lights dimmed, before any music had even started, she could already hear a rapid drumbeat.
Listening closer, she realized it was her own heartbeat.
Truthfully, the environment wasn't the main factor—the real reason was that in this lighting, she happened to be seated right beside Lucian.
Provoked by Seiun Sky's antics, chaotic thoughts fluttered like cotton fluff—yet tangled together like knotted threads, leaving her unsure how to "regain ground."
She had to do something... but what could she do?
In the dimness, her beautiful eyes no longer needed to hide, boldly fixing once more on the water glass in front of Lucian.
...
Compared to the other horse girls, Seiun Sky's voice was slightly deeper and fuller.
She didn't choose any energetic, lively songs—instead opting for a slow, soothing melody with playful vocal flourishes here and there.
After Seiun Sky finished singing, it was Silence Suzuka's turn.
Unintentionally, this had become another competition.
Silence Suzuka's voice was ethereal and clear, brimming with technical skill—her talent evident from the very first note.
But that didn't necessarily mean Seiun Sky had lost, because singing wasn't just about technique—emotion mattered just as much.
Yet at the very end, Silence Suzuka suddenly faltered, missing the beat—her focus disrupted by external distractions.
When she saw Seiun Sky whispering something to Lucian, their cheeks nearly touching, she could no longer concentrate on singing.
Her eyes stung as if pricked by invisible needles—not painful, but deeply uncomfortable.
Move apart a little...
Why sit so close?
In this distracted state, Silence Suzuka still managed to finish her performance before returning to Lucian's side.
"Trainer, Suzuka's done singing—now it's your turn." The moment Silence Suzuka sat down, Seiun Sky immediately pressed.
"Eh? Trainer-san is singing too?" Special Week sounded surprised, but quickly grew excited at the prospect.
"Yay! I want to hear!" Haru Urara had somehow procured glow sticks and was waving them enthusiastically.
Tokai Teio also looked over with curiosity.
After spending the afternoon together, she found Team "Dream" to be a relaxed and comfortable group.
She just wondered if their training methods would suit her.
"Let me check if there are any songs I know first. If not, then no deal."
Lucian stood and walked to the karaoke machine to search.
Unfortunately, none of the artists from his homeland in his previous life appeared in the system, so he couldn't sing any nostalgic tunes.
As for Japanese songs... he'd listened to plenty before and knew a few.
"Oh, there are Japanese ones here."
After selecting his song, Lucian picked up the microphone and took center stage.
Being stared at by five pairs of eyes below did make him a little nervous.