"Trainer, this is also delicious, try some."
On the other side, Special Week, though barely able to reach, stretched forward to serve Lucian some food. However, she was just following the trend, so she also served Silence Suzuka.
After enjoying a satisfying meal, everyone gradually left.
The scene after the lively gathering felt somewhat desolate.
Lucian actually felt a bit unaccustomed to it because, this time, Silence Suzuka hadn't stayed behind.
He sat in his seat for a while, waiting to sober up slightly before preparing to clean up, when suddenly the doorbell rang.
"Suzuka? Why did you come back?"
"Seeing you drunk like this, there's no way you could clean up the living room alone."
Silence Suzuka would never tell him she had returned because she was worried.
Even less would she admit that she had left with Special Week and the others first to avoid drawing attention.
"I could actually manage by myself."
Silence Suzuka frowned, covering her nose. "You reek of alcohol right now—don't talk to me."
After saying that, she walked into the room on her own, leaving Lucian standing bewildered at the door.
...
Silence Suzuka bustled around like the lady of the house, restoring everything to its original state. By the time she stepped out of the kitchen, Lucian was already sprawled beside the sofa, fast asleep.
"At least worry about catching a cold," she muttered, draping a blanket over him.
This time, she wasn't in a hurry to leave. Instead, she stood quietly for a while before leaning down to observe Lucian's sleeping face.
Silence Suzuka suddenly felt shy, her gaze involuntarily shifting away. Realizing Lucian was asleep, her eyes drifted back to him.
She reached out and cautiously poked his cheek.
"Mmm..." Lucian let out a soft murmur in his sleep, frowning as he turned over.
This startled Silence Suzuka, who retracted her hand as if electrocuted.
So cute... It'd be nice to keep one like this at home...
The moment the thought formed, Silence Suzuka was startled again.
She was really getting more and more scatterbrained—how could she have such a strange idea!?
She patted her chest, sighing in relief, then stood up again—yet she still had no intention of leaving.
Like a thief, Silence Suzuka's wandering gaze drifted toward a door on the left—Lucian's bedroom.
"I just think this blanket is too thin, so I wanted to check if there's a thicker one in the room... Yeah, that's it."
Finding excuses for odd behavior was also a way to psych herself up.
Silence Suzuka walked to the door, glanced back at Lucian one more time, and gently pushed it open.
Lucian's room was simple—just a bed, a computer desk, and a cabinet filled with miscellaneous items.
Silence Suzuka didn't enter. To be precise, she wasn't observing with her eyes but rather... experiencing it with her nose.
Sniff... Sniff-sniff...
The scent inside was much stronger here.
It was the same scent she occasionally caught when close to Lucian. Hard to describe, but it made her feel at ease.
The waning moon climbed the branches, and no one knew how long Silence Suzuka stood there dumbly before her own subconscious deep breath snapped her out of it.
Her face flushed with embarrassment, both hands curling inward, and she only calmed down after realizing no one had noticed.
What kind of behavior was that just now?
Why did it feel like... like a pe...pe...pervert's? Could she really be...?
She touched her burning cheeks and quickly closed the Pandora's box that was messing with her mind.
"Okay... no suitable blankets here."
Guiltily, Silence Suzuka retreated to the living room. Before leaving, she took one last look at Lucian's sleeping face and silently wished him goodnight.
...
The days passed uneventfully.
Repetitive training would never betray these hardworking horse girls.
"Though we cannot control the outcome, we can strive to leave no regrets."
In the "Dream" lounge, Special Week read aloud, word by word, the calligraphy Lucian had hung on the wall.
"Hmm, the meaning shouldn't need much explanation, right?" Lucian clapped his hands, signaling everyone to sit down. "Today, there's something important to discuss."
Lucian glanced around before continuing, "The specific date for the Yayoi Sho has been announced."
The Yayoi Sho—a G2-level high-stakes race.
Because its format is identical to the Satsuki Sho, one of the classic Triple Crown races, the Yayoi Sho is also considered its precursor.
Special Week clenched her fists, brimming with fighting spirit, as this could be said to be her first step toward her dream.
But before she could express her emotions, Lucian's next words poured cold water on her excitement.
"As for our team, the participants will be Special Week... and Seiun Sky."
The moment Lucian finished speaking, the atmosphere in the lounge grew subtly tense.
In previous smaller races, Lucian had always assigned them separately.
Because in any given race, only one horse girl can claim the champion's honor.
As for second, third place... in some ways, they're no different from the other losers.
So this was the first time two teammates would face each other as opponents in an official race.
Special Week and Seiun Sky's eyes met, a hint of gravity lingering between them.
Ahem... "What's with those looks? It's just one race. No fighting in the lounge, okay?"
Lucian caught a whiff of gunpowder in the air and quickly defused it with a lighthearted remark.
He'd agonized over this last night too. Having two opponents training together clearly wasn't ideal.
"Geez, Trainer-san, as if I'd ever fight Seiun-chan!" Special Week retorted playfully.
That said, her psychological pressure had indeed spiked.
Seiun Sky also forced a smile. "Haha, no way I could beat Spe-chan."
Even so, Seiun Sky's heart was far less calm than her expression suggested.
Beyond her desire to compete against Special Week again, there was an unspoken fear—the fear of losing.
In recent training sessions, Seiun Sky and Special Week had traded wins and losses.
Seiun Sky had to admit she could no longer defeat Special Week as effortlessly as she had at the beginning.
For Seiun Sky, who had debuted earlier, this was a blow—especially since Special Week hadn't even undergone systematic training before transferring schools.
Was talent really that crucial? What did all her past effort amount to, then? Was she just... mediocre?
Before the race had even begun, Seiun Sky had already considered the possibility of losing—but she hadn't figured out how to accept it.
"Alright, this situation is a bit special, so I've prepared separate training plans for each of you."
Lucian handed them the training schedules he'd spent all night refining.
The plans detailed their training routines, requirements, and even dietary guidelines.
After carefully reading them, the two tucked the schedules away respectfully.
"Next, let me brief you on the Yayoi Sho's venue."