"How does it feel?"
"It's ticklish."
"Huh?" Lucian looked up, his face full of confusion.
"No, no..." Special Week clenched her fists, not expecting her nervousness to make her blurt out what she was thinking.
She tried lifting her foot and indeed felt a noticeable resistance from gravity.
Special Week then attempted to raise her leg more vigorously. "Hey, this really works!"
"Of course. Would I give it to you if it didn't?"
"Hehe, thank you, Trainer-san."
Lucian stood up and turned to Seiun Sky. "Little Seiun, you should try wearing them too."
"Mmm." Seiun Sky's lips curled into a faint smile, though it seemed slightly forced.
Why did he only give them to Special Week first? Why not me?
Seiun Sky couldn't shake the feeling that everything Lucian did was specially prepared for Special Week, while she was just an afterthought.
"How does it feel?" Lucian asked.
"It's good." Seiun Sky shook her feet lightly.
Lucian nodded, confirming there was nothing else he needed to explain. "Well then... both of you, do your best in training from now on."
...
The Yayoi Sho was approaching.
In the weeks leading up to the race, news and posters about it were everywhere.
Among the many participants, Special Week's popularity ranked second, while Seiun Sky was third. The top spot belonged to the young lady, Saintly Crown.
"Trainer, look! Spe-chan and Seiun-chan look so cool up there!"
Afternoon training had just ended, and Lucian was leaving the training grounds with Haru Urara and Silence Suzuka.
Along the way, Urara pulled out a newspaper and pointed at the coverage.
"They do look cool," Lucian agreed after a glance. "But don't be envious, Urara. One day, you'll be up there too."
"Can I really...?" Haru Urara unconsciously tightened her grip on the newspaper.
Being around such naturally talented teammates had always put a lot of pressure on her.
Reality kept telling her: Accept the truth.
"Of course you can." Lucian ruffled Urara's head. "If you don't believe in yourself, then try believing in me."
Urara's eyes shimmered like rippling water under sunlight. "Trainer-san..."
Silence Suzuka lightly coughed, breaking the moment. "By the way, we haven't seen much of Seiun Sky lately."
Urara nodded. "Yeah, Spe-chan's been coming to ask Trainer for advice a lot, though."
At this, Lucian's brow furrowed slightly.
Since assigning their training regimen, he hadn't required the two to attend afternoon sessions.
But while Special Week frequently came to seek guidance, Seiun Sky hardly ever showed up.
Lucian mused, "Little Seiun... might just be more independent?"
He wasn't worried about her slacking off for the race, but if it was something else, then as her trainer, he needed to pay attention.
The three continued walking, with Haru Urara and Silence Suzuka eventually returning to the dorm.
When Lucian reached the school gate and was about to drive off, he unexpectedly received a call from Special Week.
"Trainer, can you come here...?"
"What's wrong?" Hearing her hesitation, Lucian grew tense, fearing something bad had happened.
"Can you just come first?"
"Alright, I'll be right there."
...
Speeding over, Lucian soon arrived at the location Special Week had given.
It was a mountain with a shrine, known for its long stone stairway—a common training spot for horse girls to practice uphill running.
However, Lucian had given Special Week weighted rings precisely to avoid this, as the mountain was too steep to ensure safety.
Spotting Special Week from a distance, Lucian rushed over and scrutinized her with concern. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
Special Week was still in her training gear, drenched in sweat. The hair at her forehead and nape clung limply, as if drained of life.
Clearly, she had been training hard just moments ago.
"Hurt? No, I'm not hurt." Special Week seemed confused by his worry but quickly sensed his care.
This feeling of being valued was like the cool breeze brushing past her, drying her sweat and stirring her heart.
"No injuries? Then why did you call me here?"
"It's hurt." Special Week lifted her pant leg, pointing at the weighted ring. "Earlier, while climbing, I suddenly felt my foot lighten. When I tried again, it didn't work."
Lucian took it off and tested it a few times—indeed, it wasn't functioning.
A thought occurred to him, though the girl before him likely hadn't considered it. "Is it possible... it just ran out of battery?"
"Eh!?"
"Did you charge it at all these past few days?"
Special Week shook her head. "No."
Lucian pressed his lips together, exasperated. "You're really something special, alright..."
Still, he was relieved she wasn't injured.
"I..." Special Week's face flushed red. Unconvinced, she crossed her arms and turned away, muttering, "Trainer's being mean again! You didn't even tell me it needed charging or give me a charger!"
"Any regular charger would've worked... You're also something special when it comes to stubbornness."
"I don't care, I won't accept this."
"Special pride."
"Trainer-san!"
"Special obstinacy."
...
After teasing Special Week for a bit, Lucian shifted to asking about her recent training.
"Trainer, I really feel like I've gotten stronger."
The moment the weighted ring stopped working, Special Week felt her feet become incredibly light.
Even exhausted, she managed to achieve her best training time yet with that speed.
"That's good. But it's getting late—let me drive you back to school."
"No, I haven't finished today's training yet."
"I don't remember assigning this in your training schedule."
"This is... something extra I added." Special Week glanced at him cautiously.
She was afraid he'd scold her.
"Fine." Lucian sighed, understanding. The closer the race got, the more nervous she must be—doing something was better than nothing.
"Just don't overwork yourself. It'll backfire."
"Got it!" Seeing he wasn't angry, Special Week's tone brightened. Then, tentatively, she asked, "Then... Trainer, could you stay and help me finish the rest of today's training?"
When Special Week's expression brimmed with hope—like a bud waiting to bloom, needing only Lucian's word to flourish—he knew he couldn't refuse.
Besides, with night falling, he couldn't leave a girl training alone here.
"Alright, I'll stay. But don't keep me starving for too long."
"Yay! Trainer-san, you're the best!"