...
The night after training was exhausting, but with everyone gathered together, no one wanted to go to bed so early.
The lively atmosphere lingered.
After soaking in the hot springs, the horse girls sat around to play board games, dragging Lucian into the fun as well.
"No way, it's a four-player game, and all three of you are ganging up on me? Are we even playing fair here?!"
At first, Lucian had won several times, plastering white strips all over Seiun Sky, Silence Suzuka, and Haru Urara's faces.
But his smugness didn't last long before the three started teaming up.
As long as Lucian came in last, it didn't matter who took first place.
"Trainer, no cheating now, come on, show me your face," Haru Urara said, holding a white strip and eyeing Lucian's chin, which looked like it had sprouted a white beard, wondering where to stick the next one.
"Fine, fine~" Lucian tilted his head forward, and soon three more white strips were added to his face. "I'm done. Spe-chan, take my place."
"Got it, Trainer! Leave it to me!" Still stinging from losing so many carrots yesterday, Special Week was determined to win them back.
Lucian stood up to give her his spot just as his phone rang. "Hello, Nishizaki-senpai, what's up?"
"Where did you kidnap my horse girls to? Why aren't they back yet?" Nishizaki Ryo's booming voice came through, so loud that Lucian instinctively held the phone away from his ear.
"They're, uh…" Lucian glanced at the Spica crew. "They're playing Ludo right now. I'll pass the phone to them."
Lucian tapped Gold Ship on the shoulder. "Your Trainer's looking for you."
"Huh? Trainer? Let me finish this game first."
Gold Ship was completely engrossed.
Lucian leaned over to check her board—her piece, which had just left the starting area, got knocked back home again. "Tough luck, huh? Should've moved another piece out just now."
"Makes sense." Gold Ship nodded.
"Hey, Lucian? Lucian!?"
"Ahem, I'm here, I'm here, Nishizaki-senpai. You heard her just now."
Lucian didn't mind too much. There were still tatami mats and rooms available here—staying over wasn't a big deal.
But he didn't dare say that to Nishizaki Ryo.
"Don't give the phone to Ship. Pass it to someone else… uh…" Nishizaki Ryo hesitated, clearly struggling with his team's mischievous horse girls, his parental heart worn thin. "Give it to Halo. Pass the phone to Halo."
"Got it." Lucian handed the phone to King Halo. "Nishizaki Trainer's looking for you."
King Halo at least picked up the phone. "Trainer?"
"Halo, isn't it about time you all came back? It's almost nine o'clock. Grab Daiwa and the other two."
"It's only nine o'clock…" King Halo muttered, tossing the dice high again. "Six!"
"Huh? What six?"
"Nothing, Trainer. We'll head back in a bit." The refined lady was enjoying the rare board game session with everyone and wasn't keen on leaving just yet.
Lucian took the phone back. "Nishizaki-senpai, they're in the middle of a game, and it's still early, right? Worst case, I'll escort them back later."
"Fine…" Nishizaki Ryo said helplessly.
In that huge inn, he was the only one left.
The thought made him a little resentful toward Lucian—why were they all flocking to his side?
After hanging up, Lucian sat back down.
These board games were honestly kind of boring, but the horse girls clearly weren't playing just to win.
Lucian was all for it—some fun was necessary.
"Anyone want fruit? Or something to drink? I'll go get it."
"Carrots!"
"Spe-chan, carrots are vegetables, not fruit. I'll take a banana."
"An apple. If Lucian-kun can peel it, that'd be even better."
"Uh… Trainer, any oranges?"
"Urara wants milk!"
...
Lucian suddenly regretted opening his mouth.
Still, he dutifully got up and headed to the kitchen to prepare.
He put together a fruit platter, peeled and sliced an apple as Silence Suzuka requested, and grabbed a bottle of milk for Haru Urara.
"Dig in, everyone."
The Spica crew, perhaps feeling a bit shy, hadn't asked for anything specific, so Lucian made an identical fruit platter for them and set it down nearby.
"Come here and make yourselves at home, no need to be polite. If you want anything else, just let me know," Lucian said, sitting back down to watch them play Ludo.
...
Before he knew it, another half hour had passed.
Lucian checked the time—it was indeed getting late.
"Alright, everyone, it's about time. Your coach just messaged again, reminding you to head back."
"Trainer, can't they just stay? There are plenty of empty rooms next door," Haru Urara suggested.
"It's not impossible…" Lucian looked at Taiki Shuttle, Grass Wonder, and the others. "What do you think?"
"If it's not too much trouble," Taiki Shuttle, an old friend, didn't stand on ceremony with Lucian.
With someone taking the lead, the others started to waver.
"Stay, stay! We're all meeting up tomorrow anyway~" Tokai Teio chimed in enthusiastically.
The more, the merrier—training camps were fun because of the crowd.
Somewhere, a lonely Nishizaki: Speak for me.
"Then we'll trouble you, Trainer Lucian," Grass Wonder agreed.
With Gold Ship leading the charge, the rest of Spica decided to stay as well.
Lucian nodded. "But you all need to let your respective Trainers know first."
...
"What!? They're not coming back!? Lucian, did you slip them some kind of charm potion?" Nishizaki Ryo grumbled loudly over the phone.
"That's not fair! It was their decision," Lucian said, trying to soothe Nishizaki Ryo. "Nishizaki-senpai, don't worry, I'll take good care of them."
He thought to himself that this wasn't poaching—yet. If he really stole them, Nishizaki Ryo might just shed little pearls of tears.
...
Toujou Hana, on the other hand, wasn't too concerned about this, but Air Groove's report had already reached her.
"Lucian, I heard you were bullying my team members this afternoon. We need to have a proper chat sometime."
"That's a misunderstanding, Hana-nee! It was all Nishizaki-senpai's orders!"
"Lucian, what did you say?! My call's still connected, and you're already throwing me under the bus?" Nishizaki Ryo hadn't hung up yet and overheard everything. "You little juice…"
The horse girls paused their game, chuckling at Lucian's predicament, holding a phone in each hand and failing to please either side.
Lucian's face darkened. Careless—he forgot to hang up.
"Hana, let me explain…"
"Explain what? I haven't even settled the score with you. 'Get past Grass Wonder to warm up'—that was you, wasn't it?"
"I was just taking a page out of Lucian's book to motivate my team…" Nishizaki Ryo's tone flipped instantly, soft and polite with Toujou Hana but booming when addressing Lucian. "Lucian, don't play innocent! Say something!"
"Exactly, I can confirm it was Nishizaki-senpai who said it."
"Lucian, you—!!!"
"Ahem, Nishizaki-senpai, the signal's suddenly bad over here. What did you say? I can't hear you… Never mind, good night to both senpais."
...