...
Lucian lightly touched the spot on his face where Silence Suzuka had kissed him.
The password is... you've run off, what am I supposed to do?
Lucian's shoulders twitched unconsciously, as if pricked by needles. His brain spun like overheated gears, but he still hadn't cooked up an explanation.
But what did it matter if he didn't turn around? The Uma Musume behind him weren't going to wait politely.
"Trainer, what was that about? Can you explain?" Haru Urara tugged his sleeve. Her eyes narrowed to slits, the faint smile on her lips sending chills down his spine.
"Yeah, Trainer, why did Suzuka suddenly kiss you?" Dextrous Bailey stepped forward too.
Was it his imagination, or could he actually see dark clouds over their foreheads?
Special Week stayed back, fingers clutching her collar. "Could Suzuka like the Trainer too..."
Then what should she do? Give the Trainer up...
Special Week's heart was in complete disarray.
Tokai Teio's thoughts were even more chaotic, though less tangled than Special Week's.
If Lucian turned now, he'd see Tokai Teio's forehead black as ink; closer, he might catch muttered words like "lock him up" or "jump to death."
Rice-chan: "Onii-chan really is popular..."
Meishou Doto nodded in agreement, like her animal friends who adored her.
The only outsider was Seiun Sky, who even thought Silence Suzuka had been rather restrained today.
"Speaking of... why was Suzuka so conservative? Wasn't that scene meant for me?" Seiun Sky realized belatedly.
Haru Urara's reaction was understandable—she'd always liked the Trainer—but Bailey too?
And was it the same kind of "like" she felt?
Ten thousand whys flooded Seiun Sky's mind, but from their reactions, she could tell only she and Silence Suzuka were in the lead.
...
Setting aside the Uma Musume's thoughts, Lucian was still caught in a pincer attack.
"This, let me think how to explain..." When flustered, people get oddly busy; Lucian's face cycled through micro-expressions.
Haru Urara and Dextrous Bailey waited for his answer.
"Suzuka's going abroad, right? Abroad they have this cheek-kissing etiquette. She must've overlearned it these past few days."
"Really?" Haru Urara remained skeptical, though the dark aura in her eyes faded.
Maybe Suzuka really was just being polite, as the Trainer said.
Otherwise, why kiss his cheek and bolt? Clearly shy.
"Suzuka-chan's just being polite. Compared to Urara, she's far behind." Haru Urara thought, convincing herself her theory made sense.
"Really." Lucian nodded like a pecking chick.
"Then why did Suzuka only kiss the Trainer?"
Lucian was almost in the clear when Dextrous Bailey reignited Urara's doubts. "Yeah, why only the Trainer? Not even Spe-chan."
Lucian pursed his lips. If Urara weren't here, he'd yank every hair from Dextrous Bailey's tail today.
Tail bald? Then move to other spots.
"Because I've known Suzuka the longest—earlier than Spe-chan—and maybe because I was standing in front."
No way!
Even his toes knew Silence Suzuka did it on purpose.
Good thing it was just the cheek—if it were elsewhere, he'd never clear his name.
Haru Urara nodded, convinced again. She looked up at Dextrous Bailey. "Bailey, why are you so worked up?"
"Me?" Dextrous Bailey pointed at herself, momentarily tongue-tied.
She couldn't flip the question—Urara's behavior fit everyone's image of her.
"Yeah, Bailey, why so excited?" Lucian chimed in, fully diverting Urara's attention.
Overall, Urara was the bigger threat.
"I-I was just curious, tagging along with Urara for the show." Dextrous Bailey's excuse barely held.
The Uma Musume who'd crept forward overheard Lucian's explanation and grudgingly accepted it.
Lucian exhaled, looking at everyone. "Let's head back. You can rest a bit more."
...
School hadn't started, so the remaining Uma Musume had to go home first.
That afternoon, Lucian saw them off at the high-speed rail station.
Again at security, Lucian stopped. "Why didn't you bring luggage this morning? Could've gone home after Suzuka."
"Because the tickets were for afternoon, Trainer's so dumb!" Haru Urara teased.
Lucian realized she was right and couldn't retort.
"Trainer, see you in a few days!" Haru Urara waved. "And... do we get a farewell kiss like Suzuka?"
Tokai Teio and the others with luggage paused, turning back to Lucian.
"That's foreign etiquette. Japan doesn't have it..."
"Doesn't matter! Is the Trainer only kissing Suzuka and not Urara!?"
"Fine..." Overpowered, Lucian's brain short-circuited. He mistakenly kissed Haru Urara's cheek.
Too late to take it back.
Dextrous Bailey: "Trainer."
Special Week: "Trainer-san..."
Lucian sighed. "If you don't mind, line up."
Under Special Week and Dextrous Bailey's expectant gazes, Lucian lightly kissed each cheek.
He remembered cheek-to-cheek was enough—Silence Suzuka started this mess. Tonight, he'd scold her properly!
Best when she wanted the horse to jump! Mock her ruthlessly!
After the two, Lucian looked at Meishou Doto, Rice-chan, etc. "You probably don't need it?"
Rice-chan shyly waved it off. "No need, Onii-chan."
Meishou Doto declined too—though the Trainer was handsome, this was too intimate for her.
To Lucian's surprise, Seiun Sky, up to some scheme, refused for once. "I'm not used to this etiquette either. Pass, Trainer."
Only Tokai Teio remained.
Lucian assumed she'd refuse. "Teio's probably not used to this etiquette either?"
"I never said that."
...