Faced with Grass Wonder's sudden request, Kitahara Sota didn't show the slightest surprise. Rather, he felt an almost nostalgic sense of Ah, you're finally here.
The reason was simple.
Though Grass Wonder had nominally joined his team, she was, in reality, just a bodyguard sent by the Student Council, concerned about the threat from Black Forest.
But now, Hayakawa Tazuna had returned, and Tracen Academy's security team was fully operational again.
After a strict crackdown, not only Black Forest, but even the mischievous Uma Musume on campus had quieted down. At least for the short term, safety wasn't an issue. Grass Wonder had lost her reason to stay with his team.
But the question was, would she really want to leave?
After spending so much time together, though their interactions were limited, Sota had gradually realized something: Grass Wonder truly had very few friends.
As for the others on his team—Agnes Digital, that social terror who befriended everyone from the Chairwoman down to the newest students—there were few she wasn't familiar with.
Special Week and Tokai Teio were both cheerful, outgoing, and energetic. They each had wide circles of friends; during training, it was common to see other Uma Musume coming to chat or inviting them out during holidays.
Agnes Tachyon, Oguri Cap, and Eclipse didn't have many friends either.
But the difference was: one was a mad scientist thinking only about her experiments; another, a glutton whose brain was filled exclusively with food; and the last was an enigmatic existence whose thoughts no one could guess. Whether or not they had friends simply wasn't something they cared about.
But Grass Wonder was different.
Sota didn't know why she had so few friends, but he could tell that she genuinely liked being around others.
Even though she rarely joined the activities directly, simply watching from the sidelines noticeably brightened her mood.
Additionally, from previous chats with other trainers, Sota knew that for a girl like Grass Wonder, finding a suitable team wasn't easy. She hadn't belonged to any team before joining his.
Gentle, graceful, a textbook Yamato Nadeshiko, and incredibly strong—such a combination was viewed by other tantou as a Class-A threat.
It wasn't always because they feared their trainer would stray, but rather because Grass Wonder shone so brightly as a woman that merely standing beside her could highlight their own inadequacies.
And even teams with more balanced trainer-tantou relationships didn't welcome someone like Grass Wonder.
Her talent and seriousness were overwhelming. Those teams usually had relaxed, playful atmospheres—adding someone as solemn as Grass Wonder would make things awkward.
Having an exclusive trainer seemed like the best option for her, but since she was from Special Week's generation and hadn't even debuted yet, that wasn't an option available to her at the moment.
Of course, with her abilities, if Grass Wonder truly wished it, she'd easily find another team. But the truth was, she was happy enough in Sota's team.
On one hand, she had Special Week. On the other, after spending time together, she'd discovered she got along well with Eclipse. Often, they'd quietly stand together, rarely speaking, yet the atmosphere was always comfortably harmonious.
It was evident she wasn't good with overly lively Uma Musume, and Eclipse's quiet nature suited her perfectly. If she changed teams, she might never meet another friend like her.
Moreover, aside from her teammates, Sota was certain Grass Wonder's impression of him wasn't bad.
Though they rarely spoke, she'd definitely noticed his subtle assists earlier. And there was no doubting his trainer abilities—she'd clearly observed Special Week's improvement. She had no reason to doubt him professionally.
So, it was perfectly natural for her to want to stay. Actually, if she didn't, Sota would've worried that she'd snapped mentally and was secretly plotting to "take care of" him or Special Week later on.
Then, given that Grass Wonder wished to stay, what was Kitahara Sota's own stance?
Obviously, he didn't want her to stay.
After all, Grass Wonder was undoubtedly ranked among the four most dangerous beings in his mind. If he could avoid it, he'd prefer not to have any connection with her at all.
But the problem was, Special Week was still on his team. Even if he forced Grass Wonder out, she'd inevitably return to visit, and if she saw any intimate interactions between him and Special Week… well, he'd rather not think about the consequences.
Furthermore, despite their limited interactions, after all this time—watching her repeatedly struggle in romantic setbacks or even teaming up to support her—Sota felt a bit of camaraderie. If he bluntly kicked Grass Wonder out, his conscience would bother him.
But there was also one more thing, perhaps the most dangerous:
Eclipse was standing right behind him.
From the moment Grass Wonder requested to stay, Eclipse's gaze had locked firmly onto Sota's back.
He had zero doubts—if he revealed even the slightest hint of rejection, Eclipse's precision backstabs would immediately dismantle any excuse he prepared, and happily invite Grass Wonder to remain.
Even assuming he forced himself to ignore his conscience, cleverly dodged Eclipse's assassination attempts, and managed to permanently remove Grass Wonder from his presence—what then?
What might a displeased Eclipse do next…?
He neither knew nor wished to find out.
And he especially didn't want to know why Eclipse always carried around that green potion Agnes Tachyon had given her—it was probably expired already!
Thus, facing Grass Wonder's hopeful gaze, Kitahara Sota didn't hesitate long before deciding:
He surrendered.
After all, resistance was futile. Moreover, seeing how pitiable Grass Wonder was already, persecuting her further would torment his conscience too much. Why bother struggling in vain?
"Of course, it's no problem."
Kitahara Sota smiled and nodded.
It wasn't a forced smile. It was genuine.
Since things had already reached this point, why not just relax and go with the flow?
After all, based on last Saturday's incident, it was already clear that Grass-san saw him as either a good brother or perhaps her brother-in-law. Coupled with her "preferences," maybe she was actually safer than the others?
But he might not have been smiling if he knew what Grass Wonder was actually thinking right now.
Trainer Kitahara really is quite a nice person…
Grass Wonder quietly marveled as she looked at the man before her.
As a proper Yamato Nadeshiko who had dabbled slightly—well, perhaps extensively—in psychology, Grass Wonder had sensed Kitahara Sota's fear of her from the very beginning.
But at the time, she hadn't really minded it.
After all, plenty of people were afraid of her already—one more or less didn't make any difference.
She'd joined the team merely as a bodyguard, also wanting to keep an eye on Special Week. She didn't particularly care about the trainer's impression of her.
Yet, slowly but surely, things began to change.
At first, she'd seen Kitahara Sota as an odd trainer, utterly unlike the others at Tracen HQ.
He slacked off, loafed around, spent his days idly, never checking in properly with his tantou, and rarely even interacting with the team. He simply tossed out a couple of training plans for them to follow. It wouldn't be unfair to say he completely lacked a sense of responsibility.
But as time passed, she realized he wasn't quite as simple as he appeared.
It wasn't that he lacked responsibility—rather, he might have been too responsible.
Even someone like her—someone he obviously feared and wanted to avoid—would find him reluctantly lending a helping hand when she was in trouble. He always looked regretful afterward, but would still repeat the same mistake next time.
As for his slacking off, it was simply because he was talented enough to achieve far better results than other trainers with minimal effort.
And if he ever took things as seriously as the other trainers did…
Grass Wonder didn't know exactly what would happen, but she was certain it would surpass anything most people could even imagine.
Though she hadn't thought highly of him at their first meeting, the more she learned about Kitahara Sota over time, the more her opinion of him had risen. By now, she genuinely respected him quite highly.
Respect was respect—but if someone asked if she held romantic feelings toward him? The answer was absolutely no.
After all, up until now, they hadn't spoken much. Almost all their interactions revolved around Special Week, and they barely knew each other beyond a casual acquaintance level.
But did she like him? Yes, that much was true.
However, this wasn't a romantic type of "like," but rather akin to admiring a beautiful flower blooming by the roadside.
Or perhaps appreciation would be a better way to put it?
In any case, it was that sort of feeling.
Therefore, she fully understood why so many members of Kitahara's team were drawn to him.
Yes indeed, as a refined Yamato Nadeshiko who had thoroughly—no, had just briefly studied psychology, Grass Wonder was actually the one enjoying watching the drama unfold within the team the most.
She'd already noticed the feelings of Tokai Teio, Agnes Tachyon, and even Special Week.
Putting aside the others, she'd known Special Week long enough to realize the girl wasn't comfortable around men—though, like Silence Suzuka, she'd never asked about her past. It was clear enough to anyone who wasn't Suzuka, whose head was always filled with nothing but running, what Special Week's intimacy with Kitahara meant.
And how did Grass Wonder feel about that?
Well, she honestly couldn't care less.
Who Special Week liked was none of Grass Wonder's business.
Though she'd gradually realized, through some of Kitahara's behavior, that he believed she harbored some unusual feelings toward Special Week—and she didn't deny that she did.
But the issue was that her definition of "unusual feelings" was probably different from his.
Perhaps, in his mind, her feelings toward Special Week were born out of some unspeakable desire. In reality, though, Grass Wonder simply saw Special Week as her closest friend, or perhaps a rival who motivated her.
Given that she had so few friends, wasn't it normal to feel lonely when ignored by someone she considered her best friend?
Considering their friendly rivalry, wasn't it normal that she'd want to observe Special Week's training, challenge her occasionally, and spur each other on to growth?
Once someone wore tinted lenses of preconceived notions, every judgment afterward would become biased, reflecting their own assumptions rather than objective reality.
But if one removed those biases and reexamined Grass Wonder's actions objectively, they'd find she'd never crossed any boundaries, nor ever openly declared herself to be into girls.
She knew there were indeed many yuri enthusiasts at Tracen, and she didn't discriminate—but she herself was perfectly straight.
Besides, just think about it logically. She held herself strictly to the standards of a true Yamato Nadeshiko.
Being a Yamato Nadeshiko implied adhering to tradition, even bordering on being old-fashioned. Such a conservative outlook naturally conflicted with overly progressive romantic ideals.
She simply saw Special Week as a very dear and important friend. While perhaps some of her actions did seem excessive, she'd never entertained those sorts of thoughts toward her.
If anything, in terms of certain feelings, she probably held slightly stronger emotions toward Kitahara Sota than Special Week.
After all, his personality, mannerisms, and capabilities did closely match her ideal definition of a "good man." The only real headache was that he attracted attention without realizing it.
But it wasn't her problem if he unintentionally drew romantic attention. After all, she had no plans to enter that battlefield; she'd rather remain a bystander.
In her free time, she'd happily drink tea and chat with Eclipse, discuss training, practice, or daily life with Special Week, occasionally lend Kitahara a helping hand if needed, considering he was quite decent.
And as for the rest…
Even a Yamato Nadeshiko was still a woman—how could she not enjoy watching such entertaining drama unfold?
Moreover…
Recalling a previous misunderstanding involving Eclipse and the strange thoughts that had momentarily surged within her, a forbidden idea flashed briefly across her mind before she forcefully suppressed it, her furrowed brows gradually smoothing.
Yet, despite her resolve, and despite pushing those thoughts aside…
Thinking of her experiences these past two weeks, remembering Special Week ignoring her while sticking closely to Silence Suzuka, recalling the figure who always appeared when she felt most abandoned—her steps hesitated slightly as dark ripples gently spread across her heart.
Even someone like Special Week would feel hurt and lonely for a long time if something she cherished was taken from her, wouldn't she?
Just like I felt back then…
But quickly, her dignity and self-control took hold, suppressing those ripples entirely.
No. What are you even thinking, Grass Wonder?
She gently slapped her cheeks, driving away the inappropriate thoughts as her expression swiftly returned to normal.
Such things were certainly not becoming for a proper Yamato Nadeshiko. Just thinking about it was already rude enough.
With a quiet sigh, those strange emotions sank back into the depths of her heart, never again disturbing its calm surface.
---
Meanwhile, having accepted Grass Wonder's formal request to officially join the team and feeling Eclipse's gaze finally shift away, Kitahara pulled out his notebook to sketch out a training plan for Grass Wonder.
Since he'd already agreed, there was no point worrying further about the dangers she might pose.
And as he'd concluded earlier, based on last Saturday, Grass Wonder likely saw him as a brother or brother-in-law. Coupled with her preferences, she might actually be the safest member of the team.
Even if she wasn't, at least he'd definitely be safe while her attention remained fixed on Special Week.
And when her attention finally shifted…
Well, he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, everything was perfectly safe and fine.
As he mused about this, scribbling away, he heard two cautious footsteps approaching quietly from behind.
But he didn't particularly care.
After all, this was Tracen's training grounds, crowded with students and security. And Eclipse stood right behind him. Anyone hostile would be torn apart instantly.
So, even though the footsteps sounded unusual—lighter than most students'—he ignored them, continuing to write.
Then, smiling playfully, he turned around to see which two silly kids were trying to prank him.
But as he clearly saw the "two silly kids," his smile froze and his heart skipped a beat.
"Good morning, Kitahara-san!"
Kitasan Black greeted him cheerfully, smiling brightly.
Behind her stood Satono Diamond, looking tense and averting her eyes.