I sat on the grass, slowly coming to my senses and realizing where I was. I was training Tokai Teio, trying to trigger a support card event. The time after the event replay hadn't moved. I spent a whole day there, but in the real world, it was still the same time as before I went into the replay. Just like with the support card events, the real world's time stood still when I entered an event.
But more than that, I was concerned about the person who hugged me. Dober had already told me who she was. "A friend." She was Dober's "friend" and a ghost.
Why could she see my UI? Was she a player like me? No, that was impossible. Given how familiar she was with Dober, she was clearly a horse girl from this world.
It was then that I remembered what she had said in Dober's support card event when I was sick. "Being attached to you, I've seen some incredible surprises."
Attached...
Yes, she had said "attached."
Was I possessed by a ghost?
I examined my body. Tokai Teio shook her feet, as if she wanted me to keep massaging them. I pinched her fair, delicate calves, my brows furrowed.
This world had ghosts; Dober had said so herself. But what exactly were they? What could they do? Based on my experience with the ghost, her skin was colder than a human's, and she could cause supernatural phenomena. But besides that, there was nothing special about her. Her body's touch and internal temperature were the same as a normal human's. So, how exactly could she "attach" herself? Was she inside me? That couldn't be right. I pinched my shoulders, which felt inexplicably heavy.
I needed to ask someone. Tachyon... as a firm materialist, she wouldn't be able to explain it. But Dober would definitely know about her "friend." It might be difficult to get Dober to explain the principles of ghosts, but at the very least, I could learn a little more about her. Although I had my own guesses about the ghosts' settings, it was better to get the information from Dober herself. Who knew if the horse girl I played in the game was exactly the same as the one in this world?
Also, since that person could follow me to different worlds and even see my system, why didn't she stay by my side? Was it because she didn't want to, or couldn't? If there was a conscious person beside me to talk to, I wouldn't have gone through almost a hundred days of being on the verge of a breakdown. I'd even be willing if she was a sadist.
After I finished massaging Tokai Teio's legs, Sky said, "Trainer, what's today's training plan?"
I stroked her head, and a smile appeared on her face. She sat on the ground, took off her shoes, and put her hot, steaming feet on my lap. Seeing this, Tokai Teio pouted slightly. She stayed where she was and continued to reach out her feet to me.
"Teio, you're done. This isn't a game," I said, looking at the energy bar on Tokai Teio's body. It had reached the maximum value that could be restored by a massage.
Before I left that world, the "ghost" had said that staying there would prevent the story from progressing. After I came out, I found that time in the real world hadn't passed. It seemed she knew the function of the event replay earlier than I did. Did she know these system functions better than I did?
I took out my handkerchief, wet it with mineral water, and wiped Sky's soft, tender knees. Sky bit her lip and closed her eyes, her cheeks flushed, and she kept making a soft "mm-mm~" sound. Her thighs rubbed against my hand and gently squeezed.
I pinched Sky's thigh, telling her to let go, and looked at Manhattan Cafe on the training track. I was going to use VR to give her a conscience and ask her what was going on. But before that, I rubbed my stomach.
I should probably eat first.
...
[Today's Special: Carrot Hamburg Steak, Carrot Porridge.]
A sign with the day's special menu was posted at the entrance. I walked into the cafeteria. Horse girls loved to eat carrots. Every cafeteria had a special carrot meal prepared just for them. I was curious and ordered one myself, but it was just so-so. I wasn't a big fan of the texture and taste of carrots. Eating them by themselves was fine, but when they were made into a dish, I found them a bit too sweet.
The special meals were placed on the counter on a first-come, first-served basis. I couldn't get a meal from the cafeteria staff, so the only way for me to eat was to take someone else's. This posed a problem. The horse girls' physical condition wouldn't improve out of thin air. If they didn't eat lunch, they would easily faint from hunger during their afternoon training. They wouldn't even know they hadn't eaten. Eating air wouldn't fill them up.
A few times, I saw a horse girl faint on the training track and went to help her. I realized it was the same horse girl whose meal I had stolen, so I finally figured it out. After that, I rarely stole their food, and I would just go into the kitchen and serve myself.
Today, I'll just try the special. For some reason, my body felt inexplicably tired, and I kept rubbing my neck. I went to the counter and saw the self-service table was empty. I narrowed my eyes.
Where's my food?
There was only one carrot hamburg steak left, with a large carrot on top.
Just one. Oh well, one was enough. I wasn't a horse girl; I didn't need to eat that much. I reached out to grab it, but someone was faster. With a clatter, the hamburg steak was gone.
"There's only one plate left. How lucky~"
Who was so bold?
I turned my head and saw a brown-haired horse girl with a bowl cut. She was wearing a princess-braid hair accessory, had a white streak in her bangs, and her purple eyes were bright and clear, giving her a gentle, simple look.
It was the horse girl mascot, Special Week.
"Spica."
"Good morning, Trainer." Hearing my voice, she greeted me and walked away with the plate.
"Come back here."
I grabbed her, and Special Week stopped in her tracks. I looked at her bulging tummy. I was still hungry, but this guy wasn't satisfied with what she had already eaten and was even trying to steal my food.
I reached out and pinched her belly. It was soft and felt like a sponge seeping through my fingers. Special Week's face turned red, and she let out a soft "hehehe~" of pleasure.
[Affection: 63]
Every time I went to Special Week's room, I felt like I was bullying a silly girl. Even Teio was more womanly than Special Week. Despite her good qualities, she was just so simple-minded.
I pinched the girl's cheek and took the carrot hamburg steak from her hand.
"I'll be taking this. You eat so much all day; I can barely even pick you up."
Special Week touched her stomach, then went back to her seat with an empty plate and started eating air.