The black-haired girl let out a clear, bell-like laugh and said to Luo Cheng, "Trainer, why did you sound like you saw a ghost? Am I that scary?"
"Anyone would be startled if you just appeared out of nowhere..."
And if you wanted to talk about seeing a ghost, he had literally seen one. But none of that mattered now. She had finally appeared before him.
After laughing for a while, the girl wiped the corner of her eye and said, "So, what do you need?"
"You should know what I want, right?"
"You want me to help you find the audience member."
"So you were listening all along. Why did you never come out when I called for you before?"
"Are you curious?"
"Of course I am!"
"Come here." The black-haired girl beckoned. Luo Cheng moved closer, and she whispered in his ear, "I'm not telling you."
This girl's personality is so much worse than Manhattan Cafe's... Is she only honest in bed? No, in bed, I'm the one who's honest.
"Do you understand the current situation?"
"Of course."
"If that's the case..."
"Don't rush, Trainer." She smiled. "First, let's not even talk about whether that audience member knows anything. Even if she does, what can you do? And what can she do? Do you think the systems you have for training horse girls can truly change the status quo?"
Luo Cheng had considered this problem as well. Even if he found the audience member, nothing might change. Even after clearing the story, nothing might be different. But no matter what, Luo Cheng had to do it, because it was the only thing he could do right now. He was sure that if he did nothing, nothing would change. First and foremost, Luo Cheng needed to take action.
"Is that your answer?" The ghost girl's lips curled into an exaggerated smile when she heard this. The smile reminded Luo Cheng of a bloodthirsty animal. Although she had the same face as Manhattan Cafe, this girl gave Luo Cheng a very cold feeling. He would believe it if she said she had killed someone.
"Yes, that's what I think."
"In that case... I'm still not telling you." She revealed a playful, teasing smile that was completely different from Manhattan Cafe's. "I think this kind of world is very fun. You can do whatever you want. Compared to the boring days of the past, life now is so interesting!" She clutched her stomach and said happily, "Trainer, my thoughts have always been different from yours. Anyway, no one can see me, so it doesn't matter where I am. You're just the one who can't accept the current situation. Since that's the case, why should I go to all the trouble to help you find someone?"
This girl! She's just like the Three Goddesses; she loves watching the chaos!
"If you're going to be like this, I'm going to tell Manhattan Cafe on you!"
"...Trainer, you're a grown man. Why are you doing something like that?"
At the mention of Manhattan Cafe, her tone instantly softened. It was true that she had some kind of special feelings for Manhattan Cafe, but Luo Cheng didn't know what kind. Knowing that she cared about Manhattan Cafe, he could talk to her properly now.
"Don't you have that possession ability? If so, finding an audience member shouldn't be that difficult, right?"
"It's not that easy. Do you really think a ghost is such a convenient existence? I can do whatever I want. All I do is put my soul on you and follow you around. I can't read minds; I'm not the Three Goddesses." The black-haired girl explained patiently, "The reason you couldn't see me was just because your mental state was very stable."
"My mental state was stable?"
"Yes. You can only see me when you're shaken, nervous, or panicked. A 'ghost' is an existence that appears when you are at your most vulnerable, and the night is often the easiest time to feel nervous."
I see. Whether the ghost appeared or not had nothing to do with her, but with him. This meant he could see her all the time if he stayed vulnerable. But the price was too high. He might have a mental breakdown before he even got to have any fun with her.
"Looks like my mental state is pretty stable; I haven't seen you much."
"Stable? You don't know how many times you've mistaken me for Manhattan Cafe and hugged me so many times without even realizing it... How about this, Trainer? We'll each take a step back. You do one thing for me, and I'll do one thing for you. How does that sound?"
"Okay. What do you want me to do?"
"I really like the feeling of conquering people. I get very happy when I see them humbled and crawling on the ground. But a trainer isn't a horse girl. Conquering you on the racetrack wouldn't bring me any happiness, so..." She curled the corners of her mouth. "Kneel on the ground and lick my feet."
"...Huh?"
"The sole of the foot represents conquest. Serving my feet means you're my property."
"...That's all?"
"That's right."
Luo Cheng swallowed hard, looking at the girl's face, which was so white it looked like it had never seen sunlight. That's too easy...
He wasn't eating rice cake for the first time, after all. Tokai Teio often ran onto his bed and stepped on his face. He had also had ice cream from Super Creek. Manhattan Cafe's chocolate flavor was also pretty good. As an experienced driver of Tracen, Luo Cheng was already skilled.
The girl sat on the sofa. Luo Cheng took off her shoes and cotton socks, revealing her fair feet. Unlike other horse girls, her feet were very cold to the touch, like a smooth pudding.
Wait, this person in front of me is supposed to be a ghost, right? If she's a ghost, why does she have a physical body that can be touched? Is this true for all ghosts, or just her?
Although it hasn't been officially confirmed, Luo Cheng remembered that many people had already guessed the true identity of Manhattan Cafe's friend: the legendary horse girl from the background story, Sunday Silence.
A glistening trail was left on her smooth skin. Under the light, her five soft, sprout-like toes wiggled. Sunday Silence's pupils emitted a faint golden glow. With a flushed face, she curled her lips, watching Luo Cheng serving her feet with great interest.
This feeling really makes me happy!
Sunday Silence raised her foot and stepped on Luo Cheng's face, kneading the man's cheek with her toes. She couldn't press too hard, or she would hurt him. Entertainment and punishment were not the same thing. To her, this was just part of teasing the trainer and passing the time.
"Trainer, you're very good at pleasing girls. I'm very happy now."
"Then I'll take that as your agreement..." Luo Cheng's muffled voice came from the sole of her foot.
"Well, since I've agreed to you, I'll naturally keep my word. Finding the audience member... no, it should be the horse girl who can be aware of the abnormalities of this world. Finding them seems quite interesting." Looking at the man under her bare feet, Sunday Silence said with a pleased expression.