Drawing back the dorm room curtains, she let the morning light flood in.
Thanks to her recent weighted training sessions, Barbatos hadn't streamed League of Legends too late into the night, maintaining a good sleep schedule, so she felt refreshed and alert.
Before she knew it, the first day of the culture festival had arrived. There was no training today; instead, she planned to properly enjoy the festival and give herself a break.
She wasn't ready to remove the weighted horseshoes just yet. After several days of practice, wearing them in her daily life no longer affected her at all.
Changing into her school uniform, she sat on the bed, pulling her white socks up straight above her knees, and pondered how to ask Seiun Sky to explore the culture festival with her today.
Would Seiun Sky accept? Or would she refuse?
Inviting a friend to walk around the culture festival together seemed like a pretty normal thing to do between good friends.
Wait, what was she thinking? It was just inviting a friend to enjoy the festival together, no need to overcomplicate it.
She just felt a bit of fondness for Seiun Sky, that's all, it wasn't like she had a crush on her or anything.
'I, Barbatos, walk the straight path! Why would I feel nervous?!'
Her gaze shifted, looking over at Seiun Sky, who was also already changed into her uniform. She took a deep breath, steeling herself to issue the invitation.
But just then, she saw Seiun Sky, who had stood up to fetch her white socks, stumble slightly. Barbatos's body instinctively tensed, ready to rush over and support her.
Fortunately, it was just a misstep, not a fall, and Seiun Sky steadied herself before Barbatos could even move.
But Barbatos could clearly see the fleeting change of expression on her face.
"What's wrong with your foot?"
Barbatos didn't overthink it, stepping forward directly to ask. The race was tomorrow.
Even the usually laid-back Seiun Sky had been pushing hard with the weighted training. If some problem emerged the day before the race, preventing her from competing…
It would probably be a real shame for Seiun Sky herself.
"Probably just from the weighted practice. A little soreness and redness, that's all," Seiun Sky said with a sidelong glance and a seemingly nonchalant laugh. "It's fine. Let's just get ready and head to the festival together."
Under normal circumstances, those words would have implied they were going to the festival together.
But right now, Barbatos wasn't in the right frame of mind to focus on that. She was thinking about finding a chance to cast [Heal] on Seiun Sky.
There was no telling if this was truly nothing, or if there was some underlying issue.
After all, saying 'it's fine' didn't make it so. Neither Seiun Sky nor Barbatos were doctors; they couldn't make an accurate diagnosis.
But if she used [Heal] directly, Seiun Sky would likely feel the change in her own leg. And the system was Barbatos's biggest secret. No transmigrator would ever reveal their system to anyone else.
"Wait a moment."
She walked in front of Seiun Sky. "Sit back on the bed. Let me take a look."
Seiun Sky looked at the concern in Barbatos's eyes.
Though her initial instinct was to refuse, she ultimately chose to sit back down on the bed and slip her foot out of the white plush slipper.
Perhaps because her skin was delicate, Barbatos could see distinct redness and swelling around the ankle.
It seemed weighted training wasn't suitable for everyone. If it were, surely many more Uma Musume would choose to train with weights for better efficiency.
This was the first time she'd looked at Seiun Sky's foot so closely. But seeing the swelling, any fluttery feelings in her heart were washed away, leaving only worry.
What method could she use to conceal the effect of [Heal]?
A memory surfaced in her mind: on the Ferris wheel, a scared-of-heights Barbatos clutching Seiun Sky's hand, and Seiun Sky's equally nervous expression. 'Alright, let's try it like that.'
"You know, I actually fractured a bone during my Tracen Academy entrance exams. Back then, even the simplest recovery would have taken three months."
"At that time, Urara had already assumed I'd have to wait until next year to enroll in Tracen. She said she'd wait for me to join the academy next year, and we'd enter our debut races together."
This was the first time Seiun Sky had heard this story.
But the fact was, Barbatos had enrolled in Tracen Academy this very year and had already participated in three races.
"My family has a traditional massage technique. It's very helpful for recovery. I used this method to catch up in time for the academy's second-round exams."
"So, let me massage your ankle for you."
It sounded a bit like something those unlicensed doctors on the street would say.
But Seiun Sky pursed her lips, then glanced at her with an amused smile.
"Well then, let me try out your massage skills~"
Truthfully, a little redness and swelling on the ankle wouldn't affect a relay long-distance race. But she didn't want to refuse Barbatos's concern. If letting Barbatos massage it made Barbatos feel better, then so be it.
Hearing this, Barbatos took a soft breath, picked up her ankle, and carefully brushed her palm over the swollen area, her heart aching a little.
It wasn't some special massage technique; she just needed an excuse to use [Heal].
As for how to actually massage… she'd just have to mimic what she'd seen.
She might not know how to massage, but hadn't she seen others do it?
"Mmm~" Seiun Sky's pearly white teeth lightly bit her lower lip. Watching the crown of Barbatos's head, she felt her face grow warm unconsciously.
Having Barbatos massage her ankle like this…
It felt less like a massage and more like Barbatos was gently kneading, being extremely careful to avoid pressing on the swollen spot and hurting her.
After a while, Barbatos glanced up stealthily at Seiun Sky, noticing her slightly flushed face and her gaze drifting elsewhere.
Barbatos's heart seemed to skip a beat. She felt like teasing Seiun Sky when she was like this; she was so much cuter now compared to when she seemed to see right through Barbatos's thoughts.
Seizing the moment, she quietly cast [Heal].
The effect of [Heal] took hold on Seiun Sky. The redness and swelling in her ankle began to fade, slowly returning to its original state.
Using her peripheral vision to watch Seiun Sky's expression and finding no sign of suspicion, Barbatos breathed an internal sigh of relief.
But she couldn't stop just yet. If the swelling went down after just a little massaging, wouldn't that be as fake as those shampoo ads with special effects, all 'whoosh' and suddenly perfect?
But as she continued the [Heal] on the swollen ankle and lower leg…
Barbatos couldn't help but feel a somewhat intimate atmosphere developing, and she unconsciously wanted to… do something more.
A massage shouldn't just focus on the ankle, right? After all, helping to massage other areas to promote blood circulation and reduce swelling was perfectly reasonable, wasn't it?
Her right hand cradled the ankle, gently kneading. Her gaze instinctively traveled upward, and her left hand followed suit. As running Uma Musume, their legs weren't skinny like bamboo poles like some human girls; they had some softness to them.
Not only were her calves nicely shaped, but even her ankles felt soft and supple. Slender but not bony, the smooth, gentle feel under her hands was deeply satisfying.
But she didn't dare go too far, stopping just at the appropriate point.
She was worried the perceptive Seiun Sky would suspect she was just trying to get a feel for her.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.