In the infirmary, Chiya sat on a chair, applying medicine to Rice Shower's calf.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes," she nodded forcefully.
Yesterday's intense run had caused her legs to go into a temporary state of muscle relaxation. According to his calculations, she should have been fine after a day, but perhaps he had been too optimistic. When she walked, she would still occasionally feel a wave of weakness.
Just now, for example, when she was going down the stairs, the leg that was supporting her body had suddenly lost its strength, causing her to fall.
Fortunately, she hadn't hit anything.
"I'm sorry, Rice Shower. I should have reminded you more."
Looking at the gauze wrapped around her pale calf, he lowered his head in apology.
"It's not your fault, Onii-sama! It was me... I was careless..." she said quickly.
She didn't want him to take all the blame on himself.
"Let's reduce the intensity of today's training."
"No, I can do it! Let's stick to your plan, Onii-sama. I can continue to train."
Rarely, she rejected his suggestion.
"I will definitely become a strong Horse Girl, and I will become your support, Onii-sama! No matter what kind of opponent I face, I will not lose! So please, continue to train me! I... will absolutely not hold you back."
She clenched her fists and promised him.
What a good child.
Serious, hardworking, and cute. She was the ideal Horse Girl.
But the more she was like this, the more he worried that she would overwork herself.
Like in yesterday's race, in order to fight for first place, she hadn't hesitated to hurt her own body. In fact, it was just an insignificant mock race. It was best if she won, but it didn't matter if she didn't. He had only treated it as a test. Even if he had lost to Happy Meek, he had just been reflecting on it.
Before their debut race, all their races were trial and error, a foundation for their future growth. The experience gained during the race was more important than winning.
He didn't want his Horse Girls to get injured during training before the official race.
Especially Rice Shower.
He still remembered that he had only casually mentioned that she should practice her body's flexibility when she had time. As a result, she had gone to the gym every night. In the end, it was only when he saw that she was not in good condition and asked her the reason that he had found out.
Overworking would have the opposite effect. Everything had to be done in moderation.
And she had treated his words as a holy edict and had desperately tried to fulfill them.
Looking at the petite girl who was trying so hard to assure him, he patted her head.
"I understand. Then let's stick to the previous plan, but we'll need a longer rest in between."
"Yes!" she nodded forcefully, then her eyes darted around shyly. "Onii-sama... can you rub my legs?"
"Legs?"
"If it's too much trouble for you, then you don't have to! I just saw... last time after Shirayuki-san's race, you helped her with a massage."
She was talking about the selection exam.
At that time, she had been very envious of Shirayuki. For so long, she had never enjoyed such treatment. The opportunity to make a request to him had been used by her to serve him.
She felt that making him comfortable was a higher priority than making herself comfortable.
Her eyes darted back and forth between him and the bed, afraid that her request would make him angry.
"I understand."
His words made her heart flutter.
"A massage can help you relax quickly and adjust your condition. Actually, I should have helped you with it last night, but it slipped my mind when I got back. I was too careless."
He placed her pale leg on his own and his fingers explored her delicate skin.
Following the knowledge in the trainer's manual, he kneaded the fatigued parts of her muscles.
Onii-sama... Onii-sama is touching me...!
Feeling the warmth of his palm, she curled her toes. This feeling was like a dream. She liked his scent, liked touching his body, and also liked being touched by him.
Whether it was her head or other places.
For her, he was everything.
"Rice Shower, how are you? Are you okay?"
"Yes, I feel... very good."
"I see." He rubbed her smooth and soft calf, carefully tending to her wound.
"Onii-sama... my feet, please do my feet too..."
To be like Shirayuki, she bent down, took off her socks, and revealed her crystal-clear toes.
"Here too?"
"Yes, I... want it."
After losing the race, she craved his attention more than ever. Perhaps because she was afraid, she didn't want him to distance himself from her because of this.
Right now, the only one she could rely on was him. If he didn't want her, then her whole world would completely collapse.
A broad palm rested on it, and he kneaded her petite foot.
Unlike Shirayuki's smooth and flexible feet, hers had a baby-like tenderness, as if they would melt in his hand.
Not only that.
He sniffed.
Her feet didn't have any strange smell either. Instead, they emitted a faint milky fragrance, as if she washed her feet with milk every night.
"So embarrassing... Onii-sama..."
Seeing him as if he were smelling her body, she covered her face. Her shy, blushing face was faintly visible between her fingers.
"Sorry," he coughed awkwardly.
Any trainer would, more or less, pay attention to a Horse Girl's feet.
"I... don't dislike it when you do that, Onii-sama," she said, blinking between her fingers. "If you like it, then do as you please. I... won't be a bother to you."
A bother... she seemed to always be worried about this.
Actually, he didn't mind being bothered. Being needed was how one felt their own value. Especially for a trainer, being relied on by a Horse Girl meant that he was trusted by her. He liked this feeling of trust.
"You're not a bother at all," he said. "In fact, I hope you can be a little more willful sometimes."
"It's not that you should be considerate of me, but that I should be considerate of your feelings. Many times, I want to do something for you, but I'm clumsy and afraid of doing something wrong and making you hate me," he said, silently rubbing her foot.
"I... could never hate you, Onii-sama!" she said, her face red.
"Yes. But this way, I feel like I'll owe you more and more. If you can, can you tell me what I can do for you?"
Looking into his gentle eyes, she bit her lip lightly.
"Can... can I make some willful requests to you, Onii-sama?"
"Of course."
"You won't hate me?"
"Of course."
"Then I... want to be closer to you... is that okay too?"
"Of course it's okay."
She sat up and hugged him.
"Then tonight, I want to sleep with you, Onii-sama."
"Of... huh?"
....
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