Shirayuki said something very simple.
But by the time those words reached Rice Shower's ears, they had somehow turned into static. Complete gibberish. Nothing made sense.
"Um… Rice doesn't really understand…" Rice Shower gave her an awkward little smile.
Was Shirayuki trying to say she and Onii-sama were alike?
Because, yes, Rice Shower could admit that. The two of them really were looking more and more similar lately, both in appearance and in the air around them.
But the way Shirayuki had said it, with that firm, certain tone, made Rice Shower feel like that was not what she meant at all.
"It happened in June two years ago. The day I first transferred here."
Shirayuki began explaining.
How she had made a wish to the Three Goddesses.
How she had gained two bodies.
How she had hidden her identity and become an uma musume.
Little by little, Shirayuki told Rice Shower everything she had been through.
And with it, her apology.
In truth, Rice Shower was someone they could have trusted.
Back when Chiya had hit the lowest point of his career, she had stayed by his side all day, taking care of him, comforting him, refusing to leave him no matter what.
Rice Shower held a very real place in Fujiwara Chiya's heart.
That was exactly why Fujiwara Chiya had always shown her the greatest patience.
The way he cared for Rice Shower had long gone beyond the relationship between trainer and uma musume. She was practically family.
But back then, everything had been too chaotic. Fujiwara Chiya had not told her that he had become two people. And once the chance slipped by, it stayed slipped.
Until now.
"I'm sorry, Rice Shower. I kept this from you for so long."
Shirayuki looked at Rice Shower beside her.
Rice Shower's eyes were wide open. Her purple irises were spinning in circles.
What…?
Shirayuki was Onii-sama?
Onii-sama had been hiding from Rice this whole time, living as Shirayuki?
Their consciousness was shared?
They were like his left hand and right hand?
What was that supposed to mean?!
Rice Shower's tiny brain was starting to smoke. The amount of information thrown at her was way too much. She could not process it all at once.
Was this a joke?
Was Shirayuki teasing her?
If so, it was not funny at all.
And yet, no matter how ridiculous it sounded, Rice Shower could not bring herself to believe Shirayuki was lying.
Because if she accepted Shirayuki's explanation, then all those strange things from before suddenly made sense.
Why Shirayuki was always reaching out to pat her head without thinking.
Why Shirayuki would come running over to greet her even from far away.
Why Rice Shower's attitude toward Shirayuki and Shirayuki's attitude toward Rice Shower had always been so completely different.
That intense affection had not come from Shirayuki.
It had come from her Onii-sama.
But Rice Shower refused to believe it.
She could not believe that the person she had been cold to for so long was actually her most, most beloved Onii-sama!
She could not believe Shirayuki and Chiya were the same person!
Rice Shower swayed to her feet, as if all the strength had been drained from her body.
"Rice… has something to do. Rice will go back first."
"Rice Shower?"
"See you tomorrow, Shirayuki-san."
After saying that, Rice Shower ran off without waiting for Shirayuki to reply.
She had to ask Onii-sama herself whether Shirayuki was lying to her.
Her Onii-sama would never lie to her.
Rice Shower did not dare look at Shirayuki's face. She kept her head down and ran, terrified that if she looked into Shirayuki's eyes, she would see Onii-sama staring back at her.
Just like that, Rice Shower rushed into Tracen.
Inside the room, Orfevre was sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed, leisurely drinking tea.
When she saw Rice Shower barge in, her brows drew together. She seemed extremely displeased that her elegant tea time had been disturbed.
But because Rice Shower was a child, Orfevre chose not to say anything.
"Onii-sama!"
Rice Shower ran to the desk.
"There's something Rice wants to ask Onii-sama. Um… can you come with Rice for a moment?"
She glanced at Orfevre beside them as she spoke.
"Yeah, sure."
"Hey, Trainer. Where are you two running off to, abandoning me?"
"We'll be back soon. There are some biscuits under my desk. Take them if you want."
Fujiwara Chiya waved at Orfevre, then left the room.
The two of them arrived in Tracen's backyard.
The cabbages and daikons were bright green and full of life, but right now, Rice Shower had absolutely no room in her heart to care for those children.
She held Fujiwara Chiya's hand.
She had just opened her mouth when the man spoke first.
"It's all true."
"Eh?"
"Everything Shirayuki told you is true. Or more accurately, I'm the one who told you."
Rice Shower heard the sound of glass shattering inside her head.
The words she had feared most had come from the mouth of the person she trusted most.
"Shirayuki is… Onii-sama?"
"Yeah."
"From the very beginning?"
"Yeah."
Her hand fell limply to her side.
Too many things were tangled together. Her mind could not think at all.
By the time she came back to herself, Rice Shower had already run away.
Fujiwara Chiya called after her from behind, but Rice Shower did not listen.
She rushed back to her dorm room and threw herself onto the bed.
"Uu… uwaaaaaah!!! Rice is an idiot! A big stupid idiot!!"
Tears poured down her face as she hugged her blanket and bawled.
The moment she thought about how she had treated Shirayuki, Rice Shower felt like her heart was going to break.
She had always been distant toward Shirayuki.
She had often avoided her.
And every time Shirayuki reached out to pat her head, Rice Shower had dodged away.
The memory of Shirayuki's lonely expression afterward stabbed into Rice Shower's chest like needles.
She had…
She had done that to her own Onii-sama!
And even worse, because she had not wanted Shirayuki getting close to Chiya, she had personally pushed Shirayuki toward someone else.
When she remembered Shirayuki and Treve being all lovey-dovey at the racecourse, the happiness Rice Shower had felt back then came back around as pure agony.
Her heart hurt so much it felt like it was splitting open.
"Rice is stupid! A hopeless idiot!"
She rolled back and forth on the bed, then accidentally tumbled straight onto the floor.
Her hat fell off to the side.
"Rice… has no face left to see Onii-sama anymore…"
She lay on the floor, wiping away her tears.
"Rice Shower!"
The door opened.
A white figure rushed inside.
Through her tear-blurred eyes, Rice Shower looked at the person who had come in and murmured, "Shirayuki-san… no, Onii-sama?"
Shirayuki hurried over and lifted the sobbing Rice Shower from the floor.
Trainers were not allowed inside the student dorms, so Chiya could only wait outside.
"I'm sorry, Rice Shower. I didn't think you'd react this strongly…"
Shirayuki placed Rice Shower on her lap and gently stroked her head.
Back when Rice Shower felt sad, Chiya had always done this.
Shirayuki had known Rice Shower might get angry.
But she had not expected Rice Shower to cry this hard.
The shock of the secret being hidden from her had hit Rice Shower that deeply.
Maybe it was because Rice Shower often acted so mature that Shirayuki had almost forgotten.
Rice Shower was still a little girl with barely any real experience.
Of course she would not be able to accept such an earth-shattering secret so easily when it was suddenly dropped on her.
"I should have told you more gently, Rice Shower."
Rice Shower blinked, looking up at Shirayuki's warm face.
Then she cried even louder.
Why had she only realized it now?
Shirayuki was clearly exactly like Onii-sama.
The kinder Shirayuki was to her, the guiltier Rice Shower felt.
No one knew how much time passed.
Eventually, Rice Shower fell asleep in Shirayuki's arms like a child.