Rice Shower had gotten her fill.
Shirayuki had never imagined there would come a day when she and Rice Shower would end up doing something like that.
Rice Shower wasn't like Mejiro Dober, who had once been afraid of men and had certain leanings in that direction. Nor was she like Tazuna Hayakawa, who had a terrifyingly strong desire to conquer everything in sight, men and women included.
Rice Shower was just a perfectly normal girl.
She liked cute things.
Her preferences were normal.
And yet, somehow, she had buried herself in Shirayuki's arms and enjoyed herself to her heart's content.
It was… surprising.
This wasn't Shirayuki's first time dealing with this sort of thing. Mejiro Dober and the others had done it before. But ever since Shirayuki had accepted her own identity and chosen Chiya, she hadn't done anything like that again.
Her desire toward girls had already faded away.
She simply couldn't feel that kind of interest anymore.
If someone wanted that, they could go find Chiya. Everything over on his side still worked just fine.
Looking down at Rice Shower in her arms, Shirayuki felt awkward.
But mixed in with that embarrassment was a strange, indescribable sense of happiness.
Like she was taking care of a baby.
The maternal instinct buried deep inside her heart had been poked wide awake.
Her toes curled against the soles of her shoes. Her arms wrapped tightly around Rice Shower as Shirayuki endured the restless itch bubbling up inside her chest.
"Rice Shower… that's enough, right? We're done now, okay…?"
If this kept up, she was seriously going to turn into someone's wife.
After who knew how long, Rice Shower finally pulled back, wiping the corner of her mouth as she popped her head out.
"Onee-sama smells so nice."
"…You're not allowed to do that again."
"Hehe~"
Rice Shower giggled, rubbing her cheek against Shirayuki's and showering her with affection.
She had successfully regressed into a child.
"I need to go to the student council. I still have work to do."
"Okay. Then Rice won't bother Onee-sama anymore."
Rice Shower hopped off Shirayuki's lap without hesitation and waved goodbye.
Now that she was done playing here, she was going to Onii-sama next.
Over there, Rice Shower would become a grown-up.
She wanted to be a child.
She wanted to be an adult.
Only by doing both could she be truly complete.
After seeing Rice Shower off, Shirayuki let out a long breath.
She placed a hand over her chest.
Somewhere along the way, it seemed to have grown again. It looked almost too full now.
Seeing Rice Shower so happy had even made Shirayuki wonder what she tasted like.
She gave herself a light test bounce.
She couldn't taste it herself.
But Chiya could.
Given the chance, Shirayuki wanted to try.
This body belonged to Chiya, so Shirayuki only wanted to let herself use it.
The next time anyone else wanted something from Shirayuki, she had to refuse.
Right now, Shirayuki didn't want to think about anything else. She just wanted to settle down and become the perfect girl she imagined in her heart.
Beautiful enough to admire from afar.
Tempting enough to touch up close.
Once the tingling in her body finally faded, Shirayuki headed to Agnes Tachyon's lab.
The student council excuse had only been an excuse. Shirayuki didn't actually have much to do lately. For once, she could afford to rest.
She needed to focus on herself.
To overcome the final hurdle, Shirayuki still had to raise her strength even further.
That was why she had come to consult Agnes Tachyon, the researcher, and ask whether there was a way to free herself from her body's influence.
After hearing Shirayuki's question, Agnes Tachyon repeated it back to her.
"Completely detach yourself from the body's influence and enter a perfected Domain?"
"Exactly. Right now, my Domain is still incomplete. During races, Chiya's side keeps affecting me. If that happens, I can't concentrate one hundred percent. That's why I wanted to ask you."
Agnes Tachyon fell silent for a while.
"There is a method."
"What is it?"
"We put you into deep sleep. During the race, we use certain methods to make Guinea Pig-kun fall asleep, allowing you to fully control the body. That way, you should be able to bring out the completed form of your Domain. However, it has to be deep sleep. If it's only light sleep, you'll still sense the body's presence."
"That sounds… difficult?"
"Mm. Deep sleep happens in stages. It's not as simple as falling asleep and being done with it. Naturally inducing it is impossible. I have two methods here. One physical, one chemical. Which would you like to try?"
"What's the physical one?"
"I hit you with a bat and knock you out. Considering Guinea Pig-kun's body strength, I believe I would need to swing a baseball bat at full force. If it lands cleanly, you would absolutely enter deep sleep. It's just a little dangerous. One mistake, and you might die."
"…And the chemical method?"
"You drink the sleeping drug I made."
"That actually sounds kind of reliable."
"However, the dosage is difficult to control. You might wake up halfway through the race, or you might continue sleeping forever."
"…Is there no method that's actually usable?"
Agnes Tachyon pondered for a moment.
"Double Domain…"
She said, "You and Guinea Pig-kun enter the Domain at the same time. That should allow you to escape the influence of bodily perception. At that moment, your senses would become completely independent and separate."
"Is that… even possible?"
Two people entering the Domain at the same time.
Shirayuki had never heard of anything like it.
Even entering the Domain by herself required her to gather the consciousness of both bodies into one place.
For two people to enter together…
How was that supposed to work?
"Until a definite conclusion has been reached, nothing is impossible. Since you possess two bodies, possessing two Domains may not be impossible either. If I recall correctly, Guinea Pig-kun has never entered the Domain before, has he?"
"Right. He hasn't…"
After all, Chiya had never raced past his limits before.
"Then try it. Before an experiment is performed, no one can declare the result impossible. Besides, I am rather curious what it would feel like for one person to enter two Domains at the same time."
Agnes Tachyon's smile twisted into that familiar mad-scientist grin.
"If it really doesn't work, then use one of my methods. Physical or chemical. Take your pick."
Apparently, Shirayuki had no choice but to learn Double Domain.
Otherwise, in the next race, either she or Chiya was definitely going to have to go.
Shirayuki had no intention of finishing a race only to send off the other half of herself.
"Tomorrow, I'll try it."
With that, Shirayuki thanked Agnes Tachyon and stood to leave.
But just then, Agnes Tachyon suddenly called out to her.
"Shirayuki. You and Guinea Pig-kun have already crossed that line, haven't you?"
Shirayuki's body froze.
That tiny, involuntary reaction was all Agnes Tachyon needed to confirm her theory.
"N-No… we haven't…"
Shirayuki tried to deny it, but Agnes Tachyon had already lost interest in arguing.
"Shirayuki's hormonal secretion is especially active. Her desires are far stronger than those of an ordinary uma musume. She is, without question, a rather troublesome girl in that regard. If she suppresses herself for too long, instinct will eventually override reason. If Guinea Pig-kun does not wish for Shirayuki to lose control in public, then he must help her take proper care of it."
"I told you, we didn't…"
"Say whatever you like. And do not think that having Shirayuki means you are satisfied. You are still my Guinea Pig-kun. You are still my test subject. Do not even dream of escaping my experiment table."
As she spoke, Agnes Tachyon pinched Shirayuki's collar.
"…Um, I just remembered I have something to do, so I'll be going now."
With her little face flushed bright red, Shirayuki bolted out of the room.
Agnes Tachyon had found out!!
Shirayuki covered her face with both hands.
She really had no secrets in front of Agnes Tachyon.
Was it that obvious?
How had Agnes Tachyon and Gold Ship seen through her at a glance?
But no one else had noticed!
What was wrong with those two?!
Also, I am not lewd!
I am not lewd at all!
My desires are not strong in the slightest!
Seeing her own bashful reflection in the glass, Shirayuki's face burned even redder.