"Yuki-chan, want to go out together tonight?" Grass Wonder came over after class and invited Shirayuki.
"Sorry, Grass. I already made plans with Meek. Is tomorrow okay?"
Lately, Shirayuki had been learning from Meek the whole time, studying the way she entered the Zone, studying her daily habits.
Meek was like a soft little marshmallow, carefree and loose. Every day, aside from training, she either watched flowers and grass sway in the breeze or chased butterflies around.
When Shirayuki was with her, she could clearly feel the rhythm of life slowing down, as if she could finally notice time passing around her.
Maybe it was that exact state of mind that had allowed Meek to grasp such an unusual Zone.
Shirayuki knew they were studying. The others, however, did not.
All they saw was Shirayuki looking for Meek every single day, heading out with her to wander aimlessly. Sometimes, the two of them would sit on a bench and stay there for the entire day.
Th-This, this, this… this was way too beautiful, wasn't it?!
Grass Wonder had dreamed of spending time with Shirayuki like that. And yet some unknown little white horse had beaten her to the punch!
Why? Who even are you? What's your relationship with Yuki-chan? Are you closer to Yuki-chan than I am?
Grass Wonder could not accept it.
She had gone through all that effort, joining forces with so many students to win Shirayuki some rest time, all so Shirayuki could recover her condition and reignite her interest in girls.
Judging by the result, Shirayuki clinging to Meek like this did look like her interest was recovering a little.
But Grass Wonder wanted Shirayuki to regain interest in her!
Not in some other girl!
If the first thing Shirayuki did after rehabilitation was dump her for someone else, then Grass Wonder absolutely could not accept that. She had not worked this hard just to hand the prize to another woman.
You're not into white-haired girls, are you, Yuki-chan?
In terms of looks, she was not inferior to Meek. In terms of personality, she was definitely better than that cotton-candy-like girl who barely had a presence at all.
Who could possibly refuse a gentle, considerate Yamato Nadeshiko?
Ear cleaning, housework, cooking, lap pillows, even bed service; Grass Wonder was proficient in all of it.
Her wife level was already maxed out. All she needed now was a good household to marry into.
And yet after locking onto Shirayuki for so long, Shirayuki always somehow slipped past her scope.
At this rate, all of Grass Wonder's cultivation would have nowhere to be used.
Grass Wonder would never allow such a thing.
Accept her, and everyone would be happy.
Refuse her, and nobody would be happy!
Grass Wonder decided it was time to be more aggressive.
By the time Shirayuki came looking for her, the cucumber dish would already be cold. Rather than waiting for Shirayuki's animal instincts to awaken and pounce on her, Grass Wonder might as well awaken her own animal instincts first and cling to Shirayuki instead.
She was different from the other students at Tracen, the ones who treated Shirayuki like an untouchable flower on a high peak. Over a year ago, Grass Wonder had already tasted that flower's nectar.
On top of that, she often took baths with Shirayuki. Whenever she had the chance, she would secretly brush her tail down below and make Shirayuki blush all the way to her ears.
Could the other students do that?
When it came to bedroom techniques, Grass Wonder was absolutely confident she could make the other party melt into bliss.
All she needed was one chance.
With one chance, Grass Wonder could make Shirayuki completely addicted to that feeling.
Grass Wonder needed to find a time when she and Shirayuki could share a room. If Shirayuki kept running off to Meek every day, that would not do.
She had to abduct Shirayuki.
"My, my~ I wouldn't mind if we all went out together. In that case, why don't I go with Yuki-chan too?"
"Uh, well…" Shirayuki looked a little troubled.
Aside from herself, Meek did not seem to like being around other people.
Although Grass Wonder also liked flowers and plants, she might not necessarily like sitting around in a daze. Even if Shirayuki told her she was studying the Zone, Grass probably would not understand…
"Is that no good?" Grass Wonder's expression turned sad, but a sharp glint welled up deep in her eyes.
Yuki-chan is going out with Meek, but she's actually rejecting other people?!
Could it be that the two of them have some unspeakable secret between them?
Is that it?!
Then Grass Wonder had even more reason to go.
"Shirayuki is going out? In that case, I'll…"
"Spe-chan, the teacher is calling you to help move something. It's very urgent, so hurry over."
Grass Wonder pressed a hand onto Special Week's shoulder, turned her around, and pushed her out of the classroom.
Then she returned as if nothing had happened, wearing a kind and gentle smile.
"So, Yuki-chan? Shall we go together?"
"All right. Since Grass wants to come."
Shirayuki nodded. If Grass Wonder did not enjoy it, she would probably come back on her own.
"Really? Wonderful. Thank you, Yuki-chan."
Grass Wonder hugged Shirayuki and secretly rubbed against her chest.
A small taste. Just a tiny little bit of tofu.
Then, fully prepared, she went off to judge that little white horse.
After school, Shirayuki brought Grass Wonder to find Meek, who was crouched by the gate counting ants.
Meek's ears flicked. Her beautiful pink eyes looked at Grass Wonder behind Shirayuki.
"I brought a friend with me. Meek should know her, right? This is Grass."
Happy Meek nodded.
"My Yuki-chan has been in your care." Grass Wonder smiled as she bowed to Meek, deliberately putting extra weight on the word my.
"Where are we going today, Meek?"
"The riverside." Meek looked up at the sky. "It might rain tonight. If we go to the river, we should be able to see the fish come up to the surface."
"Perfect. Let's go take a look together. What about you, Grass?"
"Wherever Yuki-chan goes, I go."
She held Shirayuki's hand. Today, she was absolutely sticking with the two of them.
They arrived at the riverside.
Meek casually plucked a wildflower. Shirayuki held a twig between her lips.
The two of them barely spoke, walking one after the other for the most part.
Just like Meek, Shirayuki half-lifted her head and gazed at the red sunset overhead.
Let yourself quiet down.
Don't think about all that noise.
Yaeno Muteki had once said that for those who trained in martial arts, the most important thing was temperament. Mastering the heart mattered more than mastering the body.
Once their bodies reached a certain level, they began to shift from training the body to training the mind.
When thought completely stopped, the body would become transparent.
You would feel nothing.
And yet, at the same time, you would feel everything.
It was like blending into your surroundings, becoming a part of the world itself.
That feeling was exactly the same as the Zone.
Watching the two of them stare blankly at the water, Grass Wonder frowned.
What are they doing?
She could not understand their interaction at all.
Had Yuki-chan already evolved from physical mating to spiritual mating?
Why weren't they saying anything?
Grass Wonder felt like she had been shut out.
Dark clouds gathered overhead. A drop of rain splashed onto Grass Wonder's shoulder.
Slowly, the rain grew heavier and heavier. The fish that had been splashing near the surface all wriggled back down into the water.
"Yuki-chan, we should go," Grass Wonder urged.
However, Shirayuki looked as if she had entered a meditative trance. Her eyes were unfocused and fixed straight ahead.
"Yuki-chan!"
"…Hm? Is it raining?"
"It's been raining for a while now. What exactly were you doing, Yuki-chan? Come on, we need to go. This rain is about to get much worse!"
The three of them rushed back from the riverside. On the way, the rain grew heavier and heavier. With no other choice, they ducked under a nearby awning to take shelter.
The sky had already turned completely dark.
And there was no telling when the rain would stop.
"Why don't we stay outside tonight?" Grass Wonder suggested, pointing at the hotel nearby. "By the time we get back, the dorms might already be closed."
"A hotel, huh. What do you think, Meek?"
"That's fine."
"Then let's stay outside."
The moment Shirayuki agreed, Grass Wonder's eyes lit up.
See?
Her chance to share a room with Yuki-chan had arrived just like that!