"Yuki-chan~"
After spending a night together with Shirayuki, the shadows in Grass Wonder's eyes had vanished completely. There was no trace of that old unease beneath her smile anymore. Even when Special Week came bouncing over and squeezed herself next to Shirayuki again, Grass Wonder didn't show the slightest hint of anger.
Because she was on a completely different level from them now.
In the past, Grass Wonder had only dared to sneak in little moments of satisfaction while Shirayuki was asleep and too out of it to notice.
But now?
Now she had evolved.
She could cling to Shirayuki in broad daylight. She could do whatever she wanted.
And what did that mean?
It meant Yuki-chan had acknowledged her position. Recognized that she was different from the others.
No matter how close Spe-chan got, she was still just a friend. She couldn't break through that invisible boundary. As far as Yuki-chan was concerned, friends were a dime a dozen.
A mere Spe-chan was not even worth mentioning.
"Shirayuki's ears are so soft! They're all squishy and cute."
Watching Special Week play with Shirayuki's ears, Grass Wonder reached out and pinched Special Week's ear instead.
"My, my~ Spe-chan's ears are cute too. So springy. Like ramen noodles."
"Huh? Ah! Ow, ow, ow!"
Spe-chan might not be worth mentioning, but watching her get all cozy with Yuki-chan was still extremely irritating.
How dare you toy with my Yuki-chan like that?
After releasing the wilted Spe-chan, Grass Wonder walked over to Shirayuki's side and wrapped herself around her arm.
"Come on, Yuki-chan. Let's go for a walk."
"Grass… aren't you being a little too harsh on Spe-chan?"
"Am I? I think Spe-chan has a very sturdy body. She won't mind something like that at all. Ohoho."
With that, she dragged Shirayuki out of the room.
"El, don't you think Grass is acting kind of weird?" Seiun Sky leaned in beside El Condor Pasa and whispered by her ear.
"Today's Grass seems especially pushy."
It felt like she was treating Shirayuki as her personal possession.
Grass Wonder had always had that tendency, but she usually kept it under control. Today, that possessiveness was out in the open, blazing at full force.
"Could something have happened between Grass and Yuki-chan last night?"
El made a cautious guess.
That morning, the two of them had both been late for half the day. They said something had held them up. But El knew Grass Wonder had not returned to the dorm last night. She had spent the entire night outside.
El strongly suspected the two of them had snuck out and done something.
But this involved Shirayuki's purity, so El didn't dare state it too firmly. She only dropped a few hints beside Seiun Sky, half-intentionally and half-not.
"Something happened… huh."
Seiun Sky's eyes flickered.
Seeing the two of them like that, Seiun Sky narrowed her eyes, and an idea suddenly sprouted in her mind.
Wait.
This might actually work.
Meanwhile, in the trainer's office, Orfevre stood before Fujiwara Chiya with her arms folded.
"Trainer. Are you ready?"
"…Yeah. Mm. I'm ready."
"What are you doing? Do not stand there spacing out before me!" Orfevre slapped the desk, making Fujiwara Chiya jump.
Over on Shirayuki's side, she was currently on a date with Grass Wonder. The two of them were sitting on the grass, and Grass Wonder was feeding Shirayuki little bites of dessert one spoonful at a time.
When a bit of cream clung to the corner of Shirayuki's mouth, Grass Wonder leaned in and gently licked it away.
Her blue eyes curved into a smile. The slight lift of her lips made it look as if, in the very next second, she was going to devour Shirayuki whole.
Fujiwara Chiya was terrified that Grass Wonder might lose control and pounce on Shirayuki. He kept watching them, ready to bolt at any moment.
Shirayuki no longer had any romantic interest in girls. Anything beyond friendship would only make her shy and troubled. But at the same time, Shirayuki couldn't just shove Grass Wonder away too forcefully.
After all, she had taken plenty of liberties with Grass in the past. If her own awareness hadn't awakened, she probably would have ended up in the same kind of relationship with Grass Wonder that she had with Mejiro Dober.
This wasn't Grass Wonder's fault.
It was hers.
The closer Grass Wonder got now, the stronger Shirayuki's longing for herself became.
Sorry, Grass…
Shirayuki apologized to her silently.
The person I love is Chiya.
She would treat last night as something she owed Grass Wonder.
From now on, she would never spend the night with her again.
"Trainer, what are you thinking about? Trainer!" Orfevre flicked Fujiwara Chiya's forehead, forcibly dragging the man's attention back from Grass Wonder.
"How bold of you. To think of someone else when I am standing right here."
"Ahem. I was thinking about the race. Your next race."
Putting Grass Wonder aside for the moment, Fujiwara Chiya took out the race plan.
"The Japanese Derby is next week. Tomorrow, we'll be going to Central for the pre-race interview, so remember to wear your race outfit."
"I was asking you about that earlier. Why are you acting so dazed?" Orfevre grumbled, clearly displeased. "If you are that tired, I can help you relax. Massage your shoulders. You may fall to your knees and thank me."
"No, no, I'm fine. I'm not tired."
"Hah??"
"…Actually, now that you mention it, I am a little tired."
"I knew it. Stop acting tough in front of me."
With that, Orfevre walked behind Fujiwara Chiya and began helping him loosen up with motions far gentler than her usual behavior.
As her trainer, and as the man she had taken the greatest liking to, Orfevre would not be too harsh on him.
If he did poorly, she would scold him. But if he did well, Orfevre was not stingy with praise either.
Her trainer was one of the rare people who satisfied Orfevre in almost every way.
"Well? How is my technique?"
"It's good. Really good."
About half as good as Shirayuki's.
Orfevre lifted her head proudly.
"Oh, right, Orfevre. If you take part in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, there'll be less than a month before the final crown, the Kikuka Sho. Can you handle that kind of pressure?"
"Foolish. I am not like that Empress. The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the Kikuka Sho, I shall take both."
Back then, Shirayuki had absolutely possessed the ability to challenge the Triple Tiara. But because Fujiwara Chiya had been too cautious and had severely underestimated her strength, she had only taken two crowns. Fujiwara Chiya still felt deeply regretful about that.
Even injured, Shirayuki's strength was beyond anything Japan's current fillies could compare to.
"If it's you, Orfevre, I believe you can absolutely become an unprecedented Triple Crown winner. Go and accomplish what Shirayuki couldn't…"
Uma musume couldn't keep looking back.
They had to keep running forward.
"Of course. Even if Trainer said nothing, I would do it."
Looking at his trainer, who seemed to be lost in some kind of emotion, Orfevre hesitated for a few seconds.
Then she reached out and hugged Fujiwara Chiya around the neck.
"Trainer need only watch me obediently. Watch just how incredible your uma musume truly is."
After saying that, the air fell silent.
Orfevre slowly released her arms. She walked around to stand in front of Fujiwara Chiya, glanced at the man, then left the room without another word.
Bang!
Fujiwara Chiya stared blankly in the direction Orfevre had gone.
What was that about?