After the race ended, things finally settled into a peaceful training period. Shirayuki could finally shift her focus back onto herself.
Spending time beside Happy Meek made the world feel slower.
Those steps that had once been so frantic she could never stop, so busy she barely had room to breathe, had finally slowed enough for her to feel the ground beneath her feet again.
Zoning out was an art.
Being able to zone out anywhere, anytime like Happy Meek was practically a supernatural skill.
After all this time, Shirayuki had only managed to scrape the surface. Emptying her mind completely, blending into the world around her, and entering a Zone of selflessness.
She needed to master that ability before the next race.
There was just one problem.
"Yuki-chan?"
The moment she heard that voice calling for her, Shirayuki flattened herself against the wall and began sneaking away on tiptoe.
Yes.
That problem was Grass Wonder.
It seemed like Shirayuki had let her get a taste of something dangerous. Lately, Grass Wonder had been coming over whenever she had the chance.
Of course, Shirayuki wouldn't mind if Grass Wonder simply wanted to hang out. The issue was that every single time, Grass Wonder invited Shirayuki to go stay somewhere outside under the excuse of "playing."
What she was thinking did not require a genius to guess.
Enough was enough. Shirayuki had already comforted Grass Wonder once. The tofu she owed had been fully repaid. She had no intention of going out alone with her again.
So these days, the moment class ended, Shirayuki would find a chance to slip away, dodge Grass Wonder's search net, and sneak over to Happy Meek.
Being with that carefree little white uma musume felt like having her soul purified.
Today, as usual, Shirayuki evaded Grass Wonder and ran to the back courtyard behind the school building. There, she found Happy Meek in the vegetable garden, staring at a butterfly.
Happy Meek's eyes were half-lidded as she watched the butterfly flutter past her face, then land quietly on her shoulder.
"♪~"
When Shirayuki approached, Happy Meek's ears gave a small twitch.
"Nee-san, you're here."
"Morning."
Shirayuki greeted her.
The butterfly perched on Happy Meek's shoulder circled once, then flew away. The two of them sat down together on a bench.
"There's less than a month left before you leave, right, Nee-san?"
"Yeah. Director Sonoda wants us to head over early, so I probably only have about half a month left at Tracen."
During their last trip to Osaka, they had temporarily stayed at Sonoda Tracen. To repay the favor, Fujiwara Chiya had naturally helped guide some of the uma musume there and even acted as a teacher for the trainers.
Opportunities to receive direct instruction from a senior Central trainer were rare. More than fifty trainers from the entire local Tracen had crammed into the meeting room and listened with frightening seriousness.
The results had apparently been pretty good.
This time, the director of Sonoda Tracen had personally invited Fujiwara Chiya to come early, promising to prepare a banquet and welcome them properly.
And if there was food involved, Shirayuki obviously had no reason to refuse.
"I see…"
Happy Meek nodded.
"How is the Zone training going, Nee-san?"
"More or less. My talent isn't great, so I'm learning slowly."
Happy Meek shook her head.
"It isn't a talent problem. It's actually very simple. Nee-san just hasn't grasped it yet."
Mm-hm.
Shirayuki was now certain.
It was absolutely a talent problem.
"Nee-san thinks about too many things. You only need to grasp the feeling that lets you calm down."
Happy Meek closed her eyes and gently swayed her body.
"The heart can split apart, but it can also connect tightly together. If Nee-san doesn't understand how, then perhaps you should let two hearts rest close to each other."
"...What does that mean?"
"Does Nee-san have someone who makes you feel at ease? Or something that makes you feel at ease? Something that lets you put everything down and stop all complicated thoughts."
"Well…"
Shirayuki pinched her chin and thought for a while.
"I think I do."
"Then go try it. Remember that feeling. Keep it inside you."
Happy Meek's swaying stopped along with the wind. She blinked, and her beautiful pink eyes reflected Shirayuki's face.
She was like an observer untouched by the messy world. Her clear eyes reflected everything in existence.
"Then I'll go try?"
"Mm."
Happy Meek clenched her small fist and cheered Shirayuki on.
Meanwhile, in Fujiwara Chiya's office, Orfevre sat on the sofa.
"You can go play outside if you're bored," Fujiwara Chiya said.
Orfevre had already been sitting in his office for half an hour. She hadn't said anything. She just sat there reading, drinking tea, and eating cookies, completely treating the place like her personal lounge.
When she got tired of reading, she would stretch leisurely, then glance at Chiya and hold that pose for several minutes without moving.
"How long does Trainer work every day?" Orfevre asked.
"About the same as your school hours. Sometimes I work overtime."
Orfevre gave a small huff, stood up, and walked over to Fujiwara Chiya. She picked up his notes.
"Weight fluctuation chart?"
"An uma musume's physical condition is part of training, so I need to keep track of it regularly."
"To think you stare at girls' weight. Trainer truly is wicked."
"Cough, cough. This is necessary for work."
"What about my weight? It is on here too, isn't it?"
"Of course."
"Show me."
After taking the chart, Orfevre examined it carefully, then secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Good.
No increase.
She handed the chart back and returned to the sofa.
"Um… if you're bored, you really can go outside and play. I'll still be busy for a while."
"Silence. I am here because I want to be here. If I were bored, I would have left long ago."
Orfevre grumbled unhappily.
Fujiwara Chiya scratched his head.
"Fair enough. There are still some snacks in the cabinet. Take them yourself if you want."
He wrote for a while longer.
Then, suddenly, Fujiwara Chiya raised his head.
"Complicated thoughts…"
"Hm? Are you speaking to me, Trainer?"
"No… I have something to do. I'm stepping out for a bit."
"When will you return?"
"Not sure. Probably soon."
With that, Fujiwara Chiya put down his pen and left the room.
Watching his back disappear, Orfevre stood up and sat in the man's chair.
"Am I less important to you than work…?"
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
"Is thinking that too selfish? At least while I am here, say a few words to me first…"
After saying that, Orfevre sprawled over the desk and ate cookies in boredom.
After leaving the office, Fujiwara Chiya found Shirayuki and sat down beside her.
His head was a mess.
Trying to fully enter a state of selflessness was easier said than done. Especially for Fujiwara Chiya. Shirayuki could find chances to slip away, but he couldn't. He still had work.
But in order to complete this final Zone, Fujiwara Chiya was willing to temporarily put his work aside.
Only when the two of them stayed together, idled together, and let everything fall quiet could they truly empty their hearts and enter that state of selflessness.
Fujiwara Chiya decided to try it the way Happy Meek had suggested.
Perfect timing, really. He was tired from work anyway and wanted to relax with Shirayuki.
It was a good thing Shirayuki could temporarily set aside her student council work. In the past, they never would have had this many chances.
He reached out and pulled Shirayuki into his arms.
Fujiwara Chiya stroked her head, fully enjoying the peace of holding himself in his own embrace.
No need to overthink.
No need to reason it out.
Just feel it quietly.
Shirayuki narrowed her eyes, breathing in the scent along the man's neck as she nuzzled against his cheek.
Their senses drifted further and further away.
"Yuki-chan, are you around here?"
After searching everywhere and failing to find Shirayuki, Grass Wonder decided to try her luck in Tracen's garden.
And then she saw it.
Shirayuki, curled up in Fujiwara Chiya's arms like a tiny kitten.