After dinner, Fujiwara Chiya returned to his room.
Shirayuki had already changed into that sheer, gauzy nightdress, her legs wrapped in pale stockings. Chiya sank down with his head on her lap, burying his face against the soft warmth there as her familiar, sweet scent filled his lungs.
Shirayuki reached out and gently stroked his hair.
Her thighs were as smooth as polished jade, their soft curves faintly glowing beneath the thin fabric. Her small feet rested beside him, dainty and relaxed, and under the lamplight her translucent skin carried a delicate blush of pink.
Chiya stretched lazily, then took one of her feet in his hand. Her instep drew a graceful arc, bending ever so slightly as he kneaded it with careful fingers. In return, Shirayuki combed through his hair, slow and soothing.
Their two bodies quietly comforted each other.
These past few days had absolutely wrecked him. Dance class. Swimming class. Training. All while hiding the fact that he was a man.
And on top of that, he had to endure Treve and the others messing with him.
Every dance class, Treve found some excuse to fuss over him, poking and prodding until he was left sitting on the floor with his legs pressed together, looking like a cornered animal.
Swimming class was even worse. Orfevre and the others would march over under the noble pretense of "teaching people how to swim," only to drift toward Chiya and help him "practice holding his breath."
Naturally, their version of practice was extremely suspicious.
Because of that, Chiya spent half the lesson unable to get out of the pool.
Honestly, his wives were getting a little out of hand. Playing around at home was one thing, but outside, they really needed to act properly. Especially since every last one of them was a famous uma musume who appeared on television all the time. They had images to protect. What if someone caught them getting carried away?
In the end, the only person who could let Fujiwara Chiya relax from the bottom of his heart was Shirayuki.
He nuzzled into her lap, breathing in that wonderful scent of hers. As warmth surrounded him, Shirayuki gently kneaded his back.
Actually, this kind of arrangement was pretty nice.
When the others wanted to tease Chiya, he would play along with them. And once he was tired, he would return to Shirayuki to heal. This place, here with her, was Fujiwara Chiya's finest shelter. Every time he relaxed beside Shirayuki, he felt brand-new again.
His fingertips moved lightly, and a pleasant shiver ran through him.
Even though Shirayuki no longer needed to race, her feet were still as soft and fair as ever. Her pale soles carried a healthy flush, and her tiny toes curled and stretched with a delicacy that almost seemed unfair. When Chiya's hand traced along her arch, it bent beautifully beneath his touch.
Even after all this time, Shirayuki was still as lovely as ever.
Her hair had grown down to her waist now. During the day, she usually tied it up and draped it over one shoulder. But at night, when it was only the two of them, Chiya liked to let her hair down.
In that instant, Shirayuki seemed to return to the way she had been when she first arrived at Tracen.
Fragile. Innocent. Pure. Adorable.
Chiya realized that his feelings for Shirayuki had not grown thinner because of Rice Shower and the others. If anything, the deeper his bonds with everyone became, the more clearly he understood how precious Shirayuki truly was.
He had worn uma musume uniforms. He had worn swimsuits. He had somehow become this incredibly bizarre existence.
And yet Shirayuki was still Shirayuki.
Gentle. Sweet. Complete.
She was the perfect image Fujiwara Chiya had shaped with his own hands, forever engraved in his heart. As long as Fujiwara Chiya existed, Shirayuki would always remain the most perfect version of herself in his eyes.
After basking in her warmth for a while, Shirayuki stretched out her legs. The delicate curve of her stockinged feet brushed against him, and even that simple motion made Chiya twitch before he could stop himself.
During a chat with Orfevre, she had once casually mentioned training her toes with a cup to improve flexibility. Ever since then, Shirayuki had started practicing too. Now her toes could move with surprising dexterity, even controlling their strength with precise little motions.
Because of that, Chiya had bought all kinds of socks.
Cotton socks. Sheer stockings. Thigh-highs. Tights. Fishnets.
Every single type made him want to test something.
Mejiro Dober discovered this hobby too, and immediately declared that she would also practice. Apparently, once she improved, she intended to join Shirayuki, one on each side.
How should he put it?
That sounded unbelievably embarrassing.
But Mejiro Dober said, with a perfectly serious face, that flirting between husband and wife was completely normal. Chiya had no way to argue with that.
Who still remembered that Mejiro Dober used to have a fear of men?
Though she still got a little nervous when facing crowds, compared to before, she had improved tremendously. Every time Mejiro Dober encouraged herself, she would say, "I am Chiya and Shirayuki's wife. I cannot back down here."
Mejiro Dober had grown up.
Those hot-blooded girls from the past were gradually becoming mature, little by little. From maidens into beloved wives.
And Fujiwara Chiya was grateful that he could witness that change.
The white stockings shifted softly. The fabric pulled. Her toes flexed.
A tingling sensation passed between them like a tiny spark.
Shirayuki's lips curved into a beautiful smile.
She was becoming more and more skilled at understanding her own body's sensitivity.
Speaking of which, ever since Chiya began training again, his male body had been growing stronger and stronger. It seemed Fujiwara Chiya truly did not have the usual limits of an uma musume's peak growth period. His stamina increased little by little every day.
At this point, the current Chiya might already be about the same as Shirayuki had been back then.
In the past, Chiya would always run out of energy first while Shirayuki remained full of life. Now, however, the situation had reversed. Shirayuki would be left soft and unable to stand, while Chiya still had energy to spare.
In other words, Chiya had thoroughly conquered an uma musume.
Shirayuki felt a little proud.
No matter which side was stronger, she would be proud.
After all, both of them were still her.
Still, in order to balance things out, Shirayuki always made sure to spend some time tiring him out before bed.
A soft rustle filled the room.
Half an hour later, Shirayuki removed her heated stockings. She glanced at them with a faintly reluctant expression, then got up and turned off the light.
Yes.
This was how it should be.
If she used up a little of his stamina first, then both of their bodies could be happy together.
Shirayuki climbed onto Fujiwara Chiya and rested against him.
"Onii-sama? Are you asleep?"
Late at night, unable to bear the loneliness, Rice Shower quietly slipped into the room.
"Ah…"
"What's wrong?"
Seiun Sky happened to be passing by to get some water. The moment she caught the scent drifting from the room, she understood everything.
"Trainer sure is energetic, huh?"
"Let's go. Onii-sama is already asleep."
"Go where? Trainer only just fell asleep." Seiun Sky smiled mischievously as she stepped into the room. "In that case, I'll help tidy him up a bit."
"Sky, no! This kind of thing… this kind of thing should be left to Rice!"
"Shh. Keep your voice down. It'd be bad if we woke Trainer up. Fine, then we'll do it together."
"O-Okay…"
While Chiya and Shirayuki slept, the two girls quietly slipped into the room and shut the door behind them.