"Empress-sama."
Duramente came to stand before Shirayuki.
"How is Trainer's body? Can he come back yet?"
"Yes. For now, there shouldn't be any problems."
After spending this long as an Uma Musume, it was about time Fujiwara Chiya came back and showed his face to his own students. Otherwise, those girls were going to start worrying themselves sick.
And Shirayuki was not bragging, but Chiya's relationship with his Uma Musume was on a completely different level compared to most trainers. Other trainers and their Uma Musume were simply teacher and student. Outside of training, they generally did not interfere with each other's lives.
But Fujiwara Chiya and his Uma Musume had an extra layer to their bond.
They were friends.
Whenever they had free time, they would wander into Fujiwara Chiya's office to chat and relax. Sometimes, they would even go out and have fun together.
All of that was thanks to Shirayuki. The experience Fujiwara Chiya had gained from spending time with Uma Musume could now be applied perfectly to daily life.
That was why, during the time Fujiwara Chiya had been absent, his Uma Musume had all been extremely concerned. Some of them had even wanted to find better doctors to treat him.
Of course, all of it was built on a lie.
Fujiwara Chiya was not sick at all.
He simply did not have the face to meet them.
But no matter what, Fujiwara Chiya still had to come back and show himself at least once. Otherwise, these Uma Musume would not be able to focus on training.
The one who had been the most worried was Duramente. During Fujiwara Chiya's absence, Duramente had been restless the entire time. Even though Shirayuki had told her several times that Chiya was fine, she still could not stop looking troubled.
Her training efficiency had even slipped a little.
To maintain her condition, Fujiwara Chiya had no choice but to ask Nase Fumino for leave and return to being a trainer for a few days.
He suddenly realized even having two bodies was not enough.
Looking at the tall, brown-haired Uma Musume in front of her, Shirayuki smiled.
"Duramente really likes Chiya, doesn't she?"
"Yes. Trainer has always taken great care of me. Not only in training, but in my daily life as well. I'm very grateful to him."
"As long as all of you are happy, Chiya is happy too."
Shirayuki reached out and stroked Duramente's ears. Duramente's face flushed red as she lowered her head.
"Whether it is Empress-sama or Trainer, both of you are very good at taking care of others. Being able to stay by your side is my good fortune."
"Rather than fortune, I think it feels more like fate. Would you like to come to our home tonight? I'll make you something delicious, Duramente."
"If I keep visiting, I'll disturb Empress-sama's rest."
"You won't. If anything, I hope all of you come over more often."
"Then I shall respectfully accept."
"Sorry for the wait."
Just as the two of them were talking, Fujiwara Chiya walked over.
He raised a hand in greeting to Duramente.
The moment Duramente saw Fujiwara Chiya, her eyes lit up. Even the stray ahoge on top of her head seemed to perk up with new life.
"Trainer!"
"Sorry. I made you worry all this time."
Fujiwara Chiya rubbed her little head.
"All right, let's start training."
"Yes!"
Once he returned to the team, Fujiwara Chiya's Uma Musume instantly recovered their usual energy, as if they had finally received rain after a long drought.
Meanwhile, over at Nase Fumino's team, the moment everyone heard that Chiba had asked for sick leave, they deflated like balloons with the air let out.
Kitasan Black's eyes went especially wide.
"Ch-Chiba is sick?! Wh-what do we do, Diamond?! Chiba is sick!"
Kitasan Black hugged Satono Diamond so tightly that Diamond nearly stopped breathing.
"Kita-chan… Trainer said it wasn't anything serious, right?"
"But… but!"
Kitasan Black clutched her chest. The moment she heard Chiba was sick, it felt like the sky had collapsed. Everything in front of her went gray.
"When can Chiba come back, Trainer?!"
Kitasan Black looked at Nase Fumino in panic.
"When, huh…"
Nase Fumino glanced toward the nearby Fujiwara Chiya, who was currently training his Uma Musume.
Their eyes met.
He waved at her.
"At least a week, I suppose."
"A week?!"
Kitasan Black staggered half a step back.
"D-does that mean Chiba is… going to die?"
"How did you reach that conclusion?"
Nase Fumino glanced at the perfectly lively man in the distance.
"Kita-chan is completely losing it…"
Satono Diamond looked at her childhood friend and let out a helpless sigh.
Ever since going out together with Chiba, Kitasan Black had become a little strange. One moment, she would mutter, "I can't believe I like girls too," and the next, "No way. What I feel for Chiba is admiration, not love. It's different." Then she would bury herself in bed and roll around all over the place.
After knowing her for so many years, this was the first time Satono Diamond had ever seen Kita-chan like this.
She had been sucked into a massive emotional whirlpool.
Satono Diamond suspected—no, she was certain—that Kita-chan had special feelings for Chiba. But Kita-chan herself did not understand what those feelings were.
Maybe it had all started because of something Diamond had said.
Because Diamond had told her that Chiba liked girls, Kita-chan's mind had short-circuited. The pure relationship she had originally imagined had been smashed to pieces, forcing Kita-chan to come into contact with something she should never have touched.
Satono Diamond felt guilty.
She was the one who had turned Kita-chan into this.
But things had already reached this point. There was no going back. If they wanted to solve the problem, then Kita-chan had to understand herself.
How did she truly see Chiba?
How did she truly see that black-haired girl who had stolen all of her attention?
"Why don't we go to Chiba's home tonight, Kita-chan?" Satono Diamond suggested.
"Eh?"
"Chiba is sick, right? We can buy something and visit her. That way, you'll feel more at ease."
"Mm… Right. You're right, Diamond!"
Kitasan Black's tail instantly sprang upright.
"Tonight, we'll go visit Chiba!"
That evening, after Fujiwara Chiya finished training his own Uma Musume, he brought Duramente home for dinner.
He was sitting on the sofa, relaxing while stroking Seiun Sky's tail, when someone knocked on the door.
Rice Shower pattered over on her little feet to answer it.
A moment later, her voice came from the entrance.
"Onii-sama, there are Uma Musume here to see you!"
"Who is it?"
"That black one."
"Black… Kitasan?!"
"Mm!"
What?!
Why was Kitasan Black here?!
Fujiwara Chiya hurriedly started putting on his uniform.
"Trainer, Duramente is still here," Seiun Sky reminded him.
Oh no!
Why now?!
On one side was Duramente, who knew him as a trainer.
On the other was Kitasan Black, who knew him as an Uma Musume.
Fujiwara Chiya was instantly trapped between a rock and a very black-haired hard place.
"I'll help you, Trainer."
Seiun Sky giggled and ran over to Duramente.
"Duramente, come to my room. I've got something real good to show you."
"What is it, Sky-senpai?"
"You'll know once you come."
Seiun Sky led Duramente upstairs. Fujiwara Chiya seized the chance to put on his clothes, then went to the entrance and opened the door.
Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond were standing outside.
"Kitasan, and Diamond too. What brings you here?"
"Chiba!"
Kitasan Black's eyes shone. Her face, which had been listless the entire day, suddenly brightened.
"We came to visit you!"
Fujiwara Chiya invited the two of them inside.
Looking at the lively room, both girls blinked.
"We had no idea Chiba lived together with the seniors."
"Little Kitasan, little Diamond, hello there."
Grass Wonder smiled warmly and greeted the two of them.
"Oh? Guests? Wah, isn't that Kitasan and Diamond? Welcome to our home!"
Treve came running over as well.
"Hoh? More visitors? It's you two."
Orfevre walked past carrying a plate.
Seeing all those famous Uma Musume, both Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond nearly froze solid.
There was an Arc de Triomphe winner.
There was a Triple Crown winner.
Only then did they realize that Chiba's dorm was that dorm.
The most famous dorm in all of Tracen.
Rumor had it that the famous trainer lived here too, but Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond did not see him anywhere.
"We heard Chiba was sick, so we wanted to come visit her," Kitasan Black said nervously.
This was her first time interacting with so many famous Uma Musume outside of class.
"Chiba is sick?"
Orfevre raised an eyebrow and looked at the very healthy-looking Chiba.
Chiba clutched his chest and coughed a few times with deeply suspicious theatrics.
"Kitasan… Come in first. I'll take you to my room."
Fujiwara Chiya decided to put some distance between himself and this entire group of wives first.
Otherwise, one of them was absolutely going to say something unnecessary.
Once they entered the room, Kitasan Black looked around with excitement.
"This is my first time coming to a dorm room like this."
There was a desk, chairs, a bookshelf, a computer, and a thick sense of home in the room.
"This used to be the Chairwoman's dorm room. Later, it was opened up for students."
Shirayuki walked into the room and poured tea for the two of them.
The instant they saw her, Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond immediately lowered their heads.
""Sorry for intruding, Empress-sama!""
"Play as much as you like. If you need anything, just call me."
"Yes!"
After Shirayuki left, Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond both let out a breath.
"I didn't expect Empress-sama to live here too."
"As expected of Tracen's legendary dorm!"
Every single person living here was a legend in the racing world.
"I want to live here too. What do I have to do to move in?" Kitasan Black asked with innocent curiosity.
"I'm not sure. Back then, the Chairwoman just randomly arranged for me to move in."
Fujiwara Chiya laughed it off.
"Kita-chan, did you forget what we came here for?" Satono Diamond reminded her from the side.
"R-right! I almost forgot!"
Kitasan Black snapped back to herself.
"Chiba, how is your body? Does anywhere feel uncomfortable?"
"A little… cough, cough."
Fujiwara Chiya thumped his chest.
"Sorry, Kitasan. I might need to rest for a few days. I won't be able to train with you."
"That's fine! Your health is more important!"
Kitasan Black hurriedly supported Fujiwara Chiya, handling him so carefully that it was like she was afraid Chiba might pass away at any moment.
"Diamond, thermometer! Quick, let's check how Chiba is doing!"
Hearing that, Satono Diamond pulled a thermometer out of her little bag. There were also some glutinous rice dumplings inside, souvenirs they had bought on the way.
They laid Fujiwara Chiya down on the bed, and Kitasan Black placed the thermometer in his mouth.
The two Uma Musume sat by the bedside and watched him with worry written all over their faces.
This is bad.
Fujiwara Chiya had not expected that pretending to be sick would make them come straight to his house.
What now?
His body was perfectly healthy. There was nothing wrong with him at all.
How was he supposed to fool them?
Fujiwara Chiya suddenly discovered that making up a lie was not quite as easy as it looked.
After lying on the bed for a while, Fujiwara Chiya glanced toward the door. Shirayuki's voice came from outside.
"Kitasan, Diamond, I made some desserts. Would you like some?"
The moment the two girls turned their heads, Fujiwara Chiya spat out the thermometer and shook it upside down once.
After Shirayuki brought the desserts into the room, he quickly bit the thermometer again.
When the time was up, Kitasan Black took the thermometer from Chiba's mouth.
The moment she saw the number on it, her eyes went round.
"F-fifty degrees?!"
Hm?
"This is bad, Diamond! Ambulance! Call an ambulance!"
"Wait, it's not like that! I shook it too m—no, I measured it too much!"
Fujiwara Chiya hurriedly stopped Satono Diamond, who was already about to make the call.
…
"Ohhh. So Chiba's temperature is normal. You scared me."
Kitasan Black let out a relieved breath.
"It was fine once we used a new thermometer."
Fujiwara Chiya laughed stiffly.
For a second there, Kitasan Black had almost sent him off for good.
Looking at the fine beads of sweat on his forehead, Kitasan Black held his hand.
"I'll help wipe your sweat, Chiba. Hurry up and get better, okay? Then we can train together again. Race together again."
"Wipe my sweat? There's no need for that. I can do it mys—"
"How can you do it yourself? You're a patient. Leave this to us. Diamond, help me get a basin of water."
Watching Kitasan Black suddenly get fired up, Satono Diamond silently left the room and returned with a basin of water.
"Take off your clothes, Chiba!"
"Kitasan, I don't really want people seeing…"
"It's okay, Chiba. I think your figure is amazing! Actually, Chiba is already really pretty. If I had to choose, I would choose the small-chested Chiba without hesitation!"
"…"
"…"
Fujiwara Chiya and Satono Diamond both fell silent.
Is Kitasan… okay?
Under Kitasan Black's overwhelmingly forceful invitation, Fujiwara Chiya had no choice but to sit up and remove his top.
Kitasan Black wrung out the towel and began wiping Fujiwara Chiya's back.
"Chiba's shoulders are really broad."
As she brushed the towel over that pale skin, Kitasan Black's face turned red.
"They almost feel like a boy's."
"…Yeah. People say that a lot."
"I think that's nice too. It feels safe. Like you could hold someone in your arms and protect them."
As the sweat was wiped away, a sweet scent began to drift from Chiba's body.
Kitasan Black's heart started pounding faster and faster.
Strange.
So strange.
I'm only helping Chiba wipe her back.
So why is my heart beating this fast?
Kitasan Black breathed a little harder, trying to calm herself down.
She forced her attention onto Chiba's back. Looking at that smooth, clean line, she could not help reaching out and touching it.
So pretty.
So warm…
Kitasan Black swallowed.
For some reason, the person sitting in front of her no longer looked like Chiba.
She looked like a feast waiting to be enjoyed.
Almost without realizing it, Kitasan Black leaned closer. While touching those supple muscles and breathing in that captivating scent, she opened her mouth.
Just as Kitasan Black stuck out her little tongue and was about to find out what Chiba's back tasted like, Satono Diamond, who was holding the basin beside her, suddenly called out.
"Kita-chan?"
Kitasan Black snapped awake as if from a dream.
She looked at Chiba's flexible shoulder, then hurriedly wiped it a few more times with the towel.
"All done! This should be fine now!"
Kitasan Black tossed the towel into the basin.
"Rest early, Chiba. I'll come visit you again tomorrow!"
With that, Kitasan Black grabbed Satono Diamond and fled the room in a panic.
Duramente, who had just stepped out of Seiun Sky's room, watched the two figures rush past her.
Her eyebrow twitched.
Was that…
Kitasan Black?
Why did she just come out of Trainer's room?