"Chiba, welcome home."
Hayakawa Tazuna greeted Fujiwara Chiya with a bright, beaming smile. Beside her, Satono Diamond gave him a small nod when she saw him.
"I just went out for a quick walk," Chiya said.
"Is your body all right now, Chiba?" Diamond asked.
"More or less."
"Then you should be able to come back and train with us, right? Kita-chan talks about you every single day now."
"Did Kitasan not come with you?"
"She said she had something to buy, so she went out first. I came over ahead of her. Then I ended up chatting with Miss Hayakawa about you for a little while." Diamond smiled softly. "I see now. Chiba, you had quite the inspiring past."
"Huh?"
"You were sickly and weak ever since you were little. You and Miss Hayakawa supported each other through life, and through constant effort, you changed yourself and built up your body. Just hearing about it moved me deeply."
What the heck?
I was never sickly and weak. If anything, I was stupidly healthy as a kid. I got scolded by Dad all the time because I played outside until way too late.
And I definitely did not "support each other through life" with Tazuna.
Though, okay, technically, we did live together before.
"Chiba, come here," Tazuna called, beckoning with one hand.
Fujiwara Chiya walked over to her. The moment he was close enough, she gave him a gentle tug—and just like that, the man found himself pulled onto her lap.
"My adorable Chiba. I'm so glad you were able to come to Tracen."
Tazuna stroked his body and kissed his cheek with the kind of natural affection that made Diamond's eyes sparkle.
Tazuna! What kind of backstory did you make up while I was gone?!
Chiya never expected Tazuna to go as far as fleshing out his fake identity's tragic character profile.
Putting that aside—this position was way too embarrassing!
He had seen wives sitting on their husbands' laps plenty of times.
He had never seen a husband sitting on his wife's lap.
Also…
Tazuna feels softer than before.
Her tender thighs felt almost magical, as if they were gently but firmly trapping his hips in place.
With her back turned to Satono Diamond, Tazuna quietly slipped one hand beneath Chiya's clothes. Her slender fingers brushed and kneaded along his back.
"Does Miss Hayakawa live here too?" Diamond asked.
"That's right," Tazuna replied smoothly. "When Chiba was sick, I was the one taking care of her the whole time. Speaking of which, she still hasn't fully recovered. After going outside just now, her temperature seems to have risen again. I'll take her back to her room first."
With that, Tazuna lifted Fujiwara Chiya straight into her arms.
"Hey, Tazuna."
"What is it, Chiba? Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, it's just… this pose is a little…"
Too humiliating!
First he sat on her lap.
Now he was getting princess-carried.
Where was a man supposed to put his pride after this?
"Be good, Chiba. Rest properly."
Tazuna carried him back to his room and sat beside him. A little while later, the sound of hurried footsteps thundered up from downstairs.
Kitasan Black finally returned.
She dashed into Chiba's room with a bright, energetic smile.
"Chiba, I came to see you! Oh, Miss Hayakawa is here too!"
Kita-chan sat down by the bed.
"I asked a doctor I know! He said if Chiba takes this and sweats it out, you'll get better!"
Kita-chan placed a small brown medicine packet on the bedside table.
"Will you drink it, Chiba?"
"I'll drink it tonight."
"Okay! Get better soon, all right?"
Kita-chan squeezed his hand tightly.
The group stayed in the room for a little while longer before finally leaving.
Once the room fell quiet again, Tazuna helped Fujiwara Chiya remove the fake horse ears and took off his headphones.
"That child, Kitasan Black… she seems very attached to you."
"Yeah. If I don't go back soon, things on that side might get messy too."
"So you're going back to being an Uma Musume again?"
"I don't really have a choice. I originally planned to take a few more days off, but judging by the situation, I probably won't be able to."
"You've only trained with them for a little over a month, and yet quite a few Uma Musume have already started paying attention to you." Tazuna narrowed her eyes at him. "It makes me wonder whether you've really been training properly."
"You've been watching from the side the whole time, haven't you?"
"I have. But there are moments I can't see." Tazuna's smile stayed gentle, but there was a teasing edge in her voice. "Who knows? Maybe you've been using your Uma Musume identity to secretly do something else. Normal students who spend a month together would only become ordinary friends at most. But Kitasan Black? She visits you, worries about you, and even finds a doctor for you. That is not ordinary friendship."
"Maybe it's because I spent most of my time with her, so we just got along well."
"That reminds me of Shirayuki. Shirayuki also got along very well with her friends. One of them progressed especially quickly." Tazuna smiled. "That girl's name was Grass Wonder. Do you think Kitasan Black might become the second Grass Wonder?"
"No, no, no. Kitasan and I are really just normal friends. Grass Wonder at least slept in the same bed as Shirayuki before. Kitasan and I have always kept our distance, so that won't happen."
"Really?"
"Really."
Seeing the certainty in Fujiwara Chiya's eyes, Tazuna smiled.
"Then I'll believe you this once. Speaking of which, Kitasan Black brought you medicine earlier. She said you'll recover after taking it and sweating a little."
"Let's just put it away for now. It might be useful if I actually get sick later."
"The medicine can be skipped, but as for sweating…"
Her beautiful emerald-green eyes fixed on Fujiwara Chiya.
"That part can still happen."
"…Hm?"
"Did you notice anything different about me today?"
Fujiwara Chiya looked Tazuna over.
There was a faint brushing sensation against his thigh. Lowering his gaze, he saw her legs rubbing lightly against him.
The long, elegant line of her legs was wrapped in black stockings, but the fabric was thin enough that the pale skin beneath showed through faintly. Under the warm room light, the black silk and fair skin reflected a soft, glossy sheen.
Chiya thought back to how Tazuna usually dressed, then answered uncertainly.
"You changed your stockings?"
"That's right."
Tazuna reached out and wrapped her arms around Fujiwara Chiya's neck.
"I changed them to a thinner pair. You like this kind where the skin shows through a little, don't you?"
"I don't really… have any particular preference."
"Then why does Shirayuki pay so much attention to thickness whenever she buys stockings? Most of the ones in her wardrobe show just a hint of skin underneath."
"…"
"We've been together for so long, and you're still trying to hide your preferences from me?" Tazuna said, her tone warm and amused. "I don't think there's anything wrong with a man having his own unique tastes. If anything, having a preference gives you more motivation."
Fujiwara Chiya wanted to sink into the floor.
"Do what you want to me," Tazuna whispered. "Everyone happened to go out today. You can let yourself relax a little."
"I feel like I'm always showing you my embarrassing side, Tazuna."
"What does that matter? I like seeing you blush." Tazuna guided Fujiwara Chiya's hand onto her thigh. "You look just like that innocent young man from back then."
Then came a soft rip.
The thin stocking tore open, revealing skin as pale and smooth as polished white jade beneath it.
Black and white.
The sharp contrast across her thigh captured Fujiwara Chiya's gaze completely.
"Hehe…"
Tazuna's lips curved.
"Today, I want you to be a little rough with me."
"My dear husband."
The door opened.
Grass Wonder stepped into the room.
"Kitasan Black and the others…"
Then she paused.
"...Oh my?"
She saw Chiya lying on the bed.
Then she saw Hayakawa Tazuna beside him, her stockings torn.
Grass Wonder tilted her head.
After a brief moment of thought, she calmly reached back, locked the door, and began undoing the buttons on her skirt.
The long skirt fell to the floor.
Grass Wonder lifted one delicate bare foot and smiled.
"Please allow me to join you as well."