Not long after King Halo ran off, Tang Han was suddenly bumped from behind.
"Mm! Sorry!"
"Ah, it's fine." Tang Han waved it off. It had only been a light bump, nothing serious.
But when he saw who it was, he could not help being startled.
"Rice Shower?"
"Huh? Big Brother?" Rice Shower had recognized him too, and joy immediately welled up on her face.
"Pff—" The instant Tang Han heard the words Big Brother, he collapsed to the ground again, his whole body trembling violently.
Just as expected, no matter how many times he heard Rice Shower call him that, he still could not suppress the happiness.
Tang Han: AAAAAAAAH—
System: Stop freaking out in my chat box.
"W-Wait! Big Brother, what's wrong? Did Rice Shower hurt you? I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Rice Shower panicked, looking at Tang Han with worry written all over her face.
"It's fine. It's not your fault." After finishing his fit, Tang Han calmly climbed back to his feet as if nothing had happened.
"I was just practicing ninja arts."
"Oh right, I forgot Big Brother is an amazing ninja." Rice Shower visibly relaxed, the tension leaving her face.
"Pff—!" Tang Han had barely calmed down before taking another critical hit and dropping flat to the ground again.
"Big Brother?"
"Pff— cough, cough. I'm fine, don't worry. I was practicing Water Style."
"Okay." Rice Shower believed him, and the smile returned to her face.
She was genuinely happy. She had only come to the training grounds for her afternoon run, yet somehow she had run into Big Brother.
Still, amid the joy, she also felt a little puzzled.
"It's so strange. Ever since I got the sachet from you, Big Brother, I haven't bumped into anything anymore. But for some reason I still ran into you just now. I'm really, really sorry."
"I see..." Tang Han replied.
Tang Han: System, any thoughts?
System: (playing dead)
"Are you here to run too?" Tang Han asked.
"Yes." Rice Shower nodded.
"In that case, would you mind running together with Urara?" Tang Han suggested.
"And if you don't mind, I can also give you some personal advice based on your condition."
Rice Shower still did not have a trainer, so she knew very little about scientific training methods. Her daily training was basically just running herself into exhaustion, and as a result her strength improved painfully slowly. What she needed most right now was someone to point her in the right direction.
Tang Han was not yet a veteran trainer, but his skill was improving at an incredible pace. He was still short of being a true expert, but for guiding a horse girl who had not even debuted yet, he was more than qualified.
That said, because Tang Han was not her trainer, Rice Shower did not feel very comfortable asking him to coach her directly.
But if he first asked her to help with something, then gave her guidance in return as thanks, she would not have to feel so guilty about it. She could accept his help with a much easier heart.
Tang Han had seen through that, which was exactly why he had made such a simple request: run alongside Urara.
Unlike his request to King Halo, this was without question special treatment for Rice Shower. Even if he had not asked, Rice Shower, as Urara's friend, would have happily run with her anyway.
In the end... he really could not escape the curse of being a big-brother fan...
Tang Han's idea was to have Rice Shower train with Urara, then use that as an excuse to give her advice, helping her as much as he could without drastically increasing her affection for him.
Well, that, and letting Urara pick up a bit of friendship training, while also clearing his weekly mission of "Guide Rice Shower."
One move, three benefits.
"Really? That's wonderful~" Rice Shower's face lit up with delight. She badly needed guidance from an experienced trainer, and in her mind, the gentle Tang Han was exactly that kind of person.
"Thank you, Big Brother~"
"Pff!" Tang Han's heart nearly stopped from the sheer force of it.
As expected, no matter how many times he heard it, he could not handle it...
...
An entire afternoon passed.
The sun tilted westward as three sweat-soaked horse girls, chatting and laughing, walked back to the edge of the track.
"Running is so much fun~" Urara beamed.
"Urara-chan, it really feels like you ran faster today than yesterday," King Halo said.
"Really?!"
"Yes. I felt it too, Urara-chan. You were amazing today~" Rice Shower added.
"Yay Urara got better" Hearing that she had gotten faster made Urara's smile grow even brighter.
All of this was thanks to her trainer!
"Trainer-saaan~" Seeing Tang Han waiting up ahead, Urara happily dashed toward him.
"Good work." Tang Han held out a towel and some drinking water for her.
"Thank you~" But instead of taking them, Urara simply leaned her head forward expectantly.
"Hm?" Tang Han was briefly confused, but quickly figured it out and started wiping her down.
That morning, when the scatterbrained Urara had gotten all muddled up, Tang Han had handled things for her exactly like this. Apparently, Urara had taken that as the natural way things worked between a trainer and his horse girl, which was why she now stuck her head out and waited for him to wipe her sweat away.
Tang Han did not really mind. It was only a small effort, and besides, being allowed to wipe the sweat off a little angel like Urara was the sort of privilege countless people would have killed for.
Looking at Urara's innocent, adorable face, Tang Han could not help sighing inwardly like an old father.
Ah... this really is starting to feel like raising a daughter.
"..." The warm little scene between Tang Han and Urara made King Halo, standing off to the side, feel strangely unsettled.
She had always been the one taking care of Urara, but now someone else had snatched that role away. It was like the daughter she had raised was suddenly running off with somebody else.
"Hmph!" King Halo glared at Tang Han, clearly jealous.
"Hm? Killing intent?" Tang Han immediately picked up on the sour note in her gaze, though he was not surprised in the slightest.
As Urara's motherly roommate, King Halo adored her. Seeing the girl she doted on being "raised" by someone else naturally made her uncomfortable. Tang Han understood completely.
What he did not understand was why he also felt a tiny trace of jealousy coming from Rice Shower. Was she another one of Urara's moms too?
After helping Urara finish her water, Tang Han took out two more sets of towels and drinks and handed them to Rice Shower and King Halo.
"Ah... thank you..." Rice Shower had not expected him to have prepared one for her as well. She was genuinely surprised, but still accepted it gratefully.
Holding the towel in both hands, she hesitated as she looked at Tang Han, unable to muster up the courage for what she wanted, and eventually just wiped her own sweat off by herself.
"Thank you... Hmph. Aren't you forgetting something?" King Halo took the towel and water too, but her eyes clearly suggested there was still one more thing missing.
"Of course not." Tang Han pulled three honey specials he had already prepared out of his four-dimensional pocket and handed one to each of the girls.
"Oh-ho-ho, so you do take your promises to the Saint King seriously. As one of my subjects, that earns you praise. I suppose I can let you off for now." King Halo cheerfully accepted hers.
"What's this?" Rice Shower looked curiously at the honey special glowing faintly with rainbow light in her hand.
"I made it myself. Give it a try."
"Thank you~" Hearing that Tang Han had made it by hand, Rice Shower took an interested sip.
Urara and King Halo already knew how unbelievably good Tang Han's honey special was, so the two of them immediately began drinking as well.
"Mmm~" All three girls wore blissful smiles at the same time.
The taste of the honey special was so good it felt like stepping into another world. It was as if their entire bodies had been soaked in sweet, rich honey. Their fatigue melted away, replaced by pure happiness.
"It's getting late. You three should go eat dinner and get some proper rest. We'll train again tomorrow." Just as he was about to wrap things up, Tang Han remembered something. He pulled out a sheet of paper densely covered in writing and handed it to Rice Shower.
"This is the training advice I wrote based on how you ran just now."
"Oh, I almost forgot. I didn't expect Big Brother to still remember." Rice Shower's eyes widened with delight.
On the page were tightly packed notes, with different training methods for different situations. It was called "advice," but it was more detailed and professional than an ordinary training schedule.
And the handwriting was beautiful too—every stroke clear, neat, and carefully formed. It was more than enough to show how seriously Tang Han had taken it.
"Thank you, Big Brother."
Ding. Weekly mission complete: Guide Rice Shower
Reward: Doctor's Coat duration extended by 1 day
Heh. The big-brother part of Tang Han's heart had been thoroughly satisfied.
"Well then, see you." Having settled everything, Tang Han turned and walked away, disappearing from their sight.
"See you, Trainer-san~"
"See you, Big Brother~"
"Next time, remember not to turn invisible. The Saint King's surprise is not something just anyone gets to witness."
Urara and the others called their goodbyes in the direction Tang Han had left.
But he had not gone very far before another horse girl approached them.
Staring in shock at the honey specials in their hands, Tokai Teio asked,
"Um, hello... could you tell me where you got those honey specials from?"
...
Tang Han was currently walking toward the academy gates when, for some reason, the system's sinister cackling echoed in his mind.
System: Keh-heh-heh-heh—
Tang Han: Why are you the one losing it in the chat box now?
System: Because something fun just happened.
Tang Han: What was it?
The system said nothing.
Tang Han: System, are you a Trisolaran?
System: Why would you suddenly ask that?
Tang Han: Just a random thought. Your habit of only telling the truth and playing dead whenever you can't lie makes you feel kind of like one.
System: ...
Tang Han: So are you?
System: No.
Tang Han: That's a pity. I was just thinking I might threaten you with the Dark Forest theory.
System: Ding...
Tang Han: Bro! Your little brother was disrespectful! I was wrong!
System: ...
Thanks to Tang Han's lightning-fast apology, the system did not take the chance to assign him some lethal mission involving Tokai Teio, and Tang Han let out a long breath of relief.
But the system knew full well that even if it did not hand Tang Han any mission to ruin his life...
...Tang Han was already in deep trouble.
System: Keh-heh-heh-heh—
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 132)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter140)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter95)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter165)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 145
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 135
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 95
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 155
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 125
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 105
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 62
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 80
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 80
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 62
Uma Musume: I Want All 65
I Can Copy Unique Skills 53
Summoning an Evil God, but the 41
Supernatural Multiverse 45
My Harem Is Indescribable 35
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 46
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 26
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 36
My patreon : patreon.com/queen_sin