...
Seiun Sky bowed solemnly to the audience, "Thank you!"
Then, with unsteady steps, she headed toward the exit tunnel, already spotting the figure waiting for her there.
She crashed into Lucian's arms, weakly saying, "Hug~ I won, so tired."
"You worked hard. Rest well later."
Lucian ruffled Seiun Sky's head, but then noticed Special Week standing dazedly behind her.
Seiun Sky glanced back and whispered in Lucian's arms, "I beat your Spe-chan... I'll be generous today."
She shifted to the side.
"I'll reward you properly later," Lucian said, extending a hand to Special Week. "Spe-chan, you worked hard too."
Both were dear to him, so he allowed himself a moment of indulgence.
"Trainer..." Special Week cautiously stepped into Lucian's embrace.
In the end, it was Lucian who pulled her by the shoulders, letting her passively nestle into his arms.
...
The members of "Dream" arrived shortly after.
"Oh ho~ Looks like we came at a bad time, huh? Are we interrupting the Trainer?" Tokai Teio approached with her hands behind her back, teasingly looking at Lucian. "Spe-chan, how's Trainer Lucian's hug?"
Tokai Teio glanced left and right, finally targeting Special Week.
Though shy, Special Week was reluctant to leave Lucian's embrace. Caught in a dilemma, she simply buried her head to avoid Tokai Teio's gaze.
"They're both exhausted from running, Teio. When you're tired later, I can let you lean on me too."
Seiun Sky was too tired to respond, and Special Week was too shy to speak, so Lucian stepped in to deflect for them.
"L-lean on you?" Tokai Teio froze, like a startled rabbit. "Then I'll thank you later, Trainer."
Haru Urara also joined in, but there was no space for her to squeeze in. "Seiun, Spe-chan! Can you leave a spot for Urara too?"
Dextrous Bailey stayed silent, only watching with envious eyes.
"Suzuka-senpai, why are you standing here?" Rice Shower looked at Silence Suzuka, puzzled.
"It's nothing, just suddenly feeling a bit like a failure."
"Failure?" Silence Suzuka's words only confused Rice Shower more. "Didn't you just win the Daily Cup, Suzuka-senpai?"
"Yeah, that's why I feel a bit like a failure."
Fireworks, "congratulations"—they were nice and all... but how could they compare to the hug happening right now?
Yet she just couldn't think of it herself.
Was it because she read too few books? Or because she couldn't apply what she learned?
Rice Shower couldn't respond, feeling like she and Silence Suzuka were on completely different wavelengths.
...
After resting, Seiun Sky and Special Week regained their energy and took to the winner's stage.
On stage, the two were especially in sync, and Special Week was no longer the clumsy girl she used to be.
"Lucian-kun, why aren't you taking pictures with your phone?"
Lucian sniffed the air. "I was wondering why I smelled a hint of resentment just now."
"Lucian-kun, you're picking on me."
"Then I'll say you're picking on Spe-chan and Seiun. Wait, I'll go tattle on you later."
"No way!" Silence Suzuka always lost her composure in front of Lucian. "It's only me who gets turned into a meme, only me who won a race..."
Her voice grew softer, until even Lucian, standing closest to her, couldn't make out what she said.
But Lucian could guess.
"Only you won a race, and then what?"
"Nothing..."
"Oh~ I thought it was because only you won a race and didn't get a hug from me."
How could Lucian bear to intentionally neglect Silence Suzuka?
They were all his wings.
"Don't talk nonsense, I didn't say that."
Silence Suzuka hurriedly turned her head away.
But watching Seiun Sky dance gracefully on stage, the thought grew stronger.
Last time, she had won a race too, and from the stage, she saw Lucian and Seiun Sky below... whispering to each other!
Though their position now wasn't as close as last time, if Seiun Sky looked this way, she'd definitely notice.
Silence Suzuka was wrestling fiercely with her emotions.
Her personality was like that—always needing a push from Seiun Sky.
"Did I guess wrong?" Lucian smiled. "If it's because you're shy, you could use one of the favors I owe you."
Under Lucian's encouragement, Silence Suzuka seemed to think it made sense. "Wouldn't that be a loss for me?"
"Hm?"
"Wasting a favor for nothing."
"Oh~" Lucian thought she was saying he was taking advantage of her. He'd underestimated his own charm. "You're the team's points leader, aren't you? Or do you think, because of today's race, you can't beat Spe-chan and Seiun in the simulation races?"
"No way, I'll be the one to win next time too." Silence Suzuka paused for a moment, then said softly, "Then I'll use that favor, but... it only stops when I say so."
That was Silence Suzuka's final act of courage.
If Seiun Sky didn't look over... suddenly, it didn't seem to matter?
"You're not afraid their attention will all be drawn here? This isn't the afternoon lounge or the infirmary."
"I'm afraid... then just for a little while."
"Alright."
Silence Suzuka was still shy, so Lucian took the initiative to hug her.
Hugs can be so magical—polite, warm, or instantly reassuring... especially with someone you trust.
But Silence Suzuka was like she was slightly drunk, her face flushed with a rosy intoxication.
In that case, she'd be brave to the end.
If you don't express your feelings, how could the other person know?
"Lucian-kun, if you don't have fireworks prepared in the future, can you use a hug instead?"
"Of course."
Silence Suzuka's tense body gradually relaxed in Lucian's arms.
She seemed to forget her initial goal was to give Seiun Sky a taste of her own medicine.
She just closed her eyes, savoring the fleeting warmth.
But sometimes, unintended actions bear fruit. After she left Lucian's embrace, that meaningless goal was naturally achieved.
At some point, Seiun Sky's gaze from the stage met hers.
Without the slightest retreat or timidity, Silence Suzuka felt the most exhilarating moment of triumph, aside from winning the race.
This was true victory.
If she'd known, she would've hugged him a bit longer.
Since Lucian had said she wouldn't need to use favors for massages in the future, why not use all her future favors for hugs?
With one condition—when Seiun Sky was watching.
...