They stopped before an elegant wooden door. Mejiro Dober paused to knock; after a voice from inside answered, she turned to Shirayuki Fujiwara. "We're here."
Shirayuki nervously checked her clothes. She was wearing the blue-violet dress Dober had given her.
"They're all Tracen students, just different classes. No need to be stiff," Dober said with a smile at how adorable she looked. Then she opened the door. Soft sunlight fell across a dark red carpet, and three young ladies appeared before Shirayuki.
"Dober, you're here." They greeted her, then looked to the white-clad girl behind her. "And who might she be?"
"Shirayuki—my little sister," Dober said, introducing her.
"Hello, I'm Shirayuki Fujiwara. Greetings to you all, ladies."
"Haha, what a funny kid," said a girl with a gaudy, spiky "shamate" haircut, laughing heartily. "Come on over—sit here."
They invited her as naturally as could be.
Counting Shirayuki, there were five horse girls present: Mejiro Dober; Mejiro McQueen; the hearty girl from a moment ago; and, beside her, a soft, cotton-fluff gentle girl with a bow and braided pigtails.
"Didn't expect you at the gathering, Shirayuki," McQueen said.
"Mm. Should I have RSVP'd?"
"No, no. If I'd known you were coming, I would've made another cake." Before McQueen stood a towering six-tier stand of sweets.
"Dober's told me plenty about you. That kid really owes you a lot," the spiky-haired girl added, nodding her thanks to Shirayuki.
Honestly, of everyone here she had the least "young-lady" aura—she was downright boyish.
"I'm the one being taken care of, actually. Um…"
"Ah, forgot to introduce us. I'm Mejiro Ryan. She's Mejiro Bright. Like you, we're Tracen students."
"Nice to meet you, Ryan-senpai. Bright-senpai."
The marshmallow-soft girl fluttered a hand at Shirayuki.
"I heard from Dober that she found herself a cute little sister. Seeing you today—truly, you are very cute," Bright said, palms pressed together, voice as light and soft as her temperament.
"You flatter me…"
"Where's Takamine-sis? The others?" Dober asked from where she sat snugly against Shirayuki.
"Takamine-sis, Ardan, and Zenshin went to the main hall. There are more guests than usual this year, so they had to go schmooze."
"Please thank them for me."
Thanks to those pillars of the Mejiro house, the rest of them could sit and enjoy tea and desserts at leisure.
"So, Dober," Bright said with a smile, "won't you tell us what's been going on with you and Shirayuki? Every time we talk, it's three sentences about Shirayuki to every one about anything else."
"I'm curious too. I've never seen you call anyone 'little sister' before," Ryan chimed in.
"Bright… and Ryan-sis." Put on the spot, Dober fumbled a bit.
Still, among the girls she'd grown up with, Dober wasn't nearly as reserved as she was outside.
"Then… I'll share a little."
Perfect—she wanted to gush about Shirayuki's cuteness anyway.
Elsewhere, after breakfast, Chiya and Aoi stepped out of the restaurant.
He couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him.
"What is it, Chiya? You keep looking around."
"It's nothing…"
Was he just being jumpy?
Or was that feeling not his—but Shirayuki's?
He didn't know. Either way, both Chiya and Shirayuki glanced around and found nothing.
"Where to next?"
"The shrine." Chiya carefully patted the flyer in his pocket. "There's a wishing shrine nearby. Let's check it out."
"Okay." Aoi followed, bright and happy.
As the two walked off, another pair arrived where they'd just been.
Rice Shower and Fumino Nase.
Rice Shower tilted her head at the woman beside her. "Why is Trainer Nase following too?"
"Understanding your opponent is part of training. I'm learning Trainer Fujiwara's habits right now," Nase said, not blinking as she lied through her teeth.
Her attention was glued to Chiya. When she saw Aoi try several times to hold Chiya's hand, she nearly cracked a molar. Thankfully, Aoi's nerve failed her and she didn't go through with it.
Nase had skipped grades through both high school and college. She'd never spared a glance for the boys who tried to curry favor. Through college she just studied training theory, then joined Tracen as its youngest "genius trainer," already certified at mid-level.
And now, upon meeting Chiya again, she'd been scooped by some middling talent with lukewarm ties to him?
Watching how happy Aoi looked, Nase felt heat flash through her face. A rare scowl tugged at her lips.
Beside her, Rice Shower watched her fellow stalker from the corner of her eye. Seeing Nase's expression, she instantly understood.
Another bad woman!
"Learning your opponent," "learning his habits"—lies. She just wanted to spy on Trainer Kiryuin's relationship with Big Brother!
As a sworn devotee of Big Brother, Rice Shower lodged a strong protest in her heart.
This one went into the little notebook of enemies, too.
While Rice Shower scribbled Nase's name down, Chiya and Aoi had climbed to the shrine. Staring up at the endless staircase, Chiya felt like he was back on the day he met Matikanefukukitaru.
"So many steps!"
Was Miko picking on him, choosing a shrine with stairs this long?
Halfway up, Chiya was out of gas.
"Chiya, can't go on?"
"I might need… a walking stick. Aoi, are you always this fit?"
"Mm. Sometimes I try out the training plans I make for the horse girls myself."
"Those training loads are survivable for humans!?"
"They're fine."
She's basically a horse girl in human form! Chiya updated his mental picture of Aoi.
"Let me help you, Chiya." Seeing him panting, Aoi held out her hand. "If you hold onto me, it won't be so hard."
"Mm… sorry to trouble you." He took her hand.
That schemer!
Jaw tight, sweat beading on her brow, Nase watched Aoi naturally lace her fingers with Chiya's.
She'd chosen a shrine with a monster staircase just for this, hadn't she!? Who else would pick this place for a date?
Nase could practically hear Aoi's abacus clattering.
And there was nothing she could do, because she didn't have that kind of stamina. Not just "not a monster"—she was below average.
The two above drew farther and farther away, and Nase couldn't lift her feet.
She'd never been good with physical exertion—especially not in work slacks. Sweat glued the fabric to her thighs, making every step harder.
"When are they… going to put a cable car… on shrine approaches…" Nase wheezed, complaining between gasps.
"Trainer Nase, Big Brother's already up there!"
"I know. Let me rest… a second…"
Clutching the railing, Nase felt like a horse girl in the final few hundred meters of a race: stamina and endurance spent, running on sheer will.
At last—after her fourth breather on the steps—Rice Shower, unable to watch any longer, took her hand and tugged.
As much as this woman was a bad one trying to steal Big Brother, she was still his friend.
Rice Shower wasn't heartless enough to abandon a limp Nase on the steps and go alone.
After a grueling climb, Nase collapsed onto a bench, took out a handkerchief, and silently dabbed at the sweat on her brow.
That twenty minutes of "activity" had already exceeded her monthly quota.
While she rested, Chiya and Aoi stood before the offering hall, tossing their coins.
"What did you wish for, Chiya?"
"If you say wishes out loud, they won't come true."
He dodged with a grin.
They moved on to the fortune box. The board was split down the middle by a red line: Career on one side, Romance on the other.
Chiya hesitated over which to draw.
"Romance, huh…" Aoi murmured.
"Interested in that sort of thing, Aoi?"
"I wouldn't say I'm not."
Chiya blinked.
In his mind, Aoi Kiryuin was a dyed-in-the-wool training maniac who only ever talked about trainers and horse girls, never anything outside training.
"What about you, Chiya?" Aoi volleyed back. "Is there someone you have your eye on right now?"
Chiya's lashes fluttered.
At that exact moment, the same question was asked in a different place by someone else entirely.
Mejiro Ryan.
At the Mejiro ladies' tea, Ryan chuckled. "Do you have someone you're interested in, Shirayuki?"
The horse girls drifted into gentle gossip.
"Someone I'm interested in?"
"That's right." Ryan eyed the ring on Shirayuki's hand. "Don't tell me that's an engagement ring? Did you… get engaged?"
"Eh!? Really?" At the juicy scoop, McQueen even forgot her cake. She looked up at the silver ring that blended with Shirayuki's skin. "Shirayuki is engaged!?"
"How romantic," Bright said, clapping lightly.
"No she is not—that was from her friend!" Dober blurted, flustered. "Shirayuki is not engaged. Right!?"
"Right. I'm not."
At her age, people didn't get engaged while still in school—unless they were sons or daughters of great houses, tying the knot for political or business alliances.
She was just an ordinary civilian.
"I see… my mistake," Ryan said, scratching her cheek. "So, no one you're interested in, then?"
"If we're talking 'interested'… there is someone."
"What!?" Dober's heart leapt into her throat; the other Mejiros' eyes lit up.
"Who?"
They all asked at once.
Yes—who!?
Dober wanted to chop him to bits.
"Dober-sis, of course. She's conscientious, responsible, beautiful, gracious, and wonderfully caring. If there's someone who catches my eye, it would be Dober-sis."
Shirayuki took the chance to stack her favor points.
The Mejiro sisters looked both surprised and amused.
"Shirayuki…" Dober looked like she'd been profoundly moved.
This child was too adorable!
She absolutely had to dote on her properly when they got back.
"Well… that counts as 'someone,' I suppose," McQueen said, sipping tea.
"Not bad, not bad. Shirayuki really does see Dober's strengths," Ryan laughed.
"Do you plan to marry someday?" Bright asked, startlingly direct. An odd hush fell.
"C-cough… Bright-senpai."
"Hmm?"
"I don't have any plans on that front at the moment."
"I understand."
And the topic froze over.
At the shrine, Chiya rubbed his temple.
Kids these days are so mature.
His answer to Aoi was simple.
"My top priority right now is being the best trainer I can be. I'll think about the rest later."
"So… no one you're interested in?"
"Let's go with that."
Something flickered in Aoi's eyes.
They finished their prayers and headed out. Hearing them approach, Rice Shower and Nase scrambled to hide; once the pair had left, the two stalkers stepped up to the offering hall.
Since they were here already, they might as well make a wish.
Coins tossed, Rice Shower clapped.
Wishes don't come true if you say them out loud—Big Brother had just said so.
Rice Shower pressed her lips together and, hands clasped, whispered in her heart: May Rice Shower stay with Big Brother forever.
Beside her, Nase's face stayed impassive.
She made a small, almost trivial wish.
Then the two of them hurried after Chiya again.
Time slid toward evening. The Mejiro gathering wound down. Shirayuki and Dober returned to Tracen by car, and Chiya's outing was entering its final stretch.
He and Aoi came to a hotel glittering with neon.
"C-Chiya… are we… spending the night out?"
Aoi's voice trembled with nerves.
Spending the night wouldn't be the end of the world. They were both adults… and if something happened, well, it wouldn't be strange.
After a day together, Aoi found Chiya was still Chiya. He hadn't changed at all—and she could accept him completely.
"No. No need to sleep out."
Miko's route happened to pass by here at the end; Chiya had just been curious what it looked like.
"I see… Then let's head back," Aoi said, inexplicably a little forlorn.
Just then—
"Big Brother!"
A petite body lunged from behind and wrapped him in a hug.
"Rice Shower!? What are you doing here?" Chiya's eyes went wide.
"Rice Shower… Rice Shower is out with Trainer Nase. We just happened to see Big Brother!"
Thrown into a panic by the hotel sign, she blurted the first excuse she could cobble together.
"Nase?"
"Mm. Trainer Nase is right there." Rice Shower pointed. Under the lights, a cool woman with side-swept bangs sat on a bench.
"Trainer Nase?"
Chiya walked over, calling her name.
No response. Nase leaned against the backrest, head bowed, breathing even.
"…She's asleep?"
"Rice Shower dragged Trainer Nase all over. Maybe she got tired."
"Tired enough to conk out on the spot… You two hit a lot of places?"
"We did go up and down a lot of stairs."
"She really toughed it out."
Chiya stooped and lifted the sleeping Nase onto his back.
He had no idea why she'd suddenly decided to take Rice Shower out, but he couldn't just leave her here.
"Let's go, Rice Shower. Time to head back."
"Mm!"
As he started to walk, Nase's arms suddenly tightened around his neck.
"Trainer Nase, you're awake?"
"Chiya…" she mumbled. "I don't want to go…"
"It's late, Trainer Nase."
Hearing her whisper like a spoiled child, Chiya chuckled.
"If I go… I'll never be able to come back…" she murmured—and then her arms went limp.
Just a sleep-blurred dreamtalk.
So familiar.
The words struck Chiya like déjà vu.
Like he'd heard them long ago from someone else.
If I go, I'll never be able to come back!
All at once, a hazy figure rose in his mind.
A little girl clung to him, holding him tight.
"All right, enough. You're going to cause trouble for the Fujiwaras."
"No!"
"How long will you be gone this time?"
"At least five years. Maybe ten."
"That's… lonely."
"Mm. But as long as we're still on the track, we're bound to meet again, Zenya."
The little girl was pulled out the door.
"Chiya!"
"I said, enough." A man's voice snapped, stern. "Show some Mejiro pride, Fumino!"
The blurry face sharpened—side-swept bangs, tear-washed cheeks.
Standing there with Nase on his back, Chiya froze like an idiot.
....
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