Because there are a large number of Uma Musume at Tracen Academy, there are many infirmaries. I guided the Uma Musume who had run into me to the closest infirmary to the accident site, and after confirming once again that she had no pain or injuries, I let out a sigh of relief.
"So, you're... I'm sorry. What's your name?"
After making sure the Uma Musume wasn't hurt, I stepped out for a moment, bought a can of coffee and a carrot juice from a nearby vending machine, and then asked for her name. When I offered her the carrot juice, she took it with a look of apology.
Her black ears drooped and her tail hung limply, as if to show her feelings. She didn't seem to be wary of me, but she might be so depressed that she just didn't care.
"..."
The Uma Musume didn't answer my question. She seemed to have heard me, but she seemed reluctant to give her name.
(Hmm... This is a problem. If I don't know her name, I can't contact her trainer...)
I couldn't even contact her trainer to tell them that I had their Uma Musume and for them to come get her. At worst, I would have to contact Sugikawa-san to have her pick her up, but the fact that the girl's eyes were so swollen from crying was also a concern.
(She's probably a middle schooler, and given the time of year, maybe she can't win a maiden race? Could she be thinking about retiring...?)
Since I had never seen her in a dirt race, she was probably an Uma Musume who mainly ran on turf courses. But compared to dirt, turf has a much deeper talent pool. It's a land of demons where Uma Musume get their confidence completely crushed when they run into future GI winners in their debut races, and that happens every year.
I looked at the Uma Musume in front of me again under the infirmary lights. She was a little taller than Urara, probably around 145 cm. Since Urara is 140 cm, it was easy to tell the height of Uma Musume who were a similar height to her.
However, her expression looked unconfident, and combined with the tears, she looked dark and depressed. When I thought that Urara might have become like this if she hadn't won her maiden race, it made my chest ache, and I couldn't just leave her alone.
When I opened the tab of my canned coffee, the Uma Musume's body flinched. I smiled wryly, took a sip of the hot coffee, and let out a sigh of relief.
"Phew... well, if you don't want to say your name, that's fine. I'll take you to the dorm after you drink that juice, but first, you should do something about those tears."
Saying that, I offered her a box of tissues that was in the infirmary. If it were Urara, I would wipe her tears with my own handkerchief, but doing that with an Uma Musume I just met might get me kicked.
The Uma Musume was a little hesitant, but she wiped her tears with a tissue, took a sip of the carrot juice, and then said in a small voice.
"My name is... Rice Shower."
"Rice Shower... Ah, so that's why you call yourself Rice."
I understood. I took another sip of my coffee and then tilted my head slightly.
"But, Rice Shower..."
"Gasp..."
When I repeated her name, the Uma Musume—Rice Shower's expression slightly twisted.
It was from a negative emotion, like she was holding back fear. I found that strange, but I said what I was thinking.
"That's a good name."
"...Huh?"
Rice Shower is a tradition at weddings where you throw rice at the newlyweds to bless them. You throw rice, a symbol of a bountiful harvest, to wish the newlyweds a fruitful future and pray for the prosperity of their descendants.
Just like my Haru Urara, it seems like many Uma Musume have names that are auspicious or have a nice feel to them. Though there are some names that make you wonder why they were named that.
"Rice is... Rice Shower, you know?"
"Hm? I just heard that, didn't I?"
Did I mishear her or say her name wrong? I found it strange that Rice Shower was saying her name again as if to confirm.
"Rice... Shower, you know?"
"Oh, right... Is that so? You're Rice Shower."
While answering, I wondered to myself, "What is this conversation?" At the same time, my brain was desperately trying to search for some meaning to the words "Rice Shower." But I couldn't think of anything other than the rice they throw at weddings.
Maybe it's a word from some country that I don't know, and it means something like, "You're getting too big for your britches." If so, it would be an arrogance that doesn't match her timid appearance.
(No, that's not it. There's no way... So, there's something associated with her name?)
Does she think that if she says her name, I'll know who she is? Does that mean she might be a famous Uma Musume that I don't know about?
I silently took out my smartphone and typed "Uma Musume Rice Shower" into a search engine. And lo and behold, a search suggestion appeared: "Uma Musume Rice Shower Kikuka-shō" (Chrysanthemum Prize).
Thinking "no way," I searched for it and found out that the Rice Shower in front of me had participated in this year's Kikuka-shō and had gotten 1st place.
"Wha... what?"
I must have a ridiculous look on my face right now. The shock is so great that my face, which isn't that great to begin with, is probably falling apart.
Rice Shower's body recoiled in fear, as if she was scared by my reaction. The way she was trembling was like a small animal, and it made me want to protect her even more than Urara.
Looking at the trembling Rice Shower, I couldn't help but say what I was thinking from the bottom of my heart.
"Rice Shower... you're in high school..."
"...Huh?"
I just blurted out something that would get me kicked, and I wouldn't even be able to complain.
The Kikuka-shō is one of the three GI races known as the Triple Crown, and since it's called the Triple Crown, only Uma Musume in the Classic grade can participate. In other words, the Rice Shower in front of me is older than Urara and a high school student.
The three GI races that only Uma Musume in the Classic grade can participate in—Satsuki-shō, the Tokyo Yushun (Japan Derby), and the Kikuka-shō—are collectively called the Triple Crown. The Uma Musume who win all three of these are commonly known as Triple Crown winners.
The Satsuki-shō is a 2000-meter turf race held in early April.
The Japan Derby is a 2400-meter turf race held in late May.
The Kikuka-shō is a 3000-meter turf race held in late October.
The Uma Musume who have won all three of these GI races are only a handful, such as Shinzan, the first Uma Musume I ever saw on TV, and Symboli Rudolf, the student council president of Tracen Academy. It's a feat that has been achieved by only a handful of Uma Musume.
Since a GI race has that much value, all the Uma Musume who participate are strong. If you win the Triple Crown, your name will be etched into Uma Musume history, and even just winning one of the crowns is a tremendous honor.
An honor—but at that moment, I was more shocked by the fact that Rice Shower was a high school student than by the fact that she had won a GI race.
If Rice Shower stood next to Urara, she would probably look like she's the same age. Her small stature and timid appearance could make her look younger than Urara.
(Rice Shower... the Uma Musume who won this year's Kikuka-shō... there's a photo, and it's really her...)
I compared the image on my smartphone to the Rice Shower in front of me. There were differences, like her uniform and her racing outfit, and her somber expression and the tear marks, but it was definitely Rice Shower herself.
Since Urara is a dirt-track, short-distance, and mile-distance racer, I knew nothing about Rice Shower, who runs on long-distance turf courses, a completely different category.
Until Urara won her maiden race, I was only researching maiden Uma Musume in short-distance dirt races, and I had only just started researching Uma Musume in the higher classes. Honestly, I don't have enough time to extend my research to turf races.
(This is bad. I was so focused on training Urara that I didn't pay any attention to the turf classic races... Even when I talked to Kiryuin-san, we only talked about Happy Meek since she's a junior...)
I thought this was seriously bad. I felt like I had come to my senses and realized how obsessed I had been with training Urara. Whenever I had free time, I would think about training plans for Urara or make a new kind of carrot hamburger steak for her, but I was like a businessman who was so obsessed with his job that he couldn't see what was around him.
I was a little dazed as I reflected on my recent life, but I thought, "Oh well," and operated my smartphone. I found the race footage for this year's Kikuka-shō and casually pressed the play button.
"Oh... she's really in it... Huh? She's the second most popular one. That's impressive..."
Being the second most popular in a GI race means she must be a very strong Uma Musume. Rice Shower, who was watching her own race footage being played in front of her, looked extremely uncomfortable.
It was hard to connect the Rice Shower who was drinking carrot juice with the one on the screen who was wearing a racing outfit that looked like a black dress, waiting for the race to begin.
And then, the final destination of the Triple Crown began.
In the race, the most popular Uma Musume, Mihono Bourbon, took the lead, and the other Uma Musume, including Rice Shower, chased after her. From the commentator's words, Mihono Bourbon was undefeated and had already won two of the three classic crowns.
(The turf races really have a deep talent pool... All of them are Uma Musume who run well. And this Mihono Bourbon, she's undefeated and has two classic crowns, so she's on Symboli Rudolf's level.)
She's definitely one of the top Uma Musume at Tracen Academy. Thinking that, I watched the race footage, and they finally reached the final straightaway. But there, I suddenly felt something was off.
(Huh? This Uma Musume, Mihono Bourbon, is she not good at long-distance races? She's fast, but it looks like she's getting tired in the final straightaway...)
It wasn't visible on her face, but it felt like Mihono Bourbon's stamina was running out as she ran down the final straightaway. Since the old Urara had no stamina at all, I could somewhat tell what an exhausted Uma Musume looked like.
And, as if to catch up to Mihono Bourbon, a jet-black Uma Musume appeared from behind her.
(Oh, Rice Shower is coming from behind... Oh... oh? OHHH!?)
Mihono Bourbon was trying to get away, and Rice Shower was trying to pass her. Furthermore, Matikanetannhauser was desperately chasing after them, but she couldn't catch Mihono Bourbon and Rice Shower.
I gasped inwardly because I could see the face of Rice Shower, who was trying to pass Mihono Bourbon.
"This is..."
—This is what it means to have an intense, almost demonic, look.
Even through the footage, I could feel her will to absolutely pass her, to absolutely win against Mihono Bourbon. Of course, the other Uma Musume were also doing their best, but in this race, Rice Shower's fierce determination was one, no, two or three levels above everyone else.
Rice Shower passed her and ran through the finish line in 1st place. A mumble of heartfelt praise escaped my lips as I watched the footage.
"—This is amazing."
"Huh?"
Even on the small screen of my smartphone, Rice Shower's running was incredibly powerful.
She was tenaciously marking Mihono Bourbon, the most popular runner, from the beginning to the end, and then she passed her in the final straightaway. Her speed, stamina, burst of speed, and positioning. And most of all, her fierce determination to pass her no matter what.
The Rice Shower in the race footage was completely different from the girl sitting in front of me now. But after seeing Rice Shower's run, I couldn't help but mumble with a feeling that was similar to being moved.
"That's impressive... No, this is truly amazing. To run like this against an undefeated two-time classic winner is incredible... Above all, that fierce determination is great. Sigh... What a wonderful determination."
I couldn't help but think that I wish my Urara had even a tenth of this girl's determination. When she won her maiden race, she had a good face, but since she's relaxed now, she's back to her usual laid-back Urara. While that's cute in its own way, it's a problem for a trainer.
Seriously, this Rice Shower's run was so full of determination that I want Urara to learn from her. But if Urara ran with that much determination, I might question my sanity.
Who is the trainer who raised this Rice Shower? If possible, I'd like to talk to them and ask about their training methods. I think this Rice Shower's run would have a great influence on Urara's training.
As I was savoring the aftertaste of the race footage, I noticed that Rice Shower was looking at me in a dazed way. I panicked, put my smartphone down, and cleared my throat.
"Ahem... Sorry. There was something I should have said first."
When I said that, Rice Shower's body flinched for some reason. But I didn't mind and applauded with a smile.
"Congratulations on getting 1st place in the Kikuka-shō, Rice Shower. You're an amazing Uma Musume."
A winner needs to be praised. When Urara won her maiden race, I knew how grateful and happy the cheers from the spectators were. Thinking that, I gave Rice Shower my heartfelt praise.
"Gasp... Sniff... Ah, AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
"Huh!? H-huh!? Whyyyy!?"
And then, she suddenly started sobbing and clinging to me.
-------------
It took a little over 10 minutes to calm down the sobbing Rice Shower. It's no exaggeration to say that those 10 minutes were the longest 10 minutes of my life.
Q: A male trainer is making a young-looking Uma Musume sob in the infirmary. What would an onlooker think?
A: Let's turn myself in, shall we?
Jokes aside, if someone saw us, they would definitely misunderstand. If it were Urara, I could insist that I'm her trainer, but I just met Rice Shower. If I were a handsome trainer, it might look okay, but in my case, my face is a big no-no.
"Oh, dear... You're not just crying, you're getting snotty, too... Your cute face is going to be ruined. Here, blow your nose."
Because she was clinging to me and crying, the front of my jersey was a disaster. But I didn't care because I could just wash my clothes. I just tried to do something about Rice Shower's face, which was a mess.
For now, I wiped her tears, had her blow her nose, and then desperately tried to think about what I should do to calm her down. She's a high schooler, but can I treat her like Urara? No? I asked myself, but for now, I asked her why she was crying so much.
"R-Rice is a bad girl... Because... because I stopped Bourbon-san from getting the Triple Crown, the fans got mad... And during the winning live performance, I-I was..."
"Oh, okay... What happened with the winning live performance?"
Saying that, I somehow managed to move my body while Rice Shower was clinging to me and operated my smartphone. I searched "Uma Musume Rice Shower Kikuka-shō winning live performance," and a bunch of websites came up.
"..."
And I couldn't help but be speechless.
It was a website that had cut and pasted comments from a certain huge bulletin board. A person with the handle name "Masuo" had posted photos about Rice Shower's winning live performance and commented on how it was wrong as a fan, and many people who read it were attacking them.
The photos I saw were of Rice Shower's winning live performance. However, even though there were three Uma Musume—Rice Shower in the center, Mihono Bourbon in 2nd place, and Matikanetannhauser in 3rd place—the fans were only waving two colors of glow sticks: red for Mihono Bourbon and yellow for Matikanetannhauser. I couldn't hear it in the photo, but it seemed like they were also booing her.
The person named "Masuo" was arguing that even though he was frustrated that Mihono Bourbon lost, Rice Shower, who won, should be praised. However, there were few people who agreed with him, and most of the comments were about how they wanted to see Mihono Bourbon get the Triple Crown undefeated.
"A booing live performance... it really existed..."
I muttered in a small voice. It was a word that came up when I was talking to Urara before, but I never thought it actually existed. Or rather, I didn't want it to exist.
The winning live performance I saw of Urara was so happy and moving that it brought tears to my eyes. The two Uma Musume who danced with Urara at that time have retired, but I think it was a winning live performance they could be proud of.
I can understand being frustrated when the Uma Musume you're rooting for loses. But to criticize an Uma Musume who won on a grand stage like a GI race in a winning live performance? I couldn't forgive that.
If Urara had gone through the same thing, I'm not confident that I wouldn't go on a rampage. Even if I were to be arrested for assault, I'd probably go crazy.
"Rice Shower... what happened to your trainer?"
If even I feel that way, how much anger must Rice Shower's trainer have felt? I asked her, and Rice Shower just sniffled.
"R-Rice's trainer... he lent me his name so I could run in the races, but the fans said a lot of things to him, and he got so worried that he's taking a leave of absence..."
At Rice Shower's words, I felt a spark of recognition. The person who had sent the email about taking a leave of absence must have been Rice Shower's trainer.
(They didn't just complain to Rice Shower, but to her trainer, too? Mihono Bourbon's fans are crazy... no, does it mean that they had that much hope for Mihono Bourbon?)
If Mihono Bourbon hadn't incited them, her fans must have gone out of control. When a promising sports star stumbles in an unexpected way, it was a common thing in my past life for people to try to criticize the cause of it.
I can understand wanting to see the moment when an undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume is born. But since I wasn't there and I'm in a position to train an Uma Musume, I could understand it, but I couldn't accept it.
(But it seems this girl's trainer has already taken a leave of absence... Hmm...)
That situation must also be tormenting Rice Shower's heart. Even if her trainer had only lent his name to her so she could run in the races, to Rice Shower, he was still her trainer and someone she had caused trouble for—or was he?
(...Wait, just a second. I was so surprised and angry that I almost let it slide, but I might be onto something here...)
I suddenly realized something huge, and a cold sweat broke out on my back. If what Rice Shower had just told me was true, this girl might be an unbelievable Uma Musume.
"Um, Rice Shower-san? You said your trainer lent you his name so you could run in the races, but what about your usual training...? And what about the race strategy...?"
I unconsciously added "-san" to Rice Shower's name. Because if my prediction was correct, this girl was—
"...? Rice trained by herself. For the races, I was marking Bourbon-san since the Satsuki-shō, and I thought I could pass her in the Kikuka-shō..."
Rice Shower answered while wiping her tears. In other words, this girl had gotten good enough to run in a GI race without a trainer's guidance and had actually passed Mihono Bourbon, who she had been marking for a while, on the big stage of the Kikuka-shō.
Is Rice Shower's talent that great, or is it because she worked hard, or is her conviction that strong? Or is it a combination of all of them?
If she had been with a trainer who properly trained her from the beginning, maybe she, not Mihono Bourbon, would have been the one to challenge for the undefeated Triple Crown.
"When Rice runs, she makes everyone unhappy... No one is happy when Rice runs, and they're only disappointed when she wins... So, Rice thought she should just stop running..."
As I was thinking about what could have been, Rice Shower mumbled while looking down. I immediately wanted to stop her, but when I thought about how she must be feeling, I hesitated to just stop her.
"...Even though you got 1st place in the Kikuka-shō?"
"Yeah... I was planning to run in the Arima Kinen, but I don't want to make other people unhappy..."
I tried to subtly hint that it would be a waste, but Rice Shower answered with her head still down.
"I see..."
When it comes to an Uma Musume's retirement, her own wishes are respected. There are not a few Uma Musume who don't give up and continue to challenge themselves at Tracen Academy even if they haven't won a maiden race. And there are also Uma Musume who come back to racing after long-term rehabilitation from injuries like broken bones.
If you don't give up—yes, as long as you don't give up, there are many opportunities for an Uma Musume.
But no matter what an outsider says, if the Uma Musume herself gives up, there's nothing you can do.
There are various reasons: they can't run even if they want to because of a serious injury, they don't want to run anymore because they keep losing, or they can't run fast no matter how hard they try. But if their heart is broken, it's not easy to get back up.
But Rice Shower's heart, though hurt, doesn't seem to be broken. She's on the verge of breaking from the heartless words thrown at her by the fans, but she seems to be just barely holding on.
"Rice Shower, you're an amazing Uma Musume."
"...Huh?"
I praised Rice Shower. It had only been a few tens of minutes since we met, and it was the first time we had talked, but I could tell from the Kikuka-shō footage.
This girl is a truly amazing Uma Musume.
"Saying you'll make other people unhappy means you're confident you can get 1st place in the Arima Kinen, right?"
Rice Shower seems to be afraid that the same thing that happened in the Kikuka-shō will happen again, but doesn't that also mean she's confident that she can make the same thing happen again?
That must be the confidence that the Uma Musume named Rice Shower has built up through her hard work. Even if Rice Shower didn't intend to, I felt like her true nature was visible in her unconscious words.
This girl is surely a truly strong Uma Musume. She's just hurt and weakened by the malice thrown at her by the people around her.
"One crown at the Kikuka-shō, and if you win the Arima Kinen, you'll be a two-time GI winner. If you then go on to win the Tenno Sho (Spring), you can achieve a Triple Crown in GI races... It's not the Classic Triple Crown, but wouldn't that be a record that surpasses Mihono Bourbon?"
Not just Mihono Bourbon, but if she were to win all the GI races in the Senior grade, she would surpass the record of Symboli Rudolf, the seven-time winner. I don't know her aptitude for different distances, so I don't think she can win all the GI races, but if she were to win the Arima Kinen for two consecutive years, that would also be a great feat.
Thinking about that, the girl crying in front of me felt like an incredibly big presence.
"In fact, with your skills, you could even aim for the Spring Senior Triple Crown or the Autumn Senior Triple Crown, couldn't you?"
The Spring Senior Triple Crown is a title given to an Uma Musume who wins three GI races: the Osaka Cup, the Tenno Sho (Spring), and the Takarazuka Kinen. The Autumn Senior Triple Crown is a title given to an Uma Musume who wins three GI races: the Tenno Sho (Autumn), the Japan Cup, and the Arima Kinen.
This girl has the right to challenge for such great feats. And that right is only given to a very select few, no, not even a handful, but a tiny pinch of Uma Musume.
I'm a rookie trainer who's only been working for about half a year, but I know that one victory is very important and has a lot of weight for an Uma Musume. The number of Uma Musume who leave Tracen Academy without a single win, who transfer to local academies, or who are forced to retire due to injuries is not small.
Winning one race, winning an open race, running in a major race, running in a GI race, and getting 1st place. How difficult is that, and how many Uma Musume fail to achieve that dream they wished for from the bottom of their hearts? But this Rice Shower achieved it. She achieved it with her own strength.
"But... but! Rice is... Rice is..."
Honestly, I don't know how big the despair and fear Rice Shower feels after having that much happiness trampled on. I can't say that I understand.
So, even though I think it's a huge waste as a trainer, I say:
"You're right... The decision is yours to make, and it's not for an outsider like me to say anything... But,"
I pointed to the Kikuka-shō race footage that was on my smartphone and smiled slightly.
"As someone who became a fan after seeing your run, I want to see you run more."
As a trainer, I would have to respect her decision, but as a person who just became a fan, I said that.
If she's injured and can't run even if she wants to, that's a different story. If she pushes herself to run, there's a high chance that something worse than an injury could happen.
But from what I could see, Rice Shower wasn't injured, and even though her heart was hurt, it felt like she wanted to go back to the turf and run.
I've put my dreams on Urara's run. Urara can only carry a small number of dreams right now, but I believe she'll give dreams to many more people in the future.
And the small Uma Musume who's crying in front of me has the strength to carry the dreams of thousands, no, tens of thousands of people right now. If she didn't, she wouldn't have been the second most popular in the Kikuka-shō, and it would have been impossible for her to pass Mihono Bourbon, who was aiming for an undefeated Triple Crown.
"...R-really? Is it okay for Rice to... to run?"
"Of course. It's not up to others to decide that. As long as you don't give up, you have that right."
I thought that Rice Shower's run had that much power. The power to silence even the fans who were complaining about Mihono Bourbon not getting the Triple Crown and to make them go wild.
(The fact that this girl's trainer is on leave of absence means she's currently a free agent... She probably can't run in the Arima Kinen or any other race without a trainer, but she's a GI winner, and any trainer would gladly welcome her with open arms after seeing that run.)
However, even though there are many trainers who want to train this girl, it would take a skilled trainer to actually train her.
For example, I wonder if Trainer Tojo, who leads Team Rigil, would be able to train Rice Shower brilliantly. We've hardly ever talked, but if it means seeing this girl run on the turf again, I'm ready to prostrate myself and beg her. The problem is whether there are any Uma Musume in Team Rigil who would compete in the same classic races as Rice Shower, but judging from the lineup in the Kikuka-shō, there don't seem to be any. Even if outsiders were to complain, Trainer Tojo would probably just silence them with a single glare.
"If you still want to run and win, there are plenty of trainers who will reach out to you. I'll also talk to the chairwoman and Sugikawa-san, and if you offer to become their client, they'll gladly accept you."
If the chairwoman and Sugikawa-san knew about Rice Shower's situation, they would surely help her. They would definitely reduce the malice directed at Rice Shower from the public.
"But Rice will cause trouble for the trainer again..."
"A trainer is a trainer because they get into trouble with their Uma Musume. Sometimes trainers cause trouble, but a trainer's job is to work hard together and aim for victory together, isn't it?"
At least, that's how Urara and I have been moving forward.
"If you're up for it, we can start right away... Whoa, look at the time. The chairwoman and Sugikawa-san are probably gone by now."
I checked the clock on the infirmary wall and made that judgment. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, it's almost the curfew for the Uma Musume dorms.
"Whoa!? It really is almost curfew!?"
Some Uma Musume do their own training at night, so the dorm curfew is pretty late. But when I looked at the clock, it was already almost 10 p.m.
Seeing me panic, Rice Shower's face turned into a dazed expression. Seeing the despair on her face fade, I helped Rice Shower to her feet and reached out my hand.
"I'll take you to the dorms, so that's all for today. Come on, let's go together. Can you run?"
Rice Shower's hand timidly touched my outstretched hand.
We left the infirmary, threw away the empty cans of coffee and carrot juice in the trash can next to the vending machine, and immediately ran out of the building. It was going to be a close call to make it to the dorm curfew.
However, I have my own legs that I've trained while training Urara. My colleagues have laughed and asked me why I'm running with an Uma Musume to train her, but I'm confident in my legs.
I was running ahead of Rice Shower, but before I knew it, the resistance in my arm disappeared, and Rice Shower was running right next to me.
I couldn't help but laugh when I saw Rice Shower running with a beautiful form.
"What, you do like running after all."
"...Yeah, I guess Rice really does like running."
When I smiled at her, Rice Shower returned a subtle smile. Rice Shower's black hair, which blended into the darkness outside, was just as beautiful as her smile.
After I took her to the front of the Miho dorms, where she lives, I felt a little relieved to see that the harsh look on her face had disappeared, probably because of the run.
"Phew... Okay, just made it... A girl who looks like the dorm leader is glaring at me, though..."
Through the glass door of the dorm, a girl with tanned skin and a great figure was giving me a sharp glare. She's probably Hishi Amazon, the dorm leader of the Miho dorms. I bowed my head silently, and Hishi Amazon, who was slightly surprised by Rice Shower's expression, let out a sigh of relief and opened the door for us.
She's standing there with her arms crossed, glaring at me like crazy, but she's probably a good girl.
"Well, see you, Rice Shower. Don't stay up late, and make sure you get warm in the bath before you go to sleep."
"Okay... Rice will do her best... I'll try my best."
Just being able to hear those words made talking to her worth it. I started running to my house.
-------------
The next morning, I headed straight to the chairwoman's office to report on Rice Shower's situation, and she welcomed me in despite my sudden visit.
"Last night, I received a phone call from Rice Shower-san... She said she would really like you to be her trainer."
"...Huh? What did you say?"
And I couldn't help but doubt what Sugikawa-san had just said.
--------------------------------------------
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