That's what she said, but in the end, the three of them ended up sharing a bed. Rei Zai lay in the middle of the two, staring at the ceiling with dead fish eyes.
After showering, the two began to bicker again over who would sleep with her, almost making Rei Zai think she was an emperor flipping the cards of her beloved concubines.
Afterward, the two, at Rei Zai's suggestion, simply settled it with rock-paper-scissors. The result... they played for an hour and still hadn't decided a winner, almost making Rei Zai think they were deliberately putting on a show for her.
Finally, Rei Zai, with a headache, simply declared that everyone would sleep together, and they stopped.
However… "Hey, hey, hey, Z-chan! Do you have any fun stories?"
"To be honest, I'm also very curious, desu!"
The two of them, one on her left and one on her right, trapped her in the middle, asking question after question with wide eyes, showing no intention of sleeping.
Rei Zai's bed, for personal reasons, wasn't against a wall, so if she rolled in her sleep, she could fall off whether she rolled left or right. In their current positions, if Rei Zai pushed with equal force to both sides, she could perfectly push these two misbehaving rascals off the bed.
Of course, if it were just that, she could have endured it, but being susceptible to both soft and hard tactics, she eventually succumbed to Teio's pestering offensive.
And just as she was about to tell some stories to lull them to sleep, the sharp-eyed Teio somehow spotted a few things in her display cabinet.
"Z-chan! What are those?"
"Those are board games. The Student Council sometimes plays them together."
"That means the President has played them! I want to play too!" Seeing Teio's eyes light up, Rei Zai knew she had said the wrong thing.
"But McQueen has to…" McQueen was also looking at her with interest at this moment.
"Hah… (sigh), alright, but remember to go to sleep after one round, okay?"
"Okay~" x2
But Rei Zai never expected that she herself would get hooked while playing.
The board game's name was… "Civilization 12."
As everyone knows, simulation management games are the most time-consuming games. If you add board game elements… In short, by the time Rei Zai defeated the combined forces of Teio and McQueen and unified the world, it was already bright outside.
I'm finished… This was Rei Zai's thought.
She, who loved playing games, often couldn't control herself when playing this type of game, especially when she could introduce two novices to it. She couldn't resist, and everyone ended up staying up all night.
And Teio and McQueen, who were about to start another round, looked at the clock because of the stunned Rei Zai, and their faces instantly turned pale.
Finally, Rei Zai took the two to the Student Council to ask the President for leave, and the three of them were severely criticized by the President. Rei Zai, knowing she was in the wrong, didn't argue with the President as usual.
"Waaah… I got scolded by the President QAQ" But the most hurt one was probably Tokai Teio.
"Ugh… Playing games so engrossed that I stayed up all night, it's just too careless…" McQueen also clutched her head in pain.
The three returned to Rei Zai's house. On the way, the two had prepared some change of clothes and brought them over.
After all, Teio had said earlier that since they were here, they might as well stay for a few more days.
"Anyway, let's go get some sleep. I've already requested leave for today's classes and training…" Rei Zai was also quite listless at this moment, her large ears drooping, looking unusually weak.
Somehow, seeing Rei Zai like this, Teio and McQueen exchanged glances, confirming each other's thoughts.
I really want to tease Z-chan. This was the meaning conveyed by their eyes.
You go? McQueen blinked.
I don't dare. Teio replied.
I don't dare either. McQueen also replied.
Meanwhile, Rei Zai, watching the two of them blinking, sighed and went over to grab them by the collars, dragging them into her room and tossing them onto her bed.
"Hah (yawn)~, anyway, you two get some good sleep first. I'm going to the guest room to sleep for a bit."
And as soon as the two touched the bed, they fell into a deep sleep, disregarding all their earlier thoughts and the fact that their rival was right across from them.
Rei Zai rubbed her eyes as she went to the guest room, and on the way, she also put away the board game that hadn't been tidied up yet, carefully placing it in the cabinet.
She couldn't help it; she had a slight obsessive-compulsive disorder. If she saw the played board game left out and no one tidied it up, even if she left the room, she wouldn't be able to sleep because her mind would be full of it.
When Rei Zai lay on the bed in the guest room, she suddenly remembered something.
Whether it was Special Week, or Teio and McQueen, all those who stayed overnight at her place seemed to end up on her bed. As a result, the guest room had never been slept in until now, and instead, she, the owner of the house, became the first user of the guest room bed.
The guest is myself!?
She chuckled softly, said goodnight to the Three Goddesses, and then Rei Zai also fell into a deep sleep.
Zzz… Finally, Rei Zai was awakened by a dream.
Special Week lost to Grass Wonder. How could she have such a dream?
Grass Wonder was a particularly gentle child she had met before, but due to a leg injury, she couldn't compete for almost a year and a half. Including rehabilitation, she would probably only be able to compete in the Arima Kinen next year. The race track in that dream looked familiar; it was the Hanshin Racecourse. Judging by the number of spectators and the track distance, it should be the 2200m Takarazuka Kinen. Could she, after only half a year since her comeback at the Arima Kinen the following year, catch up to Special Week, who had trained for two and a half years and possessed extremely excellent physical qualities? Should she be called an Uma Musume worthy of inheriting the name of Maruzensky?
Special Week lost, and after losing, she was very dejected and cried very sadly, but she could only watch from the side, unable to do anything.
Just like before, the dream felt so real that she wondered if it was reality. Although it might not happen, if possible, she didn't want this child to cry.
Sure enough, she should adjust the training plan. The situation in that race clearly showed that Special Week was distracted and being heavily targeted. She needed to give Special Week some stress resistance training in advance, also as preparation for the G1 races.
Her talent and strength were basically sufficient, but her mindset still needed to be adjusted properly.
She looked at the clock; it was only noon. It seemed she had only slept for about 4 hours.
However, she felt more energetic. Any excess fatigue could simply be removed with the system.
After a quick snack and putting on her sportswear, Rei Zai walked to her own track, intending to arrange a training plan, and was surprised to find Special Week training there.
"Ah! Z-chan! Good afternoon! Have you eaten?" The other party waved happily.
"…I have. But you, why are you here so early?" One should know that this child usually takes a long time to eat.
"Hehehe, I don't know why, but I feel a bit distracted, so I decided to come here for a run to clear my head," she said, scratching her head apologetically.
"Oh, right, Z-chan, and Teio and Miss McQueen, you all took leave, right? Did something happen?"
"Nothing much, just accidentally stayed up late for some reason." Playing games and getting too engrossed to pull an all-nighter was something she couldn't possibly say… "It's good that nothing happened. Then Z-chan, come run with me today!" she happily invited.
"Alright, it's a good chance for me to see your recent training results. If you don't do well, I'll deduct your snacks."
"Eh eh eh eh!?"
"Hurry up and run! (Super fierce gaze)"
"Eek! I'll run then!"
Following closely behind the other party, Rei Zai frowned slightly as she watched her run.
Special Week's running posture and mindset now were completely unlike the immature one in her dream. What could have caused her to have such a dream? Or did something happen later that made this child become like that?
The Special Week in her dream had eyes full of tension and fear, and her running posture was completely unlike her usual self, as if she was running for someone who had gotten into trouble.
"Little Special." She called out softly to the other party. Although Special Week heard her, she didn't turn back and continued to run.
"Remember, once you're on the track, your running is always and only for yourself. Don't bear anything that doesn't belong to you."
Although she didn't know what Rei Zai was saying, Special Week still responded with an acceleration.
And Rei Zai naturally followed suit.
Yes, don't be interfered with by anything. You are Special Week, and you will only be Special Week. Thinking this, Rei Zai threw a dozen red skills at Special Week.
Thud.
Ah, she fell.
"Z-chan!!" Special Week's mournful cry reached her ears.
Well, let's just consider it paying off the debt for her dream self. Heaven knows how angry she was seeing Special Week in that race, and how much her heart ached when she cried.
"Sorry, sorry, I used a little too much force www" As for her words, she naturally wouldn't admit it, and besides, no one would believe such a thing if she told them.
"Anyway, during this period, you need to be prepared to endure interference from me at any time during training, Little Special."
"Why!?" The feeling of suddenly going blind while running wasn't pleasant.
"Just because you actually fell down directly just now! (Head flick)"
"Waaah QAQ"
"Playing pathetic won't work. Look at me straight!"
[Looking Down on All Directions]
"Why is Z-chan so scary today!" If only I had known, I wouldn't have come so early! Special Week wailed in her heart.
And elsewhere, the Three Goddesses… "Is this really okay?"
"Aren't you curious? How far will she go?"
"Emmmm, I am quite curious."
"You guys, stop chatting! How could you even think of interceptioning fragments from a parallel world! Come over and help!" Eclipse gnashed her teeth, mending the world's barrier.
These Three Goddesses as seniors were too much trouble. If she couldn't openly absorb Rei Zai, she would have gone on strike long ago. They would cause trouble if they found it interesting, and then she would mostly be the one to clean up their messes.
This time, they directly interceptioned the fragments without permission, and she was almost beaten up by the Three Goddesses from that world. It was all their doing, she was just drawing lewd pictures of Rei Zai!
These four Goddesses were beyond help, in every sense of the word.
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