"Mmm~ So comfortable..."
After returning to Tracen Academy, Silence Suzuka lay face down on the bed in the infirmary, enjoying Lucian's massage.
Listening to the girl's soft moans, Lucian twitched his lips awkwardly and said, "Suzuka, could you not make those strange noises?"
"Hmm..." Silence Suzuka let out a sleepy murmur, her voice utterly languid.
Ever since she noticed that Lucian seemed even more embarrassed than her, Silence Suzuka had become much less shy.
As they say, when two introverts meet, one must eventually extrovert; when two bottoms collide, one must take the lead.
"Lucian-kun, were you originally a masseur before this~?"
"No."
"Oh, so you always wanted to be a masseur from the start?"
"That's not it either..."
"Oh, then did your elders teach you massage techniques since childhood?"
Lucian sighed. "Suzuka-chan, may I ask why you're so fixated on the 'masseur' question?"
"It's nothing, I just wanted to ask." Silence Suzuka was so relaxed that she feared she might fall asleep any second. "Lucian-san, why did you insist on coming to the infirmary? Couldn't we have done the massage in the lounge?"
"If we did it in the lounge and someone saw, wouldn't I end up being pestered by even more people?"
Lucian's massages typically lasted at least half an hour. Suzuka was a future member he planned to recruit, but the others weren't.
However, to Silence Suzuka, his words sounded as though Lucian was giving her special treatment.
Some sow seeds without intent, while others find warmth in unintended gestures.
"By the way, Suzuka, I've been meaning to ask why do you sometimes call me 'Lucian-san' and other times 'Lucian-kun'?"
"Well... the former is because of your position as an assistant trainer, and the latter is when I think of you as a peer. Lucian-kun isn't that much older, right?"
"Twenty-three, a bit older than you." Lucian nodded. He didn't know Silence Suzuka's exact age, but he knew she was an adult. (Disclaimer here.)
"Suzuka, what are your plans after this?" Lucian asked as he kneaded her slender calves.
Anime often featured various injuries and fractures, but there was a reason for that these delicate legs had already endured so much before and after races.
The reason Toujou Hana opposed Silence Suzuka's "runaway" strategy was because she feared such an extremely stamina-draining method might have adverse effects on her body.
Lucian felt there was plenty he could do post-race care, health checks, preventing hidden ailments... but even so, there was only so much within his power.
"After this..." The topic seemed somewhat serious, and Silence Suzuka pondered for a long while before answering. "I don't think 'Rigil' is the best fit for me..."
"What do you mean?"
"I want to leave the team."
Hearing Silence Suzuka's definitive answer, even though Lucian had expected it, he couldn't help but feel happy.
"Lucian-kun, what about you? Will you be able to stay at Tracen Academy?" Silence Suzuka had met many one-time intern trainers before.
As the most elite Uma Musume school, Tracen's selection process for trainers was naturally strict.
"Of course. Even if I fail the evaluation, I can still stay as a teacher." Speaking of this, Lucian was quite confident. He continued unprompted:
"But I'm still very confident about becoming a full-fledged trainer. Once I form a team, you'll be a founding member, and we'll compete together in..."
Before Silence Suzuka had even agreed to join or even officially left her current team Lucian was already laying out grand plans.
Ahem. "Excuse me, Lucian-kun, but I don't recall agreeing to join your team yet? There are plenty of other teams that have invited me."
"Ah, right... that's true." Lucian's hands paused mid-motion as he realized he'd gotten carried away.
Of course a high-potential racer like Silence Suzuka would have many teams vying for her.
If Silence Suzuka didn't choose him and went to "Spica" instead... well, that wouldn't be a bad outcome either.
What could he do about it?
He couldn't force her...
Lucian's mind wandered, and though he tried to hide it, a trace of disappointment lingered in his expression.
Every flicker of his reaction was caught in Silence Suzuka's peripheral vision.
She had only meant to tease him a little, not to actually make him sad. "But... if Lucian-san invites me, I might consider it."
"Really!?" Lucian looked up, his face alight with surprise and joy.
The evening sun slipped through a gap in the curtains, gently brushing against the young man's sharply defined features, adding a touch of warmth to his bright smile.
Silence Suzuka froze for a moment before turning her face away and closing her eyes.
He really is... quite handsome.
"Mhm. But you'd better hurry one team invited me a long time ago."
"That'd be Nishizaki Ryo-senpai's team, right? Damn it, he moved so fast!" Lucian gritted his teeth. He'd been keeping an eye on Silence Suzuka this whole time, yet he'd nearly lost her to someone else. "Suzuka, you have to wait for me!"
"I-I got it..." Silence Suzuka's voice came out oddly soft.
"You must wait for me"? What kind of misleading thing is that to say... honestly...
"This is great" The emotional rollercoaster had Lucian humming cheerfully. "Suzuka-chan, I've decided to give you a free extended session!"
"E-extended session? But I still have to eat later..."
"Don't worry, the cafeteria won't close that soon. Worst case, we can eat out." In high spirits, Lucian's massage strokes became even more precise and vigorous.
"Fine then." Silence Suzuka "reluctantly" agreed though she was thoroughly enjoying both the massage and the time spent with Lucian.
Her running carried the dreams of many, and Lucian's was naturally among them.
But when she was with him, she felt even more strongly that she mattered that she was needed.
"Lucian-kun... no, I should call you Lucian-sensei now. You said earlier that you could 'stay as a teacher'—what did you mean?"
"Oh, I never told you? Aside from being an assistant trainer, I'm also the new cooking instructor."
"That's amazing!"
"For the theory classes, most homerooms will have a few sessions. But the practical classes... well, let's just say I haven't started promoting them yet."
Lucian's class was an elective, meant to cultivate the students' hobbies not every Uma Musume was required to take it.
The theory and practical portions were separate.
After completing the theory classes, a certain number of students had to sign up for the practical sessions otherwise, if turnout was too low, the course wouldn't be allowed to proceed.
"Lucian-kun... no, Lucian-sensei, you must be a great cook, right?"
"Want to find out? Sign up for my practical class and see." Lucian grinned.
"Lucian-sensei, were you originally a chef before this?"
"Uh, no..."
"Oh, so you always wanted to be a chef from the start?"
"Nope."
"Oh, then were you, ah!"
Silence Suzuka's unfinished sentence dissolved into a sharp gasp.
"No more talking," Lucian declared.
He got the feeling Silence Suzuka wasn't as quiet as she seemed in the anime maybe that side of her only came out around friends? Lucian didn't think she considered him a friend yet.
But as for what would happen later... who could say?