The moment Kitahara Sota saw Grass Wonder, all his problems were instantly solved.
A student, trustworthy, reliable, imposing enough to manage others, highly knowledgeable, strong enough to defend herself—and since she hadn't officially begun racing yet, she had plenty of free time…
Wasn't this exactly the kind of person he needed right now?
Moreover, he'd always felt a strange sense of déjà vu about Grass Wonder from the start.
She rarely showed her true emotions, always wore a polite, subtle smile, moved gracefully with controlled steps, acted decisively, held strictly to rules, and could terrify certain hot-headed idiots with mere killing intent whenever her mood soured—not to mention her absurd physical strength…
If Kitahara hadn't already known her background, he'd readily believe someone telling him she'd once been a legendary gang boss who grew weary of violence and enrolled at Tracen seeking a peaceful life.
She just gave off that kind of aura.
Thus, the instant he saw her, Kitahara knew she was perfect for the job. All that remained was her agreement.
Of course, Grass Wonder had no reason to refuse his request.
After all, Kitahara had helped her countless times—from indirectly supporting her relationship with Special Week to improving her running style. She'd already lost count.
Now that she finally had a chance to repay him—and in a way that benefited all of Tracen—how could she possibly say no?
And regarding her capabilities…
As a proper Yamato Nadeshiko, naturally, she'd studied a bit about management—since household management counted as well, didn't it?
Besides management, she'd also familiarized herself with various skills like investigation, tracking, and psychology—after all, weren't these essential for maintaining a stable household?
Thus, she was perfectly qualified for this role.
Yet, after agreeing to Kitahara's request, Grass Wonder belatedly sensed an odd familiarity.
Living under the same roof, physical contact, mutual care, supporting each other's endeavors…
If you added a "marriage" label, wasn't this already close to a Yamato Nadeshiko's ideal married life?
And it wasn't just that.
Her personal growth, expanding social circle, increased interaction with Special Week, and even Kitahara himself…
She knew perfectly well Kitahara only helped her due to his misunderstanding about her interest in Special Week.
Yet precisely because of this misunderstanding, she felt drawn to teasing him—anticipating the moment when he finally discovered the truth.
Naturally, this had gradually brought them closer.
Interactions multiplied, feelings quietly accumulated, and though everything remained safe for now, the situation had clearly begun to deviate from her initial plan.
However, Grass Wonder didn't consider this deviation problematic. Even the sense of unease faded quickly as she pushed it aside with a gentle smile, unconcerned.
Because she could tell that despite their closeness, Kitahara had absolutely no romantic intentions toward her, nor would he likely develop any in the future. Therefore, a slight deviation from her plan didn't matter.
As for her own feelings…
Grass Wonder never thought about it.
She'd grown so accustomed to deciphering others' thoughts and emotions that she often ignored her own.
...
After discussing it with Grass Wonder and receiving her agreement, Kitahara instantly felt relieved.
What a wonderful girl!
Gentle, virtuous, mature, obedient, extremely capable, and even a Yamato Nadeshiko…
He was increasingly convinced inviting Grass Wonder onto his team had been the right choice.
Though Grass Wonder had readily agreed, Kitahara didn't immediately start the project. Not because he wanted to procrastinate, but because Grass Wonder was still in a weakened state from adapting to her new running style, even requiring Eclipse's assistance for daily routines.
Moreover, Agnes Digital's condition hadn't fully recovered yet, and her emotions were still extremely unstable. Forget work—Kitahara barely dared to let her out of his sight.
Speaking of Agnes Digital…
Kitahara glanced at Agnes Digital beside him. She'd already bathed and changed into pajamas but still hadn't returned to her room, instead fidgeting restlessly by his side. Kitahara fell into deep contemplation.
Hasn't this girl gotten a bit too clingy lately?
Well, admittedly, he knew it was his fault.
To ensure Agnes Digital's safety, he'd kept her by his side practically nonstop—providing constant care and emotional support. It made sense she'd cling to him as her only source of comfort during this fragile state.
But the issue was—being clingy was fine, but at least be mindful of appearances!
Initially, nothing seemed unusual. But over the past few days, especially after she brought over her loose-fitting, thin pajamas from her dorm, the situation subtly changed.
It hadn't been a major issue at first.
Even if she was famously perverted, Agnes Digital was still a girl. With the potion heightening her sense of embarrassment, she'd initially been careful about boundaries.
Yet, as time passed—perhaps due to familiarity or other reasons—her sense of shame steadily declined.
And after receiving one of Kitahara's treatments, her remaining self-restraint collapsed entirely.
Since then, she'd frequently hovered around him, staring longingly whenever he had free time, clearly eager to experience his massage techniques again.
If Agnes Digital had been normal, Kitahara would reason with her:
Perhaps scheduling regular observation sessions, reminding her that despite her curiosity (and perversity), this kind of interaction was inappropriate.
But given her current fragile mindset, saying something like that might make her misinterpret his concern as disgust, instantly undoing all his careful efforts—or even triggering worse consequences.
Thus, Kitahara grudgingly endured, pretending not to notice her intentions.
Yet Kitahara hadn't anticipated that this cautious tolerance would create even more trouble—
Like right now, beside him stood Special Week, also dressed in pajamas, blinking her violet eyes and innocently offering strands of her hair to him.
After observing Agnes Digital circling Kitahara for only five seconds, Special Week immediately rushed out from her room, enthusiastically joining the battlefield.
Seeing Special Week's eagerness, Grass Wonder vaguely sensed something inappropriate was happening.
Yet hearing Special Week's cheerful voice outside, and noticing Eclipse—who seemed interested but remained in the room solely out of consideration for Grass Wonder—she eventually gritted her teeth and had Eclipse help her out to join the group.
Thus, inside Kitahara's small dorm room now stood four Uma Musume in pajamas, each with distinct expressions and subtle fragrances drifting through the air.
Fortunately for Kitahara, aside from Agnes Digital's slightly risky choice, the other three's pajamas were relatively conservative—perhaps the only good news for him tonight.
Despite this delicate atmosphere, Kitahara's routine didn't drastically change, apart from needing extra time each night to coax Special Week and Agnes Digital back to their rooms.
Eventually, time passed amidst this strange tranquility until it was finally time for Nice Nature's third treatment.
With lessons learned, Grass Wonder smartly remained silent this time.
Meanwhile, Agnes Digital and Eclipse again received treatments as before, each for their own reasons.
Just as Grass Wonder had previously, Special Week watched the differing reactions of her friends with intense curiosity.
And considering this was also a perfectly legitimate opportunity to get "massaged" by Kitahara herself, Special Week naturally wouldn't let it slip by.
Grass Wonder watched this unfold silently:
As her friend, she should've warned Special Week.
But as her rival, she was also curious whether Special Week would fare better or worse than herself.
And, truthfully, she also thought it'd be quite amusing, so she kept quiet.
And then…
Well, then…there was no "and then."
Grass Wonder at least had the iron will of a Yamato Nadeshiko—maintaining a serene façade even during stress, making her self-control among Tracen's elite.
Special Week, however, being academically challenged and rather airheaded, couldn't claim nearly the same strength. Even controlling her eating habits required direct orders from Kitahara.
Grass Wonder had managed the full treatment without a towel in her mouth—gritting her teeth silently through Kitahara's gentlest level before immediately passing out afterward.
But Special Week…
Despite Kitahara drastically reducing his strength and even treating her through thick pajamas, after merely fifteen minutes he'd had to gently put a towel in her mouth as she drifted into a dazed stupor for the remaining session.
Yet, despite her embarrassing reaction during treatment, Special Week handled the aftermath exceptionally well.
Forget feeling shy—when she awoke the next day, she happily resumed sticking closely to Kitahara, demanding more pats as if nothing unusual had happened at all.
After another peaceful day like this passed, just as Kitahara became more adept at handling Agnes Digital's work—
The potion's effects finally wore off.