Kitahara Sota chatted with Symboli Rudolf as they walked, and soon returned to the temporary clubroom.
As expected, Tokai Teio had effortlessly claimed victory in the race, and beautifully at that.
Back in the room, congratulations followed as usual, along with the rewards customary after a winning race.
However, unlike the other Uma Musume, partly due to her lack of "Humble Girl Power" and partly because Rudolf was right there beside them, even though a golden opportunity was placed right before her eyes, Tokai Teio made no special move. She merely obediently clung onto them both affectionately, asked for some normal rewards—like head pats or tasty treats—and then cheerfully headed back to Tracen Academy with them.
After returning to Tracen Academy, and parting ways with the two, Kitahara went straight back to his dorm to begin preparations for the next race.
That would be Special Week and Grass Wonder's debut, scheduled for the day after tomorrow.
Logically speaking, given their current strength, let alone a debut race, even if they were sent to compete right now against rivals of Tokai Teio's caliber, both of them could hold their own and even had a good chance of victory.
But the issue wasn't their abilities, rather...
"Welcome back, Trainer Kitahara."
"Welcome home, Sota-san."
As soon as Kitahara opened the door, he saw Grass Wonder and Special Week standing on either side, greeting him warmly. Despite the smiles they wore as they welcomed him, the atmosphere between the two was visibly off.
Meanwhile, Silence Suzuka sat alone on the sofa. After noticing Kitahara's return, she softly greeted him too, though when her gaze swept over the two Uma Musume beside him, her expression became subtly uneasy—even somewhat fearful.
Well, what could he say...?
Though Kitahara Sota was admittedly a dense piece of wood, he wasn't blind.
Having lived together for several days now, he obviously noticed that things between these three weren't quite right.
But noticing it was one thing—doing something about it was another matter entirely. After all, this was strictly their own issue; as an outsider, he had no right to intervene.
Moreover, after their previous conversation, while the atmosphere between Grass Wonder and Special Week had become increasingly delicate, it hadn't negatively affected training—if anything, their competitive spirit had enhanced it.
In such a scenario, even as their trainer, Kitahara couldn't easily comment on their behavior.
So after careful thought, Kitahara decided the best he could do was maintain his current attitude—quietly observing them closely, just in case something really went wrong.
He entered, took off his coat, and sat down at the computer, preparing to deal with some work-related matters.
But before he could even open a single file, he felt a soft warmth pressing against his left arm, accompanied by a familiar coiling sensation and a delicate fragrance.
Grass Wonder was perched on the armrest of his chair, looking calmly at him as he turned helplessly toward her.
Without waiting for him to speak, she smoothly passed over some documents she'd prepared beforehand.
"Trainer Kitahara, there are some matters related to Black Forest I wanted to discuss..."
As she expected, once the topic shifted to work, Kitahara stopped questioning why Grass Wonder had chosen to sit on his armrest instead of any of the chairs nearby.
However, this intimate exchange lasted only briefly before a familiar, plush—one might even say deliciously juicy—sensation pressed against his other side.
Unlike Grass Wonder, Special Week didn't need any particular reason to approach Kitahara. She openly announced that she'd come specifically to be pampered.
After squeezing herself in, Special Week smiled at Kitahara with utter sincerity. But whenever her gaze shifted toward Grass Wonder—particularly the tail wrapped around Kitahara's arm—her eyes instantly clouded over with gloom.
And so, with both parties in position, a silent yet fierce battle commenced right beneath Kitahara's nose.
Grass Wonder made the first move.
Right from the start, she took advantage of Kitahara's established acceptance of her habits to coil her tail around his arm. As they conversed, she continually closed the distance, leaning in closer until their faces were nearly touching, each clearly feeling the warmth of the other's breath.
But just as Grass Wonder's cheek was about to brush against Kitahara's face—pretending as though she intended to innocently nibble him—Special Week suddenly squeezed in between them, feigning innocent curiosity as she asked Kitahara about the meaning of something written on the documents.
She very naturally draped her arm around his neck, smoothly separating Grass Wonder from Kitahara, and gently tried to pull him closer toward herself.
But before Special Week could complete her maneuver, Grass Wonder quietly resisted—without changing her outward expression, her tail tightened slightly, thwarting Special Week's action.
After that, the two silently continued this push and pull, each using subtle tactics to inch Kitahara closer to herself while trying to block the other's moves.
It wasn't the first time this had happened.
On their very first day living in Kitahara's dorm, they'd already clashed in a similar manner, and this hidden struggle had continued ever since. They constantly employed small tricks and strategies, simultaneously attempting to neutralize each other's advances.
Precisely due to this constant tug-of-war, plus Nice Nature's passive interference, neither had made any meaningful progress despite living with Kitahara for days. They'd barely even managed to successfully cuddle him closely, a fact that contributed greatly to why Kitahara hadn't fully grasped their real intentions.
And, as usual, if nothing unexpected occurred, this silent duel would likely end exactly as before: mutual defeat.
But suddenly, something unexpected did happen.
Because Special Week had always been a bit clumsy, and was overly fixated on blocking Grass Wonder, she momentarily lost her balance when attempting to counter one of Grass Wonder's moves.
With a startled gasp, she slipped right off the armrest and landed squarely onto Kitahara's lap.
But it wasn't just Special Week—due to her own intense focus on countering Special Week's struggles, Grass Wonder had also been leaning inward a little too far.
And when Special Week fell, she instinctively grabbed Grass Wonder's wrist (originally poised for a sneak attack), dragging her down along as well.
Crash—
Creak—
Under the sudden weight of two notably "heavy-class" Uma Musume, Kitahara's chair emitted a distressed creak, but thankfully managed to hold firm.
However, as soon as the two girls realized exactly what had happened, their immediate reaction wasn't delight, but a simultaneous, foreboding feeling of doom.
From an outsider's perspective, this moment might have seemed like a huge breakthrough compared to their previous efforts. But both Special Week and Grass Wonder knew very clearly—Kitahara Sota hated being disturbed while working. It was precisely why their struggles had always been subtle, and why neither had dared directly provoke him.
With this ominous feeling rising in their hearts, both girls slowly raised their heads—and promptly met Kitahara's dark, shadowed gaze.
It's over.
Special Week inwardly groaned, quickly lowering her head obediently, awaiting the inevitable scolding.
Seeing Kitahara's dark expression, and fully aware she herself was at fault, Grass Wonder quietly lowered her head as well.
Yet nothing happened.
After a long moment of silence, instead of the scolding they'd braced for, what came instead was a deep sigh.
Special Week's ears twitched at the unexpected reaction, and she slowly raised her head, looking at him pitifully.
"Um, Sota-san, sorry... I really didn't do it on purpose..."
"Yes, I know."
Kitahara softly reached out, gently rubbing Special Week's hair.
"If you want, you can stay here—just don't move around too much, okay?"
Hearing him say this, Special Week was momentarily stunned.
"Sota-san...? But why...?"
"You've been unhappy lately, haven't you?" Kitahara murmured softly, gently massaging her ears as he spoke.
"It's okay—you don't have to hide it from me. I know you've been under a lot of pressure lately. Although there are some things I really can't help you with directly..."
"But if this helps make you even a little happier—letting you stay here with me like this for a while—is something I can at least do for you."
Sota-san...
Looking at the face before her, hearing the soft words spoken by her ear, and feeling the gentle warmth on her head—
Special Week suddenly felt most of the darkness in her heart fade away. The cruelty that had lurked in her eyes also dimmed significantly.
After a short silence, Special Week no longer showed hostility toward Grass Wonder. She didn't even spare her a glance.
Instead, she gently reached out, hugging Kitahara Sota and resting her face against his chest, her tail swaying softly behind her.
Seeing this scene, Grass Wonder on the other side went quiet for a moment, preparing to quietly get up and leave.
But just as she moved to stand, Kitahara's other hand gently landed on her shoulder, keeping her in his embrace.
"...What's the matter, Trainer Kitahara?"
"Nothing much," he said gently. "I just thought you've probably been feeling down lately too. There's no need to rush off—stay here and relax a bit."
It wasn't that Kitahara understood Grass Wonder's true intentions. Rather, he figured since Special Week was already in his arms, and given the tension between them lately, letting Grass Wonder stay by Special Week's side like this might help ease her mood a little.
Naturally, Grass Wonder—who'd held ulterior motives from the start—couldn't possibly refuse now that Kitahara himself had invited her to stay. She obediently nestled closer against him.
Then, once Grass Wonder had settled back down, Special Week slowly turned her head, meeting Grass Wonder's eyes.
Grass Wonder returned the look calmly, and once again, the turbulent feelings began swirling in both their gazes.
But right at that moment—just as their emotions began stirring again—a strange sensation simultaneously shot through their bodies from their ears and tail.
Both girls stiffened instantly, the roiling feelings in their eyes calming immediately, their faces flushing with red.
Since both of their heads were lowered against Kitahara's chest, he didn't notice their peculiar reactions at all.
He merely rubbed Special Week's ears with one hand, gently stroked Grass Wonder's tail with the other, and thought about what he should say next.
If it had been Kitahara at the beginning of the semester, he'd have definitely realized how inappropriate this kind of contact was. After all, ears and tails were famously sensitive spots for Uma Musume—something absolutely off-limits.
If it were any other girl, he never would have acted this way.
But Special Week, well, she often threw herself into his arms, begging openly to be spoiled, always asking him to rub her head. With Special Week's own relentless encouragement, Kitahara had eventually started unknowingly rubbing her ears too.
As for Grass Wonder—her tail coiling around his arm had long become a common occurrence. And with the soft, comforting feel of her tail, coupled with his single-track mind while working, it wasn't uncommon for him to suddenly find her tail comfortably resting in his hand without his awareness.
Initially, he'd apologized profusely, even desperately trying to stop. But after repeatedly failing, and noticing Grass Wonder didn't seem bothered—in fact, she appeared to genuinely enjoy it—he gradually got used to it.
Right now, it wasn't exactly that he wanted to stroke them. He was merely trying to help the two girls relax, making it easier to talk with them about a sensitive topic.
It was just a side effect that, since he was deliberately trying to comfort them, the intensity of his touch unintentionally became stronger than usual.
"Grass Wonder."
"...Yes…? What…is it, Trainer Kitahara?"
Grass Wonder tried to reply normally, despite the strange sensations running through her tail.
Kitahara carefully considered his words, then spoke slowly.
"I know, as an outsider, I shouldn't interfere between you and Spe-chan. And I do trust that you're capable of making the decisions you think are right..."
"But sometimes, feelings aren't a matter of right or wrong. Would you allow me, as your friend, to offer a bit of advice?"
After a pause, a slightly repressed voice softly answered.
"Of course. I trust… I trust you, Trainer Kitahara..."
"Then, I'll speak freely."
Kitahara paused again, continuing gently.
"I don't think it's wrong to like someone. Nor do I hold prejudice against minorities. But Grass Wonder, you're still students."
"And with your debut just around the corner, you're still young. There's really no need to rush—actually, rushing things might make matters worse... Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Mm… yes… I understand..."
Grass Wonder's voice was becoming faintly muddled.
Seeing her acceptance of his advice, Kitahara let out a quiet sigh of relief and decided to press on. His touch, unknowingly, also grew more forceful.
"And I think, if you truly love someone and want them to love you back, it's essential to respect their wishes."
"If they truly can't accept you, I wouldn't tell you to give up."
"But giving each other a bit of space, taking things slowly, letting time and companionship gradually bridge the gap, is always better than pressuring them relentlessly. That's my belief—what about you?"
"...Mm, yes... Trainer Kitahara… is right..."
Grass Wonder could barely follow his words anymore, but still answered instinctively.
Hearing her response, Kitahara sighed helplessly.
"It's not about me being right. Nor do I think your approach is wrong—but matters of the heart aren't simply about right or wrong."
"I know your philosophy is 'no retreat,' but steel that doesn't bend eventually breaks. Especially when it comes to love, being too forceful often ends up hurting both of you."
"If you truly want happiness, softening your stance, being more patient, is always better than causing resentment or mutual harm by pushing too hard…"
"Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
He lowered his gaze toward Grass Wonder.
She still had her head down, not looking up at him. After a short silence, she pressed even closer into his chest, answering in a strangely muffled voice.
"Yes... I understand… Mm…"
Seeing that Grass Wonder seemed to get it, Kitahara turned toward the other girl nestled in his arms.
Just like Grass Wonder, even though Kitahara clearly turned toward her, Special Week kept her head lowered, hiding her face in his chest without any sign of looking up.
Kitahara wasn't bothered—he assumed she was just acting spoiled as usual.
After a short pause, he began gently rubbing her ears again and softly spoke.
"Spe-chan, I know you're under immense pressure because of this. I don't want to trouble you or force you to accept anything."
"I also know Grass Wonder's actions lately have sometimes gone too far. Your resistance is perfectly understandable."
He paused, waiting to see if Special Week had any objections. When none came, he continued.
"But if—if Grass Wonder follows the advice I just gave her, then for my sake, could you try giving her another chance as a friend?"
"As for anything else, personally, I don't support relationships starting too early either. Wait until after three years, after your racing debut has finished, and then consider these things—okay?"
The last sentence was directed toward both of them.
After a brief silence, the two girls, both flushed and hazy-eyed, raised their heads, softly whispering simultaneously, one from each side of his chest.
"Yes, Sota-san."
"Yes, Trainer Kitahara."
Yet even after they looked up at him like this, Kitahara still didn't sense anything off.
He simply assumed their current behavior was just them being deeply touched by his heartfelt words.
With that thought, Kitahara silently marveled at how genuinely good-hearted these girls were, touched so deeply by just a few simple words.
And influenced by this quiet marvel, his fingers unconsciously grew stronger yet again.
But this increase lasted only a moment.
Shortly after finishing that conversation, Kitahara remembered their debut race was just two days away. Seizing the opportunity, he decided to talk to them about it.
Thinking that discussing it dryly might be inconvenient, he planned to grab a notebook and pen, intending to speak while writing notes.
He paused the movements of his hands, preparing to reach for the notebook.
Yet the moment he stopped—even before his hands had fully withdrawn from their tail and ears, and before he could move toward the notebook—he felt something coil firmly around his hand. Special Week also gently nudged her head forward, placing her ears back into his palm.
"Trainer Kitahara, please don't go..."
"Sota-san, can you...continue…?"
The feeling of their embraces slightly intensified, and the two girls looked so pitiful. Special Week had even begun nuzzling actively into his hand, while Grass Wonder's tail continued moving restlessly.
After a brief hesitation, Kitahara gave up on grabbing his notebook. He gently placed his hands back, softly comforting the two girls while discussing their upcoming debut race.
Completely oblivious to Silence Suzuka sitting off to the side, staring at him with eyes that could only be described as horrified.