Carrying a towel, shampoo, and toiletries, Daijin walked directly into one of the single shower rooms in the dormitory's first-floor bathhouse.
As it was nearing lights out, there weren't many Uma Musume left showering. However, this suited Daijin perfectly; she disliked crowded places.
Although it was a bathhouse provided by the dormitory, it was Tracen Academy after all, and the bathhouse was actually quite large.
Inside, besides showerheads, there were also small bathtubs. After all, Uma Musume who had trained all day enjoyed soaking in the tubs here before bed to relieve fatigue.
The mist mingled with a faint fragrance; just the scent of the aromatherapy could make one's fatigue vanish instantly.
"..."
The girl's body was very slender, like an indescribably beautiful object, becoming even more adorable and alluring in the slightly misty shower room.
Although her prominent, pointed ears twitched slightly, Daijin still stood there with an expressionless face.
However, she was indeed somewhat fatigued. Just on her first day at the Academy, she had clearly felt a certain pressure.
"How is it possible? The little one is actually going to Tracen Academy—"
"Eh, you're kidding, right? That Daijin? No way? Can you imagine her standing out and leading the pack among the elites at Tracen? Oh my, just imagining it makes me want to laugh."
"Eh~~ You're so mean, why would you say that, Daijin, you agree, right?"
"Hahahaha—"
Guh, in this confined space, it felt as if something was at play again, the people who used to mock her... "...Damn it."
She closed her eyes and whispered softly, as if enduring everything, slowly clenching her fists. Her small fists even turned white at the knuckles from the effort.
After a while, she slowly loosened her grip and then turned on the showerhead.
Warm, clear water, mixed with the fragrance of herbs, washed away the day's dust and fatigue under the shampoo's lather.
Standing in the mist, she was somewhat lost in thought.
Droplets of water ran down her slender neck to her collarbone.
"I must... I must do it, prove it to all of you!!"
In the small shower room, the girl's strong conviction, held by her intense will, echoed.
.
"Ah~ ah~ ah—"
Sitting alone in the large bathtub, Kazuo had a towel on his head, completely naked and immersed in the hot water, leaning against the tub wall as if lying back, his mouth open, as if spitting out his soul. He stared absently at the steaming water.
After the other man got up and left, it seemed as if he had the bathhouse all to himself.
However, Kazuo was completely distracted and absent-minded at this moment.
The reason was simple:
When he quieted down, his mind was filled with the image of that small figure running.
Although the lighting was dim, that final sprint was now replaying in his mind again and again, like a rewind.
It felt as if his heart was blocked, with an indescribable annoyance and panic.
He had intended to empty his mind by taking a bath, but now, it seemed to be a tangled mess that couldn't be easily sorted out.
At that time, why did she show such emotions? Although he only watched from afar, unable to even clearly see her face or expression, from her running steps and posture, what he could feel was—
Unwillingness, struggle, and anger amidst suppression.
It was a feeling of being entirely driven by emotion. Although he couldn't say why, he could just feel it.
And it was precisely this that left him with an indescribable knot in his heart.
Since he could remember, he had been by his father's side, squatting in front of the TV to watch Uma Musume races.
However, his father preferred watching local selection races over major Central events.
He remembered when he was a child, his father would sip sake and intently watch the race broadcast on the TV, while he sat beside him, watching along without understanding anything.
There was no other feeling; simply watching the Uma Musume sprint on the track made him genuinely happy.
His father once said that while major Central events, with their gains and losses, winners and losers, were worth savoring, in local selection races, there was often only one ticket to the Central racing area.
And that was a watershed moment, one second heaven, one second hell. Many people worked hard for three years for that one chance; if it was gone, it was gone.
Therefore, even local races still held the azure of dreams and the bitterness of youth... This was what his father had said with a smile, patting his head at the time.
What he couldn't understand then, now, as he carefully savored it, felt increasingly empty.
He couldn't help but recall that memorable G2 race. The figure sprinting at that time, that resolute emotion, even he, on the other side of the screen, could empathize with it.
The intense emotion, that running posture that seemed to want to convey something, still made it hard for him to forget.
"...What exactly is this..."
Kazuo murmured blankly—
And this was clearly going to trouble him for a while longer...
...Plink, a drop of water condensed on his hair fell into the water.
Kazuo, who was staring at the water without a word, looked increasingly serious.
...I really want to drink iced coffee milk...
PS:
Tresen Academy dorms have showers, but there's a bathhouse with scheduled hot water every day.
PS:
Who likes to tell bad jokes?
PS:
A book club has been established, and update notifications will be shared there first. The group number can be found in the comments section.
Also, regarding the doodle I posted yesterday, I'll take this opportunity to talk about my situation as an author.
I'm a third-year college student, specializing in game original art and character design, which means I'm what you call an 'illustrator'.
My side job is writing novels.
Readers of my old book (the "Dragon Gate Top Secret Files" one) should know that I often post my own doodles and illustrations in my books. I'll also make time to add the male lead's character design and occasionally post some Uma Musume doodles I've drawn.
One more little easter egg: many of the chapter titles in this book are actually song titles. If you're interested, you can listen to them. Most chapters were written based on the mood of that song.