Rice-chan's next race was the Hakodate Junior Stakes, scheduled three weeks after Niigata.
Due to the no-flirting ban, our weekends were quiet. No dates, no co-sleeping, no shared baths. Even meals lost their flavor.
Yes, it was quite the flirting ban.
As her trainer, I still saw Rice-chan daily. We spoke normally. But she wasn't allowed to sit next to me—and she looked perpetually gloomy.
I was fine for a few days… then the withdrawal symptoms kicked in.
"Viola-chan ingredients are missing…"
"Miss Rice, your hands are shaking."
"Viola, are you leaking some kind of narcotic dope?"
"I'm not leaking anything!!"
Confused, I watched as Rice stole my sweat towel and… sniffed it.
"It calmed me down a bit…"
"There's definitely something narcotic in there."
"There's not!!"
What do they think I am?
We weren't completely cut off, but Rice-chan clearly wasn't satisfied.
After a week, the flames returned to her eyes.
"If I win the race, Viola-chan can mofuri me all she wants… If I win the race…"
"Rice-chan is saying strange things again…"
"I give up," Thank You sighed, tossing the metaphorical spoon.
I was starting to worry about what would happen after the race.
Two weeks in, Rice-chan smiled—brightly.
"Rice is free from distractions. I'll do my best in the race."
"Rice-chan is broken!!"
"Did we push her too far?"
"M-Maybe she's going to dump me…"
"Viola?"
"If this keeps up, Rice-chan won't be interested in me anymore…"
"Viola's going maternity blue!"
"Rivera, that's not what maternity blues are!!"
I was spiraling from lack of contact.
Seeing me so down, Thank You and Rivera relented—and lifted the flirting ban.
Rice-chan, newly unleashed, became a beast.
I wasn't allowed to leave the room the next day.
With her motivation balanced and her heart restored, Rice-chan ran the Hakodate Junior Stakes—and won.