"...Trainer, can we postpone the afternoon training a bit?"
In the afternoon, Saito Asuka, standing on the training ground, heard Seiun Sky say this.
...Postpone it a bit?
Saito Asuka, still yawning, was startled.
"What's wrong?"
He didn't even bother to finish his yawn, Saito Asuka's tone became anxious: "Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Or did you accidentally get injured while training alone this morning?"
"No, no, Trainer, don't be so nervous."
Seeing Saito Asuka approach her anxiously, muttering 'Are you okay?' and similar words, Seiun Sky covered her stomach and took a step back: "...I just feel a bit uncomfortable because I ate too much for lunch."
"...Ate too much?"
Saito Asuka, who was originally imagining why Seiun Sky would say this, was suddenly startled when he heard the Black-haired Horse Girl's reason.
He subconsciously lowered his head and looked at Seiun Sky's stomach.
"Hm? Trainer, where are you looking??"
After his gaze rested on Seiun Sky's abdomen, Saito Asuka heard the Black-haired Horse Girl in front of him say with a light laugh: "...Staring at the stomach of a beautiful maiden like a flying flower is very ungentlemanly, you know??"
"Ah, I'm... I'm sorry!"
Saito Asuka, coming back to his senses, hastily apologized to her: "I just didn't expect that the reason you finally gave..."
"It's a reason you completely didn't expect, right?"
Seiun Sky, noticing the man's tone gradually becoming hesitant, smilingly helped him finish, then sighed somewhat helplessly: "Honestly... everyone in this academy is just too enthusiastic, aren't they?"
"Hahaha…"
Not knowing how to respond, Saito Asuka could only manage, "Isn't this good too?" as his reply.
"…Anyway, let me digest my food first."
Hearing Saito Asuka's reply, Seiun Sky, with an even more helpless expression, sighed, "Otherwise, I won't be able to run at all, you know?"
"I understand. Then we'll push back the start of training by half an hour."
The man glanced at the time, then looked up at Seiun Sky and said.
"Half an hour, got it."
Seiun Sky nodded, then found a chair and sat down.
"Are you feeling very uncomfortable? Do you want me to get you some digestive tablets?"
Saito Asuka sat down in the empty seat next to Seiun Sky and, seeing her furrowed brows, asked with concern.
"No… I just ate a little too much, I'll be fine after a short rest."
Seiun Sky shook her head, then as if remembering something, turned to look at the young man.
"Trainer… no, Director, could you do me a small favor?"
As Seiun Sky said this, she extended her right hand and made a gesture with her thumb and forefinger.
"What favor?"
Saito Asuka, who was about to take out his phone to check for recent news, asked in confusion, "…I don't think I can help you with anything right now, can I?"
"Only you, Director, can help me with this favor right now."
Seiun Sky put her hands together, "Please, help this poor, beautiful young girl?"
"Alright, alright, I get it, I get it."
Saito Asuka, unable to resist Seiun Sky's tone, quickly conceded, "…What do you want me to help you with?"
"You're willing to help? That's great!"
Hearing Saito Asuka's words, Seiun Sky's face lit up with surprise, "It's just… could you tell the auntie in the cafeteria not to make me eat more than yesterday every day?"
"Although I'm happy to eat delicious food every day… if I keep eating like this, my weight will definitely become unbalanced!"
"Director… you don't want to see me get so fat I can't run on the track, do you?"
"…"
Saito Asuka was silent for a few seconds, then, under Seiun Sky's eager gaze, he gave his answer, "…Couldn't you just tell her yourself?"
"I wish it worked."
Seiun Sky shook her head, "But she doesn't listen at all…"
Sigh, trouble is such an annoying thing.
"So there are times when you can't handle things either?"
Seeing Seiun Sky's troubled expression, Saito Asuka, however, was amused.
Usually, Seiun Sky gave him the impression of a naturally outgoing Uma Musume.
No matter what she encountered, she always faced it calmly, even using a playful tone to tease everyone standing in front of her.
This was the first time he had seen her display a troubled expression over something.
"Does seeing a beautiful young girl's troubled expression, like a blooming flower, make you, Trainer, so happy?"
"Cough… sorry."
Saito Asuka, stared at intently by Seiun Sky, cleared his throat, "But I didn't mean to be gloating, you know?"
"Trainer, your words aren't convincing at all, you know?"
Seiun Sky returned to her usual smiling demeanor, "And that last sentence sounds like it was added on the fly, doesn't it?"
"I'll go talk to her."
Seeing Seiun Sky smiling and staring at him, Saito Asuka nodded, resting his chin on his hand.
His expression becoming serious, he frowned and 'condemned' the school chef in front of the Black-haired Horse Girl.
"How could she do that? If she makes you fat, won't you have to spend time losing weight?"
…
Seiun Sky just smiled silently, watching him.
"Mr. Trainer, it's better not to say those things in front of a beautiful young girl like a flower, you know?"
"Sorry…"
Saito Asuka, stared at intently by Seiun Sky, lowered his head and apologized to her.
"But… speaking of which, Mr. Trainer, how did you meet Miss Nakayama Megumi?"
Seiun Sky naturally moved on from the topic, "Could you share it with me?"
"If we're talking about that, I'm not sleepy anymore!"
Hearing Seiun Sky say this, Saito Asuka immediately perked up.
Saito Asuka cleared his throat, then slowly began to speak under Seiun Sky's gaze, "She and I actually knew each other since we were children…"
Known since childhood… Did the childhood friend finally win for once?!
"Hmm… although I really wanted to pick out a few interesting things to talk about, now that I think about it, they were all just ordinary little things."
Saito Asuka, lost in thought, murmured, then the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upwards, "But it's these ordinary little things that tightly bound her and me together."
After saying this, Saito Asuka paused, then proudly added the last sentence.
"…The proudest thing I've ever done in my life is confessing to her and walking with her until today."