"By the way," Mr. C.B. asked, "where's Oguri Cap?"
At first, she'd been sour about Oguri. But now, she couldn't help feeling like she'd swooped in and stolen the prize.
Yuu could clearly sense the emotions tangled in her scent—relief, and a faint trace of guilt. That mixture belonged to winners.
He didn't point it out. He simply replied, "After I explained why we couldn't sign, she ran straight to the Student Council office."
"Ahaha… I see." The moment she imagined what her friend was about to endure, Mr. C.B. felt a wicked urge to laugh.
Nothing in life was more satisfying than watching your best friend suffer a little.
Still, she really ought to thank Rudolf Symboli later.
If it weren't for that conversation… she might never have made up her mind.
As a friend, Rudolf would definitely be happy that she'd finally found a trainer. Right?
Yes. Decision made. She'd buy cake, and go with Yuu.
Just as the two of them turned toward the office to get the paperwork done, a voice rang out behind them—low, controlled, and very clearly suppressing anger.
"Yu… u."
Yuu's nose twitched. His whole body stiffened.
…Oh no. Of course. The very thing he didn't want to happen.
Mr. C.B., on the other hand, was curious—not about the voice, but about Yuu's reaction. She'd never seen him look so… caught out. It was oddly cute.
"Yuuuuuuu~"
Before Yuu could fully turn around, a rush of perfume-laced wind hit him—
And then something soft, warm, and overwhelmingly present enveloped his head.
A pair of slender arms—delicate, yet strong in a way only an Umamusume could be—slipped precisely under his armpits, lifted him clean off the ground, and spun him in circles.
Mr. C.B. blinked, stunned, at the newcomer.
She was tall—taller than Mr. C.B. by the slightest margin. Long brown hair was braided into a thick plait that fell down her back. She wore the standard Tracen sailor uniform, but on her it looked less like "student" and more like "a captivating housewife reliving her youth."
In short: overwhelming motherhood.
She might be a "Bay," but she was a bay that could hold a hundred rivers.
"Long time no see~" Super Creek said warmly, fingers combing through Yuu's hair again and again.
"Long time… no see…" Yuu's voice came out muffled from the "gap."
Watching how intimate the two looked, Mr. C.B.'s lips dipped a fraction.
She lowered her gaze to her own chest.
…Yeah. She was short by just a tiny bit.
She forced the sting down and looked to the side.
There stood a trainer in a deep purple suit—sharp, upright, sleeves rolled to the elbows in a way that added effortless swagger. Her face was handsome and brisk, softened only by a feminine grace. Lavender hair framed her features, and the darker strands falling behind her shoulders gave her an edge that bordered on rebellious.
Mr. C.B. recognized her immediately.
Nase Fumino—"the Prince."
A rookie trainer with frightening talent, daughter of the well-known Nase Hidero. Even without the pedigree, the nickname and looks alone made her unforgettable.
But—
Why did this "Prince," who was so dashing in front of everyone else, look like a little girl whose treasured possession was being stolen?
"Super Creek! Put him down!" Fumino grabbed at Super Creek's arm, but a human's strength meant nothing against an Umamusume.
Super Creek didn't budge. She held Yuu tighter, feigning a sweet dilemma. "But I haven't seen Yuu in so long I really missed him"
"…As if I didn't," Fumino muttered under her breath.
Super Creek only smiled, then lowered her head to the handsome face pressed into her chest.
"Yuu," she asked softly, "do you want to come play with me this time…?"
"If it's baby-play, I'm declining," Yuu replied flatly.
"Ehh not even once?"
"No. No means no."
When it became clear Super Creek had no intention of releasing him any time soon, Fumino cleared her throat and turned to Mr. C.B., who was standing there in awkward disbelief.
After giving her a quick once-over, Fumino remarked, "So you're the one Yuu meant. I didn't expect it to be you, Mr. C.B."
Mr. C.B.'s ears snapped up. "What do you mean?"
Fumino shrugged, smiling. "He called me yesterday. I was going to introduce him to a few Umamusume, but he said he already had someone in mind, so he turned me down."
It was just a simple explanation, but the phrase already had someone in mind made Mr. C.B.'s face heat up anyway.
She didn't even know what to say after that.
But Fumino, being a woman, caught the reaction immediately. She looked at Mr. C.B. with a complicated expression and thought—my little brother's charm stat is insane.
Ever since he was young, Umamusume flocked to him for no reason at all.
And now even Mr. C.B. had been breached…
Is he a carrot or something?
"Big sis, stop teasing my partner," Yuu said at last—because Super Creek finally put him down.
"Wha—?!" Mr. C.B.'s gaze darted between the two.
So Yuu and Nase Fumino were siblings?
Fumino stared at her brother—who was now taller than her—and her heart filled with something bitter and heavy.
Two years ago, he'd lost his sight, and his body had weakened. He'd left the training world because of that ugly mess—without even being held back by his own partner.
He'd lost his goal. He'd lost the person who mattered most.
Back then, the way he forced a smile had torn Fumino apart.
And she could do nothing.
That helplessness still hurt, and over time it had twisted into something else—an almost excessive protectiveness.
Fumino inhaled slowly and asked, voice low, "Are you sure you want to come back?"
Yuu paused. He didn't answer immediately—only turned his face, as if "looking," toward Mr. C.B.
Understanding the cue, Mr. C.B. stepped forward and stood behind him.
"With her," Yuu said, "there's nothing to be afraid of."
Mr. C.B. smiled, looking down at the young man in front of her.
This was the trainer she'd chosen.
It felt… good.
Fumino's pupils tightened.
The scene overlapped with another in her mind—two years ago. Yuu, full of brilliance, with another Umamusume at his side.
Was everything… going to repeat?
"Trainer…" Super Creek placed a gentle hand on Fumino's shoulder.
Fumino snapped back, wiped at her eyes, and then looked straight at Mr. C.B. with a firm, deliberate seriousness.
"My little brother… I'm entrusting him to you."
Mr. C.B. nodded just as solemnly. "I will."
Their eyes met—air tightening between them like comrades sealing a pact.
From beside them, Yuu's voice drifted out, faintly aggrieved.
"…Am I not the trainer here?"
"Shut up," Fumino shot him a side-eye. "This is between women."
"That's right, Trainer," Mr. C.B. teased. "Being tactless won't do."
Yuu's face went blank. He truly did not understand what any of this had to do with "women."
…Sigh. He was a fairy. He didn't understand human hearts.
Fumino crossed her arms and abruptly changed the subject.
"Anyway… when are you canceling that apartment and moving in with me?"
Mr. C.B.: "???"
The alliance they'd just forged shattered instantly.
[Illustration: Super Creek—Ultimate Bay of Benevolence!]
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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