"Keep your back straight, make your movements gentle, don't rush, slow down."
In the first-floor kitchen of the Miho dorm, Mejiro Dober instructed Fujiwara Shirayuki.
"I'll demonstrate once."
Mejiro Dober lifted a teacup and performed the motions of preparing tea. Her refined and graceful movements perfectly displayed the elegance of a young lady.
Just as Mejiro McQueen had said, although Mejiro Dober struggled with social interaction due to her personality, she had mastered etiquette to a high level, enough to teach others.
"Well, Shirayuki, do you understand?"
Her fingers held the teacup with elegance, her soft purple eyes flowing gently. Watching Mejiro Dober, who looked like a painting, Fujiwara Shirayuki nodded absentmindedly.
"Don't look at my face, look at my movements."
"Sorry." Fujiwara Shirayuki coughed awkwardly. "I just feel like Dober-onee-chan is really beautiful. As expected of a proper lady."
"Shirayuki… now isn't the time to talk about that."
Mejiro Dober blushed slightly. Being praised like that made her happy and motivated her to teach even more, though correcting Shirayuki's carefree personality would take time.
Before that, she would have to set aside time every day to guide her.
Now Shirayuki was her younger sister figure and also her teacher in communication, while she herself was Shirayuki's elder sister figure and etiquette instructor. Their relationship had become completely intertwined.
After watching Shirayuki clumsily try a few times, Mejiro Dober could not help but laugh. There was a childish innocence to her, like a baby learning to walk. "How about this, I'll guide you directly."
Saying that, Mejiro Dober moved behind Shirayuki, placing her hands over Shirayuki's, intending to guide her movements physically.
The moment she held Shirayuki's hand, a cool sensation caught her attention. Looking down, she noticed a ring on Shirayuki's finger.
The silver band blended closely with her pale skin, making it hard to notice at a glance.
Of course, there was nothing unusual about a girl wearing a ring. Sometimes it even added to a sense of elegance. But something felt off.
Shirayuki was wearing it on the ring finger of her left hand.
That was where a wedding ring went. Shirayuki was married!?
The thought struck Mejiro Dober like a hammer, nearly making her lose her footing. In her mind, she suddenly pictured Shirayuki bringing a strange man back to the dorm and saying, "Dober-onee-chan, this is my husband."
No—!
Just imagining it made her feel like collapsing.
Her little sister, her adorable little sister, taken away by some random man.
That absolutely could not happen.
Her mind short-circuited as she blurted out, "Shirayuki, you can't get married!"
"Huh?"
"Ah… no." Realizing her slip, Mejiro Dober steadied herself. "I mean, Shirayuki, why are you wearing a ring?"
She pointed at Shirayuki's hand. The silver ring even had hollow engravings, clearly custom-made.
"Oh, this? A friend gave it to me. I thought it looked nice, so I wore it."
"A friend… not a b-boyfriend…?" Mejiro Dober stammered.
"No, no, definitely not a boyfriend. It's from a female friend. I'm not interested in men."
Just hearing the word "boyfriend" made Fujiwara Shirayuki feel uneasy.
Even though she was now a girl, an Uma Musume, both physically and mentally she could only accept women as partners. That was something she would never compromise on.
"I see…" Mejiro Dober let out a sigh of relief.
So Shirayuki wasn't interested in men.
…Wait.
Not interested in men?
Shirayuki had just said that.
Looking at Fujiwara Shirayuki, whose soft body she was holding, Mejiro Dober's gaze wavered.
If she wasn't interested in men… did that mean Shirayuki liked girls?
The realization hit her again.
Times had changed, society had progressed, and everyone had the freedom to choose their orientation. A girl liking girls was nothing unusual.
But when it happened so close to her, Mejiro Dober could not help but feel shaken.
She herself couldn't handle being around men due to her condition, while Shirayuki simply had no interest in them. In that sense, they were strangely similar.
Fear of men and attraction to women. It formed a perfectly aligned logic in her mind, placing the two of them along the same line.
The soft sensation of Shirayuki's skin came through her fingers, and a faint, pleasant scent drifted into her nose. Suddenly, the white-haired girl in front of her seemed more captivating than ever, completely drawing her gaze.
"Dober-onee-chan, what should I do next?"
Seeing no response for a while, Fujiwara Shirayuki spoke up.
"Ah? Ah… I'll guide you."
Snapping back to her senses, Mejiro Dober answered nervously.
But as she reached out again, she noticed her hands trembling.
Not only that, her once calm heart had become unsettled. Learning that Shirayuki liked girls had thrown her thoughts into disarray.
"Let me think… it should be… ah!"
Her hand was suddenly grabbed by Shirayuki.
"Dober-onee-chan, your body is shaking a lot. What's wrong?" Fujiwara Shirayuki turned to ask.
Her arms and shoulders were trembling unnaturally, and her palms were damp with sweat.
It resembled muscle spasms caused by tension.
Shirayuki's role was not only to help improve her communication skills, but also to take care of her physical well-being.
"I-I'm fine… nothing's wrong…"
Looking at Shirayuki's face up close, Mejiro Dober felt as though her mind was overheating.
Even her breath felt warm against her skin.
"Really? Are you sure? You're not pushing yourself too hard, are you, Dober-onee-chan?"
Since transferring to Tracen, Shirayuki had noticed that Mejiro Dober often trained late into the night. She began to worry that Dober might be overexerting herself. Accumulated fatigue could easily lead to illness.
A senior had once warned her that if Uma Musume were pushed into constant high-intensity training, it could lead to sudden collapse. Fatigue would build up quietly, only to erupt all at once.
Right now, Mejiro Dober gave her that exact impression. Her body was trembling, her face burning.
Without hesitation, Fujiwara Shirayuki grabbed her hand.
"Rest, you need to rest. Come on, Dober-onee-chan, I'll help you relax."
She led Mejiro Dober back toward the dorm.
Seeing how stiff her body had become, Fujiwara Shirayuki instinctively quickened her pace.
She should have realized earlier.
Training every day for a full month would inevitably cause problems. Mejiro Dober's body was already exhausted, and yet Shirayuki had just made her practice feminine refinement for over two hours.
The thought filled her with guilt. Even if she wasn't a trainer, even if she was just another student at Tracen, she still had a responsibility to take care of her.
Back in the room, Fujiwara Shirayuki helped her lie down on the bed.
Mejiro Dober's head felt hazy. Since earlier, she had been in a dazed state, barely hearing anything Shirayuki said.
"Dober-onee-chan, get on the bed."
"The bed!? Shirayuki, isn't that too fast? I don't dislike you, but things like this should progress step by step! At least start with a date!"
"A date?"
Mejiro Dober clutched the blanket shyly and nodded.
"What are you talking about? I just want to help you relax your body and massage your muscles. Why are you talking about dates?"
"…"
Eh?
"Your body is already exhausted. If this keeps up, something serious will happen. We need to release the fatigue quickly. From now on, you should reduce your extra training."
Hearing that, Mejiro Dober blinked. A few seconds later, her face flushed completely.
She turned over and buried her face into the pillow.
"I want to disappear…"
"Huh?"
"I really want to disappear! Why do I even exist? Shirayuki is a hundred times better than me, and here I am feeling happy just because we're similar…"
Watching her suddenly fall into self-loathing, Fujiwara Shirayuki called out to her, but Mejiro Dober lay there motionless.
What is going on?
Well, no time to think about that. The important thing now was to loosen her stiff muscles. Judging by her condition, it seemed like an early stage.
"Dober-onee-chan, I'm starting. Tell me if it hurts."
There was no response, so Fujiwara Shirayuki placed her hand on Mejiro Dober's waist.
Although it was commonly believed that Uma Musume accumulated fatigue mainly in their legs and feet, their upper body could not be ignored.
During running, their core was constantly engaged, and over time, this could lead to severe muscle pain.
Seeing how stiff Mejiro Dober had been earlier, her waist was likely affected as well.
Fujiwara Shirayuki gently massaged her slender waist. For a moment, improper thoughts flickered through her mind, but the ring on her finger reminded her.
You are Fujiwara Shirayuki.
And as Shirayuki, she needed to act properly. A true Uma Musume wouldn't be thinking such things.
She shook her head and focused.
Each time her hand moved across Mejiro Dober's back, her body trembled slightly.
She really was exhausted.
Even such light pressure caused a reaction.
Just wait, Dober-onee-chan, I'll make you feel better.
Fujiwara Shirayuki's gaze sharpened as she recalled her knowledge, locating pressure points and applying precise pressure.
Soft sounds escaped from Mejiro Dober during the process.
Her breathing grew heavier.
Shirayuki had already told her to speak up if it hurt. Since she didn't, it meant she could continue.
"Dober-onee-chan, next is your thighs."
Hearing her voice, Mejiro Dober gave a small nod beneath the pillow.
With her consent, Fujiwara Shirayuki knelt on the bed, clasping her hands together as she pressed along Mejiro Dober's thigh.
Normally, Uma Musume muscles were soft when relaxed, like cotton. But when Shirayuki applied pressure, it felt like iron.
Her muscles were completely tensed.
Was it really that painful?
When Fujiwara Chiya had his legs massaged by Rice Shower, it had been comfortable. Even if it felt strange at first, once warmed up, the discomfort would fade.
Though that day, the bed had been a bit too hard.
"Dober-onee-chan, relax."
Fujiwara Shirayuki gently stroked her leg, trying to ease the tension, but Mejiro Dober trembled even more.
"Dober-onee-chan?"
"…Okay." Mejiro Dober whispered. After a few seconds, her legs gradually relaxed, and her muscles softened.
That was the proper feel.
Shirayuki ran her fingers over the soft, yielding thigh.
"How does it feel…"
Fujiwara Shirayuki let out a breath and asked.
"…Very good."
"Then there's just one last part."
She looked at her feet.
"Can I take off your socks, Dober-onee-chan?"
"Sock…s…"
Hearing that, Mejiro Dober lifted her head.
Her face was flushed, her forehead covered in sweat, strands of hair clinging to her lips.
"Should I take them off… I understand, then…"
Suddenly, she remembered Fujiwara Chiya massaging Shirayuki's feet. Those pale, flawless feet had left a deep impression on her.
At the time, she hadn't thought much of it.
But now, she felt a twinge of jealousy.
The thought that he could casually touch Shirayuki's feet made her uneasy.
A strange sense of possessiveness stirred within her.
"Shirayuki, can you take them off for me?"
"Of course."
Fujiwara Shirayuki removed the stockings, revealing soft, rounded feet.
There was a slight stickiness, likely from sweat.
Come to think of it, this was how they had first met. And now, a month later, the situation had reversed.
Shirayuki kneaded her toes, catching a faint lavender scent.
Why does Rice Shower smell like milk, Dober-onee-chan like flowers, and mine like sweat?
Is there some kind of difference?
Or is it just because I just exercised?
…Maybe I should get more breathable shoes.
After finishing, Mejiro Dober sat up, her eyes misty.
"Shirayuki…" she exhaled softly. "Can you come with me to my family gathering this Sunday?"