Because of what happened with Rice Shower, Shirayuki got dragged around by her friends for quite a while afterward.
Maybe this was one of those cases of the emperor not being anxious while the eunuchs were. Fujiwara Shirayuki herself did not feel all that bothered, but Special Week, El Condor Pasa, and the others all looked as though someone had stepped on their tails, every word of theirs sharp with indignation.
You're the one who's really Trainer Chiya's little sister. How could Rice Shower do something that outrageous!?
Usually, a little clinging, a little hugging, that would have been one thing. But for Rice Shower to actually say things like that about their relationship in front of so many reporters, and then have it printed in the news on top of that…
That was basically a challenge.
As Shirayuki's friends, El Condor Pasa and the others immediately could not sit still anymore. In their eyes, their friend had been openly slighted.
"But who counts as the little sister isn't really that big a deal, right?"
Looking at the way her friends were indignantly taking her side, Shirayuki could not help but say so.
Even though her way of thinking was different from Chiya's, whenever she saw Rice Shower she still had the urge to pat her head and dote on her. Feeling fond of cute things was an instinct shared by both men and women.
"That's exactly why Rice Shower is acting so arrogantly!"
El Condor Pasa clenched her fists.
"From now on, whenever people talk about Trainer Chiya's little sister, they'll think of Rice Shower, not you. You're the actual cousin, but your place is getting stolen by an adopted little sister. Don't you think that's way too much? Rice Shower is practically erasing your existence!"
"It's not that serious…"
"No, it really is that serious. Shirayuki, your heart is just too soft. If it were me, I'd definitely go argue with her," El Condor Pasa said indignantly.
"Does that mean Shirayuki and Trainer Chiya have a bad relationship?" Special Week blinked.
"It's not bad exactly."
It was just that Shirayuki did not really think it was necessary.
After leaving the classroom, Fujiwara Shirayuki fell into thought.
If she continued to show absolutely no reaction, then from an outsider's point of view it would probably start to look as though her relationship with Chiya was not very close after all. After all, no one wanted to see their place taken by an outsider.
But if she did make some sort of response, what exactly should she do? Tell Rice Shower to tone it down a little and not say things like that in public?
When she pictured Rice Shower's small, adorable face, Shirayuki really did not want to say anything so stern.
After thinking it over, she decided to ask the person she was closest to.
As it happened, that person also had a race coming up.
Inside the dorm room, Mejiro Dober was brushing Shirayuki's hair.
"Dober-onee-chan, what do you think I should do?"
Shirayuki explained her concern.
"I see… that kind of thing definitely could give people the wrong impression."
As someone on the same team, Mejiro Dober naturally had noticed how clingy Rice Shower was. Under normal circumstances, hearing Rice Shower call him Onii-sama over and over right in front of Shirayuki would have been a pretty strong blow. If it had been any other cousin, there was no way they would have quietly endured it.
But Shirayuki's personality was simply too good. She remained completely unmoved by those things. That was one of the reasons Mejiro Dober liked her so much. She was calm and easygoing by nature.
By all logic, Mejiro Dober should have told Shirayuki to speak up and get Rice Shower to be more careful.
But people always had selfish desires too.
If Rice Shower completely occupied the position of Fujiwara Chiya's little sister, then wouldn't that mean Shirayuki would belong entirely to her instead?
Just imagining Shirayuki belonging only to her made Mejiro Dober's body heat up with excitement. From then on, she could use her status as Shirayuki's one and only older sister to tease and pamper her all she wanted. Was there any happier future than that?
And so Mejiro Dober found herself troubled too. On one side was what was proper. On the other side were her own selfish feelings. After struggling for a while, she finally said:
"Sometimes, Shirayuki, you need to act a little more like a younger sister in front of Chiya. You also need to remind Rice Shower a bit. At the same time, it lets other people know that your relationship with Trainer Chiya isn't distant. If you always stay completely indifferent, people will start gossiping."
In the end, Mejiro Dober chose the path that suited Shirayuki best.
It was true that she wanted Shirayuki to become hers alone. But it would also be wrong for people to start viewing Shirayuki and her cousin's relationship in a strange light. For the sake of her adorable little sister, Mejiro Dober had no choice but to compromise.
"If Dober-onee-chan says so, then I guess I should do something too…"
Mejiro Dober tied Shirayuki's hair up into a bun.
"Ooh… so cute, Shirayuki."
"R-Really? Hehe."
Seeing that silly, happy smile on Shirayuki's face, Mejiro Dober could not resist hugging her and rubbing cheeks with her.
Shirayuki was just too cute, too soft, too fragrant. No matter how much she hugged her, it never felt like enough.
"Oh, right. Tomorrow is your debut race, Dober-onee-chan, isn't it?"
"Mm."
"Are you nervous?"
"I'm not nervous. If anything, I'm looking forward to it. Shirayuki, you have to watch me tomorrow, alright? I absolutely won't let you down."
After taking in enough of Shirayuki's scent to satisfy herself for the moment, Mejiro Dober spoke with firm determination.
She had no idea how long she had been waiting for this moment.
It was finally time to show everyone the dignity of the Mejiro family.
The next day, at Tokyo Racecourse, Fujiwara Shirayuki gave Mejiro Dober her final instructions.
"There are six front-runners in the field, four mid-pack runners, and two closers. Even though closers have the least competition to deal with, Dober-onee-chan, you're not suited to that style."
Fujiwara Shirayuki continued, "In this race, the only option is to take them head-on. I recommend running on the outside of the pack. It'll cost more stamina there, but with this kind of lineup, it's definitely going to turn into a boxing match in the end. On the final straight, the outside will give you a much bigger advantage."
"Alright."
"And remember one more thing. If you feel nervous, just look at the finish line. Don't look at the crowd, don't listen to what anyone else is saying. Just keep your eyes on the finish line. That's the most effective way to deal with nerves."
Looking at Fujiwara Shirayuki seriously explaining everything to her, Mejiro Dober reached out and petted her head affectionately.
It was so strange, this feeling of someone being both cute and dependable at the same time.
Even though Mejiro Dober had gotten to the point where she could speak normally with Trainer Chiya, most of the time it was still Shirayuki who helped her train. And every time Shirayuki finished explaining an instruction, she would add, "That's what my cousin said."
But honestly, it did not matter who had said it first. Shirayuki had already reached the same position as Trainer Chiya.
To Mejiro Dober, Shirayuki was her trainer.
Yes, Shirayuki was both her little sister and her trainer. Those two roles together made Mejiro Dober focus all of her attention on Shirayuki, and it only strengthened her determination to keep walking forward together with her.
"If I win, then this glory won't belong to me alone. Half of it will belong to Shirayuki too."
Mejiro Dober hugged her.
"I'm only repeating what my cousin told me. I don't really understand training myself."
"Mm, I know." Mejiro Dober smiled softly.
For a middle school student to memorize such complicated training knowledge, just how much effort had Shirayuki poured in for her sake?
At this point, Mejiro Dober's gratitude toward Shirayuki had gone far beyond anything words could express. Other than offering herself completely, she honestly could not think of any way to repay what Shirayuki had done for her.
"Then I'm going now, Shirayuki."
"Do your best. I'll be watching you, Dober-onee-chan."
With those words, Mejiro Dober stepped onto the track.