After Doto's debut race, there were some regrets. Running into such a strong opponent in her very first race was unfortunate, but it was not all bad news. That race had let Fujiwara Chiya see her true ability.
Even if she could be absentminded at times, Meisho Doto still had the level of a top-tier Uma Musume. When she fully brought out her strength, her speed and stamina could absolutely stand shoulder to shoulder with Opera O, Shirayuki, and Teio.
I really underestimated them before. Every one of these girls is incredible in her own way.
At the training grounds, Fujiwara Chiya assigned training tasks to his Uma Musume. At present, only Matikanefukukitaru and Agnes Tachyon had not raced yet. Since there were so many debuting Uma Musume this year, their races had been scheduled for two weeks later, in other words, next month. As for Meisho Doto, she would need to race once more as well.
Still, with her current level, Fujiwara Chiya was certain there would not be any newcomer this year who could truly match her.
As he directed everyone to loosen up in place before going for a light warm-up jog, Mejiro Dober quietly signaled to Fujiwara Shirayuki. The moment she saw the look in Dober's eyes, Shirayuki understood.
Lately, rumors about her not getting along with Trainer Chiya had been spreading everywhere. Some had even gone so far as to say she did not want her brother and only wanted her sister instead. Her friends had become extremely concerned, bringing it up every chance they got.
But the whole thing was just a misunderstanding. It was not merely that she and Chiya were not on bad terms. Even total openness between them would not have been a problem.
Still, for the sake of appearances in front of her friends, Fujiwara Shirayuki needed to put on a bit of a show.
Just so happened she had gotten dressed in a hurry that morning, so she could use that as an excuse.
While everyone else was stretching, bouncing lightly, and warming up, Fujiwara Shirayuki walked over to Fujiwara Chiya.
"Cousin," she called sweetly. "Your clothes are messy."
With that, she began straightening his collar and smoothing out his outfit. Once his clothes were in order, she smiled and said, very naturally, "Pay a little more attention before you head out, okay?"
"Got it. Thanks, Shirayuki." Fujiwara Chiya reached out and patted her on the head. Her hair was soft, and her ears were soft too, which made it hard for him to stop. At the same time, he could feel the distinct sensation of someone fussing over his appearance.
Standing nearby, Mejiro Dober wore an expression that mixed envy, tension, and a little jealousy.
After the two of them had fully displayed their cousinly closeness, a whistle sounded from the group.
Gold Ship spoke up with her usual lack of restraint. "See? I told you. There's no way Shirayuki has a bad relationship with Trainer Chiya. She's practically the lady of the house."
"Looks like we don't have to worry after all…" Meisho Doto let out a sigh of relief. Beside her, Agnes Tachyon raised a brow. Since she spent all her spare time shut up in the lab and knew nothing about the latest gossip, she had no idea what exactly those two were doing.
"I told you already, my relationship with my cousin is very good. You don't need to worry about random rumors." Returning to the group, Fujiwara Shirayuki said this to Meisho Doto and the others.
At this point, they were asking about it so often that they felt like a mother constantly pestering her daughter about marriage.
"Y-Yes… I guess that's true." Rice Shower smiled in a very strained way, her words not matching her heart at all.
Unlike everyone else, Rice Shower had never believed the rumors that Shirayuki and Onii-sama did not get along. If anything, she felt the opposite. The two of them understood each other perfectly with just a single glance.
For example, just now, Rice Shower had seen it clearly. When Onii-sama patted Shirayuki's head, he had even touched her ears.
And ears were not some ordinary place. For a Uma Musume, that was one of the most sensitive spots there was. Only someone she trusted most deeply could touch them there. Onii-sama had touched Rice Shower's ears before. Not just her ears either. The same went for head pats. Of everyone around him, Onii-sama had only ever patted her head like that.
And now there was also Fujiwara Shirayuki.
Rice Shower's heart began pounding nervously.
A powerful fear had risen inside her just now as she watched Onii-sama and Shirayuki acting in such perfect closeness. For one brief moment, it felt as if the one standing there beside him should have been her, but instead it was someone else. That feeling made Rice Shower feel like an outsider, as though Onii-sama had abandoned her.
Since the day she met Onii-sama, the warmth she had regained was everything to her. Now, for the first time in a long while, she felt once again that icy pain of falling into freezing darkness.
She forced the stiffest smile of her life onto her face and silently blessed the good relationship between Shirayuki and her brother.
"Then that's enough for today's training. Also, in a few days it'll be the fan appreciation festival. The school will hold an exhibition race, and all the participants will be Uma Musume who've won graded races before. Watch their running styles and tactics carefully. It'll definitely help all of you in the future."
Once he had explained the last of it, Fujiwara Chiya turned and headed back toward the school building. Just after he left the training grounds, Rice Shower came hurrying after him in short little steps.
"Onii-sama!"
"Rice? What is it?"
She ran right up to him and hugged him.
"Tonight, can Rice come play in Onii-sama's room?"
"Eh?" Fujiwara Chiya blinked, then smiled at the clingy little girl in front of him.
"Alright," he said, and out of habit reached up to pat her head. Just as he was about to draw his hand back—
"Onii-sama…" Rice Shower gently held onto his hand. "Please pat Rice a little more. Pat Rice's ears too…"
What was this about?
Rice Shower looked so sad right now. Had something happened?
She had looked distracted during training too. Was she asking for comfort because she needed reassurance?
Thinking that, Fujiwara Chiya gently rubbed her soft, warm ears. His thumb lightly brushed along the inside, a spot he had once found by accident. Every time he touched there, Rice Shower's ears would twitch.
Watching her face grow redder and her eyes become more dazed, Fujiwara Chiya asked, "What's wrong, Rice? Did something trouble you?"
"No… Rice just… missed Onii-sama's scent a little."
She buried her face against his chest.
"My scent? Do I actually have one?"
"Yes. Onii-sama has the nicest scent in the whole world."
They stayed like that, holding each other for a full three minutes before Rice Shower finally let go with great reluctance. She knew that if she kept clinging like this, she would only trouble him.
The uneasiness she had felt earlier had gradually melted away during that hug.
"Today's Rice seems especially spoiled…" Fujiwara Chiya said with a laugh.
"Because Rice is a selfish child." With a rosy face and an adorably soft smile, Rice Shower answered in her gentle voice, "Onii-sama, tonight Rice will come play."
"Alright."
After leaving Fujiwara Chiya behind, Rice Shower ran back to her dorm room and rummaged through her wardrobe. At last, she pulled out the new pair of black stockings she had bought.
Looking at the more mature lace trim around the tops, her heart began beating fast.
Onii-sama will probably like these…
Urara had told her that if he praised a certain part of her, then it meant he liked that part. And Onii-sama had once said that her feet were very cute and very pretty. In that case, she wanted to use them to make him happy.
Rice Shower had already made up her mind.
She would make Onii-sama belong entirely to her. No one else would be allowed to take him away.
With that thought in her heart, Rice Shower put on the stockings. Tonight, she planned to be bolder than usual.
…
By evening, Fujiwara Chiya had just returned from the convenience store. He set some snacks on the table and also brought out a bottle of juice.
Rice Shower loved sweet things, so he had bought a few small cakes too.
If it had been anyone else, Fujiwara Chiya would probably have prepared no more than a cup of tea and a few sweets. But whenever it came to Rice Shower, he found himself automatically buying her things she might like.
That was favoritism, wasn't it?
Even though Fujiwara Chiya was always saying he treated all of his Uma Musume equally, every time he saw Rice Shower he could not help doting on her a little. That cute face, that gentle and obedient way of being, the way she washed his clothes and made his meals without complaint, and the way she always called him Onii-sama with a full smile.
In Fujiwara Chiya's heart, Rice Shower had already become the perfect little sister. She liked to cling to him, yet at the same time gave off the feeling of being exceptionally dependable and caring.
Who could possibly refuse a child like that?
Fujiwara Chiya felt truly lucky. When Rice Shower had been in her darkest period, and when he himself had been most lost, the two of them had met. Their encounter had been an accident in every possible sense, but because of that accident, Fujiwara Chiya now had such an adorable little sister.
Once he had everything ready, there came a knock at the door. Hearing the careful, tentative sound, Fujiwara Chiya knew immediately it was Rice Shower.
Anyone else in the dorm would have barged in carelessly without manners. Hayakawa Tazuna and the others would never knock this softly. Only Rice Shower, even with a key in hand, would still gently knock first to check whether it was alright to enter.
When he opened the door, he saw Rice Shower standing there.
"Good evening, Onii-sama."
"Good evening, Rice." Fujiwara Chiya blinked. He noticed that Rice Shower had changed into a black dress decorated with purple patterns. The hem that covered her thighs was petal-like, and beneath it her fair little calves were visible in glimpses.
"Rice, did you change clothes?"
"Yes. Does it look nice, Onii-sama?"
She turned in a circle, and the purple skirt fluttered like butterfly wings.
"Of course. Everything looks good on you, Rice."
"Onii-sama…"
The moment she heard that, Rice Shower's face flushed bright red.
She had meant to surprise him, but instead he had surprised her.
"Come in."
Fujiwara Chiya let her sit on the sofa. "I bought a few snacks for you. I wasn't sure which one you'd like."
Seeing those foods she had once casually mentioned liking, Rice Shower's hands tightened together.
Onii-sama… if you keep being this kind to Rice, Rice really won't be able to help herself…
She might have been small, but she was much stronger than Fujiwara Chiya. If she wanted, all it would take was a little force to push him down, and he would hardly be able to resist.
The moment Rice Shower imagined that scene, heat rushed through her whole body.
No! How could Rice do something like that to Onii-sama!
In a panic, she lightly patted her own cheeks and forced those dangerous thoughts away. Whether she could actually do it or not was not even the issue. If she ever really crossed that line, then she would definitely lose the chance to curl up in his arms and act spoiled the way she always had.
It was better to endure and savor his warmth bit by bit than satisfy herself all at once.
Suppressing the pounding of her heart, Rice Shower asked, "Can Onii-sama feed Rice?"
"Hmm…? Alright then. What do you want?"
Rice Shower pointed to a little cake and then opened her mouth with a soft, "Ahh~"
Seeing her pink little tongue, Fujiwara Chiya hesitated. Then he broke the cake apart a bit and brought a piece to her mouth.
The instant the cake went in, Rice Shower suddenly closed her lips.
"R-Rice?" Fujiwara Chiya froze.
"Onii-sama's cake… Rice humbly partakes," she mumbled with her eyes closed.
A warm, soft sensation touched his fingertips. Rice Shower lightly nibbled at his fingers, and the way she puffed her cheeks made Fujiwara Chiya feel as though she were savoring a piece of candy. To make sure she did not hurt him, she even cushioned the touch with her soft lips.
"Rice, that's not the cake…"
Fujiwara Chiya wanted to pull his hand back, but he was afraid he might accidentally hurt her lips, so after thinking it over, he simply waited there. After what felt like a long time, Rice Shower finally let go. The lingering sweetness of the cake still clung to his fingertips. Licking her lips, Rice Shower opened her eyes and said, with obvious satisfaction, "Onii-sama's cake tasted wonderful."
At this point, Fujiwara Chiya had no idea what sort of expression he was even supposed to make.
After they finished the cake, Fujiwara Chiya read with Rice Shower for a little while. She insisted on sitting in his lap, so in the end he had no choice but to put a cushion between them.
Why does something like this happen every single time Rice comes over…
Is the problem me, or is the problem Rice? No, that can't be it. A good child like Rice couldn't possibly be the problem.
It has to be me! I'm the one with the problem!
Fujiwara Chiya's thoughts had become a total mess. He honestly felt like he must have died from self-denial in a past life, because all it took was a little interaction with Rice Shower for his head to fill with all sorts of shameful, improper thoughts.
How ugly. Really, truly ugly.
While scolding himself, he continued reading the story aloud to Rice Shower.
"Onii-sama."
Unable to stand the cushion that blocked the warmth between them, Rice Shower spoke up. "It's been a long time since Rice helped Onii-sama with a massage. Today Rice wants to help Onii-sama relax."
"Relax? Ah… no, I'm fine. This level of work is still manageable."
"Please don't say that, Onii-sama… Rice saw it. When Onii-sama works, his expression always looks so tired. Rice… Rice can't help Onii-sama with his work, so the only thing Rice can do is help in this way."
Her violet eyes shone with a clear brightness as she looked at him seriously.
What a good child she was. She actually noticed how hard he had been trying and wanted to ease his burden however she could. Fujiwara Chiya had no desire to let such sincere kindness go to waste.
"Alright. Then I'll leave it to you, Rice." Fujiwara Chiya lay down on the bed.
"Onii-sama, please take off your shirt."
"I have to take off my shirt too…? Alright."
This was more formal than last time.
Fujiwara Chiya took off his shirt, and Rice Shower climbed up and sat on him lightly. A soft sensation came against his waist, and Fujiwara Chiya's whole body tensed up.
This was even more vivid than he had imagined. So this was the difference clothing really made. He swallowed hard.
"Onii-sama…" Rice Shower spoke softly.
"Rice is going to help Onii-sama relax now."
Her small, smooth hands settled against his back, and then she began gently kneading his muscles.
"Onii-sama's body really is very stiff…"
"Y-Yeah… I guess it is."
Fujiwara Chiya bit down lightly on his tongue, trying to stay clear-headed and stop himself from thinking weird things.
"Onii-sama, how does it feel?"
"Ah… mm, it feels really good." Fujiwara Chiya's mind was already growing hazy. He could barely hear his own thoughts. Who he was, where he was, what he was doing—none of that seemed important anymore. All Fujiwara Chiya wanted was to sink into the comfort of the moment.
"Onii-sama, Rice will do her best to help Onii-sama relax, so please close your eyes and don't think about anything."
Even without being told that, Fujiwara Chiya's thoughts were already so muddled that he could hardly think at all.
"Then excuse me, Onii-sama."
Behind him, Rice Shower shifted slightly. A few seconds later, Fujiwara Chiya felt something brush softly against his back, and at the same time he heard the faint rustle of fabric near his ear.
Thump.
His heart gave a hard jolt.
He wanted to turn around, but the last bit of reason left in him stopped him from doing so. Instead, Fujiwara Chiya did exactly as Rice Shower had said. He shut his eyes tightly and tried not to think about anything.
But even so, that faint rustling kept tugging at his nerves, making his muscles jump involuntarily.
This is just a massage, Fujiwara Chiya warned himself. A very wholesome, healthy, proper massage. Nothing indecent about it whatsoever.
"Onii-sama…"
Rice Shower whispered softly as she continued helping him relax in her own way.
"There's something Rice has never told Onii-sama before."
Her gentle voice seemed to have magic in it, stirring Fujiwara Chiya's already-clouded mind even further.
"Actually, Rice has always hoped that one day Rice could be useful to Onii-sama, whether in work or in everyday life."
Under Rice Shower's devoted care, Fujiwara Chiya felt as though his entire body had finally melted.