Fujiwara Shirayuki had completely forgotten how she returned to the room.
By the time she woke up, it was already the next morning. She was lying in bed in her pajamas.
Chiya was the same. When he woke up, he smelled strongly of alcohol and had no memory of the previous night at all.
The two of them had both completely blacked out last night...
Fujiwara Shirayuki knocked her head lightly. No matter what, from now on, at least one of them had to remain conscious. Otherwise, they would not even know what had happened to them.
After changing clothes, Fujiwara Shirayuki got up and began waking Matikanefukukitaru and the others. These girls were sleeping even more deeply than she had. When she reached Mejiro Dober, Dober half-consciously grabbed Shirayuki's hand and rubbed it gently against her face.
"Shirayuki... like..."
She mumbled in her sleep.
"Dober-Onee-chan, wake up. It's breakfast time!"
...
In the cafeteria, a large pile of food sat on Fujiwara Shirayuki's table. She was devouring it at incredible speed.
Just like at Tracen, the cafeteria here was completely self-service, so the Uma Musume could eat to their hearts' content.
Looking at the food on Shirayuki's table, Mejiro Dober could not help speaking.
"You're eating this much in the morning, Shirayuki?"
Recently, Shirayuki's clothes had started to look a little tight. Mejiro Dober was worried that Shirayuki's figure might change.
Of course, a slightly softer Shirayuki would not be bad either. She would be soft to hold and perfect as a pillow. But Mejiro Dober still hoped Shirayuki could keep her current appearance.
"Last night... I didn't get to eat."
Fujiwara Shirayuki kept eating without stopping.
The things Chiya ate could not enter her stomach. After taking the first bite of breakfast, Shirayuki could no longer stop. The word "hungry" had completely occupied her mind.
"Eh? You didn't eat?"
When Mejiro Dober returned to the room last night, Shirayuki had already gotten into bed. Her jacket was neatly folded beside her. At the time, Mejiro Dober had found it strange that Shirayuki had gone to sleep so early. The two of them clearly still had many things to do.
In the end, Mejiro Dober could only regretfully pat Shirayuki's head before sleeping beside her.
"Shirayuki, good morning."
Just as Shirayuki was eating like a storm, Special Week came over with a large plate.
"Can I sit here?"
Mejiro Dober immediately became alert.
After summer camp began, everyone's attention had shifted toward the beach, and very few people continued talking about Special Week and Shirayuki. But the emotional damage Special Week had caused Mejiro Dober was still ongoing.
She absolutely would not allow Special Week to develop some relationship beyond friendship with Shirayuki.
From now on, she would carefully observe every move the two of them made and strictly prevent Spe-chan from doing anything excessive.
"Mm, come sit. No one's there."
"Excuse me."
Special Week happily sat beside Shirayuki and pressed her hands together. Although she was a little surprised that Shirayuki had such a powerful appetite early in the morning, being able to eat was ultimately a good thing. Special Week even felt a little envious that Shirayuki could eat more than her.
Coincidentally, Special Week had heard about a nearby buffet restaurant yesterday. She could take Shirayuki there and sweep through it together. Uma Musume had two great joys. One was racing, and the other was eating.
But Oguri Cap-senpai was not here, so Shirayuki had become a unique sight all on her own.
"Oh right, Shirayuki. Sky-chan asked me to pass along a message."
After taking a bite of carrot, Special Week spoke.
"What is it?"
"She said, when you have time next time, let's go fishing together again."
"Where is she?"
"Sleeping in her room."
"I see. Tell Sky-chan I'll bring a fishing rod next time."
And while she was at it, she would ask how exactly she got back last night.
After eating her fill, Fujiwara Shirayuki went to the training ground and began today's training.
Fujiwara Chiya, who had just finished showering in the dorm and washed away the smell of alcohol, stood in front of the team.
"Fumino, I'll leave Teio and the others to you today," he said to Nase Fumino beside him.
Fumino sniffed lightly.
"Chiya?"
"Hm?"
"Did you drink too much again yesterday?"
"How did you know? A little, I guess. The seniors made me drink quite a bit."
She handed him a mint candy.
"There's still a smell of alcohol in your mouth."
"But I brushed my teeth..."
Fujiwara Chiya opened the wrapper and put it in his mouth. Only then did Fumino's expression improve slightly.
Chiya was good in many ways. His only problem was that he liked drinking. The moment he got excited, he forgot himself completely. She had lost count of how many times he had been carried back to his dorm by his seniors.
Every time she saw the man drunk, Nase Fumino felt speechless. After they got married, she would definitely discipline him properly and make him drink less of that nerve-damaging stuff.
"Trainer! Trainer Chiya!"
Just after Fujiwara Chiya had Teio and the others start warming up, he suddenly heard T. M. Opera O's voice.
Fujiwara Chiya raised his head.
"Opera O, what's wrong?"
"I wanted to ask about the race with Shirayuki. How about it, Trainer Chiya? Can you arrange one for us?"
Only then did Fujiwara Chiya remember that he had promised Opera O before boarding the bus.
He looked toward Nase Fumino beside him.
"A race..."
After thinking for a moment, Nase Fumino said, "That's fine."
It was a good chance to see the difference between the two of them, as well as their adaptability to sand.
Seeing that she agreed, Fujiwara Chiya spoke.
"All right. I'll arrange it."
"Thank you for your understanding, Trainer Chiya. To duel the White Wolf on this golden beach is simply a dreamlike scene."
After calling Shirayuki over, Fujiwara Chiya gave the arrangement.
"The distance is sixteen hundred meters. Run to the red flag over there, then turn back. Whoever reaches the finish line first wins. Understood?"
"Yes!"
"Uwaa... Opera O is racing Shirayuki again."
Meisho Doto, who had come over to watch, trembled slightly. Even the ahoge on her head curled up with nervousness. The memory of being defeated by Opera O last time still left quite a shadow.
Do your best, Shirayuki. Don't fall under the Overlord's pressure!
She did not really dare to race Opera O herself right now, so she could only place her hopes on Shirayuki.
The remaining Uma Musume, including Agnes Tachyon, stood nearby to watch. Rarely, Gold Ship was nowhere to be seen.
Where had that girl gone?
She had not been there during assembly, and she still had not shown up now. Could she have skipped training?
Fujiwara Chiya decided to deal with her later and focused first on the training race in front of him.
"On your marks. Ready... begin!"
At Fujiwara Chiya's command, the two figures shot forward at the same time.
Running on the beach was different from ordinary running. It tested how Uma Musume used their foot strength even more. Compared to pushing diagonally downward, running on sand required more backward force. The movement of the foot needed to shift from stepping to kicking.
That was the key to sand racing.
With a thump, the snow-white figure rushed forward close to the ground. In the first three seconds after the race began, Shirayuki had already taken a half-length lead over Opera O.
Nase Fumino carefully observed Fujiwara Shirayuki.
Not only could she display considerable strength on turf, her sand performance was excellent too. Chiya should not have trained her much on sand before. Perhaps this girl possessed the rare ability to adapt to both surfaces. In the future, she might be able to compete on sand tracks as well.
Although central sand races were far less important than turf races, the situation in Europe was completely different. Perhaps Shirayuki could even move onto the world stage.
Seeing Shirayuki's powerful acceleration, Opera O froze for a moment, then immediately followed closely behind.
After seven hundred meters, Opera O began to feel drained. It was as if her strength was being absorbed by the sand, preventing her from closing even one step.
As expected of the White Wolf. What magnificent foot strength!
Fujiwara Shirayuki glanced behind her.
Opera O was still running with her turf style, so naturally her speed was inferior on sand. But even relying purely on brute force, she could still run at this pace.
When had Opera O become this strong?
Fujiwara Shirayuki's expression grew serious. She felt that her friends were growing stronger at a terrifying pace.
She reached the red flag first.
Just as Fujiwara Shirayuki was about to turn and run back, she suddenly noticed a mound in the sand directly ahead. In the sand covering the mound, a peaceful face was faintly visible.
The moment Shirayuki saw that face, she screamed.
"Golshi!?"
Hearing the voice, Gold Ship opened her eyes. Her pink eyes looked toward the source of the sound.
Then she saw Fujiwara Shirayuki charging straight toward her.
"Shirayukiiiiii!"
There was no time to dodge.
Before collision, Fujiwara Shirayuki dropped low and forced herself to slow down against the ground. After shoveling up a large wave of sand, she crashed directly into Gold Ship, and the two of them rolled all the way into the nearby woods.
Why had Gold Ship buried herself in the sand?
Why had Chiya not noticed when he placed the flag?
If Fujiwara Shirayuki had not paid attention, she would have almost stepped directly on Gold Ship. If she had really stepped down, Gold Ship would probably spend the rest of summer training camp in the infirmary.
The two of them returned from the woods looking battered and covered in sand.
"What were you doing lying in the sand?"
"I was absorbing the purification of the sea. What about you? Why were you charging like a suicide squad?"
"I was racing."
"There are races here?"
"A training race."
When they came out, Opera O was waiting for them.
She carefully looked Shirayuki over. After confirming that she was not injured, Opera O laughed loudly.
"What a pity, White Wolf. It seems our contest can only wait until next time."
"Looks like it."
Fujiwara Shirayuki picked sand out of her ear.
The interrupted race had given Opera O time to prepare. During the run, Opera O had noticed the difference between her own movements and Shirayuki's. Clearly, Shirayuki had a stronger advantage on sand.
If Shirayuki's sand adaptability was A or B, then Opera O was undoubtedly a D. No matter how much stamina she had, the field would limit her performance.
Every failure was a lesson.
As Shirayuki's opponent, there were still many, many things she needed to learn.
After letting out a grand laugh, Opera O said goodbye to Shirayuki and returned to her team.
"How are you, Shirayuki? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. What about you? I think I hit you somewhere just now."
"Here."
Gold Ship patted her chest.
"You can rest easy about the body of the great Gold Ship. Even if a dump truck hit me, I'm confident I'd send the dump truck to another world."
She gave Shirayuki a thumbs-up.
Come to think of it, when the two of them rolled away, Gold Ship had tightly protected Shirayuki's head against her chest. Thanks to that soft, springy cushioning, Shirayuki had not been hurt.
Gold Ship really was not completely unreliable.
Fujiwara Chiya ran over. After confirming once more that both of them were fine, he began today's training.
...
"Yuki-chan."
At noon, after training ended, Fujiwara Shirayuki sat in the public bath.
Sand had gotten into her hair, and it was extremely difficult to wash out. She regretted not bathing right after the accident instead of waiting until training was over.
Just as Fujiwara Shirayuki was battling with her hair, Grass Wonder's voice came from the entrance.
"I'm here."
Fujiwara Shirayuki answered.
The bath echoed with light footsteps. It was mealtime, so everyone had gone to the cafeteria. Mejiro Dober, who had wanted to come with her, had been called away by Mejiro Bright. For the moment, Shirayuki was alone in the large bath.
"It was rough this morning, wasn't it, Yuki-chan? Who would have thought Gold Ship was lying there? And Trainer Chiya didn't let you go back and wash up either."
"The race itself was already outside the original plan. If I went to bathe too, it would have delayed things even more. It was only some sand, so it wasn't a big deal."
"Yuki-chan..."
As a girl, Yuki-chan's personality was almost unbelievably gentle. Even Grass Wonder could not help being moved by her thoughtfulness. Even when she was covered in irritating sand, she still prioritized her trainer.
Grass Wonder had never seen a girl who placed others above herself like this.
"I'll wash your hair for you, Yuki-chan."
"Mm. Then I'll leave it to you, Grass."
Shirayuki did not refuse. If Grass had come here at this time, then she had surely come to see her. Shirayuki did not want to waste her friend's kindness.
While Grass Wonder was helping Shirayuki wash her hair, she suddenly spoke.
"Oh right, Yuki-chan. Do you still remember our promise?"
"Promise?"
"Yes. Back when we raced, we agreed that the loser would obey one request from the winner. Shirayuki said you'd save your request for later. How about now? Have you thought of one?"
If Grass Wonder had not brought it up, Shirayuki would have almost forgotten.
There was not really anything she wanted Grass to do. But since Grass had gone out of her way to mention it, Shirayuki decided to think of something on the spot.
Feeling the gentle pressure of Grass's fingers, Shirayuki had an idea.
"Then I'll say it?"
"Go ahead."
"Grass, take care of me for one day. How about that?"
"Eh?"
"I mean like now. Serve me for a day. That's acceptable, right?"
Since Grass seemed to really want to do something, Shirayuki decided to make a simple request and end the promise normally. Just spending time together in an ordinary way should be fine.
Grass Wonder's hands paused.
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure."
Grass Wonder smiled.
"All right. Then we'll do as Yuki-chan wishes."
After saying that, she reached for Shirayuki's arm and gently pulled her closer.
"Grass!?"
"Don't move around, Yuki-chan. I'm helping you wash up. You got yourself all covered in sand today, so we need to clean everything properly."
Grass Wonder's hand moved toward Shirayuki's shoulder.
"That's not what I meant by service!"
"Yuki-chan, if we don't do it properly, how can it be called service? Just like washing your hair, leave everything to me."
"Wait! I changed my mind. Let's choose a different request!"
"No, Yuki-chan. A promise is a promise."
Grass Wonder's usually narrowed eyes suddenly opened. Her sky-blue pupils looked at the white-haired girl in front of her.
"Your arms, your shoulders, your hair, every place that got sandy. I'll help you clean everything properly, Yuki-chan."
"I'll wash myself. I can wash myself, okay?"
"Yuki-chan was the one who said she wanted me to help, but now you keep changing your mind."
Grass Wonder held Shirayuki's hands firmly.
Fujiwara Shirayuki found herself pressed lightly against the smooth bath floor. The strength she was so proud of was completely useless in front of Grass Wonder. She could not break free from the other girl's grip.
Just then, while Grass Wonder's attention was focused on Shirayuki, the towel wrapped around her own body loosened and slipped slightly. The smooth white curve of her shoulder and collarbone entered Shirayuki's view.
"Be good, Yuki-chan. Don't move... Eh?"
Warmth rose in Shirayuki's nose.
Two streams of nosebleed slowly flowed down her face.
Grass Wonder froze for a moment.
She looked at her own slightly loosened towel, then looked at Shirayuki's dazed expression.
After that, Grass Wonder revealed the happiest smile she had ever shown.