Tracen Academy's student dormitories were divided into two sections: the Ritto dorms in the south and the Miho dorms in the north.
Shirayuki had been assigned to Miho.
When they arrived at the entrance, Fujiwara Chiya saw a dark-skinned Uma Musume with long blue hair. Her fiery red eyes locked onto them.
The moment their gazes met, she grinned, revealing sharp canine teeth, and greeted him.
"Trainer Chiya."
"Good evening, Amazon," Chiya replied.
This was the Miho dorm's dorm leader, Hishi Amazon. Because of Tracen's relatively free school structure, most matters were handled by the student council, and the dorms themselves were managed by their respective leaders.
So whenever anything happened in the dorms, the dorm leader was always the first to know.
"The girl behind you must be the new transfer student, right?"
She had already heard from Tazuna earlier that afternoon that someone would be moving in.
"That's right."
Hishi Amazon strode forward and stopped in front of Shirayuki, extending her hand with a friendly smile.
"Nice to meet you. I'm the Miho dorm leader, Hishi Amazon."
"My name is Fujiwara Shirayuki. It's nice to meet you."
"Then just call me Amazon."
"Alright… Amazon."
"Not bad. Way more polite than Trainer Chiya was when he first showed up."
"…Huh? What did I do?"
"You forgot? Back then, you wandered into the girls' dorm and got caught. If Miss Tazuna hadn't stepped in, you would've been torn apart."
"Wait a second." Chiya raised a hand. "That was because I was looking for the administrative office and wandered in by mistake. What do you mean 'snuck in'? The dorm is right next to it!"
He pointed toward a nearby building that looked almost identical.
Who knew Tracen separated the administrative office from the main teaching building? Back then, he had circled the area several times and still ended up in the wrong place.
"That's what you get for not wearing your trainer badge. Of course, they thought you were suspicious."
He had been tied up and dragged straight to Hishi Amazon while the residents discussed what to do with a supposed pervert. Fortunately, Tazuna arrived in time to clear things up.
"Well, on the bright side, everyone in the dorm knows you're a trainer now."
"No… please…" Chiya covered his face. Back then, he had seriously considered disappearing on the spot and starting life over somewhere else.
"Come on, it's fine. The misunderstanding's cleared up, and everyone forgave you." Hishi Amazon laughed and gave him a firm pat on the back.
"Want me to tell Shirayuki more about you? You're actually pretty well-known among the students."
"I'm begging you, please don't."
Having his embarrassing history exposed right in front of him would be worse than death.
"Relax, I'm kidding. You're a pretty dedicated trainer." Giving him a bit of dignity back, Hishi Amazon turned to Shirayuki. "Alright, come with me. I'll take you to get your supplies."
The two of them headed inside. Due to regulations, non-students weren't allowed to enter the dorm freely, so Fujiwara Chiya had to remain outside.
"I'm leaving her in your care, Amazon."
"Of course."
Once they disappeared around the staircase, Chiya closed the door behind him. At the same time, his awareness shifted fully to Shirayuki.
"Your class has already been assigned, right?"
"Yes. Middle Division, Class Three."
"Then I guess that makes me your senior." Hishi Amazon pointed at herself, her grin showing her sharp teeth again.
"…Then… Amazon-senpai?"
"Yeah, that's right. Senpai. I like that." She nodded with satisfaction. "If you ever need anything, come find me."
"Yes."
They arrived at a storage room deep inside the dorm. Hishi Amazon unlocked the door, revealing neatly stored student supplies.
There were bedding sets, pillow covers, sheets, uniforms, training outfits, and dance costumes.
When Shirayuki picked up the dance outfit, Chiya paused.
"…So I'll need to practice singing and dancing too?" she asked.
"Of course. An Uma Musume can't just run. You also have to perform on the winner's stage. Only by developing in every area can you become the best."
"…That makes sense."
Shirayuki gently held the outfit.
The two Uma Musume Chiya had trained before never got the chance to wear something like this. At that moment, the most brilliant stage for an Uma Musume had been buried in the past, never realized because of his own shortcomings.
"What's wrong, Shirayuki? Don't like it?"
"No, the quality is great." She shook her head. "But what matters more isn't the outfit itself. It's whether the one wearing it can achieve her dream."
"To stand on the winner's stage."
"Exactly." Hishi Amazon nodded. "No matter how nice the outfit is, it's just an empty shell. What matters is the honor behind it. So if you want to be worthy of wearing it, you'll have to work hard."
"I will."
"And don't neglect your dancing either."
"…Right…"
After collecting everything, Shirayuki carried a large bundle upstairs. Inside were over a dozen sets of clothing along with a full set of bedding. The treatment here was far better than what she remembered from her own school days, where everything had to be prepared personally.
As expected of the top academy in Japan.
…Though the tuition must be just as overwhelming.
That thought lingered for only a moment before something else hit him.
A serious problem.
Shirayuki had no parents.
As a fabricated identity, there was no one else who could possibly pay her tuition.
Which meant…
…It all falls on me.
So not only does he have to deal with training, he now has to cover tuition too.
The realization hit hard.
A trainer's salary wasn't exactly generous. Add in daily expenses, clothes, equipment, and nutrition, and the cost would only keep growing.
For the first time, Fujiwara Chiya felt something he had never experienced before.
The pressure of raising a child.
With a dull thud, Shirayuki dropped to her knees in front of the dorm room door, her eyes completely lifeless.
A few seconds later, the door opened.
A brown-haired girl stood on the other side.