"I'm in my dorm. There's a quiet, cool girl in the room with me. Should I try talking to her? Urgent, please advise."
A few minutes later, the replies flooded in.
"Yeah, right, like that's real."
"This guy's so desperate he's hallucinating."
"The girl you're talking about… she's on your screen, isn't she?"
When she left earlier, Shirayuki had accidentally taken Chiya's phone. Now she was staring at the trainer group chat, her expression stiff.
…What is wrong with these people?
She couldn't believe no one could answer such a simple question.
Just as she was about to give up and deal with it herself, one reply caught her attention.
Anonymous: Mr. Okino
"How does she look? Is she pretty?"
Shirayuki quietly glanced up at the brown-haired girl sitting across from her.
"…She's pretty."
"What about her background?"
"Prestigious family."
"Then go for it. Do whatever it takes."
Shirayuki's eyes lit up.
Finally, someone who understood.
Decision made, she immediately acted.
"Mejiro Dober, do you already have a trainer?"
The sudden question startled Dober. She had been sitting on the bed, brushing her tail, but quickly grabbed a nearby book and pretended to read.
"…Huh?" she said a beat later, as if she had just noticed. She brushed her bangs aside. "No. I'm still training under an instructor. I don't have a trainer yet."
At Tracen, new Uma Musume usually trained under instructors first and entered mock races. Those with strong potential would be scouted by trainers. Those who weren't would remain in the pool until someone chose them.
The more talented they were, the faster they got picked. In extreme cases, several veteran trainers would compete over a single Uma Musume.
Strength and talent decided everything here.
Hearing that Dober didn't have a trainer yet, Shirayuki felt a surge of excitement.
A Mejiro family runner, and still unscouted.
This was a huge opportunity.
With that in mind, she straightened her posture.
"Then… are you currently looking for a trainer?"
"…A trainer…" Dober hesitated, clearly flustered. "I haven't decided yet. It would be nice, but… I don't know if I'm good enough for a trainer to choose me."
"That's not a problem," Shirayuki said quickly. "I know a trainer who would definitely be willing to take you."
"I… I think I'll pass," Dober said, shaking her head. "I want a trainer to choose me because of my ability. Not because someone arranged it for me. So… sorry."
Rejected immediately.
Shirayuki's vision darkened for a moment.
…Wait. Calm down.
It's only the first day. There's still time. Once we get closer, I can ask again.
But that raised another problem.
How was she supposed to get along with a female roommate?
All her experience was with men.
In high school, university, even at work, relationships were easy. One good gaming session and you could become friends instantly.
But that approach clearly wouldn't work here.
Especially not with someone she had just met.
…Right. First time being a girl.
Still not used to it.
"You're right," Shirayuki said with an awkward laugh. "Uma Musume should prove themselves through their ability. I don't know why I even thought about finding a trainer through connections. You're absolutely right…"
She lay back on the bed and closed her eyes, accepting defeat for now.
"…Um… I heard you transferred in today?" Dober asked, continuing the conversation.
"Yes. I just arrived today."
Shirayuki immediately sat back up.
"Do you know your class yet?"
"Middle Division, Class Three."
"I see… I'm in Senior Division, Class Two."
"…Ah!"
Shirayuki froze for a moment, then immediately straightened.
"That was rude of me, Dober-senpai! I should have asked that earlier."
She had been thinking like a trainer out of habit, but from everyone else's perspective, she was just a normal student.
"It's not that important…" Dober said quietly. "We're roommates now, so you don't have to be so formal…"
Despite that, she looked even more nervous than Shirayuki.
"Then… can I call you Dober-senpai from now on?"
"…Yes, that's fine."
"And can you call me Shirayuki?"
…First name?
Dober hesitated.
That kind of familiarity usually came later.
But refusing might feel too harsh to a new student.
"I'll… try."
She answered while avoiding eye contact.
…That's progress, right?
Shirayuki thought to herself.
The next morning, Fujiwara Chiya woke up needing the bathroom.
Still half-asleep, he got out of bed and stumbled forward.
Then his knee hit something.
"—!"
He lost his balance and fell forward.
A faint jasmine scent filled the air as he crashed into something soft.
Before he could react, a sharp scream rang out. The next moment, he was shoved away with force and slammed into the edge of the bed.
At the same time, in the male staff dorm, Chiya suddenly jolted awake.
His vision split again.
Two perspectives.
"…Oh no."
He slapped his forehead.
The one who had woken up just now… wasn't him.
It was Shirayuki.
Still half-asleep, he had mixed up the two bodies.
The layouts of the staff dorm and student dorm were completely different. Normally, he could find the bathroom with his eyes closed.
But this time, he had walked straight into someone else's bed.
Through Shirayuki's perspective, he saw Dober sitting there, her face flushed red, clearly shaken.
"…Shirayuki?" she asked, still catching her breath.
"Ah—! Dober-senpai, I'm so sorry! I just woke up and tried to go to the bathroom, but I tripped over something and fell. I wasn't trying to attack you, please don't call the police—"
Shirayuki looked like she was on the verge of tears.
Dober finally let out a breath of relief.
Just moments ago, she had been dreaming about a man approaching her. She had been tense even in her sleep.
When Shirayuki suddenly collided with her, she reacted instinctively and pushed her away.
The fear wasn't directed at Shirayuki.
It was from the dream.
Because Mejiro Dober…
had a fear of men.