The Uma Musume standing before him, with short brown hair and a sharp, composed expression, was Bamboo Memory, the head of Tracen's Disciplinary Committee.
She held a bamboo sword in her hand.
Fujiwara Chiya swallowed.
"I'm innocent."
"Trainer Chiya, if you admit your mistake and show a proper attitude, we'll be lenient!"
Still caught up in her misunderstanding, Sakura Bakushin O clenched her fists and spoke in her usual loud voice.
"I already told you, I'm innocent."
Bamboo Memory turned slightly. "Bakushin O, describe what you saw."
"I saw Trainer Chiya about to touch a student's thigh, so I stopped him before he could."
"So, attempted misconduct?"
Her deep green eyes locked onto Chiya.
"Wait a second!"
Chiya immediately spoke up.
"You've got this completely wrong. I didn't do anything, I swear! I was just checking Shirayuki's leg to see if she had an injury. She fell on the stairs last night!"
"Shirayuki?"
"Yes!" Chiya nodded quickly. "Fujiwara Shirayuki. She's my cousin. She just transferred in yesterday, and I'm currently her trainer."
"Your cousin?"
"That's right."
In any case, the final say rested with Shirayuki. He could explain it however he wanted for now.
Bamboo Memory glanced at Bakushin O, who stood there proudly.
"I had no idea!"
Bamboo Memory pressed a hand to her forehead.
"We'll confirm with the student in question. If what you said is true, then we've misunderstood you, Trainer Chiya."
"Yeah, you really misunderstood me this time…"
"Given your past record, it's not unreasonable to be cautious."
"…Past record?"
"You entered the girls' dorm—"
"Alright, I understand. I sincerely apologize for the trouble my usual carelessness has caused."
"It's not that serious."
Bamboo Memory gestured with her hand, and a student wearing a disciplinary armband stepped forward to untie Chiya.
"By the way," Chiya said, rubbing his wrists, "shouldn't you all be in class? Why are you still here?"
Shirayuki should already be in the middle of a lesson.
"We've been called to a student council meeting," Bamboo Memory replied. "We had to get permission from the teachers."
"That urgent?"
"No idea. We were just told to get there as soon as possible. Honestly, we'd probably already be in the meeting if not for you."
"So this is my fault now?"
"Just saying. Don't take it personally."
She set the bamboo sword aside and gave a small smile.
"If there's nothing else, you may leave, Trainer Chiya. We'll be heading out as well."
"Then I'll return to the office."
Trying to maintain some dignity as a trainer, Chiya stood up calmly.
"Oh, one more thing," Bamboo Memory added. "Have you had breakfast?"
"No."
"Then take this katsudon." She pointed to the bowl on the table. "Consider it an apology. But if we find out you were lying, you'll be punished for that too."
"…Understood."
He hadn't expected to be disciplined by students as a trainer. Tracen really did give its students a lot of authority.
Then again, the student council held even more power, rivaling that of the chairwoman herself. Even the disciplinary committee answered to them.
In a way, the school mirrored society. Authority flowed downward in layers. Perhaps Tracen operated this way to prepare its students for the real world.
Holding the katsudon, Chiya stepped out of the disciplinary room.
…Am I lacking presence as a trainer?
Normally, when Uma Musume encountered their trainers, they would politely greet them with "Good morning, Trainer," or something similar.
But when they saw him?
"Yo, Trainer Chiya."
"You're not late today?"
"The chairwoman's looking for you."
It was always teasing.
Sure, he wasn't much older than them, but still, he felt like he was blending in with the students.
Even putting aside his role as a trainer, he was still a man. So why were people like Hishi Amazon casually throwing their arms around him?
They were treating him more like a friend than a man.
That's not good.
Chiya's expression hardened.
Like his senior once said, he couldn't keep acting like just another student. A trainer needed authority. He had to make them understand who was in charge.
Today had been a perfect example of failure. He'd been carried off to the disciplinary office by Bakushin O.
Next time, if anything happens, they should be the ones to respectfully invite him.
"Trainer Chiya."
"…Miss Tazuna?"
Lost in his thoughts, Chiya ran into Hayakawa Tazuna, who was smiling gently while looking at the katsudon in his hands.
"Having breakfast?"
"I was going to eat it back in the office."
"I see. Sorry to interrupt, but there's a trainers' meeting you've been asked to attend."
"A meeting?"
"It's being held by the chairwoman. I can't disclose the details yet."
"Understood. I'll head there now."
He turned to leave.
"Trainer Chiya," Tazuna added, "you might not want to bring food into the meeting. The chairwoman would definitely be upset if she saw it."
"…Right. Sorry, I forgot."
Embarrassed, Chiya quickly turned around to return the katsudon first.
Watching him leave, Tazuna lightly touched her cheek.
I didn't expect him to eat something that heavy first thing in the morning…
Meanwhile, as the class bell rang, Fujiwara Shirayuki let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Controlling two bodies at once was far more difficult than she had expected. One side had to attend a meeting, while the other sat in class. Even though the lesson content barely registered, the teacher's occasional glances still made her feel pressured.
Shirayuki began to question whether she could really manage living two lives at once.
"…Can I even handle being a student like this?"
"O-of course you can!"
The sudden reply startled her. Turning her head, she saw Meisho Doto standing there with her hands clasped tightly to her chest.
"Shirayuki is amazing. Unlike me… I think you'll definitely become someone that people will admire."
There was a hint of self-doubt in her voice.
"My lovely white swan, forgive me for overhearing your conversation."
A dazzling girl approached, practically radiating confidence.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am the beautiful Overlord, T.M. Opera O. Let me host this fateful encounter!"