There were only three days left until the selection race.
Fujiwara Chiya arranged tactics for his uma musume. Who to mark in the early stage, whose position to block, when to change lanes, when to accelerate, Fujiwara Chiya explained everything to them.
His team had too many members, so Fujiwara Chiya selected the uma musume he had the highest expectations for.
Rice Shower, Agnes Tachyon, Mejiro Dober, Gold Ship, and Shirayuki.
Why was Gold Ship there?
"Me, me, me! Trainer, I'm definitely joining this race!"
"This is a team race. Do you understand what tactics are?"
"I understand, Trainer. I don't know anything else, but I know how to start a fight!"
Originally, Fujiwara Chiya did not want to let her participate.
Any race with Gold Ship either turned into a godlike performance or a complete disaster. If he wanted to play it safe, it would be better to replace her with Matikane Fukukitaru, or even Meisho Doto.
But Gold Ship's attitude was firm. If he did not let her join, she would wrestle him.
Fortunately, this tactic did have a floating position, one that required an uma musume to adapt randomly to the situation. Putting Gold Ship there was not impossible, as long as she did not deliberately block her teammates' acceleration.
After training ended, Fujiwara Chiya once again reminded the selected members of the key points before letting them return to rest.
For the first time in a long while, he felt nervous about a race.
Not only because this race had so many powerful opponents appearing at once, but also because he was now standing at a turning point in his fate.
Standing on the training grounds, Fujiwara Chiya took several deep breaths.
After that nervousness passed, what filled Fujiwara Chiya's heart was excitement so strong it was hard to endure.
"Chiya."
A gentle voice sounded beside his ear.
Fujiwara Chiya turned his head and saw the figure in the green office uniform.
Hayakawa Tazuna.
"Are you off work, Tazuna?"
"Mm. What about you? Not going back yet?"
"I'm going to the library. I still haven't finished reading those notes."
"Recently, you've been studying until closing time every day."
"There's a lot of content, after all."
Fujiwara Chiya smiled.
Hayakawa Tazuna walked in front of him and raised her head. Those clear emerald-green eyes looked at him.
"What is it?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to look at you."
Hayakawa Tazuna said,
"Has the Director said when you can move back?"
"She… seems to want me to keep living there."
Even after a month, Akikawa Yayoi had shown absolutely no intention of letting Fujiwara Chiya move back. Not only that, even if he showed the slightest thought of returning, she would immediately extinguish it.
"But the Director said I can occasionally go back and stay for a night."
"Occasionally…"
That Akikawa Yayoi.
Once she found a loophole, she had no intention of letting go.
Hayakawa Tazuna knew what she was planning. It was not for monitoring or anything else. She simply wanted to live together with that younger brother of hers.
Normally, she did not show it much, but Hayakawa Tazuna knew very well that Yayoi was a complete brocon. Every other sentence out of her mouth was about Chiya.
Even without going to the dorm, Hayakawa Tazuna could more or less imagine their life. Akikawa Yayoi was probably taking care of him like a mother.
That was actually even more dangerous.
Before he knew it, Chiya might start depending on Akikawa Yayoi. Over time, he might become unable to leave her.
She took Chiya away from me just to raise him herself.
The more Hayakawa Tazuna thought about it, the more irritated she became.
In truth, she herself had changed quite a bit recently.
Afraid that Chiya might choose Shirayuki because he wanted a completely obedient girl, Hayakawa Tazuna had deliberately restrained her forceful personality. Otherwise, whenever she saw Rice Shower, Mejiro Dober, or the others approaching him, she would have stepped in no matter what.
Especially Mejiro Dober.
Hayakawa Tazuna had noticed the change in her attitude toward Chiya. That look and expression, she had probably already learned Chiya's secret.
Whenever Hayakawa Tazuna thought about it, she became restless.
She very much wanted to drag Chiya away, but she was also afraid that Chiya would go to Shirayuki because of it.
If that happened, it would truly become a dead end.
So Hayakawa Tazuna had to suppress herself again and again.
Even if she could only go to Chiya's room, she would be able to release some of her emotions. But now, Chiya was still living in Akikawa Yayoi's room.
Hayakawa Tazuna was not willing to do anything intimate with Chiya in front of Akikawa Yayoi.
To be honest, as long as it had anything to do with Chiya, she and Akikawa Yayoi had never gotten along.
That was also why she disliked entering Akikawa Yayoi's room.
If Chiya were not there, she could still go drink tea and eat sweets with the Director. But if Chiya was there, the room would immediately fill with the smell of gunpowder.
She had been telling the Director to let Fujiwara Chiya return. The observation period had clearly ended long ago. However, Akikawa Yayoi kept delaying it with all sorts of excuses.
Now, Fujiwara Chiya was about to participate in the final selection race.
If he passed, he would go to Europe.
At that time, she would have to separate from Chiya.
A whole three months.
Hayakawa Tazuna did not even know how she would endure it.
If Akikawa Yayoi still refused to agree, then she did not plan to wait any longer.
At worst, she would take him by force.
"Go back early and rest. You have to deal with so many uma musume every day. Your mind may be more exhausted than you think."
"I know. You too, Tazuna. You're busy with work, and you still accompany me in training."
"As long as I can help you. Besides, I'm looking forward to the day when the whole world praises your name and Shirayuki's."
"I'll do my best."
After returning from the library, Fujiwara Chiya quietly looked through his notes.
During this period, he had gone through Musaka Ginjiro's experience notes. It could be said that he had benefited greatly.
He understood why those veteran trainers went to Europe for further study. Different training methods could bring huge differences to uma musume.
It was like the same uncut gemstone. In the hands of a master craftsman and in the hands of a hack, it would become two completely different things.
Even if it were not for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Europe was a place he had to go.
That night, Fujiwara Chiya went to sleep very early.
Recently, he had been researching tactics nonstop. He watched race recordings again and again. Even after returning, he continued watching them.
On top of that, there were Rice Shower, Mejiro Dober, Grass Wonder, and the others.
Fujiwara Chiya was exhausted both physically and mentally.
Right now, he only wanted to relax.
Akikawa Yayoi very considerately turned off the lights early, and the room became quiet.
That night, Fujiwara Chiya slept very deeply.
It was the best sleep he had had in a long time.
The next morning, before he opened his eyes, Fujiwara Chiya felt a warm, soft sensation beside his right ear. Something gentle and damp brushed against his sensitive ear, and the sudden stimulation made his waist weaken at once.
That sensation did not seem ready to let him go. It lingered by his ear again and again, bringing with it warm breaths from time to time.
Fujiwara Chiya fell into a tender kind of torment.
He suddenly opened his eyes.
Beside him lay a brown-haired uma musume.
Her emerald-green eyes glowed faintly in the dim room, and her pale fingers traced slow circles over his chest.
"Good morning, Chiya. Did you sleep well last night?"
Hayakawa Tazuna asked softly beside his ear.
"Ta…"
"Chiya, time to get up!"
Before he could finish speaking, a bright and energetic voice came from outside the door.
Akikawa Yayoi happily walked into the room.
Then she saw the two people lying together under the blanket.