...
"Medicine wow!"
With a shout, Twin Turbo and Seiun Sky dashed out of the lounge one after the other.
Lucian sighed, locked the door, and said, "Where were we?"
"Trainer-san, you were just saying Tannhauser isn't as involuted as Seiun Sky." Mejiro McQueen reminded him.
"Oh right—thanks, McQueen." Lucian organized his thoughts and looked at Tannhauser: "Why did I write that message? Actually, none of you probably noticed—after training ends, Tannhauser often asks me if I can arrange higher-intensity training for her."
"I told her that blindly doing high-intensity training only fatigues the body—it's useless. Training needs to be gradual. So every few days she asks if her training has met the standard and if she can increase the intensity..."
"And she often shows me the training plans she made herself and asks me to help revise them."
Matikanetannhauser appeared cute and airheaded on the outside, but she was actually a hard worker—a hidden shining star.
Lucian really liked the sparkle in her and her "Mambo" meme, liked the song remixes fed with her voice as the template... Anything he didn't understand yet, he'd learn slowly.
He couldn't spend all this time and still think her name was "Mambo," right?
Lucian went on and on, but Matikanetannhauser's head lowered further and further; her cheeks were like crimson clouds dyed by the setting sun.
"Trainer, don't say any more..." Her two index fingers silently kissed in front of her, then tangled in panic.
So the Trainer paid this much attention to her.
(✿◡‿◡) Shy.
"Okay, okay~" Lucian smiled and straightened Matikanetannhauser's tilted hat, "That's all I wanted to say."
"Arigato." Matikanetannhauser put the gift and envelope back into the box, forced herself to stay calm, picked up her teacup again, and hid her shyness at not daring to look at the others' reactions.
"Tannhauser is amazing." Rice Shower praised.
Matikanetannhauser: "No, no no... Rice-chan is amazing too."
"Trainer-san, I suddenly thought of something." Special Week said.
Lucian looked at her, "What is it?"
"Shouldn't we prepare a gift for Ines Fujin-senpai too? She's part of our team, right?"
Special Week spoke without confidence—after all, Lucian was the one preparing gifts, and she worried it would trouble her Trainer-san.
Before Lucian could speak, Doto continued: "Trainer, I think if Ines-senpai doesn't get a gift, she'll be really sad like I was earlier (;′⌒`)."
"You're right—this was my oversight." Lucian felt a bit regretful; he had unconsciously overlooked Ines Fujin.
Moreover, he had talked a lot with Ines Fujin about the gifts.
Could Ines have left early to avoid this awkward situation?
If so, that would be a sin.
But he couldn't be blamed—he wasn't perfect, and he was already attentive enough.
"Daijoubu, Trainer—just take your time. You've prepared so many gifts for everyone; the Trainer is already amazing." Haru Urara came to Lucian's side to comfort him; she could feel his troubled heart.
"Trainer-san, if there's anything I can help with, please let me know anytime." Special Week said seriously—she too felt bad for Lucian.
Mejiro McQueen: "Trainer-san, I can help too."
Nice Nature: "Trainer, Ines Fujin-senpai isn't the type to blame you over something like this."
Dextrous Bailey: "Trainer, don't blame yourself over this."
"Onii-sama." Rice Shower didn't speak but actively took Lucian's hand and pressed it to her cheek, "In Rice-chan's heart, Onii-sama is the best person."
...
Only Tokai Teio didn't step forward. Her gaze at Lucian held concern, but also other emotions.
"Thank you everyone—I'm not blaming myself; I just suddenly realized my oversight." Lucian rubbed Rice Shower's cheek and withdrew his hand, "It's getting late—hurry and pack up to go to the cafeteria, or there'll be nothing left."
With Lucian's reminder, everyone realized the sky was almost completely dark and hurriedly started packing their bags.
At that moment, Seiun Sky walked in from the door, holding Twin Turbo by the collar like a little chicken.
"Seiun-senpai, let me go quick!" Twin Turbo flailed her limbs in struggle.
"Admit you were wrong?"
"I was wrong~"
"That's more like it." Seiun Sky released Twin Turbo and joined the packing army.
Nice Nature, Matikanetannhauser, and Twin Turbo finished packing first; the three of them left together.
Twin Turbo saw Seiun Sky still packing and suddenly turned back at the door: "Seiun-senpai, I wasn't wrong! You really are involuting—the Trainer proved it!"
Seiun Sky watched her fleeing figure, narrowed her eyes, and smiled: "Trainer, is she taking tomorrow off?"
"You can block her in class."
"Good idea—oh right, I still have a score to settle with the Trainer."
"No way—you bullied Twin Turbo, so you can't bully me too."
"Seiun, let's go." Special Week jumped out to rescue Lucian—she didn't want to see Seiun Sky's intimate contact with Lucian.
"Hmph, I'll let the Trainer off for now." Seiun Sky slung her bag over her shoulder and left with Special Week.
Rice Shower, Haru Urara, Doto, and Dextrous Bailey left in a group of four.
Finally, it was Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen's pair.
"Trainer, you weren't really blaming yourself just now, right?" Before leaving, Tokai Teio asked.
"Of course not—I already said so."
"Actually, no matter what kind of gift the Trainer gives, it's very precious." Tokai Teio said softly.
Lucian heard her, "Looks like Teio really likes the gift I gave."
"Just so-so liking it~"
Mejiro McQueen exposed her: "Teio really isn't frank—liking is liking, still 'so-so.'"
"Hm? Looks like McQueen likes the Trainer's gift very, very much—could it be you've been envious since I received mine earlier?"
The first sentence didn't faze Mejiro McQueen, but the second popped her thought balloon like a needle, "W-what envy!? Teio, I didn't even care back then!"
"McQueen really isn't frank~" Tokai Teio countered and laughed out loud.
"Ahem, I'm leaving first—the butler is waiting." Mejiro McQueen coughed dryly a few times to cover her embarrassment and quickly dashed out the door.
Tokai Teio wanted to follow, but the environment suddenly grew quiet; it was as if two hands sprouted from the ground and grabbed her ankles.
She only then realized—now, in the lounge, it was just her and the Trainer.
...