...
"Oh right, Doto, there's also a letter for you." Since Doto's gift was relatively special, Lucian had to hand the envelope to her personally.
"Is this from the Trainer? (*๓´╰╯`๓)"
"Mm."
The envelope style was uniform, but everyone was extremely curious about the contents.
Haru Urara was especially impatient, "Doto, are you going to open it here?"
"Here?" Doto saw the horse girls gathering around her and didn't want to spoil the fun, "Okay, I'll open it here!"
The letter was opened.
The most eye-catching part was always Lucian's message, handwritten by him and then imprinted; the font was especially unique.
"Every diamond, before being discovered, must endure the lonely time buried in dust. If someone has to win, why can't it be you?"
Doto read the contents word by word, a hint of confusion in her eyes, "Is this the Trainer's encouragement for me?"
Lucian patted Doto's shoulder, "If Doto ever brushes past success in the future, I hope you'll remember these words."
"Good~(=^▽^=)" Doto was especially happy receiving her gift today; her cat-like mouth stayed upturned the whole time.
"McQueen, let me see yours." Tokai Teio was too embarrassed to ask the others, but she had no problem asking Mejiro McQueen, "Gift first, then the envelope."
Before, she thought the gift was more surprising; now she believed the envelope's contents were more important.
"Teio, I don't want to open the gift here."
Though Mejiro McQueen herself didn't know why, she just wanted to take it home and look at it alone in secret.
"Look here~ There are so many people; everyone definitely wants to see what the Trainer wrote to you." Seeing McQueen unwilling, Tokai Teio immediately rallied the other horse girls, "Urara, do you want to see?"
Haru Urara: "Yes!"
Tokai Teio then asked Twin Turbo: "Twin Pump, do you want to see?"
"Yes... what 'Twin Pump'!!! It's Twin Turbo!" If she weren't holding her gift box, Twin Turbo would definitely be scratching her head in frustration right now.
Tokai Teio didn't ask the remaining horse girls; she only asked these two she was sure of, the easy ones to persuade.
"McQueen, look, the others want to see too!"
Tokai Teio leaned toward one side of the gift box, and Mejiro McQueen shifted to the opposite side, afraid Teio would snatch it.
But after Teio's persistent pestering, Mejiro McQueen gradually gave in, "This..."
Tokai Teio's eyes narrowed, and she immediately pressed harder, "Open it~ It's just a letter with encouraging words, not like the Trainer wrote a love letter~"
"L-love, love letter... how could it be that kind of thing!"
"Exactly, so McQueen, why take it home to look at?"
"Because..." Mejiro McQueen stammered, unable to explain clearly.
Teio's words made the gift box in her hands feel like a hot potato; anyway, her palms were now hot and sweaty, beads forming rapidly.
"Wait, how does Teio know what I wrote to McQueen isn't a love letter? I never said it was all encouraging words." Lucian suddenly joined the discussion.
Tokai Teio's expression stiffened.
Lucian's words were like a dug pit; her joking mood was instantly buried alive.
Everyone knew it was a joke, and Tokai Teio knew too.
But she just wanted to hear Lucian say it himself.
"Could it be the Trainer really wrote a love letter to McQueen?" Tokai Teio forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Trainer-san, this joke isn't funny." Mejiro McQueen stayed calm to hide a tiny panic inside, "Teio, you don't really believe it, do you?"
"I don't know; the Trainer loves pranks—maybe he did write one?" Though she said this, if he really did, Tokai Teio wouldn't be happy.
"How would I dare prank like that?" Lucian suddenly used both hands to pinch Tokai Teio's slightly puffed cheeks, "So Teio thinks that's what I did?"
"Mmm..." Tokai Teio instinctively wanted to pry Lucian's hands off, but that would end the intimate contact with the Trainer.
Her fingers were already bent, but Tokai Teio held back in time, relaxing again.
But relaxing didn't quite fit her usual behavior either, so after a while, Teio clenched her fist in mock threat: "Mmm.... stinky Trainer, let go of me quick!"
"Teio's perfect for playing a bubble-blowing goldfish." Lucian withdrew his hands.
He could still laugh, unaware he'd just taken a ride in the hearse for one stop. A little dead, but he got off midway and came back to life.
"Stinky Trainer!" Tokai Teio reached out to pinch Lucian's arm and found his arm unexpectedly firm.
The Trainer's upper body must be really muscular—clothes make him look slim, but undressed he's built. She really wanted to see what Lucian looked like with his clothes off.
"Since it's not a love letter, open it and see. McQueen, show yours to Twin Turbo, and Twin Turbo can show hers to you later." Haru Urara circled to the other side of the gift.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll show my gift to McQueen too!" Twin Turbo nodded in agreement.
Caught between them, Mejiro McQueen had nowhere to escape.
Nice Nature turned her head, "But won't everyone see? So Twin Turbo's that great—sacrificing herself to help others."
"I..."
Twin Turbo froze; she hadn't thought of that at all.
Right! It wasn't just her exchanging envelope contents alone with Mejiro McQueen!
But since Nice Nature had put it that way, "I am that great! Everyone's so curious, so let's all look together."
Mejiro McQueen couldn't resist and sighed, "I'll open the gift when I get home; for now, let's just look at what Trainer-san wrote in the letter."
Tokai Teio bounced in her chair; after the intimate contact with Lucian, her earlier ill feelings drifted away like smoke, "Yay~"
Mejiro McQueen opened the envelope, and little heads gathered around her as the center.
"The brave are not those who don't shed tears, but those willing to run on with tears in their eyes. I hope your elegance endures to the end."
Which would come first—injury or victory? Lucian wasn't sure, but as long as there was a sliver of hope, he wouldn't give up.
With these words, Mejiro McQueen wouldn't give up either.
Medical research progress—Lucian was always investing in and following it; at least so far, it had achieved good success.
...