...
Seiun Sky retraced her steps and quickly found Lucian and Ines Hanakami.
Ines Hanakami was driving a toy car, while Lucian watched from the side.
"Trainer." Seiun Sky circled behind Lucian and patted his shoulder.
"Seiun, why are you back?"
"Missed the Trainer, so I came back to take a look~"
Her tone was perfectly ordinary, saying the most natural thing in the world—where had all that aggressive momentum from leaving Silence Suzuka gone?
"Careful, or Suzuka will scold you for sneaking food again." Lucian teased with a laugh.
He was long used to this thieving little cat. She always found ways to slip in, even when all the "Dream" members were present for this event.
"No way—I walked away right in front of Suzuka~" Seiun Sky leaned against the bench. "Trainer, aren't you tired carrying this little one around all day?"
"Not tired at all. Hanaka is very obedient." Lucian noticed Seiun Sky shifting closer to him. "She's way more obedient than you guys—carrying her doesn't tire me out one bit."
"Am I usually disobedient to the Trainer?" Seiun Sky suddenly leaned in close and breathed softly against Lucian's ear.
Lucian tilted his head away. "Don't mess around—there's a kid here."
"It's fine, she's busy playing and can't see." Seiun Sky squeezed even closer toward Lucian. "Just now the Trainer said 'more obedient than us'—who exactly does 'us' include?"
"It wouldn't be me, Suzuka... and Spe-chan, right?"
When Special Week was mentioned, Lucian finally reacted. He turned to look at Seiun Sky. "Suzuka told you?"
Seiun Sky leaned back against the bench, tilted her head upward, closed her eyes, and sighed. "Yeah... something like this even has to be told to me by Suzuka... In the Trainer's heart, Suzuka's position really is higher than mine..."
Before she could finish, Lucian covered her mouth.
He felt a bit awkward—after telling Silence Suzuka, he really hadn't thought to tell Seiun Sky as well. "This... Suzuka had just come back those few days, so I mentioned it to her in passing."
Seiun Sky pulled Lucian's hand away. "Then why did the Trainer hide it from me?"
"I wasn't hiding it—I just plain forgot."
"Really?" Seiun Sky opened her eyes; her beautiful lashes trembled lightly.
"Really."
"Then kiss me once as compensation. I even decided to discuss countermeasures with Suzuka to help you."
"Right now..." Lucian knew Seiun Sky was deliberately making things difficult because Ines Hanakami was nearby.
He glanced at the little one who was happily playing away, then quickly kissed Seiun Sky on the cheek.
Seiun Sky didn't even have time to react. "Trainer, you're too fast—that doesn't count. And do you think what I wanted was a cheek kiss?"
"You'd better be talking about me being 'too fast,' and you didn't say it wasn't the cheek just now either."
"Fine." Seiun Sky had him figured out. She stood up to leave.
Lucian hurriedly grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto the bench. "Eh, wait, wait."
He really needed Silence Suzuka and Seiun Sky to help brainstorm together.
Seiun Sky crossed her arms and crossed her legs. "What else does the Trainer have to say? Haggling like this—not this, not that."
"Okay okay okay..." Lucian sighed. Usually he was the one teasing Seiun Sky—today the tables had turned. "But we have to wait a bit."
"Still have to wait? Trainer, I don't have that much patience right now." Seiun Sky gave a sly smile, like a fox who had just succeeded in a prank.
"Wait..." Seizing the moment when Ines Hanakami drove the car farther away, Lucian tilted Seiun Sky's chin and kissed her—like brushing against a light petal.
Their companions could show up at any time; Ines Hanakami could notice this side at any moment... Seiun Sky's heart suddenly pounded wildly with tension.
But she wasn't afraid—she was thrilled.
So she didn't let Lucian pull away after just one kiss. She reached back to hold the nape of his neck.
Her strength was nothing he could match.
And her kissing technique had long since caught up to his—perhaps even surpassed it.
Right now the one panicking mentally was Lucian, so his breathing was the one in disarray. He could only passively accept Seiun Sky's demands, not daring to make too much noise.
Lucian was out of breath, but Seiun Sky clung to his lips as if glued there, growing more and more entranced with each kiss.
Helpless, he could only lightly bite that little pink tongue.
"Hiss~"
Seiun Sky winced in pain and leaned back; Lucian finally broke free from her hold.
"Trainer, you bit me!?" After saying that, Seiun Sky stuck out her tongue—it was actually fine now.
"Seiun, if you don't keep your promise, you're done for."
"Trainer, you're threatening me now?"
"Hm? And you're the one crying thief? Careful, or later Suzuka, Spe-chan, and I will just make you watch from the side."
At those words, Seiun Sky's arrogant flame gradually died down; her momentum collapsed. "I didn't say I wouldn't agree~ Heehee~ Thanks for the treat~"
"Onii-chan!" At that moment, Ines Hanakami suddenly called out from ahead.
"Remember—we're brainstorming." Lucian reached out and poked her, then walked toward Ines Hanakami. "Hanaka, what's wrong?"
"Onii-chan, the car seems stuck. Is it out of time?"
"Probably— we've been playing for quite a while."
"Then Hanaka won't play anymore. I'm a little tired already." Perhaps from the earlier tension and excitement of learning to drive, Ines Hanakami's cheeks were flushed red.
"Okay~ Let's return the little car, and Onii-chan will take you to eat something yummy."
"Okay~" Ines Hanakami got down from the car and suddenly asked, "Onii-chan, what were you talking about with that big sister just now?"
The little one probably didn't see, right? She hadn't turned back at all just now.
Lucian felt uncertain inside but stayed calm on the surface. "Nothing much—just casual chatting."
"Oh~ Because when Hanaka called Onii-chan for the first time just now, Onii-chan didn't answer right away."
Didn't Onii-chan say anything to that big sister? But she clearly saw both of their mouths touch.
Was that to make it easier to whisper secrets?
Ines Hanakami's heart was full of questions, but she wasn't upset. She decided to tell her big sister about these things later.
"Onii-chan didn't hear—sorry." Lucian patted Ines Hanakami's head. "Let's go. Looks like your mommy and second big sister just arrived too."
"Mm!"
...