...
"Trainer, Spe-chan and I are going to wander around other places with Seiun." Silence Suzuka walked over.
"Sure, Spe-chan, don't get lost—stick close to them." Lucian agreed.
The whole area was so large that everyone could naturally split up and play whatever attractions they liked.
Most importantly, Lucian really hoped the trio in front of him could get along well. Three people's friendship might not feel too crowded, but four people's romance would require a lot more care.
"Trainer-san, do I really look like someone who gets lost easily? Geez." Special Week finished speaking and puffed out her cheeks.
"I'm just concerned about you. Alright, you guys go ahead."
The remaining group was Haru Urara, Rice, and Dextrous Bailey.
Nice Nature, Twin Turbo, and Matikane Tannhauser formed another group.
Mejiro McQueen had gone to chase after Tokai Teio. As for Meisho Doto being alone... she should be fine.
Lucian looked at Ines Fujin standing in place. "Little Ines, you're not going to play?"
Ines Fujin shook her head and held her little sister's hand. "Trainer, you go play~"
"Hm? Not interested in these amusement park rides?"
"It's okay, I guess. But I'm already an older sister—it's normal to find them childish, right?"
"Really?" Lucian suddenly took out his phone and turned the screen toward Ines Fujin.
It was a photo Seiun Sky had taken of her while sitting next to her on the roller coaster just now.
In the screen, Ines Fujin's hair was flying wildly, but her smile was even more unrestrained than her hair.
"Trainer..." Ines Fujin rarely felt embarrassed.
How could she possibly not want to play? She just felt she should be more self-aware and know when to stop.
Playing one ride was already very satisfying for her—she couldn't possibly let the Trainer keep looking after her little sister the whole time, right?
"Hanaka, come here—Onii-chan wants to hold you." Lucian squatted down and beckoned to Ines Hanakami, then opened his arms.
Ines Hanakami looked up at her big sister, then at Onii-chan, and finally let go of the hand and ran toward Lucian.
"Aww, so good~" Lucian planted a kiss on her little cheek too. "Onii-chan will take you to play. Is it okay if big sister goes and plays by herself for a bit?"
"Okay~" Ines Hanakami answered sweetly. "Big sister, you go play. Hanaka will be very obedient with Onii-chan."
Ines Fujin's heart trembled. She stood there helplessly, blinking rapidly as if trying to cover up the vulnerability that made her heart ache.
The Trainer really made people want to rely on him...
"Little Ines, your mission now is to find Doto and play with her together. Don't tell me you want extra pay or anything." Lucian clenched his fist in a mock threat. "Otherwise, I'll give you two bonks..."
"Onii-chan's two bonks—why are you pinching Hanaka's face instead?" Ines Hanakami pouted in thought.
"Little Ines, go have fun already. These rides are only thrilling for me, not joyful. Once I've experienced them, I don't want to do them again." Lucian was speaking the truth.
"Alright~ Since the Trainer insists like this, then I'll temporarily leave Hanaka in your care." Ines Fujin waved to Lucian and her sister. "Hanaka, be good and don't cause trouble."
"I know, big sister. Big sister, have lots of fun too."
"Mm." After saying that, Ines Fujin headed in the direction Meisho Doto had gone.
Once she left, Lucian said to Ines Hanakami, "Hanaka won't blame big sister for not taking you to play, right?"
"No way." Ines Hanakami shook her head. "Big sister used to work outside every day and came home very late. After coming back, she'd take a bath and go straight to sleep. Only on holidays could she play with me, but big sister never had time to play herself. Hanaka felt big sister was so pitiful."
"Hanaka is so sensible already—you even know how to feel sorry for big sister?"
"Mm! But because of Onii-chan, big sister doesn't go out to work at night anymore~ Hanaka wants to thank Onii-chan too." Ines Hanakami planted several kisses in a row on Lucian's face.
"So good. Come on, Onii-chan will take you to play~"
...
The perspective shifts to the Silence Suzuka trio, who had just gotten off the pendulum ride.
Special Week: "Seiun, Suzuka, I'm going to the bathroom."
"Okay, we'll wait here for you." Silence Suzuka nodded.
Seiun Sky watched Special Week's back as she left, then suddenly said, "I feel like after the new year, Spe-chan seems to have changed a bit?"
"Mm."
"Hm? Suzuka feels the same way too?" Seiun Sky was surprised.
"Seiun, have more confidence—drop the 'I feel like' and 'seems to.'" Silence Suzuka calmly took a sip of water. "Congratulations, you're about to gain another close friend."
"Eh?" Seiun Sky was stunned. After reacting, her mouth slowly opened wide, but before she could shout it out, Silence Suzuka covered her mouth with one hand.
"Mmph mmph—" She pulled Silence Suzuka's hand away. "You mean Spe-chan also..."
"If you pay close attention, you'll realize Spe-chan has liked Lucian-kun for a long time already."
Seiun Sky thought back and nodded slowly in confirmation. "I really didn't notice."
Silence Suzuka spread her hands. "Well, I actually didn't notice much either."
"Then... does Spe-chan know that you and I and the Trainer have already..."
Silence Suzuka shook her head. "Spe-chan still doesn't know about the things Lucian-kun and I did to you."
"Suzuka, why aren't you saying the things the Trainer and I did to you..." Seiun Sky's mouth twitched. "So what do we do now? Use the same method you used back then to make Spe-chan understand?"
Silence Suzuka shook her head again. "Spe-chan is thin-skinned—she might not be able to accept it."
"Suzuka, you're not insulting me, right?"
"Of course not. Right now we're talking about Spe-chan."
For the moment, neither of them could come up with a good plan.
"Damn it!" Seiun Sky gritted her teeth in frustration. "It's all the Trainer's fault! I'm going to find him and get some answers!"
"Eh..." Before Silence Suzuka could finish speaking, Seiun Sky stormed off angrily.
She still hadn't mentioned anything about Tokai Teio.
But... Seiun was probably going to confront Lucian-kun, not sneak around behind her back to steal some, right?
While Silence Suzuka was filled with suspicion, Special Week came out of the bathroom. "Sei-chan, where's Seiun?"
"Seiun went to play other attractions. She said we can go ahead first."
"Oh, I see. Suzuka, what should we play next? There are so many things—it's dazzling. I don't even know if we can try everything before tonight."
...