After seeing Ardan off for the moment, Kitahara's expression still showed no sign of improving.
After all, while he had temporarily dealt with one problem, he still had a whole line of problems waiting for him.
For example, how he should get along with Neicha from here on. For example, what to do about Shanish next. For example, helping Tokai Teio. For example, closing the net on the Black Market. And also...
The Umamusume who appeared before him after he saw Mejiro Ardan off.
Mihono Bourbon.
Nicknamed the Cyborg.
Although the two of them had hardly interacted before, nor did they have any shared past to speak of. By rights, they should have been strangers, or at most acquaintances who nodded when they passed.
The problem was, her Trainer was named Karai Risa.
For Bourbon's sake, the academy had not told her the truth about Karai Risa.
As for how they explained the fact that Karai Risa was under house arrest in Kitahara's dorm...
After thinking it over for a while, the academy gave her an answer Kitahara never would have expected.
Trying for a baby.
No, seriously, are you people insane?
He knew the academy had too many issues lately, and the situation was complicated enough that they probably did not have the time or energy to handle Mihono Bourbon's matter. Maybe they would even dump it on him.
But even if they were dumping the problem on him, there had to be a limit to how they did it.
Even if they did not consider his feelings, Karai Risa was bound to have an opinion, right?
...
"Mm. I'm pregnant with Trainer Kitahara's child."
Faced with Mihono Bourbon's questioning, Karai Risa said those words with an utterly serious expression.
Karai Risa did not care about her own reputation. Or rather, at this point, there was not much left for her to care about.
If there was one thing she did care about, it was probably Mihono Bourbon.
After all, she was Bourbon's Trainer. Now that she had been caught and could no longer take responsibility, she naturally had to think of some way to compensate her as much as she could.
And then Kitahara went numb.
He already had more than enough on his plate, and now they had thrown a new Umamusume at him too.
Although Mihono Bourbon was a relatively obedient Umamusume and more or less listened to him, because of that reason, even though she was usually expressionless, Kitahara could see obvious disgust in her eyes.
Honestly, never mind her. Even Kitahara himself, putting himself in her shoes, could understand it.
A Trainer who had been getting along perfectly well with her had suddenly gotten pregnant by some strange man and been forced to separate from her.
The fact that she did not run up and give him a flying kick was already great restraint.
...Forget it. One step at a time. Once this period passed, after she had some time to adjust and he told her the truth, there probably wouldn't be any further entanglement between them.
Thinking this, Kitahara arranged a training plan for Mihono Bourbon, then got up and left the training grounds.
He wanted some peace and quiet.
...
He said he wanted peace and quiet, but in truth, Kitahara did not have anywhere to go.
His dorm had practically become a public space. Even his own room and bed were occupied over the long term.
The grove that used to be empty had gradually started seeing people again after Agnes Tachyon settled down.
The last time he wanted to go there for some peace and quiet, he had barely sat down when the voices of an Umamusume and a Trainer came from nearby, cutting off his train of thought entirely.
As for off campus, with so many things happening lately, it was not convenient for him to leave.
Fortunately, recently, he had discovered a decent place.
Quiet enough, with no one around to bother him, and it even let him cultivate his taste.
That place was...
"Good day, Trainer Kitahara."
Grass Wonder, sitting formally on a cushion, looked at him and showed a gentle smile.
"Pardon the intrusion."
Kitahara nodded.
Tracen Main Campus allowed students to apply for various activity spaces as long as certain conditions were met.
For example, the Student Council room, or Agnes Tachyon's lab.
Some time ago, Grass Wonder had applied for a clubroom in her capacity as leader of Black Forest.
Partly for office work, and partly to make it easier for Grass Wonder to do things she was interested in.
Such as flower arrangement, brewing tea, or studying martial arts and practicing with a naginata.
By rights, a place like this should have quite a few people in it, just like the Student Council.
But because it had only just been established, although Grass Wonder did have plans to recruit people, at present, she was the only one there.
Grass Wonder was famously quiet by nature. She would neither cause trouble for him nor make any strange, suspicious little moves.
And most importantly—
She was yuri.
For that reason alone, Kitahara felt a sense of security whenever he was beside her.
It was also currently the place most suited for him to get some peace and quiet.
As usual, he walked over to Grass Wonder's side and lay down.
Kitahara closed his eyes and began thinking through his plans for the future.
Though he said he was thinking through plans, before he closed his eyes, what he had seen still made him unable to help sighing inwardly before he started thinking.
No matter how many times he saw it, Grass Wonder's ass really was huge.
Not big in an absolute sense, but in a relative one.
Her figure was clearly so slender, and her chest was not particularly large either, but that butt really was... If one had not seen it, fine. But after even a glance, that intense contrast was hard to forget.
"Were you thinking something rude just now?"
Grass Wonder's voice drifted over faintly.
"...Can you read minds?"
"You were simply being too obvious."
Grass Wonder smiled, looking completely unconcerned.
"That is not behavior befitting a Trainer. I suppose I will have to punish you a little."
As she spoke, Grass Wonder pulled the tea table over, then...
Sat on top of Kitahara.
No, bro.
Where exactly are you sitting?
Kitahara could not help opening his eyes, but seeing Grass Wonder return to her work with a focused expression, he swallowed his words back down.
Forget it. If she wanted to sit, then let her sit. Worst case, he would endure.
That was what he thought.
But he soon discovered he had been wrong.
Because the question was not whether he could endure it. The problem was Grass Wonder.
Why are you wiggling your ass while working?!
It would have been one thing if she had moved especially hard. The problem was that she was moving not only very slightly, but rhythmically too, with her tail swaying back and forth along with it.
And so, before Kitahara could react, little Kitahara raised its head.
Grass Wonder's body went stiff for a brief moment.
Then she swiftly returned to normal.
You noticed, right? You definitely noticed, right? Hurry up and get off, this is really awkward, bro.
Although his bro's butt was very plush, Kitahara could swear that he had no improper thoughts toward his good bro.
But physiological reactions were unavoidable.
Yet in the present situation, since Grass Wonder did not react, he had no idea how to bring it up either.
And so, amid the awkwardness, time ticked by one second at a time.
Just as Kitahara's patience was about to reach its limit, the door was pushed open.
"Grass, I came to see y... ou?"
Special Week opened the door and entered, immediately seeing Grass Wonder and Kitahara on the floor.
Good, someone was finally here.
Kitahara was delighted, thinking that now Grass-san would surely have to take Spe into consideration, and the awkwardness would finally be broken.
However...
"Trainer Kitahara made a small mistake, so I am punishing him. Would you like to join me?"
Grass Wonder calmly extended the invitation to Special Week.
Special Week blinked, then broke into a bright smile.
"Sure."
---
T/N: bro....
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