After Yaeno Muteki finished her brief yet powerful self-introduction, her gaze swept across the clubroom before locking precisely onto Myriad Dreams, who was currently trying to curl herself into a ball in the corner.
Without a moment's hesitation, Muteki strode forward with steady steps, weaving past several tables and chairs to sit directly in the empty seat beside Myriad Dreams.
This seat had clearly been left open for her.
Her movements were so natural it was as if she had always been a member of Team Spica.
Feeling the familiar aura and pressure beside her, Myriad Dreams's body instinctively stiffened.
Taking advantage of the gap while Trainer Okino was explaining this week's training plan and the others were momentarily distracted, she tilted her head slightly.
Bringing her lips close to Yaeno Muteki's ear, she whispered in a breathy voice only the two of them could hear:
"Muteki... why did you suddenly transfer to Spica for no reason?"
No sooner had the words left her mouth than she felt the soft flesh of her waist being pinched precisely by a calloused finger, followed by a firm twist!
"Hiss—!" The pain made Myriad Dreams suck in a cold breath, nearly crying out.
She quickly bit her lip and glared at the culprit with a look of grievance.
Yaeno Muteki remained expressionless, as if she hadn't just committed that little act.
She likewise leaned her head in close to Myriad Dreams, her voice low and carrying an undeniable edge in a near-whisper:
"It's because... I don't trust leaving you alone."
"Don't trust leaving me alone?"
Myriad Dreams blinked, even more confused.
"What's there to be worried about? It's not like I'd slack off on training..."
Seeing her completely oblivious and dense expression, a flash of helplessness (and an even deeper sense of possessiveness) flickered in Yaeno Muteki's eyes.
She leaned in again, this time almost brushing against Myriad Dreams's earlobe.
Her warm breath carried a hint of dangerous sweetness as she clearly stated the real reason.
"You idiot... I'm worried that in this new team, you'll end up attracting more sweethearts among the Uma Musume."
Myriad Dreams: "!!!"
Her eyes widened instantly, and her face flushed a bright crimson, the heat spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.
'J-just because of that?!'
She instinctively wanted to argue, but her gaze involuntarily swept across the other members in the room.
The energetic and simple yet clingy Special Week, the cool, beautiful, and exceptionally elegant Mejiro McQueen, the vibrant Tokai Teio who was always getting close to her...
Even the hot-bodied Daiwa Scarlet chatting with Vodka, and Gold Ship, who was liable to pull some bizarre stunt at any moment...
'It seems... actually... it really is... a bit dangerous?'
As soon as the thought surfaced, Myriad Dreams quickly snuffed it out and shook her head vigorously.
'No, no, no! What am I thinking! Everyone is a teammate! It's a pure relationship between comrades!'
But to Yaeno Muteki, this guilty shaking of the head and the blushing cheeks looked like a silent confession.
Muteki let out a soft "Hmph."
Beneath the table, her hand quietly grasped Myriad Dreams's hand.
Her fingertips laced into the gaps between the other's fingers with a force that allowed no escape, completing a firm ten-finger lock.
"In short," Yaeno Muteki issued her final declaration in a voice meant only for two, laced with a hint of pride and absolute control, "from now on, your training, your breaks, and even your meals... I will be watching over all of them. Don't even think about running off."
Feeling the brand-like warmth and pressure from her hand, Myriad Dreams looked at her peer(?) who had already established herself as both "guardian" and "sole designated partner."
Her heart was filled with complex emotions. Helplessness, embarrassment, and a bit of worry for the future.
But beneath it all... there was a hidden sense of security that she hadn't even noticed herself.
She stole a glance at their tightly locked hands under the table, then at Trainer Okino, who seemed perfectly aware of the small movements but chose to look away.
Finally, she looked at her teammates, who appeared to be listening intently to the lecture while their peripheral vision kept drifting toward them...
'My life in Spica... is officially and completely "claimed" now. Everyone knows...'
Myriad Dreams let out yet another helpless sigh in her heart, but this time, she didn't try to pull her hand away.