After saying, "Please give me your hair tie," Trainer Chiya stood there with the expression of someone ready to face death.
There was no way he could say the kind of request Agnes Tachyon suggested. Only someone completely unhinged would actually follow through with that.
He had seen plenty of people confess to Hayakawa and get rejected. Those people could not even face her afterward.
That was the reality of adulthood. Once you embarrassed yourself that badly, you could not even stay friends.
Chiya had no intention of becoming one of them.
So he chose the safest option.
"…If I heard correctly, Trainer Chiya, you would like my hair tie?" Hayakawa tilted her head slightly, looking puzzled.
"Yes."
There was no backing out now.
"I thought it looked very nice, so I was wondering if you could give it to me."
Chiya clenched his fist, summoning all his courage.
To him, this was already the most improper request he could possibly make toward her.
Hayakawa's emerald eyes showed a hint of confusion. She raised her hand.
For a brief moment, Chiya thought she was about to slap him.
Instead, she reached behind her head and removed the yellow hair tie securing her twin tails.
Her long brown hair cascaded down like a waterfall.
She gently placed the hair tie into his hand.
"I found it at a clothing store. The staff said it suited my hair color very well, so I quite liked it and bought a few. It's nothing valuable, so if Trainer Chiya likes it, please take it."
She smiled softly.
Chiya stared at the hair tie in his hand, still carrying a faint fragrance. After a moment of silence, he lowered his head.
"I'll treasure it."
"Then do your best with your work, Trainer Chiya."
She waved lightly before turning to leave.
As she walked away, she glanced back slightly, noticing Chiya still staring blankly at the hair tie in his hand.
A hair tie… was it really just a hair tie?
Thinking back to how he had stuttered earlier, especially that "un" sound, she had briefly thought he was going to ask for something far more intimate.
The thought made her face flush red.
Looks like I misunderstood. He does not have that kind of courage yet.
Still, for a healthy young man like him, such thoughts would not be unusual.
She gently touched the hand that had just given him the hair tie, as if imagining touching Chiya's head, then brought it to her lips.
Not yet.Until I shape you into a reliable man, I will hold myself back.
After Hayakawa left, Chiya carefully put the hair tie into his pocket.
Is this normal?
Normally, a woman would not casually give away something so personal.
But if I think about it the other way… if Hayakawa, Aoi, or Nase asked me for something like a hat or gloves…
Yeah. I would probably give it to them without hesitation.
Returning to his team, Chiya resumed guiding their training.
The participants for next week had been decided. He planned to adjust the training plans specifically for them, or rather, for two of them.
Since the rookie event involved teams of four Uma Musume, strategy would be important. He intended to teach them how to manipulate pacing and disrupt their opponents' timing.
"Alright, that's it for today."
Chiya raised his hand.
"Tomorrow, Dober, Rice, and Shirayuki, you will train separately with me. The rest of you continue as planned."
"Yes!"
After everyone left, Chiya returned to his office.
Alright… I will stay a bit longer and finish tomorrow's training plans.
Ah, right… and this.
He touched the hair tie in his pocket.
I should get a small box for it later. It is the first thing I have received from Hayakawa.
Back in the office, Chiya focused on his work. Outside, the sky gradually darkened. Meanwhile, Shirayuki returned to the dorm, idly scrolling through her phone, half working, half relaxing.
Time passed.
Eventually, there was a knock on the office door.
Who is it at this hour?
Chiya looked up. Before he could respond, the door opened.
The moment he saw those dull crimson eyes, his heart sank.
"Hmm?"
Agnes Tachyon raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Shirayuki? Why are you here? Where is Trainer Chiya?"
She glanced around the room.
"Did you come to work in his place?"
"Eh? No… I am not here to work for him."
The moment he said that, Chiya felt something was off.
At the same time, from another perspective, Mejiro Dober entered the dorm room and asked, "Shirayuki, when did you get back?"
Wait… if Shirayuki is there, then this body should be Chiya…
So why is Tachyon talking to me like this?
Do not tell me…
When Chiya looked back at Tachyon, she was already smiling as if she had caught something.
"Agnes Tachyon!"
"Is that how you speak to a senior, Shirayuki-san?"
"Sorry, Tachyon-senpai!"
Chiya immediately covered his mouth.
That was not even a conscious response…
It was pure instinct.
Like a cat reacting to a sound, or someone turning when their name is called.
When he heard "Shirayuki," he responded as Shirayuki.
He did not consciously distinguish between himself and Shirayuki. His reactions depended entirely on how others addressed him.
"How interesting, Trainer Chiya."
With a click, Tachyon locked the door.
Then she slowly approached.
Cold sweat ran down Chiya's back.
This is bad…
It felt like death itself was closing in on him.
"What are you doing… stay back…"
He leaned further into his chair as she approached, until he was almost lying down.
"I am just curious. Why do you react when I call Shirayuki? Does that mean you are Shirayuki?"
"Do not be ridiculous. I am Fujiwara Chiya. What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Hm. Do not try to fool me."
She smiled slightly.
"I clearly told you in the lab to ask Hayakawa for her underwear to test her affection. And yet, you acted on it, did you not?"
"That is not true. I did not ask for underwear!"
"Oh?"
Tachyon's smile widened.
"So you are not denying what happened in the lab."
Chiya froze.
This is bad… she is too sharp.
From the moment she walked in, he had been completely led by her.
"Sit up, Trainer Chiya. Let us talk properly."
Hearing that, Chiya slowly sat up.
The moment her gaze shifted away, he suddenly dashed toward the door.
But before he could take more than two steps, a slender hand grabbed him firmly from behind.
"Where do you think you are going, Trainer Chiya?"
Tachyon smiled, sending a chill down his spine.
"Do you really think a human can escape from an Uma Musume?"
Her fingers tightened like steel, locking him in place.
"If you continue to resist, I will have to use some special methods."
Under Chiya's horrified gaze, Tachyon calmly took out a rope she had prepared in advance.