Evening came, and Chiya sat nervously in his room.
Who would've thought that Rice's very first request would be to sleep together.
Honestly, he had expected something like going to an amusement park instead. Last time they didn't get to go, and Rice had been really disappointed. It would've been nice to make up for it. Plus, there were discounts at the park. Going with family made it cheaper, and since Rice always called him "Onii-sama," no one at the ticket counter would question it.
But since he had already agreed, he had to follow through.
When Rice said "sleep together," it was probably in the sense of siblings. It wasn't unusual for brothers and sisters to have slept in the same room at some point. Maybe that was why Rice made the request.
Still, normally, once siblings grow up, that kind of thing stops. If they were still sleeping together during their teenage years, their father would probably break their legs.
Chiya covered his face.
This absolutely could not be found out.
An Uma Musume spending the night in a trainer's room… if word got out, what would people think?
Yota had mentioned that before Chiya arrived, there had been a case where an Uma Musume stayed overnight in a trainer's room. That trainer ended up quitting mysteriously, and no one heard from him again.
It was probably because rumors spread and he couldn't handle the pressure anymore.
Chiya definitely didn't want to end up like that.
At seven in the evening, there was a knock on the door.
When he opened it, he saw the small black-haired girl standing there.
"Onii-sama!"
She held her pajamas in her arms, her face lighting up when she saw him.
"Good evening."
Chiya stepped aside to let her in, then quickly locked the door behind her. He didn't want anyone barging in.
"Have a seat, Rice. Make yourself at home."
"Yes."
Rice took off her shoes and sat on the sofa, gently swinging her legs.
The last time she came here to massage Onii-sama, she hadn't really looked around. Now, she could properly take in his room.
The bedroom and living area were connected, furnished simply. Ahead was a small kitchen separated by a counter, and next to the door was the bathroom.
"Onii-sama, do you usually cook for yourself?"
Looking at the neatly arranged kitchen utensils, Rice asked.
"Hm? Not really."
Chiya brought out some sweets and drinks, placing them on the table. "I usually just eat at the cafeteria."
The kitchen in the staff dorm was basically for decoration. No one used it. Even if someone could cook, the Tracen cafeteria was open almost all day, free, and unlimited. It was just a few minutes' walk away. No one would bother cooking.
The utensils had been there when he moved in, so he just left them.
"I see…"
Rice's eyes flickered slightly as she obediently sipped her juice.
"Rice, do you want to play a game for a bit?"
Chiya turned on the TV.
While staying in the girls' dorm before, he had noticed quite a few students liked playing games. Passing by open dorm rooms, he often saw consoles set up on desks.
Tracen allowed it to some extent, but if they were left out too openly and caught during inspections, there would definitely be trouble.
Compared to that, the staff dorms were much more relaxed.
Aside from the Director occasionally making surprise inspections, no one really cared.
Speaking of the Director…
Chiya walked over to the door and took a wedge from the shoe cabinet, jamming it under the door.
Alright. Now everything was prepared.
Even if someone tried to force the door open tomorrow, he'd have enough time to hide Rice.
"I want to! Rice wants to play with Onii-sama!"
"Alright, let me see if there's something simple we can play together…"
The two of them sat down on the floor.
"Come here, Rice."
Chiya patted the space beside him.
"Yes."
The small girl squeezed into his arms and sat directly on his lap.
"R-Rice, this position is a bit…"
Her head rested against his chest, her long ears brushing against his chin.
"Onii-sama, is it not okay?"
"N-no, it's fine."
It was just… they were too close.
Her soft back pressed completely against him.
Even though she called him Onii-sama, they weren't actually siblings. Sitting like this, pressed together, inevitably made his thoughts wander.
Especially with the faint, pleasant scent coming from her, making his mind even more unsettled.
"Hehe, Onii-sama~"
She swayed lightly, her soft shoulders brushing against him again and again, sending subtle waves of sensation through his body.
"Shirayuki, does your stomach hurt?"
In the Miho dorm, Mejiro Dober, who had been grooming her tail, looked over at Shirayuki, who was suddenly clutching her lower abdomen, bending forward and breathing unevenly.
"No…"
"Really? Your face doesn't look good. Could it be a fever?"
Under the light, Shirayuki's face grew redder. Mejiro Dober put down her brush, walked over, and placed a hand on her forehead.
"Ah!"
Shirayuki's body trembled, her face flushing even more.
"I can't really tell… how about this."
Mejiro Dober leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Shirayuki's.
Seeing the beautiful face so close, Shirayuki's pupils instantly lost focus.
T-this is bad…
Attacked from both sides!
At this moment, Chiya felt like he was undergoing an unprecedented trial.
Especially Rice.
As if simply leaning wasn't enough, she kept pressing closer against him. That subtle friction made his mind spiral into chaos.
"Rice…"
Finally, when his self-control reached its limit, Chiya stood up.
"I—I need to use the bathroom."
Without waiting for her response, he gently set her down and rushed into the bathroom.
"Onii-sama?"
Rice blinked.
Looking at the tightly shut bathroom door, she slowly put down the controller.
"Rice… doesn't dislike that side of Onii-sama…"
She whispered softly, too quiet for anyone to hear.
She touched her back.
The warmth was still there.
No matter how careful Chiya tried to be, at that level of closeness, there was no way Rice wouldn't notice.
She had noticed his state long ago.
She just didn't say anything.
Because to her, it didn't matter.
The Onii-sama who cared for her, who cherished her… no matter what he did, she could accept it.
While he was in the bathroom, Rice quietly took off her clothes and changed into her pajamas.
She had already decided.
Tonight, she would leave behind a precious memory with Onii-sama.