Chiya's performance over the past month has been perfect!
Hayakawa Tazuna quickly recorded it in her notebook. In the past, Miss Kitaji Maito had told her that using a scoring system made it easy to judge a person's growth. Hayakawa Tazuna thought this made a lot of sense, so she applied it to Chiya after he grew up. When chatting with Air Groove, she had also casually mentioned it.
Ever since she and Chiya had crossed that line, no matter what he did, she found him incredibly pleasing to the eye. Her affection for Chiya had also been growing higher and higher. Sometimes, Tazuna would even have thoughts of stripping Chiya down and getting close to him again, but each time she forcefully suppressed them.
No matter what, Chiya was still a man. Being pushed too far by her would damage his pride. Tazuna did not want Chiya to develop disgust toward this kind of happy relationship, as if she were some kind of villain.
On the way to the director's office, Hayakawa Tazuna saw Chiya and Shirayuki walking together through the window. It was rare to see the siblings spending time alone together.
Speaking of siblings, Hayakawa Tazuna suddenly remembered something strange that Kitaji Maito had said when she came to Tracen that day.
"I now have a lovely daughter."
When she said that, Kitaji Maito's expression had been very happy.
What did that mean? Could it be that Miss Kitaji Maito was planning to have a second child? That should not be possible, right? She had used the past tense, so Miss Kitaji Maito should already have one.
But for something so major, there was no way the trainer would not inform her. Rather, if the director knew she had gained a younger sister, she would definitely use the excuse of holding an event to make all of Tracen celebrate it. Yes, that was exactly the kind of person the director was.
Who exactly was the "daughter" Kitaji Maito had spoken of...?
Before she knew it, Hayakawa Tazuna had already walked up to the two of them.
"Chiya, Shirayuki, hello."
"Tazuna."
"Tazuna-oneechan."
The two spoke at the same time. Their expressions were perfectly synchronized, and their identical movements gave Hayakawa Tazuna the impression that she was looking at real siblings connected by blood. But Chiya did not have a biological younger sister. Hayakawa Tazuna knew this, because she had watched Chiya grow up from the moment he was born.
"Are you working?"
"I'm accompanying Shirayuki while she handles her Student Council duties." Chiya smiled and said, "What about you, Tazuna?"
"I just finished cleaning your room and was about to head to the director's office."
"I see. You finished cleaning my... my room?"
"That's right. I felt like I hadn't gone there in a long time. You've kept your room very tidy. I helped you wash your clothes and also changed your bedding for a new set."
"That really was troublesome for you..."
Fujiwara Chiya did not know what kind of expression he should make. He felt like he had no privacy in front of Tazuna at all. Speaking of which, she would not have thrown away his merchandise, would she? He had exchanged two flowerbeds for those back then.
"And I found a hot spring voucher in your drawer. The director gave it to you, right?"
"Mm. I'm planning to go at the end of the month."
"Who are you planning to bring?"
"Shirayuki and the others. I want those Uma Musume to relax a little."
"Knowing how to care for your Uma Musume's bodies is very good. And then... if it's just them, the number of people still won't be full, right?"
Hayakawa Tazuna's smile was gentle. Fujiwara Chiya could feel her gaze on him. The hint was already very obvious.
"Do you want to come too?"
"Oh my~ Then I'll gladly accept."
Hayakawa Tazuna accepted on the spot without hesitation.
Fujiwara Chiya secretly calculated in his head.
It should be fine to bring her along, right? Hot springs were separated by gender. No matter what, Tazuna would not go running into the men's bath...
Wait, why did he have to be on guard against Tazuna? Usually, shouldn't it be the other way around?
"I'll call you when we set off."
"Then I'll look forward to it."
Hayakawa Tazuna showed a happy smile. She once again glanced at the siblings, who said nothing but interacted so naturally through their movements, then went upstairs to the director's office. She reported her work, then brought up the end-of-the-month matter with Akikawa Yayoi.
"I want to take leave that day, Director Akikawa. I'm going to the hot spring with Chiya."
"Hah? You two have already reached that stage?"
"More than that."
Hayakawa Tazuna touched her warm cheek.
"I've already tasted Chiya's flavour."
Crack!
Akikawa Yayoi heard the sound of something breaking.
"Tazuna! You—!"
"What's wrong, Director Akikawa? Chiya and I both wanted it. Is there anything wrong with that?"
"Cut it out. I know Chiya's personality very well! That little guy doesn't even dare to confess, so how could he possibly invite you first? It had to be you, didn't it? You were the one who pushed Chiya down, weren't you?"
"To think the director noticed. That's right, I did it. But Chiya didn't resist. Rather, he was also very passionate."
Hayakawa Tazuna hugged her own shoulders, recalling the afterglow of that day. Her heart began beating quickly.
Akikawa Yayoi was so angry that her lungs were about to burst. She had originally wanted to give Chiya a normal life, letting him safely and peacefully become a trainer. She had not expected Hayakawa Tazuna to still make her move.
And that woman's personality was not as gentle as she seemed on the surface. When Yayoi first met Tazuna, the two of them had fought more than a little. During one especially extreme incident, Tazuna had almost hit her own trainer. She was an Uma Musume with an extremely bad temper.
Later, under her trainer's guidance, her temperament changed. After Chiya was born, she hid her violent side completely, becoming like a caring older sister.
But no matter how much she concealed it, she could not change her nature. Hayakawa Tazuna was still an impulsive person. Especially when matters involved Chiya, her self-control became extremely poor.
To be honest, Akikawa Yayoi did not think Tazuna and Chiya were very compatible. With such a strong obsession, problems were bound to happen sooner or later. But she also could not forcefully separate the two of them. If she did, Tazuna would definitely explode.
It could be said that Akikawa Yayoi had been acting as Chiya's invisible protective umbrella, keeping his life stable. The troublesome interviews, Central's nitpicking, the criticism from the lowered rating—all kinds of problems had been blocked by Akikawa Yayoi. She only wanted him to become a trainer peacefully and fulfil his dream.
Unfortunately, Tazuna was an exception outside the rules. She was the one person even Akikawa Yayoi could not control. She was an uncontrollable factor. Even though Akikawa Yayoi had paid close attention, Tazuna had still succeeded.
"Then at the end of the month, I'll go with Chiya. I'll finish my work in advance."
Hayakawa Tazuna lowered her head. Her attitude already made it clear that no matter what Akikawa Yayoi said, she was absolutely going.
"I understand. You can go that day. But in exchange, I'm going too!"
"What?"
"What's wrong? You're allowed to go, but I'm not? The number of people isn't full anyway. If I say I want to go with Chiya, does he dare say no?"
"Director Akikawa... are you trying to ruin this hot spring trip?"
Hayakawa Tazuna's smile stiffened.
"What's wrong with me deepening my bond with my younger brother? I was the one who looked after that little guy before he could even talk."
The two glared at each other, neither willing to yield.
In the corridor, Fujiwara Chiya and Fujiwara Shirayuki sneezed at the same time.
Why did today's air feel especially chilly?