I actually bought it in a moment of impulse!
Back at Tracen, Shirayuki looked at the sheer lace underwear and covered her face.
It was definitely Gold Ship's fault! If Gold Ship had not kept saying weird things beside her, she never would have wanted to buy something like this. That was right, it was all Gold Ship's fault. She definitely did not want this!
After lying on the floor and repenting for a while, Shirayuki picked up the garment and held it against herself in front of the mirror.
She had to admit, it really was beautiful.
Her pale, milky skin paired with the translucent fabric made her look like an angel untouched by the world. Even just looking at it was enough to make the eyes linger.
Besides, she had already bought it. Wouldn't it be a waste not to use it?
After folding it neatly, Shirayuki placed it in Chiya's wardrobe. She would be sleeping in this room from now on anyway, so there was no need to take it back on purpose.
If she wore it, it would be for herself to see.
Well, she could not see it from this side, but Chiya could.
Thinking that, Shirayuki felt secretly pleased.
On Chiya's side, he was still discussing the Longchamp Racecourse exhibition with Satake Mei and would not be back for a while. Shirayuki lay down on the bed. They had spent the whole day outside, and she was exhausted. Especially near the end, when Rice Shower had pulled Chiya into the store and asked him to judge which underwear looked better.
That said, Rice Shower had only tried on student-like styles. She had not worn the first black strappy one.
In the end, Satake Mei had paid the bill, all under Tracen's public expenses. Shirayuki did not know whether Rice Shower had actually bought it.
For some reason, she felt a little expectant.
Wait. What am I looking forward to?
Am I hoping Rice really bought it?
Just as Shirayuki fell into self-doubt, someone knocked on the door.
Her ears stood up. She looked through the peephole and saw her mother's junior.
Montjeu.
After hesitating briefly, Shirayuki opened the door.
"Hm? Shirayuki? So you were here. Treve has been looking for you. Is Chiya in?"
"He… went out for something."
"I see. By the way, are you living with Chiya?"
Montjeu raised an eyebrow.
"I only come over occasionally."
Montjeu nodded and did not think too much of it.
After all, Chiya was Northern Dancer's son, and Shirayuki was Northern Dancer's daughter. Even if they lived together, it was not strange.
"Did you need something, Miss Montjeu?"
"Tomorrow, Treve and I are going to Longchamp Racecourse for training. I was wondering if he had time. Do you want to come too, Shirayuki?"
"Are you two going to run together?"
"Mm. If you want, I can bring you along as well."
Although Montjeu was Treve's teacher, Shirayuki was also the child of her senior. Montjeu regarded Northern Dancer as the benefactor who had helped shape her. Back at school, she had received a lot of care from her. So for the child of the senior she respected most, Montjeu also wanted to do what she could.
Treve had also shown considerable interest in Shirayuki. When Montjeu proposed the idea, she agreed without hesitation. She very much wanted to train with Shirayuki too.
For uma musume, running was a better form of communication than language. From another person's movements and aura, they could sense what the other was thinking.
Since the two of them could not communicate through words, then they could simply communicate through their bodies on the track.
After thinking for a moment, Shirayuki nodded.
"All right. I'll go with you tomorrow."
"You should tell Chiya first. It wouldn't be good if this conflicts with his plan."
"It's fine. I can decide."
Montjeu looked at Shirayuki with slight surprise.
That was quite a confident tone.
Did the younger sister of the Fujiwara family have more say than the older brother? Or could uma musume in Japan ride over their trainers like that?
Before leaving, Montjeu asked,
"When you have time, shall we go out together? You came all the way to Paris. Surely you aren't only thinking about racing."
"I'll find time."
After Montjeu left, Chiya's side also finished setting the exhibition schedule with the Longchamp staff. On the way back, Hayakawa Tazuna called him.
As usual, she asked about how he had been recently. And then…
"Nothing has happened between you and Shirayuki, right?"
It seemed this was what Tazuna wanted to ask most. Everything before it had merely been preparation for this question.
Her voice was full of worry, as if some time bomb placed beside Chiya might explode at any moment.
"No," Chiya answered as usual.
Nothing had happened between him and Shirayuki.
They were merely living together, sleeping in the same bed, and had happened to buy a rather suggestive piece of underwear.
Nothing serious.
"If there's a problem, you must contact me immediately," Tazuna reminded him again.
Aside from Tazuna, the person who asked most frequently was Mejiro Dober. Her questions were more or less the same, and Chiya's answers were also more or less the same.
When he returned to the room, Chiya took off his jacket.
The days were getting closer and closer to July, and the temperature was rising. Even at night, the air outside was stifling.
Shirayuki handed him a glass of ice water.
The two sat on the sofa. As Chiya fanned himself, Shirayuki suddenly smelled something pleasant beside him.
It was sweet, with a faint fruity note.
At first, she thought it was the honey fruit tea in the kitchen. But then she realized the scent was coming from Chiya.
Shirayuki sniffed and leaned closer.
Chiya had not sprayed perfume, nor had he spilled any drink on himself. So why was he giving off that smell?
For some reason, after smelling it, Shirayuki's mind began to grow strangely excited. She opened the man's shirt and found the source of the scent.
Sweat…?
Yes.
The scent was coming from his sweat, not from his clothes.
What was going on?
She had never noticed this kind of scent on herself before.
Chiya could not smell it himself either.
Shirayuki thought about it for a while but came up with nothing.
With her intelligence, it was better not to think too deeply about it. Perhaps this was simply Chiya's natural scent. Besides, when Shirayuki smelled it, she felt refreshed, as if the fatigue of the whole day had disappeared.
Why did it smell so good?
As the fan moved the air, the scent grew stronger.
Looking at the drops of sweat appearing on his neck, Shirayuki swallowed.
A thought suddenly appeared in her mind.
That should taste good.
No, not should…
Saliva gathered at the corner of her mouth.
Affected by the body's reaction, Chiya's throat also became dry.
Maybe I should just try it…
It's only my own sweat anyway.
Thinking this, Shirayuki stretched out her pink tongue and gently touched Chiya's neck.
In that instant, a sweet sensation, almost like fruit juice bursting open, rushed into her mind. The intense stimulation made Shirayuki's thoughts short-circuit for a moment, and Chiya also briefly lost focus.
When both of them regained their senses, Shirayuki had already climbed close to him, and the sweat around Chiya's neck had been completely licked clean.
Even the skin there had been kissed faintly red.