A soft warmth brushed against his neck.
Fujiwara Chiya opened his eyes and found Grass Wonder lying beside him, pressing gentle kisses along his throat. Her fair cheeks glowed faintly, damp with the afterglow of the morning. Her pretty brown bangs clung to her forehead, and her long, silky hair spilled across the sheets like a waterfall over her smooth shoulders.
When she noticed he was awake, Grass Wonder smiled, her expression sweet enough to melt him on the spot.
"Good morning, my husband."
"Grass…"
Fujiwara Chiya yawned, his whole body pleasantly heavy.
"You still haven't changed that way of calling me, huh?"
"This is merely my own selfish wish," Grass Wonder said softly. "In private, I will call you that. At all other times, I will still address you as Trainer Chiya."
Her small hand rested against his chest as she leaned against his shoulder, delicate and devoted.
Seeing Grass Wonder acting so obediently, Fujiwara Chiya couldn't resist reaching up to stroke her soft ears. The girl smiled serenely, then took his hand in hers and pressed it to her cheek.
She was completely different from how she acted around Shirayuki.
No, she was the exact opposite.
When Grass Wonder was with Shirayuki, she was shockingly forceful. Even when Shirayuki clearly rejected her advances, Grass Wonder would still cling to her relentlessly, pressing Shirayuki down before she could escape.
Strong. Stubborn. Almost overbearing.
Grass Wonder's feelings for Shirayuki had reached the point of obsession. And yet, when she faced Chiya, she softened to the extreme.
Not physically.
Her attitude.
"My husband… did I… make you happy?"
"It's all right. As long as it makes you happy, even if you're a little rough…"
"My love cannot be expressed through touch alone," Grass Wonder whispered. "So please, kiss me."
Fujiwara Chiya finally understood what people meant by Yamato Nadeshiko.
Gentle. Considerate. Devoted enough to offer everything she had.
Compared to the many assertive uma musume around him, Grass Wonder's absolute obedience undoubtedly satisfied a man's instinctive desire to be relied on. Her personality, without question, was the very picture of a good wife and wise mother.
Of course, perhaps the real Grass Wonder was not quite this obedient. When facing Shirayuki, she could be terrifyingly stubborn.
But as the saying went, different people called for different sides of oneself.
Toward Shirayuki, Grass Wonder was one way.
Toward Chiya, she was another.
Even if Grass Wonder had already placed Chiya and Shirayuki in the same category in her heart, the difference in gender still determined which side of herself she chose to show. When facing Fujiwara Chiya, she displayed her graceful, devoted side to the fullest.
Grass Wonder held his hand and kissed his fingers, her lips brushing lightly against his fingertips. Seeing the comfortable look on his face, she smiled.
She had fulfilled what she believed to be her duty as a wife.
Last night had been Grass Wonder's first time sharing such intimacy. She had been nervous. It had not been easy. But more than anything, she had been happy.
A deep warmth had settled in her chest and spread through her body, leaving her trembling with emotion. It was the first time she had offered herself so completely to someone, and Grass Wonder felt utterly fulfilled.
Whether or not there had been a wedding ceremony, she had now formed an unbreakable bond with Yuki-chan.
Just when Yuki-chan had become loved by countless people, just when the distance between them seemed to grow wider and wider, Grass Wonder finally felt the relief of being able to stay close.
She no longer had to fear being abandoned.
Grass Wonder hugged Fujiwara Chiya's arm and rubbed her soft cheek against him. Watching the girl pour out her affection so openly, Fujiwara Chiya turned toward her and gently stroked her hair.
As Shirayuki, he had bathed with Grass Wonder before. Slept beside her before.
But back then, it had been little more than him wanting to enjoy the perks of being around girls. After all, he had just become a girl himself. Given the chance to openly be close with other girls, of course Fujiwara Chiya had not refused.
But later, as he gradually gained the sensibilities of an uma musume, the way he looked at girls changed as well.
To Shirayuki, Grass Wonder had always been a close friend.
As Fujiwara Chiya, however, he had not had that much direct contact with her. Logically speaking, the two of them should never have developed this kind of relationship.
And yet, Grass Wonder had forced her way here through sheer devotion to Shirayuki.
Even if Fujiwara Chiya had not felt anything particularly special for her before, he had now been moved by this proud, determined girl.
"Thank you, Grass. For falling in love with Shirayuki."
That was not only gratitude for everything she had given him.
It was also gratitude that someone had come to truly love the girl he had created from the bottom of her heart.
Shirayuki was Fujiwara Chiya himself.
At the same time, she was also the ideal girl he had brought into existence.
For a girl like that to be loved so sincerely by Grass Wonder, Fujiwara Chiya felt he had to answer those feelings properly.
"Trainer Chiya."
Grass Wonder looked at the man before her and closed her eyes.
"Falling in love with Yuki-chan is the greatest happiness of my life. I want that happiness to continue. So please, allow me to stay by your side. Yours and Yuki-chan's."
"…Then I'll be counting on you from here on."
"Yes, my husband… Ah, no. Trainer Chiya."
Grass Wonder smiled.
After breakfast, Fujiwara Chiya got up and headed to the television station.
Grass Wonder stayed behind in the dorm room, tidied the bedding, washed away the traces of the previous night, and then made her way to school.
The moment she entered the classroom, she saw Shirayuki sitting at the very front. Shirayuki waved at her.
"Good morning, Grass."
"Good morning, Yuki-chan."
As she passed by, Grass Wonder bent down and leaned close to Shirayuki's ear.
"Good morning, my husband."
Ah…
Now the classroom was truly lively.
"Grass, where did you go yesterday? You didn't come back," El Condor Pasa asked from the seat behind her.
"Ara, El. I went to do something very important."
"What kind of thing?"
"A life event."
Grass Wonder returned to her seat and gently rubbed her slightly aching stomach.
The warmth from last night still lingered inside her.
Trainer Chiya loved Yuki-chan.
She loved Yuki-chan too.
And Yuki-chan was Trainer Chiya.
Grass Wonder had no intention of sorting out those complicated details. She only needed to understand one thing.
The bonds they once had would not disappear simply because time had passed or identities had changed.
Feelings settled over time only became denser, firmer, more unshakable.
And one day, she would hold Yuki-chan's child in her arms and live happily in that home.
…
"Now then, I'll go over the schedule before the Arima Kinen."
After returning from the interview, Fujiwara Chiya addressed his uma musume.
"Since this will be the Empress's final race, everyone on the team will take a commemorative photo together. After that, we'll distribute signed photos to the fans."
"It's ending?"
Orfevre lifted her head, displeasure clear in her voice.
"Are you saying the Empress's races stop here? Don't joke with me, Trainer. She can still run."
"Orfevre…"
Fujiwara Chiya fell silent for a moment.
"Shirayuki's body has already started declining."