"By the way, Sky—where are we going?" Kaito asked as they left Tracen Academy. He had familiarized himself with the area before, but in a city this big, it was still easy to get lost.
"Just follow me, Trainer. Aoi-chan's taking you somewhere really nice."
"Sky, do you still wear your uniform when you're out?"
Kaito remembered that when she'd put on an apron before, some kind of outfit unlock had inexplicably triggered.
"Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Depends on my mood. Like right now—Aoi-chan's in a great mood, so I felt like wearing it."
"What about casual clothes?"
"When I don't feel like exercising and just want to relax, I'll wear those."
"I see."
So that meant Seiun Sky felt like being active today?
They walked along the main road for about ten minutes before Kaito spoke up. "Let me help you, Sky. Those fishing tools look pretty heavy."
"Wah~ Trainer's learned how to be considerate of me. All right then—this one's yours, and I'll take this." As she spoke, Seiun Sky handed him a fishing rod, then naturally took Kaito's hand. "That makes things much easier."
"Yeah."
Having already experienced more 'positions' than he could count, this kind of thing no longer made him shy or flustered. Kaito had skipped straight past the early stages of romance and arrived at the final step—like playing a dating sim by watching the true ending first, then unlocking the routes afterward. It could still be fun, but something essential was missing.
"Trainer, I brought a bento too. Let's eat outside at noon, then take a nap for a bit. How about we head back in the evening?"
"You've really thought this through… Are we going to fish—"
Before he could finish, his phone rang. Kaito took it out. The caller ID read Tokai Teio.
"Who is it?" Sky asked.
"Teio. I'll talk to her—"
"Let me." Seiun Sky took the phone from him, hung up without hesitation, then typed out a message and sent it.
[There's a central meeting today. I'll be back late.]
"You're just making that up?"
"Trainer's spending the day with Aoi-chan. Don't think about anything else." As she spoke, Seiun Sky leaned against his arm, her tail coiling around his waist. It was the same kind of behavior Teio had shown back then—something that only happened once affection hit max.
One Uma Musume at max affection with him was fine. Two was already dangerous. As for three or more… Kaito couldn't even imagine it yet.
Soon, Tokai Teio replied.
[I'll be waiting in Trainer's room until you get back.]
My room? Can Teio even get in? …She can. He never locks the door. Wait—! Kaito suddenly remembered that Manhattan Cafe was still in his room. Was she awake? Or still asleep? There's no way she won't run into Teio, right?!
In his mind, he could already see Teio blowing up in rage at the sight of Cafe sleeping on his bed.
"Sky, let's stay out tonight!"
Kaito made the decision instantly. Until this event flag resolved, there was no way he was going back.
"Stay out… hm~? Trainer, are you planning to do something to Aoi-chan?" Seiun Sky's lips curved upward, her smile bright and playful.
"What if I am?"
"Oh? Trainer, did you forget that you're the weaker one here?"
"Maybe I'll push past human limits just to take you down."
"Then you should give it a try. I'll cheer you on—do your best to push me down. If it helps you break your limits, then staying out sounds perfect. Tracen's too noisy anyway. Out here it's quiet. Just you and me. No one to disturb us. We can do whatever we want."
They crossed the street and entered a wooded area, gradually heading toward the foot of a mountain. There were fewer and fewer people around; the sounds of traffic faded, replaced by birdsong. Kaito looked up at the dense canopy overhead.
"What is it, Trainer?"
"…Nothing."
He remembered that first month—when he'd run into the woods around Tracen to escape reality, living there for a while.
It had been… unforgettable.
"Are we there?"
"Almost… ta-da!" Pushing aside a patch of bushes, Seiun Sky pointed ahead.
A large pond lay hidden within the forest, its surface glowing with a blue-green sheen. A massive, flat rock jutted out beside it—an almost perfect, natural fishing spot.
How she'd even found a place like this was beyond him.
"So? Pretty great, right, Trainer?"
"Only you could find somewhere like this."
"Hehe. Then let's get set up." She busied herself with the fishing gear, quickly assembling two rods. Patting the spot beside her, she motioned for Kaito to sit, handed him a rod, and just like that, the two of them began fishing at a leisurely pace.
Staring at the blue-green lake, Kaito let his mind go blank.
He caught nothing.
"Trainer, you can't just stare at the water like that. You'll scare the fish away. You should do what I do." Seiun Sky propped the rod beside her, clasped her hands behind her head, and lay back on the big rock.
"Won't the fish get away?"
"It's fine. Aoi-chan's listening the whole time." She tapped her ear. An Uma Musume's hearing was incredibly sharp—even thick walls couldn't block sound from them.
As expected of a true fishing addict. Professional.
But Kaito didn't have that kind of patience. He needed something to pass the time.
Conveniently, there was a perfect way to do that right here.
He patted his thigh.
"How about lying here?"
"Hm? Trainer, you're pretty proactive today. Normally you're the one who likes lying on my lap."
"Let me return the favor for once."
He wanted to rua Seiun Sky's ears. Those slightly pointed, fluffy ears were top-tier indulgences—once you started kneading them, an entire day could slip by without you noticing. And Uma Musume loved having their ears touched. Every time he finished, they'd be flushed, ears red, blissed out of their minds.
Some of them would even collapse onto him afterward, refusing to leave, turning themselves into living body pillows.
Most of them had fairly large ears.
Just like that, Kaito played with Seiun Sky's ears. He knew her weak spot—when his fingers brushed the inside edge, her body would jolt as if shocked by electricity.
He never got tired of it.
This was a way of "playing" with Uma Musume too. The more they squirmed under his touch, the more it proved how good his technique was. His experience in this area just kept climbing.
"Trainer."
Finally, Seiun Sky spoke, unable to endure it any longer. "We're far from the city. No one's coming out here."
"Mm? What about it…?"
"So even if something happens out here, no one would notice."
Her ears had already had their fill. Now, Seiun Sky was planning to enjoy somewhere else.
"I was going to wait until you fell asleep tonight, Trainer. But if you're this impatient, there's no need to wait."
She lifted her head, her nose tracing a slow path—from his chest, to his waist, then lower.
Licking her lips, Seiun Sky grabbed Kaito's belt.
"I'm digging in~."