Chapter 23: So Comfortable I Almost Moaned

Chapter 23: So Comfortable I Almost Moaned

While Tokai Teiou and Mejiro McQueen were deep in their conversation, elsewhere, far from the buzz of the student council office, peace reigned in the lounge of a luxurious hot spring inn.

"Achoo—!"

Kitasan Black blinked and immediately turned toward the sound.

“Trainer, did you catch a cold!?”

Seeing Makoto sneeze out of nowhere, she looked genuinely concerned and started to get up.

“I’ll go call the medic—!”

“No need. I’m fine. Probably just someone talking about me behind my back.”

Makoto raised a hand to stop her, brushing off the sneeze with a small laugh. He gave her a quick glance up and down.

“So, how is it? The hot spring here.”

The usually sporty and energetic Kitasan was, at the moment, a far cry from her usual image. Gone was the race-day uniform, gone was the glittering outfit she wore during the Winner’s Stage.

Instead, she was wrapped in a deep crimson yukata.

The fabric was light and soft, clinging gently to her still-developing figure—elegant yet unpretentious. It brought out the shape of her shoulders and waist just enough to hint at the athleticism underneath, and yet there was something still youthful, almost childlike, in her proportions.

Her signature ribbon was nowhere to be seen. Her long black hair was let down, freshly washed and still slightly damp, draping over her shoulders in a silky cascade. A faint blush lingered on her cheeks, likely from the warmth of the bath, and her eyes looked calmer than usual.

For once, she had a gentle, quiet air about her—so different from the lively, spirited girl Makoto saw every day on the track.

Of course, that illusion didn’t last long.

“Mm-hmm! It feels amazing!” she said with a beaming grin. “Way more comfortable than the ones Grandpa used to take me to!”

Kitasan’s whole body seemed to light up as she continued, gesturing animatedly with her hands.

“And the people here are so good at massage! Their techniques are amazing! I felt so good I almost moaned a few times!”

...

Wait, what?

Makoto blinked. That... didn’t sound quite right.

Something about the way she said it made his brain do a double take. It wasn’t like she meant anything weird, but… still.

Sure enough, when he glanced around, a few of the other guests were giving them strange looks.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Makoto quickly steered the topic elsewhere.

“Well, you did great in the race, and the medical check came back clean. No issues.”

“But that doesn’t mean your body isn’t tired. Fatigue builds up over time, even if you can’t feel it.”

He folded his arms and leaned against a nearby column.

“Hot springs are great for recovery. And this place offers special therapy services designed specifically for Umamusume. That’s why I brought you here.”

The facility was only a short trip from the Tokyo Racecourse. While it had all the usual hot springs, open-air baths, and massage options, its real selling point was the customized physical therapy services for Umamusume.

Makoto had done his homework before even coming to Tokyo. The moment the race schedule was finalized, he’d bookmarked this place as a potential spot for post-race recovery. After the Winner’s Stage ended, there was no hesitation—he brought Kitasan here without delay.

And based on her glowing reaction, it was the right call.

If there was one thing to nitpick... it was the cost.

The facility charged by the hour. And with the additional massage and therapy sessions he’d scheduled for Kitasan, it worked out to nearly 5,000 yen per hour.

Assuming they stayed for a full eight-hour night? That’d run 80,000 yen.

Luxurious, no question about it.

But Makoto didn’t mind the expense.

In his previous life, money had never been an issue. And while he couldn’t live the same way this time around, he also didn’t have many needs. Between his family’s living allowance and the money he’d saved up from part-time jobs during high school, he could afford the occasional splurge.

Besides, Kitasan had just pulled off a major victory. The prize money was nothing to scoff at—six million yen.

According to their contract, once taxes were taken out, it would be around 4 million yen, and the money  would be split between the two of them.

Kitasan’s share would be transferred by the academy directly to her family. His, on the other hand, would go straight into his personal account.

Even though the money hadn’t hit his balance yet, Makoto couldn’t help but feel a little wealthy.

That said, he’d been too busy focusing on Kitasan’s recovery to enjoy the hot spring himself.

Now that she was settled in, he stood up.

“Well then, your schedule from now until tomorrow is simple: rest. However you want to relax is totally up to you.”

“I’m going to soak in the bath for a bit. You’ve already got your room key, so you can chill here or head back to your room.”

“No need to worry about the cost. Everything’s already taken care of—just enjoy yourself.”

“Mm-hmm! Thanks, Trainer!” Kitasan nodded brightly. “I was thinking of calling Teiou-senpai and Diamond-chan anyway. I’ll head back to the room!”

Makoto watched her hop off with a smile, then made his way to the men’s bath.

Once inside, he let himself fully unwind—basking in the hot water, enjoying the scent of hinoki wood, and letting the fatigue melt from his limbs.

That had always been his philosophy: when it’s time to work, work with everything you’ve got. When it’s time to rest, relax completely.

In his past life, rest had been more of a necessity to keep functioning under pressure. Now, though? It was something to enjoy.

Later that night, when Makoto returned to his room, he blinked in surprise.

Kitasan Black was already there, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the giant flat-screen TV, playing a video game.

“...So, did I walk into the wrong room, or is there something you need, Kitasan?”

“Huh? Nope, Trainer, you’re in the right room.”

Still clutching the controller in her hands, her eyes didn’t even leave the screen.

“Just give me a sec—I need to save.”

Makoto stepped inside and casually glanced at the screen.

Then he froze.

“Wait... is that Bayonetta 2?”

“Mhm! Diamond-chan recommended it to me!”

She turned off the screen, put the controller down neatly, and looked up with a smile.

“Trainer, do you like video games too?”

“They’re... alright, I guess.”

He scratched his cheek, thinking it over.

In his previous life, games had mostly been tools—something to understand market trends or complete specific missions. But in this life, he’d found them surprisingly enjoyable. A nice way to disconnect and recharge between study sessions and training.

“Bayonetta, huh… wasn’t Sega one of the publishers? Oh, wait—Satono Group owns Sega, right?”

“Exactly! That’s why Diamond-chan loves them! She only plays games her family’s company puts out.”

Kitasan pointed at the console.

“She gave me that one for my birthday. She even sends me new games sometimes!”

“If you like games too, that’s perfect! You can teach me how to play! I’m not that good yet...”

Makoto chuckled.

“Teaching you to play games? That’s not exactly part of my trainer duties, you know.”

The words were meant as a joke, but the moment he said them, Kitasan’s face fell ever so slightly.

Ah, crap.

He smiled, softening his tone.

“I’m just messing with you.”

“I’m not some uptight adult who only thinks about work. Games are fun, and I play them when I’m off-duty.”

“When it’s time to train, we give it our all. But when it’s time to rest, we rest properly. That’s my rule.”

“So yeah—if we’re free tomorrow, I don’t mind playing with you.”

Her eyes lit up like fireworks.

“Really!? Trainer’s the best!”

Then, suddenly remembering something, she pulled out her phone.

“Oh, right! Trainer—does that mean you won’t be seeing Teiou-senpai until Monday?”

Makoto blinked.

“Tokai Teiou? Did she try to contact me?”

“Yup! I called her earlier to tell her I won, and she was super happy for me! She praised me for like five minutes straight.”

“Then she asked me to have you get in touch with her when you had time. She wants to meet you—said she has something to discuss.”

“She didn’t say what it was about, but I’m guessing it’s work stuff?”

Kitasan scratched her head, a sheepish smile on her lips.

“I figured I might forget if I waited till tomorrow—my memory’s kind of bad with this kind of thing…”

“So I waited here to remind you. If you don’t want to talk about work on a rest day, I can just tell her you’ll call her later?”

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