The meeting concluded, and everyone returned to their respective homes.

No Uma Musume stayed behind for duty today… You didn't expect it, did you? Trainers also have to take turns cleaning the lounge.

This was Uralala’s clever suggestion, and it even passed unanimously, which was completely out of line!

So what else could he do? Sweep the floor, of course.

However…

“Why are you back again? Do you want to help me sweep?” Lu Jue asked, looking at Seiun Sky who had darted back into the lounge.

“I snuck back, hehe.” Seiun Sky closed the lounge door behind her. “I thought Silence Suzuka would be asking for a massage from you again today~”

“It’s… not that frequent.”

As Lu Jue was speaking, Seiun Sky suddenly ran behind him and hugged his waist.

She took a deep breath, sniffing the scent on Lu Jue. “So tired today. Today’s energy… replenished~”

“Then come help me sweep.” Lu Jue was quite helpless with this little girl.

“No, let me hug you a little longer.”

“Aren’t you already hugging me?”

“Hugs are mutual. Hurry up~ Trainer~ Turn around and hug me.”

So mischievous…

Lu Jue honestly complied, turning around and hugging Seiun Sky.

However, Seiun Sky was not very well-behaved; the hand that was wrapped around Lu Jue’s waist suddenly retracted, lifted his clothes, and slipped into Lu Jue’s abdomen. “Trainer actually has abs.”

“Hiss~ Don’t touch randomly.” Lu Jue pulled out those mischievous little hands, only to find Seiun Sky looking up at him with a smile. “You’re truly a bit presumptuous.”

“Oh~ So what~”

Teasing the shy Trainer.

This is Seiun Sky on the offensive.

Before she made substantial progress with Lu Jue, she wasn’t very afraid, and now she was even less so.

Lu Jue took Seiun Sky’s wrist, easily turned her around, and before Seiun Sky could react, he hugged her from behind.

One large hand was placed on Seiun Sky’s stomach, gently rubbing it.

However, with clothes in the way, he didn’t dare to be as bold as she was and lift them.

His other hand wrapped around Seiun Sky’s shoulder, resting quietly.

“Tr-Trainer…”

Suddenly enveloped by Lu Jue, Seiun Sky stiffened all over, and her voice softened.

This is Seiun Sky on the defensive… Oh no, there was no defense.

She nervously twirled her fingers, and her exhaled breath became much hotter.

How did he suddenly turn the tables…

How could she continue to be so assertive?

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like being hugged by me like this?” Lu Jue was also a bit nervous, but he still wanted to curb Seiun Sky’s arrogance.

And she always contradicts him! How outrageous! How dare a team member kiss the Trainer’s mouth!?

Oh… she actually dared.

“I like it.”

At this moment, Seiun Sky finally looked like a shy little girl.

Feeling Lu Jue’s breath, she calmed down for a while and then softly said, “No kiss yet today… I want a kiss.”

“What? The wind’s too strong, I can’t hear you.” Lu Jue wanted to tease Seiun Sky properly.

Seiun Sky knew very well that Lu Jue was doing it on purpose.

She immediately became exasperated, turning defense into offense. She twisted her head, pinched Lu Jue’s cheek from his chin, and then kissed him.

What are the boundaries of kissing? As long as there’s love, it doesn’t matter if the kiss is clumsy.

…

The joining gifts for Rice Shower, Tokai Teio, and Nimble Beret were finally ready.

Thinking up gifts for three people at once had exhausted even Lu Jue’s brainpower.

“Rice Shower-san, someone just asked me to deliver this. They said it’s a gift from Trainer Lu.”

“Arigato.” Rice Shower took the gift bag.

It was just after class, and Uralala also darted to her seat. “I completely forgot about this! Mimi, quickly open it and see what Trainer gave you.”

“Should I open it here?”

Rice Shower hesitated, but she was also very curious about what Onee-sama had given her.

“Hmm… You can open it back at the dorm too, but you have to remember to tell Uralala, okay?”

“I’ll open it here,” Rice Shower decided. She was afraid that if she didn’t, her mind would be on the gift during the next class.

She took the gift box out of the bag, thinking, “What an exquisite box. I wonder how much time Onii-sama spent preparing this.”

Rice Shower carefully opened the gift box. “This is…”

Inside the gift box was another box, but this one had numerous embossed landscapes, birds, and beasts, and in the very center lay a beautiful blue-purple dried flower.

“So pretty!” Rice Shower exclaimed, her mouth agape.

“Wow! It looks just like the flower Mimi usually wears!” Uralala also looked shocked. “I asked Trainer before, and he actually told me he was going to give you a big bathtub! He said something about… ‘then Rice can take a good bath’.”

“Ha… haha.” Rice Shower laughed awkwardly, knowing Lu Jue was playing with her name again. “Trainer really loves to tease people.”

“Exactly, exactly! If he really dared to do that, Uralala would help you beat him up!” Uralala raised her little fist.

“Thank you, Uralala.” Rice Shower smiled softly, then focused on the gift again.

“Mimi, there’s also an envelope here.” Uralala pointed to the envelope in the corner. “Quickly open it and see.”

“Okay.” Since the gift was already open, Rice Shower decided to open everything.

The contents of the envelope included some rules and benefits that were the same as for the others, but the most unique part was Lu Jue’s message at the beginning.

“Loving yourself is the beginning of a lifelong romance. If one day you fall into darkness and no one pulls you out of the abyss, then you be that person.”

Rice Shower’s path, to be precise, hadn’t officially begun yet.

But even if she embarked on her journey, Lu Jue wouldn’t force her to become someone’s hero.

Because being a hero must be very tiring, right?

She only needed to focus on running; before she was forced to become a hero, he would be the hero.

“Uralala, have you finished reading?” Rice Shower asked.

If she had finished reading, she would carefully put it back in the envelope, and then, after returning to the dorm, put it in the box where she kept her precious food.

“Finished!” Uralala nodded in agreement. “Trainer really said it well. Uralala sometimes also thinks Mimi should consider herself more… Hmm, she should love herself more.”

“Thank you, Uralala.”

As Rice Shower thanked her, her thoughts were entirely on the gift, carefully restoring and putting everything away.

At the same time, Tokai Teio and Nimble Beret also received gifts from Lu Jue.

…

(Online plea for support out of love~ Please~ The author won’t do anything~ O_o)