Chapter 5: The Lady and the Horse

 

 

 

Chapter 5: The Lady and the Horse

 

HORSES!

They looked a great deal like the tuulies we used to ride in my past life.

I noticed they were a distinctively large breed, by this world’s standards at least, and had a wild disposition, but still, I quite liked these “tuulies.”

They were incredibly intelligent and would carry any rider who had earned their trust faster than the wind. There was really no other animal that could take a human as far as they.

Back when I was a child of the Ortegamo family, we owned three tuulies. I named mine Kalelion and would often ride away on her back for trips or excursions. Kalelion’s jet-black fur was gorgeous, and her form, whether standing or galloping, was magnificent. She would allow no one else to ride her, so she was mine and mine alone.

Ah, even though these look so much like tuulies, they are horses, so I suppose I should refer to them as such.

“Is it just me, or are you really excited? You really like horses, huh?” Aritomo mused.

“Yes! I adore them!” I answered with much more excitement than I intended to. “Um, would it be all right to get closer?”

My eyes were aglow looking at the horses.

“Of course!” Mikazuki said, flashing me a grin.

I never would have expected horses on the school grounds. When I mentioned this as we approached the stables, I was told they were for the equestrian club, who were scored on how they bred, raised, and trained them.

Students were allowed to join starting in middle school, and students all the way up to those attending a nearby college were allowed to use the facilities. All told, there appeared to be over fifteen horses being cared for here.

“Now that you mention it, I’m pretty sure I saw this place pictured on the pamphlet,” Aritomo said, taking a carrot.

“Yeah, I took that picture! Here, try giving them a carrot! Their reaction is so cute.”

So Mikazuki was skilled even at horseback riding.

I did as he suggested and grabbed a carrot, then headed for the stable. The horses all eyed me with great interest. They were likely cautious at the appearance of a human they had never seen.

I approached while slowly lifting my eyes to meet theirs so as not to spook them. One of the black horses took notice of me.

I stood in front of it, meeting its gaze. It blinked rapidly and gazed back at me. It seemed to be a gesture of goodwill, so I began speaking softly to it.

“Hello, good afternoon. I’m Urara Tendou. You’re quite beautiful, aren’t you? I would love it if you would accept this carrot.”

I slowly held out the vegetable, and the horse gently began to munch on it. It was so cute, the way that horse ate, and I couldn’t stop watching.

I started speaking to it again after waiting for it to finish chewing.

“Would it be all right to pet you?” I asked in as gentle a voice as possible. The horse obliged, lowering its head a bit for me. Taking that as a sign that it was okay, I got closer and began stroking its head.

Its silky hair felt amazing under my hands. Experiencing that feeling after so long made me break out in a smile.

“Oh, impressive. You got Galileo your first time.”

“I’m a bit surprised. To think Galileo would take to anyone this fast...”

Mikazuki and Shimozuru were surprised while watching me increase my rapport with the black horse.

“You said this horse’s name is Galileo?” I asked, keeping my voice quiet.

“Yup, that’s right. He used to be a racehorse and came here after he retired, but he’s got a reputation for being difficult.”

How could they say that when he so readily allowed me to pet him?

Galileo, huh? In spite of his massive size, I had already become smitten with his beautiful black coat, that intelligent look in his eyes, and the way his name sounded similar to my beloved Kalelion’s.

Galileo seemed to enjoy it as well as I began to stroke his back. His affinity for me continued to grow.

Watching the rapport between the two of us, Aritomo pursed her lips in exasperation.

“All right, we get it. Horses. So horseback riding, right? Why? And how can we really win that?” she asked Mikazuki.

“That all depends on you two, Shizuku. Though, with Galileo this smitten, the odds may just be in your favor,” he responded with a smile.

“So you say, but I’m sure Tsukuyomi’s already an ace at riding horses, isn’t she?”

“Eh, she can ride as good as anyone else.”

As good as anyone else.

Those words seemed awfully loaded.

“No, that won’t work. I mean, I’ve been horseback riding, but I’ve never practiced it as a sport,” Aritomo said, glancing at me as she chose her words carefully. “And, Urara, you might have a bond, but have you actually ever ridden a horse?

That was a natural concern. I can understand how they would suspect that a commoner who couldn’t even swim had likely never ridden a horse.

“Aw, come on, Urara’s at least got the hang of handling them. It’s almost uncanny,” Mikazuki said, his words hitting me right in the heart.

I mean, in my past life, I sort of...

No, I couldn’t. I needed to keep that to myself.

“That’s a great start for us. And we’ll be sure to get you both plenty of practice! And anyway, animals tend to hate Chouko!”

Wh-What? Really? They hate Lady Chouko?

“It’s kinda wild—even normal animals are hesitant to approach Chouko at first. Actually, most of them straight up run away from her.”

“...Ahh.”

So what would constitute an abnormal animal?

“I guess you could say they shrink away from her. Particularly animals that haven’t been well trained will...flee,” Shimozuru added, but I still had a difficult time believing this was true.

“But most horses used for competition are well trained, aren’t they?” Aritomo asked nonchalantly.

They hadn’t said anything about how exactly we would be using the horses to compete, but clearly we would need to train and practice with the horses, so I didn’t think that would be too much of a disadvantage for Lady Chouko.

“Anyway, if animals are involved, Chouko won’t have an overwhelming advantage. And honestly? Pretty much every other contest I can think of, she could win. This is the only thing I could come up with,” Mikazuki insisted.

It was easy to take him at his word. I knew quite well how incredible Lady Chouko was. She even excelled at cooking, which she came to with no prior experience.

In that case, having a contest with an irregular partner like a horse didn’t seem like a bad idea.

...Hm? Irregular partner? ...Now, where have I heard something like that before...? Ah well.

I exchanged glances with Aritomo. Both of us nodded.

We just needed practice. We could do this.

We decided to accept Mikazuki’s advice and were about to tell him when, suddenly, we caught sight of Lady Chouko charging down the pathway.

“Ui, I was wondering why you called me out here! Are you serious?” she asked, her eyes fixed on Mikazuki as she walked briskly over to us.

“If I wasn’t, why would I have asked you to come all this way?” he responded in a flippant tone, meeting her eyes, almost as if he were trying to agitate her.

“It’s reckless to put beginners on horses and have them compete,” Lady Chouko objected.

“They both seem like they’ll manage just fine. Trust me.”

I could understand Lady Chouko’s annoyance at Mikazuki’s laughter.

“Idiot. Who would ever trust you?”

Lady Chouko glanced at me and sighed. “Urara can’t possibly compete. She’s never ridden a horse. What are you going to do to keep her from getting hurt?”

Lady Chouko said it wasn’t possible for me. She didn’t even want to hear what I had to say. It was just: “not possible.”

In my present life, no, I hadn’t ridden a horse. So I can understand why she would assume that and why she’d be so concerned for me.

However, my blind devotion to Lady Chouko wasn’t so great that I could remain silent when she so firmly denied me the opportunity without asking me first.

After realizing the other day how much I longed to be an equal to her, I couldn’t continue to allow her to keep being so overprotective of me.

It was one thing, figuring that out in my conversation with Aritomo, but now she was right in front of me.

I turned to face Lady Chouko head-on. She pivoted and looked me straight in the eye, as if somehow relieved.

“Urara,” she said, reaching out to stroke my hair, but I pushed her hand away.

“I’m going to do it.”

“You’re what...?”

“I’m asking you to please agree to this challenge.”

I wasn’t sure if it was the words I spoke or the fact that I pushed her hand away, but she looked shocked.

“I’m so grateful you’re worried about me, but I’ve decided to accept Mikazuki’s help,” I said, doubling down on her.

“Oh, but, Urara, doing this so suddenly could be dangerous. Look, if you want to try horseback riding, I can train you some other time.”

Because horses are dangerous—

“Please don’t speak for me,” I responded instinctively.

Horses are wise, gentle creatures. If you open your heart and work with them, they can be tremendous allies.

I didn’t mind someone being concerned for me, but what I did mind was seeing something I loved being defamed. I told her as much.

“I don’t like you being this way, Chouko! Not at all!” I blurted out with a glare, leaving Chouko with a dumbfounded expression. My words probably seemed to come out of nowhere, but I was irritated with her. I averted my gaze.

I realized then that Mikazuki and Shimozuru looked just as astonished as Lady Chouko did.

“Um...sorry, Chouko.”

“Ahh, my bad, Chouko.”

For some reason, the two of them were apologizing to Lady Chouko. It was Aritomo who finally broke in and interrupted the silence.

“Anyway, we’ve already decided on horseback riding for the next challenge. So please... Uh, Tsukuyomi, are you listening?”

Lady Chouko’s face had gone blank.

“Are you all right?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said vacantly.

“Yeah. I don’t think she was listening, so we’ll talk it over later,” Shimozuru said.

“Right. Well, we’ll start tomorrow. See you in the morning. Five thirty sharp,” Mikazuki instructed.

“All right, we’ll see you then,” I responded.

“That’s too early!” Aritomo sputtered next to me, her face going pale.

Let’s give it our all, Aritomo.

☾☾☾

I hadn’t considered how nice it would be, going for a ride while the birds chirped their sweet song so early in the morning.

I reached the paddock a little earlier than we were scheduled and found Mikazuki, already changed into his jersey, tending to the horses.

I rushed over to help, but he turned me down.

“Our school is rich, as you know, so we normally have employees to take care of the horses, but I like doing this, so really, it’s fine.”

He was patting Galileo’s neck gently and seemed to be enjoying himself.

“You said Galileo has a hard time with people, but the two of you seem comfortable together, Mikazuki.”

“Mm, well, that’s because I usually tend to him.”

For horses and humans, the more time you spent around someone, the more likely you were to get comfortable with them.

“In that case, let me help you,” I said, wanting to get closer to Galileo as well. “I’ll go get changed. Please teach me all you know.”

“You want to help? You can use the girl’s changing area over there then,” he said, a hint of admiration in his voice as he pointed at a little building on the other side of the stables.

A sleepy-looking Aritomo wandered over to us as I was helping Mikazuki in the stable, so we decided to go for a ride.

“...Urara! How are you such a natural at this?”

“Um... Hey, Aritomo, you can’t be so timid!”

She was being so shy with her horse. Completely different from how she normally was.

After borrowing some of the equestrian club’s extra helmets, riding boots, and gloves, we went for a ride. It had been so long, and yet the moment I got on, that muscle memory resurfaced.

“Urara’s right. Straighten up your back, Shizuku.”

Because we were beginners, we each had a stable guide walking next to us. Mikazuki was giving us tips from atop a brown horse.

I was riding Galileo, and Aritomo had chosen a horse the same shade of brown as Mikazuki’s, with white hair around the hooves, named Roselila.

“Is it all right if we go a bit faster?” I asked the guide walking next to me, and after they made eye contact with Mikazuki and received his approval, they agreed.

“Galileo, let’s go for a little run.”

Grasping what I had said, Galileo began to pick up the pace, kicking up a bit of sand as he went.

It felt so good, and so nostalgic somehow: my body swaying, the wind blowing through my hair.

Kalelion and I used to run like this, the sun dappling through the trees on us.

Along with those memories, several emotions—feelings I could not simply do justice to with just one word—came flooding back.

Pain. Heartbreak. Happiness. Joy. And sadness.

I was completely absorbed by these emotions I hadn’t experienced since being reborn into this world.

I had cast off my nobility and wished to become a commoner and so had been reincarnated here. Everything since had felt like a blessing as I spent my days in relative freedom, but even so, it seemed the old me still lived on within me... How strange.

And I realized in that moment that the noble life I had hated hadn’t been all bad.

If I hadn’t been who I was, I would never have known my father, my mother, Kalelion, or all the others I had the opportunity to meet. Perhaps I had many painful experiences or times when things didn’t go as planned for me. But I had many happy experiences as well.

My previous life may have ended sooner than expected, but I had been happy.

As if noticing that my mind was elsewhere, Galileo slowed down. He looked back at me quizzically and I couldn’t help feeling guilty.

“I’m sorry, Galileo. Come on, giddy up.”

Galileo reacted to my words with a neigh and sped up.

I heard Mikazuki whistling. Aritomo was shouting, and it worried me, her getting so loud around the horses.

Hehehe, this really is lovely, I thought, realizing I felt much happier in this life than I had in the last.

☾☾☾

“...OWW...”

“That’s a pretty rookie mistake, Urara. Eh?” Mikazuki said with a grin, trying to suppress his laughter.

“Ungh...I can’t argue with that... Ow!”

“Ahh, ow... My butt and my thighs are killing me...”

Aritomo and I were both rubbing our backsides, trying to dull the pain. While my mind might have remembered what it was like riding a horse, my body naturally lacked the same experience.

“You looked so gallant when you were riding at a gallop, though.”

Thank you for the compliment.

“But you still don’t have the endurance you need.”

No argument there.

“So I suppose that means we need to start with strength training tomorrow, then.”

“Whaaat?!” Aritomo’s shout reverberated throughout the stable. I completely agreed, but there was no way out of this.

None whatsoever...

Ui Mikazuki’s Insights

“THEY are both working hard on building up their physical strength,” I told Chouko, but she merely sat there sipping her tea, ignoring me. I dropped by her house after dinnertime, but she was being cold.

Resigned, I moved so I was right in front of her and started talking again. “Are you sulking again? You’re such a spoiled brat.”

Despite her composed features, she wasn’t speaking to me, clearly proof that she was in a sour mood. This was getting obnoxious.

“Which reminds me, Urara—”

That caused her ears to perk up and her teacup to stop just short of her lips. So she was listening. Why did she always have to be such a pain?

“Honestly, it’s shocking how good she is with the horses. But why? Has she really never ridden before?”

“No, not as far as I know...”

What is she, a stalker now? I don’t know if Chouko could read my thoughts, but she narrowed her eyes at me just the same.

“It’s not like I investigated her or anything.”

You totally did.

Well, Chouko hadn’t completely crossed the line into self-absorbed, all-must-bow-to the-mighty-king territory yet. She was more like the Ice Queen, the cool beauty, attached to very little. She wasn’t really trying to control anything or anyone.

One time when we were kids, she came close to exploding, but it seemed the best thing was to let her be to cool off on her own.

However, the way she had become so protective of Urara was so out of character. It seemed best to let her pursue Urara for now. At least, that was what I thought.

“Wasn’t that Haruto kid you used to dote on a Tendou, too?”

She continued ignoring me. Bingo.

Haruto was a year younger but had studied kendo longer, and even as Kogetsu got stronger, the two of them had a strong rivalry.

It still feels to me like something must have happened to make him quit going to the dojo so suddenly like that.

And while I don’t know if that somehow involved Urara...something did happen.

At any rate, I have to give Urara props. I had never seen Chouko so obsessed with anyone.

I mean, maybe Chouko’s matured a little from not caring about anyone else? Though I don’t think anything good will come from her getting so fixated.

“So, I think you should start coming to the stables to practice with us. I know you can ride, but if you get too cocky, you’ll lose to them,” I said, trying to use the sweetest tone I could manage, but she still continued to ignore me. No, I got an even worse vibe from her than before.

“You know, Urara’s not mad at you anymore.”

Oh, she moved at that. Maybe I could push just a little more.

“Really, she’s not. Actually, I think she’s worried about you. And there have been other club members messing with those two while you’re not around...”

“What?! Ui, why aren’t you doing anything about that?”

Whoa, there it is! Kogetsu rears his head for the first time in forever. How long had it been? This would’ve been hilarious if it weren’t so scary. I’m sure Saku and Mitsuru would love to have seen it.

“Ui!”

I gave Chouko a look, imploring her to tell me what was wrong. So this was the “king” side of Chouko, then.

“Well, you know, guys are like that. And anyway, they’re just admiring them from a distance, so don’t sweat it.”

“Tch.”

Wow, an actual tongue click.

“I don’t want them looking either.”

Ah, jealousy. This was really bad. And weird. What happened to our flawless Lady Chouko? So just hinting that someone was messing with Urara was enough to spur her into action. She angled her chin as if to wordlessly demand I tell her who it was. Say it with words, damn it—come on!

“Well, it’s not even boys...”

“Girls, then?”

“Yeah, well, pretty much.”

She breathed a sigh of relief.

“Those girls better keep away from my Urara!”

Don’t you mean both girls? What happened to poor Shizuku?

But the reason was obvious...

“Maybe I shouldn’t be hanging around them...”

A loud bang reverberated throughout the room. Chouko smacked me, open-handed! On the head!

“Stop! Ow, hey! Don’t hit me so hard! I don’t have the brain cells to spare!”

“Don’t worry, you were born stupid.”

What was her problem? But I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised.

Students can join the equestrian club starting in middle school, but there were some, many of them the absentee members of the club, who joined in name alone. They could ride horseback, but they were probably just there to try to hit on me or Mitsuru.

“Plenty of students fawn after you guys. Why would they cause trouble now?” Chouko asked, eyeing me in annoyance.

“But some of them are a real pain and might go the extra mile to cause problems. There’s this second-year, Hattori, who’s just so clingy and obsessive, y’know?”

Chouko glared at me out of the corner of her eye and began drumming her fingers on the table.

“I’ve been a very attentive teacher for the two of them. And Mitsuru and the others seem pretty interested in what they’re doing as well. Aren’t you?”

“The hell do you mean by ‘attentive’?”

That’s what she was bothered by?

I was trying to warn her to look out for Urara, and she had completely missed the point.

☾☾☾

A week had passed since we had borrowed the equestrian club facilities and started receiving training from Mikazuki.

I had been borrowing my helmet and riding boots from the club, but Aritomo had bought a set for herself and one for me as well.

Naturally, I had protested, but she insisted, saying, “I consider these necessities for the competition.” I accepted and offered her my gratitude. I had started a part-time job and would only be able to pay her back a little at a time.

As for the riding lessons themselves, I came to the challenge with my past life experience, and Aritomo, a decent athlete, gradually got better at gripping the reins.

We rode our horses side by side. Aritomo seemed much more comfortable.

“Now how did you get so good at riding?” she asked me more than once.

Ohohoho, I’ll never tell. I couldn’t come out and say that it was something I took an interest in in my past life.

...And then I suddenly remembered.

Now that I thought back on it, Aritomo once told me she, too, was reborn after a past life. She said this was the world of an otome game she had played. This world likely hadn’t been as different for her as it had for me. Perhaps she would actually believe me if I told her of how I had reincarnated.

“Um, Aritomo... I, well...”

“What? Just say it!”

All right, but where do I start? I know...!

“About this whole otome game thing...”

“Oh, that? It’s coming along just fine. The Ojousama Challenge is moving right along.”

Wrong choice of words.

“No, not that... I was referring to your past life. Do you have any memories of it?”

“Hm? Memories? Well, the game’s setting has mostly been as I remember, with little changes here and there. Like Oboro and the sweets thing, or the Prince’s personality.”

That’s not it! I didn’t want to talk about the otome game, but her memories of everything else and the reincarnation... Huh? I lost my train of thought. I needed to get off my horse and get my thoughts together.

The sun was just beginning its descent anyway, so it was time for us to return the horses to the stables.

We handed off Galileo and Roselila to the stable hands and were on our way to the clubroom when we spotted three indistinguishable figures.

“Huh, are those second-years? Urara, do you know them?” Aritomo asked, her eyes surprisingly sharp, but I wasn’t sure.

Their ties were not the bourdeaux-red color we first-years wore, but the khaki the second-years wore. They weren’t anyone I knew. However, if they had come so far off school grounds out here, then surely they must be on the equestrian team.

Mikazuki mentioned that most of the female equestrian team members were never around. If they were in fact team members, then it seemed appropriate to introduce myself, so I gave them a bow.

“Hel—”

“Who exactly are you two? Just where do you come from?”

They cut me off. And asked about my house again. This was déjà vu.

I glanced at Aritomo. She looked as if she had swallowed a bug. Ah, she must have recognized them.

“Well, I’m from Ikem—”

“Isn’t it good manners to give your own name first before demanding someone else’s?”

Aritomo, you cut me off! Again! When I asked Aritomo who they were, she gave me the stop signal without another word.

“I’m benevolent, so I’ll overlook your transgression for now.”

You clearly are not overlooking it.

“Fine,” she said, then continued: “I am Shizuku Aritomo. And this is Urara Tendou.”

On hearing her name, the other girls exchanged glances and burst into giggles. It didn’t sound as if they were laughing with Aritomo, either.

“Oh, we’ve heard of you. You’re the daughter of the head of...AT Solutions, was it?”

“Good. So you’ve heard of me. But I’d appreciate it if you actually remembered the company name properly. It’s ATN Solutions.”

It was looking as if they were about to go to war.

Spurred on by Aritomo’s barb, the girl at the center, a second-year with her long hair in a tight braid, glared at us.

“My apologies. I simply wasn’t familiar with the name of such a neophyte company. I am Suzushiko Hattori.”

Aritomo’s face tightened at the insinuation that her family association might not have passed their test.

So this Hattori person’s family was richer or more powerful, then. I had never heard of her. Being unaware of family politics made life easier.

“So, what do you want? You must have some reason for coming over to us—something you need to ask, perhaps?”

That was the Aritomo I had come to know. Her pushiness was her strength and allowed her to go head-to-head with Lady Chouko, even.

“Well! I wouldn’t say we needed to ask you anything...”

“In that case, could you excuse us? We’d like to get changed,” Aritomo spat, grabbing my arm and guiding me toward the clubroom.

“Hold on a second,” one of the girls flanking Hattori shouted after us.

“We may not have anything to ask, but we still have a problem. Specifically, you using our clubroom without asking.”

I knew it: these were the “silent” team members. I nodded to myself, satisfied, as the third one spoke.

“We have certain requirements for joining the equestrian team, and as it stands...you two fall just a bit short. So we don’t want you anywhere near our stables.”

We had been outright rejected. Sure, I didn’t want to inconvenience anyone actually taking part in equestrian team activities, but...

“Oh, well, maybe you should bring that up with Ui, then? Ui-Ui was the one who told us we could use the clubroom since no one else was.”

She was trying to provoke them with everything she had. Aritomo, this is not the time to be calling him “Ui-Ui,” though.

The vein near Hattori’s temple was throbbing. Aritomo’s own breathing had become ragged as well.

I could hear something that sounded like snarling. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but it still left me on edge. I was genuinely worried about how we were going to make it out of this unharmed.

“Your usage of Mikazuki’s first name is vulgar enough, but to think you’d use a nickname like that...”

“Oh dear, does ‘Ui-Ui’ really bother you so? That’s too bad. I have his permission, after all,” Aritomo said, giving a satisfied laugh through her nose.

She didn’t necessarily have his permission. More like she had gradually worn him down over time. Well, at least Mikazuki didn’t seem to mind all that much.

The three second-years were trembling at Aritomo’s words. It was obvious they had more they wanted to say, but the idea of Mikazuki’s permission blanketed Aritomo like an impenetrable force field.

I needed to diffuse this tension somehow. I tried to draw their attention to me.

“Um—”

“A-NY-WAY!”

Again. Had I been afflicted with some curse? The Curse of Perpetual Interruptions, perhaps...?

“Well, the rest of the team have their own feelings on the matter. We’ll leave it at that for today, but just because Mikazuki gave you permission does not mean we’re okay with it.”

They turned and walked away.

“Wow, obnoxious much?”

Once we were finally able to enter the clubroom and change, I could see a look of exasperation in Aritomo’s eyes.

“Were those girls in your otome game?”

I vaguely recall seeing similar character types in the books Kirara lent me.

“You mean Hattori? It wasn’t that type of game, so no. Someone like that would usually play the villainess.”

Ah, I thought the same thing.

Aritomo went on to tell me that Hattori was the daughter of the head of a massive textile conglomerate, Hatsubou. She hadn’t recognized the girl’s face, but she knew the name. Hearing the name, I realized I had heard of the company as well.

After the previous day’s events, I prepared myself for a confrontation in the morning, but morning practice went on without incident. I was optimistic that the day had been enough for tempers to cool, but my hopes were summarily dashed after school.

“Oh dear, this room is only for use by team members.”

When we made our way to the clubroom that afternoon, we found all our riding gear in a heap in front of the door.

There were seven or eight girls in the clubroom, most of them upperclassmen whom I didn’t recognize. I recognized one girl from our class, but when she saw us, she quickly made herself scarce.

This was a classic case of trying to freeze someone out. No matter what world, what time period, I recognized this technique all the same. Even after experiencing this in my past life as a poor noble, I wondered how I had ended up in this situation once more.

While I was deep in thought, Aritomo was seething.

“Well, that’s awfully crafty of you.”

“Now, now. No need for such provocative words. You outsiders really do lack class, don’t you?”

The girl looked at each of us. A strange, sour expression eclipsed her face. I wondered why.

It’s not important. Don’t let them get a rise out of you, Aritomo.

“And what’s the problem with outside students?! Aha! I know. Is it because compared with all of you who’ve spent your whole lives here, we’re still better friends with Ui-Ui and Oboro?”

Why did she feel the need to pelt them with incendiary words?

“You all need to calm down!”

One of them was lunging toward us, her hand outstretched.

Just as those fingers were about to make contact with my shoulder, a beautiful hand intercepted them.

“And what exactly do you all think you’re doing?”

“...Huh? Ah, Chouko.”

Her cold voice resounded throughout the tiny clubroom, the note of blame in her voice loud and clear. Everyone’s faces visibly drained of color at the sound of her voice.

“Why are you here?” I asked.

I had been so rude to her the other day and said I didn’t like her. I hadn’t seen her since then, even though I’d been tempted to. Seeing her like this, though, gave me an odd sense of relief.

She flashed me a knowing smile, as if she understood how I felt.

“Ui told me to knock off the foolishness and get to practice,” she said to us, then turned to the upperclassmen camped out in the clubroom. “And as for your claims about this space, do you mean I cannot use this room, either?”

The faces of the club members, led by Hattori, began to crack, as if something imperceptible had begun to shift within them. I had never in my life seen a situation that so perfectly fit the phrase “the tension was so thick, you could cut it with a knife.”

“...No, Tsukuyomi...we would never...”

“I’m not a member of your team, either. And yet for some reason, I’m allowed in here?”

Hattori’s lackeys were panicking and attempting to appease Lady Chouko, but she merely spat, “You’re hypocrites.”

I had been told that here at St. Delia’s, Chouko Tsukuyomi was on par with the Mochizuki family, which included the school’s chairman. These girls were in no place to argue with her. They merely stood silent, hanging their heads.

“If you have no problems, then we’ll be making use of this space. And if you all aren’t using it for actual equestrian business, would you kindly leave?”

Lady Chouko’s words were like the tug of a string. The other girls quickly left the room in a rush.

The last to go were Hattori and her two lackeys. Their faces were contorted in obvious frustration. And yet, they did not argue any further, merely taking their time to make their way out the door.

“Yeah, Tsukuyomi, you tell ’em!” Aritomo shouted playfully, but Lady Chouko merely brushed her off, as if this were business as usual.

“All right, I’m leaving, so hurry up and change. We’re running out of time for practice.”

“Oh? Chouko, you’re not changing?”

“No, I haven’t brought a change of clothes with me.”

Then what was she doing here?

“Then why are you here today if you don’t have a change of clothes?”

Ah, of course Aritomo asked.

“I came to select a horse.”

Well, that is important.

“And I came to see what was going on with the clubroom. But...it seems it’s going to be a bit of a problem.”

A problem? It looked like a normal room to me.

“Let’s just use private rooms for getting changed and storing our gear. Naturally, each of you will receive a key to your own room. I’ll have the rooms set up next to this one by tomorrow afternoon.”

She sounded as if she was proposing something similar to what Mochizuki had done during the piano contest.

I guess it really was true what they say about birds of a feather flocking together. They’re exactly alike.

The next afternoon, just as Lady Chouko promised, there was a little hut next to the clubroom. The outside didn’t look much different from the clubroom, but the inside was incredible. Inside were three separate, lockable rooms, each fully stocked. In another similar space were a magnificent table and chairs with a tea set. There was also a kitchenette.

Of course, Lady Chouko intended this space for just the three of us. I wasn’t sure if it was full-on abuse of power, or only a misuse of privilege.

“Leave your belongings in your room and make sure you lock up. We each have a key, as well as Ui, to the space as a whole, but I’ve given away all the keys, so don’t lose yours,” she explained, handing over keys with intricate designs that prevented anyone from easily copying them.

“This feels a bit...like a waste of money.”

It was interesting how Aritomo could say that to Lady Chouko when she had bought both of us new gear, claiming it was a necessity.

We finished changing and made our way outside, where Lady Chouko was already evaluating a horse in the riding ring.

She didn’t seem to be hated by the horse in the way Mikazuki had described. I approached and saw that there was indeed some anxiety. From the horse, mind you.

It was less as if he hated her and more as if he was afraid of her.

“His name is Mondaiser. He’s the only one who will listen to me, so he’s the only option.”

Mondaiser was a palomino, but with a coat lighter than chestnut, more closely resembling blond. His breed was normally a calmer one, but around Lady Chouko, his eyes darted about anxiously. He did not seem to be calm at all.

“Chouko, please don’t order him. Just ask him.”

“What?”

“Try asking if you can pet him.”

A bit baffled by my words, she turned to Mondaiser and asked his permission.

“Now, pet him gently. Slowly,” I instructed.

“All right...”

As she gently stroked his neck with the palm of her hand, his eyes seemed to glaze over. Somehow, he was calming down.

“He’s a smart horse who will do what you ask.”

“Yes. He’s a very good horse.”

After Mondaiser heard Lady Chouko’s tone of voice, his anxiety abated, and he neighed.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever touched a horse this calm.”

Gently, ever so gently, her lovely fingers began to scratch the nape of his neck. Mondaiser stretched his muzzle in pleasure.

“Humans and people are the same. First, you should call them by name. Always start there,” I said, flashing Lady Chouko a smile. She looked a bit surprised but then responded with a smile of her own.

“I can never seem to win against you, Urara. You always have something new to teach me,” she said, her words catching me off guard.

“I-I...could never win against you, Lady Chouko! I haven’t really taught you anything, you know?”

Mikazuki had judged the piano contest on his preferences, not skill, and anyway, she was the one who crushed me in the exam-score challenge.

And sure, I trained her for the cooking contest, but I didn’t compete.

However, Lady Chouko stared straight into my eyes as I was about to correct her in a panic.

“You have. You are right now. So please...stay by my side. Always. Teach me what I lack. And I’ll give it my all.”

My heart throbbed and I swore I could hear it in my ears. This was the first time Lady Chouko had ever been so forthcoming with her feelings like this.

Normally, she might listen to what I had to say, but she would keep her own feelings hidden...but the look in her eyes as we exchanged glances was almost as if she was begging.

Her eyes looked so very sad.

“...I will always be here. By your side.”

“Urara...”

I could tell my cheeks were getting a little red. But there was nothing I could do to stop it. Lady Chouko was so precious to me. I reached out my right hand, but as I did, I hit something wet.

“Galileo?”

“Sorry, Urara. Galileo was in a hurry to get going.”

Galileo, who had been led over by Aritomo, was licking my hand and nuzzling me.

“I’m sorry, did I keep you waiting? Thank you so much,” I said, first to Galileo, then to Aritomo. She handed him over and then returned to Roselila.

“Ah, I’m sorry, Chouko. Galileo here is the horse I’ve been riding.”

“...Yes, I’ve heard. N-Nice to meet you, Galileo.”

Her face twitching with anxiety, Lady Chouko nevertheless stepped forward to greet him.

Aw, she actually listened to my advice. I’m so happy, I thought. Likely picking up on my excitement, Galileo flared his nostrils as well.

☾☾☾

“YOU shouldn’t have done that, Urara,” Mikazuki said to me as soon as I walked in.

He, Mochizuki, and the others were apparently having tea in Lady Chouko’s makeshift clubroom.

“I can’t believe she got Chouko to listen to her advice...”

“This is a perfect example of saving an enemy from trouble instead of taking advantage of their weakness.”

“That’s so like Tendou.”

What on earth were they talking about?

“Urara doesn’t even know what she did wrong, so your words are meaningless,” Aritomo said critically with no attempt to enlighten me.

It was one thing for Mochizuki and the others to be giving me a hard time, but Aritomo was another matter entirely.

“You have the advantage here. Why would you train Chouko? Y’know?”

Ahh, right. I had been helping Lady Chouko patch things up with Mondaiser.

“Well, she needed help figuring out how to start a rapport. If she can get the hang of that, the rest will come,” I explained.

“That’s what I’m saying. You need to focus on you winning!” Mikazuki exclaimed, waving his arms about.

Of course. Mikazuki had generously offered up his time, so I needed to do my best.

“Of course. I will. I’ll practice and give it my all, so let’s go for the gold,” I declared, causing the boys to all groan my name and smack their heads in exasperation.

I wonder why.

“By the way, why are you all just sitting around sipping tea in the clubroom?”

Chouko and Mondaiser seemed to be growing closer. After riding practice today, she’d had the staff teach her how to care for Mondaiser, so she had been a little later than the rest of us in getting back.

“We didn’t want this room to go to waste. It’s not like you were using it.”

I guess having a whole room built just for us did seem a tad wasteful.

“Don’t complain. This was still cheaper than Mitsuru’s piano.”

The piano was THAT expensive?! I felt as if those two should have been in much more trouble than I was.

☾☾☾

OUR training was proceeding as planned, but we stopped for a short time to prepare for our end-of-term exams. I still made my way to the stables before and after school to say hello to Galileo. Lady Chouko did the same with Mondaiser.

After the last test on the last day of exams, we were able to resume our training.

“How did your exams go, Urara?”

“I think I did all right. How were yours, Chouko?”

“Same as usual, I suppose. There was nothing really unexpected.”

Aritomo had been called away by one of the teachers after exams had finished, so Lady Chouko and I were on our way to the riding grounds. Walking and talking like this, beneath the emerald summer canopy and along that sun-dappled walk, I almost forgot we were even at school.

The sight left me nostalgic for my past life and our summer retreats. I took a big breath, and the clean air flooded my heart, washing it clean.

Lady Chouko opened her mouth wide, watching me.

“Hey, Urara. I have something I’ve been wanting to ask you. May I?”

“Yes, what is it, Chouko?”

She hesitated a bit, even after my response, then finally continued.

“How is it that you can ride horses even though you have no prior riding experience?”

Clearly she thought this should be impossible for someone like me. Yet she still wanted to know why. In that moment I didn’t really mind the fact that she had investigated me. What was important was how to explain how I could do what I should not be able to.

What could I say? How could I put it? Sensing my agonizing over what to say, Lady Chouko responded gently.

“I’m not accusing you of anything. I just want to know. Not just about the horseback riding, but also why you carry yourself as you do.”

What on earth was I to say to her? I had already tried talking to Aritomo about my past life memories. It hadn’t gone very well, unfortunately, and even though I hadn’t necessarily confessed about my past life, Aritomo at least had her own as a starting point.

But what about Lady Chouko? What if she refused to accept what I had to say even after I was honest with her? Would she think I was mocking her? Either outcome was equally awful.

She waited silently for an answer. I gazed up into her eyes. Even if I said nothing, I’m sure Lady Chouko would keep her promise and not blame me for doing so.

But then...

“Chouko?”

“Yes, Urara?”

“Will you give me some more time to answer your question? I don’t think I can explain it properly just yet. So please, just wait a bit longer... I will think of how to best explain it so it makes sense to you, so please give me a little more time,” I said, still gazing into her eyes.

“Thank you,” she said, her eyes locked with mine, “I will wait, then.”

She gave me a soft smile.

I would need to think long and hard about how best to explain this very, very important matter to her, without messing it up.

☾☾☾

IT was finally time for the next challenge to begin.

Aritomo and I each had our own challenges against Lady Chouko.

As she was almost a complete beginner, Aritomo would be competing in a time trial along a prescribed course.

And since I was a tad better than a beginner, I would be competing in a show jumping competition against her. It would be best two out of three, and our advisor Mikazuki and judge Izayoi had already warned me that there would be irregular scoring rules in place.

This wouldn’t be a standard show jumping competition, where knocking the bar off or disobedience from the horse would result in docked points. Instead, speed was the primary measure, and a normal rule subtraction would add more time. In other words, knocking the bar off would add four seconds, and while disobedience wouldn’t add time, if it happened more than once, the challenger would be disqualified.

This would all be added to each competitor’s time.The fastest time would be the winner.

“That should be easy enough to understand, right?”

“You sure thought of everything, huh, Ui?”

Mochizuki’s unforgiving words pierced the self-satisfied look on Mikazuki’s face.

“No, I was the one who came up with this,” Izayoi said softly, holding up his hand.

“Ui was the one who insisted, since Shirazu was the judge and all,” Shimozuru explained.

“You two are like a manzai act, aren’t they, Chouko?” Shinmyou, rejoining us for the first time in a while, was wearing a fake smile that made him look as if he were ill.

“...Yes they are,” Lady Chouko responded in a cold tone.

“Those two are so scary! Having them together is like a powder keg waiting to explode!” Aritomo said, blunt as usual.

After a month of practice, it was finally time to show the fruits of our labor. It was the first Saturday since summer break had started and finally time for the equestrian competition.

The week prior, we trained from morning to night, getting basic instruction from Mikazuki. Even I was beginning to see my rudimentary abilities improve.

This was a sport where speed and precision were important components in a time trial, and since there were no plans to lower the bar, he told us it would be critical to follow the course as directed.

Galileo wasn’t merely intelligent; he was strong and fast, too, and I was able to guide him without hindering him. We were ready to give it our all together.

And so we began our playday.

“Do your best!”

“Well, this should be fun,” Aritomo replied shockingly, sitting astride Roselila as I tried to encourage her. She continued, a serious look on her face, “I’m leaving it all to her,” before guiding Roselila to the starting line.

She sat properly, unlike the first time, with her back straight, so her equestrian equipment finally looked as if it actually belonged on her.

Just as she said, Aritomo genuinely seemed to enjoy her ride with Roselila. Her words were not mere boasting.

Her time was close to her personal best at 45.7 seconds, and that was more than adequate, but she looked dejected as she rode back.

“I guess it just wasn’t enough. And here Roselila and I had finally gotten so comfortable with one another.”

“Yeah! Well, why don’t you join the equestrian team? I’m all for you joining...”

Aritomo tilted her head at Mikazuki’s invitation, actively contemplating it.

“We already built a clubroom. You could practice jumping. I could teach you,” Mikazuki was saying. Shimozuru smacked him on the head.

Lately, Shimozuru had been a bit aggressive with Mikazuki.

As they bantered back and forth, Lady Chouko approached the starting line.

Seeing her standing there with Mondaiser, with whom she’d finally become at ease, I thought she looked more elegant and cool than merely beautiful. I couldn’t help being fascinated by her.

From the very start, she moved with even more grace than I expected, as if she was flying through the air.

As a result, her time was 39.8 seconds. It wasn’t as fast as I expected, but enough to beat Aritomo.

“A difference of 5.9 seconds, that’s pretty close.”

“Yes. But now it’s my turn. I’ll do my best.”

I clenched my fists, trying to show off my biceps. I could hear giggling from somewhere nearby.

Huh? Something felt off.

“Yes, give it your all. I’m counting on you, Urara!”

“Okay! You can count on me,” I exclaimed, then turned to Galileo. “Let’s do our best, Galileo.”

Galileo made his own show of agreement, neighing as if to say “Leave it to me.”

I exhaled deeply, then held my breath, waiting for the start signal.

In my present life, I hardly ever exercised outside of school, but I had a great deal of experience with dance and horseback riding in my past life. Because of that, I knew one thing above all others: the importance of synchronizing your breathing.

In dance, you synchronize with your partner; in horseback riding, it’s with your horse, which seems very obvious, but it’s hard to do without conscious thought. That’s why I held my breath until we began.

I gently patted Galileo’s neck.

Time to go.

We bowed and jumped over the fence together. Once, then again, we leaped over the bar, increasing our speed until our surroundings became a blur.

I continued along the course, feeling Galileo move beneath me.

Faster and faster, as high as we could go.

And then, after clearing the final hurdle and sliding into the finish line, everything seemed to glow, and I was filled with a feeling of exhilaration.

“Whew...”

We did everything we could.

I breathed a sigh, relieved. Aritomo rushed toward us, waving her arms.

“That was incredible, Urara! You made no mistakes! And that was so much faster than before,” she praised me in a pant.

“Yes, that was fast. I never thought you’d pull off something that amazing. Don’t you want to try competing for real sometime?” Shimozuru exclaimed, coming up behind Aritomo.

“Wow, thank you so much. So, how was my time?”

“We decided not to announce that until after Chouko goes again. That way, it’ll be more interesting, right?”

As we laughed lightly, Shinmyou approached us.

“Good work. I’ve heard you’ve been taking good care of Galileo. You’re to be commended for your efforts.”

“Th-Thank you very much. Riding Galileo was a pleasure for me as well.”

“You needn’t be so modest. You can ride much better than any of us.”

“No, really...”

Shinmyou was chatting with me with a smile that didn’t quite feel genuine, but I was trying to forget what had happened between us, so I flashed him a smile in return.

But apparently, he wouldn’t be satisfied so easily.

“So, what is it you’re hiding from us?”

He had jumped right to the point.

“Saku! You’re so rude!”

“I’m sorry? Oboro, you must want to know, too. How is it she can so masterfully handle a horse with no prior experience? More importantly...how is she far more refined than anyone else here?”

As Shinmyou spoke, Shimozuru paused.

“Mitsuru, I know you and the others must be thinking it. You just won’t say it. Because Chouko will get mad at you. Isn’t that it?”

“...You know that already.”

Shimozuru glanced at the starting line, ensuring Lady Chouko still hadn’t gotten into position.

“You better not push your luck. You don’t wanna tick Chouko off again.”

Lady Chouko came from a family on par with the Mochizukis, and yet everyone treated her completely different from how they treated Mochizuki.

I looked to Aritomo. She must have known what I was thinking.

“Tsukuyomi is the heir to the entire Tsukuyomi empire.”

Shimozuru and Shinmyou looked shocked.

“...Aritomo, how did you know that!?”

“Huh? Ah, well...damn it.”

She had tried to cover her mouth over that last bit, but it had already been too late. Everyone else heard.

Lady Chouko being her father’s heir was not public knowledge, so if Aritomo knew, it was likely because it was something that had been established in that otome game. This was not something she could simply tell them, just like me and my past life experiences. I raised my hand, hoping to deflect.

“Um, I told Aritomo. Um, well, in the school kitchen that day, I heard about it from Shinmyou...”

Shinmyou had definitely made sure I was aware of Lady Chouko’s status that day, so when I fixed my eyes on him, he narrowed his brows, realizing his blunder.

“Yes, come to think of it, I did share that with you. And again, I am sorry...for what happened.”

The way he faltered made me realize just how big a secret this was. Shimozuru turned to us and waved his hand.

“Sorry, but can you pretend like you never heard any of this? It could cause a lot of problems for all of us.”

We both had our own secrets, so we nodded silently in agreement.

“All right. Let’s end this discussion here, then. Chouko has finally reached the starting line.”

Lady Chouko stood at the starting line, trying to calm a visibly anxious Mondaiser as they got ready to begin. They had been doing so well lately, so it seemed odd for them to be having trouble now.

They charged out of the gate at the starting signal with no issue, but still, something wasn’t right. There wasn’t the anxiety there had been that first time; it was more like...excitement, maybe? They were going rather fast, and Mondaiser was unsteady in clearing the jumps. Lady Chouko seemed to be struggling to maintain control of him.

“Isn’t she going a little too fast?”

“Something’s not right.”

Anyone who had watched her regular practices would have noticed. Neither Mondaiser nor Lady Chouko would have attempted such reckless jumps.

“Ah!”

I shouted in time with the sound of the bar toppling over.

“That’s not like Chouko to hit the bar,” Shimozuru said under his breath, a hint of worry in his voice.

“Yeah...”

Now I was really worried. But surely... She was staring straight ahead, but her lips were moving as if she was whispering something. I was certain she was talking to Mondaiser. Little by little, his excitement seemed to abate, and he calmed down.

They cleared the last hurdle, the highest one, and reached the goal, Lady Chouko’s gentle grin lighting up her face.

“Chouko!”

I couldn’t help rushing over to her just after she crossed the finish line. I was met with a wry grin.

“I missed one.”

“You were more than fast enough, though. But what happened out there with Mondaiser?” I asked as Lady Chouko began petting him, showing both her concern and her appreciation.

“I’m not sure. He was fine in the first round, but after I let him have some water and a short rest, he got a bit worked up...”

He was much calmer now, nuzzling Lady Chouko. She patted his neck lightly in return.

I still wasn’t sure what caused him to get so worked up, but I was relieved that nothing truly bad happened. Just as we were breathing a sigh of relief, Mikazuki’s voice rang out.

“These girls apparently put something in Mondaiser’s water.”

Shinmyou, who had disappeared after Lady Chouko’s event began, was now dragging out a group of girls.

“...Hattori? What, why?”

Why were they here? No, more importantly, why would they do such a thing?

Everyone gasped. Everyone except for me seemed to have a good hunch why.

Now that they had been exposed in front of us all, they had nothing to say for themselves and merely stared back at us. The tension in the air was thick.

No one, nothing, moved, save for the wind. In that instant, a loud smack rang out, then another.

“What are you doing?! That hurt!”

Hattori lifted a hand to her cheek and glared at Lady Chouko, who stood before all three in frigid silence.

“I bet you never even considered the fact that Mondaiser could have been seriously injured, did you?”

She was right. A horse as worked up as he was was in no shape for competition. What if he or Lady Chouko had been injured? I bet those girls never thought about that for an instant. It wasn’t just Lady Chouko. Everyone else there understood the danger they had caused and awaited their responses.

“We had no idea about any of that! It wasn’t me who did it! It was Terawaki!”

“Miss Hattori?! You were the one who told me to put caffeine in the water...”

“I don’t know what she’s talking about! Mochizuki, please believe me!”

Hattori ignored Lady Chouko even though she stood before her and rushed over to Mochizuki, shouting her pleas. Mikazuki stepped in front of her.

“I don’t want to have to get rough with some girl, but I can’t just stand idly by after all you’ve done.” He spat in a harsh tone I had never heard him use before.

Frozen with fear, Hattori began backing away, but an icy voice commanded her to halt.

“Stop. I don’t want to see or hear any more of this nonsense. Now go,” Mochizuki growled at Hattori.

“I believe we’ve had enough of you, so get lost,” Shinmyou said, backing Mochizuki up.

Hattori glared at Lady Chouko. “This is your fault! You’re manipulating Mochizuki! You cling all over him like some slut! Get rough with me if that’s what it takes to open your eyes about this woman...”

“Shut it, Hattori!” Mochizuki commanded in an ear-piercing shout.

Lady Chouko heaved a sigh and urged the girl named Terawaki to take her friends and leave. “Go. And don’t cross my path again.”

Hattori’s lackeys heeded Lady Chouko’s words and dragged Hattori off in a panic.

“...That was...kind of scary. Is that how a real lady handles things? What a joke.”

“Well, they aren’t all that bad. But some of them are worse.”

Worse than that? Aritomo was right about the scary part.

I began to shudder. Mikazuki must have noticed.

“Sorry, was that uncomfortable for you, Urara?” he asked.

He said it so cheerfully, almost teasingly.

“What makes me uncomfortable is what those girls did. I like all of you,” I said emphatically and with a smile. Everyone seemed relieved.

Some of them still had sour looks on their faces, though... Oh, Lady Chouko, please smile.

So many surprises had come our way, but at least Mondaiser seemed to be doing okay, so we decided to go ahead and hear the results.

“In the time trial, Aritomo had a time of 45.7 seconds, while Chouko had a time of 39.8 seconds, leaving a difference of 5.9 seconds.”

Aritomo pulled a face at hearing the difference in their times. Her competitiveness didn’t surprise me anymore, though.

“Then we have the hurdle jump times. Tendou had 57.6 seconds. And Chouko had a time of 59.8 seconds. However, she knocked the bar off, so with a four second penalty, her time is now 63.8 seconds,” Izayoi announced, glancing down at his notes for the exact times.

“As a result, the team of Aritomo and Tendou have a combined time of 103.3 seconds, and Chouko has a total time of 103.6 seconds. Congratulations, Aritomo, Tendou,” Izayoi said to us as the others all began to clap.

Huh? Wait, what did he just say?

The others had never clapped for us the way they were now.

Aritomo and I looked at one another, both in shock, as Chouko approached and held out her right hand to Aritomo.

“Aritomo, congratulations. You really earned this.”

“Um...right. Thank you, Tsukuyomi.”

Wasn’t this the first time the two of them had such an amicable exchange?

Watching them shake hands, I felt so happy; my face broke into a natural grin.

As they separated, Aritomo stared at their hands and then whispered into my ear, “Isn’t Tsukuyomi’s hand huge?”

Was now really the time to be saying something like that?

“Urara.”

“Yes, Chouko?”

“Congratulations! You completely decimated me.” Lady Chouko headed my way as she spoke.

“No, I didn’t— Hwha!?”

I thought Lady Chouko was coming to give me a handshake and so held out my right hand, but instead she threw her arms around me and wrapped me in a tight embrace.

“Um, Ch-Chouko?!”

“Hm? What?”

I patted Lady Chouko’s back, which seemed to be straighter than usual, and while she answered me, she showed no signs of completely pulling away.

Aritomo walked over to Shimozuru, looking annoyed, which left me standing there in Lady Chouko’s embrace.

I tried to think of something, anything, to bring her back to the present.

“Um, wow, you and Mondaiser sure were fast, weren’t you?”

“Thank you. But after knocking the bar over, we were no match for you.”

...Huh? Something was different about her.

Normally, Lady Chouko was so calm and collected, always smiling. In that moment, with my face in her collarbone, I couldn’t see her expression, but somehow she seemed a bit sullen.

“Chouko...are you upset about the match?” I asked softly.

“Yes,” she murmured after a pause.

The others were watching us and managed to hear her response. Murmurs of “Whoa!” and “Seriously?” rippled throughout the group.

“It’s just, both Mondaiser and I worked so hard.”

“But we don’t know how he would have done under normal circumstances.”

“Still, a loss is a loss.”

I was a little shocked. To think that someone like her, who faced everything with that cool demeanor, could be upset by something like this.

Not to mention the fact that she truly had come to see herself and Mondaiser as a team.

In the past, she wouldn’t have cared so much about the challenge. I wondered what had changed.

As I patted her back, I felt Galileo nuzzling my shoulder with his head, likely trying to get my attention.

Poor Lady Chouko, upset after losing. The way she had come to me for comfort, though, was incredibly endearing.

I hugged her tighter in hopes of comforting her, feeling happy to have seen another side of her. When I did, she pulled away, her warmth leaving with her. When I looked up at her, I saw her face was bright red, and our eyes met.

“I’m sorry. Was it hard to breathe?” I asked.

Was she bothered by me suddenly hugging her back?

“If so, I’m sorry,” I apologized, but she shook her head.

“That’s not it... I’m who’s sorry for showing you my ugly side.”

“There is nothing ugly about you. Actually, I was happy you opened up to me,” I said.

“Thank you,” Lady Chouko responded, but she looked rather uncomfortable after hearing my honest feelings.

She put her hands on my shoulders and spun me around.

“Let’s join the others. If we stay here much longer, I don’t know if I’ll be able to control myself.”

“What do you mean?” I asked as she began pushing me along.

“I might bring you back home with me,” she muttered.

I didn’t understand what that meant. Did she mean she wanted to have a sleepover? I wouldn’t mind that.

Lady Chouko prodded me the whole way back to where Aritomo awaited us with a sly smile. I wanted to ask her what that grin was for, but a cold, resonant voice spoke first.

“Well, shall we go ahead and decide the details for the next challenge?” Shinmyou said, and everyone else fell silent.

“We don’t have to decide right now. Let’s give it a few days.”

“Right. We’re all sweaty, so let’s call it a day.”

Izayoi and Mikazuki both proposed we wait to decide, likely out of consideration for us girls.

“Mitsuru said the same thing. He wants this all over by the end of August,” Shinmyou said resolutely.

“Come on, cut everyone some slack...”

“Oboro, don’t you remember what’s coming up?” Shinmyou asked, though it sounded more like a reprimand. Rather than argue with him, Shimozuru merely fell silent. I wondered what exactly he meant, but I didn’t want to intrude by asking, so I merely nodded along. I gave Aritomo a look, hoping she would get the same message.

“All right then, let’s hurry up and make a decision,” Aritomo responded quickly, seeming more and more pushy by the day.

I could sense Lady Chouko getting more annoyed by the second.

“Well, the advisor and the judge are...”

This was the final challenge, so there could only be two left.

“I’ll be your advisor this time, and Mitsuru your judge. We look forward to your efforts,” Shinmyou said nonchalantly.

I couldn’t fight the feeling that this challenge would be the one most fraught with trouble.

We decided not to stand around talking and found somewhere more suited to a longer discussion.

It would have been more logical for just the two of us to speak with our advisor, but Lady Chouko was vehemently opposed, so we all went into the clubroom together.

No one else in our group was likely to do it, so I set to work preparing tea for us.

“This is good,” Mochizuki sighed as he drank his tea.

“It really is delicious, Urara.”

“Yes, it certainly is.”

“Thank you very much. Making tea is a specialty of mine.”

In my past life, it was essential for ladies to know how to make excellent tea, so I was quite used to it. I felt so happy being praised for something that was a skill of mine.

Since I had reveled in my tea-making skills, Shinmyou once again had his own thoughts to interject.

“Did you teach yourself? Or did you learn it somewhere?”

Lady Chouko clambered to her feet, but I held out a hand to stop her, then turned to face Shinmyou.

“I’m self-taught, naturally. Not just in making black teas, but I enjoy green teas and Chinese teas as well. Shall I make you a cup?” I responded with a smile on my face, despite my irritation.

“Anyhow, let’s get back to the topic at hand. Our next challenge.”

“Our advisor has something he would like to discuss with us. What would that be, Mr. Advisor?” Aritomo said, her tone belligerent.

“Yes, I have a proposal, but first, there are conditions to said proposal.”

“Conditions?”

“Correct. Conditions I will expect you to fulfill. If you comply, then I will provide you all you need for this challenge.”

“You sound awfully self-important. Well, let’s hear your conditions first and then we’ll decide.”

The air in the room had gotten rather fraught. First of all, Lady Chouko still seemed rather intense. And then there was the way Shimozuru and the others looked on with disgusted expressions on their faces.

“Very well. My conditions, then,” Shinmyou said, turning to face the others before proceeding. “Before I can share my advice, I need Chouko to accept the challenge itself. Do you think you can do that?”

How were we supposed to take his proposal?

Up to this point, Lady Chouko had included all of us in the decisions, the cooking challenge notwithstanding. For other challenges, including the equestrian one, Lady Chouko had given her approval after the fact. That Shinmyou had said this with that knowledge must have surely been because he knew Chouko would not agree to whatever he was about to suggest.

The proof was in that it was Lady Chouko, not us, whom he had fixed his eyes on.

Exchanging glances, Aritomo and I couldn’t tell whether we even factored into this proposal.

A magnificent voice resonated in our ears as we floundered in how to express our concerns.

“So, what do you wanna do? You’re the only one who can decide,” Mochizuki was saying to Lady Chouko.

It was for her to decide?

Really? Even though it was our competition? Just as I was about to ask if it was really okay to leave it all to Lady Chouko, she shot me a look, telling me to stop.

“All right. We’ll accept your advice and conduct the next challenge accordingly,” she said, accepting Shinmyou’s proposal with a gentle smile.

Shinmyou furrowed his brows a bit on hearing those words before returning to his usual cool demeanor and announcing the next challenge.

“The next round will be a dance contest. Naturally, we’ll be expecting something high-class. Understand?”