...
"What dream?" Lucian asked gently. "Don't cry. Tell Trainer, okay?"
The unstoppable tears soaked Lucian's fingers. He could only pull out a few tissues and continue wiping them for her. "Take your time."
"Okay." Tokai Teio drew in a trembling breath. "Last night... I dreamed that something dangerous happened during my race. I broke a bone."
"Then..." She choked and gasped again. "Then I couldn't continue participating in the races after that. I said my final goodbye to the fans, then came to Trainer on crutches..."
Lucian listened and felt full of surprise in his heart. Wasn't this roughly the plot from the anime?
After that, wouldn't Twin Turbo use a once-in-a-century escape to restore Tokai Teio's confidence and bring about a miraculous revival?
In Tokai Teio's dream, he should have comforted her wholeheartedly too. What was there to cry about?
"Then... then..." Tokai Teio spoke haltingly, struggling for a long time to continue.
"Don't cry." Lucian's heart ached terribly. Ignoring the saltiness of the tears, he kissed Tokai Teio's dry lips. "Trainer is right here by your side, isn't he? Tell me—I'm listening."
"Mm!" Tokai Teio nodded heavily. "Then Trainer looked at me with disgust, poured a bottle of water over my head, turned around, and left."
After saying that, she threw herself into Lucian's arms and sobbed softly. "Trainer, you're not allowed to leave me!"
"I thought it was something serious. How could you imagine me so badly in a dream?" Lucian scratched Tokai Teio's cheek. "Teio, do you not trust Trainer again?"
"No... I just feel so sad inside..." Tokai Teio shook her head. Her tears smeared messily across Lucian's chest.
"That was just a dream. It won't happen. Why would Teio think so much?"
"I don't know either. Before I fell in love with Trainer, nothing like this ever happened." Tokai Teio wrapped her arms pitifully around Lucian's back. Her delicate body still trembled from crying.
"Sigh~" Lucian held her protectively with one arm and slowly slid them both under the covers.
Tokai Teio curled up in Lucian's embrace, pressing even closer.
"You're such an adorable little filly. How could I bear to bully you?"
"Then will Trainer leave me in the future?"
"No. I want to stay with Teio and help you achieve the goals in your heart."
...
Lonely nights truly do bring out people's negative thoughts.
But the next day, Tokai Teio regained her positive mindset once more—fully revived.
When Lucian woke up, Tokai Teio—who had fallen asleep pillowed on his arm last night—was already gone.
If he hadn't lifted the blanket, he wouldn't have noticed at all.
Before the sky had fully awakened, the two stole a few intimate moments in the faint light, then washed up and went out for breakfast.
The early-rising horse girls arrived not long after.
Haru Urara: "Trainer, Teio, morning~"
Rice: "Onii-sama, Teio, good morning."
Seiun Sky: "Good morning everyone—except Trainer~"
Lucian: "..."
At the corner, Mejiro McQueen walked out yawning. The moment she saw everyone, she immediately straightened up and swallowed the yawn back. "Good morning, everyone. Teio, you weren't in the room early this morning. Did you go for a run?"
"Yeah, I ran on an empty stomach and came back for breakfast." Tokai Teio handled it smoothly. She finished the rest of her breakfast and stood up. "I still need to go back to the room and take a shower, change clothes too."
"Ah, mm." Mejiro McQueen's gaze followed Tokai Teio's figure.
Strange. Teio didn't run for long this morning—how come there's not a drop of sweat on her?
Could it be another special training method devised by Trainer?
Mejiro McQueen sat down too and picked up a pastry. But after one bite, she lost her appetite. "Trainer, your desserts are still the best."
"Eat something else. I'll make some for you when we get back."
"Oh..." Mejiro McQueen had only said it casually—she hadn't actually meant for Lucian to cook.
But since Trainer had already said so...
Her appetite seemed to recover a little. She continued eating the pastry in front of her.
Lucian finished eating too. After leaving the restaurant, he ran into Silence Suzuka right at the corner. "Good morning, Suzuka."
Silence Suzuka grabbed his wrist and pulled him into another corner.
"A whiff of 'Teio scent.'" Her head suddenly leaned close. Her delicate nose twitched, then slowly lowered her gaze. "And..."
"Don't mess around. There are cameras."
"This is a blind spot. No cameras." Silence Suzuka said.
Lucian looked up and scanned the ceiling. Okay, there really weren't any here.
"Lucian-kun, don't you have anything you want to say?" Silence Suzuka's voice was soft and low, like a neglected woman in a deep chamber.
"Say what... What do you mean by 'Teio scent'?" Lucian licked his lips and guiltily looked away.
"Hmph. Lucian-kun is still pretending. You forgot to smell Teio earlier—otherwise you'd have caught the scent of 'little Lucian-kun' too..."
Lucian reached out, covered her mouth in one swift motion. "Suzuka, aren't you afraid someone will hear?!"
"Ding—"
The elevator arrival sound came through. Soon after, Lucian heard footsteps approaching.
Although this spot was hidden, there was still a chance of being discovered. So Lucian wrapped his arm around Silence Suzuka's waist and pulled her closer toward him.
Silence Suzuka cooperated by pressing in tight—then uncooperatively took his earlobe between her lips. "Lucian-kun, are you nervous? I misspoke just now. You might not smell anything on Teio's body. But after she finished breakfast, the taste was probably already covered up anyway. Am I right?"
As she spoke, she exhaled freely against his ear without holding back.
Her usually calm voice finally carried a seductive rise and fall—tingling and numbing, like a soft, melting massage on Lucian's ear and heart.
In reality, she had already started the massage. So Lucian's body gradually relaxed into comfortable softness.
But not his entire body.
"Su-Suzuka..."
"Lucian-kun, do you really have nothing you want to say?"
To the main drug, she added another ingredient called "cold."
Her cool lips began kissing Lucian's cheek. Her breathing grew heavier.
Their pressed-together lips blocked out the light. Silence Suzuka kissed him fiercely.
Who doesn't have possessiveness? Does only Tokai Teio get to have it?
"Lucian-kun, a little hint... Last night Seiun and I discussed your matters until so late."
"Zip—"
Lucian's clothes were clearly buttoned, yet an inharmonious zipper sound rang out—extremely quick, gone in an instant.
"Tha..." Before he could finish, Lucian saw Silence Suzuka's quiet gaze sweep over.
Not thanks? Then it must be an apology.
"Sorry..."
Her stare remained unchanged.
Whether it was thanks or apology, Lucian was already dizzy from circling the question and couldn't tell clearly anymore.
Then he'd just do nothing—that way he wouldn't make any mistakes.
As for Silence Suzuka—he sealed her mouth too. With the hand resting on her head, he covered her eyes. That way he couldn't see anything, and she couldn't say anything either.
...