There wasn't any bug in the bathroom.
After managing to struggle out of Doto's embrace with eyes tightly shut and leaving her in Special Week and Grass Wonder's care, Kitahara entered the bathroom, carefully checked around, but found nothing resembling a bug.
Once Doto had calmed down somewhat, Kitahara asked Special Week and Grass Wonder to put a towel around her and called her back in to point out exactly where she'd seen the "bug."
Not that Kitahara doubted her—it was just that his team had quite a few Uma Musume who were terrified of bugs. If there really was a bug hiding here unnoticed, it could cause trouble later.
But after Doto pointed out the exact spot, Kitahara discovered that the "bug" she saw was just a small clump of hair left behind by the other Uma Musume while bathing.
"I—I didn't see it clearly…"
Hearing Doto's explanation, Kitahara accepted it without hesitation.
While that thing wasn't actually a bug, floating gently in a puddle of water, if you didn't look carefully, it did indeed resemble a wriggling insect—in fact, it might look even scarier than most actual bugs.
However, after accepting Doto's explanation, Kitahara suddenly remembered something, a flicker of confusion crossing his mind.
Since when…was Doto this afraid of bugs?
It wasn't that Meisho Doto was particularly brave, nor that she wasn't scared of insects at all.
But due to her constant clumsiness, she had often fallen into ditches or bumped into trees, inevitably coming into contact with various insects.
In the beginning, her reaction had indeed been pretty severe.
But as it kept happening, although her fundamental fear of bugs remained unchanged, her tolerance gradually increased. Eventually, even if a bug landed on her, she'd carefully remove it herself with a tissue.
But now…
Seeing Doto still bowing her head and repeatedly apologizing, Kitahara thought for a moment, then decided it wasn't worth dwelling on.
After all, it had been years since he'd last seen her. Perhaps she hadn't encountered bugs for a long time, and given she was bathing and completely unprepared, suddenly seeing something that resembled a bug could understandably startle her.
So he quickly brushed it off and instead focused on comforting Doto, who was still apologizing incessantly.
Special Week and Grass Wonder, while initially suspicious of Doto's earlier actions, also concluded it was probably just an accident. Considering Doto's previous clumsiness and Kitahara's descriptions, it was easy to assume she'd simply panicked. Although it felt a bit odd, they didn't seriously suspect anything.
But what none of them knew was that, as they dismissed their doubts, a rather dangerous thought was forming quietly in Meisho Doto's heart.
What Kitahara didn't realize was that his initial suspicion had actually been correct: Doto wasn't particularly afraid of bugs, nor had she misidentified the clump of hair.
She'd done it intentionally.
Her goal wasn't personal, either—she was simply following a "suggestion" given to her a few days ago by that pure-white Uma Musume.
This particular action wasn't actually the main suggestion itself; rather, it was more of a preliminary test before executing the real thing.
And as for what exactly she was testing…
Recalling the sensations she'd experienced earlier when holding Kitahara tightly, feeling his reactions under her touch, Meisho Doto lowered her head even further, her cheeks gradually turning hot.
Kitahara-san actually reacted to me…
In other words, at least physically speaking, he didn't dislike the thought of intimacy with her.
Don't misunderstand—it wasn't that she had any particular romantic intentions towards Kitahara.
Because from start to finish, she never believed someone like herself deserved to be with Kitahara romantically, nor had she ever wished to become his lover.
The sole reason she'd done what she did earlier was entirely to follow that "suggestion" given to her by the white Uma Musume:
"Although I gave 'that thing' to him quite some time ago, so far—not to mention using it—he hasn't even become aware of its existence…"
"What is 'that thing'? You don't need to know the details."
"All you need to know is that one effect of 'that thing' is building a bridge between humans and Uma Musume, allowing humans to gain some Uma Musume-like abilities."
"However, because 'that thing' was only recently created—and thanks to interference from three certain idiots—its power is currently extremely weak, and its effects minimal…"
"If it could grow stronger, then perhaps, through mutual understanding, he could receive a portion of their strength and abilities."
"But right now, forget mutual understanding—even ordinary acts of intimacy probably won't yield significant improvement."
"Therefore, a deeper kind of 'contact' is necessary to establish the bridge."
"Yes—exactly what you're thinking: Umapyoi. That's the most direct and effective way."
"If you really want to protect him, you should jump him."
That was exactly what the white Uma Musume had said.
To be honest, Meisho Doto didn't fully understand her meaning.
She didn't know what "that thing" or the "bridge" really referred to, nor could she fully grasp the connections between them.
But at least she clearly understood one part: as long as she and Kitahara performed Umapyoi, she could help him.
So, despite believing she was unworthy of Kitahara, Meisho Doto had taken that earlier action.
Because her goal was precisely to Umapyoi.
She didn't expect to establish a romantic relationship, nor did she intend to compete with anyone else. This was why earlier she had completely ignored Special Week and Grass Wonder's assertiveness, and had no interest in joining the team.
She just wanted to help Kitahara a little, wanted to protect him before his awakening truly began.
Or perhaps—
She just wanted to Umapyoi.
Everything else was secondary.
And so, time passed.
After confirming once more there was indeed no bug in the bathroom, Doto took another quick shower since she'd gotten some dust on herself from the earlier chaos.
Afterwards, Special Week and Grass Wonder left early for their upcoming classes.
Truthfully, had this been any other Uma Musume, Grass Wonder and Special Week would never have left so easily.
Even if they didn't directly skip class, they would have at least made sure to disrupt any suspicious attempts before leaving. There was no way they'd let her sneak in smoothly.
But since it was Meisho Doto, who had seemed entirely "safe" based on her earlier behavior, they didn't think twice before leaving.
Thus, the room was left to just Kitahara and Meisho Doto.
Since Doto had already clearly refused joining the team—at least temporarily—Kitahara felt relieved and started casually chatting with her about various things.
He assured her that, even if she didn't join, he'd still gladly help her with her clumsiness issue.
After chatting for a while, Kitahara glanced at the time. Seeing it was still quite some time before training ended and they had finished their conversation, he decided to head to the training grounds.
But before leaving, seeing his current disheveled appearance due to the earlier incidents—especially Doto's chaos—Kitahara frowned slightly.
Although he wasn't someone who cared overly about appearance, going out in this messy state might reflect poorly on the school's image, possibly resulting in lectures from Chairwoman Akikawa and Hayakawa. Thus, he decided to take a quick shower and change before leaving.
"Um, Doto, I'll be going to the training grounds in a bit. Do you want to head back, or come along with me…?"
After a brief hesitation, Doto softly answered:
"…I'd like to go with you."
"Then wait a bit, I'll shower quickly first."
Saying that, Kitahara picked up a fresh set of clothes and entered the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water echoed from inside.
After waiting for a few moments, hearing the water running, Meisho Doto hesitated briefly before quietly approaching the bathroom door, lightly gripping the handle.
Click.
It wasn't locked.
The sound was so faint it blended easily into the steady stream of water, unheard by the person inside.
Holding the handle, Doto hesitated once more, but eventually she quietly opened the door and slipped inside.
This time, even though the water was loud, Kitahara immediately noticed someone approaching behind him, and his seated body stiffened slightly.
"…Doto?"
"…Yes."
At Doto's quiet reply, Kitahara felt a sudden chill run down his spine.
I'm still showering—why did she come in?!
Before Kitahara could even ask, Meisho Doto spoke first, softly clarifying her intentions.
"I caused you a lot of trouble earlier, Kitahara-san… I want to help in a way that I can, like washing your back or something…"
She deliberately stumbled over her words, slowly drawing out the sentence—and by the time she finished, she was already standing directly behind him.
Kitahara wanted to stop her, but in his current state—
Forget about stopping her, he didn't dare even turn around, afraid any sudden movements would expose something he shouldn't.
"Doto, I'm fine doing this myself. If you really want to help, you can do it next time—right now, you should—"
His voice abruptly stopped.
Not because she silenced him, but due to the sudden, gentle touch against his back.
"I…I might not be very good at it, but I'll do my best…"
Doto concentrated entirely on the back before her, carefully stroking it with delicate fingertips.
Because she knew she was clumsy, she moved with extreme caution, so gently that rather than scrubbing, it felt more like caressing.
Several seconds passed before Kitahara finally spoke again:
"Doto, you should—"
"…Did I do it badly?"
The fingers paused, and a trembling voice whispered:
"It's my first time doing something like this, so please give me another chance… I'll do my best to make you comfortable…"
"No, Doto, it's inappropriate—you're a girl, and—"
"…I understand."
Feeling the gloom radiating from behind him, Kitahara realized Meisho Doto clearly hadn't accepted his explanation. She probably thought he found her repulsive.
If it were any other Uma Musume, perhaps Kitahara wouldn't have jumped straight to that conclusion.
But the problem was, Meisho Doto was undoubtedly one of those troublesome Little Ancestors—apart from her inherent clumsiness, another defining trait was her extreme inferiority complex.
Even back then, never mind now, she'd often take responsibility for things completely unrelated to her, convinced she was incapable of doing anything right.
Out of pure reflex, Kitahara assumed she was slipping back into her usual self-blaming spiral.
And as he sensed the growing disappointment behind him, hearing her pleading voice, Kitahara's initially firm rejection began to soften bit by bit.
He wasn't unaware that allowing her to do something like this was inappropriate.
But if he rejected her outright, he worried it might create cracks in the trust she placed in him, her only emotional pillar.
If that happened, forget improving her condition—he'd be lucky if things didn't get worse.
He'd had experience with that before.
Therefore, sensing the deepening sadness behind him, after a brief silence—despite knowing full well it was inappropriate—he sighed helplessly.
She's a child I once took care of, after all. If it's just washing my back, it shouldn't cause too many problems, right...?
Thinking along those lines, Kitahara finally gave in, letting out a sigh as he granted Meisho Doto one more chance.
And this time, Meisho Doto's movements became even gentler—careful as if handling the most delicate of fragile glass.
He didn't even have to look; just from her touch alone, he could clearly sense the cautious care in every motion.
Kitahara himself wasn't exactly comfortable with this, but since he'd already agreed, all he could do was sit still, bracing himself as he allowed her to "help."
At first, he thought he'd quickly endure her help, then declare she'd finished washing his back and insist he'd handle the rest himself. That would swiftly end this awkward situation.
But soon enough, Kitahara realized that as she washed, Meisho Doto's hands were slowly inching forward.
"…Doto, what are you doing?"
"Um, if you don't mind… I can help wash the front too—"
"Stop!"
Kitahara felt his scalp go numb, suddenly beginning to doubt Meisho Doto's understanding of basic human biology.
He mentally noted that later, he needed to find some time to give her a proper lesson on human anatomy, clearly explaining the differences between males and females.
But that would be later.
Right now, after firmly rejecting her request to wash his front, Kitahara's mind raced, trying to think up a new topic before she fell back into depression again.
"I can't allow you to do that—it's really inappropriate—but now that I think about it, there's actually something else you could help me with, something only you can do…"
Hearing there was something she could help with—something exclusively for her—Meisho Doto's eyes instantly lit up.
"Wh-what is it...? No, just please tell me exactly what to do."
"No need to be so nervous; it's just a small matter."
Kitahara reached behind him, lightly patting her head, and continued slowly:
"After we leave here, I'll write a plan to help improve physical condition. I want you to deliver it secretly to Mejiro Ardan—that young lady from the Mejiro family."
Because Ardan was notoriously known as a "glass horse," Meisho Doto immediately nodded, understanding exactly who he meant, and agreed without hesitation.
Only after accepting did she realize the task sounded suspiciously simple.
After all, if it were just delivering a letter, any random Uma Musume could easily do it. Why would it specifically require her…?
But before she could voice her confusion, Kitahara continued speaking.
"Of course, it's not as simple as just delivering a letter. First, the contents of this letter are extremely important, so I must entrust it to someone I can truly trust."
"Also, after delivering it, you have to make sure she doesn't realize the letter came from me—ideally, don't even let her suspect I might be involved."
"That means I can't have someone openly close to me deliver it. The messenger must also keep their mouth shut, completely obedient…"
"Doto, you're the best candidate for this mission."
"So, could I rely on you? Deliver this letter, but make absolutely sure she doesn't realize it was sent by me. Can you do it?"
Of course she could.
Even though she wasn't particularly confident in her abilities, simply delivering a letter was something even she believed she could accomplish, especially under Kitahara's direct orders.
Thus, receiving her exclusive mission, Meisho Doto's mood instantly improved, leaving her previous gloom behind and even turning quite cheerful.
Given that Kitahara remained firm about refusing her offer to help him wash his front—and considering her own embarrassment had nearly reached its limit—after a moment's hesitation, Doto finally decided it was best to leave.
Seeing her finally preparing to go, Kitahara heaved a sigh of relief, inwardly celebrating that this torturous situation was finally coming to an end.
Once she leaves, I'll quickly finish washing and head straight to the training grounds...
But just as they both relaxed—
Meisho Doto, who'd slowly stood up to leave, had her attention so completely occupied by thoughts of her new mission that she failed to notice the clump of "bug" hair she'd previously used as an excuse, now right beneath her foot.
The bathroom floor was already slippery from standing water. Add in the fact that her current movements weren't guided by Kitahara's commands, plus the additional hazard of the hair-clump "bug"—
Without any surprise, the moment she stood up, Meisho Doto lost her balance.
But she didn't hit the ground.
Because the instant she began to fall, Kitahara reacted immediately, turning swiftly to catch her safely in his arms.
"Are you okay, Doto?"
"…I-I'm fine."
After briefly confirming she was unharmed, Kitahara finally realized just how awkward their current position was.
But the real awkwardness wasn't just their current closeness.
Due to earlier stimulation—and especially the back-washing session just now—even though Kitahara's intentions toward Doto remained entirely pure, as a perfectly healthy young man, certain physiological reactions were simply unavoidable.
Earlier, this hadn't been a real problem.
After all, previously, with his back facing Doto, even if he'd reacted slightly, she wouldn't have noticed as long as he didn't turn around.
But now…
After their brief exchange, when Meisho Doto came to her senses and started to get up, she suddenly felt something pressing against her lower body.
Momentarily confused, she instinctively glanced downward, trying to identify what exactly was touching her.
"Wait—don't—!"
Kitahara reacted instantly, even quickly moving to cover her eyes—but unfortunately, he was one step too late.
---
T/N: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH