Steam drifted lazily up from the Roman-style marble bath, thick enough that anything beyond half a meter away was little more than a blur. But as the splash subsided, Agnes Tachyon caught sight of Seiun Ryoka swimming toward her, wearing the sort of grin that said her little prank had gone off exactly as planned.
For a moment, Tachyon honestly could not tell whether she was dreaming or having some bizarre hallucination.
That Seiun Ryoka could make that kind of face?
Agnes Tachyon had been fairly relaxed a moment ago, but now she found herself a little less certain. Should she say it was only natural, considering Ryoka was an existence she had never been able to understand? Why had she chosen to appear like this, of all ways?
A flicker of realization flashed through Tachyon's eyes.
Could it be…?
Daiwa Scarlet had been sitting not too far from Tachyon. She had not particularly wanted to talk to this so-called senior after the embarrassing disaster Tachyon had dragged her into in front of Ryoka, but after getting drenched like that, even the calmest person would have gotten annoyed—and Scarlet had already been a little unhappy to begin with.
Suppressing the irritation in her chest, she bit out, word by word,
"Ta-chy-on. Sen-pai."
But she never could have imagined that the childish prankster responsible would turn out to be Seiun Ryoka. Her anger and her words both lodged in her throat at once, and she could only stare with wide eyes and an open mouth.
Because she saw it clearly: Ryoka's pale, slender arms cut gracefully through the water, her softly flushed shoulders appearing and disappearing beneath the rippling surface. In scarcely two breaths, she had swum right between Tachyon and Scarlet, then slowly rose.
Crystal droplets rolled down the lovely curves of her body, somehow seeming to gleam in the mist like scattered points of light.
Then again, perhaps that was not really an illusion at all. After all, it was simply the effect of the droplets and steam catching the light.
Her bath towel was wrapped tightly around her, concealing everything that ought to remain concealed, and yet even so Daiwa Scarlet's mouth went dry. She had the sensation of wanting to say something—anything—yet not knowing where to begin.
Without realizing it, she held her breath, as though afraid that speaking would shatter the quiet beauty of the moment.
Perhaps this image of the beauty rising from the bath would burn itself into her memory forever.
And because she was so focused on Ryoka, Daiwa Scarlet failed to notice that Agnes Tachyon had also gone momentarily blank, staring open-mouthed.
Ryoka, meanwhile, sat down between them as naturally as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. Warm water lapped at her delicate, white collarbones. Letting out a satisfied sigh, she casually stretched out both arms and draped one around each girl's shoulders, gently drawing them closer.
"It's nice, being able to relax like this together."
There was a warmth to Ryoka's voice, softened by steam and moisture, though it also carried the faintest trace of teasing.
Agnes Tachyon's body tensed ever so slightly. Her throat bobbed, and on instinct she nearly started analyzing "the relationship between skin contact stimulating nerve endings and the acceleration of the heartbeat."
There was no helping it. Giving herself a research subject was the best way to redirect her attention. Otherwise, what if she lost her composure in front of Daiwa Scarlet?
Thankfully, she was a mature, dependable researcher. She endured. She did not shrug off Ryoka's arm, but neither did she respond. She simply lowered her gaze and quietly took hold of her own ankle.
That said, the fluttering of her ears gave away the truth well enough: she was actually quite happy.
Daiwa Scarlet, on the other hand, had no chance of staying as composed as Tachyon. Her reaction was far more obvious.
She jerked like she had been lightly shocked, and a charming flush spread across her pretty cheeks at once. She opened her mouth as though she wanted to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.
Back in the room, Ryoka had already guessed that things between the two of them might become a little awkward.
Now, after this close contact, she was even more certain. She could clearly feel how stiff both girls had gone. Their bodies were all tensed up—obviously they were embarrassed.
A soft smile crossed her lips.
Then she stretched languidly, sending ripples over the water, and said in a bright tone,
"We've been soaking for a while. It's starting to feel a little stuffy. Let's go for a walk."
It was said like a sudden suggestion, but the way she phrased it left no room for refusal. It should have sounded like a question, but Ryoka's tone made it into a declaration.
And she did not stop there. One hand on each girl's arm, she moved as if to pull them out of the bath.
"Eh? S-Seiun-sama?" Daiwa Scarlet's voice shook.
She clutched the top edge of her bath towel tightly, terrified that it might suddenly come loose and unleash a tidal wave. Her face flushed even deeper, and even her voice trembled.
Tachyon reacted much faster. She immediately recognized that the suggestion was a perfectly timed escape hatch.
"True. Staying in the bath too long leads to unnatural changes in body temperature and circulation. It is bad for the body. Proper regulation is necessary."
Only, she was speaking just a little faster than usual.
At that point, what was Daiwa Scarlet supposed to say? In the end, she could only murmur softly,
"Yeah… that works."
So the three horse girls climbed out of the warm water, dried themselves off, changed into lighter clothes in the dressing room, and put on berets and glasses so they would not be recognized before heading out side by side.
Once the cool night air replaced the bathhouse's humid warmth, the awkwardness hanging between them—the kind born of being just a little too close—seemed to dissipate with the breeze. Gradually, the girls' moods began to settle.
And that was exactly when Ryoka suddenly stepped ahead of them, taking the lead. Under the pure moonlight, her silver-white hair seemed to glow faintly with something almost holy. She looked back at them with a smile, her eyes clear and gentle, as if she had seen through everything and was now kindly giving them exactly the distance they needed.
If she had not stepped in, the tension between them probably would have lingered for a long time. They were both the type to get hung up on things, after all.
Ryoka's "night-walk therapy" began in earnest.
It had to be said—London truly deserved its name as an international metropolis. Even in decline, there were still night owls everywhere.
Ryoka did not choose any tourist attractions, nor any especially crowded parks or arcades. Instead, she led the other two through ordinary streets still carrying the warmth of daily life.
They passed near Borough Market. Though the stalls were already closed, the lingering scents of spices, cheese, and bread still hung in the air.
Ryoka took Daiwa Scarlet by the hand and said,
"Come to think of it, I'd kind of like to learn some Western-style pastries. Daiwa, when we have time later, want to try making some together?"
"Eh? M-Me?" Daiwa Scarlet blinked.
This burst of happiness had come so suddenly she felt like she could not breathe. Stammering badly, she finally answered,
"O-Of course! It would be my honor! Hehe…"
Her tail wagged cheerfully, broadcasting her delight loud and clear.
And because of that, she completely failed to notice that Ryoka's other hand was not tucked behind her back at all—it had quietly hooked itself around Agnes Tachyon's little finger.
Tachyon was a little surprised. She had assumed Ryoka would focus on Daiwa Scarlet for the moment, but apparently…
If Tachyon exposed the truth right now—that Ryoka was casually juggling them both—then Ryoka would surely be plunged into catastrophic embarrassment, with no hope of recovery.
Just imagining that was enough to make her pulse quicken.
But strangely enough, her heart resisted the idea. She did not want to say it. If anything, she almost wanted to help Ryoka keep it hidden.
Whether that came from concern for Scarlet's feelings or from not wanting Ryoka's image to collapse, even Tachyon herself could not have said.
After a long silence, another possibility struck her.
No way… could it be that Seiun Ryoka has already seen through my state of mind, and that's why she's doing this on purpose?
But how had she done it? Agnes Tachyon could not begin to understand.
At that moment, a few young people just getting off work happened to recognize them and gasped in surprise.
"Ah! Horse girls!"
"Oh my God, it's Seiun Ryoka! That legendary five-crown champion!"
"Miss Seiun, I'm your fan!"
The girls waved excitedly at them, but politely kept their distance, clearly afraid of being a nuisance.
This was the first time Daiwa Scarlet had ever experienced anything remotely like being around real fans, and she awkwardly turned her face away. Agnes Tachyon, meanwhile, accepted those admiring gazes as though they were the most natural thing in the world.
Ryoka waved back to them too, then immediately grabbed both girls and took off running. Her ears had already caught the sound of more shouts coming from farther away.
Only when they reached the area near Millennium Bridge did she finally stop, partly so Daiwa Scarlet could catch her breath and partly so the two girls could enjoy the scenery.
The cool night breeze stirred their hair. Across the river, the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral looked magnificent and almost sacred under the lights.
Just then, a sightseeing boat packed with passengers passed beneath the bridge, and a little commotion immediately broke out on deck.
"Look up there! Horse girls!"
"I don't know them—who are they?"
"That one looks like… Daiwa Scarlet, next to Seiun Ryoka, right? And the other one must be a Japanese horse girl too!"
"So that white-haired one really is Seiun Ryoka? She looked this way!"
"Wow! She's even more dazzling than she is on TV!"
The excited chatter rippled out over the water.
Daiwa Scarlet instinctively straightened her back. She absolutely refused to be the one who made Ryoka look bad. Then again, she herself was just an obscure horse girl, wasn't she? So how had anyone recognized her too?
Was this what people meant by rising to fame because of someone else's success?
Noticing how tense Scarlet had become, Tachyon commented coolly,
"Public attention is just another environmental variable professional horse girls need to adapt to…"
"…Right?" Ryoka turned and winked at Tachyon with a mischievous smile.
Join here to read ahead.
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 180)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl 285
"Is this chat group even serious?" 150
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (This matter is completely finished.)
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 255
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 210
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 305
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer (This matter is completely finished.)
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/40
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 130
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 155
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 120
Summoning an Evil God, but the 75
Supernatural Multiverse 155
My Harem Is Indescribable 105
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 110
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 110
Still playing traditional Honk 96
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 95
What Should I Do After Switchi 51
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 80
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 105
Checking In in Demon Slayer 95
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 105
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 95
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 80
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel (This matter is completely finished.)
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 95
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 90
Why did they assign me to Uma 80
MYGO Beauties 75
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 80
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 100
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 120
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 65
The Uma Musume Who Became 70
I'm Definitely Not the King of 105
After Maxing Out Every Class 110
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 95
I, the Elden Sword Saint 60
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 60
No One Knows Pokémon Better 60
I, Sakazuki, Won't Go Down Tha 69
From Trilobites to Titans 57
Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 75
DanMachi: My Party Members Are 86
An Anime Heroine Darkened 60
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Links 70
Honkai: The Fire Devil 70
Honkai Transformation Cards Volume2/30
Age of Heroes, I'm Just a Back 60
Uma Musume Has No Weird Fan Le 74
At age 8, she co-starred with 45
Honkai: Schicksal Media 53
An Extremist in a Slice-of-Lif 30
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