Comfortable Enough to Scream

While the two Student Council Presidents were in discussion, on the Other Side in Fuchu, a lounge hall at a hot spring inn.

"Achoo—"

"Is the Trainer catching a cold?"

Seeing Anjing Zhen suddenly sneeze, Kitasan Black said hurriedly:

"I'll go call the medic on duty..."

"No need, it's probably just some bored person gossiping about me."

Stopping Kitasan Black, Anjing Zhen looked her up and down for a moment and asked:

"How is it? The hot spring here."

Unlike her sportswear during the race or her stage outfit at the Winner's Stage, the Black Haired Girl was currently wearing a crimson yukata.

The yukata was quite form-fitting, perfectly accentuating the girl's athletic yet graceful silhouette.

Because she was still in her growth phase, such a figure still faintly revealed a sense of childishness.

The ribbon she usually used to tie her hair was undone, and her black locks draped softly over her shoulders.

Her hair was slightly damp and her cheeks were flushed; such a girl displayed a quiet temperament different from her usual lively and energetic self.

Of course, the moment she spoke with such vigor, one could still feel her cheerful personality from the bottom of her heart.

"Mm-hmm! It's incredibly comfortable! It's even better than many of the hot springs Grandpa takes me to!"

Kitasan Black gestured excitedly:

"And the people here are so skilled, their massage techniques are amazing; there were so many times I almost wanted to cry out in pleasure!"

...Though, why did that sound so strange?

Feeling that some of the girl's descriptions were a bit off, Anjing Zhen felt awkward for a moment.

Afterward, he glanced left and right, and seeing the somewhat strange looks from those around them, he couldn't help but cough dryly.

"You performed very well in this race, and your post-race checkup was also healthy."

"However, there is definitely fatigue, even if you can't perceive it yourself."

"Hot springs themselves have the effect of relieving fatigue, and there are unique therapy services here specifically for Horse Girls, which is why I specifically brought you here."

The hot spring where the two were currently located was not too far from the Tokyo Racecourse; in addition to the common hot springs, baths, and massages, they also provided therapy services specifically for Horse Girls.

Before coming to Fuchu, Anjing Zhen had investigated these conditions and thought about using it as one of the post-race relaxation activities, so he brought Kitasan Black here after the Winner's Stage.

Looking at it now, the effect of this hot spring inn was as good as expected.

If one had to complain about something, perhaps it would only be the price.

The hot springs here were charged by the hour, and with the massage and relaxation arranged for Kitasan Black, it averaged nearly 5,000 yen per hour.

Counting 8 hours for a night, the two staying for one night would cost 80,000 yen, which could be considered luxurious.

However, Anjing Zhen did not Care About the price.

In his past life, he was not short of money, and although he couldn't earn that much in this life, there wasn't much to spend money on.

With the living expenses provided by his family and the money saved from his high school part-time jobs, he could still afford a few tens of thousands of yen.

Moreover, with Kitasan Black winning the championship in this race, the Prize Money was not a small amount, totaling 6 million yen.

According to the contract, after taxes were deducted from this prize money, the remainder would be split equally between the two of them.

Kitasan Black's account was handled by the academy to be transferred to her family, while Anjing Zhen's share was transferred directly.

Over 2 million yen was truly a significant sum, so even though it hadn't arrived yet, he really did feel a bit wealthy.

However, he had been waiting for Kitasan Black earlier and hadn't experienced the hot spring himself.

So, after explaining the arrangements to Kitasan Black, he stood up and said:

"Then, from now until tomorrow, my only arrangement for you is to rest; how you rest is entirely up to you."

"I'm going to go have a quick soak. You already have your room card, so you can play here or go to your room as you please."

"Don't worry about the costs, it's already been paid for, so enjoy yourself."

"Mm-hmm! Thank you, Trainer!"

Kitasan Black nodded repeatedly and said: "I was just about to call Teio-senpai and Diamond-chan and the others, so I'll head to my room first."

After arriving at the men's bath, Anjing Zhen did not waste the fees paid and thoroughly enjoyed the hot spring and therapy.

He was the same in his past life; he worked hard when it was time to work and rested well when it was time to rest.

Back then, rest was more about relieving psychological pressure, but now it was pure enjoyment.

When he returned to his room after the soak, Anjing Zhen opened the door and was surprised to find that, despite it being his single room, Kitasan Black was inside playing a game.

"...So, did I go to the wrong room, or is there something you need, Little Kita?"

"Ah? You didn't go to the wrong room, Trainer, this is your room."

Using a game console as a controller, she shifted her gaze from the room's large screen for a moment before looking back.

"Hold on a second, Trainer, let me save my progress."

Walking into the room and glancing casually at the screen, Anjing Zhen froze for a moment.

"Isn't this... Bayonetta 2?"

"Mm-hmm, it is Bayonetta 2. Diamond-chan recommended it to me."

Turning off the screen and setting down the controller, Kitasan Black smiled, then asked curiously:

"Do you like playing games too, Trainer?"

"I suppose so."

After a moment's thought, Anjing Zhen replied offhandedly.

He had been exposed to games in his past life, though that was only because his missions required it.

In this life, outside of his studies, he felt that gaming was a decent way to relax, and he played quite a bit.

"Bayonetta... I recall one of the publishers is Sega Corporation... Oh, that's an asset of the Satomi family, isn't it?"

"Mm-hmm, that's exactly why Diamond-chan loves playing games, though she only plays the ones published by her own company."

Kitasan Black nodded, pointing at the console:

"She gave me this console for my birthday, and she often recommends various games published by her family.

"It would be great if you like games too, Trainer, then you could teach me how to play. I'm really quite average at most of them."

"Teach you how to play? That's not exactly in my job description."

He said this with a smile, but seeing Kitasan Black pause, her expression dimming slightly, Anjing Zhen laughed again.

"Alright, I'm just kidding.

"I'm not some old stick-in-the-mud; I play games to relax outside of work too.

"Work hard when it's time to work, and rest well when it's time to rest—that's my habit.

"So, as long as there's no training or racing scheduled, there's no problem with playing games together."

Kitasan Black's face immediately lit up with joy, and she nodded repeatedly.

"Mm-hmm! You're the best, Trainer!"

Her expression shifted, and she pulled out her phone.

"If that's the case, you probably won't be looking to see Teio-senpai until Monday, right?"

Anjing Zhen was taken aback.

"Tokai Teio... did she just look for me?"

"That's right. I was just on the phone with Teio-senpai, telling her about my race victory."

Kitasan Black explained: "Senpai was very happy and praised me for a long time.

"Afterward, she told me she hopes you'll get in touch with her when you're free to set up a time to meet; she has something she wants to discuss with you.

"She didn't tell me what it was about, but I assume it's work-related.

"I was afraid I might forget tomorrow—hehe, my memory for these kinds of things really isn't the best.

"So, I was worried about delaying something important, which is why I waited here for you to come back.

"If you don't like working on your Rest Day, should I tell her you'll get back to her later?"