As the two Student Council Presidents talked things over, elsewhere in Fuchu, in the lounge of an onsen inn...
"Ha-choo!"
"Trainer, are you coming down with a cold?"
Seeing Anjing Zhen suddenly sneeze, Kitasan Black hurriedly said:
"I'll go get the medical staff..."
"No need. It's probably just some bored person talking about me."
After stopping Kitasan Black, Anjing Zhen looked her up and down for a moment, then asked:
"So, what do you think of the onsen here?"
Unlike the tracksuit she wore during races or the stage outfit she wore at the Winner's Stage, the black-haired girl was currently dressed in a crimson yukata.
The yukata fit her perfectly, accentuating her athletic yet graceful figure.
Since she was still growing, her figure still carried a hint of childishness.
She had also taken off the ribbon she usually wore in her hair, letting her smooth black locks fall over her shoulders.
Her hair was a little damp, and her cheeks were rosy. The girl had a serene air about her, quite unlike her usual lively, energetic self.
Of course, the moment she spoke, her hearty voice still revealed her naturally cheerful personality.
"Mhm! It's so comfortable! Even more comfortable than all the onsens Grandpa's taken me to!"
Kitasan Black gestured excitedly as she spoke.
"And everyone here is so skilled. Their massages feel amazing! There were so many times I almost cried out because it felt so good!"
...Still, why did that sound so weird?
Some of the girl's descriptions felt a little off. Anjing Zhen privately found it strange for a moment.
Then he glanced around and noticed quite a few people looking their way with peculiar expressions. He couldn't help clearing his throat.
"You did great in this race, and your post-race checkup showed you're in good health.
"But you're definitely tired, even if you haven't noticed it yourself.
"Onsens help relieve fatigue, and this place also offers special therapeutic treatments for racehorses, so I brought you here."
The onsen they were at wasn't too far from Tokyo Racecourse. Besides the usual hot springs, bathing, and massage services, it also offered therapeutic treatments specifically for racehorses.
Anjing Zhen had looked into all of this before coming to Tokyo. He'd considered it as one way to help her relax after the race, so he'd brought Kitasan Black here after the Winner's Stage.
Judging by how things were going, this onsen inn was just as good as he'd expected.
If there was anything to complain about, it was probably the price.
The onsen charged by the hour. With the massage and relaxation treatment he'd arranged for Kitasan Black, it came to almost 5,000 yen per hour.
At eight hours a night, one night for the two of them cost 80,000 yen. It was definitely a luxury.
Anjing Zhen didn't mind the price, though.
In his previous life, he'd never been short on money. In this life, he couldn't earn as much, but he didn't have many expenses.
Between the allowance his family gave him and what he'd saved from his part-time job in high school, he could still afford tens of thousands of yen.
Besides, Kitasan Black had won the race, and the prize money was no small sum: a full 6 million yen.
According to their contract, after taxes, they would split the remainder between them.
Kitasan Black's share would be transferred to her family through the Academy, while Anjing Zhen's would be transferred directly to him.
More than 2 million yen was no small amount. So even though it hadn't arrived yet, he did feel a little rich.
But he'd been waiting for Kitasan Black earlier, so he hadn't tried the onsen himself.
After explaining the plan to Kitasan Black, he stood and said:
"From now until tomorrow, all I want you to do is rest. You can decide how you'd like to relax.
"I'm going to have a quick soak. I've already given you your room key, so you can stay here or go to your room and play.
"And don't worry about the cost. It's already been paid. Just enjoy yourself."
"Mhm! Thanks, Trainer!"
Kitasan Black nodded repeatedly. "I was just about to call Teio-senpai and Diamond-chan. I'll head to my room first, then."
After making his way to the men's bath, Anjing Zhen made sure to get his money's worth and thoroughly enjoyed the onsen and the therapeutic treatment.
He'd been the same way in his previous life: working hard when it was time to work, and resting properly when it was time to rest.
Back then, rest had mostly been about easing the stress in his mind. Now, he was simply enjoying himself.
When Anjing Zhen returned to his room after his soak and opened the door, he was surprised to find Kitasan Black playing a game inside, even though it was supposed to be his private room.
"...So, did I come into the wrong room, or is there something you need, Little Kita?"
"Huh? You didn't come into the wrong room, Trainer. This is your room."
Using a game console as a controller, Kitasan Black glanced away from the large screen for a moment, then looked back.
"Just give me a second, Trainer. I'm saving my progress."
Walking into the room, Anjing Zhen casually glanced at the screen and froze.
"Isn't that... Bayonetta 2?"
"Mhm, it's Bayonetta 2. Diamond-chan recommended it to me."
After turning off the screen and putting down the controller, Kitasan Black smiled, then asked curiously:
"Do you like playing games too, Trainer?"
"More or less."
Anjing Zhen thought for a moment, then answered casually.
He'd played games in his previous life, though that had been because a task required it.
In this life, he'd found games a pretty good way to unwind after studying, and he played them fairly often.
"Bayonetta... I remember one of its publishers was Sega Corporation. Oh, it's a Satomi family business, isn't it?"
"Mhm, that's why Diamond-chan likes games so much, but she only plays games her family publishes."
Kitasan Black nodded and pointed at the console.
"She gave me this console for my birthday. She often recommends all kinds of games her family publishes, too.
"If you like games, Trainer, that's great! Then you can teach me how to play. I'm pretty average at a lot of games."
"Teach you how to play? That's not part of my job."
He said it with a smile. When he saw Kitasan Black pause, looking a little downcast, Anjing Zhen smiled again.
"Okay, I'm just kidding.
"I'm not some old-fashioned stick-in-the-mud. I play games to relax when I'm not working.
"I work hard when it's time to work, and rest properly when it's time to rest. That's how I do things.
"So there's no problem with us playing games together when we don't have training or races."
Kitasan Black immediately brightened and nodded repeatedly.
"Mhm! You're the best, Trainer!"
Then she seemed to remember something and took out her phone.
"In that case, you probably won't want to meet Teio-senpai until Monday, right?"
Anjing Zhen froze.
"Tokai Teio... Did she just get in touch with me?"
"Not exactly. I called Teio-senpai earlier to tell her I'd won the race."
Kitasan Black explained, "Senpai was really happy and praised me for ages.
"Then she said she hoped you'd get in touch when you had some time, so you could arrange a time to meet. There's something she wants to talk to you about.
"She didn't tell me what it was. I think it might be work-related.
"I was worried I might forget by tomorrow. Hehe, I'm not very good at remembering this sort of thing.
"So I didn't want anything to get held up, and I waited here for you to come back.
"If you don't like working on your days off, should I tell Senpai you'll get back to her later?"
Before you continue