As the two Student Council Presidents discussed things, elsewhere in Fuchu, in the lounge of a Hot Spring Inn,
"Achoo—"
"Trainer, do you have a cold?"
Seeing Yasui Makoto suddenly sneeze, Hokubu Genkoma hurriedly said,
"I'll go get the medical staff here..."
"No need. It's probably just some bored person talking about me."
Stopping Hokubu Genkoma, Yasui Makoto looked her up and down for a moment, then asked,
"So, how do you like the hot springs here?"
Unlike the sportswear she wore during races or the stage outfit she wore on Winner's Stage, the black-haired girl was now dressed in a crimson yukata.
The yukata fit her perfectly, accentuating her athletic yet graceful figure.
Since she was still growing, her figure still had a hint of youthful innocence.
She had also untied 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 quiet air about her that was different from her usual lively, energetic self.
Of course, the moment she spoke, her full-throated voice still made her sunny nature shine through.
"Mm-hmm! It's so comfortable! Even more comfortable than all the hot springs Grandpa took me to!"
Hokubu Genkoma gestured excitedly as she spoke.
"And everyone here is amazing. Their massages feel so good! There were so many times I almost cried out because it felt so good!"
...But still, why did that sound so weird?
Some of the girl's descriptions seemed a little off. Yasui Makoto found it odd for a moment.
Then he glanced around, noticed several people looking their way with strange expressions, and couldn't help clearing his throat.
"You did very well in this race, and your post-race checkup showed you're in good health.
"But you're definitely tired, even if you can't tell.
"Hot springs help relieve fatigue, and this place also offers specialized therapeutic treatments for Uma Musume. That's why I brought you here."
The hot spring they were at was not far from Tokyo Racecourse. Besides the usual hot springs, baths, and massages, it also offered therapeutic treatments specifically for Uma Musume.
Before coming to Tokyo, Yasui Makoto had looked into these options and considered them as a way to relax after the race. After Winner's Stage, he had brought Hokubu Genkoma here.
So far, the Hot Spring Inn was proving just as effective as he'd expected.
If there was one thing to complain about, it was probably the price.
The hot springs charged by the hour, and with the massage he'd arranged for Hokubu Genkoma, it came to nearly 5,000 yen an hour on average.
At eight hours for one night, the two of them would be spending 80,000 yen. It was fair to call that a luxury.
But Yasui Makoto didn't mind the price.
He hadn't been short on money in his previous life. In this life, he couldn't earn as much, but he didn't have many expenses.
Between the allowance his family gave him and the money he'd saved from his part-time job in high school, he could still afford tens of thousands of yen.
Besides, Hokubu Genkoma had won this race, and the prize money was no small sum: a full six million yen.
Under their contract, after taxes, they would split the remaining prize money between them.
The academy would transfer Hokubu Genkoma's share to her family, while Yasui Makoto's would be transferred directly to him.
Over two million yen was a considerable amount. So even though it hadn't arrived yet, he did feel a little flush with cash.
But he'd been waiting for Hokubu Genkoma until now and hadn't tried the hot springs himself.
After explaining the plan to her, he stood up and said,
"So from now until tomorrow, I just want you to rest. You can relax however you like.
"I'm going to take a quick dip. I've already given you your room key, so you can stay here or go relax in your room.
"And don't worry about the cost. It's already paid for, so enjoy yourself."
"Mm-hmm! Thanks, Trainer!"
Hokubu Genkoma nodded repeatedly. "I was just about to call Senior Emperor and Light Diamond-chan. I'll head to my room first, then."
After going to the men's baths, Yasui Makoto made sure to get his money's worth and thoroughly enjoyed the hot springs and therapeutic treatments.
He'd been the same way in his previous life: he worked hard when it was time to work, and rested properly when it was time to rest.
Back then, rest had mostly been a way to ease psychological stress. Now, he was simply enjoying himself.
When he returned to his room after his soak, Yasui Makoto opened the door and was surprised to find Hokubu Genkoma playing a game inside, even though it was supposed to be his private room.
"...So did I enter the wrong room, or is there something you need, Xiao Bei?"
"Huh? You didn't enter the wrong room, Trainer. This is your room."
Using a game console as a controller, Hokubu Genkoma glanced away from the room's big screen for a moment, then looked back.
"Just a second, Trainer. I'm saving my progress."
He walked into the room and casually glanced at the screen. Yasui Makoto paused.
"Isn't this... Bayonetta 2?"
"Mm-hmm, it's Bayonetta 2. Light Diamond-chan recommended it to me."
After turning off the screen and putting down the controller, Hokubu Genkoma smiled, then asked curiously,
"Do you like playing games too, Trainer?"
"I don't mind them."
Yasui Makoto thought for a moment and answered casually.
He'd played games in his previous life, when his work required it.
In this life, he'd found that games were a 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 one of the Satomi Family's businesses, isn't it?"
"Mm-hmm. That's why Light Diamond-chan really likes games, though she only plays games published by her family's company."
Hokubu Genkoma nodded and pointed at the game console.
"She gave me this console for my birthday. She often recommends all kinds of games her family publishes, too.
"It'd be great if you liked games, Trainer. Then you could teach me how to play. I'm pretty average at most games."
"Teach you how to play? That's not part of my job."
He said it with a smile. Seeing Hokubu Genkoma pause, her expression dimming a little, Yasui Makoto smiled again.
"Come on, I'm kidding.
"I'm not some old-fashioned guy. 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, since we don't have training or races coming up, there's nothing wrong with playing games together."
Hokubu Genkoma immediately brightened and nodded repeatedly.
"Mm-hmm! 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 Senior Emperor until Monday, right, Trainer?"
Yasui Makoto froze.
"Tokai Teio... did she just contact me?"
"Yeah. I called Senior Emperor earlier to tell her I'd won the race."
Hokubu Genkoma explained, "She was really happy and praised me for ages.
"Then she told me she hoped you'd get in touch with her when you had time, so you could set a time to meet. There's something she wants to talk to you about.
"She didn't tell me what it was. I figured it was probably work-related.
"I was afraid I'd forget about it tomorrow, hehe. I'm not very good at remembering... that kind of thing.
"So I didn't want to hold anything up. That's why I waited here for you to come back.
"If you don't want to work on your day off, should I tell Senior Emperor you'll get back to her later?"
Before you continue