Contrary to what Oguri Cap had expected, after opening his eyes, Kitahara didn't question her too much about what had just happened.
It wasn't that Kitahara didn't care about her strange behavior earlier. Rather, compared to those unusual actions, he was far more worried about whether she'd gotten hurt or left with any lingering problems.
"Check yourself carefully again," Kitahara said gently, "See if there's anywhere uncomfortable or strange…"
"And not just physical discomfort," he continued, "do you feel dizzy, nauseous, or have any other mental issues…?"
"Nothing at all…?"
"Then let me ask you a few quick questions—try answering these for me…"
With that, Kitahara threw a few simple math problems at Oguri Cap, which she quickly and correctly solved without any trouble.
It seemed clear enough: though the earlier situation had been strange, at least for now, Oguri hadn't suffered any damage or lasting effects.
And not only had she not been harmed—after conducting further checks, Kitahara gradually realized something else.
Far from causing harm or lingering problems, Oguri's overall condition had significantly improved after the strange incident.
She had just raced and had spent a long while pinning him down and licking his hand, yet after a short rest, her stamina had already recovered noticeably faster than usual. Even when answering questions, her speech flowed more smoothly than ever.
Normally, this would be good news.
But considering he still didn't fully understand how this thing worked, there might be hidden dangers.
Out of responsibility toward Oguri, even though she repeatedly insisted she was perfectly fine and ready to head to lunch, Kitahara still kept her behind for a more thorough examination.
After some time passed, Kitahara finished the checkup and came away with good news—and bad news.
The good news: just as he'd suspected earlier, the strange changes in Oguri were indeed directly caused by the mysterious energy he'd left inside her.
Though he'd worried extensively before, after further analysis, he found not only was the energy harmless to Oguri, it even appeared to possess nourishing properties.
Although slow-acting, Oguri's body was definitely absorbing this energy bit by bit, gradually improving the internal "body" he'd previously sensed through touch. That neatly explained why she'd instinctively wanted to "eat" the energy in the first place.
The bad news, however, was that after completing his checks, Kitahara discovered the energy left inside Oguri's body had another, less desirable effect.
The issue first arose during the inspection, when Kitahara noticed that the energy within Oguri had somehow changed.
Simply put, while inside his body, that energy was extremely lively, freely flowing and easily responsive to his commands.
But once it settled into Oguri's belly, that previously lively energy gradually grew sluggish.
Like dust settling onto a floor, it slowly stopped moving altogether.
Without any data or reference materials, Kitahara couldn't be certain what would happen if this energy continued to grow increasingly stagnant.
After some consideration, he decided to slightly stimulate that energy, hoping to slow down its inertness.
The stimulation method itself wasn't complicated.
It was simply placing his hand gently on her belly, establishing a connection between his own internal energy and the energy within her, and then issuing basic stimulation commands.
However, due to his current lack of familiarity, Kitahara had to close his eyes to properly channel the energy.
During the process, he remained focused entirely on guiding his internal energy, paying no attention at all to Oguri's condition.
But despite not deliberately checking on her, halfway through the stimulation, the sudden, obvious abnormality forced Kitahara's eyes open, and Oguri's current state slowly came into view.
The pattern on her lower belly was glowing.
Initially, the energy had overflowed enough to draw faint patterns across her lower abdomen.
Now, with Kitahara's stimulation, those overflowing patterns became even more active.
Not only did the patterns noticeably expand in size and number, their color gradually shifted from purplish-pink to a vibrant, vivid pink.
The glow intensified, eventually forming a tangible, misty haze around her, radiating a strangely seductive aura.
If it were just the pattern changing, Kitahara wouldn't be overly worried.
The real problem was that, along with the pattern's expansion, Oguri herself started behaving unusually again.
A deep flush blossomed across her face, and her breathing gradually grew heavier.
Her body instinctively tried to lean closer to him, and her recently clear eyes once again became cloudy with desire.
If Kitahara had kept his eyes shut and stimulated the energy a moment longer, he would probably have been pinned back down on the sofa again, "eaten" once more.
And unlike last time, Oguri was now brimming with that energy. If she "ate" him again now—what exactly would she end up consuming…?
Kitahara didn't know, and frankly didn't want to find out.
After spending considerable time calming Oguri Cap back down, Kitahara checked the clock. Seeing it was nearly the end of lunchtime, though he still wanted to continue investigating, he gave up on the dangerous idea after hearing the persistent rumbling from Oguri's stomach. He promptly took her to the cafeteria instead.
Yet, even after finishing their meal, Kitahara was still uneasy.
He pulled Oguri into a secluded corner afterward and performed another comprehensive examination, paying extra close attention to her lower abdomen.
The results were consistent with earlier.
Far from any injuries or hidden problems, Oguri's condition was only improving further as her body gradually absorbed the energy.
One thing worth noting, however: either because the overflowing energy was gradually being absorbed, or due to its growing sluggishness, the previously vibrant pink patterns covering nearly two-thirds of Oguri's belly had noticeably shrunk and dimmed in color.
Oh, so this thing can fade away after all…
Gently tracing his fingertips across the strange markings, Kitahara sighed quietly in relief.
Previously, he'd worried these marks might be permanent, already dreading how he'd explain them to the others.
But based on his current estimate, by tomorrow—once Oguri had fully absorbed the excess energy, stopping any overflow—these markings would likely vanish entirely.
Of course, they'd vanish only on the surface.
But unlike Kitahara, Oguri Cap seemed oddly disappointed upon noticing the pattern on her abdomen shrinking.
Noticing her dejected expression, Kitahara gently asked why. Oguri replied that she found the markings pretty, and because Kitahara himself had placed them on her, she'd grown attached and didn't want them to disappear.
Hearing Oguri's honest words and seeing her reluctant eyes, even though Kitahara hadn't intended any harm, he couldn't help feeling vaguely guilty—almost as if he'd deceived an innocent girl.
Lower abdomen… intricate markings… and even possessing that kind of effect…
Though Kitahara still didn't fully understand what exactly he'd created, it was painfully clear that it closely resembled something deeply inappropriate from his previous knowledge.
Putting something like that onto someone as pure and innocent as Oguri—intentional or not—filled him with profound guilt.
He didn't even know how to properly comfort her or explain the current situation.
Fortunately, Oguri Cap was very obedient.
He didn't even have to explain much—just mentioning to keep today's events secret from everyone else and to hide the marks on her belly, she instantly nodded and agreed, obediently following his instructions without asking questions.
After ensuring multiple times Oguri was truly alright, Kitahara finally let her return to training.
However, after escorting Oguri back to the training grounds, Kitahara neither returned to slacking off as usual nor immediately sought out Agnes Tachyon or Karai Risa. Instead, he quickly turned around and headed back to the clubroom.
While Kitahara did genuinely want professional help immediately—someone to explain what exactly was happening with his body and that mysterious energy—there was one thing he had to confirm first.
Entering the clubroom, locking the door, and carefully ensuring no Uma Musume were nearby, Kitahara sat down on the sofa, gently pulling Eclipse into his embrace. Then, softly, that faint purple-pink glow slowly appeared again on his palm.
"Do you feel anything special?" Kitahara asked carefully.
Though lacking direct evidence, he strongly suspected Oguri's earlier strange state was caused by this very energy in his hand.
If he didn't thoroughly understand its effects first and recklessly asked Karai-san or Tachyon for help, not only would they fail to solve his problem—they might even become part of the issue themselves.
However, to Kitahara's surprise, when he deliberately offered his palm, wrapped in that seductive pink-purple glow, Eclipse merely gave it a single gentle lick, then showed no further reaction.
"I don't sense anything special from it."
Eclipse's tone remained normal. She paused slightly, turned around, and then lifted her head.
After the soft, moist sensation separated from him, she blinked calmly and spoke.
"In comparison, I think this is still better for me."
This time, Kitahara didn't retaliate fiercely against Eclipse's teasing, as he was deep in thought. He just pinched her cheeks gently, then stroked her hair, pondering quietly as he did so.
Oguri Cap had clearly been attracted by the strange energy on his hand—that's why she'd behaved that way.
According to Oguri's own feedback afterward, she'd been fully conscious during the entire incident, fully aware she shouldn't harm him, yet she simply couldn't stop her actions…
But here was the problem: if the energy on his hand truly had a powerful attraction for Uma Musume, why had Eclipse shown no reaction whatsoever?
Was Eclipse somehow special, or was this energy perhaps only attractive to specific Uma Musume—maybe even exclusively Oguri Cap?
If it were the latter, that would be relatively simple. But if it were the former, there was a risk the energy might not just affect Uma Musume; it could even be dangerously attractive to humans…
Unfortunately, the sample size he had was far too small. He thought through numerous possibilities but had no way to confirm exactly which scenario was correct.
This is seriously tricky…
Kitahara sighed, absentmindedly kneading the small black-rice dumpling in his arms, helplessness growing across his face.
From being forced to form a team, getting dragged into Uma Musume Hunting, to now dealing with this mysterious energy…
Clearly, all he'd wanted was to quietly coast through three easy years at Tracen, take the money, and leave. Yet, somehow, trouble kept relentlessly finding him…
And speaking of that, wasn't Tracen Academy directly affiliated with the Three Goddesses? Especially the main campus, as the core of JP's Uma Musume training—it should theoretically fall directly under their jurisdiction.
But even though it belonged to those legendary goddesses, every single time trouble appeared, it always fell to him—a mere slacker trainer—and Eclipse—a background-character Uma Musume—to deal with it.
As for those fabled Three Goddesses, forget seeing them appear, he hadn't even caught a glimpse of their shadows.
"Three Goddesses, my ass. They might as well just rename themselves Three Figurines instead..." Kitahara muttered softly.
Unbeknownst to him, after his grumbling, Eclipse's ears immediately erupted into chaos:
"Ungrateful brat!"
"You little ingrate—"
"If not for us, you'd have been Uma-Pyoi'd to death ages ago!"
And various other scoldings echoed endlessly.
...
After venting quietly, Kitahara considered a bit more, then finally decided to seek Agnes Tachyon's help.
Although he'd initially intended not to trouble Agnes Tachyon today—originally planning instead to wait until Karai Risa returned—when he'd made that decision, he hadn't known how serious his situation would become.
And, most importantly, seeing the strange glow emanating from the energy wrapped around his hand—
Kitahara couldn't shake the feeling this thing strongly resembled the potion Tachyon had previously given him—the one she'd claimed could directly boost affection levels.
Thus, Kitahara was now highly suspicious that his current condition might directly be linked to Tachyon's potions—possibly even a lingering side effect from a potion he'd drunk previously.
Having made up his mind, Kitahara stood and exited the clubroom, slipping his hand into his pocket as he walked toward the training grounds to find Agnes Tachyon.
When he approached her, Kitahara didn't immediately reveal everything; he simply said he needed help looking into something.
Due to their previous agreement, as soon as Tachyon heard Kitahara had a serious matter for her assistance, she refrained from teasing or fooling around. She swiftly nodded, promptly leading him straight to her lab.
"What's the problem exactly? Is it something serious?" Agnes Tachyon asked immediately after entering the lab.
Given this concerned himself and potentially other Uma Musume, Kitahara hid nothing. He quickly recounted the events with Oguri Cap in the clubroom, even including the mysterious markings that appeared on her lower abdomen.
Yet after he finished speaking, Kitahara noticed Agnes Tachyon didn't look particularly worried. Instead, her expression turned somewhat subtle.
Kitahara wasn't mistaken—it really was subtle.
Because the first reaction Agnes Tachyon had upon hearing his story was disbelief.
Not that she doubted Kitahara himself. Rather, over time, even though she didn't have definitive proof, she'd gradually become aware of Oguri's increasing oddness.
She didn't doubt the truthfulness of Kitahara's account, but she strongly suspected Oguri Cap had merely staged an elaborate act—an excuse to openly "taste" Kitahara.
If it had been the past, she'd never have believed an innocent glutton like Oguri Cap was capable of such cunning.
But with the fierce competition heating up in the Humble Girl Cup lately, even Special Week—renowned as the most naïve—had begun rapidly increasing her "humble-girl power," performing feats even Tachyon had never imagined possible. Oguri Cap suddenly developing such cunning wouldn't exactly be impossible.
As for a certain "Turbo"? Who was that? Did such a person even exist in the Humble Girl Cup?
Seeing the visible disbelief on her face, Kitahara sighed helplessly. To prove his words, he slowly withdrew his hand from his pocket.
And the instant he did so, he noticed Agnes Tachyon's expression changed dramatically.
"So? Is this enough to convince you?"
Since he'd only intended to prove himself, Kitahara didn't release the energy fully—merely leaving a faint residue. After noticing Tachyon's expression shift, he prepared to quickly slip his hand back into his pocket.
But, before he could pull his hand away completely, Agnes Tachyon suddenly stepped forward, firmly grabbing his wrist and preventing him from retreating.
"...What's wrong?" Kitahara looked at Agnes Tachyon, confused. "Did you discover something?"
Agnes Tachyon lowered her head, remaining silent for a long moment. Then, with an oddly restrained tone—as if struggling to suppress something—she softly replied:
"There…might be something, but it's not very clear yet… Could you perhaps strengthen the output a little more so I can observe it clearly?"
"Increasing output isn't an issue," Kitahara said cautiously, "but doing that might cause an accident…"
"No," Agnes Tachyon quietly cut him off, "There won't be any accidents."
Her voice grew even stranger, layered with a subtle feeling Kitahara found oddly familiar.
"Besides," she continued softly, "if we really want to investigate, you can't possibly avoid increasing output forever. Rather than hesitating over possible accidents later, we might as well test it now…"
Hearing this, Kitahara paused briefly, considering her words. Eventually deciding they made sense, he closed his eyes, carefully beginning to guide that energy within himself once again.
After a short moment, the energy fully gathered in his palm, the pink-purple glow flaring gently. At the same moment, Agnes Tachyon's grip on his wrist gradually weakened, eventually disappearing altogether.
"Tachyon? Are you alright?"
When Kitahara realized Agnes Tachyon had suddenly released his hand and gone completely motionless after he finished guiding the energy, genuine concern flashed across his face.
In response to his question, Tachyon's body shivered slightly. She seemed to whisper something, but her voice was so faint that Kitahara couldn't make it out clearly.
Don't tell me something actually went wrong?
Even though this energy had shown no harmful effects—indeed, even positive effects—when interacting with Oguri Cap, Kitahara wasn't a professional. The energy itself was barely tested, and nobody truly knew its limits. It might actually harm a person.
Considering this, Kitahara's expression gradually turned serious. He bent down carefully, preparing to examine Tachyon's condition closely, and mentally started preparing to call for the school doctor.
Yet before Kitahara could fully bend down—before he'd even completed his preparations—Agnes Tachyon suddenly extended her arms, pulling him tightly into her embrace, lowering her head toward him.
Soft, moist, with a lingering sense of familiar clumsiness.
After a long moment, their lips finally parted.
Face thoroughly flushed, Agnes Tachyon released Kitahara gently. Her eyes were filled with a familiar, overflowing affection that rippled softly like water.
"It's been so long, Kitahara."
"Did you miss me?"
---
T/N: bro has the power to make people stronger through sex im calling it now