"Aren't Peak and the others coming?" Luo Cheng asked Mejiro Dober and the others during dinner in the tearoom.
"Sister Peak and the others went with Grandmother to the dining room to meet guests. It was a lot of trouble for them today, dealing with so many people on our behalf." Mejiro Dober sighed in relief. Those people were finally gone. With them around, Mejiro Dober hadn't dared to leave the room. I should thank Sister Peak and the others later.
Originally, Mejiro Peak didn't want to receive guests, but when she heard the Trainer was coming, she let Mejiro McQueen and the others accompany him, while she, Zenno Rob Roy, and Mejiro Ryan—the elder sisters—handled the reception. Otherwise, all the Mejiro children would have had to attend the banquet, but in the end, Mejiro Peak shouldered the entire responsibility.
"Yes, Sister Peak went to a lot of trouble," Mejiro McQueen chimed in. In truth, she should have been there. At previous birthday parties, she was responsible for chatting with guests and maintaining the atmosphere, but the moment she saw the Trainer, she couldn't bring herself to leave. Dealing with those tiresome guests was nowhere near as fun as talking to the Trainer, especially the Trainer in this mode. She felt like she could give some interesting commands, but only when no one else was around.
"They'll be back around nine. Does the Trainer want to wait for them? It might take a while, so Trainer might as well just spend the night here!" Mejiro Ardan clapped her hands, coming up with a brilliant idea.
"That's right, Trainer should just stay here!" Hearing this, McQueen and Dober's eyes immediately lit up. "There are many empty rooms here. It's not safe at night; many single horse girls are out and about. Trainer could easily be kidnapped and encounter danger, so you should just stay here."
"Exactly, the Mejiro home is very safe."
"Luo-chan, you're not leaving tonight, are you?"
Facing the invitation from the Mejiro sisters, Luo Cheng fell silent.
Even if he wanted to stay, he knew he had to leave tonight. His plot time was almost over.
"...Yes, alright." After a long pause, Luo Cheng spoke. "Please give me a room for the night."
"I'll go get it ready. The room next door should be empty." Mejiro McQueen ran off.
"Wait, the one opposite mine is empty. Trainer can stay there," Mejiro Dober stood up. "But it's been used as a storage room. I'll see if I can clean it up."
Now, only Mejiro Ardan and Mejiro Bright remained in the room.
"I'm going out for a short walk. I'll be back later." Luo Cheng stood up and left after saying this. After he left, Mejiro Bright put down her teacup, smiled at Ardan, and followed him out.
Mejiro Ardan blinked.
"?"
Shouldn't you say something? How am I supposed to follow now!
"Are you going to sleep, Trainer-sama?"
Mejiro Bright walked up next to him.
"I want to go out and stay for a bit."
"Then allow me to accompany Trainer-sama." Mejiro Bright smiled, reached out, and held Luo Cheng's hand.
The two arrived at the Mejiro family courtyard, where the streetlights were already on, casting an eerie glow on the grass. Luo Cheng found a chair and sat down.
"The tea party was very enjoyable today, Trainer-sama. Everyone really likes Trainer-sama."
"Yes."
Luo Cheng looked at the moon.
"But my communication with the Trainer wasn't much. Ardan and McQueen did most of the talking."
"Bright, you're not very good at chatting."
Mejiro Bright's tone was very similar to Cafe's—slow, very soothing, and without a ripple of emotion. However, Cafe would often pause mid-sentence, as if thinking about what to say next, while Bright was like pure, unblemished cotton, consistent from beginning to end.
"It gets tiring to talk so much at once, so I prefer to just watch the Trainer from the side," Mejiro Bright said with a gentle smile.
"Trainer, would you like to rest on me?" Mejiro Bright lightly patted her lap. Luo Cheng lay down. The sweet fragrance from her lower abdomen reached him. The honey lingered on Mejiro Bright even after she had showered.
"I hope the Trainer can visit the Mejiro family again next time. No, since the Trainer will be a butler, you can come every week." Mejiro Bright reached out and stroked Luo Cheng's forehead, smoothing his hair.
"Even so, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do here."
"Oh my..." Mejiro Bright curled her lips. "Actually, the Trainer doesn't need to do anything. All the housework in the Mejiro home has already been assigned. Trainer, you only need to enjoy your exclusive dessert when you come."
"That exclusive dessert wouldn't happen to be you, would it?"
"Trainer-sama, do you want me to say it out loud?" Mejiro Bright caressed Luo Cheng's ear. "Then I will satisfy you. I am the Trainer's exclusive dessert, and I long to be eaten by Trainer-sama."
"Trainer? Where did you go, Trainer?"
"Luo-chan~?"
The voices of Mejiro Dober and the others came from a distance. Just as Luo Cheng was about to say something, Bright covered his mouth.
"Shhh, Trainer-sama," Mejiro Bright whispered. "Please quietly enjoy the service I am giving you."
Her golden eyes glowed eerily under the night sky. That look reminded Luo Cheng of Sunday Silence. He linked the image of one girl, who was utterly quiet, with another, who was utterly wild—the feeling the two gave Luo Cheng was the same at this moment.
Luo Cheng turned over, enjoying the softness of Bright's lap. Unbeknownst to him, Mejiro McQueen's voices had disappeared. They were either unable to find him or had been called back by someone.
After some unknown amount of time, with Mejiro Bright's gentle stroking, Luo Cheng spoke.
"Bright, what time is it now?"
"Eight fifty."
Luo Cheng sat up.
"Are you going back to sleep, Trainer? If so, we can—"
Luo Cheng shook his head.
"I feel like my mood will be much better after today."
"If the Trainer likes it, you can come over for tea parties on regular days, too. I will always wait for the Trainer." Mejiro Bright leaned against Luo Cheng. The man looked up at the moon in the sky.
"What time is it now, Bright."
"Eight fifty-nine."
"...I see."
The moment the hour hand jumped to nine o'clock, a prompt popped up in front of Luo Cheng.
[Random Scenario: Mejiro Family Birthday Party Completed]
The world dissolved into blocks of color before Luo Cheng's eyes. The soft feeling beside him vanished. Luo Cheng felt as if he were falling into a bottomless abyss. There was no light around him, and in the endless darkness, only his body was clearly discernible.
Then, he felt a downward pulling force, falling continuously, and finally—
Thud!
Luo Cheng landed on something.
Opening his eyes, Luo Cheng saw the familiar room. An Uma Musume Training Manual rested on a well-worn wooden desk.