The sound of Fujiwara Zenya and Nase Hideto talking drew Hayakawa Tazuna's attention. She turned toward the seat behind them and, through the gaps in the carved glass partition, saw Fujiwara Zenya's figure. Just as she was about to greet him, Chiya covered her mouth.
"Chiya? You're not going to greet Trainer… I mean, your father?"
"Let's not greet him right now." Chiya kept his voice low. He absolutely did not want his date with Tazuna to be exposed to his father. Worse still, Shirayuki was sitting beside them. How was he supposed to explain this complicated situation?
Hayakawa Tazuna actually wanted to speak with her former trainer a little, but since Chiya was unwilling, she could only give up. That aside, wasn't the person sitting across from Trainer Zenya actually Trainer Hideto? Had he already arrived in Japan?
Hayakawa Tazuna was secretly shocked. She could not help listening in on their conversation. At first, it was only a bit of catching up. Zenya asked about Hideto's current situation, and the two chatted casually for a while. Before long, however, the topic turned back to Chiya.
"Let me make this clear first, Zenya. I will not hand my daughter over to a man who goes around charming everyone."
Goes around charming everyone? Wait, is he talking about me? Shirayuki pricked up her ears. As an Uma Musume, she could hear more clearly than Chiya.
"You've got that wrong, Hideto. My kid only likes those few people. How can you call that going around charming everyone?"
Listen to yourself. Is that something a person should say? "Only those few people," he says. Just how many do you want?
"If he wants Fumino, then he is forbidden from dating anyone else."
Hearing that, Hayakawa Tazuna frowned.
What does that mean? Are you two visiting relatives, or are you two fathers deciding your children's future by yourselves? Even if that were the case, why should Fumino be first? Hayakawa Tazuna's mood became rather poor, but she still endured it and did not rush over to argue.
Seeing her expression, Shirayuki broke into a cold sweat. Right now, she had the urge to stand up and run away. If she left now, at least she might survive. Otherwise, both of her bodies might end up being dealt with here.
Just as Shirayuki quietly prepared to leave, Tazuna suddenly caught her with a snap. Her soft hand had somehow turned into steel, pulling Shirayuki back beside her without giving her any chance to resist.
"Where are you going, Shirayuki?"
"T-to the restroom…"
"Wait just a little longer. It'll only take a moment."
"It's urgent."
"If it's that urgent, there's a bottle here. Have Chiya stand in front and block the view for you."
Clearly, Shirayuki's little plan could not escape Tazuna's eyes at all. Both of their movements were restricted by Hayakawa Tazuna at the same time. What had originally been a peaceful date had turned into Chiya's trial.
"Your thinking is too rigid. What's wrong with Chiya keeping several bowls of water level? It's not as if he'd take Fumino and then run away. In the end, he'd still have to take responsibility, wouldn't he?"
Oh? Several bowls of water level?
Hearing that, Hayakawa Tazuna smiled. Shirayuki felt the strength gripping her grow heavier and heavier.
This is bad. If this keeps going, things are going to become extremely bad!
The last time he had accidentally angered Hayakawa Tazuna, she had pinned him down and thoroughly disciplined him until he was mentally drained for an entire week. And now Shirayuki was here too. That meant both of them would suffer under Hayakawa Tazuna's hands. How was he supposed to endure that kind of double pressure?
"Even if he can take responsibility for my child, how far can that responsibility really go? Have you thought about that?"
"I believe Chiya can see it through to the end. After all, that kid's personality is just like mine."
Hayakawa Tazuna's smile became brighter and brighter. Fujiwara Chiya's heart grew colder and colder. Never before had he felt such a strong urge to punch his own father twice. Forget seeing things through to the end with Fumino, his own life was about to reach its end right here.
Was it happening again?
Was this his calamity?
"What I'm saying, Hideto, is that neither Chiya nor Fumino are children anymore. Their affairs aren't something we need to worry about. Fumino will find out eventually anyway. When the time comes, if she can accept it, she can accept it. If she can't, then that just means Chiya doesn't have the ability. How about that?"
"You're trying to get me to step aside in a roundabout way so your kid can take everything."
While eating the sushi that had been served, Nase Hideto mercilessly saw through him.
"Haha, you saw through me. But as long as Fumino herself thinks it's fine, then isn't that enough? Everything you do is for her sake anyway, right? As parents, we shouldn't force our own values onto our children. Let them decide for themselves."
The logic was sound, but the more Nase Hideto thought about it, the worse it tasted. After going around in circles, it felt like nothing had changed except that his daughter had been dragged into this. Not only that, but somehow, he had been pushed toward accepting the other side's conditions.
Have I been tricked by this Zenya guy?
Nase Hideto looked at the man in front of him, who had beer in his left hand and sushi in his right, and felt a displeased thought rise in his heart.
After the two finished eating, they paid the bill and left the restaurant. Fujiwara Chiya silently watched his father's departing back and silently cursed him to twist his ankle the moment he stepped outside. Then he turned back toward Hayakawa Tazuna beside him and saw the corner of her mouth lift into a smile that no one could understand.
In those emerald-green eyes, Fujiwara Chiya sensed something ominous and dark. He swallowed and spoke carefully. "Tazuna, my dad is… old. His head doesn't work too well anymore. Don't take what he said to heart."
"Really? I feel like Zenya-san is anything but dull. He managed to lead Trainer Hideto around by the nose in just a few exchanges." Hayakawa Tazuna's tone was light, but every word felt like a blade chopping into Chiya's heart.
"And in the end, Zenya-san wasn't exactly wrong, was he? Isn't Chiya living a life where he's surrounded on both sides right now? How nice, Chiya. So many people like you. Ah… no, that's not right. It's not only Chiya. It's the same on Shirayuki's side too. Quite a few people seem to have gathered around you, like Teio, Spe-chan, and the others."
Hayakawa Tazuna's target shifted toward both of them. Shirayuki and Chiya's hearts began pounding rapidly. In truth, there was not necessarily anything wrong with Shirayuki being close to Teio and the others. But after Hayakawa Tazuna learned that Chiya's soul was inside her, she no longer saw it that way.
Their friendship had no possibility left except to change into something else.
"Recently, you seem to have been interacting with them more and more often. Is it because your body is in such good condition that you've started doing whatever you like again?" Hayakawa Tazuna looked at Chiya, a strange light flickering in her emerald eyes.
Chiya and Shirayuki's bodies instinctively trembled. At that moment, in front of Hayakawa Tazuna, there was no longer any distinction between human and Uma Musume. Both of them were being suppressed by someone far above them.
"It's all right, Chiya. I'll help you burn off that excess energy. That way, you won't have any room left for strange thoughts. Shirayuki too. If you keep getting too close to others, your body might start feeling strange things, right? But if you get used to proper discipline, you won't be so sensitive anymore. So let me help you."
With that, Hayakawa Tazuna began leading the two of them outside.
"Tazuna, calm down. It's only noon!"
"Isn't that even better? There are still more than ten hours until tomorrow morning. During that time, I'll make sure you forget all those unimportant people and all those unimportant things."