Lu Jue climbed the steps, reaching the height where the shrine was located.
He regretted agreeing to Special Week, as it was very tiring.
"Xiao Te, run when you're ready; I'll time you from your start," Lu Jue shouted from the bottom of the mountain.
He hadn't felt much while climbing, but now looking back at the tiny buildings made Lu Jue feel a little scared.
"I know!" Special Week responded, then got ready to run.
"Thump, thump, thump—"
Horseshoes collided with the stone steps, making heavy sounds.
Special Week arrived in front of Lu Jue at a speed that made him feel a chill.
"How was it, Trainer?" Special Week asked, panting.
"Xiao Te, how many more laps? Or how about we just end it here? You can practice on a sloped lawn later."
"It'll be over soon, Trainer. Did you time it properly just now?"
Lu Jue sighed helplessly, glancing at his stopwatch. "Very good, this result is already excellent."
"Hehe~ But I still can't relax, because Xingyun Jiang is very strong, and I'm not confident I can beat her."
"Xingyun is only third in popularity, though. Did you pay attention to King Halo, who is first in popularity?"
Special Week was good in all aspects, but sometimes she was prone to complacency. However, it wasn't a big deal; the races would slowly temper her.
"This..." Special Week poked her fingers together.
Lu Jue knew at a glance that she had only cared about Seiun Sky; she probably hadn't paid attention to other competitors.
"By the way, have you seen Xingyun recently?"
"Yes, I see her every day in class."
"Is there anything strange about her... how is her condition?"
Special Week thought for a moment, then shook her head. "There's nothing strange, she's perfectly normal."
"Alright then." Lu Jue nodded. "Let's continue training, come on, next lap!"
"Okay!"
...
Half an hour later, Special Week's training finally ended.
This little Uma Musume was a bit stubborn; she wouldn't leave until her training was complete.
On their way down the mountain together, Special Week suddenly stopped.
Lu Jue turned back, looking at her in confusion. "What's wrong?"
"My legs feel a bit sore."
"It would be strange if they weren't sore, but this also shows that the training is effective."
Lu Jue would absolutely not steer the conversation towards topics like "carrying you down the mountain."
But the slow-witted Special Week didn't seem to have that intention either.
"Trainer..." Special Week called out again.
"Hmm?"
"Why were you in such a hurry when you came today?"
The girl's gaze shifted elsewhere, but the distant sky was already a heavy black, like ashes left after the afterglow had burned away.
She didn't quite dare to meet Lu Jue's eyes, only twisting her words as she spoke: "Is it because... you were worried about me?"
"Yes." Lu Jue didn't hesitate. "The purpose of researching this weighted ring was precisely because I didn't want you all to climb such stone stairs."
"When you came, you didn't make yourself clear, and I thought you were injured." Lu Jue suddenly chuckled. "I even ran two red lights; I hope there won't be any terrible consequences."
"Is that so..." Special Week said nothing further, slowly resuming her descent.
Her hands, clasped behind her back, tied and untied a knot, much like her heart at that moment.
Mom, coming here and meeting Silence Suzuka, and also... Trainer, I'm truly so happy.
"Xiao Te, how about we grab something to eat before heading back?"
"Eh!? To Trainer's house?"
But wouldn't that mean she and Lu Jue would be alone under the same roof?
No, no, this development is too fast...
She still didn't know what holding hands felt like, or hugging, or kissing.
"You wish; I don't want to cook on an empty stomach." In fact, Lu Jue also had the same concerns as Special Week.
"Oh, I see."
While Special Week felt relieved, there seemed to be a tiny hint of regret.
"By the way, have you been strictly controlling your diet recently?"
"Yes, I weigh myself every day!"
"Mm, not too fat, not too thin, just healthy eating is good." Lu Jue suddenly remembered something. "Are you free tonight? I promised you another custom winning uniform last time, and it's been put off. This is a good opportunity."
"No, no, actually, I really like the one Trainer gave me."
"But that wasn't one you chose yourself, after all."
"No, really, it's fine." Special Week was already very satisfied. "I really like the one Trainer gave me; there's no need to change it."
"I didn't say to throw that one away. It's just an extra winning uniform, and you can switch between them."
Anyway, strange winning uniforms don't affect an Uma Musume's race, so Lu Jue naturally wanted to see more outfits.
He'd arrange it for everyone in "Dream" later.
"Oh, so it's not being thrown away." Special Week was somewhat swayed; of course, she also liked pretty winning uniforms and wouldn't mind having more.
"Yes, just do as I say. Let's go, we'll eat first."
...
After Lu Jue and Special Week descended the mountain, a figure also came down from the mountain.
Coincidentally or not, this mountain was the closest one to Teresen Academy, and in the evening when there were fewer people, it was very suitable for exercise.
Seiun Sky had been there for a while, but after spotting Lu Jue and Special Week, she hid in a corner.
She couldn't go out and meet them as usual, not even pretending it was a coincidence.
But in reality, she didn't know why she had to hide.
After standing quietly for a moment, Seiun Sky sighed, "Ah, training, training..."
"What if there's no Trainer to guide me? Didn't I train myself before?"
"I just hope Xiao Te won't cry too sadly if she loses to me after her specialized training~"
"Hmph, even if she cries very sadly, I won't go comfort Xiao Te."
"I want to see if Trainer will praise me when I win the championship~"
After Seiun Sky finished speaking to herself, her expression also calmed down, and she silently gazed at the distant view hidden behind the veil of night.
Night fell, and stars, like glowing dust, dotted the ink-like sky, seemingly without pattern, but when viewed broadly, they resembled a river of stars flowing through the night sky.
Heartfelt words spoken to the silent mountain forest.
This era belongs to Special Week.
But it also belongs to Seiun Sky.