I'm in Teresin, dedicated to playing badly

"And your debut battle is in a month. Although I believe that with your strength, even if you are not in good condition, you will still be able to win."

"But I think you should prefer a hard-fought victory when you're in poor form to a beautiful victory when you're fully prepared, right?"

After listening to Shinji Kitahara's words, Hibiki Kusakami's eyes showed a hint of hesitation.

She was aware of what Shinji Kitahara had said.

Moreover, given that this is her only debut battle in her life, and with her strong-willed personality, she would definitely want to win more beautifully.

The problem is, even if things are clear, when it comes to matters of the heart, sometimes no matter how clearly you explain them, you will still feel disappointed and sad.

Shinji Kitahara was aware of this, but he didn't have a good solution. After all, he wasn't particularly good at controlling Kusakabe's emotions.

Although he couldn't help her solve her emotional and psychological problems, he could at least offer her some help on a physical and mental level.

Just like...

"Let me help you take care of yourself and get you in better condition."

As the words fell, some unpleasant memories from the past surfaced.

Grasshopper's body stiffened slightly, and even his ears trembled.

Seeing her hesitation, Shinji Kitahara paused for a moment, then spoke again, adding to the conversation.

"Don't be nervous, your condition is not serious. I will try to reduce the intensity. If you feel it's not enough, you can stop at any time."

After a moment of silence, accompanied by a gentle wag of its tail, a slightly hesitant voice rang out.

"...Then I'll have to trouble Trainer Kitahara."

After agreeing, Grasshopper took a deep breath and, with a look of resignation, lay down on the nursing bed.

This time, however, when Shinji Kitahara's hand landed on her, she still felt a jolt, like an electric current.

However, it was much weaker than she had expected. Although it was still quite exciting, it was within her manageable range.

Shinji Kitahara was not surprised.

After all, at the very beginning, when Ms. Grass was suffering, he didn't have much data on normal horse girls, nor had he adjusted his techniques, so he put in much more effort than he did with the later horse girls.

Even back then, Ms. Cao was able to endure the whole process without stuffing a towel in her mouth, so this kind of ordinary relaxation is even easier for her now.

However, Ms. Cao's situation was more relaxed.

But after a while, as Ms. Kusa adapted and relaxed, another little trouble emerged, quietly wrapping itself around Shinji Kitahara's arm in the direction of the force.

Shinji Kitahara also noticed the movements of the grass-mountain tail, and a hint of helplessness gradually appeared in his eyes.

Although he was already used to being entangled by Ms. Grass's tail, the problem was that he was currently taking care of her, so being entangled was still somewhat inconvenient.

So, after being entangled, Shinji Kitahara began trying to shake off the tail.

But the problem is that after such a long time apart, and with all that effort, they've finally gotten entangled again. How could Ms. Grass's tail possibly loosen so easily?

So despite Shinji Kitahara's repeated attempts to break free, the lady's tail relentlessly tried to stick to him, and the intensity of their struggle gradually increased, and then...

Snapped.

With a crisp sound, Shinji Kitahara and Ms. Kusa's tails stopped moving at the same time.

Because he was focusing most of his energy on taking care of Ms. Kusa, Shinji Kitahara didn't pay much attention to the situation there, even though he was constantly fighting with Ms. Kusa's tail.

Basically, I would wave my hand to shake it off whenever its tail tried to get tangled around me, or try to swat it off halfway.

As the battle intensified, Shinji Kitahara's hand gestures and slapping motions became increasingly exaggerated.

Then, as the movements become larger and larger, after reaching a certain level of intensity...

After the sound rang out and I realized what was happening...

His palm had already slapped onto a soft, fleshy mound, and the force he used was quite considerable.

Very moist.

This was Shinji Kitahara's first reaction.

Before he could even react, his hand instinctively reached out and grabbed at the soft, even plump thing, trying to figure out what it was.

By the time he realized what was happening, Grasshopper's body was already trembling slightly.

silence.

Shinji Kitahara withdrew his hand somewhat awkwardly, coughed twice, and explained.

"Sorry, Grasshopper, this was an accident..."

He briefly explained the situation to Grasshopper, who responded with a soft "hmm" after listening, and then made no further reaction.

Seeing her like this, Kitahara Shinji breathed a slight sigh of relief and continued to care for Kusakami Tobi.

And as their attention gradually focused during the nursing process, they slowly forgot about what had just happened.

What he didn't know was that, although Grasshopper showed no further outward reaction after that attack, Grasshopper's actions were completely different.

But where he couldn't see, Grasshopper's eyes were gradually becoming deeper and more murky.

When that crisp sound rang out, Hibiki Kusaka was stunned for a moment.

After a moment of stunned silence, and as she realized what had happened, especially after feeling Shinji Kitahara's hand gently squeeze hers, she was stunned.

Besides feeling ashamed and humiliated, a strange sense of pleasure also flashed through her mind.

Having dreamed of being a Yamato Nadeshiko since childhood and holding herself to extremely high standards, Kusakabe Hibiki has rarely been punished or even criticized.

She's not a masochist; if it were anyone else doing this...

Even if it were the horse she knew, she would definitely kick it now, and might even be getting out of bed to touch the naginata.

But Shinji Kitahara...

Her mind was filled with memories of their first meeting, and she couldn't even muster the slightest bit of resistance, let alone retaliate.

Shy, humiliated, yet unable to resist...

I know in my heart that this is wrong, but I just can't bring myself to say it...

And it wasn't just this one accident.

Unrestricted entry and exit from the dormitory, contact with caregivers, entanglement of the tail...

As a sense of shyness washed over her, more and more details that she hadn't noticed before, or had deliberately ignored, began to flash through her mind, constantly stimulating her senses.

This is clearly a breach of boundaries, not to mention by the standards of a Yamato Nadeshiko (ideal Japanese woman), even by the standards of a normal woman.

But the more she thought about it, the more intense the inexplicable pleasure became, along with the increasing sense of shame.

Immorality? Taboo? Or something else entirely?

Grasshopper doesn't know.

All she knew was that she didn't resist the feeling, nor did she resist Kitahara Shinji.

Especially as this feeling gradually increased, the dark waves that had once been buried deep in my heart, which I thought would never see the light of day again, slowly rose to the surface.

He recalled how he had slighted and neglected her during a special week in the past month, and how he had accompanied and cared for her over the years.

As certain emotions fermented within him, Grasshopper's gaze gradually deepened.

Then, after a while of nursing, the tail, which had been calm for a moment, rose again and slowly wrapped around Shinji Kitahara's arm.

Because of his previous experience, Shinji Kitahara didn't dare to shake her off so easily anymore. He carefully began to care for her while she was clinging to him, secretly complaining about her habit of being so clingy.

What he didn't know was that this time, unlike before, the tail's movement wasn't an unconscious habit, but a conscious attempt.

And, after the attempt was successful.

As something fermented, the black waves began to surge even more violently.

The nursing care ended after a period of time.

Because Kitahara Shinji didn't exert much effort, Kusakami Tobi quickly returned to normal.

Moreover, thanks to the effects of the treatment, she looks much better than before. Not only has her physical fatigue been reduced, but even her originally haggard complexion has improved considerably.

After the nursing care was completed, she recovered and had already made a decision.

Shinji Kitahara figured there was nothing else to do, so he decided to chat with her one last time. If everything seemed alright, he prepared to head back to the training ground.

But just as he was thinking this, Kusakabe Tobi, who had regained her mobility, walked to his side, and then...

She sat in his lap.

"Grasshopper, you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Kusakabe wrapped his arms around Kitahara Shinji's neck and pressed his face against his chest.

"Trainer Kitahara, I like Tetsuya."

Kitahara Shinji's voice stopped abruptly. His eyes twitched, and then he looked down at Kusakabe Hibi in his arms.

"Hey, Grasshopper, what's going on here...?"

"Didn't Trainer Kitahara already guess that?"

She buried her head in Kitahara Shinji's chest, pinched her arm hard, squeezed out a few tears, which dampened Kitahara Shinji's clothes, and her voice trembled slightly.

"I know that Tetsuya likes Suzuka, and I also know that I'm not Tetsuya's type. She only sees me as a friend, and I shouldn't have any other thoughts, but..."

She hugged Kitahara Shinji tightly, burying her head even deeper.

"Could I rest here for a bit, Kitahara Trainer? I'm really tired."

silence.

Then a sigh.

Faced with Hibiki's straightforward and frank question, Shinji Kitahara didn't know how to respond.

But out of brotherhood, he couldn't refuse.

Especially now that Grasshopper has directly admitted that he is Yu, his last bit of doubt about her has disappeared.

So, after thinking it over, and sensing the slight trembling of the delicate body in his arms, Shinji Kitahara hesitated for a moment, but in the end he reached out and hugged her as well, gently patting her to comfort her.

His comforting words seemed to have worked; with his patting, the trembling in her arms gradually subsided.

After a long while, once the trembling had completely stopped, Hibiki Kusaka raised her head, her face slightly flushed.

"I'm sorry, Trainer Kitahara, I lost my composure..."

Shinji Kitahara smiled and reached out to pat her head with a hint of affection.

"It's okay. In fact, I'm happy that you're being honest with me about these things."

After the conversation ended, Grasshopper didn't cling to him like the other horse girls, but instead politely pulled away.

But after she left, she seemed to remember something and spoke in a slightly apologetic tone.

"Um, Trainer Kitahara, I've really received a lot of help from you these past few days. If it's possible, could I do something to repay you?"

Hey, we're brothers, no need to be so polite.

Shinji Kitahara had intended to say that, but looking at Hibi Kusakami, who was displaying an unprecedented weakness and pitifulness, he hesitated for a moment before agreeing to her request.

"That's possible, but I don't need anything right now. I'll ask you for help again if I need it later?"

Before he could finish speaking, accompanied by a gentle pull, Shinji Kitahara felt something soft and fluffy behind his head.

He rested his head on Cao Shangfei's lap, looked up at her smiling face, and paused for a moment.

"Flying over the grass, this..."

Before he could finish speaking, a slender finger pressed against his lips.

Then, Grasshopper slowly opened his mouth.

"You've been taking care of me for so long, you must be tired, Kitahara Trainer. It's time for me to let you relax a bit."

Shinji Kitahara paused for a moment, then spoke instinctively.

"But, flying over grass... isn't that a bit inappropriate..."

"What's wrong with it?"

She smiled, and her tail moved gently behind her, draping lightly around Shinji Kitahara's neck like a scarf. It felt soft to the touch and had a faint fragrance.

"Trainer Kitahara already knows, doesn't he? I like Little Te, and this secret, up until now, I've only told you, Trainer Kitahara."