Chapter Text
Win Variation blinked suddenly, finally coming to her senses, 15 minutes after they boarded the train.
Did I just agree to— you have to be fucking me.
She turned her head, trying her best not to glare at Orfevre. The ginger bastard was tugging on Hiroto-san’s shirt, probably whining about how cramped the cart is. She glanced at her trainer—in her peripheral vision— who was looking at something on her phone.
Goddesses I hate my life.
Her hand found the bandages wrapped around her fist, idly pulling at them.
“Oi. Stop it.” Ren scolded lightly, smacking away her hand.
Meanwhile just a few feet away, Orfevre was still tugging on Hiroto’s shirt, her voice had died down after a while.
“Kisama…” She mumbled softly, her ears flattening as he didn’t even glance at her.
“Kisama..!” She tried again, slightly louder this time.
“I already told you, Orfevre. You aren’t getting out of this.” Hiroto said dryly, smacking away her hands.
“You’ve been rotting on your futon since Sunday, is this really how a “king” carries herself?” He added, glaring Orfevre down.
Her ears flattened against her skull, her tail starting to lash.
“I’ll have you know I haven’t been “rotting” on my futon!” She argued, reaching up to punch his shoulder.
Win Variation giggled softly, as much as she tried, she couldn’t ignore their petty argument. Orfevre was being a complete and utter spoiled brat, which was an insult to spoiled brats.
“Hey, hey.” Shion murmured softly, trying to get Ren’s attention.
“How long do you think ‘til Hiroto puts Orfevre in her place?” She asked, almost mischievously.
As if on cue, Hiroto delivered a devastating flick to Orfevre’s forehead, which immediately caused her to pause what she was doing.
Orfevre’s hands flew up to her forehead, glaring at Hiroto.
“You..! Kisama! What gives you the right to—“
Orfevre suddenly swallowed her words as he flicked her again, as if to add insult to injury.
Oh..!
Win’s face flushed, as she couldn’t help but find herself staring at Orfevre’s back as she tied up her hair.
Her swimsuit wasn’t revealing, yes, but it also left little of her muscle to imagination despite her lean build.
Her body was sculpted as though it were handmade by the Goddesses themselves, and those damned shoulders..!
“Is something interesting, Shion?”
Orfevre asked, snapping Win Variation out of her trance.
If her face wasn’t red before, it definitely was rivaling her hair now.
“Nothing…” She mumbled half-heartedly, glancing away.
Did the Goddesses send you down to earth to embarrass and piss me off?!
As much as she wanted to scream it, she instead focused on tying the strings on her swimsuit. Ren and Hiroto were supposed to be waiting for them in the springs, so without much hesitation, she spun on her heel and walked out of the changing room.
As Shion stepped out, she nearly ran face first into her trainer.
“You guys are taking forever. I thought you guys started fighting or something.” Ren remarked, her tone rather dry.
“I’m offended that that’s how lowly you think of me.” Win responded flatly.
“What? I wouldn’t put it past you to strangle her, considering how you’ve been lately.”
Win Variation stared at her, her ears flattening against her skull.
“I would not—!”
As if on cue, the changing room door swung open behind Win Variation.
She turned to look behind her, pausing her sentence.
Orfevre stood there in all her glory. The way her blue eyes stared her down sent a tingle down her spine.
“Where’s Trainer-san..?” Orfevre asked, rather quietly.
“He went to rent some lockers to put our stuff in.” Ren answered, looking at something on her phone.
“Oh.” She responded bluntly.
Maybe, Orfevre isn’t so bad after all… What—?!
“Is something the matter, Shion?” Orfevre asked, as if she could see right through her.
“It’s nothing…” She responded, looking at the hardwood floor.
“And— I’m back.”
Hiroto announced, appearing behind Orfevre, who seemed strangely unbothered by him.
“Right…” Win mumbled.
Just another step closer to my doom…
Win’s ears flicked irritably as Orfevre continued to stall. She was gingerly dipping her foot into the water, as if the water would kill her.
“It’s too hot…” Orfevre mumbled. The water only reached her ankles due to the step she was standing on, meanwhile everyone else was completely submerged.
“It’s a hot spring.” Win replied flatly, her ears flattening against her head. “The water’s gonna be hot, dumbass.”
Orfevre shot her a glare, slowly wading in deeper.
“She doesn’t like humidity.” Hiroto commented casually, reaching out to guide Orfevre deeper into the water.
I… didn’t actually know that about her.
Win Variation watched as Orfevre flinched when Hiroto’s hand came into contact with her body, goosebumps erupting across her skin.
She looks uncomfortable…
Orfevre seemed taken aback by the unexpected touch before relaxing slightly.
“Are you sure you’re not just scared of the water?”
Ren’s question seemed to set Orfevre off, as she immediately started yelling something. She even began to wade further in without realizing just to shake her by the shoulders.
… Dumbasses.
“Oh? But you’re in pretty deep now, right?” Ren asked teasingly, completely unbothered by the umamusume shaking her.
Orfevre stopped abruptly, glancing down.
“… Fuck.” She muttered, stepping back into the shallower end.
Eventually, the argument died down. Hiroto and Ren were arguing about something that Win Variation wasn’t quite listening to.
This silence is awkward…
She glanced at Orfevre out of her peripheral vision.
Orfevre was fiddling with something or the other, sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest.
Sometimes I forget she doesn’t constantly have a 10 meter pole with spikes shoved up her ass.
Win Variation reached out her arm, intending to pat her on the shoulder to get her attention, before drawing it back.
I don’t think she’s a fan of physical touch…
“Orfevre..”
Win Variation said softly, catching Orfevre’s attention for a moment.
“Hm..?” She hummed softly, glancing at Win Variation from the corner of her eye.
I’ve… never heard her respond so softly before…
“So… how’s it been since retirement..?” She asked, saying the first thought that came to her mind.
A look flashed in Orfevre’s eyes, as if she brought up a particularly sore subject.
“It’s been fine…” Orfevre mumbled quietly, drawing her knees even closer to her chest.
So much for someone who “owns” the turf…
“Fine?” Win Variation repeated, rather unconvinced.
“Did I stutter?” Orfevre suddenly snapped back.
Her voice was doing that whole “regal persona” thing again, but it sounded… off.
She’s lying to me… isn’t she..?
Yet again, Win Variation found herself staring.
Why is her hair so long?? It’s down to her damn thighs. Wait, no… her knees.
“Shion… eyes up here.” Orfevre said coolly, snapping Win Variation out of her trance.
Huh?! Damn her…
“I wasn’t looking at you.” She lied flatly, looking away at Ren instead.
Said trainer was looking at her phone. Again.
Damn her too..!
“Do you have a staring problem or something?” Ren asked dryly, still scrolling on her phone.
“Eh—?? I don’t have any problems!” Win Variation argued back, her ears flattening against her skull.
“Mhm… sure you don’t, just like how Kanzaki-san isn’t freakishly tall…”
Sometimes Ren makes me want to play jump-rope with my small intestines.
“Your banter is remarkably childish.” Orfevre cut in, speaking in what felt like forever.
“Does your hair hold all your ego?” Win Variation suddenly blurted out.
“Oo, buurrnn.” Ren said mindlessly, finally looking up.
“This is the first time in 20 months that you’ve agreed with me.” Win said dryly.
“Do you guys share a single functioning braincell that doesn’t even know what it’s doing?” Orfevre snapped back.
“Let’s just get dressed before Hiroto runs off and steals an elephant from a zoo or something…” Ren sighed, finally putting her phone back in her bag.
I’ve never seen or heard Ren actually be responsible.
“We should do this again sometime soon.” Hiroto said, as if he wasn’t firmly holding Orfevre by the shoulder so she wouldn’t run off.
“Mhm…” Ren absentmindedly hummed. “So, Orfe, what do you plan on doing tomorrow?”
Orfevre stopped thrashing around for a moment, she was unusually quiet.
“I’m… not sure.” She mumbled, looking away.
“I’ll probably take her out to eat before we catch the train back to Tokyo.” Hiroto answered smoothly.
“Hm… I was planning to stay here a bit longer with Win, then we’d head back.” Ren responded, looking at something on her phone.
(if you really must know, she’s reading Wattpad fanfiction.)
“Well, I’ll catch you around the academy when you guys return. Not too sure about this one.” Hiroto chuckled, ruffling Orfevre’s hair.
“If he scouts another trainee, I’m gonna behead him and skin her.” Orfevre added, rather dryly.