Chapter 6. Conservation of Luck
After the Uma Musume's tea party ended, Berno Light stayed behind to prepare for the Christmas party with Shuta Ann, while Oguri Cap took Tokai Teio and Mejiro Dober out—quietly and without explanation.
Shuta Ann didn't pay it much mind. He assumed the Gray Uma Musume wanted help with fashion-related matters. Tokai Teio's roommate, Mayano Top Gun, was famously obsessed with such things, and Mejiro Dober, as a young lady of the Mejiro Family, naturally possessed refined taste. Compared to asking Berno Light, consulting those two would surely yield better advice.
But Shuta Ann was wrong.
Oguri Cap had taken them out simply because she wanted to talk with Tokai Teio and Mejiro Dober more. She had never intended to separate them at all.
And their destination was once again Minato Ward.
Berno Light knew exactly what Oguri Cap was planning—but she deliberately chose not to tell Shuta Ann.
This time, Oguri Cap didn't take the train. Although that had been her original intention, a call from Mejiro Dober resulted in a car arranged by Mejiro Ramonu arriving instead.
"If it takes too long to get to Minato Ward, that wouldn't be good, would it?" Mejiro Dober said calmly.
"That's true." Oguri Cap blinked, glancing at the Mejiro Family's car before subconsciously comparing it with the one she had chosen yesterday.
As expected… Ann should like my choice. The Gray Uma Musume quietly let out a breath of relief.
Tokai Teio, meanwhile, didn't care how they traveled. All she wanted was to finish things quickly with Oguri Cap and return home to fully enjoy her first Christmas party.
She was the first to get into the car. Oguri Cap sat in the middle, with Mejiro Dober to her right.
"Oguri-senpai, why are we going to Minato Ward?" Tokai Teio asked as the car started moving, turning eagerly toward her. "Are you preparing a Christmas gift for Trainer?"
Mejiro Dober's ears twitched. In the trunk behind them lay the Christmas gift prepared by the Mejiro Family.
"I already bought it yesterday," Oguri Cap replied, wagging her finger with a confident smile. "Today, I'm just picking it up. It's definitely a gift Ann will like."
"Really?" Tokai Teio's curiosity was immediately piqued.
If they're going all the way there to pick it up, it must be something valuable…
At that thought, Tokai Teio unconsciously tightened her grip on her shoulder bag—inside was the Christmas gift she had prepared for the Trainer herself.
Back in the kitchen, Shuta Ann and Berno Light were working together. Berno Light handled the main cooking, while he assisted.
"In about two hours, Ann will see the Christmas gift Oguri and I prepared," Berno Light thought quietly. She had also contributed part of the car's cost yesterday—otherwise, she wouldn't have known what kind of gift would properly match Oguri Cap's intentions.
When she had brought it up, Oguri Cap had agreed without hesitation.
"Of course! There's no need to say it like a request between us."
That response had made Berno Light genuinely happy. As she recalled it now, she glanced at Shuta Ann and murmured inwardly, I wonder what expression Ann will make when he sees that car…
Just as she was about to fry the cod, Shuta Ann's phone rang. He immediately stopped what he was doing and hurried to answer it. By the time he reached the living room, he already had a premonition. After hanging up, his face carried an unmistakable as expected expression.
"Berno, can you take over for a moment? I need to step out," he said as he returned to the kitchen.
"Okay, okay~" Berno Light replied, eyes fixed on the oil temperature. "Go take care of it. Oguri and the others won't be back for another hour or two anyway."
Shuta Ann went upstairs, changed into warmer clothes, then waited by the front door.
Soon, the Range Rover he had purchased yesterday was parked in front of the house. After a brief inspection, he signed the paperwork. The cool weight of the keys dropping into his palm instantly cleared his mind. If Berno Light hadn't been alone in the kitchen, he might have driven off for a test run right then.
In the end, he restrained himself, parked the car in the garage, slipped the keys into his pocket, and returned to the warm living room.
"Ann, you're back already?" Berno Light looked up in surprise when she heard the door.
"Yeah. Nothing major—the car I bought yesterday was just delivered," Shuta Ann replied as he hung his coat. "I was planning to return the old car to Kasamatsu, but the Director told me to just sell it as a used car. I haven't decided yet. Luckily, the garage has three parking spaces, so I'll leave it there for now."
Thankfully, the garage has three parking spaces…
Berno Light echoed the words silently. Otherwise, the car she and Oguri bought yesterday would have had nowhere to go.
"Ann! Merry Christmas!"
Oguri Cap returned at that moment, smiling brightly as she handed a set of keys to the young man.
"Huh?" Shuta Ann raised an eyebrow. "This is…?"
"Oguri-senpai and Berno-senpai thought Trainer's car should be replaced, so they ordered an LS400 yesterday," Mejiro Dober explained calmly.
"What a coincidence," Shuta Ann said, the corner of his mouth twitching. "I also ordered a car yesterday in Koto Ward—technically used, but practically brand new."
"Good thing the garage has three parking spaces~" Berno Light added softly.
"No wonder your expression was so strange earlier," Shuta Ann shook his head with a wry smile. "Thank you, Oguri, Berno. I'll go park it."
His tone remained calm inside the house. But once he stepped outside and put on his coat, a bright smile spread across his face.
Back when the previous generation LS400 had dominated the American market, who among his academy classmates hadn't dreamed of owning one through their own efforts?
"Looks like it'll be hard to refuse any requests Oguri and Berno make tonight," he muttered quietly.
—
A little past seven in the evening, dinner officially began. Before the dishes were fully served, Mejiro Dober quietly evaluated the dining table in front of her.
Isn't this table…a little too large?
In her impression, it was only slightly smaller than the one at the Mejiro ancestral home. However, the moment she recalled Oguri Cap's appetite, Mejiro Dober immediately understood Shuta Ann's "good intentions."
Still…Oguri-senpai hasn't need to race for several months. Eating a bit more won't hurt her. She pressed her lips together. But I can't do the same.
Although Mejiro Ramonu had emphasized the importance of nutritional supplementation, that didn't mean indulging without restraint. Mejiro Dober resolved to consciously control her intake.
Tokai Teio, on the other hand, had no such concerns. In her view, even if she ate a little more tonight, she could simply train harder tomorrow and burn it off. There was nothing to worry about.
She still had time before her full-fledged debut. Although she longed to step onto the Twinkle Series track as soon as possible, Teio understood that maturation was not something that could be forced.
More importantly, Berno Light's cooking was genuinely excellent. Even though Tokai Teio's appetite couldn't compare to Oguri Cap's, her eating speed was scarcely slower than the Gray Uma Musume's.
Aside from Mejiro Dober, the other four were fully absorbed in eating, and the dining room fell into a brief, comfortable silence.
After a while, Berno Light felt that the atmosphere was a little too quiet for Christmas and spoke up.
"Ann, today is the team's Christmas party. Shouldn't you say something?"
Shuta Ann, focused on his fried fish, looked up, paused for a moment, then nodded.
"That's true. But Suzuka isn't here. How about I start a Line video call so she can join remotely?"
"And let Miss Suzuka watch us eat a feast like this?" Tokai Teio puffed out her cheeks. "When I think about it, I almost feel bad for her."
Shuta Ann didn't dwell on Tokai Teio's wording, nor did he take her suggestion to heart. He simply took out his phone and initiated the call.
"Ann? Merry Christmas!"
Silence Suzuka answered immediately, her voice coming through before Shuta Ann could speak. The echo from her side was unmistakable—she was most likely soaking in a hot spring.
"Merry Christmas, Suzuka," Shuta Ann replied gently. "We're having a Christmas party here. Berno suggested I say a few words, and since you're also a member of Team Sadalsuud, I wanted to include you."
"If it's not related to the Twinkle Series, it's fine without me," Silence Suzuka said, sticking out her tongue. "Besides, Ann already helped me have a Merry Christmas. I don't need anything else."
"It's not completely unrelated," Shuta Ann said with a small shake of his head. "But if it's inconvenient right now, we can forget it."
"Go on, Ann," Berno Light urged.
Seeing the others nod, Shuta Ann continued.
"This year's Christmas party isn't complete—our team isn't all together, which is a shame. But with Suzuka on Line, it's almost as if she's sitting with us."
"Ann, don't talk like I'm already gone," Silence Suzuka complained from the other end of the call. Even without video, Shuta Ann could easily imagine her expression.
He could only laugh awkwardly. Christmas was not a subject he was particularly good at navigating.
"Next year's Classic Races won't concern our team much," he continued, his gaze turning toward Mejiro Dober. "But Dober—if all goes well, I plan to have you debut in June. That way, we'll still have room to adjust your race routes afterward. Your main goal next year will naturally be the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. We'll aim for the URA Rookie Uma Musume of the Year title."
"And if conditions allow," he added, "we can set our sights even farther—not just within Japan."
"I'll work hard to get into proper condition," Mejiro Dober nodded earnestly. As for the last part, she didn't dwell on it. Overseas competition still felt far too distant.
"As for Teio," Shuta Ann continued, "don't rush. Maturation can't be forced. Just train steadily, build your foundation, and when the time comes, everything you've accumulated will bear fruit."
"I know," Tokai Teio replied cheerfully. "Trainer's said that before. I won't rush. I also want a perfect Twinkle Series career—just like Oguri-senpai."
"Suzuka, for now, relax and clear your mind. When you return, I'll be very strict with you. My expectations for you are top results in middle-distance races."
"Ehhh…" Silence Suzuka stretched lazily on the other end of the line. "I'm actually looking forward to seeing what kind of training plan Ann has prepared."
As for Oguri Cap, she had already retired from the Twinkle Series, and Shuta Ann didn't comment on her future. The Dream Trophy Series was entirely unfamiliar territory for him; saying too much would only invite mistakes.
Oguri Cap and Berno Light both understood this, and neither found it strange.
After dinner, everyone gathered in the living room.
Since it was a party, games had naturally been prepared. Before they began, however, Mejiro Dober and Tokai Teio each presented their Christmas gifts to the Trainer.
Shuta Ann didn't open them. He carried both gifts to his bedroom, set them down carefully, and returned.
By the time he came back, the first round of UNO had already started.
Oguri Cap had traveled to America twice, and in her free time she often played various board games with Shuta Ann and Berno Light—UNO among them. This led Teio to a serious misjudgment.
She had always assumed that an Uma Musume like Oguri Cap wouldn't be particularly familiar with games.
Reality quickly corrected her.
Among everyone present, Tokai Teio turned out to be the least proficient at UNO.
Even Mejiro Dober—who looked like someone who rarely attended parties—played with surprising skill.
Standing behind Tokai Teio, Shuta Ann twitched the corner of his mouth. Her technique wasn't bad. Her luck, however, was truly terrible.
"Well," he muttered quietly, "bad luck in games probably means good luck in the Twinkle Series… right?"
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