Chapter 7. Two Uma Musume's Christmas Gifts
By the end of the night, Tokai Teio hadn't won a single game—UNO, board games, or even the console games that came later.
To everyone's surprise, Mejiro Dober proved exceptionally skilled at console games. Even fighting games, which seemed utterly mismatched with her reserved temperament, were handled with calm precision and sharp execution.
"Way stronger than Dr. Grace," Shuta An complained. "That guy just hides on one side of the map and spams projectiles whenever we play King of Fighters. Then I finally get in close and unload a full combo."
"Trainer looks way too good," Tokai Teio grumbled from behind, having long since given up trying to play herself. "Just watching the controller is making my eyes go blurry."
"When I was studying, classmates dragged me out to play games all the time," Shuta An replied casually as he set the controller down and turned his head. "Practice makes perfect. It's almost the Academy's curfew, right? Teio, are you staying overnight in the guest room, or should I drive you back now?"
As for Mejiro Dober, the young man already knew the answer—there was no chance a lady of the Mejiro family would stay out overnight.
Tokai Teio clearly wanted to stay. Still, she could already imagine the dorm leader's lecture tomorrow—and worse, Mayano Top Gun's endless gossip if she stayed out without permission.
In the end, she shook her head reluctantly. "Never mind. I didn't get permission to stay out. I'd better go back early."
Mejiro Dober spoke up at the right moment. "Teio can return with me. I also need to go back to the Academy today."
"Alright," Shuta An said without pressing the matter. If anything, their decision relieved him. If both Uma Musume had stayed overnight, the soundproofing would have been put to a severe test.
—
The next day, Shuta An didn't wake up until the afternoon.
Seeing several missed calls on his phone, he decided to return them one by one in chronological order.
Symboli Rudolf had merely asked about Tokai Teio's behavior at Shuta An's house the previous day. Mejiro Ramonu called to thank him for his generous hospitality toward her junior. The final call was from Mr. Kitahara, inviting Shuta An to meet at a bar near Central Tracen Academy in two hours.
Shuta An readily agreed. Mr. Kitahara intended to introduce him to several close colleagues within the Academy, and establishing these connections in advance would inevitably prove useful—arranging training races, gathering internal news, learning about Uma Musume within the Academy, and more.
After washing up, however, Shuta An didn't immediately change clothes and head out. Instead, he sat down in his office chair and turned his attention to the two Christmas gifts he hadn't had time to open the night before.
Judging by size alone, Mejiro Dober's gift box was larger. By weight, Tokai Teio's was heavier.
After a brief moment of thought, he decided to open Tokai Teio's gift first.
"I wonder what she gave me," he muttered, carefully lifting the lid. "Eh?"
He froze. Inside was a jar of honey, with a small greeting card attached.
"Trainer, Merry Christmas!! This is honey from a brand I've been really into lately. I hope Trainer likes it too!"
"That's so Teio," Shuta An murmured with a faint smile. "Sharing her favorite things—that's her style." He placed the jar on his desk. "I'll mix this with water tonight."
Then he turned to Mejiro Dober's gift.
Compared to Teio's, the packaging was meticulous and restrained, exuding the unmistakable refinement of the Mejiro family.
"She probably had her family help prepare this," he said under his breath. When he opened the box and saw the Mejiro family crest inside, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
Opening the second layer, he revealed a camel-colored cashmere jacquard scarf, embroidered with the Burberry pattern.
He unfolded it fully—and let out a long sigh.
"I remember this scarf costs around 150,000 yen. Isn't that a bit too much?"
A trace of regret surfaced as he recalled that the Christmas gifts he'd given Tokai Teio and Mejiro Dober were merely sets of sports protective gear. "The price gap feels awkward. I'll make it up to them with New Year's gifts."
Deciding to wear Mejiro Dober's scarf when going out, Shuta An chose a black outfit to match. Paired with the camel color, the combination softened black's severity, giving him a warmer, more approachable presence.
After driving to the address Mr. Kitahara had provided, he found a parking spot and stepped out. He'd barely walked a few steps when he ran into his friend.
"Ann-san, you're early," Mr. Kitahara said with a smile. "I thought I'd come out ahead of time myself."
Shuta An grinned. "I stayed up too late and woke up late. Once you invited me, I washed up and drove straight over."
"Drinking on an empty stomach isn't good," Mr. Kitahara said, raising an eyebrow. "How about grabbing a quick bite nearby first?"
Shuta An waved him off. "No need. I don't drink, and I drove here. How would I get back afterward? Besides, parking near the Academy isn't cheap. Leaving the car all day would hurt."
"Going to a bar and not drinking—Ann-san, don't tell me you're ordering soft drinks," Mr. Kitahara teased.
"Is that something to laugh at?" Shuta An replied calmly. Given his current standing, not drinking alcohol was nothing to be ashamed of. No one would dare force him anyway.
They followed Mr. Kitahara into the bar most frequented by Trainers from Central Tracen Academy. A table had already been reserved.
"Since Ann-san doesn't drink, let's just order non-alcoholic options," Mr. Kitahara suggested once they sat down.
"They have more than just soft drinks," Shuta An said, glancing around. "Mocktails are fine, as long as there's no alcohol. I'll take a sangria mocktail."
It was essentially a blend of grape juice, apple juice, orange juice, lemon juice, soda water, and simple syrup—completely alcohol-free.
"Then I'll have a Tropic Island Iced Tea," Mr. Kitahara added. Unlike Shuta An, he could hold his liquor well—an ability largely honed back in Kasamatsu.
Of course, local Trainers didn't have the luxury of ordering cocktails in Tokyo bars. When the craving hit, a can of beer from a convenience store usually sufficed.
Before their drinks even arrived, the colleagues Mr. Kitahara planned to introduce all entered the bar in quick succession. Mr. Kitahara noticed the three friends he had invited enter the bar and immediately stood up, preparing to introduce them to Shuta Ann.
Shuta Ann, who had been sitting with his back to them, turned around first and greeted them with a smile. "I didn't expect Miss Tojo to be here as well."
Trainer Tojo puffed out her cheeks slightly. "I told him already that Shuta-kun and I know each other and get along just fine, but Mr. Kitahara kept worrying that things might become awkward because of Silence Suzuka. He said that since we'll be colleagues in the future, we need to maintain a good relationship…"
"That's just how Mr. Kitahara is," Shuta Ann chimed in smoothly, half-complaining. "He worries too much about his friends."
Mr. Kitahara didn't even have time to retort before continuing the introductions. "This is Nishizaki Ryu, Trainer of Team Spica."
"Spica?" Shuta Ann raised an eyebrow. He had heard that team's name just last night from Mejiro Dober, along with a brief account of her past encounters with its Uma Musume.
"What's wrong?" Mr. Kitahara's heart skipped a beat. He was relieved that there was no friction between Tojo Hana and Shuta Ann, but Shuta Ann's reaction toward Nishizaki Ryu made him nervous, as if there might be some kind of misunderstanding involving Team Spica.
"I heard about your team from our Uma Musume at the Christmas party last night," Shuta Ann explained with a grin. "Dober said that everyone in Team Spica is very polite."
At that, the corner of Nishizaki Ryu's mouth twitched. No one knew his team better than he did. Calling Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka polite was reasonable enough—but a certain Uma Musume whose thinking defied common sense was another story entirely.
Still, Shuta Ann's expression was sincere, and Nishizaki Ryu relaxed slightly.
"I hope our Uma Musume didn't do anything rude," Nishizaki Ryu said, bowing lightly. His tone remained reserved. He had once questioned Shuta Ann's decision to send Oguri Cap on an expedition, but now he openly acknowledged that he'd been short-sighted, and his attitude had become noticeably more respectful.
"Judging from Dober's reaction, she seems to have a very good impression of Team Spica," Shuta Ann said, immediately grasping what Nishizaki Ryu was worried about. "She's already entered her Full Bloom Stage—Honkakuka. If everything goes smoothly, I think she can officially debut after next year's Derby."
"That's amazing!" Mr. Kitahara exclaimed, clearly excited. "I was just thinking what a shame it was that Ann-san wouldn't be able to participate in next year's Classic races!"
"There's an Uma Musume on Mr. Kitahara's team who won this year's Kyoto Nisai Stakes," Nishizaki Ryu interjected dryly. "She has basically secured her ticket to the Classics already. He's been showing off about it quite a bit lately."
"That's something to be proud of," Shuta Ann said without the slightest hint of jealousy, smiling as he patted his friend on the shoulder.
The final Trainer had slightly squinted eyes and an overall harmless demeanor, radiating the unmistakable aura of "the cutest rookie here."
"This is Minamisaka, Trainer of Team Canopus," Mr. Kitahara introduced.
"One south, one north—perfect opposites," Shuta Ann muttered internally, but outwardly he offered a bright smile. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Minamisaka."
"No, the honor is mine," Minamisaka replied quickly, shaking Shuta Ann's hand. "Like Mr. Kitahara, I'm a recent arrival at Central. He's taken great care of me and taught me a lot of the basics here."
"Even Mr. Kitahara can teach people now?" Shuta Ann said, genuinely surprised.
After everyone took their seats, they placed their orders. Minamisaka, like Shuta Ann, chose a mocktail, while Nishizaki Ryu and Tojo Hana ordered cocktails.
As Trainers, the conversation naturally revolved around Uma Musume training.
Shuta Ann didn't speak proactively. He only interjected when someone's understanding clearly drifted off course. Before long, Minamisaka began directly asking Shuta Ann about the difficulties he faced while training Team Canopus's Uma Musume.
Shuta Ann responded enthusiastically, offering a range of practical strategies—so effective that even Tojo Hana couldn't help but admit there were ideas she'd never considered.
Still, Minamisaka had no intention of adopting all of them. He understood his own limits. At the very least, he knew he could never bring himself to say to Twin Turbo, "If you don't follow the designated race tactics, I won't register you for the next race."
After chatting for a while longer, Tojo Hana steered the conversation toward Team Sadalsuud.
"You mentioned that Mejiro Dober has entered Honkakuka. How are you planning to arrange her race schedule for next year?"
"The main objective is, of course, the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies—no, it's an absolute must," Shuta Ann said with a shrug. "If we want to compete for the URA Award, that race has to be a win."
"And before the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies," he continued, "I'm considering whether there are any suitable overseas races for her. Naturally, that depends on first assessing Dober's track adaptability."
"So you're thinking about an expedition that early?" Nishizaki Ryu asked. Though he had seen Shuta Ann's expedition planning before, this was the first time he'd heard of one being scheduled so soon after a debut.
"There's really no other choice," Shuta Ann replied calmly. "If we stay domestic, the only G1 Dober can run is the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. I want her to win at least one more G1 than the previous generation of rising stars in her debut year—and that aligns with Dober's own wishes."
"That's seriously brain-racking…" Tojo Hana sighed. "Honestly, I still don't have a clear grasp on what kind of turf the rising star of Team Rigil is best suited for."
"Judging solely from daily observation isn't accurate," Shuta Ann said. "You have to run on the course to truly understand adaptability. That's why I'm leaning toward having Dober debut in Hokkaido."
"Because the turf at both Central racecourses in Hokkaido is closer to European-style grass?" Tojo Hana asked, immediately hitting the key point.
"Exactly," Shuta Ann replied without hesitation.
"Ann-san must already have multiple race schedules planned out in his head for different scenarios," Mr. Kitahara said enviously. "Things like overseas expeditions still feel very distant for us."
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