"So, that's it! From today onwards, Rice Shower is a member of our TCB!"
Sakura Baimu raised her juice glass and addressed the team members in the activity room.
"Great!"
"Yay!!!"
"Rice, you're finally here!"
"The three strongest Umamusumes in active duty are all in our TCB now!"
"Rice Shower-senpai, let me sing you a song to welcome you!"
Rice Shower blushed, listening to the various welcomes from the five Umamusumes of TCB, feeling incredibly happy.
"Anyway, to celebrate Rice Shower joining TCB and to congratulate her on her successful recovery, let's toast!"
"Cheers!!" Everyone raised their glasses in unison.
The training session ended early that day, mainly to hold a welcome ceremony for Rice Shower in the TCB activity room and to congratulate her on her recovery.
Everyone had a big feast in the TCB activity room.
Sakura Baimu went out and bought a lot of ingredients and drinks, and then got a large cake. Everyone celebrated together in the TCB activity room.
Watching the various vegetables and meats bubbling in the hot pot on the table, Sakura Baimu cut the cake and distributed it to everyone.
Rice Shower was the star of the day, so Sakura Baimu cut her the biggest piece of cake.
As for Mejiro McQueen, her eyes lit up the moment she saw Sakura Baimu bring out the cake.
Her gaze almost constantly followed the cake in Sakura Baimu's hands.
However, after Sakura Baimu cut the cake for Mejiro McQueen, the excited expression on Mejiro McQueen's face instantly froze, and she glared angrily at Sakura Baimu.
"Why is my slice of cake so small?"
"There wasn't enough cake, McQueen, so you'll have to eat less," Sakura Baimu said disdainfully.
"You're definitely doing this on purpose!" Mejiro McQueen retorted angrily.
"Miss McQueen, here, let me share my cake with you."
Satono Diamond, a big fan of Mejiro McQueen, shared half of her cake with McQueen.
"Dia-chan is so much better, unlike someone else." Mejiro McQueen nodded gratefully to Satono Diamond.
"Rice… Rice has too much cake, she can't finish it all, so please share it with Miss McQueen," Rice Shower said, placing a large piece of cake from her plate onto Mejiro McQueen's plate.
"Thank you, Rice." Mejiro McQueen smiled slightly at Rice Shower.
"McQueen, here you go too~" Teiō also cut a large piece for Mejiro McQueen.
"Thank you…"
"Miss McQueen, here you go with Falco too~?"
"Miss McQueen, you're welcome!" Kitasan Black placed all of her cake in front of Mejiro McQueen.
In the blink of an eye, Mejiro McQueen's plate was piled high with cake.
"Since everyone's so enthusiastic, there's no way around it; we can't waste food."
Mejiro McQueen was already itching to dig in.
But then, she heard Sakura Baimu speak up again:
"McQueen, eat it all. Look at you—if you eat any more cake, will you even be able to fit into your race outfit? You love to eat and still wear crop tops, McQueen; I admire your courage."
"I still have a black outfit, the one that doesn't show my belly button…"
Mejiro McQueen started to say, then suddenly realized something was off and quickly corrected herself, "No, I'm not fat at all! As an Umamusume of the Mejiro family, I'm very conscious of my figure!"
Mejiro McQueen said this, but after staring longingly at the cake in front of her for a while, she still returned it all to her teammates.
The TCB Umamusumes burst into laughter upon seeing Mejiro McQueen's actions, making her blush and steam rise from her head.
Even Rice Shower couldn't help but laugh.
The dinner party that evening was very enjoyable for everyone.
Although Rice Shower wasn't quite used to such a large group, fortunately, the TCB Umamusumes were all talented and virtuous, and she herself was cheerful.
Therefore, she didn't dislike the atmosphere.
In fact, Rice Shower found the atmosphere quite enjoyable.
Don't let the fact that the TCB Umamusumes are all very slim and don't have the typical gluttonous Umamusume fool you.
But the six Umamusumes, plus Sakura Baimu, still managed to devour all the groceries Sakura Baimu bought that day.
Kitasan Black probably ate the most today; this energetic girl with boundless energy is rapidly gaining weight, and by the end, her belly was quite round.
Looking at the Umamusumes slumped in their chairs, not wanting to move an inch, Sakura Baimu suddenly laughed:
"Our team atmosphere is so great, why go to America, right?"
"You're right, Trainer-san," Tokai Teio was the first to agree.
"Perfect timing! Rice Shower has joined our team. She was the first in our team to master a Umamusume (Zone), and the first to comprehend Aura and unlock it through her own efforts. Her talent is exceptionally high."
Rice Shower blushed slightly upon hearing Sakura Baimu's praise. "But last year at the Spring Tenno Sho, I still lost to Miss McQueen."
"Rice Shower, you still have a lot of room for improvement. As long as your raw strength increases, your strength will increase rapidly after unlocking your Zone."
Rice Shower nodded.
"McQueen and Teiō, before participating in the Japan Cup and Breeders' Cup Turf, you two at least need to master Aura to have a chance of winning. It's best not to rely on others for your Zone, but you can learn from Rice Shower about techniques and experience regarding Aura."
Rice Shower mastered Aura without relying on trainers; she achieved it solely through honing her willpower.
Furthermore, Rice Shower's aura was far stronger than many Umamusumes, reaching a level that even surprised Mejiro McQueen upon their first encounter.
Mejiro McQueen and Tokai Teio naturally had no objections to these observations. After their setbacks at the Takarazuka Kinen and the previous match against Pluto Academy, both had been reignited with a strong desire to improve their skills.
Mejiro McQueen, in particular, had lost to Golden Crown Eagle in a one-on-one duel and had been humiliated by her several times.
Her desire to defeat Golden Crown Eagle was unparalleled.
"As for Rice Shower, her injury has only just healed, so she should focus on training first. I plan to have her train for a month before she participates in a match; that would be safer."
"Rice understands." Rice Shower nodded.
"As for Kita-chan…" Sakura Baimu patted Kitasan Black, who was sprawled in a chair, hugging her round belly.
"Starting this month, you'll have at least one match every month. Good luck!"