Kazuomi had originally intended to find an empty corner in the dining hall, finish his meal quickly, and return to the office.
Instead—
“My name is Fine Motion.
I am a new student who transferred to Tracen Academy from overseas today.”
Fine Motion sat perfectly upright, displaying the impeccable manners of an aristocrat.
“I’m Asama Kazuomi.
Um… It’s nice to meet you.”
Kazuomi appeared somewhat unnatural.
Sharing lunch with such an elegant young lady only made him increasingly conscious of his own humble, commoner origins.
Moreover, strange glances had been directed toward them from the moment they sat down.
That was understandable.
Fine Motion was so beautiful and refined that she seemed to have walked out of an old painting.
Seeing an ordinary person like Kazuomi seated at the same table as such a distinguished young lady certainly looked peculiar.
While Kazuomi remained trapped in those thoughts, Fine Motion blinked.
She tilted her head adorably.
Then she appeared to understand and lightly struck one fist against her palm.
With the utmost dignity, she slowly bowed her head.
“I may be an inexperienced woman, but I humbly place myself in your care from this day forward.”
Kazuomi choked.
“Wait!
Hold on!”
He clutched his chest and hurriedly tried to stop her alarmingly suggestive declaration.
It was already too late.
“A proposal?”
“Did she just accept him?”
Whispers and excited cries rose from the girls behind Kazuomi.
No!
You’ve misunderstood!
That absolutely isn’t what she meant!
How could any of you think this situation makes sense?
Kazuomi had only just turned eighteen.
While eighteen was legally old enough to marry in Japan, the young lady before him was clearly still a minor.
Wait.
What am I doing?
Why am I seriously considering the details?
That makes me sound like some kind of beast!
Looking at his panic, Fine Motion apparently realized that her statement had been inappropriate.
She lowered her head apologetically.
“My apologies.
Have I caused you distress, Mr.
Asama?”
“No, it’s nothing.
Ha ha… You merely surprised me.”
It was only a minor misunderstanding.
Kazuomi instinctively raised his juice, hoping a drink would relieve the awkward atmosphere.
“Should I have placed three fingers on the floor and bowed properly instead?
Unfortunately, this location does not appear suitable for such a formal greeting.”
Fine Motion murmured in genuine concern.
Kazuomi sprayed his juice into the air, producing a perfect mist.
Their faces reddened as they covered them with both hands, continuing to observe through the gaps between their fingers.
Their hearts practically pounded audibly.
“Stop!
Please stop, Fine Motion.
You have definitely misunderstood something!”
Kazuomi did not want an earth-shattering scandal spreading across the academy on his first day of employment.
“Those phrases and gestures aren’t used like that.
Neither the situation nor the timing makes any sense!”
Fine Motion looked astonished.
“Is that not correct?
Before I came to Japan, one of my maids taught me that this was the customary etiquette used between men and women.”
What kind of customary etiquette is that?
That maid had unquestionably acted with malicious intent.
Someone needed to investigate her.
Something was terribly wrong with that woman.
Having finally understood the situation, Kazuomi reached a conclusion.
The girl before him was genuinely a young lady from the highest levels of society.
She was also completely and utterly sheltered.
“Fine Motion, those expressions are used only in extremely limited circumstances.”
Kazuomi chose his words carefully.
“Generally speaking, you should not use them.
Under ordinary circumstances, simply saying ‘It’s nice to meet you’ is sufficient.”
“I see.
Thank you for instructing me.”
Fine Motion behaved like an obedient honor student.
She removed an exquisitely bound notebook from her pocket and used an obviously expensive imported fountain pen to record Kazuomi’s advice.
The more earnestly she wrote—
The more Kazuomi wanted to cry.
At another table, Super Creek continued staring in their direction.
“Creek, what are you looking at?”
A small white-haired girl approached while carrying her tray.
Hearing Tamamo Cross, Creek immediately withdrew her gaze and gave her a warm smile.
“My, I merely noticed something rather interesting.”
“Hmm?
What interesting thing?”
The petite girl stood on the tips of her toes and craned her head to look.
She saw a male staff member sharing a meal with a familiar-looking girl.
“Oh.
He’s already scouting someone?”
After a single glance, Tamamo Cross looked away.
She clearly had little interest.
Scouting referred to the process by which trainers sought Uma Musume they could persuade to join their teams.
During the first semester, students concentrated primarily upon classes, training, and preparing for their debut races.
Throughout that period, many Uma Musume gradually selected trainers they favored and formed teams with them, allowing their training to become more organized and effective.
Excellent Uma Musume naturally became the targets of competition.
Some trainers launched all manner of recruitment campaigns and persuasive offensives to convince the most promising girls to join their teams.
Of course, beginning his recruitment campaign on the very first day seemed a little impatient.
“My… Is that what’s happening?”
Super Creek rested one hand against her cheek and tilted her head in thought.
“Hmm.
Somehow, it doesn’t feel that way.”
“What do you mean, it doesn’t feel that way?
It’s obvious.”
Tamamo Cross looked again.
“Now that I examine her more closely, isn’t that girl in our class?
I think she’s the exchange student from Ireland.”
That explained why Fine Motion had looked familiar.
“Ah, so that’s who she is.
My, Tamamo dear is so clever.”
Smiling, Super Creek reached out to stroke Tamamo Cross’s head.
Tamamo immediately dodged aside and bristled like a small animal.
“No!
How many times do I have to tell you?
Stop treating me like a child!
And stop putting ‘dear’ after my name!”
“Oh dear.
But Tamamo dear, why are you eating so little?”
Only then did Super Creek notice the contents of Tamamo’s tray.
It held one piece of fried fish, a small bowl of rice, and scallop miso soup.
“Q-quiet!
This is enough!
I’ve always had a small appetite!”
This was a lie.
Having grown up in poverty, Tamamo had learned from childhood to live frugally.
She had always eaten so little because her family needed to reduce every possible expense.
As a specially admitted student, she now received extensive support from the academy and should have been able to eat freely.
However, when told for the first time that she could order anything she wanted, Tamamo had become unable to decide.
In the end, she instinctively selected the cheapest student meal.
At present, she was screaming internally.
Super Creek shook her head in concern.
“That simply won’t do.
If you don’t eat more, you’ll never grow.”
Tamamo Cross suffered catastrophic damage.
All color drained from her body, and the background behind her seemed to turn gray.
Compared with the pair before her that could already rival balloons, Tamamo’s washboard figure represented the starkest possible wealth gap.
Super Creek thoughtfully placed one piece of her tempura onto Tamamo’s tray.
Then she added a spoonful of curry.
Smiling with the warmth of a mother, she seemed to release a shower of sparkling stars.
“Here we are.
Be a good girl and say aaah.”
“I told you!
Stop treating me like a chiiiiild!”
Today’s Result
Tamamo Cross: Defeated.
She ultimately accepted Super Creek’s feeding.