“Rice Shower, thank you for your hard work in training” Kouki handed a towel and drinking water to Rice Shower, who had just finished her training session Rice Shower wiped her sweat, returned the towel to Kouki, and sat down beside him, sipping water little by little through a straw “Onii-sama…
the training rhythm lately feels a bit strange” “It feels like…
progress has been slowed down” Rice Shower didn’t hesitate to express her doubts about Kouki’s training plan This was where Kouki felt Rice Shower had made the most progress, after spending over a month together, she was now willing to share her thoughts with him bit by bit.
If it were the Rice Shower who had just become Kouki’s contracted Trainee, she would never have done such a thing “Yeah, I deliberately slowed down the training pace,” Kouki said with a nod “I’ve scheduled your Debut race for the end of June.
It’s a middle-distance race” “With your stamina, middle distance is more than enough for you, so we’ll postpone stamina training for now” “The shorter the distance, the more important the speed-to-power ratio becomes.
So for now, we’re slowing down the pace to allow you to adapt to the new training content.” “After that, we’ll shift our focus so you can take a seven or eight-length lead over the rest of the field in your Debut and crush them easily,” Kouki laughed heartily “N-No…
Rice doesn’t have that kind of ability…
If it’s just two or three horse lengths…
Rice will do her best!” Rice Shower hurriedly waved her hands “Miss Rice Shower, do you realize you just said something terrifying with such an innocent face?” “Huh?
Really?” *** “Eh?
No practice today?” Rice Shower, who was about to change into her gym clothes after her academic class, received a phone call from Kouki “Yeah.
I realized we haven’t officially gone out together since I became your Trainer.
There’s no practice today—let’s go for a walk.” “Eh?
Today?” Rice Shower looked up to check today’s date on the calendar February 14th — Valentine’s Day “I-Is…
Onii-chan…
going out…
on a date with Rice today?!” Rice Shower panicked the moment she saw the calendar Her ears twitched violently, her tail wagged like a happy puppy’s, and even her cheeks flushed bright red “Yep, that’s right.
I’m waiting for you at the school gate, so hurry up,” Kouki said before hanging up Rice Shower stared blankly at the ‘call ended’ screen for a few minutes…
then collapsed onto her bed She began wriggling around like a little caterpillar.
“Today is Valentine’s Day…
which means…” “Onii-chan asked…
Rice out on a date…” “Does Onii-chan…
like Rice?” “Does Rice also…
like Onii-chan?” “Rice likes him…
right?” *** An hour later, Kouki, whose legs were sore from standing, squatted outside Tracen Academy’s main gate without caring about his appearance After waiting for an hour, he dialed Rice Shower’s number again This time, a ringtone sounded from right behind him.
He turned around, ready to ask Rice Shower why she was an hour late But when he caught sight of her, the words stuck in his throat Rice Shower was wearing a light blue dress with subtle, delicate makeup.
Her pale pink lipstick accentuated her cherry-like lips without being overpowering Without her usual stockings on, her fair legs were exposed beneath her dress, catching Kouki completely off guard.
To be honest, Rice Shower was already an exceptionally cute girl in Kouki’s eyes.
Although her bust wasn’t very developed due to her petite stature, this small, adorable style was a huge plus for Kouki.
Having gotten used to seeing Rice Shower in her school uniform and tracksuit, suddenly seeing such a completely fresh, dressed-up side of her hit Kouki like a ton of bricks.
Especially when Rice Shower, her face flushed red under his intense stare, timidly said to him: “Onii-chan…
please don’t keep staring at Rice like that…
Rice is embarrassed…” Kouki’s heart instantly melted, and he almost fell straight to the ground.
In that moment, he suddenly felt that Silence Suzuka or whoever else didn’t matter anymore.
*Rice Shower is my true angel!* *** The time spent with Rice Shower turned out to be even more delightful than Kouki had anticipated.
The two of them strolled down the commercial shopping street, sampling all kinds of snacks and browsing through various stores.
They picked out clothes, checked out accessories, ate desserts, and when their legs grew tired from walking, they sat on a park bench licking ice cream while watching children play nearby.
“Here, this is for you.” Kouki pulled a chibi-style phone charm featuring a picture of Rice Shower from his pocket and presented it to her.
The keychain depicted Rice Shower in her Tracen school uniform with a bright, cheerful smile; her oversized head combined with her petite body made her look absolutely adorable.
“Eh…?
Thank you, Onii-chan!
But…
what is this?” Rice Shower was thrilled, yet equally puzzled.
It was true that famous Umamusume would sign endorsement contracts with various brands—not only endorsing products but also having their own official merchandise and plushies in arcade claw machines—but the prerequisite was having immense popularity.
Even though she had gained some attention by winning a Selection Race, she was still far from the level required to have her own customized character merchandise.
So, while Rice Shower was delighted, her little head was filled with big question marks.
“This?
Didn’t I promise you before?
If you won the Selection Race brilliantly, I’d give you a small reward.
So I custom-ordered this just for you.
Do you like it?” “Eh?
Custom-made just for Rice?” “Well, it’s not a super expensive item, so just enjoy using it.” “Mhm!
Rice will treasure it forever!” Rice Shower smiled brightly, holding the charm tightly with both hands.
Kouki couldn’t take his eyes off her, completely mesmerized by Rice Shower’s smile.
*Hmm, is this the right mood now?
If I lean in to kiss her, will she hit me?* As his mind wandered, the phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated and chimed.
Kouki pulled out his phone and saw the alarm he had set was ringing, which meant—it was time to register for the Valentine Stakes.
“Rice, let’s go.
I’m taking you to an amazing place!” “Mhm!” *** “Wow…
Onii-chan, there are so many people…” Seeing the massive crowd packing the racetrack, Rice Shower looked a bit overwhelmed.
She reached out and gently clutched the hem of Kouki’s shirt, following closely behind him step by step.
However, Kouki was worried her small frame might get separated or swept away by the surging crowd, so he turned and firmly took Rice Shower’s hand into his.
After that, Rice Shower went completely silent; only her hand holding his and the soft sound of her footsteps reassured Kouki that she was right behind him.
What Kouki couldn’t see was Rice Shower trailing behind him with her head lowered, her face blushing red like a ripe apple, and her eyes spinning like swirling whirlpools.
If anyone asked Rice Shower what true happiness felt like, she would probably answer ‘this exact moment’ without the slightest hesitation.
While navigating his way through the crowd toward the spectator stands, Kouki’s eyes caught an Umamusume standing nearby, wearing a simple backpack and plain clothes.
*Hmm?
Could it be…?* Kouki shifted his gaze.
The distinctive white streak running down the middle of her short black hair made Kouki immediately recognize her identity—**Special Week**.
*Interesting.
Even though the timeline has shifted, she still ran into the person she admires right here…* Kouki smiled, having no intention of starting a conversation just yet.
He figured that as long as he could successfully recruit Silence Suzuka onto the team, Special Week would practically be a ‘buy one, get one free’ bonus; there was no need to waste effort plotting how to invite her right now.
For now, enjoying the race together was what mattered most.
“Rice, pay close attention.
Today…
a legend will be born in the racing world.” “Watch this race carefully, and remember every detail.” “Afterward, I’ll ask you what you would do if you were one of the runners in that field.” Kouki’s voice snapped Rice Shower right out of her daydream (where she was already picking out names for their future grandchildren).
She looked up at Kouki’s serious expression, nodded earnestly, and said: “Got it!” Meanwhile, Special Week’s ears twitched beside them.
She glanced over at Kouki and Rice Shower with curiosity, then turned her gaze back toward the turf track.
For her, everything in Tokyo still felt so brand new and exciting.
At that moment, she probably had no idea that the upcoming race would completely transform her life.