The dinner bell was a literal bell. Hisako had taken a shower to wash off the airplane and travel ickiness. She'd just gotten to re-reading the pamphlet on her bed when the bell rang.
It was distant and quiet—at first she didn't know what the sound was. The whole building went quiet, and then they heard the mass exodus of the other guests.
Eiji tumbled out of the bathroom, shoving his kimono back on while his hair was still damp. Hisako jumped down, realizing she had to change too. Strömberg and Hisakawa were already ready, waiting patiently by the door.
Eiji gave Hisako the bathroom, and after a moment, they all gathered. Strömberg threw the door open, and they joined the pack heading outside. Hisako looked around curiously; the map hadn't outlined a dining area.
The sun was starting to set, washing the property in golden yellows and oranges. The crowd ended up cresting a hill to the wide expanse between the guest lodgings and the trackhouse. A series of tables had been laid out with little fire lamps for warmth and light.
Students—a little over a dozen—carried massive serving platters to the growing mass of diners. One of them, now dressed in a baggy old cartoon shirt and somewhat unsightly cargo shorts, waved them over—Aniello with a bright smile on his face.
"Sit, sit. Signora Rose is about to talk. Fill your plate while everyone is distracted," he told them as they sat.
Hisako snorted but started scoping out the options as Strömberg and Hisakawa stared attentively at the head of the center table. There were a lot of rich pasta dishes, several pots of soup and stew, a dozen meat and fish dishes, and a few plates of mixed rice dishes.
True to his advice, Aniello was already stacking his plate up. A few others, one every few people, were doing the same, and they were all dressed casually—the other students.
At the end of the central table were a bunch of people in British uniform—brown utility jumpsuits proudly emblazoned with the Union Jack. At the very head were two seats, but only one person: a gentle-faced British woman with curly black hair in a militant bun.
Aniello glanced around with a pout. "Aw. I thought Cesco would be here, but he must still be cooking. You'll meet him later, I'm sure."
He looked ready to launch into another stanza, but the British woman stood, and the tables all fell silent.
She swept her eyes down the tables with a small smile. "Everyone, thank you for coming to this year's Door Enforcement Global Summit. I am Knight Margaret Rose, one of your hosts this year.
"Our other host is Guard Micheli. I'm sure he'd love to be here to welcome you himself—"
A spattering of laughter cascaded along the tables. Veteran officers and the farm's students, Hisako noted.
"—but he is busy showing his hospitality from the kitchen. I want to thank you for your timely arrival, and hope that you enjoy the day off tomorrow before our festivities begin." She chuckled, but it felt forced to Hisako. "Guard Micheli would like me to remind all of you that the rules of his property must be obeyed. Like you all, the summit staff and I are guests, so we must all respect his wishes. That being said, should he decide to remove you from the farm, we will allow him."
The students filled the air with a few more chuckles, including Aniello, who rolled his eyes, amused.
"He is so dramatic," Aniello giggled. "The Signora hates him already."
"Since the summit doesn't formally start until tomorrow night, let's all enjoy the beautiful Italian countryside until then," Rose called. "I'll be hosting a local food tour tomorrow—we'll go out to nearby family-owned restaurants and eat some traditional Tuscan cuisine. You can also enter and leave the property on your own with your badges, or wander the property so long as the rules are followed."
She raised her glass, and suddenly a sea of glasses rose. Hisako hurried to raise her glass of water. Aniello was the last of their group, boredly lifting his glass only as high as an elbow on the table would allow, mumbling in deflated Italian.
"To the world," Rose announced.
The whole summit echoed, and then they drank.
Hisako almost choked when the water fizzed and bubbled down her throat. She set the water down hurriedly, eyes burning as she struggled not to cough.
"Aw, you grabbed the—the… Ah, what is it called? The gas water."
"Sparkling water," Hisakawa said. "The flat water is in the pitcher." She pushed Hisako a new glass and handed her the pitcher.
"Thank you," Hisako croaked, washing back the sparkling water.
"Ehh, tomorrow, are you going to go on the food tour?" Aniello asked.
"Hisakawa-san and I will be going on the tour," Strömberg said. "Mochizuki-san, Serizawa-san, you're free to join us."
"All that social junk is boring," Aniello complained. "Cesco is making us do laps tomorrow to make up for all the nothing we'll be doing over the week. You should come watch."
Hisako glanced at Strömberg, who nodded in permission.
"Yeah, that sounds fun."
"I'll join too," Eiji said.
Aniello exclaimed cheerily in Italian and clapped the tabletop loudly. He practically climbed onto his chair to hoot at another student, who crowed back at him as he sat back down.
"Eh, I will show you how fast I race tomorrow, and you'll know you have the best babysitter!" he said with a grin. "Now dig in before everyone eats it up!"
Aniello explained each dish they chose. Most were Italian and poorly translated—Hisako did a few double takes, and they had to ask Strömberg what Aniello meant, which he had no answer for—but many were from other countries. Aniello had to teach them about Portugal and the difference between Spanish and Latin American, which brought them to the topic of the Greater American Alliance.
"Oh. The Rangers aren't coming." Aniello wilted when he told them the news. "They have other issues to deal with right now, Cesco said. I'm really bummed, though; one of their Cowboys almost beat my track record when we did international training last year."
Hisako nodded, wondering if every country really was in the same situation and dealing with it in different ways.
"So do you train with all these other countries a lot?" Hisako asked.
Aniello shrugged. "Cesco takes us to a lot of events in other countries to learn from them. We mostly race and do Door Hunts, but we hang out a lot—see local events and hang out with some of Cesco's old friends." He frowned a little, mind distant for a blink. "They'll talk more about this week's Door Hunt tomorrow night. Just have fun for now—I'll show you all the coolest stuff."
The food was so good that she ate more than she ought to. The Italian food she'd had in Japan was nothing like the real thing; Aniello insisted it was because it was all homemade and mostly family recipes shared with or originating from Cesco's family. He spoke almost nonstop about the man—his teacher, Hisako figured, and idol, it seemed.
"Ah. If he races tomorrow, I will look like a turtle…" Aniello sighed dejectedly. "It will be embarrassing!"
"No, no," Hisako insisted. "I'm excited to see you race, win or lose!"
Aniello seemed almost offended she'd even considered him losing. "Oh. But I'll win. At least podium, for me. No losing."
"Nothing wrong with losing," Eiji assured him.
Aniello's lips tugged down in a grimace. "Oh, no, of course. But—Never think of 'lose', yes? Forget the word. When you race, you race to win. Maybe not win the race, but to win something; win the championship, win against the rival, win against self. But never imagine to lose. If you think it, it can happen, so do not think it.
"After tomorrow, when the Door Hunt starts, do not even imagine another team winning. Imagine yourself winning, and everything you have to do to get there." He smiled cheekily. "Besides, the trophy is very nice. We each get one, so I want to add to my collection."
After they were done eating, Aniello practically marched them back to the barn-house, insisting they sleep and recover to get ready for the week.
"The second the sun rises," he told them at their door. "I'll be here to pick you two up."
***
Hisako woke long before dawn but did her best to fall back asleep. It resulted in her lulling in and out of sleep for a few hours before she was sure she couldn't doze any longer. She sat up and heard Eiji do the same across the room.
In the dim light of the setting moon, she saw him gesture to the bathroom, offering her the first go. She slid out of the bed, grabbing her athletic uniform
She freshened up and changed, then slipped out of the room to wait for Eiji. She closed the door quietly behind her and saw people already shuffling around below. Some were chatting quietly, and some had raided the kitchen for an early breakfast.
She fixed herself something simple—the fridge had hauls of leftovers from the night before, as well as a few more dishes. A large rice cooker was out on the counter, and she was a bit surprised to find it full when she popped it open, so she made herself a hearty breakfast.
Eiji joined her and made himself a similar breakfast, and by the time they finished, the sun was rising, so they waited outside in the cool morning air, leaning against the side of the barn.
"Did Nakano-san give you any advice?" Hisako asked.
"Mm. She gave me a crash course on how these things go; she taught me how to understand the economy of it all."
"Politics."
"Yeah. It's a lot like my old job, I suppose," he chuckled. "Egos and deals. Like a social minefield."
"Hmm."
"Amajiki-san gave you different advice?"
They both jumped when Aniello suddenly rounded the side of the barn, letting out a little whoop of joy when he saw them. His previously excited, lively eyes were now drooping and drowsy, but he seemed well on his way back to his energized self.
"Ciao! I guess I shouldn't be surprised you're already awake," he giggled. "C'mon, let's go to the track!"
They had to walk a little fast to keep up with Aniello's excited pace as he guided them to the trackhouse.
It was a cozy, large garage with a loft. The other students were milling in and out of it, going in in casual wear and coming out in protective gear.
"I'll be right back. Just wait here, okay?"
Hisako and Eiji stood off to the side of the main entrance, receiving a few glances but no questions.
"I guess he got us permission to be here," Hisako said.
After a few minutes, Aniello stumbled out of the trackhouse, gear unzipped to reveal his bare chest. Behind him, the older rider from the gate, also geared up, was helping pull the top of his suit up and seemingly playfully chiding him as he did. Once Aniello got his arms through the bulky sleeves, the older gave him a kiss on the temple and patted him off toward the track before turning his attention to them.
He shrugged helplessly, an amused smile sliding across his face. "He gets his first human charges, and he wants to show them everything. But thank you for humoring him."
"It's no trouble. We want to watch you train," Eiji assured him.
"You two don't ride, do you?"
"No, no," Hisako replied. "Never even seen anyone race bikes."
"Really? No? Eh, you are from Japan, but you've never seen a bike race? You are missing out." He beckoned for them to follow. "For today, you can stand next to me while they practice."
"We'd really like that," Hisako said.
She made eye contact with Eiji, who raised a brow in approving acknowledgement.
The man walked them toward the track. They swung themselves over the crash barrier fencing the track in, stepping from well-kept grass to worn track dirt. In the distance, the students began rolling bikes from the trackhouse, lining up on the start line and securing their helmets.
The man stopped them by the line, at a well-worn spot in the grassy median with a few folding chairs strewn about. He absently swung a chain of small, colorful stopwatches, glancing at them. "So this is your first time doing one of these summits, eh? I can tell you are… eh, the rookies. And Japan has not been doing these for a few years, no?"
Hisako nodded.
He whistled sharply, and his students all readied themselves. He shouted an order in Italian, and they began revving their engines.
"Ah, then I will teach you a few things."
He whistled again, and the students took off, bursting past them with a soft churning of earth.