So, in the end, Shuta An signed a contract with the young Manager, Kohara Yasuyuki.
For this first agreement, however, Shuta An only committed to three years. Kohara, for his part, solemnly promised that he would prioritize recommending the best possible riding resources to Shuta An, placing his interests above all else.
When Shuta An awoke, the memory of the Dream World still lingering vividly in his mind, he couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head.
"Oguri doesn't even have her own Manager yet," he muttered to himself, amused, "and I already have one in the Dream World."
After washing up and changing into a tracksuit, Shuta An planned a simple routine—breakfast first, then a trip to the gym for some light stretching. Given his current circumstances, maintaining a strong and stable physique was no longer optional.
He opened the door quietly, slipped out, and closed it with care.
It was still early. Although he had already verified the hotel's excellent soundproofing over the past few days, Shuta An still preferred not to disturb other guests with careless movements.
Yet when he arrived at the restaurant, he was greeted by an unexpected sight.
He wasn't the earliest guest this morning.
In a quiet corner sat a Uma Musume, her posture composed, a steaming cup of black tea cradled in her hands. Several pastries were neatly arranged before her. As expected—
This was Mejiro Dober's breakfast.
"Both are Uma Musume from the Mejiro Family," Shuta An thought inwardly, "but compared to Miss McQueen, Miss Dober's appetite really is much smaller."
Somewhere, far away in a guest room, Mejiro McQueen—still sound asleep—let out an unconscious sneeze.
Considering Mejiro Dober's psychological sensitivities, Shuta An chose not to approach her. After placing his order, he selected a seat just within the edge of her field of vision.
"It's better not to initiate conversation," he reminded himself. There were only two days left of the Mejiro Family's spring break. They would be returning to Tokyo tomorrow. On their final day in Hokkaido, Shuta An had no intention of stirring unnecessary waves.
Unfortunately, things did not unfold as planned.
Just as he was about to enjoy his seafood porridge in peace, Mejiro Dober unexpectedly stood up, walked over, and spoke in a soft voice.
"Shuta…Trainer, good morning."
Shuta An, who had been glancing at his phone, was caught off guard. He looked up instinctively, their eyes meeting for a brief instant—before both of them turned away almost simultaneously.
"Good morning, Miss Dober," he replied. After a short pause, he added, "It feels like it's been a while since we last spoke."
"Yes…it has," Mejiro Dober nodded lightly. "The last time was Comic Market."
Shuta An noticed a subtle detail.
The moment Comic Market was mentioned, Mejiro Dober's body visibly relaxed.
"So that's it," he concluded silently. "To communicate with her normally, I need to start from something she feels comfortable with."
With that decision made, he naturally guided the conversation onward.
"Speaking of which," Shuta An said casually, "your drawings are really beautiful. Have you ever considered setting up a booth at Comic Market yourself?"
"I…I have thought about it," Mejiro Dober admitted. "But Trainer, you've been there with me before, right? The proportion of men is just too high…I can't really communicate normally with strangers."
"So there's no problem when it's me?" Shuta An asked offhandedly.
Mejiro Dober froze. Her cheeks flushed instantly.
"I—no—um…!"
Seeing her reaction, Shuta An immediately realized his misstep and waved his hand.
"Forget I said that. Let's put it another way. Couldn't the Mejiro Family help you set up a booth? You're a young lady of the family—it shouldn't be difficult to ask for assistance, right?"
"No way!!"
Her response was far stronger than he had anticipated.
"I absolutely can't let my family do that!" Mejiro Dober blurted out. "They…no one knows about this hobby of mine!"
"Who knows how many times Miss McQueen and the others have already critiqued her artwork behind her back," Shuta An thought dryly. Still, he understood her concern. When it came to certain—creative directions, it was never easy to explain them to one's family.
As his thoughts drifted, a sharp stomp snapped him back to reality.
Mejiro Dober was glaring at him.
Their gazes met for the second time.
The courage Mejiro Dober had painstakingly gathered crumbled instantly under his calm eyes. If she were merely Rubeto, the enigmatic creator admired within the ACG world, perhaps she could have maintained that resolve.
But she was Mejiro Dober—a Uma Musume who would one day step onto the grand stage. She understood better than anyone the position of the man before her: a Trainer with only a part-time connection to her family, yet someone whose influence carried undeniable weight.
"Asking the Trainer of the French Two Crowns to help me with Comic Market—" She pressed her lips together. "I can't say something like that."
She resolved to pretend she had never considered the idea at all.
But Shuta An had already seen through her hesitation.
"If you really want my help," he said, a grin forming, "it's not impossible."
Mejiro Dober's eyes lit up instantly.
"But—" Shuta An's tone shifted.
Her body trembled, and she subconsciously took a step back.
"This counts as a commissioned job, doesn't it?" He raised an eyebrow. "I don't work for free."
Mejiro Dober's thoughts raced.
Money? Her allowance, despite being from the Mejiro Family, was limited—probably even less flexible than Berno's.
Points? She couldn't even imagine how many would be required for something this important.
Information? Anything she knew, he likely already knew—or simply wouldn't care about.
Helping with drawings? He didn't seem like someone who needed artwork.
In the end, she arrived at a conclusion that filled her with a quiet sense of sadness.
The only thing of real value she possessed…was Mejiro Dober herself.
"I…I'll join Team Sadalsuud," she said cautiously. "Would that be enough?"
"That doesn't sound like compensation," Shuta An replied calmly. "For Uma Musume in Japan, joining my team should be considered a lucky chance."
There was no arrogance in his tone—only certainty.
Mejiro Dober lowered her head, dejected.
Then—
Snap.
Shuta An flicked his fingers.
"Never mind," he said. "I'll make a suggestion."
Mejiro Dober looked up. This was the third time their gazes met. She braced herself, fully prepared to hear something…strange.
"Let's head out later," Shuta An said lightly. "We'll find a place to talk properly. After that, I'll ask a friend to handle the relevant arrangements for you."
The "compensation" he proposed was far simpler than Mejiro Dober had ever imagined.
Mejiro Dober, of course, had no intention of refusing Shuta An's invitation.
For an artist, Comic Market was an undeniable dream. Yet because of her special circumstances, Mejiro Dober could never stand there as a creator. No matter how refined her skills were, she could only upload her works online, enduring the endless questions from fans who wondered why she never released physical art books.
And now, an opportunity lay before her.
All she needed to do was go out with the young man in front of her—take a walk, have a conversation, discuss topics whose theme she didn't yet know.
"And it's not going out with a stranger," the shy Uma Musume told herself silently, biting her lip as her resolve wavered. Although being alone with someone of the opposite sex like this was a first for her, she didn't dislike this particular companion.
"It's fine…it's fine," she kept reassuring herself.
Finally, Mejiro Dober gathered her courage and spoke again.
"I'm fine with it."
"Alright. Then please wait a moment," Shuta An replied casually. He still hadn't finished his porridge.
—
A little after seven, Shuta An and Mejiro Dober left the hotel one after the other.
Understanding Mejiro Dober's psychological shadows, Shuta An deliberately avoided secluded or enclosed places that might cause her to overthink. Instead, he led her to a pavilion by Lake Toya, chose a random spot, sat down, and gestured for her to do the same.
The chestnut-haired Uma Musume sat as far from him as possible, her posture guarded. Even after agreeing to come, hesitation still lingered in her heart. She feared that the special image she held of the man before her might shatter.
Shuta An noticed her caution—but found it entirely natural.
He didn't press her.
Instead, he turned his head and quietly admired the morning scenery. Sunlight scattered across the lake's surface, the ripples shimmering softly after sunrise, the world bathed in a calm, gentle glow.
Silence stretched between them.
Minutes passed.
At last, unable to endure it any longer, Mejiro Dober spoke first.
"Shuta-kun brought me here—weren't we supposed to talk about something?"
Only then did Shuta An turn his head toward her.
"There are indeed things I'd like to ask," he said calmly. "But I don't think Miss Dober would necessarily answer—even if I did."
"Since I agreed," Mejiro Dober replied softly, turning her head away, "I'll do my best to answer. I won't disappoint you."
"Alright," Shuta An said. "First question."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"When you asked me to be your model—what kind of work were you planning to create?"
Mejiro Dober froze.
She clearly hadn't expected that question. But having already promised to answer honestly, she clenched her fists and chose confession over evasion.
"There are a few Uma Musume at the Academy who know about my identity as an artist," she said quietly. "One of them commissioned me to draw a thirty-page short manga—a 'dream girl' type story—with Shuta-kun as the male lead."
She hesitated, then added firmly, "But I can't disclose who that Uma Musume is. That's part of my professional ethics."
"If that Uma Musume already has her own Trainer," Shuta An remarked lightly, "then her Trainer would probably feel quite sad. The Uma Musume he's responsible for turns out to see another Trainer as her 'dream'—"
"There's actually a fan club for Shuta-kun at the Academy," Mejiro Dober added before she could stop herself.
"My…fan club?" Shuta An pointed at himself in disbelief. "Something like that exists?"
"I don't know the details," Mejiro Dober said, sounding embarrassed. "I just heard Digital-chan mention it once."
"She's not a member, right?" Shuta An's mouth twitched. "She's still an elementary-school Uma Musume."
"Of course not," Mejiro Dober replied quickly. "Digital-chan just has a very wide network. Even the teachers recognize her as a future prodigy, so she hears a lot of things around the Academy."
As she spoke about her friend, her tone softened noticeably. The tension in her shoulders eased.
Shuta An noticed the change.
"Then the second question," he said gently. "Every time I call you by name, Miss Dober seems to become depressed. Why is that?"
This time, he deliberately emphasized Dober.
"Don't you think it sounds very masculine?" Mejiro Dober blurted out without thinking. "It doesn't sound like a girl's name at all."
"I don't think so," Shuta An answered immediately. "Not even a little."
"Eh—?"
Mejiro Dober's eyes widened. It was the first time she had ever voiced that question—and the first time she had received an answer so completely different from what she expected.
She covered her mouth, the shock in her eyes impossible to hide.
"And the third question," Shuta An continued, taking advantage of her distraction. "The last one."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"I want to know what Miss Dober experienced in the past that caused her to develop a psychological phobia toward the opposite sex."
"Nothing," Mejiro Dober replied instantly.
The answer didn't match his speculation—but her reaction convinced him she was telling the truth.
"I'm just not used to interacting with the opposite sex," she added, as if emphasizing the point.
"Not used to it?" Shuta An's eyes flickered. Images of Rubeto's artworks surfaced in his mind. "Is it because when you talk to men, your thoughts start drifting toward how to incorporate them into your work?"
He didn't realize he had spoken his thoughts aloud.
"No! I only do that in front of Shuta-kun—!" Mejiro Dober stopped herself abruptly. "Sorry."
"I didn't hear anything," Shuta An said, waving his hand as he stood up. "If Miss Dober can pass Central Tracen Academy's tests, then Team Sadalsuud will welcome you at any time."
In his eyes, Mejiro Dober's artistic talent held immense potential. At this very moment, Shuta An had already come up with at least ten ways to make full use of it.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
For anyone interested, or just want to support me. Hit the membership button to my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ModerateCitizens