During the lunch break, Oguri Cap carried Yuu around the training grounds for a post-meal walk.
For Yuu, that meal had been… mildly terrifying.
Oguri Cap had been chomping away in huge bites—crunch, chew, chew—looking blissfully satisfied.
But every so often, she would suddenly dip her head, press her face to Yuu's neck, take a deep inhale, and then go right back to eating.
And every time she inhaled like that, her eating speed somehow picked up even more.
Oguri Cap's logic was simple:
Of course. Eating with Yuu's scent as a side dish is the best.
…Which made her genuinely curious what he would taste like.
Yuu, however, was having a very different experience.
He stiffened, turned his head with a pained expression—
So this is what it feels like to get an "all-the-way-to-the-lungs" sniff. Legendary.
And was it just his imagination…?
He honestly felt like Oguri Cap might actually eat him.
(As for the day she would "eat him up" in a very different sense… that was a story for another time.)
"By the way," Yuu asked, "how's Tama doing these days?"
Back then, he'd used his ability to reinforce Tamamo Cross's body. But because he still couldn't fully control that power, it hadn't been an instant, dramatic change.
As Tamamo Cross grew and trained, that buried talent would burst forth the moment her body could finally handle it.
Even without Yuu, she would have reached that point eventually—just much, much later.
All Yuu had done was shorten the journey.
And by now… it should be time for her to shine.
Oguri Cap sat down with Yuu on a bench near the edge of the training grounds before answering.
"Tama has a trainer now. Her name is Katsumi Komiyama."
Yuu wasn't surprised.
Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross were childhood friends, yes—but they also saw each other as lifelong rivals.
Not that kind of "rival," of course.
They'd promised long ago that one day, they'd face each other fairly on the track.
And as for the winner's "prize"…
Oguri Cap subconsciously glanced down at the Yuu in her arms.
Yuu didn't notice the emotion flickering through her eyes. He smiled softly.
"Katsumi Komiyama… that's good."
He'd heard of Komiyama. Still a bit raw, but her potential was on the same level as his sister, Fumino Nase.
With her, Tamamo Cross was in good hands.
Yuu's approval made Oguri Cap nod. Her arm tightened around him slightly.
She rested her chin on top of his head, hugging him like an oversized, comforting pillow.
Afternoon sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering dappled shadows over them.
"Yeah," Oguri Cap said, a faint trace of feeling in her voice as she looked toward the far side of the track. "Tama's been training really hard lately."
More than once, Oguri Cap had seen that small figure running—petite, but burning with stubborn resolve.
"She said… she'll get strong fast. She won't make our showdown wait too long."
Yuu could practically picture Tamamo Cross's defiant expression. His smile deepened.
"Then you can't let your guard down either, Oguri. She's fully determined to beat you."
"Yeah!"
Oguri Cap nodded hard, her eyes igniting with pure, blazing competitiveness.
"I won't lose!"
That fighting spirit was so clean and hot that even pressed against her, Yuu could feel it.
But then—somehow—that fire subtly transformed into a different kind of craving.
Oguri Cap lowered her head again, nudged her nose into the hollow of Yuu's neck, and inhaled deeply—like she was confirming the presence of something precious.
"Mmm… Yuu's scent…"
She murmured in satisfaction, as if that familiar smell was the most powerful energy supplement in the world.
After inhaling, she looked even more energized. She rubbed her cheek lightly against his hair and muttered to herself:
"To beat Tama… for the prize… I'm going to eat more! Train more!"
"Prize?"
Yuu caught the word and tilted his head, puzzled.
"W-what prize?"
Oguri Cap froze.
Oops. That slipped out.
She immediately stared off to the side and put on her signature blank, innocent look—attempting to bluff her way through.
"Hey… Oguri…" Yuu asked, voice turning playful. "Why aren't you answering me?"
"…Mm."
Oguri Cap hadn't expected the same line she'd used on him earlier to come right back around.
So it really was true—life was one giant boomerang.
Feeling her reaction, Yuu started laughing quietly to himself.
How does it feel? Getting beaten by your own move?
Now you can taste it too.
He straightened up, leaned closer, and pressed on in the same teasing cadence:
"Heyyy, Oguri… why aren't you answering meee?"
"…Mm…"
"Heyyy… look at meee?"
"Mmm—!"
Yuu was having an excellent time.
Unfortunately, he'd forgotten one crucial detail:
This sort of "threat" only works if you actually have the strength to back it up.
And in front of an Umamusume, he absolutely did not.
Oguri Cap suddenly looked directly at him—her beautiful eyes washing over with a faint, ominous gray.
Uh-oh.
Yuu immediately sensed danger.
He tried to wriggle away—only to find Oguri Cap's arms winding around him again.
I'm done for!
"Oguri, wait—let's talk this out—Ohohohohoho—!"
Yuu's voice went strange as his body was firmly, decisively pinned in place.
Oguri Cap's lips curved into a small smile.
She buried her face in his hair and whispered, almost sighing with contentment:
"With you here, Yuu… I feel really safe. And also really… 'tasty.'"
The last word was so soft it barely sounded like speech—more like a pleased exhale.
Yuu: "…"
At this point, "Ohohoho—" was about all he had left.
…
After clinging to him for a long while, Oguri Cap finally let him go.
"Hah… hah… hah… I thought I was going to die," Yuu panted, genuine fear written all over his face.
He might be a fairy, and his body was sturdier than an ordinary human's—
But numbers were numbers, and no one out-statted an Umamusume.
Especially not an absolute stat monster like Oguri Cap.
Another few rounds of that and he was pretty sure something inside him was going to get squeezed out.
In every sense of the phrase.
"Um… Yuu," Oguri Cap said, following behind him with her index fingers poking together, her expression full of guilt. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"
"It's… it's fine," Yuu said, wiping cold sweat from his forehead and forcing a smile. "I can… handle that much."
Oguri Cap pressed her lips together.
He was still the same.
Ever since back then, Yuu had been too gentle—like no matter what she did wrong, he would always forgive her.
That was exactly why she wanted to stick to his side every day.
Even if doing so made her heart race for no reason—an oddly pleasant ache, the same kind she felt when she ran.
Ah… Yuu like this… I really—
"Hey, Yuu," Oguri Cap said, taking a deep breath.
"Hm?" Yuu turned.
The autumn breeze lifted the ends of Oguri Cap's hair.
"Sign with me."
"…Huh?"
"I want to be your first partnered Umamusume."
Before Yuu could answer—
Clink.
A can hit the ground nearby.
Yuu's nose twitched as a familiar scent drifted over.
Mr. C.B. was here.
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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