Tokai Teio finished her training as noon approached.
Checking the time on his phone, Kitahara Sota stood up, waved to Tokai Teio resting not far away, and then went off to meet Eclipse, who had just gotten out of class.
"How was your morning?" he asked Eclipse.
"Average," Eclipse replied flatly.
"If you're having trouble with your studies, I can help you catch up. You know I'm basically free these days," he offered lightly.
"Alright."
"Oh, by the way—"
As they entered the Tracen cafeteria, Kitahara suddenly recalled something.
"Where are you staying tonight?"
After enrolling at Tracen, Eclipse had been assigned a dorm room, which was frankly quite nice.
But Tracen didn't force students to live in dorms. Many chose to rent outside, and the reasons behind that decision…
Well, better not to dig too deeply.
"The dormitory."
Eclipse answered without hesitation.
Kitahara nodded thoughtfully. "Makes sense. The apartment really is falling apart. Since you're not staying there anymore, I'll probably move into the trainer dorms too."
In Tracen, trainers received private rooms upon employment, and compared to his shabby apartment, they were vastly superior.
And cheaper, too.
Chatting casually, they made their way to the serving counter.
Then, mere seconds later, they became the center of attention.
Even though he'd witnessed it countless times, Kitahara was still dumbfounded as Eclipse held a stack of trays piled almost half her height with food. He simply couldn't fathom how her petite frame could contain so much without even showing a bulge.
If even Kitahara, who knew Eclipse well, was stunned, then the reaction of others was understandable.
Especially after they sat down and started eating. Watching the "food mountain" vanish at an alarming speed left the surrounding Uma Musume and trainers utterly shocked. The cafeteria staff's expressions hardened as if preparing for battle.
Amidst the many stares, two pairs of eyes with particular significance were drawn toward Eclipse.
Moments later, as if moved by some hidden force, the owners of those gazes picked up their trays, stood up, and approached Eclipse.
One had brown hair with a striking white forelock and violet eyes, the other a grey-haired Uma Musume with an indifferent expression.
Though different in appearance, they shared one notable similarity.
Their trays were stacked just as high with food.
Special Week and Oguri Cap.
Famously known as the "Two Nightmares of Tracen Cafeteria."
After their enrollment, Tracen had experienced a near food crisis, local buffets banned them outright, and eventually, the Chairwoman herself had to heavily invest in expanding the cafeteria and hiring more cooks just to keep up with their appetites.
Today, it seemed those two nightmares might soon become three.
"May we sit here?" they asked Eclipse.
A certain blonde vampire once said that gravity exists between people. Obviously, due to their "mass," the gravitational pull between big eaters must surely be stronger than among ordinary people.
Eclipse looked up at their trays, interest flickering briefly in her eyes, and nodded.
Two loud thuds followed as trays landed, and the table creaked dangerously as if it might collapse. The two newcomers sat quietly, beginning their meals without a word.
But neither of them noticed a trainer sitting at the corner of the table, quietly nibbling a normal-sized meal and desperately trying to lower his presence.
Damn it, why are they here?
Special Week came from the countryside; Oguri Cap transferred from a regional Tracen.
Back in his days of wandering around and gathering knowledge, Kitahara had visited Special Week's rural hometown and helped Oguri Cap with some problems. He'd even briefly coached both of them. They could certainly be called acquaintances.
But Kitahara had absolutely no desire to reunite. He even felt the urge to flee immediately.
For one thing, he'd abruptly vanished on them without explanation after finishing his tasks, which might make a reunion rather awkward.
Secondly, he wanted to avoid trouble.
Oguri Cap probably wouldn't cause problems—quiet, interested in nothing except food—but she could still accidentally expose his identity.
But Special Week was a different story.
It wasn't that she herself was dangerous; rather, the opposite. A simple girl who could be satisfied with a few carrots, she was relatively harmless.
But the issue was her friend, Grass Wonder.
That particular individual was as dangerous as Tokai Teio. If possible, Kitahara would avoid any form of interaction with her for the rest of his life.
So yes, seeing familiar faces was nice, but Kitahara would prefer not to be recognized—whether it meant explaining his disappearance, risking exposure, or attracting Grass Wonder's attention. None of these options were appealing.
His only relief was that Eclipse had still been in school back when he'd met these two, so they didn't know each other. His identity wouldn't be immediately exposed, giving him a slim opportunity.
Better hurry and finish. Then RUN.
Thinking this, Kitahara accelerated his eating speed.
Thus, a strange scene unfolded in one corner of the Tracen cafeteria.
Three Uma Musume and one trainer—four individuals silently raced through their meals as if competing, moving so fast their hands blurred, creating a fierce aura like predators locked in combat.
Soon, victory was decided.
Eclipse was first, calmly setting her empty trays aside, lightly glancing at her opponents whose faces showed dissatisfaction.
She said nothing, stood up, took her trays, and walked back toward the serving counter again.
Wait… could it be—?
The other two watched, eyes wide, as Eclipse returned with another portion equal to the first.
Then, as Eclipse passed Kitahara, her swinging ponytail "accidentally" brushed against his chest.
Clink.
His metal trainer badge fell to the floor.
Kitahara, busy stuffing his face, reacted a beat late. By the time he bent to pick it up, someone else was already holding it out.
"Trainer-san, you dropped your ba...dge?"
Special Week's eyes widened when she read the name. She froze, staring.
"Kitahara… Sota...? You're Sota-san?"
Oguri Cap, about to resume eating, perked up her ears at Special Week's words, pausing mid-bite, eyes also landing on Kitahara.
"Trainer Kitahara?"
Kitahara stiffened instantly.
After a moment, he mechanically lifted his head, forcing a strained smile in one last desperate attempt.
"You must have mistaken me for someone else. I'm Nobita Nobi. Never heard of Kitahara Sota."
"Hm, this tone… It's definitely you, Sota-san/Trainer Kitahara."
"..."
To Special Week and Oguri Cap, it was a delightful reunion.
Their time together hadn't been very long, yet Kitahara had left a deep impression for two reasons:
First, he'd shown up exactly when they'd needed help, resolving numerous problems and briefly coaching them. While not deeply emotional, they considered him a good friend.
Second was his sudden disappearance. They'd had many things left unsaid, yet he'd vanished overnight, impossible to track down.
Normally, memories fade with time.
But sometimes, memories ferment, growing stronger like wine.
"Sota-san, why did you move away without telling us? My Moms and I searched for you for ages," Special Week said, crossing her arms and puffing her cheeks like a sulking pufferfish.
"Trainer Kitahara, I'm grateful for your past help. I wanted to give you a thank-you gift, but by the time I looked for you, you'd already gone," Oguri Cap said with her usual flat expression, though her eyes betrayed curiosity.
Facing their gentle accusations, Kitahara laughed awkwardly, apologizing, repeating what he'd told the other trainers.
"I see..."
Special Week and Oguri Cap glanced at Eclipse, who'd just finished her second helping. Their competitive spirit vanished, replaced by deep understanding and sympathy for Kitahara.
Both were big eaters and could appreciate how hard it must be to support someone like Eclipse—whose appetite apparently exceeded even theirs.
Sota-san has it rough.
Forgiving him instantly, Special Week noticed his trainer badge again and asked brightly, "Are you now a trainer at Tracen?"
Foreboding rose again. He nodded stiffly.
"Yes, I started this semester."
"I see." She smiled eagerly. "Do you have a tantou yet—"
"Yes," Kitahara immediately interrupted. "I have two already, no plans for more."
Unexpectedly, Special Week's eyes sparkled at his response.
"Eh? Two tantou? Then you must already have a team?"
Kitahara blinked.
What…?
Realizing his mistake, his suspicion was quickly confirmed:
"You see, I've just begun full-scale training. I wasn't planning a solo debut yet, so I've been looking for a team to gain experience..."
Special Week stared hopefully.
Kitahara: "..."
Why can't I keep my mouth shut?
Before he could firmly refuse, Eclipse quietly spoke up:
"We haven't officially formed a team yet, but you could always try submitting an application."
Kitahara turned toward her incredulously.
"Eclipse, you—"
Before he finished, Oguri Cap raised her hand timidly.
"Trainer Kitahara, I'm debuting next year too. Could I also join your team?"