Hachiman's POV
Greetings from a commuter train, everyone. This is Hachiman Hikigaya. It's been a while since I've spent this much time being rattled around in a train car, but I'm currently en route to Rice's family home.
I was the one who suggested she go home for a bit to recover from the stress of the season, but then came the sudden "coming out" moment: apparently, Rice's mother had been asking to meet me for a year and a half. I'm not sure what's worse—the fact that I was in the dark for eighteen months, or the fact that Rice managed to keep it a secret for that long.
"Hey, Rice," I said, looking over at her. "I've been meaning to ask... what are your parents like?"
"Oh, they're both so kind!" Rice beamed, her eyes lighting up at the thought of them. "When I was little and couldn't sleep, they'd read me picture books until I drifted off. And whenever something good happened, they'd always give me so much praise."
"I see. So your kindness is a family trait, then."
"Ehehe... yeah, I think so. My father is a school teacher. He's the advisor for the track and field club, too. He's actually really good at teaching long-distance running!"
"Is he the 'burning passion' type?" I asked.
"Um... I don't know if I'd go that far. But his students always place in the national competitions every single year!"
That's actually incredible, I thought. I'm no track expert, but "guaranteed national placement" isn't something you get on talent alone. It takes a hell of a lot of daily grind and a ironclad will to win. Her father must be an exceptional coach.
"That's impressive," I said. "With a record like that, he must have athletes from all over trying to get into his program."
"He says that sometimes," Rice nodded. "He'll send me photos and tell me, 'A really promising student joined this year,' or 'This one has so much potential.' Whenever they win a race, he even sends me a picture of himself with the athletes."
Man... he really loves his job. And he clearly adores his daughter if he's that diligent with his updates.
"And my mother is an Umamusume, just like me," Rice continued. "She spent her youth at Tracen Academy. She told me she never won any of the big G1s, but she did run in the Oaks!"
"That's an achievement in itself," I said. "She was chosen as one of the top eighteen girls of her entire generation. There are countless Umamusume who never even sniff a G1 stage. Being one of the few to stand on that turf is something she should be proud of."
"...!" Rice's eyes widened, and a radiant smile spread across her face. "You're right! My mother is amazing, isn't she?!"
"Yeah. Definitely."
"Hearing you say that makes me so happy, Big Brother! Thank you!"
Father, Mother... I should be the one thanking you, I thought, looking away. Thank you for raising such a good-hearted girl. It's a genuine service to humanity.
— Rice's Family Home —
We arrived. So this was the place where Rice Shower grew up...
"Ehehe... I'm actually a little nervous," Rice whispered, her hand hovering over the door handle. "It's been a while."
"Fair enough," I said.
"O-okay... I'm coming in..."
Click.
"I-I'm home...!" Rice called out.
"E-excuse me," I added, following her in. "Sorry for the intrusion."
Thump-thump-thump-thump!
The sound of frantic footsteps approached the hallway. The inner door burst open.
"R-Rice-chan?! Are you here already?!"
"Hyawah?! M-Mom?!" Rice squeaked. "Yeah... I'm here. And, um, look... my Bro—I mean, my Trainer is here too."
I stepped forward and gave a polite bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Hikigaya; I'm the one in charge of your daughter's training. I apologize for taking so long to come and introduce myself. Also, this is a small token of my appreciation—I hope it's to your liking."
"Oh! My, thank you for being so thoughtful!" Rice's mother exclaimed, her face a perfect, older mirror of Rice's own. "You shouldn't have gone to such trouble for a—hyawah?!"
As she stepped down into the entryway to take the gift, her foot caught on the edge of the step. Her balance vanished. She didn't just fall—she launched herself forward like a guided missile.
"Whoa?!"
BAM.
Because the front door was still standing open, there was nowhere for me to go. She slammed into me with the full force of a former athlete, and we both went flying backward out the door. I hit the cold, hard ground of the porch with a dull thud, and Rice's mother landed squarely on top of me.
"AAAHHHH!!" she screamed, her face inches from mine. "I'm s-s-s-s-so sorry! Oh no, the gift! Wait, forget the gift—Trainer-san, are you okay?! Are you alive?!"
She was a whirlwind of panicked motion, her hands hovering over me like she didn't know whether to help me up or keep apologizing.
"I-I'm fine..." I wheezed, my lungs trying to remember how to function. "Don't worry about it."
"Awawa... I've always been like this! Ever since I was a girl! Ugh, I'm the worst! Doing something so clumsy in front of a guest... and causing you trouble on top of it...!" Her ears went completely flat, and her tail drooped in shame.
"N-no, it's not your fault, Mom!" Rice interjected, bowing frantically beside us. "I should have called you five minutes before we arrived so you wouldn't be so surprised! It's my fault! I'm sorry!"
"It's not Rice-chan's fault!" the mother cried, bowing back at her daughter while still pinned to my chest. "It's my fault for not being more composed! I've been so rude to the Trainer! I'm so sorry!"
"If I had just closed the door behind us, he wouldn't have fallen outside! I'm the worst one here! Mom, Big Brother, I'm so sorry!" Rice wailed, her bows becoming more rhythmic and intense.
"Rice-chan has nothing to be sorry for! The root of the problem is my own clumsiness! Trainer-san, Rice-chan, please forgive me!"
"..."
It was like looking at a mirror image. Two generations of the same personality, trapped in a recursive loop of self-blame. They were both apologizing to me, but they were mostly apologizing to each other for the crime of being related to themselves. It was so sincere and overwhelming that I actually started feeling guilty for being the person they were apologizing to.
"Um... I think I'm the one who should apologize," I said, giving a small, awkward nod from my position on the floor. "I must have made you nervous. I'm sorry for the trouble."
"B-Big Brother, don't you dare apologize!" Rice shouted. "I'm the one who's wrong!"
"No, Rice-chan!" her mother sobbed. "It's me! I'm the wrong one! You two are completely innocent!"
Is this... is this an infinite loop? Are we going to be here all night?
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