Good food brings happiness… Yeah, that really sounds like something Oguri Cap would say.
The thought amused Yasui.
Though his daily routine revolved entirely around training, he still picked up interesting tidbits circulating among the Umamusume. And when it came to food, there was certainly no shortage of stories.
Legend had it that throughout Tracen Academy's history, there had been three legendary eaters whose mere appearances put the cafeteria staff—from the head chef down to every kitchen assistant—on full alert.
One particularly infamous incident had all three showing up at once. Not only did they completely exhaust the kitchen crew, but they also cleaned out the entire storage room's food supply.
Among those three titans, Oguri Cap reigned supreme.
She'd not only wiped out the cafeteria's stock single-handedly, but she was also the only Umamusume to have conquered the Academy Festival's legendary challenge of "1,000 bowls of Wanko Soba."
The other two—Special Week and Rice Shower—were also familiar names to Yasui. Thinking about it now, he couldn't help but smile wryly. Somehow, he'd managed to meet all three of these legends personally.
"Oh, I see now," Bamboo Memory said thoughtfully. "But yeah, Oguri-senpai's cooking skills have improved so much over the past few years. Plenty of people dream of tasting her dishes nowadays."
"Right, Oguri-senpai mentioned something like that!" Kitasan Black eagerly nodded. "But according to her, she cooks just because she enjoys it. She never really thinks about whether it qualifies as gourmet or anything."
Hearing that, Yasui couldn't help but interject, "Probably because she's tasted so many delicious things herself."
"Tasted so many things…?" Kitasan Black immediately perked up, eyes filled with curiosity. Even Bamboo Memory paused from finishing off her fried rice to glance over in interest.
"I've heard a few things myself," Yasui explained patiently. "Oguri-san owns a chain of restaurants—I order takeout from them pretty often, actually. But she doesn't handle operations herself; her younger sister and Belno take care of that side. Oguri-san's usually busy with cooking shows or eating challenges."
He chuckled lightly. "After sampling countless dishes, she probably developed her own sense for what tastes good. Add in a little natural talent and practice, and becoming a skilled chef was probably easy for her."
Yasui sighed in admiration. "Who would've thought? She was already a racing legend, and now she has the makings of a culinary genius too."
Both Kitasan Black and Bamboo Memory nodded in sudden realization. Curious, Kitasan Black asked, "I never heard any of this from Oguri-senpai before. Trainer, how do you know all this stuff? And you mentioned Belno-san… is she Oguri-senpai's friend?"
"Yeah, they're friends from back in their racing days." Yasui nodded again. "Her full name is Belno Light. She's been close friends with Oguri-san since their time at Kasamatsu. Belno-san's family runs a big business selling specialized equipment for Umamusume, so she often helps manage operations here. I've interacted with her a few times regarding training gear, so I know a little bit about her."
"Oh, I see now…" Kitasan Black nodded thoughtfully before her eyes suddenly sparkled with anticipation. "Hey, Trainer, do you have anything planned this afternoon?"
"No plans—why?" Yasui blinked in surprise, already guessing her intentions. "Are you thinking about taking me to meet Oguri-san?"
"Yes!" Kitasan's eyes practically glowed with excitement. "Oguri-senpai's always running around managing restaurants, so normally it's hard to catch her. But recently she promised to help Crown-chan with training, so she'll be staying in Tokyo for a while. It's a perfect chance for me to get some advice too. So hurry up and finish your food, Trainer! Can we go see her together?"
She stared up at Yasui, eyes wide with hope, hands clenched eagerly into tiny fists.
Yasui smiled warmly at the energetic girl standing before him. Compared to the day they first met, she'd grown tremendously.
Today was supposed to be a day off, a chance to relax, yet her mind was still focused on training and racing. Of course, her enthusiasm also came from a deep-seated passion for running and the rare opportunity to speak directly with a legendary senpai.
Moreover, based on conversations he'd had with Saburō Kitajima after the Kikuka Sho and Kitasan Black's own determination, the next major event on their calendar was already set in stone:
The Arima Kinen.
This prestigious race was unquestionably one of the highlights at year-end, its importance unmatched.
Unlike most G1 races, participating in the Arima Kinen required not only popularity with fans but also ranking among the top vote-getters. Only those who earned enough votes were granted entry onto this elite stage.
Given Kitasan Black's spectacular victory in the Kikuka Sho, securing a spot shouldn't be an issue. But it also meant she'd be facing older, more experienced opponents from the Senior Year for the first time.
Compared to them, she lacked both experience and physical maturity. Speed wasn't exactly her strongest asset, and it would be severely tested against such formidable competition. Even her superior stamina and strength among Classic-Year Umamusume wouldn't necessarily give her an advantage here.
Then again, nearly every Classic-Year challenger faced the same uphill battle. Otherwise, victories in the Arima Kinen by Classic-Year Umamusume wouldn't be celebrated as legendary feats.
Oguri Cap herself happened to be one of the rare few who had achieved exactly that—winning the Arima Kinen as a Classic-Year competitor.
Such an invaluable opportunity to consult her couldn't be passed up.
These thoughts flashed quickly through Yasui's mind, but he kept them to himself. Instead, he simply gazed warmly at the excited Kitasan Black.
Whatever challenges lay ahead, they wouldn't be solved in a single afternoon. Right now, what mattered most was making sure she enjoyed herself.
"Alright, let's go then," he said brightly, swiftly finishing the rest of his meal and standing up to meet Kitasan Black's eager gaze. "Maybe I'll even get a chance to taste something prepared by the master chef herself."
"You definitely will!" Kitasan Black responded without hesitation, excitedly pulling out her phone. "I've been seeing Oguri-senpai every day to practice cooking, so I know exactly where she'll be. She's definitely there right now… huh?"
After quickly swiping through her messages, she suddenly looked worried.
"Oh no, Oguri-senpai says she has something coming up soon! We have to hurry, Trainer!"
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T/N: mmm foooood also hehehe oguri haivng restaurants is so cooooooooooooool
i cant eat rice by itself i need to have MEAT beside but mmm i love rice