「I'm Taiki Shuttle! Nice to meet you too, big sis!」
Thump!
I quietly hissed as I leaned back. Seeing a younger Taiki Shuttle was already making me feel all warm inside, but being called big sis by her? Oof, I could feel my heart rate spiking, and it had nothing to do with all the cholesterol I'd consumed from this meal.
Still, I managed a soft smile, and after a moment of hesitation, I reached out and patted her head.「Taiki Shuttle, is it? Quite the brave girl you are.」Taiki looked confused, but she eventually puffed her chest over the compliment.「Am I to assume that this establishment belongs to your family?」
Taiki nodded enthusiastically.「Mhm! Mama and Papa are in the kitchen right now, and Aunty's the one greeting everyone!」
「Ho? Family-run, huh?」Secretariat grinned.「This place's pretty good. Your parents' got it goin' on!」
Taiki giggled.「Right, right~! Mama and Papa's brisket's are the best in town!」
I smiled wryly. Seeing the ease at which Taiki and Secretariat were talking, it was clear that Taiki had no idea who Secretariat actually was. A good thing really; seeing Taiki giggle as Secretariat lifted her onto her shoulders was just too cute.
Still, fate sure was an interesting thing.
Who knew that this young BBQ-loving umamusume would later grow into a runner who dominated Japan's Mile races, even getting inducted into Japan's hall of fame.
「How about you, white-haired big sis? Do you like the brisket too?」Taiki asked.
Except Oguri didn't understand English and could only blink at her in confusion, pausing halfway through devouring her next pound of pork ribs. I smiled as I relayed Taiki's question in Japanese, and Oguri's eyes immediately shined as she lifted a huge chunk of beef brisket. "Delicious!"
「My dear friend seems to agree with you.」I said.
「Yay! Another member of the brisket team~!」She cheered, before she paused and tilted her head.「But why didn't she understand what I was saying?」
I chuckled softly.「I'm afraid she can't understand English as fluently as we can.」I sliced out another small chunk of brisket as I smiled.「We come from overseas, you see. Specifically from a country far in the East.」
「Wow! So you're aliens, big sis!?」
A few of the other customers laughed at Taiki's words. I couldn't help but laugh slightly as well.「No, no.」I carefully brought Taiki down from Secretariat's shoulders, and she flashed me a quick thumbs up as she quickly resumed wolfing down her meal.「An alien comes from beyond the sky. Unfortunate as it is, we have only arrived from beyond the seas.」
「Beyond the sea…」She repeated, her eyes shining in wonder.「That's so cool~!」She trotted towards me, hopping enthusiastically as she tried climbing onto my lap.「What does your home look like, big sis?」
I hummed.「Hmm, that's a difficult question to answer…」I said, pretending to think. I huffed slightly as Taiki continued trying to climb my leg, and I eventually lifted her up and just placed her onto my lap.「Just like your home, my home is quite diverse as well. It is difficult to describe fully.」
Oguri sent me a look of utter shock as she saw Taiki making herself comfortable on my lap, but I only smiled as I patted her head.「Let's see…」My eyes softened as I thought back to Kasamatsu.「I come from the town of Kasamatsu. It is a small town, with a river running all across the town's southern edge.」
「A river…」Taiki frowned deeply as she pressed her fists onto the sides of her head in a starkly familiar gesture.「A river is…a bunch of moving water, right?」
「That is indeed what a river is.」I praised as I patted her head, and Taiki giggled.
Meanwhile, Oguri's eyes had gone completely blank as she watched, her food completely forgotten. Sitting next to her, Belno chuckled wryly as she gave Oguri a comforting pat on the shoulder.
Regardless, Taiki had seamlessly integrated herself into our group, and so I resumed slowly eating through my BBQ platter. She'd occasionally ask a question or two, and whenever she wanted to speak to Oguri or Belno, I'd need to step in and translate for them.
And after a while, the atmosphere in the restaurant finally began returning to normal. The fact that Secretariat was eating together with them remained a fact that couldn't be ignored, but most of the stares had died down in time.
At least, until Taiki asked that inevitable question.
「Eh~? You're in a team together!?」Taiki asked, eyes shining as she realized that fact.「Does that mean you race a lot!?」
Immediately, many eyes turned our way once more, and my tail stiffened up as I felt their eyes piercing into me. I quietly gulped as I fixed my 'Hero' persona back into place, and I smiled confidently as I patted her head.「Indeed we are. Back in Japan, we are known as Team Kitahara, and we are all Seniors heading into our 3rd year.」
Taiki stared at me in wonder, and I couldn't help but smile back. I mean, I knew that most umamusume wished to become runners themselves when they grew older, but seeing a young child look at me with such awe made me feel warm.
However,
「So they're runners? No wonder they're fillin' themselves!」
「Team Kitahara? Sound familiar…」
「Huh? Ain't that the one that beat Obey Your Master a few months back?」
「You're right! Didn't that gray-haired one take 1st place?」
「Hold y'er phone! Don't that mean the ones sitting next to the Big Red is-!?」
The moment Team Kitahara was mentioned, our identities were immediately exposed. We might not have raced in America just yet, but the [Japan Cup] that'd happened just months ago was a world-shaking event. By this point, basically everyone knew at least something about the outcome of the [Japan Cup].
Which meant that Oguri and I were names that were known worldwide.
I took a deep breath to settle my nerves.「Do you wish to run as well, Taiki?」I asked the obvious.
And naturally, Taiki returned a cheery smile.「Of course! Gettin' to run looks so cool!」
I smiled softly.「And you will.」I said with absolute confidence.「One day, you shall gallop across Dirt and Turf, and you shall show the world the power that had always laid within you.」
Taiki tilted her head.「Eh?」She blushed.「Y-Ye really think so…?」
「I am sure of it.」
Perhaps her stamina wasn't the greatest, but the moment she ran in Miles or Sprints, she dominated. In her career of 13 races, she had only lost twice—and she had never gone below 3rd place. The game and anime might've only portrayed her as a stereotypical American girl, but her strength was undeniable. It was impossible to not have confidence in her future.
And perhaps Secretariat had felt that as well, because the moment she noticed my confidence in her, her own eyes narrowed in intrigue.
Taiki giggled shyly, her ears flicking with clear happiness as she swung her legs.「If big sis thinks so, then I'll do ma' best!」
I smiled, though I then warned her.「Though do remember not to tire yourself.」I said, wincing slightly as I felt that persistent itch in my feet reappear.「You are still far too young for any intense training.」
Taiki nodded.「Mhm! I'll stay safe, big sis!」
I nodded as I gave her another headpat.「That's good. Now then,」I smiled shyly as I pointed at my BBQ platter.「As shameful as it may be, but I doubt I'll be able to finish all this. If you wish, would you join me in tackling this endeavour?」
Taiki blinked.「Enda…Endeoua…?」
My lips twitched.「Would you like to eat with me?」
Taiki's eyes sparkled at the offer, and she smiled brightly.「Of course!」
So, I resumed tackling my seemingly unending BBQ platter, though this time with a small Taiki Shuttle aiding me in this great battle.
…
And all the while, Oguri Cap looked like she was seconds away from collapsing into a coma. Sitting next to her, Belno could only sigh.