The next day.
The bustle and cheer of last night's Christmas still hadn't fully faded; a faint sweetness of the holidays lingered in the air.
Chiyono O and Ardan had taken the day off.
Even though they'd already spent a wonderful Christmas Eve with everyone on their team, today Super Creek, Muteki, and a few other friends from Central Tracen were throwing a delayed Christmas party and had especially invited them to join.
Elsewhere, Inari One had also asked for leave to head back to Ōi and spend time with Tatsuko.
As for those two little rascals, Teio and McQueen… naturally, they'd been "escorted" home by their parents to enjoy some family warmth.
With the New Year approaching, everyone carried a rare sense of ease.
Kuroha was just as laid-back—he waved his hand and gave the whole squad an extended vacation so they could truly unwind and store up strength for the battles coming next year.
Right now, a belated Christmas party was in full swing inside Central Tracen's common lounge.
"Merry Christmas!"
Chiyono O and Dictus Striker lifted their glasses with a cheerful clink.
After that crisp collision of glass, the two tilted their heads back and downed their drinks in one go—ton-ton-ton.
"Waaah! It's juice!"
Chiyono O smacked her lips, then let a satisfied smile bloom across her face.
Beside her, Ardan raised a hand to her cheek with practiced elegance. A gentle warmth shimmered at the corner of her eyes as she said softly,
"It's not like it could be anything else. We can't drink alcohol, you know."
"A Christmas party a day late… kinda feels nice, actually."
Muteki took in the lively scene and chuckled.
"It does~," Ardan replied, taking a small sip of tea, a smile on her lips.
After a bit of chatting, Muteki turned to Chiyono O and Ardan, curious:
"Come to think of it, didn't you two already celebrate Christmas with your teammates last night?"
The two girls shared a look and nodded in unison.
"Count—"
The rest of the horse girls from other teams let out a collective groan and started ribbing them:
"Must be nice… Our teams don't do that kind of thing at all."
Their voices were full of undisguised envy.
Just then, a rather boldly dressed figure cut into the conversation.
"Christmas is already over. How are you still this hyped? So silly," she said with arms folded and that signature haughty tone.
It was Blacky Ale—and also the first opponent Oguri Cap had encountered after arriving at Central.
Today, she was wearing an especially daring Santa-girl outfit: a vivid red short skirt with soft white trim, curves already coming into their own outlined just right—sexy and adorable all at once.
Chiyono O stared blankly at her outfit. Her gaze slid from the cute Santa hat all the way down to those long legs wrapped in white thigh-highs. Then, in pure honesty, she gave her verdict:
"But… you look like the most excited one here."
Blacky Ale's cheeks went whoom crimson, like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on—instant DEF break.
"We said we were doing cosplay for today's party, didn't we?!" she shot back, not at all pleased.
"Eh?"
Chiyono O tilted her head, baffled. "Did… did I say that?"
Watching this little skit, Muteki broke into a knowing smile. Looking at Chiyono O, something came to mind and she asked:
"By the way, didn't you invite Fujimasa March and Inari One to come along? You're all on the same team—it'd be nice for everyone to get to know each other, make it even livelier."
Ardan shook her head with a smile. "Thanks for the thought, Muteki. But everyone's got their own plans today."
"Plans?"
Tokyo.
In the sea of people in front of a busy station, Kuroha had both hands stuffed in his pockets, staring idly at the train info rolling across the digital board.
At his side, Fujimasa March couldn't quite keep still—every so often she'd rock up on her toes and peer toward the exit, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Not long after, the sweetness in the air grew even stronger.
An amiable middle-aged man with a touch of weathering led three lively horse girls out through the gates.
Kuroha recognized him at once—it was his colleague from the Kasamatsu days, Shibazaki.
Yesterday was also the first day of vacation for Kasamatsu Tracen. They'd come to Tokyo specifically to hang out with Kuroha and the others.
Shibazaki clearly spotted them too and was just lifting a hand to wave when—
The girls behind him shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow, a breeze of perfume rushing with them, their target clear.
They charged straight for Kuroha—
—and then wrapped their arms tight around… Fujimasa March standing beside him.
"March—! We missed you sooo much!"
"Boohoo, we finally get to see you again!"
"Are you doing okay at Central? Is anyone picking on you?"
Chattering away, the girls crowded around March, pouring out all the joy and worry they'd bottled up since the day they parted.
Sinking into their warmth, March smiled from the heart and—through happy tears—answered each friend in turn.
Watching, Kuroha quietly stepped aside to give them more room, a faint smile on his face he didn't even notice himself.
"Long time no see," he said.
Shibazaki had come up to them by then.
"It really has," he replied.
Kuroha offered his hand, and they shook.
"Can I even count as your senpai anymore?" Shibazaki laughed.
"Of course. Without you all, March and I could never have made it this far so smoothly," Kuroha said with an easy smile.
"Hey now…" Shibazaki rolled his eyes. "You do realize March went on an eight-loss streak under me, right…?"
"That's fine," Kuroha grinned. "Counting that race at Kasamatsu, she's on an eight-win streak with me—balances out!"
"You little—" Shibazaki clicked his tongue. "Quit humble-bragging."
"By the way, didn't Kitahara come?" Kuroha asked.
"He's thin-skinned. After the last visit he swore he wouldn't set foot in Tokyo again till he passed the Central exam."
"That guy…"
They traded a look—and both let out a small, helpless sigh.
After a bit more small talk, a gentle quiet settled over the bench again.
A moment later, Shibazaki's expression grew serious. He straightened, hands on his knees, and when he spoke again, his tone had turned solemn.
"Kuroha," he began, deeper than before. "Given my position, maybe it's not my place to say this, but…"
He paused, choosing his words, then turned and met Kuroha's eyes with a gravity he'd never shown before.
"In the new year, you'd better make a splash at Central."
"After all, you and your girls are Kasamatsu's pride."
The smile faded from Kuroha's face. In its place rose a calm, convincing resolve.
"I understand."
Even without that reminder, it was already his wish—March's wish—the wish of every girl on the team.
And in his heart, Kuroha added:
I won't just make a splash—I'm going to take the whole of Central.
(End of Chapter)
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