Urara's excited voice echoed through the cafeteria, drawing the attention of the three others who had just arrived.
"What's got you so worked up?"
Seiun Sky strolled in casually, hands behind her head. But when she saw the sign posted near the entrance, her eyes widened.
"You've got to be kidding—over twenty dishes, all-you-can-eat? Is Peach Waves trying to bankrupt herself?"
Nishino Flower smiled and pointed to the fine print on the sign.
"She's not losing money. It says 'excluding Senior Oguri Cap,' so the price applies to us."
The five Uma Musume paused, all thinking the same thing: Oguri Cap, with her bottomless appetite, was probably the reason for the exception.
"So it's settled. Let's go! We've been eating rice bowls and fried noodles for a month—who knew Peach Waves was saving her ultimate move for now?"
Urara was the first to grab a tray, chopsticks, and a plate, charging ahead. The others followed, but were stopped at the buffet line by Tazuna, who greeted them with a smile.
"Ladies, today's meal is self-service. Take what you like, but if you waste food…"
She pointed through the glass window to the back kitchen, where Oguri Cap was scrubbing dishes with a gloomy expression.
The five horse girls broke into a cold sweat.
"Of course not! We're champions of food conservation!"
Urara waved her hand energetically.
As they approached the buffet, the sheer variety overwhelmed them.
"Wow—I want to try everything!"
"It's hard to choose… How about we each pick four different dishes and share?"
Grass Wonder suggested with a grin.
"Great idea!"
Condor nodded, and Seiun Sky and Nishino Flower split off to pick their selections.
Soon, the five gathered at a long table, pushing their plates to the center.
"There are still a few dishes we didn't get to try… What a shame."
Urara scanned the buffet wistfully.
"No worries. The buffet will be available all month. You'll get to try everything."
Peach Waves appeared beside them, smiling.
"Peach! You're out of the kitchen today?"
"No need to serve today, so I got a little time for myself."
"Wait—does that mean we'll have this many dishes every day?"
"That's the plan. So enjoy!"
With that, Peach Waves returned to the kitchen, where she found Scarlet and Vodka bickering over dishwashing duties.
"Hey! Scarlet, this is my station!"
Vodka then splashed water at her.
"You're slow and inefficient! I'm just helping!"
Before things escalated, Tazuna appeared behind them, placing firm hands on their shoulders.
"Do you two want to be stuck washing dishes all day?"
The intensity in her voice froze them both.
"Ahaha, no way! We're almost done!"
"Right, right! Vodka, you take over—I'll dry!"
Tazuna sighed and turned to Peach Waves.
"Sorry, Miss Peach Waves. Ever since you arrived, the cafeteria's been booming. So a few troublemakers are bound to pop up."
"It's fine, Miss Tazuna. Thank you for keeping things running."
"The chairman will be addressing these issues soon."
"Chairman Akikawa?"
"She's here today. Probably sitting near Urara's group."
"Ah, that explains the big newspaper on the empty table next to us. That orange-haired loli…"
"Sister Peach, we're missing a few local dishes!"
"Got it. I'll whip them up for you."
Peach Waves rolled up her sleeves and got to work. In under ten minutes, a fresh batch of ground-style three delicacies was steaming in the vats.
"Urara, what's with this giant meatball? How do we even eat it?"
She poked it with her chopsticks—it was nearly the size of her head.
"I don't know! It looked so good, so I grabbed a few."
"What's it called?"
Nishino Flower asked, eyeing the dish.
"Uh… I think it's called Lion Head Promax?"
Thud!
Just as she spoke, one of the meatballs rolled off her chopsticks and landed in her bowl with a splash.
"Lion!? Wait—is this made from lion meat?!"
She recoiled, eyes wide.
"No, no! It's pork!"
A voice chimed in behind them. The five turned to see Chairman Akikawa, holding two meatballs on one chopstick—one already half-eaten.
"Manager—Chairman?!"
"Don't fuss. I'm just here to eat."
She waved them off and smiled proudly.
"This is the chef I recruited. Every dish is amazing."
"The chairman eats here too?"
Seiun Sky raised her brows, sipping cold fish soup.
"I come every day. And let me tell you—this sweet and sour tenderloin is the best. No arguments!"
She wiped her mouth with a napkin and pushed a strip of orange-glazed meat toward Urara.
"We didn't get that one. Chairman, may I try?"
"Go ahead."
Urara picked up a piece and slowly placed it in her mouth.
The sweet and sour glaze hit first—bright and tangy. The shell was crisp, giving way to tender, marinated pork inside. The juices burst with flavor.
Her eyes lit up. She trembled, speechless.
Condor nudged her.
"Urara, you okay?"
"This… this is incredible! Sweet and sour sauce, crispy shell, tender meat—wow!"
"Is it really that good?"
Condor picked up a piece and took a bite.