Hachiman's Perspective
April had arrived, and with it, the start of a new school year. The campus was swarming with new students—Umamusume who had come here to chase their dreams and turn them into reality. At the moment, they were wandering the grounds on self-guided tours. A few even approached me.
Wait, don't get the wrong idea. They were just asking for directions. Though, I did catch a fair share of them whispering as I walked by… probably about last year's Tenno Sho. At least, that's what I'm telling myself.
Currently, I was heading toward the Chairwoman's office. I'd been summoned. I had no idea why, but I had a sinking feeling. If this was about the Team thing, I was in trouble...
"Sigh. Well, here goes nothing."
Knock, knock, knock.
Akikawa: "PERMISSION!! ENTER!!"
"Excuse me," I said, stepping inside. "Trainer Hikigaya, reporting as requested."
Akikawa: "Ah, Trainer Hikigaya! I have been waiting for this moment with bated breath!"
"Right... so, what can I do for you, Chairwoman?"
Akikawa: "QUESTION!! Trainer Hikigaya, do you currently have any interest in establishing an official Team?"
"I'm pretty sure you asked me the same thing two years ago. My answer hasn't changed. I don't particularly want to do it, but I don't particularly not want to do it either."
Akikawa: "Hmm... Then may I interpret that as: you will follow whatever official orders are handed down?"
"Resisting a decided matter is just a waste of time," I replied flatly.
Akikawa: "...Very well. Then, I shall issue the appointment! Tazuna!!"
Tazuna: "Yes, Chairwoman."
...Great. I feel like I just let her lead me right into a trap.
Akikawa: "Hachiman Hikigaya! I hereby order you to establish a Team and increase your student capacity from three to five!"
"..."
Akikawa: "I'm counting on you!!"
"Did you ask me that leading question just to set this up?" I asked, deadpan.
Akikawa: "CORRECT! You are the first trainer in the history of Tracen Academy to be eligible for a Team this quickly. That is why, after consulting with the other trainers two years ago, we granted you a one-year grace period."
"And that grace period resulted in me getting more students anyway."
Tazuna: "Neither Symboli Rudolf nor Mr. C.B.—your latest students—have voiced a single complaint. In fact, the faculty has decided you are more than qualified to lead a full Team. Thus, the official appointment."
"..."
Akikawa: "EXPLANATION!! Please do not misunderstand. Both Symboli Rudolf and Mr. C.B. chose to join you of their own volition. We did not pressure them into it!!"
"I know that. I can't imagine those two lying just to get me to train them. But a Team, huh... am I allowed to choose the remaining members myself?"
Akikawa: "AFFIRMATIVE!! We leave the selection entirely to your discretion, Trainer Hikigaya!"
—The Hallway—
"Thank you, Chairwoman."
A Team Trainer, huh? Still, I didn't plan on adding anyone else just yet. The Classic season was just beginning; I needed to stay focused on the girls I already had.
"First things first, I'd better report this to the others."
Rudolf: "...Oh, Brother. To run into you here—what were you up to?"
"The Chairwoman called me in. We were just talking in her office."
Rudolf: "Ho... I find myself quite curious about that. Care to share?"
"I was going to tell you anyway, but I want to talk to Rice and C.B. at the same time."
Rudolf: "Does that mean... this concerns us as well?"
"You could say that."
Rudolf: "Then let us head to the clubroom together."
"Yeah."
—The School Yard—
"Man, look at them all," I muttered as we crossed the grounds. "I know it's the post-ceremony tour, but there are a ton of freshmen this year."
Rudolf: "It's exciting to think that among them, there may be a girl who will carve out a new era. Don't you agree, Brother?"
"My only concern for the foreseeable future is whether or not these freshmen are going to start calling me 'Brother' too."
Rudolf: "Fufufu. I'm afraid that's inevitable. Once they realize how well you look after people, everyone will want to call you their brother."
"Right... I'm quitting. No more being nice."
Rudolf: "Please quit the idea of quitting."
"Then show me some incentive."
Rudolf: "The 'Brother' I know isn't a trainer who moves solely for personal gain, surely?"
"Is that a 'no' on the incentive?"
Rudolf: "Being rational is fine, but I'd hate for the image I have of you to vanish. You'd become far too difficult to approach."
"Fair enough."
—The Clubroom—
"Yo. Everyone here?"
Rice: "Ah, Big Brother! Yes, we're all here."
C.B.: "I've been waiting for you, Hachiman~♪"
"Good. Before we get to work, I have an announcement."
C.B.: "Ooh, what is it?"
"I just received an official appointment from the Chairwoman. I've been ordered to form a Team and expand our roster by two more members."
Rice: "Wait, really?! That's amazing, Big Brother! Congratulations!"
Rudolf: "So the order finally came... Congratulations, Brother. This means we can officially begin our activities as a Team."
"Actually, hold your horses. We're not doing that yet."
Rice/Rudolf/C.B.: "Eh?"
"The Classic season starts this month, and things are about to get hectic. To put it bluntly, I don't have the bandwidth to build a Team from scratch right now. So, until C.B. finishes the spring season—specifically the Derby—I'm keeping things as they are. No new members."
C.B.: "But wait, Hachiman, shouldn't we get a head start on these things?"
Rudolf: "C.B. has a point. There is a proverb: 'Strike while the iron is hot.' Wouldn't it be better to get the formalities out of the way early?"
"Let me ask you this," I countered. "Suppose I form the Team today. I put out a call for two members. I have to watch them run. I have to evaluate them. That takes time away from your training. Does that sound efficient to you?"
Rice: "Ah... Word travels fast that Big Brother is a great trainer, so I bet a lot of girls would apply. It might take up all our training time..."
"Exactly. I could do it on my days off, but then I lose the time I need to research new training menus or just, you know, breathe. Besides, these freshmen don't know left from right yet. If I throw them in with upperclassmen like you immediately, they won't stand a chance. They haven't even adapted to the environment yet."
Rudolf: "Hmm. You make a valid point... It makes sense why you'd want to wait."
Besides, if I opened the doors now, most of the applicants would just be people I already know. Waiting a bit gives the new students a chance to find their footing and make a move.
C.B.: "Got it! So, the Team officially starts in June, and new members come in after that!"
Rice: "Mm, Rice is okay with that too."
"Alright, it's settled then. Let's head out. That guy at the restaurant is probably waiting for Rice anyway."
We were heading to a small restaurant to celebrate Rice's first overseas victory and her back-to-back Nikkei Sho wins, combined with a pre-victory party for C.B.'s Satsuki Sho. It's kind of crazy that the only day our schedules lined up was the day of the entrance ceremony.
Permission to form a Team granted! But Hachiman, ever the pragmatist, is putting the brakes on for now.
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