The next morning.
Kitahara woke up to the ringing of his phone.
Still half-asleep, he squinted as he answered. The voice of the senior Umamusume came through.
Having stayed up late, Kitahara's brain was foggy, and he didn't quite catch what she was saying.
Even so, after a moment, he roughly understood the message: she was calling him out for something, she'd already sent someone specifically to pick him up, and he shouldn't think about running away or pretending to be sick.
Due to his hyper-focused state the previous night—and his current sleepy haze—he'd understood her words but didn't immediately recall what they were referring to.
Not only did he fail to be wary, his mind was still preoccupied with Kudou-san's information, and he figured this was a good opportunity to speak with this senpai about the issue.
So, without hesitation, he got up, told the other Umamusume he was going to visit a senpai, and went out.
Since his explanation the previous night had been cut short by the bells, the other Umamusume naturally assumed that he and Eclipse were visiting a senpai's family today, which explained why they weren't going to the New Year's shrine visit.
Thus, none of them were suspicious and let him and Eclipse leave easily.
Them suspecting a matchmaking meeting or something similar?
Come on—it was New Year's Day. No normal person would jump to that conclusion, right?
Furthermore, the Umamusume who had designs on Kitahara were basically all here, under everyone else's watchful eyes. There was no worry about anyone sneaking off.
And Kitahara himself was still caught up in the information Kudou-san had given him. It wasn't until the car started moving away from Tracen Academy that he gradually came to his senses.
Wait—hadn't he forgotten something very important?
He thought for a moment. As his memories slowly returned, Kitahara's expression grew blank.
Yeah. Great. He was screwed.
Normally, even if things were urgent, at least one night would have let him resist a bit—fake illness, call Hayakawa-san for help, or something similar.
But now? Forget resisting; that senpai Umamusume was probably wondering why he was being so obedient today.
"Oh well, let fate handle it."
Kitahara sighed. He was already halfway to his destination, and it was too late to call for backup. He could only rely on himself to ruin this matchmaking meeting somehow.
Resigned to this fate, Kitahara stopped resisting. As a last, desperate attempt, he sent two messages to Symboli Rudolf and Sirius Symboli, then closed his eyes to rest.
He'd given up.
...
Time always passed quickly when you were resigned to misery.
Perhaps because he hadn't slept well last night, Kitahara drifted off shortly after closing his eyes. When he reopened them, he saw a huge, lavishly decorated hotel standing in front of him.
According to the information those two old women had provided, both of his matchmaking partners were here. But neither message had specified a time or location—they'd simply instructed him to come first and wait.
Since he'd already given up, Kitahara couldn't be bothered to fight anymore. After sighing a few times, he headed toward the hotel's entrance.
Inside, Kitahara casually looked around and noticed the hotel seemed to be hosting some kind of event. Many people were coming and going, dressed extravagantly, all radiating an unmistakably refined air.
In contrast, he'd woken late and hadn't tidied himself up. He wore the same casual clothes he usually wore around the academy, looking like a barnyard chicken that had stumbled into a phoenix's nest—utterly out of place.
Yet no cliché "snobby person mocks shabby appearance and kicks him out" drama unfolded, leaving Kitahara oddly disappointed—after all, that would've been the perfect excuse to escape.
After looking around, Kitahara, unsure when the matchmaking meeting would start, found a corner seat, intending to wait until those two old women sent more specific instructions.
But soon after sitting down, a familiar voice suddenly spoke beside him.
"Trainer Kitahara?"
Kitahara froze for a second before looking up, surprise evident in his voice.
"Diamond? Kitasan? What are you two doing here?"
Standing in front of him were Satono Diamond and Kitasan Black, whom he hadn't seen in days. They looked equally surprised, clearly not expecting to meet him here.
"Kitasan and I came with our families. They said there was a banquet—our parents are in the hall right now. It felt stuffy inside, so Kitasan and I stepped out for a walk… and then we ran into you…"
Diamond explained.
"Then what about you, Trainer Kitahara? Why are you here?"
"I… I'm meeting a friend to talk about something."
"Where is your friend?"
"She hasn't arrived yet."
Kitahara paused, then continued.
"Alright, you two go have fun. I'll wait here a bit. You finally got a chance to come out, so enjoy yourselves—and be careful."
That's what Kitahara said, but neither Diamond nor Kitasan showed any intention of leaving. Instead, they sat right down beside him and started chatting.
"Trainer Kitahara, the training plan you gave us earlier really works. I can already feel myself improving…"
"Trainer Kitahara, Kitasan and I will officially enroll at Tracen when the new term starts. Please continue to take care of us…"
"Oh, right—Kitahara, I mentioned your training to my parents before. They said if they ever had the chance, they'd like to meet you. And you've helped me so much, but I've never properly thanked you. Since your friend hasn't arrived yet, would you like to come sit with us for a bit…?"
Diamond's gentle words gradually guided the conversation toward her goal—one more step, and she would've pulled her prey into the trap.
But right then, before Kitahara could answer, another soft female voice sounded from his other side.
"Hm? Trainer Kitahara?"
As the voice fell, waterfall-like aqua-blue hair appeared in Kitahara's view—alongside a pair of distinctive violet eyes.
"Ardan?"
Kitahara looked up at her, surprised.
"You're here too?"
"Too?"
Her gaze moved between Diamond and Kitasan. Mejiro Ardan's expression shifted slightly as she explained.
"You didn't know, Trainer Kitahara? Today is a social gathering for Umamusume families throughout Japan. Nearly every prominent family has sent someone. My health improved slightly, so I came to take a look. I never expected to run into you here…"
A social gathering for Umamusume families?
Hearing that, Kitahara nodded. That explained why the place was so lively—and why there were so many young ladies from Umamusume families around.
As Ardan spoke, she naturally sat down beside Kitahara, also asking why he was here, while subtly trying to invite him to sit with the Mejiro family's group.
Diamond, though her plan had been disrupted by Ardan's sudden appearance, didn't give up either.
Throughout their conversation, she repeatedly steered the topic to her advantage, continuously inviting Kitahara to join the Satono family's side.
If only one side had been pulling, given Kitahara's personality—even though he wasn't eager to deal with these families—he might've eventually yielded after enough persistence, out of respect for an acquaintance.
But with both sides competing, Kitahara had more room to refuse. He comfortably stayed in his corner, half-chatting, half-rotting in peace.
After a long stalemate, Kitahara checked his phone. It was nearly noon, yet the two old women still hadn't sent further instructions.
Though unlikely, Kitahara silently prayed that both old women had developed dementia and forgotten him entirely.
If they forgot him until evening, he could return directly to Tracen without worrying about anything.
But just as he thought that, his pocket vibrated, instantly shattering his wishful fantasy.
Yeah. He was doomed.
Nervously, Kitahara pulled out his phone. He was about to sigh, accepting the inevitable—but his expression shifted as soon as he saw the screen.
Huh? Wait. This didn't look like a message from those two old women.
Unlocking the screen, Kitahara opened a message from an unfamiliar number. After reading briefly, his eyebrows slowly rose.
"What is it, Kitahara?" Diamond asked.
"Sorry—my friend just arrived. I need to speak with her for a bit. We can chat more next time, when there's a chance."
"Mm, okay. But after you finish talking, feel free to sit with us at the Satono family's side."
"Mm, okay. But after you finish talking, feel free to sit with us at the Mejiro family's side,"
"…I'll try."
After taking his leave from the three of them, Kitahara stood up, tidied himself slightly, and walked toward the room number indicated in the message, asking directions along the way.
"Room 1207… Room 1207… Here it is."
Once he'd found the room, Kitahara knocked. A familiar, authoritative female voice responded from inside.
"Who is it?"
"It's me—Kitahara. Rudolf, what exactly was that message abou—"
Clack—
Before he could finish, the door swung open sharply. A hand shot out, firmly grasped him, and dragged him inside.
"Come in and talk."
---
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl