It was a bright morning as I stepped onto the personal runway, located just a few miles away from Secretariat's mansion. The skies were clear of any clouds, and the weather was beginning to turn uncomfortably warm as the first edges of Summer approached.
I squinted slightly as the sunlight fell across my eyes. It was a good day for my flight back to Japan. Not just because the weather was great, but also because it meant I could escape the encroaching American summer. Which honestly didn't mean much, considering Japanese summers were also notoriously warm.
Since the weather was so warm, I was dressed lightly this time. Nothing more than a pair of shorts and a Hawaiian-print shirt Musaka had bought for me as a gift. And not too far away was the jet I'd be boarding for my flight back. The engines hadn't been activated yet, though it wouldn't be long before the engines would sound.
I took a small breath as I closed my eyes.
The last two weeks had been…rough. Sure, Secretariat had 'lightened' up on her training, but it was no less hellish. Even now I could still feel my legs aching, despite the day of respite Secretariat had granted in preparation for my flight back home.
But at least it was over. For now.
I sighed.
"What's with ya'?" Musaka asked, raising an eyebrow at my strange expression. "Dreadin' leaving this place already?" He asked, a playful grin on his lips.
My eyes twitched. "As if." I said immediately.
He chuckled as he tipped his hat down to shield his eyes from the sunlight. "It's been fun." He suddenly said, glancing back at Secretariat's mansion. "Been a while since I'd stayed in the States for this long." He grinned. "Feels nice. Don't gota rats I gotta keep'n eye on."
"That's just because no one's willing to offend Secretariat." I said.
He only grinned.
We fell into a brief quiet, before I asked, "So are you really retiring?"
He hummed. "And if I am?" His grin softened a little. "That fool's good enough to be on his own now, Belno's got no need for an old man like me, and the Big Red's practically poached both you and Oguri." Despite his self-depracating words, his grin was cheerful. "It's 'bout time for me to go."
"...I see." I turned away for a moment. Of course, he wouldn't be retiring now of all time—we were just entering the peaks of our careers, and he'd be there to wade out the waves together with the rest of Team Kitahara. But after that, maybe one Oguri and I went abroad to begin racing in America?
"Thank you, Musaka-san."
He huffed. "Gettin' sentimental?"
"You're not gone yet." I said, though I didn't deny his words.
I-, no, all of Team Kitahara owed a lot to him. He was the one who gave credence to our team in the first place, ensuring that Kitahara could remain in Central despite lacking a license. He was also the one who personally trained Oguri during her Classic year, and he was the first to notice my unique situation.
In a sense, I owed Team Kitahara's continued existence to the man standing next to me. He might never outright say it, but I knew he'd spent quite the effort and fortune keeping this team afloat.
"Alright, enough talkin'." He carefully held his hat, just as the jet's engines began spinning. "Better get strapped in. It's gonna be a long one."
I nodded. "Right."
We didn't spare any more words after that. We both boarded the private jet, and not long after, the jet began slowly moving as we prepared to take off. I watched the slowly rolling scenery from the window, a small smile on my lips.
It was incredible really.
I knew I'd told everyone that I wanted to travel, but who knew that wish could come about so quickly. And not only that, but I'd somehow become Secretariat's chosen Apprentice. If I told my past self everything I'd gone through, I doubted I'd ever believe myself.
Yet here I was now, having spent four months in America, and now just minutes away from flying back to Japan.
I truly was blessed.
And so, with a faint satisfaction in me, I leaned back into my chair and closed my eyes as I felt the jet beginning to speed up. An uncomfortable feeling coursed through my gut as the jet slowly lifted into the air, and before long, the jet was up in the air, en route back to Tokyo.
With little else to do, and my body still aching from all the intense training I was subjected to, it didn't take long before I eventually fell asleep.
…
Several hours later, I was jostled out of my sleep when the jet finally landed back at Tokyo.
I groaned as I rubbed my eyes. My whole body felt terrible; a fairly common symptom for all umamusume whenever they took a plate, and one I'd unfortunately need to get used to if I still wanted to continue travelling around the world. Aside from that though, I was relatively fine.
Since Musaka and I were being endorsed by both Tracen Central and Secretariat, it didn't take much for us to get through all the airport checks, and soon we were on a taxi that was headed back for Tracen Central Academy.
It was night by the time we arrived, and so I was treated to the vibrant nightlife of Tokyo as the taxi drove onwards. It felt a little strange—I'd been in Secretariat's mansion for so long that I'd somewhat forgotten what Tokyo's concrete sprawl looked like. Blocks of steel and concrete rose towards the sky, with dozens of advertisements plastered across various different buildings or billboards.
Personally, I wasn't the biggest fan. I much preferred the homely feeling of Kasamatsu, of being able to remember every nook and cranny of the town I called home. But that was just me.
Funnily enough, one time we drove past a billboard advertising the [Spring Tenno Sho], and as expected, I was there as well. An image of me in my G1 outfit, grouped together with the other runners I'd be running against. I couldn't help but smirk a little as we drove past.
Before long, we soon reached our destination.
Musaka grinned as he stepped out of the taxi. "Damn place still looks the same." He groused playfully.
I stepped out not long after, and I smiled slightly as I saw the familiar gates of Tracen Central Academy. "I'd be surprised if it didn't." I said idly.
He huffed. "Alright, enough yappin'." He gave my leg a playful whack with his cane as he walked past me. "Ya' go and greet y'er girl over there." He said nonchalantly as he went over to the taxi driver to pay for the trip.
I blushed, before I froze when I processed what he said. "Greet-?"
But before I could finish, my ears twitched as I heard someone approaching. Their steps were powerful and weighty, each step causing the earth to tremble slightly.
There was only one person it could be.
And just in time, I saw Oguri rush out from a side path and into the main road leading out of the academy. Her eyes immediately locked onto me, and I felt a jolt of electricity run up my spine as her blue eyes met mine. We remained still for a moment, before Oguri began running towards me.
And before I knew it, Oguri had tackled me into a deep hug, flinging herself with such force that both of us promptly collapsed onto the ground.
But at that moment, neither of us cared. Oguri clung onto me, nestling her face into my neck as her tail wrapped around my leg. And I was more than happy to hug back, pulling her closer as I basked in this familiar warmth.
"You're back." She eventually said, voice muffled.
I smiled. "I'm back."
No more words needed to be said after that. We remained there, our bodies linked, uncaring of the night's cold.
Because I was finally back home.
.
.
.
AN: There might not be any uploads for the next two days, mainly because Christmas is around the corner and my schedule is packed. As mentioned a few chapters back though, the usual schedule of 2 chapters daily will return after that.