Oguri Cap reached out to touch her already rounded belly. A loud, ominous gurgle echoed from inside.
It seemed to deflate a little.
Hayato blinked. Wait, what kind of biology was that supposed to be?
"Since Oguri Cap is a member of our Team Altair, we should definitely include her, right?" Seiun Sky's smirk widened as she watched Hayato's face cycle through several stages of panic.
Hayato's laugh came out strained. "Oguri Cap already ate, though, right? Let's not force it. I mean, making her watch us eat would be super awkward. She probably doesn't even have an appetite anymore..."
Oguri Cap's hand moved to her stomach again. Another horrifying gurgle rumbled out as her belly deflated another noticeable notch.
Hayato stared, unable to look away from the biological impossibility happening right in front of him. Seriously, what kind of special ability was this? Some kind of pocket dimension stomach? Did food just get teleported to another realm the moment it hit her digestive system?
Oguri Cap's hand suddenly landed heavily on Hayato's shoulder. When he looked up, her gaze had taken on a predatory quality, like she was sizing up a particularly juicy steak. "It's fine. Don't worry about me."
Hayato jumped. His brain momentarily short-circuited.
Worry about you? I'm worried about my wallet dying a painful death!
"Oguri Cap, this really isn't appropriate..." The words came out weak. Even Hayato could hear how unconvincing he sounded.
"Nothing inappropriate about it." Oguri Cap said it so matter-of-factly. "We're on the same team. How could a celebration be complete without me?"
That logic made sense.... Wait, no, it didn't! She hadn't done anything or helped in any way. How could she stand there with such righteousness and claim she deserved to come?
"Fine. Let's go together then." Hayato shoulders sagged in defeat. There was no winning this.
Originally, Hayato had wanted to find an all-you-can-eat buffet. Simple, efficient, relatively safe for his bank account. But as he scrolled through options on his phone, he discovered something alarming. Every single buffet restaurant in the area had Oguri Cap on its blacklist.
Several shop entrances prominently displayed signs reading "Gray-haired uma musume not permitted entry."
What the hell? Were they discriminating against gray-haired Uma Musume specifically?
Left with no choice, Hayato could only find a larger regular restaurant. At least there, the damage would be... somewhat contained. Maybe.
The moment Oguri Cap walked through the door, the owner's eyes went wide. Without a word, he skillfully hung a sign at the entrance reading "Store fully booked."
"We're working overtime tonight, everyone." The owner's voice carried into the kitchen with grim determination. "You all get tomorrow off. Kitchen staff, speed it up and don't you dare neglect our guests."
No, owner! Hayato wanted to scream. Oguri Cap already ate! Maybe she can't eat that much this time! If you make too much, it'll go to waste!
But the words died in his throat as he watched the kitchen spring into frantic action.
Hayato could only laugh bitterly and enter his restaurant.
Before they'd even placed an order, large plates and bowls of food started emerging from the kitchen in a steady stream.
'....Has the legend of Oguri Cap become this famous? They even already know what Oguri Cap is going to order.'
Oguri Cap's eating style could only be described as a black hole consuming matter. There was no other comparison that fit.
For extra-large bowls of food, her average consumption speed clocked in at 10 seconds flat. Her personal best record? Eight seconds.
Hayato sat there, chopsticks frozen halfway to his mouth, watching in horrified fascination as bowl after bowl disappeared. Oguri Cap's belly gradually swelled outward like a balloon inflating in slow motion. With each passing minute, Hayato could practically hear his wallet screaming in agony somewhere in his pocket.
He'd barely eaten three bites himself, and one million yen had evaporated into thin air.
Was that really only enough for one of Oguri Cap's meals? Just one?
"Burp~" Oguri Cap let out a satisfied belch. She leaned back in her chair, one hand resting on her considerably expanded stomach.
"Are you full?" Hayato asked with feigned concern. Part of him was genuinely terrified she might say no.
"Full, full." Oguri Cap rubbed her belly with a blissful expression that reminded him of a cat in a sunbeam. "I haven't eaten this full in a long time. Thank you."
"Hehe, no need to be polite." Hayato forced a smile. At least one million yen could actually fill Oguri Cap's stomach. That was something. Even if his heart felt like it had been put through a meat grinder.
Good thing this was just Oguri Cap's post-meal dessert. Her actual main course had been back at the dorm. Otherwise, filling her up for real would probably require taking out a loan.
"Doesn't the cafeteria let you eat as much as you want, though?" Hayato asked. Genuine curiosity crept into his voice. "How could you not get full there?"
"Oh." Oguri Cap's ears drooped slightly. "Director Akikawa said that even though we retired, we still have to attend classes. We can only go to the cafeteria during designated meal times. After school ends, there are way too many people in the cafeteria. I feel too embarrassed to eat freely in front of everyone, so I have to supplement outside."
There was something unspoken in her expression. A flash of guilt, maybe. Like she worried that if she couldn't control herself, the entire school's Uma Musume population would go without food that day.
Only being able to eat after school certainly limited her food intake considerably. Even for someone with Oguri Cap's appetite, social pressure was apparently a factor.
As expected, this was Akikawa Yayoi's doing.
Hayato had anticipated the Director would pull something off 'bout Oguri Cap gluttonous, but Hayato hadn't expected it to be this severe. Severe enough that Oguri Cap had to forage for food outside school grounds just to feel properly fed.
"They make you attend classes even after retirement?" Seiun Sky's voice rose in indignation. "Isn't the Director just bullying you for being too nice?"
"No, no." Oguri Cap shook her head quickly, her ears perking back up. "The Director said school is a place for learning. If you don't want to study, you should leave the school."
She said it with such earnest conviction. Like she'd internalized the lecture completely.
That statement did make sense, Hayato had to admit. He could already picture Akikawa Yayoi delivering that line with her signature "disappointed in your wasted potential" expression. Arms crossed, glasses glinting in the light, radiating an aura of absolute authority.
The image was so vivid it almost made him shudder.