"One melon parfait, please."
"I'll have the honey special! Half water, double honey, please!"
"I want pineapple pizza... Huh? Why are you two looking at me like that? Sigh... pasta it is then."
Imanami brought the three Uma Musume he was in charge of to a restaurant outside of school. Although they decided to rest here on a whim, the restaurant Gold Ship found was actually a nice place to spend this rare day off.
Everyone ordered their meals. Imanami even specially ordered a melon parfait for the currently silent McQueen. When the waiter delivered their respective dishes, Imanami then placed the melon parfait in front of McQueen.
"Here you go, McQueen. You seem to like melon parfait the most, right?"
"Trainer... I... I'd rather not eat it..."
McQueen said as she looked down; McQueen knew she had caused a big commotion and was completely mortified. Under everyone's gaze, McQueen silently pushed the melon parfait back to Imanami and whispered, "I've eaten enough today, Trainer. I... I really have no reason to keep eating sweets."
Although she said that, McQueen's obvious gulp and trembling as she spoke were caught by everyone present. For a moment, Imanami, Tokai Teio, and Gold Ship all exchanged glances, seeing a hint of amusement in each other's eyes. Soon, all three understood what they should do, with Gold Ship taking the helm and saying:
"In that case, let's just throw this melon parfait away. I remember there's a kitten on this street that loves sweets..."
"Ah, don't waste it, Gold Ship-san! I don't mind eating a melon parfait~" Tokai Teio also raised her small hand with a mischievous smile and said immediately. At this moment, Mejiro McQueen finally couldn't maintain her composure and suddenly looked up and said:
"DON'T WASTE SWEETS!"
However, as soon as McQueen's impulsive outburst ended, she was met with the mischievous smiles of Gold Ship and Tokai Teio. Knowing that she had given herself away again, she let out a small animal-like wail as she sat back in her seat.
"—Alright, McQueen, it's fine if you eat it. It's okay to relax once in a while. It's also my fault for not noticing your struggle before. Speaking of which, I should ask for your forgiveness. After all, I should've paid more attention to my Uma Musume's preferences and dislikes."
Imanami's face also held a subtle smile. He didn't mock McQueen. In his eyes, this was just some hijinks the younger generation got up to. As an old man, he naturally had to maintain the composure of an elder and not be too overbearing. Moreover, he really liked watching such scenes of children teasing each other. It always made him feel quite nostalgic for his younger days... Ah wait, was he not in his younger days now?
Imanami subconsciously looked at his palms, which were completely different from the old, bark-like skin he remembered. They could truly be described as soft and smooth. However, Imanami's seventy- or eighty-year-old mind was still there. Suddenly given a young body, he really felt a sense of dissociation between his body and mind.
He felt more energetic than he had ever felt before, yet his old soul made him very stable and not prone to anger—not because his temper had genuinely improved from his younger years, but because he feared that getting too angry all the time would quicken his demise... Imanami shook his head slightly, expelling these intrusive thoughts from his mind, and gently pushed the melon parfait back in front of McQueen, saying softly:
"Don't feel guilty, McQueen. Eat how many you like. The make-up training you'd have to do after this... that's for later. Don't worry about it."
"..."
Only after receiving Imanami's approval and the encouraging glances from Tokai Teio and Gold Ship around her, did McQueen very hesitantly pick up the spoon, scoop a small amount, and put it into her cherry-like mouth. After a long while, McQueen stayed frozen for quite a bit. The prolonged silence made Imanami feel a bit uneasy, and he couldn't help but ask:
"What's wrong? Is it not good?"
"...No."
But then, suddenly, everyone heard McQueen's choked voice. Unbeknownst to them, two lines of hot tears streamed down the eyes of this young girl. She smiled warmly as she shed uncontrollable tears and said with a smile:
"It's just too delicious... so much so that I don't want to eat it too quickly... Thank you, everyone. All of you are so kind to someone like me, and you're even willing to cover up my mistakes for me... I really don't know how to thank you."
McQueen wasn't foolish. She, of course, knew that in that scenario, if Imanami had truly gotten angry and scolded her, the incident would definitely spread like wildfire throughout Tracen Academy. At that point, the news of "Mejiro McQueen going crazy and devouring sweets like a madman, before getting caught by her Trainer" would likely be known by everyone in the school, and even reach the Mejiro Family. And Imanami, facing such a disobedient Uma Musume, protected McQueen's last bit of pitiful dignity, turning it all into a simple matter of an Uma Musume's large appetite. At most, McQueen would be labeled with a humorous nickname about her "sweet tooth," incurring no loss of reputation.
"None of us are perfect, McQueen. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes, their own little quirks. And as a Trainer, my duty is to cater to your little quirks, help you adjust, and try my best to ensure these don't affect you. This is our job as Trainers."
Imanami gently stroked McQueen's head without any hesitation, just like a grandpa patting their grandchild's head and discussing life's principles with them. Teio, Gold Ship, and even McQueen herself didn't react for a while after witnessing this. And when McQueen did react, her expression slowly relaxed from its initial stiffness, even showing a hint of enjoyment... of this moment of warmth and acceptance.
Yes, this feeling of acceptance... McQueen had never felt it from anyone else. It was different from the concern of her sisters; it was a very unique feeling. Since she could remember, McQueen's goals had long been defined by the responsibilities and duties of an Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family. She rarely had the opportunity of being emotionally spoiled or showing her vulnerable side. She only remembered that she was a Mejiro Family Uma Musume, and she had to maintain the elegance of a Mejiro Family Uma Musume. No matter where she was or who she faced, she could not dishonor the family.
But people cannot always remain strong. People always need a sanctuary, a place where their vulnerability, their soft side, can be revealed... "McQueen, you don't need to always act tough. With your Trainer—with me—you can be as much of yourself as you want, just like Teio. I don't mind."
"Hey, Trainer~" Teio, hearing this, also said with some dissatisfaction, yet the smile in her brows clearly showed that she also highly approved of Imanami's words of guidance to McQueen.
"Can I really...?" McQueen, hearing this, also smiled slightly, looking at the melon parfait in front of her. After a long while, she hesitantly raised her hand and asked uncertainly: "Then, Trainer, one melon parfait a week... is that okay?"
"Of course, McQueen. There's nothing wrong with liking to eat, but of course, the amount consumed needs to be controlled." Imanami also nodded with a gentle smile. He naturally agreed to McQueen's request without any objection.
And when Imanami agreed to McQueen's request, McQueen was visibly stunned for a moment, but soon, a smile as bright as sunshine appeared on her face—a genuine smile, tinged with shyness, warm and having shed its feigned strength, belonging to an Uma Musume named "Mejiro McQueen."
Beside Imanami, Gold Ship also watched this scene gently, then cautiously patted her chest, whispering with lingering fear: "So the matter is over... Good, good... The old man punish me for it..."
However, what Gold Ship didn't know yet was that a week later, Mejiro McQueen, due to two consecutive days of overeating, once again showed signs of being overweight. And with it, McQueen also finally got that "long-awaited" intensified training schedule she had been so desperate for from Imanami.
As for Gold Ship... under Imanami's gentle smile, she also very "willingly" joined McQueen in the extra training sessions. Truly a joyous occasion for all parties involved.
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To be honest pineapple pizza ain't even that bad.
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.