Chapter 2. Drunken Trainers
What Ann hadn't expected was that Tojo Hana had said she would "just bring a few bottles of alcohol," but in the end, she and Nishizaki Ryu each carried a case into Team Sadalsuud's clubroom.
"It's not often we get to come into this place," Nishizaki Ryu said casually after sitting down. "It's rare for Ann-san to invite us in."
"I wouldn't go to your Team Spica's clubroom without a reason either; same principle," Ann waved a hand. "Nishizaki-san, you understand."
"Hoo hoo~" Tojo Hana made a strange sound. "No one should talk about anyone else on this point."
"Only I, who am still using an office, don't have this pressure," Kitahara-san pouted.
"I remember Kitahara-san had enough team points to apply for a clubroom a long time ago, didn't you?" Minamisaka asked, a little curious. "After all, our team has far fewer points than Kitahara-san's, but we still have enough to apply for a clubroom."
"The clubroom size I can apply for isn't big enough," Kitahara-san spread his hands. "I have a lot of team points, but I also have many Uma Musume on my team."
"No choice. Points accumulated by quantity mean the clubroom you can get is basically useless," Kitahara-san shrugged. "Anyway, only I am using the office now, so it's fine to treat it as our team's clubroom for now."
After hearing Kitahara-san's lament, the other Trainers didn't know what to say. Besides Minamisaka, the remaining three were considered top-tier Trainers at the Academy.
"Kitahara-san, by casting a wide net, you'll eventually find talented raw gems," Ann said, quickly taking a bottle of low-alcohol drink from the box and opening it as he spoke. "I often heard similar stories when I was on the West Coast in America."
Nishizaki Ryu had initially been worried about drinking on an empty stomach, but Ann simply brought out many bags of snacks from the cabinet.
"These are all endorsements Oguri received. She thinks they're tasty, so she stores some here, and they're regularly replaced. Just use them as snacks for drinking."
"Your team's Uma Musume won't be upset tomorrow because we ate all their snacks, will they?" Nishizaki Ryu joked.
"How could that happen?"
Ann waved his hand, completely dismissing the possibility.
"Kurofune and the others have been saying recently that they need to control their calorie intake on non-training days. If we don't eat them, they'll just go to waste after they expire."
"Then consider it helping Ann-san clear out his inventory,"
Kitahara-san also didn't hesitate, tearing open a bag of spicy mentaiko, carefully pulling out a shred, and putting it in his mouth.
"Wow!" He widened his eyes. "So spicy!"
Before he could finish exclaiming, Kitahara-san quickly gulped down several mouthfuls of beer.
"Can Oguri Cap-san eat spicy food?"
Tojo Hana raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.
"She can eat any flavor that tastes good," Ann felt this wasn't a secret. "Before, she even considered buying a can of surströmming. Thankfully, I stopped her. I also showed her videos of other people opening surströmming, which changed her mind."
"So Oguri Cap is no longer interested in surströmming?" Kitahara-san was a bit curious; the Oguri Cap he remembered was quite persistent about food.
"She still bought a can, but she went to open it in the wilderness," Ann pouted. "Thankfully, I was overseas with Dober for an expedition during that time, otherwise I definitely would have been a victim."
"Oguri Cap-san's obsession with food is truly unimaginable,"
Nishizaki Ryu only knew that Oguri Cap could eat a lot and run a lot; other than that, he wasn't clear.
Slowly, the Trainers in the clubroom all entered a state of tipsiness.
"The injury Tokai Teio sustained is said not to be serious, but Ann-san, tell us straight—is that true? Many Trainers and Uma Musume at the Academy are buzzing with discussion," Nishizaki Ryu was the first to speak.
"Of course, it's true. There's nothing to lie about to outsiders regarding such matters," Ann said, narrowing his eyes and leaning back on the sofa.
"But if the injury isn't serious, why hasn't Tokai Teio returned to the Academy? Most of the current doubts within the Academy stem from that point,"
Tojo Hana took over the conversation.
"I thought it best to let her rest properly in the hospital. If she returned to the Academy, I couldn't guarantee Tokai Teio wouldn't playfully wander around and affect her recovery," Ann explained.
"But staying for a month is quite expensive. Is it worth it?" Nishizaki Ryu asked.
"Why wouldn't it be worth it?" Ann was even more puzzled. "What's this about 'worth it or not' when spending money on the Uma Musume you train? If it needs to be spent, then spend it."
"Nishizaki-san, don't talk about money with Ann-san," Kitahara advised. "Ann-san is very rich even without being a Trainer."
"The donations he gives to Kasamatsu and other URA Associations and Academies every year are enough to sponsor several G1 races," Minamisaka added. "I only heard it from Dictus before, otherwise I would have thought that money was earned by Miss Oguri Cap herself."
"It's fine to say Oguri earned it herself," Shuta An said, not dwelling on the point.
As they chatted, the conversation turned to this year's Classic Race.
"Mihono Bourbon, trained by Trainer Kuronuma, won the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes undefeated last year. Everyone says she has the potential of Tokai Teio and could be the next Undefeated Triple Crown,"
Minamisaka mentioned her name.
"The second year Mr. CB achieved the Triple Crown, Symboli Rudolf also became an Undefeated Triple Crown. Now Tokai Teio has become one too. Can Mihono Bourbon do it as well?"
Tojo Hana was very curious.
"It's a pity our team doesn't have any Uma Musume participating in this year's Classic Race, otherwise I'd really like to see Mihono Bourbon's strength."
"Our team doesn't either," Nishizaki Ryu chimed in.
"My team does, but there's not much chance of getting into the Classic Race," Kitahara shrugged.
"I won't let Mihono Bourbon win the Triple Crown," Ann said, his voice carrying a hint of sternness despite the low alcohol content. "Rice Shower will snipe Mihono Bourbon."
"The Kikuka Sho?" Minamisaka asked.
Anyone with even a little understanding of Ann's plans for Rice Shower could tell that the young man wanted Rice Shower to prepare for long-distance races.
That analysis wasn't difficult for Trainers at Central Tracen Academy.
"The Kikuka Sho is definitely the most certain," Ann said, opening a can of beer. "I also want to try the Japanese Derby."
"Then let's wait and see," Tojo Hana shook the can in her hand. "I truly believe Mihono Bourbon has the potential to challenge Tokai Teio in the future."
"She won't,"
Ann immediately became protective when he heard Teio's name.
Facing the young man's reaction, none of the Trainers in the activity room said much. If their own team had produced an undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume, they would probably spoil her even more than Ann.
By the time all the alcohol was completely consumed, it was already past ten o'clock.
"You guys~~ if a reporter caught this, the Academy would have to go to great lengths to suppress the report,"
Symboli Rudolf, who knew these precious Trainers from within the Academy were holding a drinking party, opened the door and, seeing the scene before her, couldn't help but complain.