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It was a pleasant day at the bustling city of Tokyo. Two umamusume could be seen walking together down the streets, clad in Tracen Academy uniforms. Hums of joy could be heard, as the dark-haired one skipped some steps for small bounces, while the orange-haired one simply held her hand in amusement. Yes, Special Week was taking Silence Suzuka out on another journey.
“You’re really excited today, aren’t you, Spe?” Suzuka chuckled, feeling how firm the grip on her hand was as they walked hand in hand. “Of course! How could I miss this? 1000 yen for an hour at an all you can eat buffet? In the capital? That’s such a treat! If there’s anything I can’t be late for, it’s this one,” Spe said with earnest eyes, swinging their intertwined hands back and forth with childish excitement.
“Oh, Spe… Although, don’t you think we’re too early for the opening hours?” asked the long-haired girl, admiring her enthusiasm. “Not to worry, Suzuka! I’ve done my calculations this time. If we keep walking at this pace, we should arrive right on time. And if I’m wrong, we’ll still be early. So, there’s no such thing as being late today,” the white-banged uma grinned, letting out a proud huff.
“You should try applying that same passion for your actual studies, Spe,” Suzuka giggled in slight playfulness. “Ahaha, maybe…” she chuckled in a somewhat self-conscious way. “But in any case,” she then changed the topic. “I heard they have all kinds of meat there! There are all kinds of seasoned beef that I want to try, so hopefully there’s enough time to finish them all,” she hummed, going back to her usual, cheery self.
“I’m sure there is. You can do a lot of things with sixty minutes, after all,” the orange-haired uma nodded. “Also, I’ve prepared for this,” said the dark-haired girl. “I intentionally skipped lunch today, so I’m going into this with an empty stomach. That way, I can fit a lot!” she grinned carefreely. “Can’t you fit a lot either way?” asked the girl, smiling in vicarious embarrassment.
“Hm… Well, just in case, right? I imagine it’ll be more efficient, as I can just focus on finishing my food during that time,” Special Week nodded. “Please don’t rush your food, Spe. You can eat at your normal pace,” Suzuka said kindly. “Oh. If you say so then, Suzuka,” she nodded. “Besides… your normal pace is already quite fast,” the long-haired uma chuckled.
Eventually, they arrived at their destination. Sounds of sizzles and pops were becoming quite apparent, as smells of freshly grilled meat started filling the air. “I knew it! I’m so glad we came just in time. Let’s go!” said Special Week, before heading towards the receptionist. “U-um, table for two, please!” she straightened her back, as if talking to a boss. Watching the process, Silence Suzuka giggled at how formal the girl was acting.
The two then went deeper and settled down on their seats. “That was quite the manner, Spe. I think you overdid it, though,” Suzuka chuckled. “I knew it… I felt stiff, but I think I just need to loosen up a bit more,” Spe nodded and sighed, before picking herself back up. “But anyway! Now that we’re here, I’ll be grabbing some meat. Don’t worry, I’ll grab some for you too, Suzuka,” she then stood up with a joyous grin. “Ah, alright then. Thank you, Spe. I’ll go see what else they have then,” the orange-haired uma stood up similarly and nodded.
And so, the two went their separate ways for the time being. Special Week, as she said, went on to check the meat section. And as she expected, there were a lot of variants. From ones seasoned with focus on spiciness, on savory, or on juicy and tenderness, it was heaven for meat lovers. Eyes sparkling, she had a little dilemma on her head. “I wonder which one I should get first… Come on, Spe, decide quickly!” she thought hard about it, before promptly coming to a conclusion.
“Alright! In that case, I’ll just get everything,” she nodded, before grabbing plates upon plates of meat that would have otherwise costed her a lot. Humming to herself, she was balancing stacks and stacks of plates on top of one another as she walked back. “This should be good for now.”
Meanwhile, Silence Suzuka went on a little exploration as she discovered the various protein, carbs, vegetables, desserts, sauces, and many other things that were on display. “Hm… looks like they have everything. I suppose I’ll start with some vegetables. I’m sure Spe would like it too,” she said to herself, before getting a plate; grabbing fresh carrots and radishes for the time being.
“Oh, fish balls look good too. They’ll pair quite nicely with the broth,” she smiled, before grabbing a handful of fish and prawn balls, as well as crab sticks. Looking down at her two full plates, she nodded to herself. “Alright, this should be enough for now. I can just grab more later should I need to.”
As she went back to her seat, she was greeted by the sight of Special Week, sitting with two relatively tall stacks of plates on her side of the table. “I see you’ve gotten yourself quite the haul,” she set her plates down and chuckled. “I did! Look, I have everything here. Don’t they look tasty? Now to simply cook them,” she giggled, before putting them on the hot grill; the crackles quickly increasing her appetite.
“Alright then, I’ll prepare the hot pot,” Suzuka nodded, before dumping all her seafood into the broth. “Oh, and just tell me if you want some carrots or radishes on the side, Spe. I have a lot of them,” she smiled warmly. “Of course! Thanks a lot, Suzuka,” the dark-haired uma nodded happily.
And so, the two spent the next few minutes cooking and finishing their plates. Grabbing a bowl, Suzuka poured herself a nice seafood soup. “Hey, Spe? Open up. You should try this, it’ll warm you up,” she called out kindly. “Hm? Oh! Okay, Suzuka,” Spe’s eyes lit up before she leaned forward and opened her mouth, ready to be fed. Letting out a fond smile, she then grabbed a spoonful and gave her quite the mouthful. “What do you think?”
“Ish yummy!” the dark-haired uma nodded in delight, her cheeks full as she chewed. “I’m glad to hear it,” said the orange-haired girl, before going back to enjoying her bowl. She simply ate in peace while watching her roommate eat with such bliss. She’s always been very fond of how the girl expresses herself honestly, and today was no different… It was quite the lovely sight.
Suddenly, her admirations were cut short when Special Week offered a slice of beef. “Your turn, Suzuka,” she giggled sweetly. Her lips curving up, Suzuka nodded and let her return the favor. “Of course, Spe,” she closed her eyes and let herself get fed back the same way. She could feel the warmth of her actions in that simple moment, tenderizing her heart.
“What do you think?” asked the cheerful uma. Swallowing, the long-haired girl nodded. “It was delightful. I can see that they’re serious about quality control in this establishment,” she chuckled. “I know, right? I’m glad I can eat all these as much as I want. I’m definitely making the most out of my money right now,” Spe let out a small laugh.
And that was how they spent the next few minutes. The two would constantly feed each other here and there whenever they’d try something new, loving the other’s reactions as they took the bite. On occasions, their hands would accidentally bump onto each other while aiming for the same food, and they’d laugh it off in good fun.
Whenever Spe finished all her plates, she would put them off to the side before grabbing some more. During her absence, the waiters would get all the empty plates while exchanging awkward smiles with Suzuka. It was clear to anyone that none of the staff were prepared to handle the big eater. It went on for several rounds before the two eventually finished all the plates they had.
“Mm, I’m full. That was delicious!” said Special Week, patting her stomach. “I’m glad to hear it,” Suzuka chuckled, before looking around for a bit. “There’s still twenty minutes left. Do you want some desserts, Spe? There’s pudding and ice cream, but sweets and pastries are there too if you’d like. And drinks too, of course.”
“I’d love that! I think I’ve had my share of meat for the day, so I’m in the mood for something nice and refreshing,” Special Week nodded. “Alright then, I’ll go ahead and grab some pudding and carrot juice,” said the orange-haired uma, before leaving and getting the two their post-meal refreshments.
“Thanks, Suzuka,” Spe grinned, before drinking her glass and letting out a content sigh. “That was nice…” she said to herself. Slicing and eating her pudding, Silence smiled kindly. “You’ve eaten a lot today. We should use the last of our time to take a break,” she took a bite, feeling how the softness melted in her mouth. “Mhm, I agree. I had a lot of fun today. Thanks for coming with me, Suzuka,” the dark-haired uma said with a blissful look.
“Of course, Spe. You know I love spending time with you,” she smiled kind-heartedly.
“You’re so nice to me, Suzuka…” the girl sighed in contentment and did a little stretch, before leaning back.
“You know… I’ve learned and experienced so much in my time here,” she smiled to herself. “I imagine. I’m glad you’re having fun, Spe,” Suzuka nodded. “Mhm, I am. Everyone here is nice, the foods are amazing, and I get to be with you… It feels like a dream sometimes,” Special Week said; a hint of giddiness slipping out. “Well, it’s certainly not a dream. And if I had to be honest? You have the same effect on me. I feel like things became significantly more enjoyable after you came around,” Silence Suzuka giggled earnestly.
“Ehehe… I’m happy to hear that. Seeing you smile like that makes me happy,” said the white-banged uma with nothing but affection in her voice. Caught off-guard by the comment, Suzuka felt some warmth creeping up her cheeks, and sighed. “You’re so sweet, Spe. I’m glad you enrolled here.”
Patting her stomach, Special Week began speaking her heart out again. “You know, Suzuka, even as a child, I had a big appetite. My mom used to cook for me a lot, and they’ve always been one of my favorite dishes even to this day,” she smiled warmly. “I can imagine. Sounds like you have quite the lovely mother, Spe,” Suzuka nodded, listening keenly.
“Mhm. Whenever I’d eat a lot as a child, she would pat my head… and tell me that a good, hardworking umamusume should work a lot, eat a lot, and sleep a lot,” said Spe fondly. “You need a lot of energy to train and do your best… You need food to replenish your energy, and you need rest to stay in top condition. I agree,” Silence chuckled in understanding.
“Mhm, yeah… she was really, really nice. I’d love to introduce you to her one day,” the dark-haired uma nodded with a sleepy grin, before letting out a yawn. Taking note of this, Silence Suzuka smiled gently. “Speaking of resting… I think we can take it easy today,” said the girl, before standing up. “How about we pay up and go back home? We can take a little nap once we come back,” she offered her hand. “Suzuka… that does sound good, yeah,” Special Week smiled warmly, before taking her hand.
And so, the two finished their business at the buffet and walked back to their dormitory. With a full stomach and a full heart, they ended the day early in each other’s companies.