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Under a clear, refreshing sky filled with warm sunlight, the shrine bustled with visitors who had come for their first shrine visit of the year. Beneath its torii gate, I waited alone while watching the people heading into the grounds.
Usually, I visit the shrine the Mejiro family favors for my first visit of each year along with everyone from the family. This year, however, I was a little unreasonable and asked them to shift the time. I cannot forget the lukewarm looks everyone gave me when I made that request…
“As a member of the Mejiro family, you must not appear disgraceful from the very beginning of the year. All the more so if you are meeting someone.” Those were Grandmother’s words. Following them—or rather, after Palmer and Dober half-forcibly dressed me—I am wearing a white-based kimono adorned with chrysanthemum flowers. …Even when going with my family, I would at most be in my uniform, so the fact that they went to the trouble of dressing me in a kimono feels as if there was some hidden meaning behind it… but I will simply accept it as kindness.
Even though it is the first shrine visit of the year, not that many people come wearing kimono. Perhaps it is unusual, because many people glance at me as they pass, making me feel a little embarrassed.
As I thought such things, I heard familiar footsteps. There were many other footsteps all around me, yet I could distinguish hers. I felt just the tiniest bit exasperated with myself for that. …Well, if I told her, she would absolutely tease me, so I will not.
When I turned around, I saw someone walking toward me in a pale-blue kimono adorned with plum blossoms. Her bearing and the way she wore it were so beautiful that I found myself staring in a daze despite myself.
That person approached with graceful steps. When she noticed me, she showed me her usual energetic smile and trotted closer. Seeing that smile, I finally realized that she was the one I had been waiting for.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, McQueen! Happy New Year! Sorry, sorry, I ended up a little late…”
“N-no… I only just arrived. Happy New Year, Teio.”
“Oh, you’re wearing a kimono too, McQueen! Thank goodness… I thought I was the only one.”
“Yes. It is rare to see you dressed that way, Teio.”
“Yeah! I was actually planning to come in casual clothes, but I ran into the president at the school gate and told her I was going to the shrine with McQueen. Then she took me straight to the student council room and made me put this on. It fits perfectly too. I wonder when she got it ready?”
“…You too, Teio…?”
“Huh? You too, McQueen?”
“I was told to by Grandmother…”
“……”
“……”
It seems various arrangements were being made behind the scenes… I do not know whether to call it meddling or something else… Though I am grateful for the sentiment.
“Well, let us gratefully accept their kindness.”
“Yeah. More importantly, what do you think? Does this outfit suit me?”
Teio twirled around and asked for my thoughts. I honestly told her exactly what I felt.
“Yes, very much. You are so beautiful and it suits you so well that for a moment I did not know who you were and found myself staring.”
“Th-that much? /// Hehe~ Gosh, what do I do? /// You look really beautiful too, McQueen!”
“Thank you. Now then, shall we go?”
“Yeah!”
Teio took the right hand I offered, and we began walking.
…How many times now have I taken your hand like this? I looked back while gazing at our joined right hands.
The first time was from me to you, when I encouraged you at that sanatorium.
The next was from you to me, in that rain, when you swore to me that you would make a miracle happen.
After we began dating, I think we have held hands a fair number of times, but when I consider it, I feel as though it has almost always been the right hand that was offered. The hand offered to me has often been the right hand as well.
It is not something I do consciously, but perhaps because the impression of the right hand is so strong… especially for me.
“McQueen? What’s wrong? You’re spacing out.”
“Huh? Ah, my apologies. I was thinking a little…”
“Something bothering you?”
“Not exactly… I was only thinking that whenever I offer my hand, I offer the right one.”
“Ah, now that you mention it, I might do that too… I wonder why?”
“For me… I cannot forget the moment on that rainy day, when you took my hand… and I believe I unconsciously do it because of that.”
“Rainy day… That day?”
“Yes. The day you said you would make a miracle happen. Thanks to you, I was able to stand once more… So perhaps the same is true for you. When your dream of the Triple Crown and undefeated record had been broken and you had lost sight of the path, the hand I offered to you was also my right hand.”
“I see… When you put it that way, maybe that is it…”
You gave me an impish grin as you said that, and drawn in by it, I felt my mouth soften into a smile.
“Oh, it’s almost our turn. McQueen, what are you going to wish for?”
“If I say it now, will my wish not fail to come true?”
“Ehh, it’s fine! That’s just a superstition!”
“Well, I do not mind telling you… but I am sure it is the same as yours.”
“Thought so?”
“Yes.”
We threw the coins in our right hands into the offering box at the same time. We rang the bell with its clattering sound, bowed twice, clapped twice, bowed once, and joined our hands.
For those of us tossed about by fate, if something like gods truly exist, there are mountains of things I would like to say to them. But I will set that aside for today.
I put my wish toward the year that is beginning. Surely the same wish as yours.
—May I continue to run anywhere and everywhere together with you.
“Uu… This is hard to walk in…”
“Hehe… Teiooo♡”
I struggled onward through the area lined with stalls while dealing with McQueen, who was hugging me—no, clinging so closely that calling it clinging would not be an exaggeration. Since I was wearing sandals I was not used to, my steps had become unsteady.
The person I love hugging me and calling my name in a sweet, melting voice should have been enough to make my heart race, but the gazes stabbing at us from all around hurt… They really, really hurt.
We had finished praying, chosen charms, and headed toward the stalls. That much had been fine. The problem was the place we stopped before that.
“Teio… What is this?”
“This? Amazake. It’s sweet and tasty.”
“I have never seen it before… Then I shall have some. Oh my, it is sweet and delicious… It warms the body, does it not…” sip sip
“It’s called amazake, but it isn’t really alcohol. It’s more like rice juice… I guess? Well, it’s something like that.”
“…………” sip sip
“Depending on how it’s made, apparently there are some that can get you drunk, but this one is probably fine, so—McQueen?”
“…Pwah. Fweh? What is it, Teio♡?”
“Ueh!? You got drunk, McQueen!? From just one cup!?”
“I am not drunk~♡ My head only feels fluffy and nice~♡”
“You are completely drunk! …Wait, did you accidentally take the kind for adults!?”
“Hehe~♡ Teio~… Hug me♡”
“Oof.”
That was how it happened.
Usually, McQueen looks sharp and composed, or smiles quietly, but now her face was bright red and her mouth had gone all loose and mushy. Well, she is cute like this too… but what am I supposed to do about the fact that she is currently scattering embarrassment everywhere she goes…?
“Teio! There is oshiruko over there! Let us hurry!”
“So that part doesn’t change even when you’re drunk…”
I sighed as I watched McQueen laugh happily. Well, maybe thinking too deeply about it is useless now. If I said we should go home before we had even visited the stalls, McQueen might start crying… or rather, she already did. Loudly.
I might have no choice but to wait until she sobers up…
“Now, Teio! Let us go! The oshiruko is waiting for us!”
“Yes, yes. As you command, princess…”
Well, maybe a lively start to the year like this is not so bad.
After that, I was thoroughly dragged around by this selfish princess, and in the end, when McQueen grew sleepy, I carried her princess-style—at McQueen’s request—and delivered her to the Mejiro household.
I slept very soundly that night.
When I came to myself, I was standing on the turf of some racecourse, dressed in my white racing outfit.
I looked around, but there were no spectators, and not even any umamusume who were supposed to be running with me.
“…Teio.”
—No one except you, standing before me.
You were dressed in a black racing outfit that contrasted with mine, and you walked toward me with a fearless smile.
Standing right beside me, you took a starting stance and spoke.
“…The conditions you specified… turf, 3200 meters, clear weather, good going… The same distance as the Tenno Sho (Spring). If anything, it is my specialty. Are you ready, Teio?”
Your elegant gaze, and yet the provocative look in your eyes, where fighting spirit burned fiercely, sent heat surging through my body all at once. My body trembled as if it wanted to start running this very instant.
Ah, that’s right. This is how it should be with you. We have all sorts of relationships now, but…
At the beginning, we were rivals who competed against each other.
“Of course. Don’t blame me if you lose and cry, okay?”
“That is exactly what I want.”
Saying that, you took a coin in your hand. The same one as back then… as when we ran in the season of falling cherry blossoms.
In the end, we never settled things that time.
So this time, we will settle it for sure.
There was a sharp sound as the coin was flicked by your finger. Glittering in the sunlight, it slowly fell toward the ground.
““……!””
The instant the coin struck the ground, we—
“…………Huh? A dream…?”
When I opened my eyes, the bedroom ceiling stretched above me. I looked beside me and saw McQueen sleeping there, breathing quietly.
I reached out from beneath the blanket and lightly combed back the hair that had fallen across your face. Then your eyes opened faintly.
“…Oh? The race…?”
“Morning, McQueen. Did I wake you?”
“Teio…? Oh? I was certain that just now…”
“Were you maybe dreaming that you were running with me?”
“Y-yes… But how did you know? Did I say it out loud?”
“Nope. I had the same dream. A dream where I ran with you at your specialty distance.”
“Hehe, I see… I too… dreamed of running at your specialty distance.”
“We match, don’t we?”
“Indeed. To have my first dream of the year be a dream of running with you… It seems this year will be a good one too.”
“Yeah. I’m sure it will. I’m hungry now, so maybe breakfast—McQueen?”
As I tried to sit up, she tugged lightly at my sleeve.
“…Since it is New Year’s… shall we sleep a little longer?”
“…It’s almost noon, you know?”
“…I feel like staying like this a little longer.”
“Are you still drunk?”
“…Perhaps I am. Though this time, perhaps I am drunk not on amazake… but on you?”
When she said that in a sweet voice while looking up at me, it was more than I could handle. Fine, then. Today, I guess I’ll do as my beloved princess wishes.
I slipped back under the blanket, and McQueen timidly came closer and hugged me.
“You’re the spoiled one today, huh?”
“…It seems so. Do you dislike it?”
“No, not at all. You’re more than welcome.”
“Thank you… Then let us sleep a little longer… I hope we can see the continuation of that dream.”
“Yeah. Good night, McQueen.”
“Good night, Teio.”
With that, the two of them quietly began breathing in sleep once more.
Together, onward to the continuation of the dream.
Fin