Chapter Text
On an uneventful day, after getting out of a Tracen Academy meeting, my phone dinged. To my surprise, it was Gold City out of all people. She texted me saying it’s urgent, and even though she wasn’t my trainee anymore, I quickly asked her what was wrong.
In actuality, she just wanted me to come visit and bring her food. It wasn’t as urgent as I thought it would be. But I guess I could take her up on that offer. I gave my assigned trainee some time off to rest, so my schedule was pretty open. How convenient.
I knew she wanted takeout whenever she asks me for a favor like this, after countless visits to her studio. It wasn’t like I could cook if my life depended on it anyway. Nevertheless, I took a little detour to her favorite ramen place to fulfill her request.
Gold City and I frequently spend days together, if both our schedules match, or if there was something she needed. And I was happy taking the time out of my day for her since I like being with her, and in all honesty… I like her. Who wouldn’t? Obviously most people would fancy Gold City for her looks alone, which is fair considering she does modeling full-time now, but my attraction towards her stems deeper. I’ve been her trainer, with her throughout her entire racing career, and together, we built her a reputation that wasn’t just about her pretty face. Even after she graduated from Tracen Academy with her outstanding legacy, we continued being close, and building a close relationship was easier now that we weren’t strictly limited to trainer and trainee anymore. And… that’s when my feelings for her bloomed. Being able to see her more than just my trainee made me appreciate just how amazing Gold City was. I knew her ins and outs, her interests, her true self when I used to be her trainer. And the deeper bond we have made me a trusted friend to her, to where she could tell me anything she wanted to. Her concerns, experiences, and personal stuff.
Have I told her about these feelings yet? Of course not. For one thing, she still refers to me as her trainer even though she’s a veteran Umamusume. It would certainly be weird if I told her about my feelings toward her. And for all I know, she probably has someone else she’s interested in from her modeling career. So no chances for me.
She definitely gives me some mixed signals on days when we hang out, but I can’t tell if it’s actually signs of interest, or if she’s just being nice and my affection’s just blinding me.
For what it’s worth, I’m probably just going to stay a really close friend of Gold City, and nothing more than that. It kind of pains me to consider that outcome, but I’m okay with it.
Back to reality; I soon find myself at the door of the studio and promptly made my way in as if I had already made myself comfortable inside.
“Trainer! I’m glad you could make it.” Gold City called out to me the second I entered the studio, quickly walking towards me.
Before I could react, I was slightly pushed back from the sheer force City gave as she hugged me. When I did realize, I blushed a little. City would hug me often, and I’d blush every time. My free hand landed on her back to reciprocate. She pulled away soon afterwards.
“Of course, City. And I got you what you wanted.” I smiled sheepishly and handed her the takeout bag. In an instant her eyes glowed with excitement.
“Ooh, thank you, Trainer! I needed this so bad; I felt like I was gonna faint mid session.” City exclaimed as she snatched the bag from me to look inside. My thoughts fell on her words, feeling bad for the overworked Umamusume. She couldn’t even eat due to her tight schedule. My trainer instincts just activate when City isn’t prioritizing her health.
“City… you should think of yourself. You worry me sometimes.” I commented, and City had an apologetic look, more so to me than to herself.
“I know, work’s just taking a lot outta me, I guess… Thankfully, I’m just about done with work, so I have the rest of the day to myself!” City smiled, and her response made me feel better, at least.
“You know what, since you’ve come all this way here for me, why don’t I invite you for like, a coffee or something. My treat!” City offered, and I was thankful that she did, but again, trainer instincts kick in again.
“Oh, City, I couldn’t possibly accept that from you.” I politely declined with a chuckle, my kind-hearted nature from being a trainer would only let me treat her to something.
City sighed. “You never let me do anything nice for you, Trainer.” And she stared at me, her persuasive eyes locked with mine, and her dazzling looks were too hard to deny.
“Alright, alright. If you say so.” I accepted her offer from her non-verbal persuasion. My smile towards her showed gratitude, and she smiled back.
“Let’s go then! I know the nearest cafe from here. Please, let’s be quick; I’m soooo hungry!”
City led the way, and I laughed, obliging.
We swiftly made our way to the cafe City was talking about, and only a minute later, we were in. I asked City to sit on an empty seat and dig in while I ordered my coffee. She was happy to oblige and I subtly watched her as I fell in line.
“Gosh… the things this Umamusume does, I find cute, no matter what she does.” I thought to myself. Seeing her so happy as she ate after not eating anything all day made me pretty happy too. “Heh, I really love this girl.” My thoughts compiled together.
I shook off those silly thoughts, however, once I was next in line, and after I ordered, I went over to where City was sitting and sat across her.
“Hehe, you look happy.” I teased, immediately cringing to myself in my mind afterwards. “Ah, sorry. It’s just nice to finally eat some good food.” She chuckled.
“Mm, you’re fine.” I responded unironically, a faint blush appearing on my cheeks again.
“So, Trainer… how’s the new girl?” City shifted the topic. I paused to think, but the look on my face told enough of a message to City.
“Ah, it’s been pretty rough. We haven’t been able to win a race yet. We’ve been trying my best, but it’s honestly making me doubt my abilities as a trainer.” I said, looking down, my mood evident about the situation. City’s demeanor went to comforting me.
Unexpectedly, City reached for my hand, putting hers on mine to show her support. “Hey, you shouldn’t doubt yourself like that. You did pretty amazing with me. Plus, it’s still early on in her career. Perhaps you should find out what distances she’s best at.”
City, as always, knew exactly how to make me feel better. That’s just another reason why I like her so much.
“Yeah, I agree. Currently, we’ve only signed her up for medium and long distance races, so we planned our next race to be a sprint to see if she’d do good in that.” I said, and City smiled to that idea. Her way of optimism in moments like this was really cute, in a way. It almost made me forget about the fact that we were holding hands.
Almost. That was until City realized and retracted immediately. “Ahem- sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.” She blushed in reaction.
“Ehe, it’s alright. And, thank you for your words of reassurance.” I brushed it off.
Coincidentally, the barista called out my name, signaling my coffee was done.
“Ah, excuse me for a second.” I politely said. City just nodded and went back to eating.
A few seconds later, I came back with my coffee, to which City greeted me with a smile. I took a sip of my coffee and sat back down.
“Anything you’d wanna tell me about your experiences lately?” I initiated another point of conversation to avoid going into an awkward silence.
“Eh, you worry too much. I feel like you’d lecture me if I tell you.” City said sarcastically. I wasn’t exactly satisfied with that answer, however.
“What happened to me being a trusted friend you could tell anything to?” I responded, playing into her playful tone.
“Hehe, I’m kidding. I already knew that.” City paused after speaking, trying to think about anything she’d wanna open up about.
“Well, I’m sure you wouldn’t be surprised… I have had trouble sleeping well at night. I can barely get enough hours since I usually end very late at night. Sometimes midnight if we’re doing something big. Then I got insomnia (Night Owl)… or something along those lines, I’m not sure…” City laid everything out to me, while I listened tentatively, my concern evident.
I would love to express my worry and tell her to focus on her health, but unfortunately, the nature of her work makes it easier said than done; and I knew that, which is why I didn’t bother.
“I know I can’t do much about your situation, but you can rely on me on whatever you need, don’t worry about it.” I instead opted for support, just like she did towards me.
City stared at me while I drank my coffee, surprised that I would be so open to that with no hesitation, considering my work as well.
“Don’t be so rash, Trainer. You have your own work too.” City promptly refused my kind offer. She was right, too. But I guess affection blinds some in their decisions, because I didn’t mind at all. I just wanted to see the Umamusume I really cared about happy and healthy.
“City… you know I hate seeing you not taking care of yourself. I wouldn’t feel good about myself if I just watched and did nothing.” I retaliated, out of stubbornness? Persistence? …Love? I’m not sure. It seemed City could sense my concerns though, and she already knew by now that I wasn’t going to change my mind.
City sighed. “Alright, but try not to focus on me too much, you have your own trainee to worry about.” Perhaps I didn’t have my priorities straight… Perhaps I just jumped in without thinking beforehand… my current trainee completely slipped my mind when I offered.
“Gosh what am I doing…?” I thought to myself.
“Hehehe, thank you though, Trainer. I feel… happy… that I have someone I could rely on so readily.” City smiled at me before finishing her takeout. Goddesses, that smile was so pretty.
It looked like I was star-struck for a moment, before giving her a subtle smile back and going back to my coffee.
Maybe it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
We ended up staying in the cafe for a lot longer than expected, getting too lost in conversation to notice. I had nothing else to do today so I had no worries about that.
It was reaching sundown by the time we realized.
“Ah, is it really that late already? I must’ve lost track of time.” City glanced at the sun going down through the window and immediately checked the time.
“Oh, do you need to be somewhere? I apologize if I held you for so long.” I immediately apologized, but City smiled at me in response.
“No, no, I’ve nowhere to be for today. It’s kind of relieving to know I don’t have to worry about work tonight, hehe.” City assured me and I blew a sigh of relief.
“Well, I’m sure you wanna get home already, so I shouldn’t take up any more of your time.” We both stood up, preparing to leave. City, however, had a contrasting look.
“Uhm, actually. Would you… care to join me tonight? If you don’t mind, that is.” City suddenly requested. I definitely didn’t expect such an offer from her. But who am I to decline?
I smiled to her suggestion. “Sure, as long as you want to. Shall we go?” I stood by her, awaiting her go signal.
“Yeah, let me call my driver first.” City held for a bit, and I chuckled.
“Ooh, how fancy.” I teased, and City laughed at my remark as she dialed on her phone.
“You know, you should be honored to be allowed to experience such a luxurious service of mine.” She responded in sarcasm, before turning her back as her driver picked up.
“So surreal to think how much her behavior changed from when she was still my trainee…” I thought to myself, reminiscing old memories.
A few seconds passed, and City tapped my shoulder. I turned to look back at her.
“She should be arriving any time now.” City let me know. “Wow, that fast?” I remarked in a bit of surprise. “Hehe, yeah. I have her on speed dial, basically.” She responded, which surprised me even more.
“Just another thing to add to her “fancy” lifestyle.” I jokingly thought to myself.
Just moments later, a sleek, black car rolled up at the front of the cafe.
“Alright, let’s go!” City said as she intertwined her arm around mine, which surprised me, to say the least.
“City… what are you doing?” I instinctively asked her.
She chuckled. “You’re my temporary bodyguard. So you gotta walk with me like this.” I didn’t even process half of what she just said since I was a little flustered at the sight of us joining hands like we were newlyweds. I had no idea what kind of sign she was sending me here, if she meant to send one at all.
“Eh, since when?” I reacted, remaining calm in demeanor even though my mind was freaking out a bit.
“Since now. Now, let’s hurry. We’ve delayed for too long.” City responded, and I just listened. We began walking synchronously towards the car parked up front. I opened the passenger door with my free hand given the situation I’m in, and that’s when City finally let go of my arm as she sat inside. I followed suit, and we were off by then.
“Where to, Miss?” City’s driver asked her with quite the orthodox regard.
“Just home, please.” City politely answered, and it looked like we were on the way, with seemingly no obvious response from City’s driver.
City then got a call, presumably from her manager or another higher-up from hers. “Ah, sorry. I need to take this.” She excused herself, answered the call, while I stayed quiet. I didn’t want to accidentally meddle myself in her business, so I just looked at my upcoming Tracen schedule while planning for the next training sessions once my trainee finishes resting.
Unfortunately, not a single conversation opened up throughout the whole ride, as by the time City hung up, we were basically already at the destination. I didn’t know much about what she said on the phone, since my brain purposely blocked it out. I can only assume it had some relation to me.
“Goodness, I’m so sorry, Trainer… I didn’t expect to be on call for that long. I hope you weren’t too disturbed the entire time.” City, of course, apologized. I chuckled and said it’s fine.
“Miss, we’ve arrived.” By the time I finished speaking, the driver alerted us that our time for conversation was up. She pulled up right in front of a building complex, and that was our sign to leave.
City gave her thanks and bid her farewell. I said my thanks too, although, I didn’t know her name. As soon as the two of us got out, the car sped away.
“Sorry you couldn’t properly enjoy the privileged service.” City lightly apologized, chuckling.
“Still better than not experiencing it.” I reassured her, and we both walked toward the building complex in front of us. Although it was more like me following behind City.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to invite you again soon for a take two.” City opened the main door of the building using her set of keys she dug from her purse.
“Oh, that’s really not necessary.” I tried to politely decline, out of my own humility.
City sighed. “You’re too selfless, Trainer; always doing stuff for other people yet never letting them do anything for you.” As we took the elevator up, I just nodded. “I’m a trainer, after all. My Umamusume’s needs come before my own.
Her residence was on the highest floor, which honestly wasn’t surprising. By now, I've already gotten a grasp of how much money she makes at her job. Subconsciously, I found it humorous that I was still the one buying her takeout despite that.
I continued to follow City across the dimly-lit hallways, taking notice of the quality of the building, and also a bit of City, if I was being honest.
Soon, I found myself beside City in front of a lone door at the end if a hallway. Part of me found it ominous, but that soon changed once City actually unlocked the door. It swung open, and immediately I noticed the sheer size of the room even before I walked in. My amazement only amplified when City turned on the lights. Her residence was illuminated at once, and I saw firsthand its grandiose appearance.
My initial question of why City would reside in a building complex instead of an actual house was answered. Because this wasn’t a regular apartment; this was a dedicated penthouse, presumably owned by her.
I felt like a kid seeing an amusement park for the first time, quite topical, considering this is my first time stepping foot inside City’s residence. City had a good laugh looking at my reaction.
“Ahem, please excuse me, I’ve never seen something like this before.” I retracted, embarrassingly.
“It’s all right, Trainer.” City threw an innocent smile at me and went to settle in. City had no real reason to bring me over, other than to just keep her company, and my lackluster decision-making has brought me up to this point, so better do as much as I can.
By now, it’s dark outside. Not quite midnight dark; there’s that tiny tint of yellow on the horizon of the impeccable view out the window, but a sign that it’s late. I wasn’t sure how long City wanted me to stay here, hopefully not that long as I’ve got routine training tomorrow. In any case, I would stay with City for as long as she wanted.
Subconsciously, I wanted to spend more time with City, since my feelings for her were still prevalent.
After taking the time to poke around City’s penthouse with curiosity, I eventually made myself at home on the couch, which was made out of this really dense yet soft cotton material on the inside, with a fluffy fabric on its surface. It felt like everything I touched in this place gives me a dose of dopamine.
A little while later, City emerged from the sliding door of her bedroom in a much more comfortable home fit. Just a simple shirt that, admittedly, looked a bit oversized, complimented by very small shorts; the kind of shorts that a typical woman of her nature wouldn’t typically wear while having a guest over. Her fit looked almost like pajamas, but that’s probably not how to describe it. What do I know? I’m a professional at Umamusume training, not Umamusume fashion.
“Ah, you’re back.” I broke the silence, trying to ignore her choice of clothing. In my mind, however, though guilty for having such thoughts, thought she looked more enticing and attractive. Nevertheless, those thoughts stayed as just thoughts.
City hummed in agreement. “So, what do you plan on doing, now?” I then asked her, because I somewhat thought we’d just sit there awkwardly doing nothing for two hours, or something.
“I got just the thing.” City showed me a video tape, presumably a movie of some sort.
“City, we have streaming services for this, y’know?” I said, a little dumbfounded. Only now did I realize she had one of those VHS players even after all my snooping.
“Yeah, that makes this all the more special! I got this as a gift at a gala I went to a few months ago. There’s only a few of these left in circulation.” City replied, quite excitedly.
“Hm, must be pretty popular then if it’s that valuable to you.” I understood her reasoning after her explanation. “What’s it about?” I followed up.
“Not sure… I haven’t gotten around to watching it. Haven’t seen any spoilers about it either. I just know its a romance movie that’s sought after by many antique collectors.” City sat down next to me so I could take a closer look at it.
“Oh great, how coincidental that she brings out a romance film to watch with me…” I thought to myself, jokingly referencing the stereotypical romcoms I’ve seen in the past.
“I thought now would be a nice time to finally watch it… with you.” City interrupted my thoughts, and that last part made me blush.
“Okay, let’s watch it, then.” I accepted her offer, smiling. After all, I’d watch anything if it was with her. She threw me a smile back as she stood up to set up her video player.
While she was knelt down reaching for the back of the table, she bent her hips upward a little too much, and her small shorts emphasized the shape of her butt while she was struggling to plug the VHS player from the back. I just so happened to look at her position as it happened, the sight of her curves making me blush hard as I darted my whole head to the side in reflex. Too many things were happening today.
“Ugh- Trainer! Mind helping me out over here?” City snapped me out of my ridiculous thoughts to express her frustration. She didn’t seem to notice what just happened.
My mind shifted immediately as I rushed over to help her, and in just a few seconds, the plug was secured. A season of wit training can’t make an Uma do everything, I guess.
“Phew, that’s settled with.” City sighed and with a maneuver of the remote, the television was on.
We both sat back down, while I’m still trying to erase the thoughts of City’s butt in my mind.
“Hmm, it’s not that fun without any snacks here…” City pointed out. “That reminds me, Trainer. You haven’t eaten in a while, right?” She continued, looking at me with a slightly concerned look on her face. She’s right. I’d only eaten breakfast today. The most recent thing I consumed today was that coffee in the afternoon.
“Ah, yeah. But it’s okay, City. I’m not that hungry.” I answered, not wanting to worry her too much. Obviously, it didn’t work.
“No, it is not okay! Don’t worry, I’ll prepare a meal for you. Wait here.” City rejected my dismissive remark and stood up immediately, heading over to her kitchen area before I could say anything.
I stood up as well, following City to the kitchen. When I got there, I saw her already putting on an apron of hers that looked custom made. Was this Umamusume a good cook, too? If she was, then consider that new information to me.
At this point, I didn’t say anything to contest her favor for me, because as I’ve seen many times today, she will not take “no” for an answer if her mind is set. She was right, to be fair. It wasn’t healthy for me to skip a meal especially with my job as a trainer.
City tied her hair to the back in order to avoid it getting in the way as she began prepping, and all I could do was watch her up close. She didn’t seem to mind me doing so, anyway.
Grabbing the ingredients for the dish she planned to make for me, some vegetables, rice, and a portion of pork, I had a pretty good idea on what she was planning to make. Still, out of curiosity, I asked her for confirmation.
“Are you making katsu curry?” She chuckled in response.
“Yes. It’s the one dish I have the most experience with.” City calmly responded. I was honestly pretty surprised. This was a side of City that I didn’t know about. She was vastly different from when she was a student at Tracen.
City could notice my amazement, either from her peripheral vision or just from intuition. “Not used to seeing your former trainee cook for you?” She sarcastically asked me.
“Yeah. You’ve really grown a lot ever since you graduated from the academy…” I complimented her. She smiled, not looking at me since she was focusing on prepping the ingredients, but I could see it.
“It’s all thanks to you, Trainer. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.” Hearing her say those words made me blush. She’d already emphasized her appreciation for me in the past, but her words still get me every time.
“So, are you doing this as thanks for my efforts?” I jokingly asked her. She giggled in amusement as she went to turn her induction cooker on.
“No, but think of it as a pay back for that takeout you got me earlier.” Right, that. I basically forgot I did that for her. How thoughtful and kind of her to do so, that’s just another reason why I fell for this woman.
“Why don’t you go sit over there while waiting? Let me handle all the work over here.” City suggested, pointing to her dining table area, which was rather small, but she was living alone in fairness.
“Hmm, I wanna watch you, though. It’s a lot more interesting than sitting with my thoughts.” I opposed, however.
City laughed, admiring my decision to hang around her instead. “Well, if you insist. I appreciate your willingness to stick around.” City shot me a smile as the cooking commenced. Goddesses, her smile was so cute. I get that she’s a model; her beauty is a given, but still, it’s like getting mauled with a wave of cuteness.
My thoughts were being drowned out, however, as the pork was laid onto the pan, the oil sizzling vigorously which made a loud noise. I stopped speaking, letting City just do her magic. While the pork was cooking, she prepared the curry.
“Shouldn’t you cook the rice first?” I pointed out her bag of rice on the counter. The rice would take the longest to cook so her starting with the meat was odd.
“I… only just remembered I have leftover rice I can reuse, so I brought this out for no reason, basically.” We both had a good laugh once she said that. Her order of cooking made sense now.
From then on, I kept quiet, for real this time. Whatever City did that I found questionable probably had a reason behind it. I just watched intently as the Umamusume I like made my dinner for me. She looked so good in that apron.
It wasn’t long before the aroma of the cooking took over the area. Good timing, too. City finished boiling the water in a separate pot and she slid the chopped vegetables, the curry paste, and the spices in to get the curry mixture going. It only amplified the savory aroma that lingered into our nostrils.
While the curry mixture was in the middle of cooking, City took out the pork, colored a beautiful golden brown thanks to the panko breadcrumbs.
“It’s important to let the meat rest and cool down beforehand, otherwise it’ll be too hot to eat when it’s served.” City shared, just a random piece of information.
“Your attention to detail is admirable…” I smiled at her, giving a compliment in response.
City smiled back, her cheeks blushing a bright pink and thanked me.
Like clockwork, the curry was finished. I swore it only took like a minute. Either my sense of time was frayed, or City really worked her magic.
“It’s done! Please, have a seat over there while I prepare your plate.” She once again pointed to the dining table area, insisting I take a seat. I took the hint, and went over, not contesting this time.
I sat down on her modest setup. Seriously, this table was enough for two people at most. The cushioned chairs were a nice touch of comfort for the experience. The table was hard plastic, though. Maybe she’s planning on changing this table soon.
It actually took a while for City to prepare the food, because I leaned over and saw her steaming the cold leftover rice that was in the refrigerator. Honestly, I found myself admiring City’s beauty again. Yeah, I can’t put that past my conscience no matter how hard I try. I do fear that City might catch on to my careful glances at her figure, and even react negatively to it.
I realized what I had been doing, and snapped my darting eyes back to where they were supposed to be before City walked out of the kitchen holding a plate. She was sweating a bit upon first glance, which made sense given she’d just worked near a live fire for many minutes.
As soon as she placed the warm plate onto the table in front of me, all my current thoughts evaporated as I laid eyes on a spectacularly presented katsu curry. My jaw dropped in astonishment just from the first look.
“Enjoy!” City exclaimed gleefully as she sat down on the chair across from me. Before I got too ahead of myself, I figured I should take a bite out of this creation before doing anything else.
Upon the first bite, my eyes widened as City carefully observed.
“So, how does it taste?” City asked, the look on her face wanting approval.
It took me a second to process the flavor profile in my mouth, but I snapped my senses into reality afterward.
“It might just be the best katsu curry I’ve ever tasted.” I spoke calmly, trying not to let my emotions get the better of me. City upon hearing my opinion smiled immediately, her face glowing with joy and relief, as if she wasn’t already glowing beforehand.
“Ehehehe, I’m so glad you like it!” City giggled. Her right hand cupped her chin, elbow and other hand on the table for support as she kept watching me intently.
“Hmm, finish eating first. You can rave about how good it was later.” She told me before I could say anything. I decided to just take her word and listen, helping myself to the magical work of City.
The entire time I ate, City watched me intently, her smile telling me she liked seeing me enjoy her cooking. Initially, I found it a bit awkward watching City just do nothing but watch me eat, but at the same time, Goddesses, she looked so cute when she did that.
It wasn’t long before I cleaned the plate. City gave me another smile in response.
“Thank you City, really.” Is what I could only say.
“It’s nothing, Trainer. I’m honestly really happy you liked my cooking a lot.” City responded with a smile, quickly grabbing the empty plate from me before I could and stood up to put it away.
It was yet another gesture that I, along with my trainer instincts, wanted to have done myself, but I decided to not say anything because the plate was already in her hands.
That does remind me, we still have that vintage film City wanted to watch. By now, the sun had fully set and the night had begun. We spent about an hour in the kitchen and dining area, so it wasn’t too late in the evening yet.
Moments later, City emerged from the kitchen, her apron no longer on her anymore. That prompted me to stand up so we could make our way back to the living room.
Finally, after that whole, surprisingly pleasant fiasco, we could finally get back to what we had initially planned to do, albeit a bit later in the night now.
I sat back down on the couch, while City did the necessary preparations. Kind of sad we don’t have any snacks to munch on while watching, though.
City slotted the tape into the player and turned on her honestly modest television. From the TVs of this generation, having absurd color display and resolution along with a massive screen size, hers looks like one made a decade ago. There isn’t anything wrong with that, but coming from an Umamusume with a net worth more than I could ever hope to achieve, it was kind of strange.
It didn’t impede the functionality of the player, though, as the screen immediately displayed the film without any pause whatsoever. Thankfully, there were no problems we had to troubleshoot; I know, from experience, all the stuff that could go wrong with vintage technology.
City quickly made her way back, plopping herself on the couch weirdly close to me. I didn’t mind, my curiosity for the film caught my attention more.
Upon first impressions of the film, the overall quality and style of it tells me that it took place not too long ago. If I had to estimate it was probably made in the early 2000s. Again, I’m not sure what the appeal of this film was to others, or why it was so limited in the world.
As we continued watching, muttering not a single word to each other since it started, I got to know the plot of this film. It was already topical that this film was a romance kind, and it just so happened to be featuring an Umamusume and a male human. This must be the Goddesses playing with me. I remembered all of the past romcoms I had viewed that had the irony similar to this happen to the main characters. I felt like I was in one of those stories, except this was reality. I didn’t let my thoughts be known to City, however, as that would have exposed how I really felt towards her indirectly.
The plot of the film shows the Umamusume, partaking in her career in horse racing meeting a guy who attended one of her races as a fan. Immediately, the two clicked and they soon shared their mutual feelings toward each other. Unfortunately, their relationship encountered challenges due to the Umamusume’s schedule in racing. They weren’t able to see each other consistently because of that. Nevertheless, neither of them were willing to give up.
In the middle of the film, my attention was disrupted when City suddenly spoke.
“Trainer, I’m curious. What do you think of this movie?” She asked, basically at random.
I looked to her, then back to the screen, thinking of what to say.
“Hmm… this film is quite good, I guess. Especially considering how old this film looks.” I raised my hand up to my chin.
“I do really like the plot. I find it interesting how the creator depicts a relationship between a human and an Umamusume.” I added after pausing.
“Ooh, you fancy that kind of dynamic?” City teased. I froze for a second, face covered with a subtle blush hearing her say that, because of the irony.
“Hey, don’t get the wrong idea!” I blurted. City laughed in response.
“I do wanna say, though… My favorite thing in this film is how the creator portrayed the character of the Umamusume.” I spoke suddenly, wanting to share my thoughts with City.
“I mean, in the story, the Umamusume has a level of determination, persistence, and patience given her situation. Not to mention how hard she worked in her career in the middle of all that.” I added. City kept quiet this time, really wanting to listen to what I had to say.
“Come to think of it, she’s a lot like you, City.” I pointed out after a moment of silence. When City heard that line, she was taken aback, unable to say a word. Her face flushed bright red, and there was silence for a few moments.
“...Trainer, do you really think that way of me?” Eventually, City broke the silence, along with the awkwardness.
This time, I looked to her for real, halting my attention towards the film. I analyzed her face for a few seconds, noting her blush and semi-embarrassed look.
“Yeah, I do. I remembered your career journey back when I convinced you to take on both modeling and racing.” I calmly said, smiling at her. City paused again, not knowing what to say. The blush on her face intensified.
Suddenly, she inched even closer to me, which I was surprised by, but I said nothing to it. Our bodies were just inches apart from touching. The air around the room started to become denser, the temperature heated up, and both of us tensed up.
“Trainer… is it okay if I… do something real quick?” City basically whispered to me, which was audible enough since we were so close to each other. I didn’t know what she meant by that, or why she decided to come this close to me all of a sudden, but I gave her a definite nod, expressing my agreement.
The next few moments felt like a blur. City leaned even more towards me, closing her eyes. I already knew what she was going to do, and I sat there and accepted it wholeheartedly. I closed my eyes as well, waiting for the inevitable.
The next second, I felt City’s warm, soft lips brush over mine, and then she pushed forward even more. We were kissing. At first, I didn’t know what to think of the situation, but every fiber in my being told me that I didn’t want this to end.
My hands rose from the couch and held City’s hips, guiding her lower body to rest on my thighs. Her hands landed on my shoulders, and we just kept at it until we were satisfied. My mind was blank throughout the sensation.
Moments later, City lifted her lips away from mine, my eyes opening to see City’s cute face recovering from all that. She had a smile on her, which told me she enjoyed what we just did. My thoughts rushed back to me and I realized, did that really just happen? I wasn’t expecting that yet I didn’t resist at all.
“City… what was that for?” I broke the silence after collecting my thoughts. City blushed again, feeling a bit embarrassed again. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy the kiss, but I was curious to know what drove her to do that out of the blue.
“Ah, sorry… I should’ve been more clear. I understand if you didn’t like that, I-” She apologized, thinking I had reacted negatively. On the contrary, however.
“No, no. It’s not that. I did like it.” My words trailed off. I reassured her, though, that she didn’t need to feel embarrassed or regretful because of what she did.
“City… do you like me?” I asked her, our eyes locked on to each other. I wanted to ask in confirmation, even though I could probably guess the answer to that question. City stared at me for a long while, and I just found it cute, to be honest.
“Yes, Trainer… I do. For a long time, actually.” City answered, finally confessing what she had felt towards me all this time. I was a bit surprised at that last sentence. I didn’t know she liked me for a long time, kind of like I did towards her.
“Then… why only now, did you convey it to me?” I then asked. I wanted to know why she did what she did out of nowhere.
“Because…” City muttered, looking away from me. I could sense the emotion forming through her words. My right hand moved its way to her back, patting it slowly in an attempt to comfort her.
“I-I kept thinking to myself that I was incapable of being loved romantically. The nature of my job made it nearly impossible for me to look for anyone.” She continued. I was starting to understand her motives, and the more I thought, the more it made sense. It was no wonder she felt so comfortable around me, why she invited me here, why she acted so strangely intimate with me every time we spent time together without realizing it.
“But when you said that she was a lot like me, you didn’t just remind me of how hard I worked to get to where I am now… you also told me that I was capable of being loved despite my challenges.” Our eyes met yet again, and hearing her share her feelings triggered an emotion inside me, one that made me love and appreciate her more.
In response, I hugged City, wrapping my arms around her back and pulling her closer. Our bodies made contact with each other, finally.
“I’m really glad you think that, City. I like you too. I always have.” I muttered into her ear. City shivered hearing me say that, but I could tell she was happy to hear our feelings were mutual. Ah, it was just like in the film…
City moved her hands from my shoulders to around my chest. She buried her face in my polo and I could tell she was about to tear up. I moved my right hand up to her long, silky gold hair, stroking it gently to comfort her more.
“T-Trainer…” She could only say, sniffling softly. Seeing her so vulnerable with me honestly quite surprised me. I know I’ve experienced her vulnerable side before back when she was racing, but this was on a different level. One that contained more affection and emotion towards me, specifically.
We stayed like that for who knows how long. I didn’t mind, because I got what I had truly wanted in this life. For years, my feelings had kept me uneasy, uncertain, and afraid, so this moment finally put those feelings to rest. Also, her hair smelled so nice. What can I say, everything about this Umamusume was perfect to me.
“Trainer, let’s be lovers!” City emerged from my chest, looking at me with eyes full of determination. I stared blankly at her, thinking about what the implications for entering a relationship with her would be.
“City, are you sure? We’re going to encounter a lot of setbacks because of our jobs. Not to mention what the media might think of us.” I asked her unironically. City gave me a stern look once she heard me.
“Didn’t you just listen to the movie we watched?!” City berated me.
“Right… I completely forgot about that.” I smiled playfully at her, but from the look on City’s face, she was really serious.
“Listen. There’s no doubt in my mind that we’ll come across challenges in our relationship, and… I can’t promise you that I’ll be the best lover, but all that doesn’t matter to me!” City declared, interrupting my thoughts once again. I knew she was serious, though, from the tone of her voice, so I listened carefully.
“I-If we don’t have a lot of time to spend together, then we’ll make the most out of what we do have! If we encounter problems, then we’ll get through it together! I just wanna be with you, Trainer.” City finished what she wanted to say, leaving me speechless for a moment.
I then gave her a smile, a smile that told her how proud I was. “You really have grown, City, yet you haven't changed what I love so much about you, your willingness to keep trying no matter what. You’re so admirable, City.” I spoke in a soft voice. My words hit her deep, as she really teared up this time.
“Trainer… I love you.” Her words were gentle, soft-spoken, coupled with the sincerity behind those words. Her hands swiftly cupped my cheeks and she pulled me in for another kiss, which caught me by surprise, but I eased into it quickly. My hands never moved from where they were, with my right hand still stroking City’s hair not for comfort anymore, but for affection.
The kiss was slow and meaningful. We weren’t good at it, but neither of us cared. Her lips were so soft, so warm. I felt like I could sit here forever, and it seemed City shared the same sentiment.
After a while, we pulled away, our lips smacking as they parted. City’s eyes were watery, but the smile she had was absolute. In that moment I knew she was truly happy.
“I love you too, City.” I said after we parted. City giggled in response, and that was all I needed.
“I guess that means we’re official.” I spoke again. She just nodded along with a hum of agreement.
“How do you wanna go about this? Should we tell the public about it or do we keep this hidden?” I asked her, because only she knew how to handle a situation like this.
“If it’s okay… I’d like to keep this between us for now. At least until enough time has passed. I wouldn’t want you to face any publicity early on.” City requested. I understood, and in a way agreed with her reasoning.
“Sure, I don’t mind being your private boyfriend.” I smiled, somewhat teasing her.
“Don’t say it like that!” City pouted. I just laughed, apologizing playfully.
“I really got lucky with such a great person in my life, y’know?” City shifted the conversation after another moment of silence. I greatly appreciated her words of praise.
“I’m the one that’s lucky. It’s not common that such a beautiful model Umamusume dates someone out of their own volition.” I countered, with a bit of sarcasm.
“That better not be the main reason you like me, Trainer.” City said unrelentingly.
“Of course not, City. You should know that by now.” I denied immediately, and we both laughed afterwards.
This is going to be a difficult relationship to maintain, but I feel like our love for each other makes it easier.