Hachiman's POV

The mock race with nine Uma Musume is over, but the crowd's buzzing louder than ever. No surprise—those blazing runs and fierce showdowns were unreal. And Mejiro Ardan winning? Huge. Everyone thought Symboli Rudolf had it locked, but this proved there's no such thing as a sure bet.

"That race was insane!!" a student shouted.

"Yeah, the seniors are that fast!" another said. "I'm shocked!!"

"I wanna be like them~," a third sighed.

"That's the academy's elite in action," a trainer said. "Incredible."

"Truly remarkable talent," another agreed.

"Trainer life here won't be dull, that's for sure," a third added.

It wasn't just freshmen—veteran students and trainers, new and old, were hooked. Great inspiration, no doubt. Most will end up under a trainer or, like me or Kiryuin, start with a charge. No word on anyone training under me, so I'm probably safe… for now.

"Anii-sama," Ardan said, beaming. "As promised, let's plan our outing for a day that works♪"

"…Yeah, sure," I said.

"Hehe, I can't wait♪" she said.

"Ughhh!!" CB wailed, teary-eyed.

"How much are you regretting this?" I asked.

"My date with you, Eight!!" she cried.

"It's not a date…" I said.

"Oh, Anii-sama?" Ardan teased. "A guy and girl going out? That's a date, isn't it?"

"Don't egg her on," I said. "Realize what you did? Beating eight others, especially Rudolf and CB, put all eyes on you. Trainers will come knocking. It's gonna be rough."

"No worries," Ardan said. "I only want you as my trainer."

"You too, huh…" I sighed.

Great… I'll stick to training my two and avoid trouble. Yeah, that's the plan.

"That was some race," Okino said. "Uma Musume fighting over you? You're sneakily popular, huh."

"I got turned into a prize," I said.

"Amazing runs," Kiryuin said. "I rushed over when I heard!"

"Same," Okino said. "Didn't expect that ending. Mejiro's delicate princess, Ardan, taking it?"

"Not cool to say in front of her," I said.

"No worries," Ardan said. "I'll report to Gold Ship via Mack, so we're good."

"Perfect," I said.

"That's not good!!" Okino yelled. "Don't pull a Gold Ship scare on me!! You two don't need to sync up like that!!"

"Oh my, thank you for the compliment!" Ardan said. "I'm flattered."

"I'm not complimenting you!!" Okino shouted.

Should I actually call Gold Ship?

"Anyway, Anii-sama," Ardan said. "Can I plan our outing?"

"Uh, sure," I said. "I'm no good at that stuff. But you all need to cool down first."

"After cooldown, may I request a massage?" Ardan asked.

"!!" CB and Fuji gasped.

"Massage?" I said. "Your legs need extra care, so if you're okay with it, I'll do it."

"Yes, I want it from you, Anii-sama," Ardan said.

"Hey, Hachiman Trainer-san!" Fuji said. "I want one too! Your massages feel amazing!!"

"Then me too!!" CB said. "I want you to massage me, Eight!! Cool, right!?"

"…They're that good?" Rudolf asked.

"I got one once," Fuji said. "So relaxing, I could've stayed forever."

"Hmm," Rudolf said. "I'd like to try."

"Rice is curious too~…" Rice Shower said.

"…Sounds relaxing," Manhattan Café said.

Wait, am I about to be swamped with massages? Not just a date with one, but massaging almost all of them?

"Hehe," Super Creek said. "If Trainer-san's tired, I'll pamper you~."

"Shoulder rub, maybe," I said. "Why's Oguri face-down? Out of gas?"

"…Grrr…" Oguri groaned.

"Oh my, she's hungry~," Creek said.

"Creek, handle Oguri," I said. "Everyone else, cool down. One lap, then stretch. I'll massage after. You sure you're okay with me touching your legs?"

"I'm used to it from you," Fuji said.

"Big welcome if it's you, Eight!!" CB said.

"I asked you, Anii-sama," Ardan said. "It's because it's you."

"With such rave reviews, count me in," Rudolf said.

"Onii-sama's fine by me!" Rice said.

"I'm okay with Trainer-san," Café said.

You all trust me too much. Maybe be a bit more cautious?

Afterword

Mejiro Ardan's victory sparks a frenzy, her Gold Ship jab and "date" with Hachiman stealing the show. The seniors' massage requests pile on, with Air Groove's absence echoing her Osaka Hai struggles and Takarazuka Kinen resolve. The Yahari crossover fuels Hachiman's "Tengan" chaos, with Haruno's shadow lingering. Fuji's charm shines—her arc's closing in!

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