Christmas had arrived.
No one was expecting it, really. This year had been so jam-packed that time felt like it'd melted into some formless blob, and the end of the year had crept up on most people before they realized.
Of course, Christmas was a time of celebration. It was an occasion for families to come together, no matter how far the distance between them. A time when everyone could relax for at least a day.
But in Japan, it was also a time of anticipation. Because just two days after Christmas, the [Arima Kinen] would normally be held. In a way, the race had become somewhat of a last hurrah for the year in Japan, and so the Christmas of this world had changed to reflect that.
So while there was a lot of Christmas memorabilia being hung around, and a lot of Christmas trees set up, there was a lot of advertisement for the upcoming [Arima Kinen]. Magazines and plushes of this year's competitors were being sold around like hotcakes; with Tamamo Cross, Dicta Striker, and Super Creek's merchandise being especially popular this time.
That being said-
"Look, she's so cute…!" My mother cheered as she shoved a plushie of me in my G1 outfit into my father's cheeks. "Look, look! Doesn't she look so cute!? She usually looks so regal, but seeing her like…!"
My father chuckled weakly as he did his best to stop himself from getting choked by my plushie, and he discreetly sent me a pleading glance.
I, as a dutiful daughter, simply shrugged as I pointed at my bandaged leg. My father sent me an appalled look for using my injured legs as an excuse to not interact with my currently hyperactive mother, but before he could complain, he groaned as my mother shoved my plushie straight into his face, essentially uppercutting him.
I chuckled, before smiling fondly as I relaxed into the couch.
Last year, Team Kitahara had celebrated Christmas by partying in my parents' izakaya, with the party having gone on long past midnight. Since I was injured this time around, it was my parents who'd decided to come and visit me instead.
Before they came to Tracen Central though, they'd gone on a small trip around Tokyo during the morning. And it was there that my mother apparently discovered a store dedicated to selling merchandise of the Generation of Miracles. She wasn't interested in buying anything at first, but when she discovered that there were only a few plushies of me left, she activated her bullet time and bought the plushy before anyone else could.
And now here we were, with my father defending against my mother's cute-aggression with all his might.
Sitting next to me, Oguri nodded in agreement as she heard some of what my mother said. "That's right. Star is cute." She said, our hands still intertwined.
I chuckled, blushing slightly. "Oh, come on~" I said, before a mischievous smile came onto my lips. "Ah, but Oguri's plushy is also really cute. Makes me wanna cuddle with it when I sleep."
Her ears twitched, and she turned to me with gleaming eyes. Then, with absolutely no shame, she spread her arms out. "I'm here." She said, clearly unwilling to lose to her a plushy of herself.
I smiled wryly, but I indulged her with a hug. I hummed as I felt the pleasant warmth of her breath on my neck, and I closed my eyes as I took a deep breath. Oguri's scent was a little different this time—her usual smell of fresh turf replaced by an inviting smell of vanilla. It smelled quite good.
Not too far away, White Narubi giggled as we watched our little hug. She'd been ecstatic when Oguri first mentioned that I'd confessed to her a few days ago, and now that she was here, she couldn't be any happier. The child she'd cared for had finally blossomed into a radiant flower.
But it wasn't just my family and Oguri's mother who'd arrived today.
Belno's mother scowled. "Oh? Just a nosebleed, is it?" She whispered threateningly, her eyes shadowed and sharp. "My. It seems my daughter had become so daring without me knowing."
Belno gulped nervously, her palms sweaty as she remained sitting on the floor in seiza position. "...S-Sorry." She weakly said, doing her best to keep staring at the floor.
"It's fine, isn't it?" Belno's father said, his usual carefree attitude present in his smile. "I mean, she's already on bedrest, isn't she? No need to be so hard on her." He gave her a wink. "Besides, Belno-chan over here won't do that again, right?"
She nodded frantically. "Yes! O-Of course!"
Her mother glared at her father for a moment, before she sighed. "...just be careful."
Belno gulped, before she smiled shakily. "I will."
Not too far away, Fujimasa March was sitting with Shibasaki, her face a little flushed. "S-Shibasaki-trainer, I…"
"I know." He said, gently patting her head. "It's frustrating, isn't it?" March nodded slowly, still disappointed by her recent defeat at the [Turquoise Stakes]. Shibasaki smiled softly. "It's fine. There's still more races you can run in." He gave her an encouraging pat on the back. "You've got this, March."
March smiled sweetly, her tail gently swaying.
Meanwhile, standing in a corner of their clubroom, Kitahara whistled as he saw everyone who'd arrived today. "First time I've seen our room this crowded." He whispered, though he remained amazed that the room didn't feel crowded in the slightest. The clubroom they'd been given was just that big. He couldn't help but grin. "The Director really is generous, right, Roppei-san?"
"It's Musaka, you fool!" Musaka shouted, whipping his cane towards Kitahara's foot. But much to his surprise, Kitahara swiftly evaded his cane, and his anger spiked when he saw the smug look on Kitahara's face.
Kitahara grinned. "Sorry, Roppei-san. I don't like getting hurt."
Musaka's eyes twitched. "Then stop smashing your face into fences, you bufoon."
His smile quickly fell. "Hey, that's not my-!" Before he could speak further, he cried out in pain when Musaka's cane suddenly blurred and smashed into his kneecap. He groaned as he leaned onto the wall, his face pale.
Musaka scoffed. "That's what you get, ya' fool."
"You…!"
I held back a laugh as I watched Kitahara and Musaka descend into another argument, and after gently pulling away from Oguri's embrace, I turned to White Narubi and frowned slightly. "By the way, are you sure you can't come, White-san?"
White Narubi giggled as she saw the disappointed look in her daughter's eyes, before she shook her head. "I'm afraid not. I'm just not fit for travelling." She smiled kindly as she patted me on the head. "And I do need to help out with Hiraku-san's store, after all."
I sighed. "Well, it can't be helped in that case."
It really was a shame, though. It seemed none of our parents' would be able to join us when we travelled to America; my parents had their izakaya, Belno's parents had their sports store, and White Narubi was helping out with Belno's sports store as an assistant.
I guess it wasn't too surprising. Our home was in the literal boonies, after all. It was different compared to here in Central Tokyo; they couldn't just shut down their store for months and not face some consequences.
March wouldn't be joining us either, since she'd be practicing for her next graded race not too long after New Years. And besides, she didn't want to be separated from her trainer, and who was I to break those two apart?
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door, causing the commotion to quiet a little. Kitahara quickly made his way over to the door and opened it, and blinked when he saw the person on the other side. "Hayakawa-san?"
Hayakawa Tazuna smiled as she held up two massive plastic bags, each filled with all the food we'd ordered for today's Christmas celebration. "I believe this is your order?" She said, entirely unbothered by the two extremely heavy plastic bags she was carrying.
"Ah-, yes! Yes it is." He quickly moved to try and help her, before his face paled when he felt a fraction of the weight. "A-Ah, maybe not…" He whispered. Tazuna just giggled, before she walked over and placed the bags of food on the communal table. The table shook slightly from the impact. Kitahara could only gulp in awe.
Musaka shook his head at Kitahara's foolish display. "Sorry for the trouble, Tazuna-san."
Tazuna simply smiled. "It's of no issue, Musaka-san." She then bowed to everyone. "Merry Christmas, everyone." And saying that, she calmly walked out of the room.
My father stared at the massive pile of packaged food with wide eyes, his eyes going back and forth between the table and the door Tazuna had just left through. He was clearly stumped at how someone could handle so much weight without issue, and a human no less!
I only smirked at my father's confusion. After all, you can't spell 'Human' without 'Uma'.
That aside,
"Well, since the food's here, let's get on with it, yeah?" I said, smirking slightly as I pulled out a can of soda from one of the bags.
And with that, everyone confusion regarding Tazuna was momentarily forgotten, and our Christmas celebration began in full-swing.
.
.
.
Hours later, long after most of everyone had fallen asleep in Team Kitahara's clubroom, Oguri found herself smiling softly as Star's head fell onto her shoulder, her soft breathing clear to hear. She shifted slightly, and gently, she placed Star's head on her lap to let her sleep better.
And not for the first time, she found herself staring.
She hadn't really noticed before, but Blossom Star was beautiful. Her chestnut hair was soft, perfectly complimenting her fair skin and slightly rosy cheeks. The star-shaped accessory hung from her left ear, glittering beneath the moonlight.
"You really love her, don't you?"
Oguri blinked, and she looked up to find that her mother had woken up when she wasn't looking. "Mom?"
She giggled softly as she slowly stood from the chair she'd fallen asleep on. She then sat down next to Oguri, smiling gently at the sleeping Star. "Does she make you happy, Oguri-chan?"
Oguri blinked, before she nodded. "She does." She said with a small smile. "I'm glad that we met."
White Narubi smiled. "Then hold her tight and never let go." She said, both fond and a little melancholic. She could only hope her daughter would never experience what she had gone through in the past.
Oguri frowned slightly at her mother's strange sadness, but she eventually nodded. "I will." She held Star close. "I promise."
Narubi's smile grew at her daughter's confidence, and she gently patted her head. "That's good."
She could only pray that their love would continue to eternity.