However, the moment they stepped into Parc Astérix, Shuta An realized his earlier worries had been exaggerated. Even though this was France's largest theme park, it was a weekday, and the crowds were surprisingly thin. There was little risk of them being separated by a flood of visitors.
The first thing that caught his eye after entering was the towering roller coaster.
"Want to try it?" he asked, releasing their hands and pointing toward it.
"Kyaaah—!"
Right on cue, a chorus of delighted screams burst from that direction.
"…Well, that was good timing." The coincidence made him laugh awkwardly, as if the screams had been responding to his gesture.
Oguri Cap, curious about everything in sight, nodded eagerly. She had wanted to ride a roller coaster the moment she saw it. Berno Light, though she had tried some in Nagoya, was interested in comparing this one to those she knew.
Thus, their first attraction was decided.
Since it was a weekday, the wait time was short—they were ushered directly into the next round. But when they reached the platform, the three had differing opinions on where to sit.
"Trainer, sit between us," both Uma Musume insisted. Neither wanted to hog his attention.
But Shuta An had been watching the ride's operation and pointed decisively to the far-left seat. "This side looks the roughest. I'll sit here."
"No way," Berno Light said, pushing him toward the center. "If you argue now, the ride will get delayed. I'll take the left."
Instantly understanding her intention, Oguri Cap darted past and claimed the far-right seat, then teamed up with Berno Light to gently tug Shuta An down between them.
Their movements were so smooth and quick that they drew no attention from staff or other visitors. And so, Shuta An ended up secured in the middle—sandwiched between them—waiting for the ride to begin.
He stole brief glances at them before closing his eyes, content to enjoy the closeness.
And then, just moments before the roller coaster began its ascent, he felt their hands slip into his. Their grips were tight, trembling just slightly. Both Oguri Cap and Berno Light were far more nervous than they wanted to admit.
"If you're scared, closing your eyes helps," he murmured. "But it's fine if you don't. Today's supposed to be fun."
Neither replied. Both sat rigid with anticipation.
From below, the roller coaster had seemed harmless—almost slow. But once strapped in, the sheer height, the clanking of metal, the creaking forward motion, the pressure was entirely different. Berno Light already regretted getting on.
But the ride didn't wait for second thoughts. As the wheels rumbled and wind began to rush past, Shuta An felt the shift in momentum—right before—
"K-Kyaaah—!!!" Berno Light shrieked, tears forming before the coaster had even properly started.
"So tense already?" Shuta An teased gently, turning his palm to lightly scratch her hand. She jolted with another shiver.
Oguri Cap immediately chimed in, "Is Berno that scared?"
"…Ugh…" Berno Light could only pout helplessly.
But as the coaster sped up, Oguri Cap lost her teasing mood entirely. She clung tightly to Shuta An's right hand—so tightly he almost lost feeling in it. Even over the roaring wind, he heard her muttering something incoherent.
He couldn't respond. Opening his mouth now would only result in swallowing a lungful of wind, and he absolutely didn't want to experience that. When the ride finally came to a stop and they got off, Berno Light had tears streaming down her cheeks. Shuta An immediately took out a tissue and gently wiped them away.
"How about we skip rides like this from now on?" he suggested.
Seeing her friend in such a state, Oguri Cap nodded immediately. "Mhm. If Berno doesn't like it, let's choose calmer attractions."
"Exactly. Parc Astérix has forty-two attractions. Even without roller coasters, we won't run out of things to do." He turned to Berno Light. "It's your call."
"I—I'm fine!" Berno Light declared, recovering her composure and rejecting his worry outright. "Trainer, I'm really fine!"
"If you say so." Even though her timid post-ride look still tugged at his heart, Shuta An wouldn't make the decision for her.
Fortunately, when faced with rides like the Obélix Disc or the Rapids, she didn't dissolve into tears again. And Shuta An made sure their route wasn't filled only with thrills. Between every intense attraction, he mixed in gentle activities such as pedal boat sightseeing—giving Berno Light time to relax and genuinely enjoy herself.
As for Oguri Cap, it didn't matter what the ride was. If she could control the speed, she would turn it into a race.
"Trainer, you pedaled too slow," Oguri Cap complained after finishing "Caesar's Spies," which used bike-like vehicles. "I didn't even get to speed up properly."
"I'm not an Uma Musume, remember?" he said, tugging playfully at her cheek. Then, as she rubbed her face and Berno Light walked up behind them, he added, "It's lunchtime. How about we eat something and rest a bit afterward?"
"Rest…"
A flustered look flashed across Berno Light's face, her cheeks heating as if he had pinched them again. But Shuta An didn't notice—because something else had caught his attention.
From the corner of his eye, he spotted a familiar silhouette.
"That person—"
His brows furrowed.
Shuta An guided Oguri Cap and Berno Light toward the restaurant inside the park.
The moment they turned the corner, the owner of that familiar silhouette walked past them—a gray-haired Uma Musume with a sharp Bob cut. She wore a white knit cardigan over a fitted black shirt, denim hotpants that showed off her pale, and pure black Dr. Martens that gave her an unexpectedly bold presence.
Shuta An didn't turn his head. He only cast a brief glance as they passed, but that was enough to confirm her identity.
"I didn't expect to see her in France… but I remember she was American, wasn't she?"
A flicker of confusion passed through him, but he quickly dismissed it.
"Well, whatever. Her being here has nothing to do with me. Don't get involved in things that don't concern you."
So even though he recognized her immediately, he acted as if he hadn't seen her and kept walking. After all, he was walking with Oguri Cap and Berno Light. Even if he went over to say hello, would she even remember him? And even if she did, he could already imagine the flood of questions from the two Uma Musume beside him.
But that thought was shattered an instant later—by the Bob-haired Uma Musume herself.
"Oh?" She turned around, staring at Shuta An's back.
"Excuse me, sir. Have we met somewhere before?"
At that moment, Shuta An regretted with all his soul that the park wasn't crowded today. There was only one male anywhere near them. Pretending not to be the one called was impossible.
He could only turn back under the curious eyes of the two Uma Musume.
"Is that so…?"
When their eyes met, he felt delight flash in hers.
"Emmm…" Shuta An scratched his cheek. "Kurofune-san, right? I hope I'm not mistaken?"
"That's right! Good afternoon, sir. I never thought we'd meet again in Paris after parting ways in Hokkaido."
Kurofune seemed genuinely surprised.
"May I know your name this time? I already told you mine back then."
"My name is Shuta An. This time, I came to France"—he gently pulled Oguri Cap closer—"to challenge the French G1 with the Uma Musume I train."
"No wonder." Kurofune nodded; she didn't know his background, so she wasn't shocked.
"I'm here on a family trip this time."
"I see~" He checked the time on his phone. "We're heading for lunch now. Shall we leave it here, Kurofune-san?"
"Of course. Please enjoy your meal." She waved, smiling warmly. "I'm going to try the roller coaster."
"Have fun, Kurofune-san." Shuta An smiled back and watched her walk off.
The moment she turned away, Oguri Cap and Berno Light tugged at his sleeve at the same time.
"Trainer, who is she?"
Shuta An answered calmly, without hesitation.
"Last year, when we were preparing for our expedition in Hokkaido, remember the day we were visiting Oguri's family? I went out early to pick a gift for Aunt White Narubi. At the mall, this gray Uma Musume approached me asking for help finding the family of another gray Uma Musume—an elementary school girl. That was the only time we met."
His tone was utterly steady. He had no reason to feel guilty about it.
"So that's how it was." Oguri Cap released his hand. "I thought she was an old acquaintance of Trainer's from the West Coast."
"How would an old acquaintance forget the other person's name?" Shuta An frowned slightly. "Oguri is thinking too much."
"How can I not think too much…" Berno Light muttered under her breath—loud enough for him to hear, but soft enough for him to ignore on purpose.
Lunch unfolded the same way it always did—Oguri Cap's mountain of plates terrified the chef so much he peeked out from the kitchen. Meanwhile, Shuta An and Berno Light, by now fully accustomed to the spectacle, were unfazed by the stares from other tourists.
Oguri Cap didn't mind them at all.
"Trainer, the sandwiches here taste really good," Berno Light said as she chewed.
"As long as you like them." They were in Paris, not London; he didn't have to fear the local food here.
'If this were England, besides fish and chips, what else is even edible?' He grumbled internally while opening a can of soda to wash down the richness. (Though this sound discriminate, I kinda think the same, but not to the point of edible or inedible, some servings just hard to swallow)
He took a slow sip, quietly watching the two Uma Musume eat. He'd seen this sight every day for months, but it never lost its charm. The quiet, ordinary warmth of it made him strangely content.
After lunch, he took them to a magic show, then a musical, then wandered through the park's cultural attractions. By the time they finally left Parc Astérix, it was already past 4 PM.
"You two must sleep early tonight." After getting out of the car, he reminded them, "Tomorrow we're driving almost an hour to Montmartre Hill, so we have to wake up early."
"We know. We won't stay up late." Oguri Cap and Berno Light nodded firmly.
"That's good." Shuta An was satisfied.
He sent them back to their room. As for himself, he decided to take a walk to clear his mind. Even though he hadn't spoken the words aloud yet, he was sure both Oguri Cap and Berno Light had already sensed his intentions.
"Tomorrow, I'll have to be the one to bring it up."
He had made his decision. Even though he noticed both girls quietly yielding to each other all day at Parc Astérix, he still couldn't relax until everything was openly addressed.
"Honestly, thinking back, I feel a little guilty" He slapped his own cheek lightly.
"But there's no way I could choose just one of them, right?"
"Working hard so I don't let either of them down— that's the only path, isn't it?"
He closed his eyes, letting the warm Parisian spring breeze brush against his face.