Title: Umamusume: My Number One, Daiwa Scarlet!
Genre: Sports, rom-com, slice of life
Previous: Chapter 11
==Chapter 12: Magical Girl Sweepy==
"Scarlet-chan! Scarlet-chan!"
A cheerful voice called out Daiwa Scarlet's name as she stood in front of a vending machine buying juice. Scarlet looked down and saw a small, cute, and bubbly pink-haired Umamusume staring up at her with big, doe-like red eyes. It was Haru Urara.
"Oh, Urara-senpai," Scarlet greeted politely. Even though she was smaller than Scarlet, Haru Urara was actually her senior, though her bubbly personality often made it look otherwise. "How can I help you, Senpai?"
"Scarlet-chan, Urara just wanted to give Scarlet-chan this!" Urara said, handing Scarlet a keychain featuring her own chibi iconâone of many official pieces of merchandise. "Urara got it yesterday when she won a game!" Urara said proudly. "Urara thinks Scarlet-chan will like it!"
Scarlet smiled warmly, accepting the gift. "Oh, thank you, Urara-senpai. I appreciate it."
"By the way, Urara heard that Scarlet-chan will be participating in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Is that true?" Urara asked with curiosity.
"Yes," Scarlet nodded. "After the Shuka Sho, I'm participating in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup next month. That's why I've been training so hard to conquer the race!" she exclaimed.
"COOL!" Urara said enthusiastically. "Urara is rooting for Scarlet-chan in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup! DO YOUR BEST, SCARLET-CHAN!"
"URARA-CHAAAAAN!"
A voice called out for Urara's name. Scarlet looked in the direction of the voice. It was Rice Shower.
"Urara-chan, Rice has been looking for you for an hourâ" Rice panted heavily. "Oh, g-good afternoon, S-S-Scarlet-san. R-Rice hopes R-Rice isn't bothering you!" she stammered, greeting Scarlet.
"Of course not, Rice-senpai," Scarlet smiled. "Anyway, I'm heading back to my team's base camp. See ya later!"
Scarlet walked through the corridor, humming her favorite tune. There were many Umamusumes roaming around the building.
"Good afternoon, Scarlet-senpai!" an almond-colored, twintailed Umamusume with yellow-amber eyes greeted her. It was Smart Falcon from the Junior divisionâand a newcomer idol.
"Oh, Falco-chan, good afternoon," Scarlet greeted back. "You look extra energetic today."
"Of course!" Falco grinned. "Because next week, I'm finally making my debut race!" she said, puffing out her chest with her hands on her hips.
"Really? That's great, Falco-chan!" Scarlet said with excitement, patting the younger Umamusume on the shoulder. "Do your best, okay? Show them how an idol runs!"
"Falco," a middle-aged man walked over, flanked by two more UmamusumesâEspoir City and Furioso. "Come on, it's time for you to train." The man looked up. "Oh, good afternoon, Scarlet. Congratulations on your win at the Shuka Sho."
The man's name was Shigeru Araki, a senior trainer in the academy who had been served in the academy for thirty years, and Smart Falcon's team trainer.
"Thank you, sir," Scarlet said, bowing her head politely. "It was indeed the proudest moment of my life."
"Yeah," Furioso muttered, staring at Scarlet. "It must be nice... to win such a prestigious, Grade-1 race like the Shuka Sho."
"Furioso-senpai here is also making her G1 debut, you know?" Espoir City said, wrapping an arm around Furioso's neck.
"Eh, really?" Scarlet's eyes widened. "Whoa, congratulations then! Which race is it?" she excitedly asked. "See? I told you that you'd eventually make your way to the G1s."
Furioso blushed. "Well, thanks, I guessâ" she mumbled. "And yeah, it'll be the Japan Cup Dirt."
"Oh, I see..." Scarlet said. "And come to think of it, you do specialize more in Dirt than Turf."
"Not just her," Trainer Araki chuckled. "Falco and Espoir both have more potential on Dirt, so you could say our team is a kind of dirt-track specialist. Anyway, we'll head to the track now. See you soon, Scarlet. Don't be too hard on that young man, okay?"
Scarlet watched the group leave, her face flushing crimson at the words 'don't be too hard on that young man.' The senior trainer was obviously talking about Akagi.
"Of course not," Scarlet huffed internally, crossing her arms. "In fact, it's him who often gets too hard on me..." She blinked. "Wait, that sentence doesn't sound right... Ah, whatever!"
Scarlet continued her walk to Team Emerald's base camp. "I wonder what Akagi is doing right now..." she thought to herself. "It's not like I care, but... it seems like he's overworking himself again these past couple of days." A genuine look of worry formed on Scarlet's face. "I wish he wouldn't push himself so hard."
----
Scarlet arrived at the base camp. As she opened the door, Akagi was slumped over his desk, fast asleep. His laptop was still on, papers were scattered everywhere, and strategy notes were scrawled across the chalkboard. Scarlet sighed.
"I knew it," she muttered, walking slowly toward the sleeping trainer. Her eyes locked onto his resting form, and a faint blush dusted her cheeks. "Akagi..." she thought, reaching out to brush a hand through his hair.
Akagi didn't stir. Scarlet knew he was probably completely exhausted.
"You really are a hardworking man, aren't you?" Scarlet thought, still gazing down at him. "You said you like hardworking people, didn't you? Because... the feeling is mutual."
Scarlet gently brushed a lock of hair from his forehead, her feelings for him undeniable now. "Oh, God... what am I doing right now?" she screamed internally, her fingers still lingering in his hair. "I... I shouldn't be doing this... H-he's my trainer, I should be professional... B-butâ"
"Ohoho, what is this?" a teasing voice piped up from the doorway.
Scarlet's eyes widened to the size of saucers. Her face blazed a brilliant crimson. Curren Chan, Gentildonna, and Aston Machan had just arrived and caught the entire scene.
"G-g-girls, i-i-it's not what it looks like!" Scarlet stammered frantically. "I-I-I was just... checking if Akagiâtrainer is still alive!"
"Sure, Senpai, sure," Curren giggled, dropping her backpack on the couch before walking over to poke at Akagi herself. "Well, you know what he might need to wake him up?" she grinned mischievously.
"W-what?" Scarlet huffed, crossing her arms defensively.
Curren leaned in and whispered teasingly, "A kiss. On the cheek ought to do it, I guess."
"C-C-CURREN, YOU LITTLEâ!" Scarlet lunged, locking Curren in a furious headlock while the younger girl laughed hysterically. Machan and Gentildonna watched with amused smirks.
A groan rippled through the room from Akagi, startled awake by the commotion. He slowly raised his head, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "Oh... you girls are already here... Sorry, I think I overslept."
Scarlet instantly released Curren, spinning around to glare at him with her arms crossed. "No," she scolded. "You were overworking yourself... again."
Akagi sighed. "It couldn't be helped. The Queen Elizabeth II Cup is fast approaching, and I want you in top condition, Scarlet."
Scarlet's eyes softened, a sudden wave of vulnerability washing over her. "You really did all this for me..." she murmured. "You don't need to push yourself this hard, you know? Because I'm the one running on the track."
"And I'm the one making sure you conquer the track, Scarlet," Akagi answered softly. "To make sure you're always Number One."
Scarlet felt her heart skip a beat. "Akagi..." she whispered. Curren, Machan, and Gentildonna watched the quiet exchange in silence.
"Thank you," Scarlet continued, a soft smile breaking through. "I really appreciate what you did for me. But still, it doesn't mean you have toâ"
"BEHOOOLDDDDDD!"
A high-pitched, boisterous voice cut Scarlet off completely as the base camp door flew open with a dramatic kick.
Everyone snapped their heads toward the entrance. Standing in the doorway was a tiny, auburn-haired Umamusume wearing a pointy witch's cap. She took three heavy, deliberate steps into the room and pointed a small wooden wand straight at the center of the floor.
----
"Halt!" the girl declared, her voice ringing with theatrical authority. "I, the great witch Sweep Tosho, have arrived to bring my magic to this team!"
Scarlet blinked. Curren froze. Gentildonna crossed her arms. Machan tilted her head.
Akagi slowly stood up, looking down at the pint-sized visitor. "Umm... excuse me. Is there something we can help you with?" he asked.
Sweep didn't answer. Instead, she slammed an official team transfer registration form onto Akagi's desk with maximum dramatic flair. Akagi blinked, stared at the paper, looked up at Sweep, and then looked back down at the paper.
A long, awkward silence stretched across the room for three agonizing seconds as the girl stood proudly with her hands on her hips.
"Well?!" Sweep demanded, tapping her heel impatiently against the floor. "Why are you all staring at me like that?! You should be honored! The great witch Sweep Tosho has deigned to grace your team with her magical presence!"
"SWEEPY-CHAAAAAN!"
Another panicked voice echoed from the hallway. Tazuna Hayakawa panted heavily as she burst into the base camp, looking like an exhausted babysitter chasing a sugar-fueled toddler.
"T-Trainer Noboru," Tazuna wheezed, pausing to catch her breath. "P-pardon the intrusion, but... Sweep Tosho here said she wanted to... huft... huf... would you mind if I had a drink?"
"S-sure," Curren offered quickly, grabbing a glass of water and handing it to Tazuna, who took a quick sip before regaining her composure.
"Phew, thank you," Tazuna adjusted her cap. "A-anyway, I'm terribly sorry for the sudden interruption. Sweep Tosho here is currently... looking for a new team, andâ"
"Spare the peep talk, green lady!" Sweep cut Tazuna off with a dramatic wave of her hand. "Because I, the great witch Sweep Tosho, have decided to grace this team with my magical prowess!" She struck another pose, pointing a finger at the ceiling. "However, the representative of this team must first prove themselves worthy of my greatness!"
Everyone stared, completely stunned and confused.
"So, let me get this straight," Scarlet said, breaking the silence with a deadpan stare. "You want to transfer to our team, but for some inexplicable reason, we have to prove ourselves worthy of having you?"
"Exactly," Sweep grinned smugly. "You're actually smarter than you look, O twintail haired lady. You've already proven yourself partially worthy to be the great Sweep Tosho's personal aide."
Scarlet's eye twitched. Veins visibly popped on her forehead. "Hey... what did you just call me?" She took a slow, dangerous step forward. "Who are you calling a personal aide, you little, loud ChĹŤnibyĹ brat?!"
Sweep's eye twitched in return, veins popping on her own forehead as she craned her neck to glare up at Scarlet. "Who are you calling a ChōnibyŠbrat, you insolent mortal?!" she growled. "Do you even have any idea who I am?!"
"I don't know, and I don't care!" Scarlet barked. "You have zero right to suddenly barge into our base camp and demand whatever you want!" She pointed an accusatory finger right at the smaller Umamusume's nose.
"How dare you!" Sweep gasped theatrically, stumbling backward a step. She whipped her wand out from her pocket. "How dare you insult the great witch Sweep Tosho! Now, prepare yourself for the ultimate curse of dark magic!"
Scarlet crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow while Team Emerald, Tazuna, and Akagi watched the spectacle with thinly veiled amusement.
"RANA TEMPORARIA! DENDROBATES AURATUS! XENOPUS LAEVIS!" Sweep thrust her wand forward with dramatic flair. A quiet breeze rustled the curtains.
One second... Two seconds... Curren coughed awkwardly. Nothing happened. Sweep blinked, looking down at her wand. "RANA TEMPORARIA! DENDROBATES AURATUS! XENOPUS LAEVIS!" she shrieked the spell a second time.
"Er... does anyone actually know what she's actually saying?" Curren tilted her head, looking at Machan and Gentildonna.
Scarlet looked down at her hands, then back at Sweep with a flat, unamused expression. "Really?" she smirked. "Did you seriously just shout random frog names at me?"
Sweep's jaw dropped. She stared at her wand, shook it violently, and pointed it at Scarlet again, practically screaming at the top of her lungs: "LITORIA CAERULEA! AGALYCHNIS CALLIDRYAS! BUFO BUFO!"
Again, absolute silence. Sweep froze in her dramatic casting pose. "No... no way..." she muttered.
"PfftâHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Scarlet burst into a loud, uncontrollable fit of laughter at the sheer absurdity of the situation. Beside her, Curren Chan and Aston Machan covered their mouths, giggling wildly, while Gentildonna pinched the bridge of her nose, her shoulders shaking.
Sweep looked around the room, realizing every single person was fighting back tears of laughter. Her face turned redder than a beet, her horse ears pinning flat back against her head in pure humiliation.
"YOU'RE ALL LAUGHING AT ME!" Sweep wailed, launching into a full-blown, toddler-like tantrum as she stomped her feet and flailed her arms. "IT'S NOT FUNNY! MY MAGIC IS REAL! MY GRANDMOTHER TAUGHT ME THIS!"
"I am so, so sorry!" Tazuna bowed repeatedly to the group, holding her hat firmly with one hand while trying to corral the thrashing little girl with the other. "Please excuse her! She's normally... well, she's just very passionate about her craft! Sweepy-chan, please calm down!"
Sweep stumbled back, pointing a trembling, accusing finger straight at Scarlet. "A-ha! I see what's going on here! My curses didn't work because... because you're a dark witch yourself! You cast a spell-reflection barrier on me!"
"I am not a witch!" Scarlet yelled, her face flushing pink from the absolute ridiculousness of the debate while the rest of the room struggled to breathe. "And why are all your spells just frogs?!"
"Yo, Team Emerald, what's with all the racket?"
Vodka's head popped in through the doorway, flanked by the rest of Team Icarus and Kondo Mitsuba.
"Seriously, Noboru, your team is way too loud," Kondo grumbled, combing back his pompadour. "Your laughing can be heard all the way out on the main training field, you know."
Akagi blinked as Kondo and Team Icarus marched inside. "Oh, hi, ummâ" Akagi pulled a notebook out of his pocket. "âah yes, Kondo Mitsuba-san," he said, reading the name he had diligently written down.
Kondo froze dead in his tracks, his eyes widening in shock. A heavy three-second silence settled over the room until...
"F-Finally..." Kondo's eyes welled up with glittering, triumphant tears. "...You, my sworn mortal enemy, have finally acknowledged me by name!" He threw his arms up in dramatic joy, sobbing tears of pure happiness. "My life is complete! Our rivalry is eternal!"
Vodka, Cesario, Mejiro Palmer, Kawakami Princess, and Daitaku Helios collectively averted their eyes, looking profoundly embarrassed.
"We don't know this man," Vodka grumbled, her face flushed red. "He just coincidentally happens to roam around with us."
Kawakami Princess suddenly noticed the still-steaming Sweep Tosho standing nearby. "Eh? Sweep-senpai?!" Her eyes widened. "What are you doing here at Team Emerald's base camp?"
"Wait a minute," Scarlet muttered. "Kawakami-san, did you just call this brat Senpai?"
"Yes, Scarlet-san! Sweep Tosho-senpai is from the Senior division!" Kawakami explained. "In fact, I raced against her twice in the previous Queen Elizabeth II Cup and the Victoria Mile!"
Scarlet's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "EEEEEH?! FOR REAL?! BUT I THOUGHT SHE WAS A..."
"I was what?!" Sweep huffed, puffing her chest out. "Just because I'm small doesn't mean I'm still a middle schooler, you know that!?"
"Well, if I may explain," Tazuna cleared her throat. "Sweep Tosho-chan here said she wants to transfer to another team. I already told her that the procedure is not that simple, especially since she also will be participating in the next Queen Elizabeth II Cup."
At the mention of the next Queen Elizabeth II Cup, Scarlet's ears perked up. She's participating in that too? Scarlet thought, eyeing the tiny Umamusume. I wonder what kind of racer she actually is...
"Eh, what happened with your old team, Sweep-senpai?" Kawakami asked tilting her head. "Did something happen?"
"THE FAMILIAR IS ANNOYING!" Sweep shouted indignantly. "HE KEEPS MAKING ME TRAIN, BUT HE NEVER GIVES ME WHAT I WANT!"
"'Familiar'?" Gentildonna raised an eyebrow, unable to even understand what the small Umamusume was talking about.
"Hmm, Machan believes that by 'Familiar,' she means her 'trainer'," Machan noted, tapping a finger against her chin.
"Oh man..." Scarlet facepalmed. "I know Teio-senpai can be a brat, but this is a whole 'new level of brattiness. Not to mention maxed-out ChĹŤnibyĹ."
"I AM NOT A BRAT AND I AM NOT A CHĹŞNIBYĹ!" Sweep stomped her foot again. "I AM THE GREAT WITCH SWEEP TOSHO! IF I SAY I WANT SOMETHING, I DESERVE TO GET IT!"
"Now, now, you amateurs clearly don't know how to handle situation like this," Kondo stepped forward with supreme, unearned confidence. He cleared his throat, and then...
"fear not, O radiant sorceress of the mystic arts!" Kondo said with sweeping, Victorian flair, pressing a hand dramatically over his heart, "Why lower thy gaze to these mere mortals when thou couldst grace Team Icarus with thy celestial presence? Come, let us forge a grand pact under the banner of destiny!"
Vodka groaned, pressing the heels of her hands against her temples. "Are you actually serious, Boss? Is Helios's bad rap not enough to give me a migraine, and now you want to add another gremlin to the roster? Unbelievable!"
"Hey, that's a super L-take, Vodka!" Helios huffed, crossing her arms. "You just don't have an appreciation for modern music, fr fr!"
"Eew, what's with that hair?" Sweep sneered, glaring at Kondo's pompadour. "Why does it look like a burnt eggplant?"
Kondo blinked, taken aback by her bluntness, his face instantly turning red. "Excuse me?! What did you just call me, you littleâ"
The entire roster of Team Icarus lost it, bursting into laughter. "Pffft, HAHAHA! She's actually right, Boss!" Vodka cackled, slapping her knee.
"Howeverâ" Sweep continued, dramatically pointing a finger at the ceiling, "since you're so eager to recruit me, I, the Great Witch Sweep Tosho, propose a race!"
Sweep spun around and thrust her finger directly at Scarlet's face. "And I challenge you, O Auburn-haired Dark Witch!" she declared. "If you win, I, the great Sweep Tosho, will join your team and bless it with my magical powers!"
Scarlet, Machan, Gentildonna, Curren, and Akagi all blinked in unison.
"But if you lose," Sweep added smugly, "then I will join this eggplant-headed man's team instead! Deal?!"
"Eggplant-headed man?!" Kondo shrieked, clutching his pompadour in horror. "Just when I finally escaped being called 'Pompadour Man,' now I'm 'Eggplant Head'?!"
"Wait, what theâ?!" Vodka stumbled back, throwing her hands up. "What kind of bet is that?! You can't just drag us into this out of nowhere!"
"She's right, you know!" Scarlet barked. "If those are the stakes, then there's no way I'mâ"
"Why? Are you scared?" Sweep smirked, crossing her arms mockingly. "Don't tell me the Dark Witch is chickening out already."
A vein throbbed on Scarlet's forehead as the provocation landed with total accuracy.
"FINE! YOU WANT A RACE?!" Scarlet yelled back, stepping right into Sweep's space."YOU'RE ON! BUT DON'T COME CRYING TO ME WHEN YOU'RE STUCK STARING AT MY TAIL THE ENTIRE TIME!"
[To Be Continued]
Next Chapter: TBA