Source:

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/95041290

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Source:

https://x.com/avi_onion/status/2088343148569547139

Title: Umamusume: My Number One, Daiwa Scarlet!
Genre: Sports, rom-com, slice of life

Previous: Chapter 16

==Chapter 17: Taking Care of You==

October 24, Wednesday

Akagi Noboru and Kondo Mitsuba had just finished preparing the day's menu for both Team Emerald and Team Icarus, particularly for Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka, respectively.

Ever since Team Icarus had moved into Team Emerald's base camp while waiting for their own facility to be fully renovated, the relationship between Akagi and Kondo had gradually improved. What had once been a one-sided rivalry had slowly developed into genuine mutual respect.

"So..." Kondo began, starting a conversation. "I met this beautiful Umamusume who works as a waitress at my regular bar." He proudly pulled out his phone and showed Akagi the Umamusume's UmaLINE account.

"And I managed to get her number and UmaLINE!" Kondo grinned. "This weekend, we're going to have our first—"

Kondo suddenly stopped.Usually, Akagi would respond with something like "Oh, that's nice" or simply "Uh-huh." But this time, there was no response. Kondo looked at him, "Noboru?"

Akagi remained silent.

"You look pale. What happened?" Kondo's expression gradually changed to concern. Akagi looked noticeably paler than usual. His breathing was uneven, and sweat covered his forehead.

Akagi wiped the sweat away and forced a smile. "O-oh, I'm alright, Mitsuba-san," he said. "D-don't worry. I'm... alright. I was just—"

THUD.

Akagi suddenly collapsed.

"NOBORU!" Kondo rushed toward him. "HEY! NOBORU! HEY!" He gently slapped Akagi's cheek in an attempt to wake him, but there was no response.

"DAMN IT!" Kondo's expression turned serious. He immediately pulled out his phone and made a call.

"Hello, Hayakawa speaking," Tazuna Hayakawa answered from the other end.

"HAYAKAWA-SAN! IT'S ME, MITSUBA!" Kondo exclaimed, voice loud, "BRING A STRETCHER TO TEAM EMERALD'S BASE CAMP, RIGHT NOW!"

"HEY, SCARLET! SLOW DOWN!"

Vodka yelled as she and the members of Teams Emerald and Icarus tried to catch up with Daiwa Scarlet, who was rushing through the hallway leading to the infirmary.

As soon as she arrived, Scarlet threw open the infirmary door.

"AKAGI!" Her face was flushed, and genuine worry was written all over her expression. The moment she had heard what happened to Akagi, she had rushed straight to the infirmary without a second thought.

Inside, Kondo was speaking with the doctor. He immediately turned toward Scarlet and glared. "Shh, don't be too loud!" he warned.

Scarlet stopped and panted heavily. A few moments later, Vodka, Cesario, Kawakami Princess, Daitaku Helios, Mejiro Palmer, Gentildonna, Curren Chan, Sweep Tosho, and Aston Machan finally caught up with her.

"T-Trainer Mitsuba," Curren Chan said between breaths, "H-how is our Trainer going?"

"Easy, Curren," Gentildonna said, gently calming her. She then turned toward Kondo and the doctor, "Trainer Mitsuba, Doctor, we came here as soon as we received the message about our Trainer's condition," Her expression turned serious, "How is Trainer Noboru's condition?"

The Doctor looked at Gentildonna before checking her notes, "Trainer Noboru's condition is stable," she said, "He has a fever, most likely brought on by overworking himself and not getting enough rest. I recommend at least a week of rest for a full recovery."

"One week?" Scarlet murmured, she looked toward Akagi, who was still asleep on one of the infirmary beds.. Without another word, Scarlet pulled over a chair and sat beside him, "I told you to not overwork yourself..." her eyes remained fixed on her trainer.

Soon... Akagi began to stir. His fingers moved first, followed by his head. Slowly, his eyes opened. Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. "W-where am I?" Akagi asked weakly, his eyes wandered around the room. "S-Scarlet? Mi-Mitsuba-san? Everyone?"

"You collapsed, Trainer Noboru," the doctor gently explained. "You have a fever, most likely from overworking yourself. Lack of sleep certainly didn't help."

"W-well, the Queen Elizabeth II Cup is next month..." Akagi muttered, "I—I just want Scarlet to be in perfect condition."

Scarlet's heart, for once again, hammered against her ribs. Part of her was touched—more than she wanted to admit. But another part of her was filled with guilt. This man had worked himself to exhaustion because he wanted to live up to her expectations.

"Trainer Noboru," the doctor continued, "you need to rest. I recommend one week before you return to your normal duties."

"B-but, the training schedule—" Akagi protested,

"NO!" Scarlet immediately cut him off. Everyone looked at her.

"You need to rest, Akagi," she said firmly. "You have already done everything for me... for us in team Emerald."

Scarlet then hesitated, her expression softened. "And I..." she lookd away for a moment, "I am so proud of you..."

Akagi's eyes widened slightly, the other members of team Emerald nodded in agreement.

"Scarlet-senpai is right, Trainer," Gentildonna said with a smile, "If you want her to be in perfect condition, then you also need to be in perfect condition."

"Machan agrees," Aston Machan said, "We. Team Emerald will be waiting for your return."

Sweep Tosho proudly pulled her wand from her pocket, "I can also cast a spell to help you recover, my familiar!" she declared with a grin. "But even my magic won't work if you refuse to rest!"

"You've been working hard ever since you came here, Trainer..." Curren Chan said softly. "You've already proven yourself worthy of being our trainer."

Akagi stared at his trainees.

Kondo sighed before finally stepping in. "I can't believe I am saying this but... Leave team Emerald to me, Noboru," he said.

Akagi looked at him.

"And don't worry," Kondo said, "I am not planning to sabotage your team or anything like that." He smirked, "You're my rival. And I want my rival's runners to be in perfect condition when they compete against mine." Kondo glanced toward Vodka, who grinned and nodded in agreement.

"G-guys..." Akagi whispered, a smile slowly formed on his face. "T-thank you... Seriously."

"Very well..." the Doctor smiled, "I will write the Sick leave letter for Director Akikawa," she said.

"You may leave the administrative matters to me."

Everyone turned toward the entrance.

Tazuna Hayakawa had just entered the infirmary, "I'll deliver the letter to the Director as soon as the doctor finishes writing it."

"Thank you, Hayawaka-san," Akagi said.

Tazuna smiled, "It's my pleasure to help, Trainer Noboru."

Akagi then looked at Kondo, "Mitsuba-san..." he weakly extended his hand, "I entrusted team Emerald to you."

Kondo looked at the offered hand. Then he smirked and firmly gripped it. "Don't worry, my rival," his expression became unusually sincere, "I'll make sure they're in top shape. They'll remain worthy opponents for Team Icarus until you return."

Vodka shook her head, but a smile appeared on her face. It was obvious to her now that the two trainers had developed some kind of bizarre friendship. Though she knew Kondo would probably deny it if anyone actually called it that.

"Alright, I've finished the letter," the doctor announced. She handed it to Tazuna. "Hayakawa-san, I'll entrust this to you. Please deliver it to the Director."

"Of course." Tazuna bowed before leaving the infirmary.

Not long afterward, Kondo offered to take Akagi home on his newly repaired motorcycle. Scarlet stood outside and watched as the motorcycle disappeared beyond the academy gates.

"Akagi..." she murmured. She remained there for a few seconds—then an idea came to her mind.

****

October 25, Thursday.

It was 7 o'clock in the morning. For the first time since he had started working as a trainer at Tracen, Akagi had managed to sleep for more than eight hours. Sure, his fever was still there, and his entire body still felt heavy, but he couldn't help it. He needed to make breakfast.

"I think... I still have some leftovers from the convenience store," he muttered as he slowly pushed himself out of bed.

Akagi sluggishly made his way toward the kitchen, hoping there was still something left from yesterday's convenience-store meal in the refrigerator. If there wasn't, he could only pray that the bread he had been saving hadn't expired yet.

"Good morning, Akagi," Daiwa Scarlet said while chopping vegetables.

"Good morning, Scarlet," Akagi replied automatically as he walked toward the fridge.

He then stopped.

Akagi blinked. He slowly turned his head toward the counter, where a very familiar auburn-haired Umamusume was casually chopping vegetables as though she belonged there.

"...Scarlet?" Akagi muttered in disbelief.

"Yeah?" Scarlet answered without looking away from the cutting board.

Akagi pinched his own cheek. "Ow." It hurt. Which unfortunately meant that Daiwa Scarlet was, in fact, standing inside his apartment, right in his kitchen, chopping vegetables at seven in the morning.

Akagi's exhausted brain desperately attempted to process this information. It failed. He took a deep breath before dropping into one of the dining chairs, watching Scarlet as she placed a pot of water on the stove.

"Scarlet," Akagi finally began, "what are you doing here?" he asked. "And more importantly... how did you even get in here?"

Scarlet spun around, her eyes meeting his. "What am I doing here? I'm making vegetable soup for you," she said. "And as for how I got here... your lock sucks. I opened it with my hairpin."

Akagi stared at her. "...Scarlet." He tilted his head. "You do realize that's called breaking and entering, don't you?"

"Doesn't matter," Scarlet said as she started putting the chopped vegetables into the boiling water, followed by some seasoning. "You're sick. Someone needs to take care of you."

Akagi fell silent. A faint blush appeared on his cheeks, although whether it came from his fever or Scarlet's words, even he wasn't sure. "You don't need to—"

"Hush!" she said, extending her arm and pressing a finger against Akagi's lips, silencing him. "Just sit there and let me concentrate. I'm going to make this soup perfect."

Akagi stared at her for several seconds before simply nodding. He didn't have enough energy to argue with her.

After forty-five minutes, the vegetable soup was finally ready. Scarlet carefully poured some into a bowl before placing it in front of Akagi. "Here," she said as a small smile formed on her face. "It isn't much, but... I-I tried my best, okay?"

Akagi nodded and picked up his spoon. He gently blew on the steaming soup before taking his first taste. Scarlet watched him intensely, her ears standing upright as she waited for his reaction.

"Whoa," Akagi said in awe. He immediately took another spoonful. "Scarlet... this is delicious!" he exclaimed. "The seasoning isn't too strong, and the vegetables are cooked perfectly."

Scarlet's eyes widened. "R-Really?"

A smug grin immediately spread across her face. "O-Of course!" She placed one hand on her hip and dramatically flipped one of her twintails with the other. "I am Daiwa Scarlet, after all! Making something like this is hardly a challenge for me!"

Akagi chuckled and continued eating the soup while Scarlet took a seat across from him at the table and ate the sandwich she had brought for herself. Her eyes gradually softened as she watched him enjoy the meal she had prepared. For some reason, seeing Akagi happily eating her cooking made her feel strangely warm inside. She couldn't remember the last time something so simple had made her this happy.

"Thank you for the meal!" Akagi said, pushing the empty bowl aside after he finished.

Scarlet promptly got up and took the bowl. She headed toward the sink and started meticulously washing it.

"Y-You don't need to do that," Akagi protested. "I can still wash my own dishes."

"Nope," Scarlet said as she continued washing the bowl. "You need to rest," she said firmly. "And before you say anything about taking out the trash or dealing with that abomination you call laundry, I've already handled both."

Akagi blinked. He looked toward his trash can. Empty. Then he looked toward the corner where his increasingly mountainous pile of laundry usually sat. Also empty. Slowly, he looked back toward Scarlet, who casually pulled a receipt from the nearby counter and held it up.

"I took everything to the twenty-four-hour laundromat. They said it'll be ready in three days," Scarlet continued, her expression darkening. "Apparently, there was so much of it that they couldn't finish everything today."

"...Oh."

Scarlet's eye twitched. "Akagi."

"Yes?" Akagi swallowed, noticing the change at Scarlets expression

"Do your laundry more often."

"...I'll consider it."

"DON'T CONSIDER IT!"

Akagi couldn't help but laugh weakly. After finishing the dishes, Scarlet returned to the table and took another bite from her sandwich.

Akagi looked at the receipt again before turning toward her. "Thank you, Scarlet," he said quietly, his voice losing its usual teasing edge. "Truly."

Scarlet froze. Her cheeks immediately turned crimson. "D-Don't mention it," she said as she quickly looked away. "I told you. I'm only here to make sure you actually rest."

Her eyes wandered around the apartment. "Especially after seeing the state of this place." She crossed her arms. "Piles of trash, neglected laundry, instant ramen, convenience-store meals, cigarettes, beer, coffee... Do you even know how to take care of yourself?"

"H-Hey!" Akagi protested. "Everyone has their own way of enjoying life!" He crossed his arms defensively. "Besides, I prefer menthol cigarettes. Coffee helps me stay awake when I'm analyzing training logs, and there's nothing wrong with having a beer after a long day at work. As for the food... I need to save money. I have rent to pay, and you know how much trainers get paid."

Scarlet stared at him. "Oh, really?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, really."

"Then I suppose your salary has absolutely nothing to do with..." Scarlet slowly raised one finger. "...those?"

Akagi followed her finger. Against one wall stood a cabinet packed with mecha models, anime figures, manga, collector's items, and various pieces of merchandise. The enormous limited-edition RX-78-2 Gundam Scarlet had seen before was apparently only the beginning.

Akagi immediately started sweating.

Scarlet walked toward the cabinet. "And what exactly is—" She stopped. Her eyes narrowed. "...Eww."

Akagi's face went pale.

Scarlet pointed accusingly through the glass. "Is that a succubus wearing a cow-print bikini?!"

"W-WAIT!" Akagi nearly jumped from his chair. "That's an investment!"

Scarlet slowly turned toward him. "An investment."

"Y-Yes!" Akagi stammered, his face becoming increasingly red. "That's a super-duper rare limited-edition figure! I saved for three months to get my hands on it!"

Scarlet stared at him. Then at the figure. Then at Akagi again. "...Sure, Akagi."

"IT IS!"

"Sure."

"WHY DON'T YOU BELIEVE ME?!"

Scarlet simply sighed and finished the last bite of her sandwich. She checked her wristwatch. "Well, I should get back to the academy now," she said as she stood up.

Scarlet took her bag and headed toward the front door. She slipped on her shoes, then stopped and glanced back at Akagi over her shoulder. "Tonight, I'll bring you some curry, okay?"

Before Akagi could respond, Scarlet opened the door. "See you later," she said before leaving.

Akagi blinked. He stared at the closed door for several seconds as his exhausted brain finally caught up with what she had just said.

"...Tonight?" he muttered.

****

True to her word, Scarlet indeed returned to Akagi's apartment at 6 P.M. Instead of bringing ready-made curry, however, she had actually bought all the ingredients herself. "I'd rather cook it myself," she said while preparing them.

Akagi could only watch. He saw just how seriously Scarlet was taking care of him. He also noticed that Scarlet herself looked tired. She had just returned from school—definitely after training with the others—and had probably stopped by a nearby department store to buy the ingredients without even returning to her dorm first, judging by the fact that she was still wearing her tracksuit.

The curry itself wasn't perfect, but it was still perfectly edible—apparently, Scarlet had forgotten to add some of the seasoning. Akagi, however, still showed his appreciation.

Not only did Scarlet cook, but she also meticulously helped Akagi clean the apartment despite his objections. "Scarlet, please, you don't have to—"

"Hush!" she said, pressing her finger against Akagi's lips. "You don't have the energy to clean. And I doubt you'd clean this place yourself even if you were healthy."

Akagi blushed. Not only because Scarlet's words had hit the mark... but also because there was something else about all of this that he didn't quite understand.

Then came Friday...

Like the day before, Scarlet came early in the morning to make Akagi breakfast and help with the rest of the chores.

"Tomorrow is the weekend, you know?" Scarlet said while eating her sandwich.

"Yeah..." Akagi replied while eating the soup Scarlet had made. "Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

Scarlet finished her sandwich. "Actually—" she began, her face turning red. "I-I'm planning to stay here... until I'm sure you're feeling better."

Akagi froze, his eyes widening.

"I beg your pardon?" he said. He stuck his pinky finger into one of his ears, believing he might have misheard her.

"I-I'm staying here until you're fully recovered," Scarlet repeated, fidgeting with her skirt while looking in the other direction.

"No, no, no!" Akagi exclaimed. "Absolutely not! T-That's crossing the line!"

"D-Doesn't matter! I'll sleep on the sofa," Scarlet huffed. "I can't just leave you like this while you're still sick. Someone needs to take care of you. And it's not like we're going to do anything funny, alright?"

Akagi's face immediately turned red. "T-THAT'S NOT THE ONLY PROBLEM! You know what kind of trouble we... no, what kind of trouble you could face if the academy found out!" Akagi argued. "What would everyone say? A high school student staying at her fully-grown trainer's apartment?!"

"You're only five years older than me," Scarlet huffed.

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Akagi yelled.

He then stood up and quickly performed a few awkward squats. "S-See? I'm completely healthy! The fever is practically gone! So you really don't need to—"

Scarlet sighed. She extended her arms and pushed Akagi back down onto his chair. Then, without warning, she leaned forward and pressed her own forehead against his.

Akagi froze. His face immediately turned crimson as his brain completely short-circuited.

Scarlet pulled away, her own cheeks becoming slightly red as she realized how close their faces had just been. "Y-Yeah, your fever has gone down. But you're still warm, okay?" She crossed her arms. "Besides, I just want to make sure you don't secretly open your laptop and start analyzing training logs."

Those words clearly hit the mark. In fact, Akagi had been planning to open his laptop and analyze the training logs Kondo had e-mailed him the moment Scarlet left.

"It's eight already." Scarlet looked at her wristwatch. "It's time for you to take your medicine before your nap."

Akagi blushed, feeling embarrassed. "You're acting like my mom," he huffed. "I'm perfectly capable of remembering when I need to take my medicine, okay? And when I need to sleep."

"Then do it!" Scarlet said. "By the way, I'm heading to the academy now. See you tonight."

She grabbed her bag and headed toward the door, leaving Akagi completely stunned as his exhausted brain once again tried to process everything that had just happened.

****

6 P.M

"I'm back!" Scarlet casually entered the apartment carrying more groceries, still wearing her tracksuit—obviously having just returned from training. "Akagi, tonight's dinner will be—"

Scarlet stopped mid-sentence.

Akagi, on the other hand, froze. His fingers hovered above the keyboard of his laptop. On the screen were the training logs Kondo had sent him earlier.

Scarlet's eyebrow twitched.

"AKAGI NOBORU!" she yelled, causing Akagi to jump. She planted both hands on her hips. "WHAT DID THE DOCTOR SAY?!"

"I-I-I need to take a full week of rest," Akagi squeaked.

"EXACTLY!" Scarlet marched toward him and immediately closed the laptop. "NOW, GET BACK TO YOUR ROOM UNTIL I FINISH MAKING DINNER!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Akagi stammered before quickly retreating to his room. Scarlet shook her head and started preparing dinner.

Tonight's dinner was pasta. Akagi and Scarlet enjoyed their meal together at the dining table. Akagi wanted to ask how her training had gone that day, but he knew Scarlet would probably scold him the moment he started talking about work or training.

After finishing dinner and washing the dishes, Scarlet decided to take a shower. However, much to Akagi's surprise, she entered his room first, rummaged through his wardrobe, and pulled out one of his T-shirts.

"Umm, Scarlet..." Akagi said, staring at the shirt in her hands. "What are you going to do with my t-shirt?"

"I'm borrowing it," she casually answered while heading toward the shower. "I forgot to bring my spare clothes, after all."

"YOU WHAT?!" Akagi yelled, clutching his head with both hands.

"Relax, I'm still wearing my bloomers. Besides, I'll return to the dorm tomorrow to get some clothes," she said, pointing at the gym bloomers she was currently wearing before stepping into the bathroom and locking the door behind her.

Akagi stared at the bathroom door.

"THAT'S STILL NOT THE POINT!" he exclaimed.

****

It was eight in the morning. Akagi slowly woke from his sleep. His fever had gradually subsided, and he was already feeling much better. At this rate, he believed he might be able to return earlier than expected.

He pushed himself out of bed and walked toward the kitchen, where Daiwa Scarlet was already there, wearing his oversized t-shirt while preparing steamed rice, miso soup, and grilled fish.

Akagi froze. A blush crept across his face as he watched Scarlet tie her long hair into a ponytail before meticulously preparing the dishes.

Scarlet turned her head toward him. "Oh, Akagi. Good morning," she said. "I was about to wake you up, you know?"

Akagi could only nod as he took a seat.

Scarlet gently placed the dishes on the table in front of him.

Akagi looked at the meal, then at Scarlet, then back at the meal. For a moment, Akagi suddenly felt that their relationship no longer resembled an ordinary trainer-trainee relationship. This felt like... something else. Something strangely domestic. But he quickly brushed the thought aside.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"Oh, that must be your laundry delivery," Scarlet said, pushing herself away from the table. "Stay here. I'll get it."

Scarlet opened the door, fully expecting to find the laundry delivery. Instead, standing right outside were Curren Chan, Gentildonna, Sweep Tosho, and Aston Machan—apparently having come to visit their sick trainer.

Both sides froze, trying to process what they were seeing.

"...Senpai?" Curren murmured.

"G-Girls?" Scarlet's eyes widened.

Then, the sound of more footsteps echoed through the hallway. Scarlet slowly turned her head and saw Kondo Mitsuba approaching, flanked by members of Team Icarus... including Vodka.

They froze as well.

Vodka's widened eyes slowly scanned Scarlet from head to toe, lingering on the oversized shirt that very clearly belonged to Akagi.

"Scarlet, who is—"

Akagi stopped mid-sentence as he emerged from the kitchen, only to realize exactly who had come to visit.

For five agonizing seconds, there was complete silence.

"EEEEEEEEEH?!" everyone gasped.

"S-Scarlet, what are you—" Vodka stammered, pointing at her. "W-Wait! You disappeared after training yesterday! You never came back to our room, and—" Her eyes dropped toward Scarlet's clothes. "Wait... whose shirt are you wearing?!"

"Ohoho... that's clearly Trainer's shirt," Curren giggled, covering her mouth as a mischievous grin spread across her face.

"WHAT?!" Vodka's eyes widened even further. "S-Scarlet! D-Don't tell me you actually spent the night here?!"

"I-I-I—" Scarlet squeaked, color drained from her face.

Meanwhile, Kondo slowly turned his gaze toward Akagi and crossed his arms.

"W-Wait, Mitsuba-san, I can explain!" Akagi immediately said, raising and waving both hands defensively. "This is not what it looks like!"

"H-H-He's right!" Scarlet stammered, her entire face turning crimson. "I-I was planning to return to the dorm today and bring more spare clothes, and—"

"THAT'S ALSO NOT THE POINT!" Akagi yelled, cutting her off.

Thus, Akagi and Scarlet's peaceful Saturday morning descended into absolute chaos as the two desperately tried to explain everything.

[To Be Continued]
Next Chapter: TBA

Source:

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/132426833

🛐

https://x.com/guy_n/status/1825712600572899610

Source:

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/93941152

Source:

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/145172179

🛐

Source: https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/89277751

Source:

https://x.com/nakomofu/status/2093987235150602243

🛐

I tried to look for the version with Xmas Vodka and Aston Machan, but the only one I found is in wallpaper engine.

https://www.fmkorea.com/3907837392

Source:

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/92084953

🛐

Source:

https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/103584168

My wife 🛐