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“Look, Cafe. There’s a vendor selling ice cream. We must stop by.”
“In this weather…?”
“There’s hot chocolate! Cafe, that’s warm. Let’s get some.”
“I’ll get you one.”
“I see some spicy rice cakes. Would you mind buying me some?”
“Sure, but my allowance…”
“Are you cold, Cafe? I thought you said you didn’t need a jacket.”
“Really, it’s fine…”
Manhattan Cafe and Oguri Cap strolled side-by-side through the illuminated city streets, gazing out towards the looming buildings in awe. The air, burning and sharp in Cafe’s lungs, was full of energy from overjoyed children and shivering couples such as them. The streets were lined with decorations and roadside stalls for the upcoming Holiday – Christmas.
When Oguri had come to her, shyly fumbling with her hands and asking to go out to the city for Christmas Eve for “no particular reason”, Cafe was actually overjoyed. It wasn’t often that her aloof girlfriend, suddenly bashful when it came to romantic gestures, asked for anything. She had all the confidence she could need and more while pointing to the most expensive items on a restaurant’s menu and changed a date’s plans (unintentionally) in the blink of an eye. But something as simple as taking Cafe’s hand had her flustered beyond imagination.
This was far from being their first date, and the spark of initial excitement had long dimmed to a warm ringing. They’d done just about everything they could – went to every restaurant, tried every new hobby, gone shopping at every mall, visited every hometown, and met every family member. With the slow creeping-in of winter, however, a new opportunity presented itself. A yearly occurrence.
The snowflakes fluttering down from the sky above had nearly frozen Cafe’s ears off. She was no stranger to the cold, definitely not, but she’d dressed… less than adequately for this occasion. Oguri stood in what had to have been multiple jackets, a hand-knitted hat with her name in cursive letters on it (who would make something like that? And why would Oguri wear it?), and chunky snow boots. She must’ve not changed her wardrobe since moving to Tracen.
Ignoring her attire, Oguri looked as effortlessly amazing as she did every day. Her hair, unkempt and frizzy as it was, lit up like a halo around her pretty face. Her pale blue eyes shone in wonder at the festivities in a way that just made Cafe’s heart ache. She’d been raving for a while now about how excited she was to go on this trip, even if it were merely for Christmas Eve night, and it made her day to see her so joyous.
In contrast, Cafe had left the door intending to look as pretty as possible for her girlfriend while neglecting all practicality. She braided her hair attentively, enlisting Yukino’s help, and even wrapped a cute white bow she’d borrowed around the end. She wasn’t exactly an avid user of makeup, but she decided to try out some simple eyeliner and muted lipstick today. She couldn’t say she hated the look.
She’d carefully carded through her collection of fluffy turtlenecks until she landed on a simple black one to be best. Above it, she wore a white cardigan that Oguri’s mother gifted her, and topped it all with a scarf. Something personal would make her happier, wouldn’t it? She wore a pair of tights and her longest, heaviest skirt to “keep herself warm”. She’d even forgotten gloves! Looking back, she prioritized her appearance much more than preventing frostbite – which was why Oguri looked so concerned now.
She leaned her head against Cafe’s, nuzzling into her snow-dampened hair. “Cafe… you’re shivering. I don’t want you to get sick,” Her grip on her hand tightened fractionally. “I’ll give you one of my jackets.”
“I don’t–...thank you, Oguri,” Cafe, face even hotter from embarrassment, pulled the oversized jacket over her shoulders. It… definitely was much warmer. She definitely felt a bit of a thrill wearing her girlfriend’s clothes. They didn’t fit, but the looseness didn’t make her feel half as insecure as it would have been if it were her own clothes.
“You’re very cute, Cafe. I love you.”
“Ah. Th-Thank you. Love you too.”
The two walked in silent, mutual adoration for each other. Each time Cafe would glance up, she would meet Oguri’s inquisitive gaze, then shamefully return to watching the shining sky. The stars were missing from the sky tonight and the shadows were chased from the night, but she found herself at ease nonetheless.
She intended to ask Oguri if they could spend the Holiday back in Kasamatsu, as she felt the serenity of an uninterrupted night sky painted a more romantic and fitting picture than remaining in the city. Nonetheless, if Oguri asked, she’d do anything to fulfill her wishes. To even see the spark in her eyes when she was affirmed was worth any amount of effort.
As the snowstorm gradually worsened and the chill seeped under even Oguri’s coat, she tugged Cafe’s sleeve and tilted her head down an alley. “Uhm, let’s go this way. There’s less people, and… let’s just go on.”
Cafe hummed. “If you insist, then.” She reached out and dusted the accumulating flakes off the top of Oguri’s head. Their casual pace hurried to just below a jog. “Is there something wrong? Oguri, why are we–”
A gust of warm air flashed over her body and she paused. Before the Umamusume stood a quaint, almost out-of-place hot spring hotel. Oguri fidgeted nervously beside her and produced two golden tickets, shining in the homey light from the building. “This was one of my family’s favorites. It’s really well-hidden for being in the city, but I thought… maybe you’d appreciate it too?” Her beautiful laugh was in the air for a moment, then she stopped herself. “...And don’t worry. I had our stuff dropped off in our room beforehand– ah, yes, I booked us a room too. You’re okay with this, right? If you don’t want to, we can go back to our dorms…”
Cafe took Oguri’s gloved hands in her own, holding them to her lips fondly. “Don’t worry, Oguri. I don’t think you could do anything I wouldn’t be okay with.” Her girlfriend merely nodded in response and turned to push the door open, but her rapidly-wagging tail behind her gave away her true feelings. Cute.
Oguri, thankfully much more secure and confident, approached the receptionist. Following a shockingly brief dialogue that sounded more familiar than expected, they set off for their rented hot spring. Cafe shuddered in relief as she lowered herself into the steaming water. Her muscles, sore from extensive training and a day spent majorly on her feet and chasing after Oguri, sighed alongside her. Even just relishing in the luxury of hot water she neglected for herself was a near-heavenly experience.
This level of comfortability was hard to reach between them. Cafe was heavily guarded against Oguri’s every inquisition toward her insecurities. Even if it came from an entirely innocent place, one of wishing to get to know her better, she didn’t budge on her stance. Most Umamusume would pry and mock her. But Oguri was different, and that was why she ultimately ended up confiding in her. She dropped any mentions of Cafe’s body or her friend, and instead waited patiently for Cafe to tell her.
Through her composure and general trustworthiness, she’d learned of things none else knew. The peculiarities that plagued Cafe’s every day, that othered her on the simple basis of nobody quite seeing the same things she did. The sleepless nights spent worrying over race results she refused to believe could ever be anything good; the hours of rest she’d sacrificed to listening to her friend’s whispers. But Oguri was different, and that was why she never gave any judgment on anything Cafe had told her. She just said, “I love you no matter what.”
She had so many words to say. And so little courage to say them. “Thank you so much for this. I… It’s nice to be able to relax. Especially after how busy the winter season has been at Tracen.”
Oguri nodded, her ears twitching atop her head. “Of course. It was a bit of a selfish gift, but I thought you might like trying something personal for me.”
“I’d try anything for you. Plus, I’ve done worse… I don’t think you’d actually join me for the aquarium.”
“I don’t see why I wouldn’t, though? I love fish.” She grabbed a small wooden cup beside the hot spring and poured some water over her head. “And you’re really cute when you talk about stuff you really care about.”
Cafe’s heart rate spiked tremendously and she had to lean back against the wood to prevent herself from toppling over, even sitting down. Oguri had a way of nonchalantly saying the perfect thing to get her excited. She mirrored her girlfriend’s actions with slightly more care. “...I guess you’re right. Haha. And you enjoyed going mountain climbing, too?”
“That little town had cute souvenirs. It wasn’t half as hard as you made it out to be when you were telling me about it.” Her eyes softened, and she crawled to sit beside Cafe rather than across from her. She intertwined their free hands. “Any date that lets me see you stop worrying is a perfect date. So, please, stop worrying now.”
Her gentle words, spoken so earnestly, brought the stinging of tears to Cafe’s eyes. With the best smile she could muster up, just for her Oguri, she allowed herself to just enjoy the moment as it came. “Of course.”
Cafe tied her and Oguri’s hair up into matching buns, taking great care to really try and make her look pretty. She raved on and on about how much she loved how Oguri looked, how she could be a model, as she tied up her gray yukata. She spoke entirely from her heart. She really was obsessed with everything about her.
They returned to their rooms, both almost half-asleep from the hot spring alone. It was only 10 p.m., so they still had quite a while to sleep in until tomorrow morning. Cafe flopped down onto the bed, pulling the sheets down to welcome Oguri to rest beside her. It took mere seconds before she was wrapped around her, smothering her in her welcoming arms. She couldn’t help but purr at the feeling.
“G’night… love you…” She muttered out through the restraint, the familiar sensation of butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Her tail began to steadily wave beneath her, twitching excitedly.
“Love you too. Hope you’ll still be here in the morning.” What did that even mean? It looked like Oguri was already passed out, her grip not faltering even then. It was a wondrous thing that the once solitary Umamusume had found such an affectionate and loving companion to stick by her faithfully.
Then, in the protection of Oguri’s arms, a shield from the snarling anxieties and perils of the night, Cafe allowed herself to properly fall asleep. Her keen senses melted down to a steady blur of feelings until even that was gone too. The nothingness of rest cradled her kindly and did not release her in the middle of the night.
She even had one brief dream; Oguri, sitting in her gorgeous gray yukata with her gorgeous gray hair, overlooking a city covered in fallen snow. A unique morning ritual, in which there was still much appreciation of coffee and fine breakfast pastries, weaved into a Christmas. Oguri, completely proud of herself, passing Cafe a small box and eagerly urging her to open it. Cafe opening it, only for it to be the exact thing she’d been asking for all this time.
Cafe was roused from sleep’s domain by Oguri lightly shaking her. She grinned, casting a quick glance to the window. “Hey, Cafe. It snowed this morning, too. Merry Christmas, love.” Waking up to her voice was exactly the thing she’d wish for as a gift.
“Did it, now…? That’s great.”
Oguri was just perfect – as an Umamusume, and as a girlfriend.