Rice: "Sorry, Onii-sama… It's my fault…"
Hachiman: "I keep telling you, it's not your fault. It just happens sometimes—getting stuck at red lights in a row."
Rice: "B-But didn't you have something to do?"
Hachiman: "Nah, nothing. Why'd you think that?"
Rice: "You seemed like you were in a hurry…"
Hachiman: "That's why? I wasn't rushing. Just felt like jogging to the academy. I exercise sometimes, you know."
Rice: "Oh, okay… That's a relief~."
Yup, that's the Rice smile I love. Her sad face is the last thing I want to see.
Hachiman: "? What was that?"
Rice: "Eek!? N-No, don't make noise now! Shh, quiet!"
…Why don't I feel any calculated cuteness? It's all genuine, but even knowing that, she doesn't come off as trying too hard. Rice is just too perfect, isn't she?
Hachiman: "Wanna grab some food? You eat a surprising amount for your size. First time I saw you eat, I was kinda shocked."
Rice: "Eep!? O-Onii-sama, don't say that, it's embarrassing~!"
Hachiman: "My bad, my bad. Let's hit the cafeteria."
Hachiman: "Wow… Pretty crowded."
Rice: "Y-Yeah… I thought it'd be quieter at this time, but there's a lot of people."
Hachiman: "No helping it. I'll cook. Rice, any requests? I'll make it."
Rice: "Huh? I-Is that okay?"
Hachiman: "Yup, name it. I'll pour my heart and soul into it for my little sister."
Rice: "Ehe~ Thank you, Onii-sama♪ Um, can I have tempura?"
Hachiman: "Got it, I'll whip it up. Any foods you don't like?"
Rice: "If Onii-sama makes it with all his heart, I'll eat anything, so don't worry!"
This kid… She's just too good…
Hachiman: "Alright, wait here. I'll be back."
Rice: "Okay, I'll find us a seat!"
A Few Dozen Minutes Later
Hachiman: "Rice It's ready."
Rice: "Oh! You brought it? I could've helped carry it…"
Hachiman: "It's fine, don't sweat it. You said tempura, so I made tendon. Got shrimp, pumpkin, eggplant, anago, cabbage, egg, asparagus, octopus—tons of stuff, so I fried up a storm."
Rice: "Wow~ It looks so good, Onii-sama♪"
Hachiman: "Yup. I made extra for seconds, so just say the word. Got mine too, so let's eat together."
Rice: "Yay! Itadakimasu♪"
Rice pops a bite of tempura and rice in her mouth, chopsticks flying as she hums "delicious, delicious." Man, she eats a lot… I'm happy, but where does it all go?
She eats so joyfully, though. Totally worth cooking. Oh, right, I should eat too.
A Few Dozen Minutes Later
Rice: "Phew I'm stuffed. Thank you for the meal! Onii-sama, it was so good!"
Hachiman: "Four bowls? That's wild…"
Rice: "Your cooking was just too tasty! And I didn't want to waste any…"
Hachiman: "You're such a good kid…" pat pat
Rice: "R-Really? Ehe~♪"
Hachiman: "We got lucky today. If Oguri or Spe were here, seconds might've been impossible. Lucky break, huh?"
Those two eat even more than Rice. Being their trainer would be a nightmare—mostly for my wallet.
Rice: "Sorry, Onii-sama. You not only cooked but walked me back to the dorm…"
Hachiman: "I had no plans today. Days are nice sometimes. Plus, I haven't talked with you much lately, so this was perfect."
Rice: "You're right, we haven't talked much. Yeah, like you said, it was perfect timing! Oh, Onii-sama! Have you ever read picture books?"
Hachiman: "Picture books? A few, but not many. Just some famous fairy tales."
Rice: "I've got a favorite I recommend. Wanna hear about it?"
Hachiman: "Sure. What's it about?"
As we walked, Rice told me about a picture book called The Blue Rose of Happiness. At the "development" part, the blue rose feels unlucky, but from the "turn" onward, it becomes a happy story.
My personal take? Rice has great taste. A blue rose is obviously cool! Who the hell said it's creepy? Something wrong with their eyes? Flowers don't have "good" or "bad" vibes, come on.
…Whoa, got a bit heated over a picture book. Calm down, Hachiman.
Hachiman: "Sounds like a good one."
Rice: "! You think so too, Onii-sama?"
Hachiman: "Yeah. Mind lending it to me? I wanna check it out."
Rice: "Sure, I'll lend it to you!"
After dropping Rice off at her dorm, I headed home with the picture book in hand. It's been a while since I felt this excited to read something.
Afterword Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⟡𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕥⟡𝕟𝕖𝕥
Rice Shower steals the spotlight in this heartwarming Yahari x Uma Musume side story! Her genuine sweetness and Hachiman's big-brother energy make their cafeteria meal and picture book chat a cozy highlight. No regrets for giving Rice her moment—she's just too adorable!
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