Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 254 Miura and Shibuya

The next morning.

The moment I opened my eyes, my body instinctively curled up deep into the blankets.

I groped with one hand to swipe open my phone screen—it was 5:43.

For those outside the horse racing industry, it's probably still early morning.

I overslept, which is rare for me.

I finished brushing my teeth and washing my face in five minutes, and when I carried my luggage downstairs, my watch was pointing to six o'clock.

"This is not a good sign—"

The rain outside the window was drizzling, showing no sign of stopping.

Luckily, I had a folding umbrella in my backpack.

Although you can't really rely on a heavy rain, if it really rains that hard, you'll still get soaked even with a long umbrella.

I greeted the front desk to check out and pushed open the hotel door.

The streets were deserted in the morning rain.

Just as I was thinking this, I saw a group of riders coming out of Tsukuba Dormitory.

They paid no heed to the drizzle and one by one mounted their bicycles parked in front of the dormitory.

Kitano tried to find a familiar face, but quickly gave up.

Just like the rush hour for school, the once quiet streets were instantly filled with crowds.

Several young cyclists pushed their bicycles along the side of the road, yawning from time to time.

The green of the roadside trees became even more vibrant in the rain, and occasionally a bicycle bell would ring as it passed by.

Fortunately, the crowding is only temporary.

Kitano, who was traveling in the opposite direction from the riders, soon reached the intersection in front of the traffic lights.

After waiting a few minutes, the rental car I booked through the app drove up from the other side of the pedestrian crossing.

After confirming the information with each other, they quickly set off towards the capital.

After swaying on the sparsely populated national highway for about an hour, a cluster of high-rise buildings suddenly came into view.

The closer you get to your destination, the denser the traffic becomes.

The traffic jam, indicated by a red line on the navigation system, lasted for quite some time.

Just when I thought I could finally move forward, I encountered a red light.

The square was occupied early in the morning by tourists or YouTubers using tripods or selfie sticks.

It's amazing that you guys would go out in this weather.

Themes like "○○ under the rain" seem to never lack clicks on YouTube.

However, Kitano is the kind of guy who has no affinity for this kind of lighthearted video.

If it rains, I will subconsciously quicken my pace.

In the final seconds before the traffic light changed, pedestrians quickened their pace.

"Even though it was raining, everyone was working very hard."

The driver suddenly sighed.

The red light turned green, and I finally arrived at the familiar streets of Shibuya.

"Boss, over here!"

Just as I opened the car door, a familiar voice came from beside me.

Turning my head to look—

In front of a fast food restaurant with a poster of an unknown idol, a tall German man stands under the sign and waves.

It is said that the original flight was scheduled for later today.

However, due to concerns about delays, Zepp chose the same nighttime flight as Kitano.

Of course, it's also possible that they just wanted to extend their shopping time in Shibuya as much as possible.

"Since you've brought a hiking backpack, please also bring your folding umbrella."

"I forgot."

A very confident and self-assured answer.

After staring at each other for a while, Zep cautiously raised his arm.

"How about we go for a walk first?"

"It's not time yet."

Before 10 a.m., not a single shop in Shibuya was open.

That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it's pretty much the case for tourists.

"TSUTAYA is already open."

The German waved his phone with a smug look on his face.

"The IP Bookstore opens at 9:00 AM." "Wow, that's amazing, you figured it out so quickly!"

"Isn't it written all over their faces?"

"Heh heh, I won't miss the Tier 5 Pokémon Battle Room either—"

They have quite a wide range of hobbies.

"Well then, it's time to set off."

A fervent, almost pilgrimage-like fervor quickly spread across the faces of the Germans.

His expression clearly said, "I have to have as much fun as I can right now."

"It's okay if you don't go to WJS this afternoon."

"I really want to go there too. I wish I could get Mao Zhenpeng's autographed jockey card. And I definitely don't want to miss the light show at Dajing tonight."

"That's really greedy."

Kitano shook his head helplessly and opened the umbrella again.

It's way too small for two adult men.

When they crossed the street and arrived at the commercial building, half of their bodies were already soaked by the rain.

The Germans pounced on the mall entrance like huskies running wild.

"Wait a minute, Zep."

He subconsciously adopted a rather serious tone.

"Eh, BOSS?"

Like a student who had made a mistake, Zep turned around and stared wide-eyed with an innocent expression.

Kitano pointed to a vending machine directly opposite the entrance to the underground shopping mall.

"Did you use the free coupon?"

"Eh!"

After a while, the two of them walked into the building, each carrying a can of beverage.

Despite the bad weather that morning, the number of pedestrians around the area increased at a visible rate.

A city that never sleeps, a city for young people.

Everyone calls Shibuya that, so it's easy to get the impression that it's always crowded there.

Although, the truth was not too far off from what was imagined.

Even so, the flow of people still fluctuates.

Today is a holiday morning, a time when the younger generation goes out in large numbers.

I checked the time on my phone; there was still at least an hour before the earliest restaurant opened.

This means we can't go anywhere else even if we want to.

So I decided to kill some time by strolling around the store.

Following Zep up to the sixth floor, almost as soon as the IP Bookstore opened, a large group of people rushed in, shouting and yelling.

Bookstores everywhere are all pretty much the same in terms of layout.

Upon entering, you'll find the most eye-catching platform, piled high with popular new books whose covers are on display.

but--

Although it's called a bookstore, this place is more like an interactive hub for various entertainment IPs.

Even the "Golden Booth" directly opposite the entrance only displays figurines and related merchandise.

Quietly distancing himself from the noisy Germans, Kitano headed towards a slightly secluded corner.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly caught something.

"Wow, they even have this!"

Sai○niang's collaboration travel bag.

Because of its simple black and white design, it won't be too eye-catching even when taken out in public.

The paper bag in my hand had gotten a little soggy from the rain.

Thinking this, I picked up the top travel bag and headed to the cashier.

"Good morning, President Kitano."

A somewhat unfamiliar voice came from not far away.

In an instant, my shoulders and even the top of my head felt stiff.

"Hello, Christopher the rider."

How did this guy end up here?

Before such questions arose, a French rider walking in their direction asked, "Is President Kitano also here for the event?"

What activity?

(End of this chapter)