It was the third day of working at Grand BLUE, which was the second day after the Satsuki Sho ended. The newsstands on the street and the television screens in the streets and alleys were all broadcasting close-ups of Symboli Rudolf, as well as the 'one finger, one crown' photo that was currently going viral online.
While Kazuo was out buying breakfast, he unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance.
Although she was called an acquaintance, it was actually only Kazuo who knew her unilaterally.
She wore a silver hairpin in her bun and a diamond-shaped metal ornament on the left side of her head. Her chestnut-colored soft hair was loosely draped behind her, and a large, crescent-shaped ahoge stood up on her head, swaying as the girl moved. Her delicate face, like an ice sculpture beauty, showed no emotional fluctuations.
Frozen in time, she seemed like an ice beauty who had stepped out of a painting.
Even though she was wearing a light-colored athletic hoodie, a simple outfit, it still highlighted her ethereal beauty.
Of course, more than that, there was an unapproachable distance and unspoken coldness.
Pedestrians could only turn their heads and stop to stare as they passed by. The girl, completely oblivious to their gazes, stood alone at the intersection of the shopping street, seemingly lost in thought. From time to time, she would look down at her phone, comparing it to the surrounding scenery, but she stood there for a full five minutes without making any other moves.
Although her expression was cold and indifferent, Kazuo always felt that she was just simply poker-faced.
Rather than waiting for someone, she looked… more like she was in trouble?
Even though she wouldn't show her troubles on her face, it still seemed somewhat unusual.
Of course, Kazuo hadn't expected to meet a contestant who had left a deep impression on him during the optional race.
"Mihono Bourbon"
An existence that operated with mechanical precision, like an ice beauty.
Mihono Bourbon doesn't smile.
That was the impression she gave others.
After much hesitation, Kazuo still approached her with breakfast in hand and spoke up:
"Um… Mihono Bourbon?"
"Error occurred, target destination not found… Target reference objects also unsearchable… Terminal GPS function error… Unable to adjust… Bad Status, situation assessment is — all is lost."
As if she hadn't heard Kazuo's call, she looked down at her phone and rattled off a string of words in a monotone voice.
Kazuo didn't understand a single word she was saying. He only knew that she was indeed in trouble.
"Mihono Bourbon, can you hear me?"
It took another call to bring her back to reality, but she only glanced at Kazuo before responding without a second thought:
"Based on appearance, it can be confirmed that the subject is a Tresen Academy trainee Trainer, Trainer Asama. Nice to meet you, I am Mihono Bourbon from Elementary School Division B."
This was truly surprising; both of them knew each other but thought the other didn't.
What concerned Kazuo even more was how she knew he was a trainee Trainer… As Kazuo stood in shock, Mihono Bourbon continued to speak in a very fast, yet still emotionless, tone:
"Currently, Mihono Bourbon is in BAD STATUS, and in a state of 'all is lost,' she does not know what to do."
With various languages mixed in, and a robotic, read-aloud voice, although she said she was in trouble, Kazuo felt no emotional fluctuation at all.
"Uh… are you lost?"
In any case, he tentatively asked.
"Correct. In fact, Mihono Bourbon is unable to find a nearby Horse Racing supply store. Although I inquired at the plaza in front of Odaiba, and was told to proceed 100m in this direction, I have not found any store matching the destination."
…So she's looking for a Horse Racing supply store… Wait a minute?
After learning her destination, Kazuo realized something was amiss.
"And now, my terminal system has also malfunctioned, encountering difficulties in starting the map program. Truly, all is lost —"
She really likes to use that phrase. Only now did Kazuo finally understand why she had remained in the same spot.
Getting lost was one thing, but the reason she couldn't find the store… was probably due to that, wasn't it?
Kazuo looked up at the various flower baskets outside the store nearby. From the outside, it looked more like a Grand BLUE surfing club than an athletics supply store.
No wonder she couldn't find her destination; if it was your first time, no one would recognize it as an athletics Horse Racing supply store.
"Um, if I'm not mistaken, you should be looking for that place."
Kazuo pointed to the store with a surfboard sign a little further down. "The only Horse Racing supply store around here should be this one."
"...Grand BLUE?"
She read out what was written on the sign, tilting her head slightly as if she didn't quite understand. Although she looked a little cute and dazed, Kazuo quickly explained:
"You misunderstood, this isn't a surfing club, it just looks like one from the outside. Inside, it's actually a Horse Racing supply store. By the way, is this your first time here, Mihono Bourbon?"
He himself was an exception, being from out of town. But this store should be quite famous in the Uma Musume circle, not only for its unique position in the area but also for its distinctive style that makes it frequently talked about.
But Mihono Bourbon didn't know this place, which truly surprised Kazuo.
"I apologize, I usually stay at the Academy during weekdays and rarely go out. Furthermore, Mihono Bourbon's hometown is in the suburbs; it would be impossible to come to this place without relying on the terminal system. However, I am now in BAD STATUS entirely because the terminal system has malfunctioned —"
Kazuo looked closely at the phone in her hand, and what she said was a malfunction was just the flashing red empty battery icon on the black screen no matter how she touched it… It was just that her phone had run out of battery… After figuring out the cause, Kazuo didn't know what to say for a moment.
But, when he had observed her from afar earlier, he had always felt that this girl was as cold and unapproachable as a block of ice.
Yet, at this moment, her behavior made one wonder — was she truly an eccentric girl, or merely a severe case of chuunibyou?
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