Encounters are always a joyous affair, but that joy belongs only to the parties directly involved—leaving any friends on the sidelines feeling rather awkward.
Take Centaurea right now, for instance.
She watched, utterly helpless, as Sakura Chiyono O clung to Ardan's arm, chattering nonstop about all the amusing things Ardan had missed while recovering from her injury at home.
Ardan, standing beside her, clearly understood her roommate well. She listened attentively, letting out soft laughs every now and then.
And so, our lady Platinum was left off to the side, silently observing the pair ahead, completely at a loss for words.
"Hey, don't take it personally. That's just how Chiyono is. She's not the sharpest tool in the shed, and she's a bit too straightforward—ends up missing a lot of social cues. It's not that she has anything against you."
Just then, someone else seemed to pick up on the awkward atmosphere surrounding Centaurea. She deliberately slowed her pace and struck up a conversation with Platinum.
"Maybe. And you are?"
Platinum eyed the brown-maned Uma Musume who'd approached her, her tone less than warm.
The other girl, however, didn't seem to mind.
"Come on, let's get to know each other. I'm Dicta Striker."
With her hands tucked into the pockets of her hooded jacket, Dicta Striker didn't back down in the face of Platinum's cool demeanor.
"Centaurea. Or just call me Platinum."
"Mm, not a bad name. So, are you planning to become a Racing Uma Musume?"
Dicta Striker nodded, making casual conversation.
"If I had to choose, then yeah. Running seems pretty easy, after all. You win, you get money. No need to grind away day in and day out like some corporate drone—way better than being a wage slave."
At Dicta Striker's question, Platinum thought it over for a moment, then spoke her mind plainly.
"...Huh? Are you serious?"
Dicta Striker was floored. She never expected such an outrageous answer. Her expression turned strange as she looked Platinum up and down, almost as if she were looking at a fool.
"Forget the part about running just for money—everyone has their own motivations, so I can't really judge you there. But you think running is easy?"
"Well, it really is pretty easy."
"Pfft… Bahahahaha! Ahahahaha…"
Dicta Striker finally lost it, bursting into wild, uncontrollable laughter.
"Don't be so naive! Or do you look down on the sport?!"
Her laughter cut off abruptly, her expression turning grim.
"If you want to win, you have to train. Every single day, without slacking off. Your running form, race strategies—you repeat them over and over until they're etched into your muscle memory."
"Rain or shine, scorching sun or blizzard—no weather is excuse enough to skip. You have to push through the discomfort and keep training."
"And even then, winning isn't guaranteed. Talent, injuries, accidents—so many things can stand between you and first place."
"In those short three years, it's train, train, train. Those two words will consume your entire life."
"You'll experience exhaustion, soreness, and the agony of fighting for breath, over and over. It's a constant pounding on your body, and you call that easy?"
"And even if you endure all of that, victory still isn't guaranteed—because everyone else is training just as hard."
"Some are even more naturally gifted. You might not even place. What makes you so sure you can make money from this?"
As she listened to Dicta Striker's heated words, Platinum's eyes showed not a flicker of emotion.
Everything the other girl said might be true for a normal Uma Musume… but what did that have to do with Centaurea?
"Because I'm fast."
Platinum's tone was flat and matter-of-fact.
"..."
Dicta Striker fell silent. The other's words were so blunt, so unambiguous—there was no other way to interpret them.
And that was exactly what made her furious.
All her own hard work, the goals so many Uma Musume poured their sweat and tears into—in this girl's eyes, it was all dismissed with one careless remark.
The feeling that all her effort was being trivialized by an amateur's offhand comment was more than Dicta Striker could bear.
"Hey, you. Let's race."
Her words came out sharp as blades, the challenge gleaming with a cold light.
Dicta Striker's icy stare fixed on Platinum, a dangerous aura beginning to radiate from her.
"Hmm, why?"
Platinum regarded her calmly, her eyes as listless as ever. Dicta Striker's intimidation and menacing presence had no effect on her at all.
"To shatter your shallow understanding. To make you see how cruel our world really is."
Dicta Striker pulled her hands from her pockets, clenched one into a fist, then pointed a finger straight at Platinum's eyes.
"Enough talk. Come to the track with me. I'll show you what reality looks like!"
"What are you two arguing about?"
Just then, a figure in a kimono slipped between them, forcibly separating the two.
"Dicta Striker, don't bully her! She's not even an adult yet, is she?"
"Tch!"
With Sakura Chiyono O stepping in, Dicta Striker couldn't very well press the challenge further. Otherwise, this stubborn girl would surely latch onto her.
Besides, Chiyono's intervention had already begun to cool Dicta Striker's anger.
It dawned on her that Centaurea really wasn't an adult yet. In her eyes, running probably was that simple.
'Was I really getting worked up over a child?'
That thought, among others, helped dissolve the rest of her rage.
"Right, just calm down."
Seeing Dicta Striker settle, Sakura Chiyono also let out a sigh of relief.
After all, it had taken a surge of courage to stand in front of Dicta Striker in that state. As that courage faded, her legs began to feel a little weak.
Now, feeling relieved, Chiyono turned to look at the seemingly fragile Centaurea.
"There now, Centaurea dear, you don't have to—"
"I'm sorry, Dicta Striker, but could you continue? Centaurea-chan has accepted your challenge."
But before Chiyono could finish, Ardan—who had arrived with Chiyono earlier and had since been standing near Platinum, whispering to her—spoke up.
"Ardan! What are you saying?!"
Chiyono was completely lost.
"How old is Centaurea? Has she even undergone Maturation? How could she possibly race against Dicta Striker?"
"It's alright. I would only make this decision after speaking with Centaurea-chan. And I believe in her."
Ardan still wore that gentle smile, not a trace of worry on her face.
"Oh? So you're that confident in her, Ardan? Even better. Let's head to the track."
Seeing that Platinum showed no intention of contradicting Ardan, Dicta Striker understood that she herself wanted this race. That wild, competitive fire inside her roared back to life.
"Don't forget your part of the deal."
Platinum followed silently behind Dicta Striker, but as she passed Ardan, she let those words slip out quietly.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.