The warm morning sun spilled over the grounds, promising a truly pleasant day. It was still early, a good while before the Fan Appreciation Festival was set to begin, yet the school gates were already crowded with a dense, dark mass of people, while frantic last-minute preparations continued inside.
In front of the cafe door, a "Opening Soon" sign was placed. Inside the butler cafe, the preparations were equally tense.
Two highly responsible individuals, Air Groove and Symboli Rudolf, had arrived bright and early. They were already busy arranging the cafe's decorations and furnishings, including the chairs and tables for the guests.
Furthermore, the coffee beans and such had been personally prepared by the student council, all in pursuit of giving the visitors the best possible experience.
Besides the two from the student council, T.M. Opera O was also itching to join in. She was someone who loved being in the spotlight and adored all things glamorous; she'd never let an opportunity like this slip by.
And then... there was one rather unexpected guest.
"Here are your clothes. Go try them on," Symboli Rudolf handed the butler uniform to Platinum, feeling a little pleased with herself.
'I knew she was a good kid. She always listens to me in the end.'
Platinum rolled her eyes dramatically, but she didn't refuse.
She'd already braced herself to face the teeming crowds. Going back to sleep now would mean her entire night of anxious fretting had been for nothing, right?
Yeah, just over the decision of whether or not to take this part-time job at the butler cafe, Platinum had agonized the whole night—from counting her fingers to throwing dice, even losing sleep well past midnight. That's why she looked so exhausted this morning.
A perfect display of her social anxiety.
"In that case, I'll go change," Platinum said, grabbing the butler uniform and turning towards the back kitchen.
"Not so fast." Symboli Rudolf waggled her finger. "There's still quite some time before we open. This uniform is pretty thick. If you put it on now, you'll be sweating buckets."
"And besides, you're still not very comfortable with this, are you? To help you overcome that, I've called in two helpers on short notice."
Helpers? A faint sense of doubt stirred in Platinum's heart.
For some reason, Platinum had a strong feeling that when Symboli Rudolf said something like that, it never spelled good news for her.
Just as she was about to press for details, the wind chime at the door jingled, announcing a visitor.
"Mmm— Good morning. Ah, President, you're here too, and..."
"Good morning, President. Hehe, and Platinum is here too."
Two Uma Musume walked in.
The one on the left was slightly taller, with a cascade of smooth, jet-black hair reaching her shoulders and a slender figure.
The one on the right was a bit shorter, appearing more delicate, with short, light chestnut hair and a cool, aloof demeanor.
"Speak of the devil." Symboli Rudolf winked at Platinum. "These are the helpers I mentioned. So, Platinum, you know them, right?"
If the question was whether Platinum knew them, of course she did.
Weren't these the two she had run against in her debut race at the Hanshin Racecourse?
Looking at them, Platinum felt a bit awkward. After saying such harsh words back then, she had pretty much prepared herself to never see them again for the rest of her life, but now...
Tracen Academy was just too small.
The newcomers, however, didn't seem nearly as uncomfortable. The raven-haired Uma Musume gracefully raised her hand and gave a slight smile, waving at Platinum.
"Good morning, Platinum."
"...Morning, Leap of Faith."
Platinum remembered her—the Uma Musume who faced a strong opponent in her first debut race and then ran into Platinum herself in her second. Thinking about it, she'd had a pretty rough go.
The other one, the light chestnut-haired Uma Musume, let out a disapproving 'tsk,' only to be subtly elbowed by Leap of Faith. She then reluctantly sighed.
"Morning, Platinum. You remember me, right?"
"Uh... yeah... Of course I remember."
"Such hesitation? You forgot, didn't you? And why do you remember Leap of Faith but not me?"
No, no, it's just that Platinum had always relied on distinctive features to remember people.
Like Leap of Faith—tall, pitch-black hair, no other notable accessories—she was easy to remember.
But the other one...
"Oh, I remember now! You're Taiki Shuttle, right?"
"Why Taiki Shuttle? Do you only remember people by their hairstyle and hair color, you jerk?"
Fuji Kyoji slammed her hand hard on the table.
"I'm Fuji Kyoji!"
What does Taiki Shuttle have to do with any of this?
Huh? Look at my eyes! Look right at me, you brat!
Just who do you think I am?
Platinum covered her face in embarrassment. There was no helping it—her face blindness was like that. The faces didn't connect to the people. It wasn't that she hadn't remembered Fuji Kyoji; she just hadn't matched the face to the name.
She did remember there was an Uma Musume who had argued with her at the Hanshin Racecourse.
But now that everyone shared the same general art style, aside from the hair, they all looked kinda the same... And watching anime was different from seeing people in real life.
If you were talking about characters who appeared in the anime or games, she could manage by association, but for someone she'd only met once, like Fuji Kyoji...
"Now, now," Leap of Faith chimed in cheerfully, clapping her hands lightly. "The President specially asked us to be Platinum's first customers. We mustn't spoil the mood."
"Wha...?" Fuji Kyoji turned to look at Leap of Faith, horrified. "You knew all along why the President asked us here? Then why didn't you tell me earlier!"
"Knowing you, if you knew this involved Platinum, you'd be so embarrassed you'd be rolling around on the floor, right?" Leap of Faith wagged her finger.
"You'd definitely be thinking: 'That time we yelled at each other from behind our doors is just too painful a memory. If only I could have held my temper back then and talked it out properly.'"
"But on the other hand, you'd also think, 'I didn't do anything wrong, why should I reflect on myself? Next time I see Platinum, I'm going to have a proper argument with her!' But then causing a scene in her cafe would trouble everyone else. So you'd just stay in your dorm room until the event was over. You'd probably even sneak a peek at the venue after everything wrapped up, only to slink back to your dorm when you saw everyone was gone..."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Fuji Kyoji pointed at Leap of Faith, her face bright red as she stomped her foot. "Don't act like you know me so well!"
This went beyond just knowing her well; it was practically predicting her future actions and thoughts. Leap of Faith had Fuji Kyoji's entire behavioral patterns figured out.
Leap of Faith—a truly terrifying woman.
"My, my," Leap of Faith said, covering her cheek with her hand as she looked at Fuji Kyoji. "Aside from your parents, is there anyone who knows you better than me, after we've lived together for a year? I'm a little hurt, you know."
As she said this, Leap of Faith put on a heartbroken, tearful expression, looking utterly pitiable.
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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.