"Bless?"
Having finally broken free from Sakura Chiyono O's grasp in an unguarded moment, Mejiro Ardan glided over as if by chance encounter towards Bless the Moment and her group. "You're all here to have fun today too? What a coincidence."
...Trainer, you've really pulled the wool over my eyes.
Mejiro Ardan, her gaze fixed intently on the white-haired Uma Musume, felt as if a spice rack had been overturned in her heart, a tumult of conflicting emotions.
Excitement, joy, a tinge of resentment...
Carrying this whirlwind of feelings, the blue-haired Uma Musume gradually quickened her pace.
Bless the Moment looked at her, a surprised expression appearing on her face; her lips moved, but no sound came out. Her demeanor finally brightened with delight, and she called out:
"Miss Ardan! Are you here to have fun too?"
"..."
Hearing how Bless the Moment addressed her, Mejiro Ardan abruptly halted, standing still as she locked eyes with the white-haired Uma Musume.
Even now, you still want to keep up this act?
The young maiden felt both embarrassed and annoyed.
Fine... Let's see just how long you plan to keep this up!
"Yes, that's right."
Mejiro Ardan approached with a beaming smile. "...Are you all here to play as well?"
"Mm! Miss Ardan, would you like to join us?"
Bless the Moment pointed towards a nearby arcade cabinet. "We were just about to go play that game over there."
"..."
Following the direction of the white-haired Uma Musume's finger, they glanced over and saw she was pointing at a fighting game cabinet. They exchanged a look but remained silent.
Playing my best fighting game against my idol?
Please stop! This isn't the way to bring someone happiness!
"Sure."
Mejiro Ardan agreed cheerfully, her smile unwavering. "...But before that, I'd like to exchange social media accounts with you. Would that be alright?"
"Really? Is that okay?"
Hearing the blue-haired Uma Musume say this, Bless the Moment's face lit up with surprised delight.
"Of course it is."
The smile on Mejiro Ardan's face grew even brighter.
So that '[SilentGazer]' account is really you, isn't it, Trainer?
If you agree, the fact that you're the trainer will be exposed, you know?
What excuse will you use to refuse me now?
"Alright."
Unexpectedly, Bless the Moment actually nodded in agreement and pulled out her phone.
...Aren't you afraid of being exposed?
Watching the other girl open her phone and begin tapping away, Mejiro Ardan felt puzzled, but the corners of her mouth still turned up irresistibly.
But maybe it's just as well if it's exposed like this. At least it'll save us a lot of beating around the bush.
The blue-haired Uma Musume took out her own phone and opened the chat interface with '[SilentGazer]'.
"Miss Ardan?"
Having held her phone up for a while without seeing the other make a move, Bless the Moment spoke up, confused. "Aren't you going to scan the code?"
Scan the code? But I already have you as a friend, don't I?
Mejiro Ardan froze, instinctively looking at the phone held in the white-haired Uma Musume's hand.
Wait, this profile picture... it's not SilentGazer?
"Is something wrong?"
Seeing Mejiro Ardan staring at her in a daze, Bless the Moment asked quizzically.
You silly girl, you didn't think I'd come completely unprepared, did you?
I'd already guessed you might figure out the owner of that account was me, so I prepared a method to handle this exact situation long ago!
This is my last stand!
"No... it's nothing."
Mejiro Ardan shook her head and instead opened her QR code scanner function.
'[Rejoice!]'? And judging by the account level, it doesn't look like a new one?
Mejiro Ardan tried to find any flaws with this account but came up empty-handed.
Was this part of your calculations too, Trainer!
"Ardan! You—!"
After the two had exchanged social media accounts, Sakura Chiyono O arrived, later than expected but right on cue.
Seeing Mejiro Ardan already standing right in front of Bless the Moment, the red-haired Uma Musume swallowed the rest of her unspoken words and quickly stepped between the two of them.
Under Bless the Moment's perplexed gaze, Sakura Chiyono O swiftly looked the white-haired Uma Musume up and down, and seeing that her clothes were still tidy, she finally let out a sigh of relief.
Phew, good. I made it just in time.
My friend's criminal tendencies end here, stopped by me!
Sakura Chiyono O was filled with determination.
"Um, and you are...?"
Bless the Moment, being stared at by the red-haired Uma Musume, maintained a polite smile as she asked.
"Ah...! My apologies!"
Sakura Chiyono O's cheeks flushed slightly. "I'm Sakura Chiyono O, Ardan's roommate."
"You're Miss Ardan's roommate?"
Bless the Moment's eyes sparkled. "What is Miss Ardan usually like? Can you tell me?"
"Ardan, well..."
Acting as a living wall separating Bless the Moment and Mejiro Ardan, Sakura Chiyono O thought for a moment. "She likes drinking black tea, is kind to everyone, very gentle, and doesn't put on any airs of a young lady at all..."
As she spoke, the red-haired Uma Musume glanced back over her shoulder.
Ardan, oh Ardan, do you really want to shatter the image this child has of you?
You're her idol, the one she looks up to!
"I see... she's about how I imagined Miss Ardan would be."
Bless the Moment thought about it, then spoke.
That's it?
I've known all that for over twenty years already.
I can come and go freely from the Mejiro household without an invitation—can any other trainer do that?
"Then, Miss Chiyono O, would you like to join us?"
Bless the Moment invited Sakura Chiyono O. "Miss Ardan and I were just about to go play that fighting game over there."
"Fighting game? But I—"
The words of refusal did a complete one-eighty as she remembered Mejiro Ardan standing behind her. "—Sure, that sounds good! But I don't really know how to play. Could you teach me?"
"No problem."
Bless the Moment made an 'OK' gesture, then turned to look at Mejiro Ardan. "How about you, Miss Ardan?"
"I'm fine with it."
Mejiro Ardan asked with a smile, "How good are you at fighting games, Bless?"
"I know a thing or two."
Bless the Moment made a small gesture. "...But it's fine. If you don't know how, I can teach you both."
'A thing or two'?
Standing behind Bless the Moment, Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond could only offer their silent sympathy for the ordeal awaiting Sakura Chiyono O and Mejiro Ardan.
Bless the Moment's skills at fighting games were completely unlike those of someone who just 'knew a thing or two.'
Her high level of skill, combined with an Uma Musume's physical abilities far surpassing a human's...
...We hope they make it out okay.
"Kita-chan, Dia, are you two coming along?"
"No, no thanks."
Kitasan Black shook her head repeatedly. "I'm no good at fighting games. I think I'll go try some other games first... What about you, Dia?"
"I'll go with you."
Satono Diamond replied without a moment's hesitation.
The two of them, who hardly ever played, going up against Bless in a fighting game?
Better not.
"Then it'll be just the three of us going to play."
Bless the Moment felt a little regretful at not being able to recruit Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond into the group, and turned to address Mejiro Ardan and Sakura Chiyono O standing before her.
"Lovely."
Mejiro Ardan nodded, her smile never fading.
--+--
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.