"Good morning…"
"Good morning. Bless, why do you look so listless?"
The next morning, watching the white-haired Uma Musume stagger into the classroom and slump into her seat, Kitasan Black asked with concern.
"I had a dream last night."
The white-haired Uma Musume laid her head on the desk, replying weakly.
"A nightmare?"
"I dreamed some guy who claimed to be a god tried to talk to me, but he couldn't string a complete sentence together."
"A god? Which god?"
"I think it was the Obelisk the Tormentor."
The white-haired Uma Musume suddenly sat bolt upright. "Because when I jolted awake, the image popped into my head of the Manager slamming the floor and summoning Obelisk the Tormentor."
Obelisk the Tormentor? The Manager?
Kitasan Black's brain froze.
Who were these people? And what did she mean by 'summoning'?
"Bless was just talking about a character from that anime centered around card duels," Fortunately, Satono Diamond, sitting nearby, promptly spoke up to clear her confusion.
"That Tormentor is one of the Three Egyption Gods from the first series of the anime."
"Oh…" Kitasan Black half-understood.
Card duels? Three Egyptian Gods?
This was getting harder and harder to follow.
"Oh? Dia, you know about this stuff?" Bless the Moment magically produced a stack of cards. "How about a duel? I'll use this Dragon Balls deck."
"Dragon Balls?"
"Seven White Dragons, the rest are Tearlaments."
"...Haven't Tearlaments been dead for ages?"
"No matter! We're using the special Bless the Moment rules now!"
Bless the Moment placed the stack of cards on the desk. "Now then—Dia, bring out your deck! Let's have a proper duel!"
"I've only watched the anime. I never bought the cards, and I've never played Yu-Gi-Oh."
Satono Diamond deftly extricated herself with a few light words.
"Tch, what a pity." The white-haired Uma Musume's ignited enthusiasm was swiftly doused. She put away the thick stack of cards and slumped back onto the desk to continue playing dead.
"You look like you didn't sleep a wink all night."
"Is it possible that after I woke up, I really didn't get a single decent wink of sleep for the rest of the night?"
Bless the Moment retorted.
"So, Bless, you're planning to catch up on sleep during class?"
"That was indeed the idea."
The white-haired Uma Musume turned her head to look at the two beside her. "I plan to sleep right through class, through heaven and earth alike. Pray, what is your esteemed opinion on this matter, Dia?"
"An 'esteemed opinion' is too grand. I merely wish to remind you of one thing, Bless." Satono Diamond spoke, a smile playing on her lips. "...Today is Thursday, you know?"
"Thursday? What about Thursday?" Bless the Moment was puzzled. "I don't even do Crazy Thursday…"
"It seems you've realized it yourself." Noting the white-haired Uma Musume's voice growing fainter, Satono Diamond said.
"Of all days, why today?!" Bless the Moment cried out in dismay. "How could this be?!"
"Bless, can you still sleep now?"
"I've been tricked?!" The white-haired Uma Musume had a sudden epiphany. "By that bizarre dream?!"
"I'm looking forward to seeing your adorable, dozing face in class later, Bless." Satono Diamond delivered the finishing blow, still smiling.
"You want to watch me sleep?" Bless the Moment turned her head to look at Kitasan Black.
"Kita-chan, aren't you going to do something about her?!"
"...Why drag me into this all of a sudden?" Kitasan Black, who had fallen silent after her initial couple of sentences, finally muttered. "And besides, it's not like I can control Dia, can I?"
"Who says?" Bless the Moment refuted. "I have a plan, one that will surely make Satono Diamond surrender without a fight."
"I'm still right here, you know?" Satono Diamond reminded her.
Bless the Moment's gaze fell upon the tea-haired Uma Musume once more.
She looked at her, a complex expression spreading across her face—three parts mockery, three parts disdain, and four parts utter confidence.
—Let's see what kind of nonsense you can come up with.
Under Satono Diamond's watchful eye, Bless the Moment raised her hand, her right index finger gently tracing over her rosy lips.
She said nothing, and yet she seemed to have said everything.
Seeing this gesture, both Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond instantly fell silent.
So what if I've been reborn as a little white-haired Uma Musume? That doesn't mean you've gotten any stronger.
Facing off against you two at this level is just plain unfair.
Looking at her two friends, their faces now flushed red, Bless the Moment once again laid her head on the desk and closed her eyes.
Hah, is that all you've got? How could I possibly lose?
--+--
"…"
That afternoon, Bless the Moment was alone on the spectator stands again.
Propping her chin in her hand, she watched the intense training session unfolding on the green field below and couldn't suppress a yawn.
She hated this feeling of having nothing to do.
Her mind almost succumbing to drowsiness again, Bless the Moment quickly shook her head.
Might as well scroll through her phone for a bit.
Bless the Moment pulled out her phone.
She opened the messaging app, scrolling from top to bottom, only to find that even Okino, who often spammed her with messages during winter break, hadn't sent anything in two days.
For a fleeting moment, Bless the Moment felt like a lonely, forgotten old woman.
Ah… Being busy is good. It's good to be busy.
Bless the Moment exited the messaging app.
Well, since she had nothing better to do, she might as well play a game for a while.
--+--
"Ardan, you've been so distracted these past few days. You're not thinking about how to go see that child, are you?"
"…"
The blue-haired Uma Musume, her thoughts pulled back to reality by Sakura Chiyono O's voice, wore a helpless expression.
Ever since Sakura Chiyono realized that Ardan seemed to harbor some unusual feelings towards Bless the Moment, she had started keeping a very close watch on her.
Ardan knew Sakura Chiyono just didn't want her to make a mistake, but…
"Chiyo, it's really not what you think."
"Then what is it?" Sakura Chiyono retorted. "Why don't you tell me, Ardan?"
"What if I said Bless the Moment is Trainer Nakatsuru Aya?"
After a moment of contemplation, Mejiro Ardan ventured tentatively.
"You're trying to tell me that Bless the Moment and Trainer Nakatsuru Aya, who passed away years ago, are the same person?"
Sakura Chiyono countered.
"…What if I said yes?"
"Ardan." Sakura Chiyono sighed. "I know Trainer Nakatsuru Aya's passing was a huge blow to you, and to all the Uma Musume who ever served at Venus. But you can't… you can't project that onto that child."
"That child is even your fan. If she found out that's how you see her, what do you think she'd feel?"
'I don't know what she'd feel, but if the Trainer found out, she'd definitely rush over to watch the drama first thing.'
Mejiro Ardan thought to herself.
"Ardan, seeking a substitute is not the way…" Sakura Chiyono advised, her voice full of earnest concern. "You mustn't, you really mustn't do this."
"I know." Mejiro Ardan sighed. "Chiyo, I was just joking earlier."
"…Was it really just a joke?"
Sakura Chiyono stared intently at Mejiro Ardan's face for a long time, as if judging the truthfulness of her words.
"Chiyo, I am not lying."
Under her friend's skeptical gaze, Mejiro Ardan spoke, her composure unshaken.
--+--
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.