Honestly, this was a bit awkward.
Mejiro Ardan felt as if a handful of nails had been scattered across the chair beneath her, making it impossible to sit still.
She looked at the trio seated in a row before her and offered an awkward, yet polite, smile as she asked, "So... I was referred by the Kasamatsu Uma Musume fan club?"
Ardan thought that even though they'd split into two separate clubs, they were all people who adored Dream Weaver.
Maybe just mentioning the names of the Kasamatsu girls would open up the conversation and let them skip past this uncomfortable situation.
Who could have predicted that upon hearing this, King Halo and Admire Vega would immediately furrow their brows, push Narita Top Road into action, and busily set to work?
They swiftly drew the curtains, locked the door, wiped the chaotic scrawl from the blackboard, and then, from who knows where, produced a desk lamp which they placed directly in front of Ardan.
"I see. A spy, then."
"Confess! Did they send you to steal my top-class plans!"
After Admire Vega and King Halo finished speaking, having slammed the table for emphasis, Narita Top Road, who had been hiding under the table, peeked out her little head and gave Ardan a somewhat apologetic smile before adding,
"If... if you talk, we'll treat you to a pork cutlet bowl."
Before Ardan could even process what was happening, the room had been transformed into an interrogation chamber.
They had the good cop, the bad cop, and even the classic pork cutlet bowl offer—if the Uma Musume being interrogated had a guilty conscience, she was sure to slip up.
But Mejiro Ardan just blinked in confusion.
Truthfully, she had no idea what they were talking about.
Seeing that Ardan was still 'stubbornly resisting,' King Halo gritted her teeth, clenched her fist, and spoke with passionate, pained frustration.
"Last festival, it was all because that group messed things up! If not for them, with my top-class plan, I would've definitely succeeded in getting close to Dream!"
"This time, they must have sent you to spy on us because of my top-class plans. I've seen through everything, so you might as well confess honestly!"
Beside her, Admire Vega crossed her arms and added coldly, "The number of rivals has increased without us noticing. As forerunners, we must maintain the advantage we've built up."
"My apologies, but this is a struggle for the future. There's no room for sentimentality here."
Faced with the intense aura of the two, Narita Top Road, who felt she was the only normal one in the trio, forced a smile and chimed in to support her friends.
"Th-that's right!"
After listening to them, Mejiro Ardan felt she was beginning to understand.
So the competition among Dream Weaver's fan groups, all vying for their idol's attention, had already reached such a fever pitch?
Fans are truly terrifying.
Fans command awe.
"That's amazing. As forerunners, you must be the Uma Musume who have accumulated the most advantages and gotten the closest to Dreams, right?"
Mejiro Ardan remarked with some admiration.
But she didn't know that her words landed like a heavy blow squarely on the chests of King Halo and Admire Vega, forcing them to stumble back two steps.
"Such... such vicious words!"
"What a fearsome attack! She's definitely trouble!"
King Halo and Admire Vega leaned on each other for support as they muttered gravely towards Ardan.
Mejiro Ardan only grew more puzzled. She could only turn her gaze towards Narita Top Road.
"Well, I guess we were the first group, but... we actually still haven't managed to become friends with Dream yet..."
Narita Top Road said, her eyes darting evasively.
When you got down to it, the only plan these three Uma Musume had truly succeeded in seemed to be that initial attempt to waylay Dream Weaver in that alleyway.
Although the outcome of that... well, let's just say the bread met a tragic end.
Nevertheless, Narita Top Road's words made Mejiro Ardan nod repeatedly. She said with some admiration,
"As fans, your goal is to become friends with your idol?"
"That feels quite admirable!"
Her words caused all three Uma Musume present to freeze for a moment.
Finally, King Halo stepped forward and somewhat hesitantly asked Ardan why she had come here after all.
And Mejiro Ardan laid everything out plainly, explaining how she first heard about the 'Kasamatsu' Uma Musume from Oguri Cap, and then from the 'Kasamatsu' Uma Musume ended up here.
After hearing her explanation, the three of them exchanged glances, then silently began putting away all their previous props and setups.
When the curtains were drawn back and sunlight once again flooded the classroom, King Halo cleared her throat and said,
"Then, I shall begin by explaining what Dream means to me."
This rapid series of changes left Mejiro Ardan feeling a bit whiplashed. She tilted her head and asked, confused, "So suddenly?"
King Halo, already mortified by the earlier misunderstanding, flushed bright red.
She coughed loudly several more times, and finally, under Ardan's pure, inquisitive gaze, she blurted out as if throwing caution to the wind,
"Well, do you want to hear it or not?!"
"I'm all ears."
Seeing Mejiro Ardan straighten her posture and sit properly, King Halo cleared her throat once more, her cheeks still red, and began.
"In my eyes, Dreams' greatest trait is probably her perseverance."
"That determination, to give her all even when she knows success might be impossible, moved me deeply during a time when my own life felt shrouded in shadows."
After speaking, King Halo seemed to remember something else, and added in a softer, more relieved tone, "In a way, Dreams also helped me and my mother reconcile."
In the past, King Halo never understood why her mother didn't support her pursuits, why she seemed to dismiss her as wasting her time.
When she felt drowned in the shadow of 'top-class' Uma Musume, her feelings towards her mother were a mix of yearning and frustration.
It was because of Dream Weaver's existence that this awkward mother and daughter found a space to open their hearts and talk, ultimately leading to their reconciliation.
After King Halo finished, Narita Top Road spoke next.
"My reason isn't so complicated. I simply admire the figure Dreams cuts on the racetrack."
"But... if one day I couldn't see her racing across the track anymore, I think I'd definitely feel a bit lonely."
After speaking, Narita Top Road's cheeks flushed a deep red, and she smiled, somewhat embarrassed.
Seeing that two had already spoken, Mejiro Ardan turned her gaze towards Admire Vega, who had remained silent until now.
For Admire Vega, her initial fondness for Dream Weaver was largely rooted in the other's resemblance to her younger sister.
Having witnessed a similar regret in another world, Admire Vega wanted to prevent such a regret in this reality.
In a sense, her feelings towards Dream Weaver were primarily protective.
As could be gleaned from her earlier conversation with King Halo, the most extreme thing she'd ever contemplated was simply bundling Dream Weaver up in her favorite soft, cozy duvet and humming 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' to her.
So, when Mejiro Ardan's eyes fell upon her, Admire Vega's answer was decisive.
"I want to protect her."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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.