The man in front of her wearing black-framed glasses was the journalist connected to 'Friend.'
This was Manhattan Cafe's first time formally meeting him.
Since they'd spoken quite a bit on the phone, he felt less abrupt than he might have otherwise.
Moreover, Cafe had grown accustomed to him treating her as 'Friend.'
To her, this Fujii Senosuke fellow was far better than those who approached her spouting loads of incomprehensible nonsense.
At least she knew him.
"I see," he said. "I thought my eyes were deceiving me. So it really is you, Miss Silence. And this must be the one you mentioned on the call..."
"Agnes Tachyon," Manhattan Cafe replied. "She's the one managing the website for me now."
When it came to computer skills, Agnes Tachyon was far more capable than Manhattan Cafe.
Besides, Agnes Tachyon was the only one who kept a computer regularly set up in her room; Cafe didn't like cluttering her collection space with too many electronic devices.
"Miss Agnes Tachyon! Oh, right! You mentioned her before on the phone. This is our first time meeting, isn't it?"
Fujii Senosuke nodded.
Aside from the phone calls, Agnes Tachyon was relatively well-known in the Uma Musume racing world herself.
Her grandmother was an Uma Musume who'd won the [Oaks], and her mother was an Uma Musume who claimed the [Oka Sho] with an undefeated record. She came from a genuine, prestigious family.
To think it was that Agnes Tachyon... Fujii Senosuke was a little surprised.
The brown-haired girl wore a playful smile, her dull crimson eyes fixed on him.
"Indeed, Mr. Fujii. To devote so much energy for the sake of an unidentified 'ghost'... It seems you're also the type to plunge headlong into your obsessions, unable to extricate yourself. I'm truly curious, what were you thinking when you set up that website?"
In her usual, unchangeable manner, Agnes Tachyon responded.
As the three chatted, Fujii Senosuke suddenly remembered something.
"If both of you young ladies are here, doesn't that mean...?"
"'Friend' isn't here," Agnes Tachyon knew what he was about to ask.
"She's not?"
"She's not good with crowded places, so she's hiding. If you ever see a figure resembling her in a packed spot, it's most likely a fake."
"Ah... I see."
Fujii Senosuke nodded.
He'd thought he might finally get to observe her up close—a rare chance indeed.
But unfortunately, from the sound of it, the ghost had no intention of getting involved in this incident.
"So, Miss Silence and Miss Tachyon, you're also here to investigate that matter, then?"
"Just... came to take a look."
"Well, it's not like anyone said there could only be one visible 'ghost' in the world, right?" Agnes Tachyon said, her words taking a dangerous turn.
"If there really are other 'ghosts' hiding among the crowds, imitating human lives and going about their activities... now that would be a fascinating thing. Just imagining it is enough to send excitement firing through my synapses."
Her cavalier attitude toward treating 'Friend' as a research subject made Manhattan Cafe's eyebrow twitch incessantly. But since they were in a public place, she refrained from doing anything too rude to Agnes Tachyon.
"Other ghosts? Do you believe there are others in this world, Miss Tachyon?"
"We can't rule out the possibility. If her appearance is a product of this world, only having one would be rather strange, wouldn't it?"
Of course, she couldn't rule out the possibility of such a random event—one with odds lower than the sun exploding—happening right near them.
If that were truly the case, Agnes Tachyon had reason to believe she or Manhattan Cafe must have saved the world in a past life, to merit such an anomaly appearing by their side.
"Possibility, huh..." Fujii Senosuke stroked his chin. Just then, an announcement echoed through the station platform: the train was arriving soon.
"Well then, ladies, I must take my leave. I'll see you at the racecourse." With that, Fujii Senosuke hurried off to his position.
Once he was gone, Manhattan Cafe let out a quiet sigh of relief.
She'd been on edge the whole time, worried he might see through her act.
But that guy... he's pretty dedicated to this 'Friend' business, isn't he.
"This is working out rather well, Cafe," Agnes Tachyon said with a thoughtful smile. "Compared to us, that Fujii Senosuke spends far more time out in the field and is much better at dealing with people. His 'journalist' status grants him significant freedom, access to places we can't easily enter."
"In other words, he's a mobile intelligence repository. Willingly devoting so much for the sake of 'Friend'... It'd be a shame not to make good use of that spirit of dedication."
Agnes Tachyon let out a low, mischievous chuckle. "Heh, heh, heh..."
"Your personality is just the worst..."
"I'll take that as praise for my resourcefulness," Agnes Tachyon replied, folding her arms.
As the train pulled into the station, the two girls disembarked. Manhattan Cafe took out a small mirror she carried with her, her golden pupils gazing into its surface.
"Well?" Agnes Tachyon asked eagerly.
"Yes. 'Friend' is still here." She could see the other world, 'Friend's' figure.
Which meant 'Friend' could indeed follow along via reflective surfaces on moving vehicles.
"To think it's really possible..." Agnes Tachyon's eyes widened slightly.
This ability was far too incredible.
Entering nearby reflective surfaces, then, when a movable reflective object appeared within a certain range, she could follow its movement. Regardless of distance, once the target reached its destination, she could emerge from a suitable reflective surface based on what was available.
With this ability, she could potentially enter secure rooms ordinary people could never access.
Squinting, Manhattan Cafe seemed to be listening to something. Then she said to Agnes Tachyon, "'Friend' will find an exit. Let's head to the spectator stands first in the meantime."
"She's not staying with us?"
"No. The stands will be crowded. 'Friend' will find another spot."
"I see..." Agnes Tachyon nodded.
Besides the movement, there was one more thing she couldn't quite grasp.
How could Manhattan Cafe converse with 'Friend' through the mirror?
If it were sound, she should have detected it. It was almost like telepathy or something similar.
Of course, there couldn't actually be something like telepathy—a psionic ability. Agnes Tachyon was more inclined to believe they used electromagnetic waves or other frequency bands to transmit signals, creating something akin to the concept of 'information.'
But all of that required proper laboratory research.
"Anyway, let's go in first," Manhattan Cafe urged.
The train car had been too stuffy; the open feel of the racecourse was much better.
The two arrived at the Kyoto Racecourse.
Just as they were about to enter the spectator stands, a figure suddenly leaped down the stairs, colliding head-on with Manhattan Cafe.
"Oof—!"
With a startled cry, both tumbled to the ground.
The baseball cap hiding the other's face slipped from her shoulders, and a bundled mass of black hair cascaded down her back.
"Sorry!" the other girl apologized frantically, snatching up her cap and pulling it back onto her head before hurrying away.
"Are you okay?" Agnes Tachyon asked, helping Cafe up.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Manhattan Cafe said, brushing the dust from her skirt.
"Who was that just now...?"
"No idea," Agnes Tachyon shook her head.
But judging by her accent, she sounded British, didn't she?
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, 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.