A flicker of unease tugged at her.
Barbatos trailed at the rear of the Canopus group, idly wondering if she should seize a chance to slip away.
But they were already at the Tokyo Tower. It felt like a waste not to go up.
Besides, she knew, logically, that the Tokyo Tower wasn't going to collapse! The only real obstacle was her own fear of heights.
From their spot near the foundation, they could see crowds of people resting. From this angle, the entire tower was bathed in a warm, orange glow from the lights, creating a beautifully serene scene against the night sky.
'Probably a popular spot for couples,' she mused.
Tickets were required to ascend the Tokyo Tower.
The ticket booth was located right at the base. Inside, along with the tickets for the elevator ride to the top, there were various souvenir models of the tower.
Led by Minamizaka, their group lined up and reached the ticket counter.
"Sir, adult tickets are 1,200 yen each," the attendant said politely. "If any Uma Musume can show their Tracen Academy student ID, they receive a fifty percent discount."
Hearing this, Minamizaka glanced back at the group. "Did anyone bring their student ID?"
Twin Turbo and Urara looked at each other and shook their heads. This Tokyo Tower trip was a spontaneous idea after they'd already left, so they hadn't come prepared.
Ikuno Dictus, Nice Nature, and Matikanetannhauser, however, fished their student IDs from their pockets. They happened to have theirs on them.
"Minamizaka, Minamizaka! Does that mean we can't go up if we don't have our IDs?!" Twin Turbo wailed, putting on a pitiful face.
Urara quickly mirrored the expression with a pleading look.
Minamizaka gave a reassuring smile. "It's fine. Those without IDs can just purchase adult tickets."
The ticket price wasn't high to begin with. He'd only asked because the attendant mentioned the student discount.
The difference between 1,200 yen and 600 yen meant nothing to someone who could provide a Hawaiian vacation as a team benefit.
"Did you bring yours?" Seiun Sky whispered, subtly hooking her pinky finger around Barbatos's.
"Nah, I don't make a habit of carrying my student ID when I go out," Barbatos replied, her own pinky instinctively trying to capture Seiun Sky's, but the other girl's finger was annoyingly agile.
The races she competed in nowadays were all held at major racecourses; she didn't run in obscure local events. She often didn't even need to carry cash, just her phone was enough. A student ID never crossed her mind.
Up ahead, seeing that neither Barbatos nor Seiun Sky mentioned having their IDs, Minamizaka already had his phone out, ready to pay for three student tickets and the rest as adult tickets.
"Wait a second!" Twin Turbo suddenly shot her hand up, addressing the attendant. "Excuse me! Does just proving we're Tracen students count for the discount?"
The attendant smiled warmly. "In theory, yes."
Twin Turbo was undeniably cute, and the attendant felt she probably was from Tracen. It made sense if everyone around her was. But she wasn't the owner. While the tickets were cheap, she couldn't make subjective judgments; official Tracen Academy student IDs were required.
Especially with her middle-aged supervisor standing right beside her. 'Can't make any mistakes on the job, girl,' she thought to herself.
Still, she didn't stop Twin Turbo. A legendary Uma Musume had just ascended the tower earlier.
If someone of that caliber could vouch for them, it would be no problem. Legendary Uma Musume even had complimentary access rights—they were the pride of Japanese Uma Musume Racing, why would they need to pay to enter the Tokyo Tower?
Minamizaka looked at Twin Turbo, about to tell her not to worry about the money.
Then he saw Twin Turbo plant her hands on her hips and declare, "Haha, I can't prove it myself, but B-chan and Sei-chan definitely can, right?"
Barbatos: "?"
'This is unnecessary, seriously unnecessary. It's just a 600 yen difference.'
She already knew what Twin Turbo was implying. Releasing the pinky finger she'd finally managed to entangle with Seiun Sky's, she stepped forward.
She lifted the brim of her baseball cap, allowing her face to be fully visible to the attendant and the supervisor beside her, while still keeping it discreet from other visitors.
The attendant was momentarily confused, thinking she was about to present something.
But the instant she saw that face, it clicked, overlaying perfectly with the image of the Uma Musume currently dominating the news and conversation.
"Barba…" she started, breath catching.
The middle-aged supervisor beside her reacted faster.
"This is sufficient proof that you are all Tracen Academy students," he stated with authority. His face carried the stern demeanor of a man in charge; while he didn't wield the absolute power Symboli Rudolf held over Tracen, he was clearly a manager of some significance.
"All tickets can be purchased at the student rate."
"Thank you," Barbatos replied with a slight smile. While she felt it was a bit much to fuss over such a small sum, she couldn't help feeling a flicker of pride that her face alone was valid currency here.
"If it's not too much trouble," the supervisor continued, his voice lowered, seemingly aware of Barbatos's desire for discretion, "could you please sign here?"
"Huh?"
'You need a signature just to buy a ticket?'
What was offered, however, was a blank piece of paper. This wasn't for ticket purchase paperwork; it was clearly a request for an autograph.
"I'm a fan," the man explained quietly. "Your performance today was magnificent. I was hoping to get your signature."
"Thank you for your support."
"Me too…!" the attendant chimed in, her eyes shining with hopeful expectation.
Without hesitation, Barbatos signed two autographs.
After Minamizaka paid for the tickets, the group finally boarded the elevator to ascend the Tokyo Tower.
"That was the real Barbatos!" the attendant gushed excitedly once they were gone, the professional composure melting away. 'No wonder she looked familiar, even with the cap.'
She had actually wanted to request time off to watch the race at Tokyo Racecourse today but hadn't managed to get it approved, resigned to catching the replay.
Yet, because she'd worked, she'd gotten to meet Barbatos in person and even got her signature. Today was definitely her lucky day.
People living near racecourses often had the highest passion for Uma Musume. They got to witness more thrilling races live and immerse themselves in the electrifying atmosphere more frequently.
Getting autographs from two Uma Musume today was just wonderful.
On the other piece of paper Barbatos had signed, another name was elegantly written: "Maruzensky."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, 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.