Platinum lay splayed out on her bed, having kicked the covers clean off.
That damn Agnes Tachyon, not only did she crash in Platinum's bed, but she didn't even bother to tidy up the sheets after.
When Platinum got back to her dorm room, all she found was a crumpled, balled-up mess of a bed.
Today, Agnes Tachyon had been thoroughly dealt with by Manhattan Cafe, and for once, she was conspicuously absent from the training grounds in the afternoon.
Whatever little games Agnes Tachyon and Manhattan Cafe were playing was none of Platinum's business; all she knew was that she could finally slack off today.
Heh. The moment she finished the training regimen set by Okino, she bolted straight back to the dorm, not spending a single second longer at the track than necessary.
'I've contracted a terminal illness where just looking at the racetrack will send me to meet my maker.jpg'
Of course... that was the original plan...
Yet, somehow, Platinum ended up pushing herself through extra training voluntarily—without Agnes Tachyon there to whip her into shape—running until she was gasping for breath.
Looking back, even Platinum herself found it utterly baffling.
Because, at that moment, her mind was completely occupied with one thought: "What am I going to do about the Yayoi Sho?"
Originally, Platinum had never worried about some small-time race like the Yayoi Sho.
Wasn't her skill level higher than Symboli Rudolf's? (Or so she thought.) Winning should be a piece of cake, right?
But the appearance of Neo Universe and that diary had thrown her thoughts into chaos.
Her parallel-world self... lost to Neo Universe.
Although the diary mentioned the loss was due to poor physical condition and underestimating the opponent, who's to say her parallel-world self wasn't just putting on a brave face?
It's like getting into a fight with Mike Tyson.
Tyson punches you, sending you spinning 3,600 degrees in the air while you vomit blood profusely, and upon landing, with all your teeth shattered, you still manage to sneer, "You're not so tough. You couldn't even knock me out with one punch."
It's the epitome of being a stubborn hardhead who won't admit defeat.
And you know what? Let's be real, based on Platinum's self-awareness... she'd totally pull something like that.
This stirred a faint unease and anxiety within her.
Although Neo Universe had told her he chose the Spring Stakes, and Tokai Teio opted for the Spring Stakes, meaning in theory, the Yayoi Sho shouldn't have any strong opponents...
But you never know. You just never know.
Driven by this tangled mess of emotions, Platinum, for the first time ever, automatically ran a few extra laps.
When she looked back, she saw Okino wearing an expression as if he'd just witnessed the sun rise from the west.
He even pulled her aside, comforting her with kind words, telling her not to stress too much, that with her ability, the Yayoi Sho should be no problem at all, and so on.
He gave her a good, long pep talk before finally letting her go.
Seriously, is voluntary extra training really that strange?
Back to the present. Lying in bed, that sense of anxiety welled up again now that she had nothing to do.
Can I win? Can I?
No one, including Okino, could understand the pressure Platinum was feeling.
It wasn't that Platinum had some burning desire to win; for other races, she just ran casually—winning was nice, but losing was fine too. Except for the Yayoi Sho... this was her lifeline.
[Complete the Yayoi Sho (0/1)] (Winning grants a 3-star rating) (100 Carrot reward + Unlock Tier 2 Shop interface)
The Tier 2 Shop was crucial for her.
Although she didn't know exactly what the Tier 2 Shop sold yet, if she wanted to cure her illness, her only hope was to access the more advanced shop.
This wasn't like a game, where if you lost, you could rely on an alarm clock or something to redo it. Here, if you lost, you lost.
Just thinking about the despairing handwriting in the diary entry after her parallel-self lost the Yayoi Sho sent a shiver down Platinum's spine.
I don't want that to happen!
She knew her ability was actually pretty decent, and she knew that if she performed normally, she shouldn't lose the Yayoi Sho... but, she couldn't afford to lose.
This immense pressure weighed on her shoulders, almost bending her over.
Hesitating for a moment, Platinum still took out her phone and started typing a message.
[File Transfer Assistant]: If you encountered a race you absolutely had to win, with no room for loss, what would you do?
She initially thought of asking Agnes Tachyon, but then remembered Agnes Tachyon was probably busy playing all sorts of shady little games with Manhattan Cafe. Better not disturb them.
Things like coffee enemas or whatever.
The main thing was... that Agnes Tachyon didn't even bother to fold the sheets after sleeping in her bed.
Served her right to be tormented a bit more.
Let her suffer a little longer, Platinum thought with schadenfreude.
After some thought, she felt the most suitable person to confide in was probably Sham, given her extensive experience handling pressure. But not only did Sham not reply, it even showed as unread.
Thinking about it, that made sense. Sham was currently traveling the world doing extreme challenges; she'd heard Red Bull even wanted to sponsor her. It was perfectly normal for her not to have her phone on hand.
So, Platinum sent the message to Urban Sea instead.
Urban Sea was a gentle person, and her ability to handle pressure wasn't small either—after all, she was an Uma Musume who broke through the competition to win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Her mental fortitude was solid.
[Sea the Stars is #1] : Yeah, I run into that situation often.
[Sea the Stars is #1] : Hehe, you've asked the right person.
Platinum's eyes immediately lit up.
Urban Sea, you truly are the most reliable!
After a short wait, Urban Sea sent a sixty-second voice message.
"We run on the track, ultimately, because of love. It is precisely because of love that we are able to run, to compete for victory, to be born into this world. This is all blessings bestowed upon the world by the Three Goddesses. Platinum, I'm truly glad you asked this. It shows you are beginning to understand the true meaning of love. This is the fuel that drives us, the motive force of our existence. Ultimately, Uma Musume are beings who seek happiness, and love is the pinnacle of happiness. Come, devoutly pray to the Three Goddesses for love. This is the most important thing in this world, and the only path to complete hard-fought races. In my words..."
At first, Platinum tried to listen carefully, but the further it went, the more something felt off, making Platinum frown deeply.
Before she could even finish listening to this message, another one came through.
Then another right after, and another, and yet another.
Platinum was now covered in a cold sweat. Did she accidentally trigger some strange switch in Urban Sea?
[Sea the Stars is #1] : No, this explanation is still too superficial. Let me call you.
[File Transfer Assistant] : ...Thanks, but no need. I understand completely now.
Branding the lesson 'Never ask Urban Sea about winning or losing races again' into her brain, Platinum then messaged Golden Sixty.
It wasn't that she particularly wanted to ask Golden Sixty; she just had no one else left to ask.
She couldn't ask Agnes Digital, could she? For all she knew, Agnes Digital might be busy watching Manhattan Cafe and Agnes Tachyon play their little games.
--+--
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.