A certain Uma Musume lay listlessly on the bed for a long time.
Starlight, her body trembling, slowly crawled up and looked down at the empty bottle in her hand. Wiping the residue of the potion from the corner of her mouth, she took several deep breaths, finally relaxing her contorted expression.
"Seriously, I almost got sent to the afterlife!"
After standing up again, Divine Starlight finally felt the sensation spreading through her limbs and bones. A comfort akin to being bathed in warm sunlight, paired with the refreshing feeling of a breeze stroking her cheeks, dissipated much of the pain from earlier.
Clenching her fists, Starlight encouraged herself:
"It's okay. Even though I've been a slacker for so long, I can still turn things around. I'll change my clothes and go find my Trainer."
Lightly stretching her body, Starlight opened her wardrobe with high hopes. She saw that, aside from two sets of Tracen Academy's unique school uniforms, there was nothing left inside— excluding, of course, the white cobwebs in the corner of the wardrobe.
"Where is my training gear— ?!"
With wide eyes, Divine Starlight cried out in disbelief.
"Cough, it's probably on the shelves over here." Looking at the pile of cardboard boxes on the neighboring bed frame, Starlight walked over and began rummaging through them.
The sound of clattering echoed through the bedroom. After searching through almost everything, she finally pulled out a training jersey with a hole in the front. Holding the garment up with both hands, she stared at the hole, which was as big as a fist.
"The venture collapsed before it even began... this is just great..."
Squinting her eyes, Starlight gave the wall a bitter smile. Then, she ran straight to the balcony and started wailing.
"God dammit, Divine Starlight! What on earth were you doing in the past...? You managed to ruin your training gear so badly you were using it as a mattress?!"
The neighboring dorm room.
A Uma Musume with a streak of white in her bangs and gentle, sky-blue eyes had just returned. She was sitting at her desk, organizing the notes she had taken during class.
Suddenly, she heard the complaining voice coming from next door. She closed her notebook and, driven by curiosity, walked slowly to the balcony.
She wasn't intentionally eavesdropping, but since the windows were open, Starlight's voice carried over easily.
"Eh? So there actually was a Uma Musume living next door?"
Grass Wonder said with some surprise, her eyes widening slightly.
Before her musing could end, our Starlight had already managed to soothe herself. She patted her cheeks and stood up.
"Alright, alright, at least the result isn't that bad. At worst, I'll just wear a shirt, at least the bottom half is still intact."
Having said that, Starlight happily turned back to the bed-frame-turned-shelf, picked up her training pants, and began examining them.
On the surface, there truly seemed to be no major issues, perhaps just some loose threads at the hem.
"Great! The pants aren't ruined, we're saved— "
Walking to the bedside, she took off her skirt and quickly pulled on the pants. She took a few steps and twirled around to check.
'Not going to lie, it feels different—'
RIP!!!!
The sound of fabric tearing was startlingly loud in the silent dormitory.
The look of relief on Divine Starlight's face froze before it could fully spread. Her upturned lips drooped as she sat on the bed in total dejection, pulling the pants off and tossing them aside.
"I wondered why it felt different... the crotch split open. If I wore these out to run, I'd probably be the most eye-catching presence on the entire training field."
Rising silently, she walked back to the balcony and leaned against the railing, sobbing.
"Divine Starlight, you really are a moron, you pathetic simp. You had time to buy bouquets for other Uma Musumes, but you couldn't be bothered to mend your own training gear. How am I supposed to win a championship like this?!"
She pulled out her phone and, with trembling fingers, started to dial Hayakawa Tazuna's number.
"Forget it, I'll report to Ms. Tazuna first and send the clothes for repairs. I'll just rot in my room for the rest of the afternoon— "
Just as she finished speaking, a gentle and clear voice drifted over from the neighboring balcony.
"Um, excuse me, are you having some trouble? If you'd like, perhaps I can help you."
"Eh! Really? You... you're really willing to help me?"
Without thinking much of it, Starlight turned toward the neighboring balcony in surprise. When she caught sight of the speaker's face, she froze for a moment, though she didn't say anything.
"Yes. Why don't you come over to my dorm room first? We can talk about it in detail."
"Okay, okay! I'll be right over."
Nodding, Divine Starlight didn't hesitate. She quickly changed her clothes and hurried to the room next door.
After opening the door, Grass Wonder looked at her with a smile and spoke.
"Hello, my name is Grass Wonder. I am a student in Class C of the Middle School Division. Are you a new student who just moved in?"
The smile on Divine Starlight's face froze. Her lip twitched as she gave an awkward laugh.
"Uh, haha... I'm Divine Starlight from the High School Division. Hello..."
Hearing this, Grass Wonder seemed a bit flustered, but she quickly composed herself.
"I am so sorry. That was rude of me, Senpai."
"It's alright, I've gradually gotten used to it."
'That's just how it is for us NPC types, we're like transparent people that usually go unnoticed.'
After inviting her into the room, Grass Wonder looked at the Senpai, who was slightly shorter than herself. The other girl's bangs covered her eyes, making it hard to see her full face.
Her entire aura radiated simplicity. Surely, if she hadn't been complaining on the balcony today, Grass Wonder might never have noticed her.
"Divine Starlight-senpai, please have a seat. Feel free to tell me what's wrong."
Looking at the gentle smile on Grass Wonder's delicate face, Starlight screamed internally—
'I've met an angel!'
"Actually, it's nothing major. It's just that my training outfit accidentally... uh, broke. Since I have a race coming up soon, the training schedule is quite tight. So..."
Twiddling her fingers, Starlight's voice grew smaller and smaller.
Seeing this, Grass Wonder didn't overthink it and made a suggestion.
"Neh, Divine Starlight-senpai, I feel like we are about the same size. How about I lend you one of mine for now?"
"Eh, is that really okay? But what about your training this afternoon?"
Hearing this, Grass Wonder tilted her head slightly and smiled.
"It's no problem. This set is a spare, I have another one for my own training."
"Is that so? You're a lifesaver, Grass Wonder-san!"
"You flatter me. It's only lending a set of clothes. If I run into trouble in the future, may I ask for your help too, Divine Starlight-senpai?"
"Of course! If it's you, Grass Wonder-san, I'll help with anything as long as it's within my power."
"Is that so... then it's a promise."
With that, Grass Wonder stood up, went to her wardrobe, took out her spare training uniform, and handed it over.
"Here you go, senpai."
"Thank you, thank you so much! Grass Wonder-san, I'll be sure to wash it carefully before returning it to you."
"Yes, I trust you, Senpai. Please use it without worry."
"Then, let's talk again when we have time. Bye-bye!"
"Okay, bye-bye Senpai. I hope your training goes well this afternoon."
"Mm, you too, Grass Wonder-san."
Back in her own room, Starlight immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
'To be honest, that conversation was a bit nerve-wracking, but luckily Grass-chan was a kind person.'
After her moment of sentiment, Starlight looked down at the red-and-white training uniform in her hands. Unconsciously, she buried her face in it and took a light sniff.
A faint fragrance drifted up, indicating that the owner had regularly cleaned the clothes rather than just leaving them neglected in the closet.
"Alright, now that I have the clothes, I need to go find the Trainer immediately!"