"A childhood friend is defined as someone you've played with since you were little, right?"
Hearing Manhattan Cafe's words, Agnes Tachyon tilted her head and replied.
"But that's not the kind of relationship Dream and I have. If I had to use a word to describe it..."
"Hmm... what word would fit best?"
Agnes Tachyon frowned, muttering to herself as if finding the exact term to define their bond was a truly daunting task.
Manhattan Cafe simply sipped her coffee in silence, her gaze fixed on the hand that Agnes Tachyon hadn't moved from Dream Weaver's cheek.
After a long while, as if she had finally cracked the code, Agnes Tachyon cried out with a look of pleasant surprise.
"I've got it! How about a 'twilight romance'! My relationship with Dream is exactly like a twilight romance!"
"...Setting the 'romance' aside, where exactly is the 'twilight'?"
Manhattan Cafe glanced at the two girls—both clearly in the peak of their youth—and spoke with an air of exasperation.
Dream Weaver had a rough idea of why Agnes Tachyon had chosen that word.
In the Scenario World, one was a researcher who had retired from the track years ago to focus on pharmacology, while the other was a veteran of countless battles approaching her own retirement.
If an Uma Musume stepping onto the track is like the midday sun, then they had both already stepped into their respective twilights.
Meeting at such a time made the term 'twilight romance' seem somewhat appropriate.
Of course, Dream Weaver still felt the need to correct the part of the phrase that wasn't the 'twilight' bit, so she spoke up.
"How about we just call it a friendship between two people who haven't seen each other in ages, but were once completely in sync?"
"In sync in the past, huh..."
Manhattan Cafe narrowed her eyes, whispering the words with an unreadable tone.
Doubt still lingered in her heart, though she didn't voice it; after all, the suspicious points surrounding Dream Weaver and Agnes Tachyon were stacking up.
If they truly were so close in the past, why hadn't Tachyon looked for Dream Weaver sooner?
They were both students at Tracen Academy, and Dream Weaver had been famous since winning the Hopeful Stakes last year.
No matter how much Tachyon buried her head in her research, she should have known who she was after the Satsuki Sho at the very least.
Dream Weaver knew this explanation wouldn't satisfy every doubt, but she didn't intend to reveal everything. Agnes Tachyon was a friend she had forged a bond with in the Scenario World, so it didn't matter if she spoke freely with her.
But today was her first day meeting Manhattan Cafe, and there were some things she simply wouldn't say.
Even if the other girl looked suspicious, Dream Weaver had no intention of elaborating. She just picked up her coffee, took a sip, and offered Manhattan Cafe a polite smile.
Sandwiched between the two, Agnes Tachyon sensed that the situation was trending toward the dangerous.
However, she wasn't one of those indecisive light-novel protagonists known for their gentleness; instead, she flashed a mischievous grin, ready to fan the flames.
"I never thought the day would come where people would actually fight over little old me! Splendid! I hereby declare the start of the Agnes Tachyon Cup! The winning Uma Musume will receive a prize!"
With that, Agnes Tachyon lunged between them, striking the pose of a referee.
"And now—let the race begin!"
Nobody paid her any attention.
Dream Weaver took a calm sip of her coffee; she was no longer the type to get flustered by such antics.
It was on New Year's Day this year that she realized she might be loved by a great many Uma Musume.
Once she acquired that eldritch knowledge, the world in her eyes could never go back to the way it was. Her interactions with them inevitably became a bit awkward due to the 'curse of knowledge.'
But it was now the day after the Japanese Derby—May 28th, to be precise. Even if Dream Weaver had been away from school for the month between the Satsuki Sho and the Derby, she had spent several months navigating the affections of those Uma Musume who harbored feelings for her.
The best place to temper a warrior is the battlefield; the best place to forge a legend is the racetrack; and the best place to become a master of romance is, of course, the 'carnage' of a love war.
While she didn't dare call herself a master just yet, having survived this carnage until now, Dream Weaver felt she had grown a fair bit. She spoke up.
"A race? Me as a contestant? Haven't you heard of the Dream Cup?"
The two girls—one obsessed with coffee and the other with her experiments—shook their heads in unison.
Seeing how out of the loop they were, Dream Weaver set down her coffee cup and spoke in a strangely world-weary tone.
"A contest between a mere two people can hardly be called a race. A true Cup only happens when you gather over a dozen competitors on the stage."
"You can check the school forums if you like. You'll find out exactly how many wolves are prowling behind me with hunger in their eyes."
Saying this, Dream Weaver looked up at Agnes Tachyon, the sharpness in her gaze making the other girl subconsciously swallow hard.
"Tachyon, I don't mean anything by this, but I just want to remind you: do you really understand the consequences of entering me into this so-called Agnes Tachyon Cup?"
"...What consequences?"
"The trophy that everyone has been chasing for so long suddenly turns around to join a fight for someone else. This might sound a bit harsh, but—"
"Are you prepared to be walking down the street and suddenly have a sack thrown over your head?"
Agnes Tachyon imagined the scene, a bead of cold sweat trickling down her forehead. Still, she put on a brave face and argued back.
"I'll just stay in the tea room then, won't I? They couldn't possibly break down the door and haul me away—that would be kidnapping!"
Dream Weaver didn't argue. She just took a shallow sip of coffee and said nonchalantly:
"I forgot to mention. There are members of the Student Council among the contestants and the referees. And yes, that includes Symboli Rudolf."
She felt there was no need for further warnings. The moment Symboli Rudolf's name was mentioned, the sudden shift in Agnes Tachyon's expression told Dream Weaver that the gravity of the situation had been understood.
Yet, Agnes Tachyon still seemed unwilling to lose. Even knowing the danger, she grit her teeth, refusing to back down.
"Rudolf... she's a very capable Student Council President, right? Surely she wouldn't let personal feelings interfere with official business."
Seeing her still putting up a futile resistance, Dream Weaver, who hadn't wanted to bring it up, shook her head and ended Agnes Tachyon's delusions with a single sentence.
"While I was away from school, Rudolf took advantage of my absence to sneak over to my house and try to pick the lock."
To make sure she wasn't wrongly accusing Symboli Rudolf based on information from the Scenario World, Dream Weaver had specifically asked the dorm matron about it before heading out this morning.
As for the answer, she had just delivered it.
While Agnes Tachyon stood there, too shocked to speak, Manhattan Cafe just silently sipped her coffee. To be honest, she didn't quite know what to say either.
Maybe... I should start checking the forums once in a while.
Manhattan Cafe thought to herself, wondering just how much explosive news she had managed to miss.
--+--
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.