What in the world!?
Everyone's eyes turned toward the dark-haired girl in the center of the field, the same thought flashing through their minds in unison.
Her voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.
As the sun sank lower in the west, a deep crimson spread across the sky.
Standing in that blood-red world, the girl in the black cloak lifted her hand toward Manhattan Cafe.
Her pose was like that of an inviter at a ball.
What did she mean, "come with me"?
Was this a kidnapping?
This person, who hadn't even participated in the race, suddenly jumped out after it ended to try and steal someone away!
Hey now, you've got to be kidding!
Whether it was Narita Brian, Green Grass, or Admire Vega—none could match the ultimate speed of Silence Suzuka in the final stretch.
She crossed the finish line half a length ahead of second place, half a length ahead of Narita Brian, who was about to compete in the Kikuka Sho!
That kind of strength needed no further explanation.
The winner of this race was Silence Suzuka, so naturally, the one Cafe should choose should be Suzuka!
Just who are you?
Under the gaze of thousands of spectators, that girl in black extended her hand toward Cafe.
In the commentators' booth, Gold Ship suddenly turned her head to look back at Manhattan Cafe.
She covered her mouth lightly, a rare, exaggerated expression on her face.
Shock, disbelief, and… joy?
Why was 'Friend' here?
And that line, "come with me"…
Was she here to pick me up?
Her ever-changing expression faintly revealed the turmoil in her heart.
Cafe's heart was pounding uncontrollably in her chest.
Hoh?
Gold Ship raised an eyebrow.
"She's appeared, finally appeared! I knew things wouldn't end so simply!"
"That's right, everyone, the true winner of this race has been born—the mysterious black-Uma Musume who suddenly appeared before us! The nameless intruder—!!"
Gold Ship's voice echoed throughout the grounds.
"Hehe~ What an incredible twist. I know you're all shocked—honestly, I'm shocked too! But that's just how it is, not even Golshi-chan can change that!"
Gripping the microphone, Gold Ship declared.
Huh?
A giant question mark popped into everyone's minds.
This random person who popped out of nowhere was somehow the winner?
What kind of joke is this!
"What's going on, Gold Ship! Isn't the winner Suzuka-senpai?"
"Yeah, we all saw it—Silence Suzuka crossed the finish line first!"
"How can you give the victory to someone who didn't even race?!"
"We all saw it with our own eyes!"
"The winner of this race is unquestionably Suzuka-senpai!"
"You can't just say whatever you want—"
Immediately, Gold Ship's proclamation drew a wave of questions, everyone speaking up in defense of Silence Suzuka.
"What! Are you doubting this great one's judgment?!"Gold Ship was instantly displeased.
"Of course we are! Give Suzuka-senpai back her rightful due!"
"The victory is Suzuka's, and Cafe is Suzuka's too!"
"We won't allow such blatant favoritism!"
"Protest, protest—!"
A tide of opposed voices washed over the training grounds; clearly, they did not agree with Gold Ship.
Just as Gold Ship was getting into a war of words with them…
"Cafe, it's your turn now."
Agnes Tachyon suddenly spoke up beside her, addressing Manhattan Cafe, who still hadn't fully recovered from the shock.
"But why is 'Friend'…"
"Don't forget, what was the purpose of this race?"
The purpose of the race.
"My, my, forgetting already? Cafe, didn't you say this race was to decide who would be your sweetheart?"
Agnes Tachyon's words made Cafe's eyes widen.
"No one is more suited to be your sweetheart than her, isn't that right?"
Teasing in a playful tone, "Your trouble stems from those unclear relationships."
"Whether it's Green Grass or Admire Vega, your feelings toward them have always been ambiguous—you've never expressed a clear stance. And precisely because of that, rumors about you keep spreading."
To solve this trouble, you have to address the root cause.
Obviously, Gold Ship wasn't the source of the problem.
Cafe was.
So take this chance now and tell everyone what you think.
Who is it you long for? Who is it you care about? Tell everyone that!
That's the best way to free yourself from this trouble.
Agnes Tachyon explained.
Right in front of all these people… confess my feelings to 'Friend'…?
Hearing her meaning, Cafe shook her head repeatedly.
No, no way, that's impossible!
Just thinking about it made Cafe feel a rush of blood to her head, her face so hot it felt like it was burning.
That's far too bold!
Even if she were to tell 'Friend' how she felt, it should be somewhere with fewer people—like her own room, or the training field at night, or a park when they were out together.
Absolutely not in the center of a field packed with students!
Cafe didn't have that kind of romantic sentiment for exposing her heart to someone surrounded by a crowd.
Her skin was still quite thin.
As if sensing Cafe's hesitation, Agnes Tachyon pinched her chin mysteriously and spoke up:
"Actually, that outfit—I requested it from a certain clothing factory, made in a special way."
During her time researching 'Friend,' she hadn't been idle.
Agnes Tachyon had finally figured out why 'Friend' would vanish when she touched a living person's body.
Bio-waves—the signals that control activity at the biological organism level. Every person spontaneously generates bio-waves, and each person's bio-waves have subtle differences.
Agnes Tachyon discovered that the waves emitted by 'Friend' were completely different from those of humans, reaching a bizarre reverse wavelength. When they came into contact with a normal human's wavelength, they would interfere and cancel each other out.
A human's bio-waves would briefly disappear but quickly readjust due to cellular activity.
But once 'Friend's wavelength disappeared, they couldn't be regained through metabolism.
Thus, her body would experience issues.
To put it in simpler terms:
Humans have physical bodies protecting their souls, while a ghost cannot protect itself.
Once she understood the principle, finding a solution was extremely simple.
All that was needed was to separate their electromagnetic waves.
"That outfit has a special insulating material woven in, so even if you touch her, it won't cause her any harm."
"What?"
"That's right, Cafe." Agnes Tachyon smiled. "Even if you hug her tightly, there won't be any problem at all. Her body won't suffer any harm."
"Is… is that true?"
Cafe's voice trembled slightly.
"It's a method I spent months refining through hundreds of experiments. Have a little faith in me sometimes."
That strand of hair had passed the experimental tests completely.
Manhattan Cafe looked toward the black-clad girl in the middle of the training field.
She was quietly holding out her hand.
Cafe knew Agnes Tachyon's words weren't always the most reliable, but when it came to matters of 'Friend,' Agnes had never once lied.
So, Cafe chose to believe her.
Over there, Gold Ship was still arguing that her judgment wasn't wrong, while over here, Manhattan Cafe was already rushing out.
Under the watchful eyes of all the students at Tracen Academy, she ran up to the other girl.
"Cafe, I've come to…"
Thump!
Before the words could even finish, Cafe had already thrown herself into her arms.
"Finally…"
She spoke softly.
"I can finally… touch you…"
Pressing her face tightly against the other's chest, Cafe fully immersed herself in the feeling of their embrace.
The previously noisy training grounds fell completely silent in an instant.
Like the calm before a storm.
The students' eyes went wide, their mouths slowly forming little 'O's.
And then—
""WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH—!!""
The field erupted into an uproar.
--+--
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.