"So Minamizaka's the type to sleep in, huh?"
On Osaka's bustling shopping street, Barbatos was picking out "souvenirs" to bring back for her friends. She had thought about inviting the trainer along this morning, but since he hadn't gotten up yet, she dropped the idea.
She eyed the little trinkets in her hand—the kind tourists or foreigners typically bought as mementos when visiting Osaka.
She wasn't really sure what kind of souvenirs an Uma Musume was supposed to bring back after an away race, so she'd looked up some recommended gift shops online and ended up at this famous Osaka shopping district.
Osaka had plenty of well-known spots.
There was the castle tower in Osaka Park, the city's famous food streets—Osaka was known for its cuisine, and most tourists eating there did so with a "feast like there's no tomorrow" mindset—and then there was that "couples" Ferris wheel they'd ridden yesterday.
All of these were places she'd found during her online search this morning.
But there was one place she'd known about long before and had always wanted to visit: Osaka's Akihabara: Den Den Town, the holy land for every anime and gaming fan.
If Seiun Sky hadn't been with her, she might've headed straight to Den Den Town today. Even if she couldn't enter the adult-only areas, she could still experience Japan's sacred ground for all things otaku.
That was the kind of place you go to alone—no one could ever find out about her secret weeb identity!
"Maybe he was working on your training plan for the next phase?"
Seiun Sky watched Barbatos picking out souvenirs and remarked, "You know, the kind of plan that keeps you from getting beaten by twenty lengths."
Hearing that, Barbatos stiffened. She could practically picture Minamizaka back at the hotel last night, laboring over her training schedule with a dedicated smile. A pang of guilt suddenly hit her. "Maybe… I should attend at least one training session before slacking off again?"
"Let's take a moment to feel sorry for Minamizaka."
Seiun Sky didn't ask why Barbatos was already planning to skip training—just like she never questioned her own habits.
When it came to slacking off, the two of them had a silent understanding. As for races? All they had to do was take it easy and comfortably make it to the finish line.
"You're really planning to buy these little keychains?"
"Why not?"
"If you buy them every time you race away from home, they'll pile up into a mountain."
"…"
Although Barbatos was the first in Team Canopus to run in a debut race, she wasn't the first in their class—both Special Week and Grass Wonder had already made their debuts.
The problem was, Special Week had been too focused on her center gate penalty to even remember buying souvenirs. And when Grass Wonder made her debut, they weren't classmates yet. So at the moment, there wasn't really a precedent to follow.
Normally, not every Uma Musume brought back souvenirs after away races. After all, if you lost, you'd be in a bad mood yourself, needing to vent—who'd be in the mood to buy souvenirs?
But Barbatos was a winner. She'd blown past second place by more than ten lengths, and as an Uma Musume whose debut was already legendary, she felt she ought to bring something back.
After a moment's thought, Barbatos pulled out her phone and opened LINE.
"I'll ask Grass Wonder for her opinion."
When it came to this sort of thing, Grass Wonder—who'd run in numerous junior races without a single loss—probably had more experience.
"Takoyaki. You could bring back Osaka-style takoyaki."
"I asked her casually while chatting yesterday."
"…"
Barbatos paused for two seconds. Takoyaki was Osaka's most famous snack. If stored properly, it would still taste pretty good after the three-hour trip back to Tracen Academy.
She shot a slightly accusing look at Seiun Sky. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"Wanted to see what kind of souvenir you'd come up with on your own. Who knows, it might've been even better than takoyaki."
"...I have no comeback for that."
She knew which shop served the most famous takoyaki in Osaka, but she didn't head over right away. If she bought it now, by the time they were ready to return in the afternoon, it wouldn't taste as good.
Better to buy it right before meeting up with Minamizaka and heading back to Tracen.
"Let's go to the food street this afternoon. That way, the timing for buying takoyaki will be just right. For now, we can check out some other places."
"Anywhere you want to go?" Seiun Sky asked.
"No clear target at the moment. What about you?"
If they went to Osaka Castle, she could've asked if she could livestream—maybe kneel solemnly and pretend to discuss profound truths with the Raiden Shogun. But the staff probably wouldn't allow it and might even kick her out.
Might as well see if Seiun Sky had any places in mind. She still didn't know what the other girl liked besides fishing.
After all, Seiun Sky had gone on the Ferris wheel with her yesterday. Today, she could accompany her to wherever she wanted to go—that's what friends do!
"Then let's go to Universal Studios."
"The movie park? You want to see a film?"
Seiun Sky smiled meaningfully. "You'll understand when we get there."
She wants to watch a movie with me!
Well! It's perfectly normal for friends to go see a movie together.
But for some reason, she had a bad feeling about this. Was she overlooking something?
As soon as they arrived at Universal Studios, that uneasy feeling clicked into place. Although it was called Universal Studios, it wasn't just about movies—it was more like a massive amusement park.
Staring at the drop towers, pendulum rides, and roller coasters, Barbatos twitched her lips. You call this a movie park?
But the big sign at the entrance clearly read "Universal Studios," leaving her lost in thought.
"I heard from Grass Wonder that this place is pretty famous. They even have a Minions cafe."
Seiun Sky led the way inside like a tour guide, picking up a Japanese version of the park map marked with attractions, shops, and restaurants.
The Minions cafe was easy to spot, but Seiun Sky's gaze drifted over the roller coasters and similar thrill rides.
"I think as Uma Musume, we should do what Uma Musume are meant to do," Barbatos suggested.
"Such as?" Seiun Sky asked.
"Such as that spinning…"
Barbatos scanned the map, searching for the carousel. Uma Musume should ride carousels—it's like horses riding horses!
Where was the carousel? After looking all over the map, she finally spotted the word "spinning" and pointed at it.
"The spinning swing ride?"
Seiun Sky looked at her, surprised. She never expected Barbatos would want to ride that.
Truth was, Seiun Sky just wanted to check the place out. If she really wanted to try the high-altitude rides, she wouldn't force the acrophobic Barbatos to join her. She just couldn't resist teasing her a little.
But did she actually want to ride the spinning swings?
Barbatos faltered—she'd tapped too fast and hadn't read the full name. Was there really no carousel here?
Just because this world didn't have four-legged horses, did they have to replace the carousel with spinning swings?
"Mhm. Uma Musume should ride the spinning swings!"
Probably no real difference between spinning swings and a carousel, right?
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T/N: A Certain Scientific Railgun Fanfic Up!
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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.