"I'm so exhausted…" Platinum groaned to the heavens, wishing she could just melt into the sofa.
"Every inch of me aches."
"You've said that enough today," Agnes Tachyon remarked, watching Platinum writhe on the couch.
"In my experience, when you're truly exhausted, you won't even have the energy to complain."
"This just means you still have some reserve left. That's good. We'll increase training tomorrow."
Platinum immediately fell silent. When Agnes Tachyon said 'increase training,' she meant it. Her word was final.
So, instead, she just lay face-down on the sofa, emitting little muffled grumbles.
"Are you okay, Platinum?" Leap of Faith gave Platinum's thigh a gentle squeeze, prompting a pained yelp.
"Your muscles are really tight. Here, let me give you a massage." Leap of Faith rolled up her sleeves, sat sideways on the couch, and settled Platinum's restless feet onto her own lap.
Platinum usually shied away from physical contact.
But today, she was simply too drained to put up a fuss. Even if Agnes Tachyon decided to tap dance on her back, Platinum would probably just roll over, completely unable to get up.
"How come you didn't show up at the track today? I saw you during morning practice," Platinum mumbled into her pillow.
It wasn't that she was particularly concerned. It was more that having an extra training partner might divert some of Agnes Tachyon's attention away from drilling her alone.
She really wasn't worried.
Leap of Faith pursed her lips, then grimaced and stuck out her tongue playfully. "I just don't want to run on the same track as that person."
"Besides, I'm not planning to participate in this special race anyway. I can't outrun them, so why embarrass myself?"
Leap of Faith only stayed briefly. After massaging the muscles in Sham's legs, she slipped away quietly without disturbing anyone.
"I see," Platinum mumbled into the couch cushions, straining to lift her head and turn to look at Leap of Faith.
But it was like she'd thought before—family matters weren't her place to interfere.
Better not to make things worse. That was a lesson hard-learned from a past life.
"By the way, I didn't know you could massage?"
"Mhm," Leap of Faith responded softly, her hands working gently around Platinum's ankles. "I learned when I was little. Just a hobby, really."
"I'm not like that person. I don't have any natural talent. But when I was younger, I hadn't accepted that yet. I stubbornly believed there was some hidden spark in me waiting to be discovered. So, I tried learning all sorts of things back then."
"Oil painting, embroidery, opera, piano, medicine, martial arts... I tried everything I could. In the end, I had to face that I'm just... ordinary. But at least I haven't forgotten the things I learned back then."
"Massage is one of the miscellaneous skills I became somewhat proficient in. Even Fuji Kyoji praised it highly."
Platinum realized holding her head twisted like that was too much effort and let it drop back onto the pillow.
"Sounds pretty impressive to me. Knowing all that stuff? You're like a genius."
"If you say things like that, I might start getting unrealistic ideas again," Leap of Faith said with a wry smile.
"Someone like Golden Sixty is the real genius. Only those who can achieve what others can't, no matter how hard they try, deserve that title. Someone like me? I just dabbled in many things without mastering any."
"I see," Platinum murmured, her eyelids lowering as she fell into thought.
"Your muscles are so tight... or maybe 'dense' is the word..." Leap of Faith mused, running her hands over Platinum's smooth calf. "In many ways, it's quite remarkable..."
"Ow, ow, that hurts!" Platinum yelped, scrunching up her face. "What are you pressing on? Why does it hurt so much?"
"Pain doesn't always mean it's working, but no pain usually means it's not," Leap of Faith said.
Her slender hands were surprisingly strong, firmly holding Platinum's ankle while meticulously working the muscles in her calf.
"Have you heard of fascia adhesions? It's a condition where the connective tissues stick together, making it hard to even bend or move."
Platinum flailed like a fish out of water from the pain, then went limp again. There was no helping it—she was just too tired.
"So, what's the diagnosis, Dr. Leap of Faith? Do I have that?"
"Not exactly. But the treatment for fascia adhesions involves inserting a metal probe under your skin, and then..."
Leap of Faith hovered a finger above Platinum's waist for a moment before suddenly digging it into a soft spot on her side, "...you use this probe to twist and turn under the skin, tearing the fascia apart."
"That sounds terrifying."
"But it's a valid treatment. By analogy, massage is similar. It's about loosening and relaxing muscles that have tightened up from overtraining, like tenderizing a piece of pork belly."
From her spot on the opposite sofa, Agnes Tachyon, who had been listening to their conversation, suddenly spoke up. "Platinum, don't you dare fall asleep."
"Go take a shower and rest for a bit. We have to go out tonight."
Platinum let out another mournful whine. "We're training at night too?!"
"...As if. What kind of monster do you take me for?" Agnes Tachyon touched her own ear and sighed. "We're going to get a foot cast made. For new shoes."
Hearing about getting a foot cast, Platinum unconsciously wiggled her toes.
"But my current shoes are perfectly comfortable," she grumbled.
The implied meaning was clear: she didn't want to go. Maybe she could just race in her current trainers.
"You think I enjoy the hassle?" Agnes Tachyon let out a short laugh. "But you really do need new shoes for this race."
"It's not a standard graded race, but it's a special event hosted by a local champion like Golden Sixty, and they've invited many internationally top-level Uma Musume..."
"Surely everyone wants to see them in their full glory, wearing their winner's circle outfits, right?"
"For this special race at Sha Tin, you will be wearing your winner's circle outfit."
"Winner's circle outfit... Winner's circle outfit?" Platinum's eyes shot wide open. "Really?"
She was getting a new skin! Starting today, she'd be a prestigious SSR too!
This was absolutely amazing!
"Well, for the winner's circle outfit, I want something that reflects my dashing, charismatic elegance, but without being too over-the-top. Preferably something that makes me look youthful."
"Oh, and can we add some insoles for a bit of height? Not that I need it spiritually—I'm already a giant at heart—but we can't ignore the objective realities of the physical world..."
Holding up a finger, Platinum launched into her detailed request.
"Look at you, getting choosy," Agnes Tachyon said, rolling up a newspaper and promptly bopping Platinum on the head with it.
"Your winner's circle outfit is probably being stitched together as we speak, working around the clock. It's too late for requests now."
As she listened to their conversation, Leap of Faith's mind began to drift far away.
A winner's circle outfit... How nice.
She also wished for a day when she could stand on that stage, wearing one...
But it definitely wouldn't be this time.
Along with the pang of disappointment, Leap of Faith also felt a sense of relief, as if she had finally settled on a difficult decision.
It was far too late to prepare a winner's circle outfit now.
In other words, Leap of Faith was already fated to have no place on the racetrack for this event.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 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.