"Eeeeh!? You actually talked with Rudolf-san!?"
A voice echoed down the hallway of Tracen Academy.
"Well, just a little," I replied.
"Lucky you… I've only seen him, I've never actually talked to him… So! What's he like? Is he as cold as he looks, or does he surprisingly like cute things contrary to his appearance… like that gap moe thing!! Did you notice any of that!?"
It was right after lunch. Both of us still had quite some time before training, and we were on our way to the practice field. Of course, it was also to watch other Uma Musume.
Still, Dejitan really does get excited talking about Uma Musume.
"…I remember every single word of that conversation. Want me to tell you?"
"What's that…? That's godlike… Please, please tell me… Wait, why do you look a little teary-eyed?"
"…The reason, well… you'll understand if I tell you."
"Haah… what is that… So you wanted to interact more casually and made so many puns…? Too precious… And, oh my! Aurora-chan regretting not noticing the pun… You're also the absolute peak of preciousness! Haah… I love it all…"
I understand. I love it all (including Dejitan who's currently swooning).
"Let's keep digging for more! Treasures called preciousness!"
"Yeah, that's right…"
We're literally digging in real-time.
"Ah… Tracen Academy is the best… just being here sparks so much creative inspiration…"
Creative inspiration… now that I think about it, Dejitan is the kind of otaku who produces things. She draws her own illustrations, makes books, and naturally attends Comiket. Her father also works in publishing, which lets her obtain books she wants through "official channels."
In short, she's a very deep-level otaku.
Actually, I'd love to read Dejitan-sensei's book. A book drawn by my ultimate favorite about their favorite… it's precious enough that just placing it on a shelf isn't enough. Okay, when a new release comes out, I'll buy three copies: one to read, one to keep, and one to enshrine.
"…I'll provide the material. So when the new book comes out, please let me read it first, please."
"Uhnngh… To think I could hear something as pure and precious as that episode again… Haah… I might die…"
I get to see Dejitan tremble with joy, and she gets more motivated in her creative work. Truly a win-win situation.
Soon, the practice field came into view. This time, we didn't go to the track but to the stands.
"Whoa…"
Looking again, I could see some Uma Musume I'd seen in my previous life. So cute. Of course, the ones I hadn't seen before were also cute.
And the energy radiating from them even reached the stands. Running is fun, but watching is fun too. Ah, how wonderful Uma Musume are.
"Do you understand, Aurora-chan…? From here, you can see a view full of preciousness. Children pushing themselves alongside friends, children walking their paths alone… sometimes joyful, sometimes sad… truly, it's not an exaggeration to say the whole world is here. Everyone here shines with their own precious brilliance…! Can you feel it!? You can feel this preciousness, right!!"
"Yes, I totally get it."
"…Then, fellow comrade. Why have you been staring straight at me all this time?"
"Because my ultimate favorite is Dejitan. I'm feeling preciousness watching the view of the track reflected in your eyes."
"You shouldn't be looking at someone like me, who's less than a pebble under an Uma Musume's hoof! You'd be much better off looking in a mirror! What you should be seeing is the Uma Musume on the track! …Look! Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross are running side by side right now!"
I had to see that. Of course, I wanted to see it through Dejitan's eyes… but she covered my view with her hands, so I turned back to the track.
Two streaks of white light appeared.
Two gray-haired girls were in a dead heat on the straight. Oguri Cap was slightly ahead, but the difference was minimal.
"Oguri-san came all the way from Kasamatsu Tracen in the local circuit, winning countless races. But in her personal life, she says many natural, clueless things and eats ridiculously large amounts… when she pats her rounded belly and says thanks after a meal, that happy expression… gahhh! Just recalling it has this effect! …Yes! Anyway, she's ridiculously cute! Haah… so precious!"
Dejitan, while swooning to death, explained about Oguri Cap.
At that moment, the two girls began rounding the final corner. Oguri Cap was still in the lead, with Tamamo Cross close behind, looking for an opportunity. The final showdown would be on the straight.
"Tamamo Cross is always bright, energetic, and speaks in Kansai dialect. She looks small and cute, but with her explosive finishing speed, she's won many races… What!? Ooooh! Tamamo Cross has cut to the inside! …But Oguri is still chasing… This race is intense! Uwahh!! Keep going—!!"
"Go! Both of you—!!"
Dejitan had been explaining, but as the race reached its climax, she began cheering loudly. I got caught up in it and started cheering too.
The distance to the finish line gradually shrank, and the two crossed almost simultaneously.
It had been an incredibly heated race. I even felt as if the wind they created reached the stands.
"…Amazing."
I couldn't help but let out a pure expression of awe.
From my perspective, the difference was barely visible, but it seemed Tamamo Cross won by a slim margin. She threw a fist pump and seemed to be saying something to Oguri.
"…'We won, Oguri! You owe me next time!' 'Nice one, Tama. But next time, I'll win.'"
"Eh?"
Suddenly, a voice not belonging to Dejitan came from the side, and I was startled.
…Ah, she's dubbing the scene. Her voice and atmosphere completely changed. Dejitan really isn't just cute—she has that kind of talent too.
"…Those two are probably having a conversation like this. The energetic Kansai girl and the naturally cool girl… opposites, but their hearts understand each other… Uhnngh! It's unbearable, so good! Uma Musume are great individually, but the preciousness born from CPs is double, squared, no… Infinity!!"
Indeed. Extremely relatable. It would be even better if Dejitan realized her own preciousness is infinite, but I'll tell her eventually.
"CPs… are great… I could watch them forever."
"Yeah, exactly. Two people, constantly changing situations, and the destructive preciousness that comes from that… wonderful. …Aurora-chan, do you have a favorite CP?"
My current favorite CP? That's easy to answer. They're in my class.
"In my class, it's Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet. Those two are my current favorites."
"Hmm… I haven't checked them yet… But I can feel the infinite waves of preciousness. Please tell me more! …But… it looks like it's almost time for me to train. So, I'll ask you again tomorrow!"
"Then I'll gather material about those two today. Good luck with training."
"Whoa! Thank you! I'm totally pumped up!"
At my words, she let out a high-pitched cheer and ran down to the track.
Well then, it's my turn to get moving.
Since my class training was about to start, those two should also be moving soon. I found them on the path from the school building to the practice field. As usual, they seemed to be arguing.
I hid behind a nearby tree to observe.
"See! It's cooler to accelerate in the last spurt and blow past everyone!"
"I'm not aiming to be cool! And it's better to maintain first place from start to finish!"
They were arguing about race strategies. Just the reason itself is cute. And Vodka… what's with that "gyuuun"? She thinks it's cool, but it's super cute.
"Anyway! You always…"
Oh? Vodka, who had been so fierce, suddenly fell silent. What happened?
After whispering something to Scarlet, she ran back toward the school building. Maybe she forgot something.
Scarlet, left behind, looked in the direction Vodka ran, nodded to herself a few times, and… walked toward the tree I was behind.
Had she noticed me? But she didn't go behind the tree—she just leaned against it.
Phew, I wasn't found out.
But why did Vodka suddenly leave her behind?
Just as I was thinking, a hand lightly tapped my shoulder.
"…Gotcha!"
I turned around to see Vodka, who had disappeared, grabbing my shoulder firmly.
"Wah!?"
I tried to step back but couldn't. Scarlet, leaning against the tree, was now behind me. …I'd been outmaneuvered.
"Damn… how did she notice?"
"I saw your tail wagging around. …Did you think you were hiding?"
…Apparently my tail had moved with my emotions unconsciously. Maybe it always does, especially around Dejitan. I need to be careful.
"You can't lie anymore… You were following us the other day, right? Tell me your purpose."
Scarlet, with her usual tsundere expression, asked.
…Running away seems impossible.
"…You're just too cute, so I was following you," I admitted honestly.
"Ha! You think I'd believe something like that!"
Vodka said, though her cheeks were slightly red.
"…I'm asking seriously here," Scarlet added, tsundere intensifying.
Well, neither reaction was bad… though I was being serious. But they didn't believe me.
"…I can't show physical proof, but that's the real reason."
"…Then why don't you talk to us in class?"
"Uh… well… you know… ultimate favorites are meant to be admired from afar. There's a certain line…"
CPs, like Usuka, are basically off-limits… something like that.
"No use lying anymore. You're scheming something, aren't you?"
Uh-oh. The atmosphere is getting tense. …Time to act!
"Specifically, Scarlet, I think you're cute, but I thought Vodka was cool. Like, Vodka's speech has a wild vibe. That hairstyle covering one eye is awesome. She'd look great on a motorcycle."
"…Hey Scarlet. Maybe he's not such a bad guy?"
"…You're too easy."
Yes! Vodka has fallen!
"Easy? I'm not easy!"
"You are! And besides, the other day—"
"Both of you, calm down. Scarlet, it's natural for you to be suspicious, but confronting me like this shows your strong will to take action. You're the most considerate in class, the most responsible, and the top student… plus, the cutest."
"…He doesn't seem like a bad guy after all."
Victory.
Yes, I'm glad they understood their own appeal.
"In short… that's why I've been observing you both from afar, learning from your natural behavior."
I wasn't really lying.
"…Well, if that's the case, fine."
"Oh… does that mean I've gained some presence?"
They didn't seem displeased. Especially Vodka, who had been grinning the whole time.
"Well then, I'll be off…"
"Ah, we train at the same time anyway, so come with us. …I've been curious about the smartest student, like you. Tell us about yourself too."
Oh, that's clever. Well, I won't go overboard like on the first day. Watching CPs from afar is best, but since they're classmates, I'll adjust the balance.
"…There's a small reason for that, though."
Our route changed slightly, but we went to the practice field together while talking casually. When I explained my memory abilities, Vodka said, "Whoa! That's so cool!" which felt… her. Mainly, I use it to record precious conversations or expressions.
Anyway, the training went well. We got a front-row view of them competing on the turf, so all is well that ends well.
At that moment, I had a sudden idea!
Maybe this preciousness could be applied to interactions with Dejitan! …Just kidding.
That night, I remembered something I needed to check and asked Golshi-chan.
"…Hey Golshi-chan. Does my tail move around a lot…?"
"…It moves about as much as a bear in autumn."
…So, it moves quite a lot, huh?
"…Seriously?"
Seriously… I'd never noticed before.
Suddenly, I felt a wave of embarrassment.
…In my slightly warmer bed than usual, I fell asleep.