Narita.
A week after the New Year, nearly all the shops had reopened.
Barbatos drove her electric wheelchair down the street. Even with street cleaners around, patches of fresh snow still lingered along the roadside.
There weren't many people out. Every now and then, she'd spot a few foreigners passing by.
The chance of running into someone from another country here was higher than in other parts of Japan, even higher than in Tokyo, the capital.
Barbatos had woken up early and finished her morning training quota. She wasn't wearing a down jacket or anything heavy—like a girl who cared about looks, wanting to show off her style even in winter.
But she really didn't feel cold.
Recent training and her innate Uma Musume physique kept her in great shape.
If anything, watching the few girls in short skirts pass by now and then, her sharp eyes caught what looked like them shivering.
This meet-up with Piao and the others, Seiun Sky had come along.
Since they were together now, there was no need to hide it. She even felt a little like showing off.
Besides, after they'd gotten together, Barbatos was still "injured," so they couldn't really go out on proper dates openly.
Otherwise, even with their training schedules, they'd have had plenty of time to go out.
"Were they nice to look at?"
Noticing Barbatos glancing at those girls in short skirts, Seiun Sky asked in a tone that was playfully "stern."
Not really stern—just the kind of teasing you see between couples on TV. Scaring Barbatos a little seemed like it'd be fun.
"Them?"
Barbatos turned to look back at the girls who had just walked by.
She thought seriously. "Didn't see their faces, but their hands and legs were turning purple from the cold. Seems kinda silly."
China had girls like that too, but at least they'd wear those so-called "bare-leg magic items"—tights that looked like bare legs from afar but were basically thermal leggings.
But the girls who just passed were really wearing nothing extra, genuinely out here freezing.
"I definitely prefer someone like Hoshizora-sama."
As she spoke, she turned her gaze back to Seiun Sky. Because she was in a wheelchair—pretending to be "injured"—even though they were a couple now, they couldn't hold hands while out.
How do you hold hands when one's in a wheelchair and the other's walking?
Seiun Sky was wearing a white down jacket, wrapped snugly in the long scarf Barbatos had given her at Christmas, leaving no opening for the cold to get in.
The puffy jacket made her look a little round at first glance. The pure white down paired with her hair color gave her an especially adorable vibe.
What others thought, Barbatos didn't know.
But to her, Seiun Sky like this was the cutest.
No matter what Seiun Sky wore, she was always especially cute.
Japan was called a village for a reason, and Narita was even more so. It didn't take long for them to reach the meet-up spot.
It was a fairly well-known internet café in Narita.
Barbatos had suggested it. Given that they were all League of Legends streamers, after eating they'd probably end up at an internet café playing a few matches anyway, so why not just go straight there?
The food at this Japanese internet café was supposedly pretty good based on reviews, too.
And if they didn't like it, they could always order delivery.
Walking inside, they saw individual booths dividing the space into countless sections, each offering a private area for customers.
For travelers, it even made for decent lodging.
They approached the front counter.
Posters of popular games were plastered behind it. The most familiar one was without a doubt Genshin Impact, featuring Barbatos in her victory outfit.
That was from the contract Barbatos had signed for the collaboration outfit.
Now Genshin Impact was using images of Barbatos in her victory outfit to promote the game, helping it gain more traction in Japan.
"Will the two of you need separate private rooms, or…?"
The girl at the front desk, wearing a Teemo hat and still carrying a student's youthful shyness, asked in a sweet voice.
"We're with Mr. Liu, private room number XX."
Barbatos checked her phone, reading out the room number Piao had sent.
The internet café had private booths, but it also had larger rooms for groups. Otherwise, they'd miss out on the fun of LAN parties—and lose business.
"Understood. Just head straight ahead and turn left."
The girl in the Teemo hat stood up, pointing toward the interior.
"Thank you."
She watched Barbatos in the wheelchair disappear from view before slowly sitting back down, her eyes still fixed in that direction. She'd actually recognized Barbatos and wanted to wish her well, but nerves held her back.
After a moment, she finally pulled herself out of the excitement of seeing her favorite Uma Musume and turned back to her computer screen.
On it was the game she'd been playing, with a character dressed in Barbatos's victory outfit standing on a stone bridge. It was where she'd stopped after finishing her dailies. A little boy was also on the bridge.
Faced with a scene like this, the girl calmly pressed a key. An arrow streaked across the sky and landed on the ground right in front of the boy.
Leaving only fowl behind.
--+--
"Piao, Sun…"
Entering the private room, Barbatos greeted the familiar League of Legends streamers.
If this group were walking down a busy street in China, they'd probably be surrounded by fans or draw a lot of stares.
Barbatos had imagined meeting online friends a few times, but who'd have thought it'd happen when she was at her most "down and out"?
"Hey, Mino-chan."
She also greeted the petite Mino Naru and the others. Though they were meeting in person for the first time, as big streamers they knew how to keep the mood lively and avoid awkward silences.
Mino Naru, whose eyes had reddened the moment she saw Barbatos in the wheelchair, was soon laughing along with the banter.
"This is my girlfriend, Seiun Sky. You probably know her."
Barbatos gently pulled Seiun Sky's hand forward, introducing her to the group.
It was Seiun Sky's first time in a situation like this. Her eyes drifted slightly, but she wasn't flustered and gave a brief self-introduction.
Piao and the others weren't surprised at all. After all, Seiun Sky's voice was a regular feature in Barbatos's streams, and just from watching, anyone could tell they were close.
If Barbatos were a guy, no one would doubt they were a couple.
And in today's society, with equality and open views on relationships, even without knowing that Uma Musume could reproduce among themselves, they saw nothing unusual about two Uma Musume dating.
"So… how about a 5v5 custom match?"
"Perfect chance to stream it, too."
--+--
T/N: 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.