"Run, run, run, keep running!" Agnes Tachyon, riding an electric scooter, continuously honked her horn behind Platinum and Agnes Digital. Platinum, tongue lolling out, sprinted madly ahead.
The fiery red sun rose over the shimmering sea as the tram departed right on schedule.
Agnes Tachyon turned on the radio. The drifting music skipped over the sea, over the tram, over the cross-sea bridge, soaring far along the highway and floating amidst the clouds.
———Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time
———I feel alive
———and the world turning inside out Yeah!
The air over the racecourse was quite humid, and the turf felt different underfoot compared to the grass in Japan.
Platinum maintained deep breaths, leaving deep impressions in the grass.
Accelerate, and then... the final spurt!
The world in her eyes suddenly changed. Everything seemed to blur and spin, the only thing she could feel keenly was every inch of her own skin.
The feeling was so intoxicating, she wished it could last forever. But soon, the soreness chased after her like a persistent shadow, wrapping around Platinum like sturdy chains.
"Alright, finish line," Agnes Tachyon said, stopping the stopwatch in her hand.
Platinum wobbled and collapsed onto the grass, gasping for air.
———I'm floating around in ecstasy
———So don't stop me
Standing on the concrete steps, Platinum clenched her hands, took a deep breath, and began rapidly bouncing on the balls of her feet, the sound echoing like hoofbeats on the steps.
"Not enough. Your cadence needs to be faster to reach a normal level," Agnes Tachyon urged, frowning.
"Maintain proper form, don't let it break down. If you can't even do this, there's no chance of winning."
"How much faster do you want me to—Ow!"
Thump! Platinum clutched her head and curled into a ball on the ground. She had missed a step, fallen backwards, and the back of her head made solid contact with the ground.
Platinum trembled, holding her skull. "Hurt—ah, it hurts, it just hurts, it hurts it hurts it hurts so much, it really hurts, you try it..."
Agnes Tachyon watched Platinum's performance coldly.
"You've been hugging your head and yelling on the ground for five minutes. Could it really hurt that long? Get back to training now."
———Don't stop me
Veins bulged on Platinum's forehead as she strained with her whole body. Wearing only a fitted tank top, she struggled to lift the two-hundred-kilogram barbell.
"Dyin'—I'm dyin', dyin', dyin'! Why do I have to train this too!" Platinum wailed.
"Keep saying it's fine, but don't stop moving!"
Agnes Tachyon stood nearby, also in workout clothes, and tapped Platinum's head with a rolled-up newspaper. "You need to ensure your upper body strength is sufficient too!"
"Continue, follow my count! One, two, three, push!"
"Ahhh—!" Platinum let out a cry of agony.
———Cause I'm having a good time, having a good time
Platinum staggered into the guest room and flopped face-first onto the bed. She buried her head deep in the covers, reached out a trembling hand, fumbled for the calendar on the wall, and tore off a page.
"Soon... soon... liberation is near..."
As she said this, she let out another pained whimper.
"It's simply hell..."
———I'm a shooting star leaping through the sky
———like a tiger defying the laws of gravity
"Charge, sprint, charge, sprint!"
Shouting slogans no one else understood, Platinum ran through the morning mist, doing her morning training alongside the old tram.
The tram was far slower than a car, let alone a running Uma Musume. Seeing the sluggishly moving tram, a playful idea struck Platinum. She slowed her pace, pushed off with her soft ankles, and began hopping along the road as if on a trampoline.
The students inside the tram were surprised to see a white head pop up and down by the window, like a large clump of cotton candy.
"Hi!"
"Good morning!"
"You're going to school, right?"
"I don't have to, haha!"
With each upward bounce, Platinum made faces and shouted at the window.
———There's no stopping me
"I'm sorry..." Platinum tearfully pleaded with the traffic police, putting on a pitiful act. "I didn't mean to block traffic..."
The traffic officer smiled slightly and wrote out a ticket, sticking it directly onto Platinum's forehead.
Platinum peeled off the ticket and saw written on it in somewhat unskilled English:
[Please refrain from running or jumping in the middle of the street]
[Have a nice trip to Hong Kong]
———I'm a racing car passing by like Lady Godiva
Platinum was on the racecourse as usual, running lap after lap with her tongue hanging out, looking half-dead.
"Little Platinum, hang in there." Urban Sea passed by behind Platinum, smiling warmly, and ran alongside her for a stretch of the track.
Then, she gently patted Platinum's shoulder, her face full of affection. "Hehe... such a lovely child. I feel like she'd have a lot in common with Sea the Stars. It would have been nice if you debuted in Europe."
Platinum didn't have the energy to respond to Urban Sea, so she just rolled her eyes limply to show she heard.
"I'll run ahead now, you try to keep up," Urban Sea said, facing the curve. She smiled and began to accelerate, leaving Platinum far behind.
I wonder if there's a way to bring this child back for Sea the Stars as a bride... Urban Sea pondered, pinching her chin as she ran.
Probably if Platinum knew what she was thinking, her attitude wouldn't be so friendly.
Personality aside, this child's talent is the real deal, and she certainly has a pretty face.
If those two could be together, their offspring would definitely be the best...
Sea the Stars had no idea that her older sister, far away in Hong Kong, was already scouting a bride for her.
Though she also didn't know that her own baby photos had already been seen by every acquaintance.
———I'm gonna go go go
"Oww... oww..."
Platinum groaned, clutching her pillow.
"The thing you've said most these past two days is 'oww'," Leap of Faith said, her fingers kneading Platinum's knees as she gave her a massage.
"But judging by the level of fatigue, you haven't been slacking off."
"Then I'll change my tune. Oah, oah..."
"Just stick with 'oww, oww'," Leap of Faith pursed her lips and pressed hard with two fingers onto Platinum's calf. Platinum's leg jerked up reflexively.
Then, she let out a shriek like a Chihuahua whose tail had been stepped on.
———I'm burning through the sky Yeah!
———Two hundred degrees that's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit!
Morning warm-up. Platinum raced along the coastal road, leaving the cars along the way far behind her.
Maintaining steady breaths, Platinum inhaled the relatively cool air and lowered her upper body.
Next was a full stretch of uphill road... Charge up at full speed!
"Woo—!"
Shouting a meaningless sound to psych herself up, she charged forward headlong.
After about five hundred meters, her pace gradually slowed, and she ended up clutching her stomach and walking around the intersection.
"Crap... I think I swallowed cold air..." Platinum whined, holding her navel.
———I'm travelling at the speed of light
———I wanna make a supersonic man out of you
The thunderous sound echoed across the racecourse once more.
Golden Sixty laughed exuberantly as she ran wildly ahead, her spirit soaring, her gorgeous azure hair flowing behind her like a cloak woven from the sky.
The strong wind carried her freely; Golden Sixty was like the eye of a storm, everything around her firmly drawn into her orbit.
On the other side of the field, Sham was also running.
The explosive, thunderous sound of her footsteps was just as awe-inspiring as ever, stirring thoughts of submission.
"Ahh... those two seem like such a great match too..." Agnes Digital giggled, covering her face. Urban Sea smiled beside her, somewhat confused about what Agnes Digital meant.
———Don't stop me now
———I'm having such a good time
———I don't want to stop at all
"Ah... so tired." Platinum gathered her hair and casually tied it into a ponytail, then stepped barefoot into the bathroom.
Daily bath time, sublime.
In this world, only the bathtub can comfort my wounded soul now.
Sitting on the edge of the tub, Platinum first gingerly extended a toe to test the water temperature, then immersed her entire foot into the warm water.
Then, Platinum melted into the tub as if turning to mush, letting out a satisfied sigh.
"I live for this moment every day..." Curled up in the tub, Platinum rested her head on the edge, her lips even curling up cat-like.
Just then, the water in front of Platinum suddenly began to gurgle and bubble.
Then, strands of azure hair gradually fanned out across the water's surface, like a clump of blue seaweed.
Platinum stared blankly at the water in front of her. The long day of training combined with the warm, steamy air of the bathroom had made her mind sluggish; she couldn't process it for a moment.
"Wah-ha—!"
The water surface erupted as Golden Sixty waved her arms towards the sky, making a dazzling appearance from the bathtub.
Incidentally, although she wasn't wearing clothes, she hadn't forgotten her round sunglasses.
"How did you get in here? Wait, how did you hold your breath for so long?" Platinum hurriedly covered her eyes, shouting. "Get out!"
"Haha, clearly I was here first. You're the intruder," Golden Sixty retorted, hands on her hips, laughing heartily towards the ceiling. She just loved all kinds of laughter.
"Or have you changed your mind? Ready to call me your big sister?"
"You're such a mess!"
———I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars
———On a collision course
Facing the massive crowd, Platinum's face turned green. Agnes Digital and Agnes Tachyon beside her wore nearly identical expressions.
"I told you all already..." Leap of Faith said, enduring the dizziness from being jostled by the crowd, covering her lips. "Hong Kong Disneyland is the worst place in the world."
"This place is so terrible, why are there always so many tourists?" Urban Sea's expression wasn't great either.
Oh, right, it's because there are always different out-of-towners every year. Never mind then.
She didn't want to be too harsh, but in short, she didn't recommend it.
Sham sighed, straightened up, and shielded everyone behind her. The tourists, seeing Sham, obediently parted before her, creating a clear path.
Platinum secretly gave Sham a thumbs up.
Was it you who protected everyone? Sham, you're so kind!
———I am a satellite I'm out of control
Sitting on the leisurely roller coaster, Platinum crossed her arms, her eyes dead-fish-like as she pondered life.
Wait, this isn't what I had in mind?
Although Disney always seems to be like this...
But we didn't get any photos, couldn't get into the viewing spots, waited in line for ages just to get on this kiddie coaster.
"Feel so sick... so dizzy..." Urban Sea, sitting next to Platinum, had eyes spinning like smoke rings.
One hand covered her stomach, the other her lips; she looked ready to lose her lunch any second.
...Seriously, at this speed? Then why don't you get dizzy when running? Platinum stared at Urban Sea in shock.
"Can't hold it... it's coming..."
"Hey, hey, hey, are you for real? Don't let it out mid-air!"
———Like an atom bomb about to
———Oh oh oh oh oh explode!
Another morning, Platinum raced along the coastal road.
Charge down the slope, and then...
Sprint!
Taking a deep breath, Platinum dug her right foot into the ground, her body arching like a falcon about to dive.
Then, like a shot arrow, Platinum transformed into a streak of light charging up the entire slope.
———I'm burning through the sky Yeah!
Golden Sixty tossed a baseball up and down in her hand, the ball flitting about like a sparrow.
Urban Sea stood in front of Platinum, holding a bat. Platinum crouched behind Urban Sea, swallowing hard.
Golden Sixty raised her arm high, lifted those enviably long legs, and blew softly on the ball.
"Here it comes."
In that instant, every hair on Urban Sea and Platinum's bodies stood on end.
A wave of terror shot from their toes to the crowns of their heads.
Driven almost purely by survival instinct, Urban Sea dropped the bat and crouched immediately, while Platinum threw herself flat on the ground behind Urban Sea.
Then, in the very next moment, a wave of scorching hot air swept over their heads. The terrifying sound of the atmosphere being torn apart reverberated in their ears.
The baseball, subjected to forces it was never meant to bear, slammed into the concrete wall behind them, spun a few times, and fell to the ground, smoke curling from it.
———Don't stop me now
———I don't want to stop at all
Bathed in the setting sun, accompanied by the notes drifting down from the clouds, the group walked along the coastal road they traveled every day.
Golden Sixty chatted excitedly, gripping Platinum's shoulder; Platinum rolled her eyes, holding the baseball that had endured undue suffering; Urban Sea walked behind them, taking photos of the sunset on her phone to send to her dear little sister; Agnes Tachyon chatted with Sham with keen interest, their significant height difference looking somewhat comical; Agnes Digital secretly watched Agnes Tachyon and Sham ahead, her face excited as she thought who-knows-what.
Only Leap of Faith lingered quietly at the very back of the group, silently watching the magnificent sun sink into the sea, casting everyone's silhouettes long and longer.
Platinum imitated Golden Sixty's earlier motion, tossing the baseball in her hand.
As it flew up and down, each cycle was like a sunrise and sunset, a page of the calendar torn away, a musical note leaping lightly by.
Platinum caught the baseball. The cool morning air was invigorating. Holding the ball, she stared blankly at the street ahead.
In the blink of an eye, the special race had quietly arrived.
It was today.
--+--
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.