The chat log was extremely long. It took Mejiro Ardan and Admire Vega quite some time to finish reading it.
"So... Trainer Okino, you think you've encountered a ghost?"
Mejiro Ardan handed the phone back to Okino, who was sitting on the stool, and asked.
"What else could this thing be, if not a ghost?"
Okino took the phone and couldn't help but complain. "She knows things only me and Nakatsuru Aya knew... You're not going to tell me she is Nakatsuru Aya, are you?"
"Why can't she be?"
Admire Vega retorted. "Since she can mention things only you and she knew, why can't the person on the other side of the screen be Trainer Aya?"
"...Nakatsuru Aya is dead."
Okino hesitated for a long moment before finally stating the cruel truth. "Didn't we all watch the coffin carrying her body be lowered into the ground?"
"So, it's Trainer Aya's ghost communicating with you, Trainer Okino?"
Admire Vega thought for a moment, then spoke hesitantly.
"Then why did she come to me and not any of you?"
Okino asked helplessly.
"Well... hmm..."
Mejiro Ardan seemed a bit troubled, but seeing Okino's gaze fixed on her, she smiled wryly and said, "...Perhaps it's because of the relationship between the two of you?"
"My relationship with Aya? We were just..."
Seeing the bitter smile on the blue-haired Uma Musume's face, a sudden understanding dawned on Okino, and he froze.
...Damn that father-son dynamic!
Okino cursed under his breath.
"Trainer Okino... could you tell me her account name?"
Mejiro Ardan took out her phone and asked Okino with a smile.
"Sure... wait, what do you want to do?"
He instinctively agreed to the blue-haired Uma Musume's request before snapping back to reality and asking.
"I just want to have a little chat with this 'Nakatsuru Aya', that's all."
Mejiro Ardan's face still wore a proper smile, but her tone sent an involuntary shiver down Okino's spine.
[SilentGazer]...?
Mejiro Ardan input the numbers Okino provided one by one, finally seeing that profile picture and name in the search bar. The smile on her lips faded slightly.
You might fool Trainer Okino and Trainer Toujou, but you can't fool me.
I used to live with my trainer day and night, even sharing a bed.
I even know about the tiny, tiny mole on her inner thigh. You, hiding behind my trainer's name to deceive others—I don't know how you learned these things... but your luck ends here!
For my trainer's honor, I will drag you out from the shadows!
After tossing out a 'We're leaving first,' Mejiro Ardan and Admire Vega left Spica's team lounge.
--+--
"Ding-dong~"
Around noon, Bless the Moment, who was sitting on a school bench enjoying the sunshine, suddenly heard the crisp notification sound from her phone in her breast pocket.
The little white-haired Uma Musume cracked her eyes open, pulled out her phone, and glanced at the screen.
[Mejiro Ardan requests to add you as a friend.]
...What's that silly Ardan up to now?
The drowsiness swirling in her head vanished instantly. Bless the Moment looked at the completely blank chat history, quietly waiting for the other party to make the first move.
[Mejiro Ardan: Who are you?]
After waiting nearly five minutes and seeing no movement from the other side, Mejiro Ardan finally couldn't hold back and sent a message first.
[SilentGazer: Who are you?]
[Mejiro Ardan: I am Mejiro Ardan. Who are you?]
[SilentGazer: How can you prove you are Mejiro Ardan?]
How do I prove I am me?
Mejiro Ardan was taken aback.
Isn't that simple?
Mejiro Ardan casually took a photo and sent it to the other party.
In the photo, she was wearing the Tracen Academy uniform, sitting on a bench with her legs pressed together.
The warm winter sunlight streamed down from above, filling the picture with warm tones.
[SilentGazer: Where did you find this stock photo?]
Stock photo?!
Reading that line, Mejiro Ardan almost failed to maintain her composure.
No! I can't let him control the pace!
[Mejiro Ardan: How can you prove you are Nakatsuru Aya?]
[SilentGazer: I know many things about her.]
Hah, is that all? How can I lose?
Mejiro Ardan's eyes narrowed as she saw the other party type that line.
How could an outsider know more about my trainer than I do?
[Mejiro Ardan: Tell me, then?]
[SilentGazer: Nakatsuru Aya has a very, very small mole on her inner thigh.]
"...?"
Looking at the latest message in the chat interface, Mejiro Ardan felt as if countless fireworks were exploding in her head, throwing her thoughts into complete chaos.
[Mejiro Ardan: ?]
[Mejiro Ardan: How do you know that?]
[Mejiro Ardan: No, why do you know that?!]
[Mejiro Ardan: Answer me!]
Hah, silly Ardan is getting flustered.
Tucking the phone, which was still incessantly chiming 'ding-dong,' into her breast pocket, Bless the Moment paid it no more mind. Instead, she turned to the golden-haired, blue-eyed Uma Musume sitting beside her.
"So, Yuni, you called me out for a reason?"
"Yes."
Neo Universe nodded. "Bless, you plan to join Tracen Academy as a support Uma Musume after graduation, right?"
"How did you know that?"
Bless the Moment was surprised.
Shouldn't only Kitasan Black, Satono Diamond, and Maruzensky know about this?
"Wait... don't tell me you saw this in another parallel worldline too?"
"Yes."
Neo Universe nodded. "I saw from another timeline that you joined Tracen Academy as a support Uma Musume."
"I see... and what does that have to do with you calling me out here?"
"I want you to be my support Uma Musume, Bless."
"Me? Your support Uma Musume?"
Bless the Moment was stunned. "But I've already promised Kita-chan and Dia that I'd be their support Uma Musume after enrolling at Tracen..."
"Can you add me too?"
"What?"
"Can you add me too?"
"...Huh?"
Thrown off by Neo Universe's sudden request, Bless the Moment stared at her blankly.
"...Is that not okay?"
Neo Universe's tone grew dejected as she met the white-haired Uma Musume's gaze.
Wait... why are you using that tone?
The white-haired Uma Musume couldn't help leaning back slightly.
"Wait, hold on a second."
Bless the Moment raised her hand. "I've already promised Kita-chan and Dia I'd be their support Uma Musume. Adding you on top of that might be more than I can handle."
"But even with me, that's only three?"
Neo Universe sounded puzzled. "Didn't you used to..."
"That was then, this is now."
Bless the Moment stated matter-of-factly. "Just because I could do it before doesn't mean I can do it now."
--+--
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.