Climbing out of bed, Starlight changed into her usual casual clothes and headed to the bathroom. One look at her messy, bird-nest hair was more than she could handle.
"Hey, you! Could you please stop standing on my head? Go back to your owner!"
Clenching her fist, Starlight pointed at the hawk beside her.
The hawk instantly stiffened, then slowly fluttered down onto the bathroom vanity. It covered its face with its wings as if it were about to burst into tears.
Its aggrieved expression left Starlight completely dumbfounded.
"Wait, I didn't even do anything to you. You're the one who came over and messed with me first, okay?"
The hawk, which had been peeking out with one eye, covered itself completely. Its body began to tremble slightly— it looked like it was actually crying.
Twitching her lip, Starlight picked up a comb. While tidying her hair, she sighed, "Alright, alright, I'll stop scolding you. Just don't stand on my head, okay?"
The hawk nodded vigorously and hopped over to Starlight's side, flapping its wings excitedly.
"Hahaha... you're actually kind of fun. By the way, what's your owner doing right now? Isn't she worried that you ran off to my place?"
Hearing this, the hawk shook its head. Then, with a look of fierce determination, it tucked its wings tight and mimicked the arm-swinging motion of a runner.
"Oh~ did she go to a race?" Starlight asked, giving the bird a little round of applause.
However, seeing the bird shake its head in refusal, she realized what El Condor Pasa was actually up to.
"Training? El Condor Pasa-san is amazing, training even on a day off."
Grass Wonder had told Starlight about El Condor Pasa before, but the two had never actually met in person.
The hawk shook its head again. It used one wing to gesture as if it were pushing up a pair of glasses on its face. Then, as if holding a pen, it started "writing" on its other wing.
"Is she preparing to join Team Rigil?"
The hawk nodded. At this point, the two had achieved a perfect level of non-verbal communication.
"Big Orange! I'm going out for fun, okay?"
"Meow~"
Seeing Starlight about to leave, the hawk tried to follow her again.
"No way~ You can't follow me. Either stay here or go back next door."
Under the stern warning, the hawk lowered its head dejectedly and flew over to the desk with a forlorn air.
Starlight planned to treat herself to a "cheat meal" today. A few days ago, she had entered a lucky draw and unexpectedly won a 70% off coupon for a dessert shop.
Holding the coupon aloft, Starlight mused, "As expected, my luck is as good as ever. This shop is high-end, usually, I'd have to hesitate for a long time just to buy a small piece of cake."
"But things are different today! With the blessing of this coupon, I must eat to my heart's content."
Soon, she took the train to the downtown dessert shop. The storefront was exceptionally tidy, with white as the main theme and subtle black accents. Every table was decorated with a bouquet of flowers, the varieties differed, but the quality looked top-tier.
The door handle was a silvery-gold. Pushing it open, Starlight walked slowly to the front counter. She ordered her usual favorites: chocolate cake, blueberry cheesecake mousse, and a few cupcakes.
"Manager, Manager, is this a new item?"
"Mhm, it is."
"...Give me two."
After thinking for a long while, Starlight decided to buy two of the newly released donuts as well. Carrying a full tray, she walked through the aisles, looking for a good spot.
Just then, options suddenly appeared before her eyes.
[Option 1: I think the third row by the window is a good spot. Why not sit there?]
[Option 2: I'm not really feeling the window seat today. Let's find somewhere else.]
'Huh? I get a reward just for picking a seat? Is this some hidden plot? Whatever, I'll pick first—'
Following the prompt, Starlight carried her tray to the third row by the window and sat down.
[Detection complete. Option 1 selected. Reward: Weighted Wristbands.]
[Weighted Wristbands: The wearer can manually adjust the weight. Under weight training, gains are increased by 5% to 30% depending on the level.]
Cutting a small piece of cake, Starlight put it in her mouth and nodded with satisfaction.
"Not bad. This saves me the money I would have spent on training equipment."
Perhaps because she was by the window, she had an unobstructed view of the street scene outside. The sky was a deep azure, with clouds like an oil painting hanging near the sun.
"The weather is so lovely~"
While marveling at the day, Starlight's hand paused as she went for another bite of cake.
She spotted a quite beautiful blonde Uma Musume walking past on the opposite side of the street. Not far behind her, a pink-haired Uma Musume wearing a mask and sunglasses was tailing her, camera in hand.
Twitching her lip, Starlight shook her head and decided to ignore the scene. Better to just keep my head down and focus on my dessert.
Right then, a commotion broke out nearby.
"Milady, Milady! Shall we sit here?"
"Whatever works."
The sound of a chair being pulled out rang out right in front of Starlight. She slowly looked up.
A girl dressed in a magnificent, deep crimson dress sat down elegantly. Her sidelocks were styled into subtle curls, and her long hair flowed neatly down her back— it was clearly meticulously maintained.
This kind of hairstyle was something you'd usually only see on a princess or a member of high society.
However, hearing the word "Milady" just now, Starlight didn't find it strange. The speaker was likely her servant or butler.
Thinking this, she picked up her teacup and took a light sip.
"Milady! You're even more beautiful today, hehe..."
"If you have something to say, just say it, Daitaku Helios-san."
"Hehe, Milady— I like you! Love~! Could you accept my feelings?"
Pfft—
It was a good thing Star had only taken a tiny sip, if her mouth had actually been full, she probably would have sprayed it everywhere.
'Yikes... this plot feels so familiar? I feel like I've seen this somewhere before.'
Her originally wonderful mood was being slightly dampened by the pair at the front table. Despite that, Starlight kept eating her cake while pricking up her ears to catch the gossip.
"I appreciate your feelings, Helios. However, I am not interested in you, and I feel that we are simply incompatible."
"Aw, don't say that, Milady! Just give me a chance, I'll definitely treat you incredibly well!!"
The Uma Musume dressed in a "gal" style, with a side ponytail and blue-and-black hair, stood up and spoke excitedly.
Opposite her, the one addressed as "Milady" remained calm, her ruby eyes flat and unreadable.
She gestured elegantly with her hand. "Please calm yourself, Daitaku Helios. It is impossible between us."
'So this is the legendary young lady of the noble house, Daiichi Ruby? She certainly lives up to the reputation.'
Just as those words were spoken, a phone nearby started ringing.
"Hello? Ruby? I tried making some cookies today— would you like to try some?"
The voice on the other end was another girl.
"Certainly, K.S. Miracle-san. I... look forward to your handiwork."
Though her tone remained calm, it was obvious that there was a hint of joy tucked inside.
"Mhm, no rush. If you're busy, focus on your own affairs first."
"Not at all. I have plenty of free time right now. Shall we meet in a bit?"
"I see. Then I'll see you in a bit."
And just like that, under Daitaku Helios's stunned and bewildered gaze, Daiichi Ruby slowly stood up. After giving a slight, polite bow, she turned to leave.
"I have business to attend to. Thank you for the invitation, Helios-san."
As she passed by Starlight, Daiichi Ruby didn't show the slightest desire to look back. Even though behind her...
"Wait, Milady! I can go with you! Milady..."
Her hand, reaching out into mid-air, dropped weakly. Helios turned her gaze away from the disappearing figure with a look of heartbreak.
Then, as luck would have it, her eyes locked right onto Divine Starlight.
With her little mouth hanging open, Starlight had witnessed the entire ordeal. She hadn't even recovered from the shock when Helios noticed her.
'Oh no! I've been caught eavesdropping!'
"Ahem! Er... wow~ as expected of a new item, this is so delicious!"