After a day of training, McQueen and Teio returned to the dormitory together.
Today, I still couldn't talk to Legend-san properly.
McQueen sighed inwardly.
"Speaking of which, what's wrong with Legend lately?" Teio's voice revealed dissatisfaction. "She's been absent-minded ever since the Satsuki Sho ended."
"Perhaps she has worries we don't know about," McQueen said nonchalantly, trying to comfort the somewhat angry Teio.
"What kind of worries can't she even tell us?" Teio pouted, a bit sulkily.
"Even Legend-san has her own secrets." McQueen's tone was a little uncertain, as if trying to convince Teio or herself.
However, it's true that Legend-san has been looking worried ever since Mejiro Ardan's birthday.
Originally, seeing her condition during the Satsuki Sho, I thought she was fine... McQueen's thoughts drifted.
"Ah, isn't that Legend?"
Teio's energetic voice brought the wandering McQueen back to reality.
McQueen quickly turned to look.
Gold Legend stood quietly at the door of the utility room, a faint light illuminating a small area around Legend.
"Legend! What are you doing here?" Teio ignored the flustered McQueen and went straight up to greet her.
"Ah, good evening, Teio. As you can see, I'm hesitating." Legend greeted naturally and explained the reason.
"Is there something you need to get?" McQueen, who had caught up, asked confusedly.
The dormitory's utility room usually stores things that might be used but generally aren't. Since there aren't many items actually stored, students occasionally deposit some items here. In a sense, it's a communal storage room.
"Yes, I just heard from the Dorm Head that the clothes I ordered arrived, and she put them here, so I came to pick them up." Legend's expression was subtly awkward. "It was just a quick pick-up, but I didn't expect the light inside to be broken, and for some reason, I felt like I heard something, so I'm a bit hesitant about whether to open this door."
"Eh?" McQueen was a little startled.
"Nani nani? Legend, are you scared?" Teio, on the contrary, showed an intrigued expression. "I didn't expect you to be afraid of ghosts, Legend!"
"G-ghosts?" McQueen's tail wagged uneasily.
"Well, after experiencing even more miraculous things, it's better to believe it than not." Legend thought of the story of a certain black Uma Musume, and her face looked a bit grim.
"So, Legend-san, did you sense something?" McQueen asked timidly.
"I just heard some movement..." Legend said helplessly.
"Hmph hmph, ghosts don't exist at all. If you don't believe me, we'll know if we go in and look." Teio put her hands on her hips, her expression very smug.
"Eh?! What are you saying, Teio?"
"Could it be that you're scared, McQueen?"
"...N-nonsense! I am a representative of the Mejiro Family, desu! I'm not afraid of ghosts or anything!"
"Then let's open the door!"
"Ugh!"
Watching McQueen being manipulated by Teio, Legend only regretted not having potato chips at hand.
"I advise you not to open it," Legend, intending to watch the show, said in a seemingly serious but actually instigating tone.
"It's fine, this is the Tracen Dormitory, what is there to be afraid of?" Teio said confidently.
"That's not necessarily true." Legend changed her tone and said in a creepy voice, "Dorm Head Fuji told me that our dormitory is often haunted."
"Eh?" Teio froze instantly.
"Eek!" McQueen immediately shrank behind Teio.
"It is said that at night, the ghosts of Uma Musume wander in this Ritto Dormitory. They quietly wait in empty rooms, and if an Uma Musume opens the door at that time, they will..." Legend's eyes darted around, and she instantly made up a ghost story full of holes.
"Eek!!!" x2, and then two little darlings were so scared they hugged each other.
"You, do you still want to open the door now, Teio~?" Legend smiled like a fox who had stolen a chicken.
"...O-of course! Just a mere ghost, Teio-sama isn't scared at all!" Teio also had her pride; after Legend said that, even if she was scared to death, she wouldn't back down.
"Oh~ As expected of Teio, truly amazing." Legend was already laughing inwardly. "Then please, Teio-sama~"
Teio walked stiffly to the door, her arms and legs moving in sync, then turned to look behind her, almost in tears.
"...Teio, you can do it!" McQueen silently made a strategic retreat behind Legend.
"Ugh..." Teio turned her head with difficulty, placed her hand on the doorknob, "Can't run, can't run..."
"Heh!" She suddenly flung open the utility room door.
Silence. Nothing happened.
"...See, there's nothing there!" Teio cautiously poked her head in to look, then breathed a sigh of relief and turned triumphantly to Legend and McQueen.
"Really?" McQueen cautiously peeked out from behind Legend, carefully observed the dark utility room, then pretended to be natural and walked out from behind Legend. "Cough cough, I suppose so."
"Oh my, is that..." Legend, however, seemed to have seen something.
"What are you doing?"
A cool voice sounded from behind Teio.
"Aiya!" Teio sprang up on the spot, leaping directly onto Legend like a facehugger.
"Eek!!!!" McQueen was not to be outdone, pouncing behind Legend and hugging her tightly, looking completely spooked.
Gold Legend was suddenly caught in a pincer attack.
"...Good evening, Manhattan Cafe Sister." Legend greeted calmly.
"Good evening." A dark figure calmly walked into the light; it was Manhattan Cafe.
"Are you playing some interesting game?" Manhattan Cafe asked, looking curiously at Legend, who was caught in the middle.
"Something like that, I find it quite interesting, anyway." Legend struggled to free herself from the face-hugging Teio's embrace, then gently soothed the stiff McQueen. "But Manhattan Cafe Sister, why are you here?"
"My new coffee beans arrived, I came down to get them." Manhattan Cafe held up a bag in her hand. "By the way, interested in trying some coffee? I had a hard time getting this batch."
"Really? That's great, Senior, please wait a moment, I'll go get my things." Legend steadied the two Uma Musume, who were stiff with fright and unable to move, then walked into the utility room.
"Um..." Manhattan Cafe turned her gaze to the two little darlings.
"Eek!!" The two Uma Musume, who hadn't recovered yet, immediately hugged each other.
"It's alright, I'm not a ghost." Manhattan Cafe didn't mind the two Uma Musume's rudeness, as if she was already used to it. "Sorry I scared you. As an apology, would you like to come have some coffee?"
"T-Teio-sama wasn't scared!" Teio's eyes were still glistening with tears.
"N-no, that's right! As a representative of the Mejiro Family, I won't be scared by something like this!" McQueen was still trembling.
"Is that so?" Manhattan Cafe gently pretended not to notice their flustered state. "That's wonderful."
"Speaking of which, Manhattan Cafe Sister, are you alone?"
Legend, having found her items, walked out of the utility room.
"I'm not alone, you know, she's always by my side." Manhattan Cafe pointed to the empty space beside her.
"Oh, really? Well, hello?" Legend greeted the spot.
"...Th-then, Legend-san, what are you doing?" Seeing their actions, McQueen felt an urge to run.
"Ah, it's nothing, just my friend." Manhattan Cafe said calmly.
"B-but, there's nothing there." McQueen broke out in a cold sweat.
"Nothing doesn't mean it doesn't exist." Legend said indifferently.
McQueen quickly hugged Teio, seeking a meager sense of security.
But Teio suddenly collapsed into McQueen's arms.
"Teio!?"
"Let me see, hmm, she's fainted." Legend walked over to check and delivered her conclusion.
"Why are you so calm?!" McQueen no longer cared about elegance.
"That's what you say..." Legend spread her hands helplessly.
"It seems she really likes you," Manhattan Cafe suddenly said to McQueen. "She's been clinging to you ever since she saw you. She never used to do that to anyone else."
"...What did you say? She's clinging to me?" McQueen suddenly felt a chill down her spine.
"Mm."
McQueen's eyes rolled back, and she fainted directly into Legend's arms.
"...Oh dear." Legend helplessly supported the two fainted darlings.
"If you want to fall into my arms, you can, I don't mind." Manhattan Cafe blinked, looking at the stack of three, and said.
"I'm good." Legend said with a smile, then carried the two unconscious Uma Musume. "Manhattan Cafe Sister, you go back first. I'll take these two back to the dormitory and then come find you."
"Mm, I'll brew the coffee and wait for you." Manhattan Cafe showed a smile, didn't delay, and calmly left.
"Oh dear." Legend sighed, looking at the two unconscious Uma Musume, and lamented, "They really are, never boring."
---------------------------------
I hope you enjoy this fanfiction! If you're having fun and want to read 30 chapters in advance, feel free to check out my Patreon: patreon.com/TLScarlet
Your support means a lot so if you like the story, don't forget to drop a Power Stone.