Today felt a bit off for Norn Ace. That new special-admit student had definitely gotten under her skin, leaving her unsettled all day, though she couldn't quite put her finger on why.
'It's definitely because of that Mini the Lady. She's been grinning at me all day like she's up to something. That must be why I'm so on edge.'
Tossing and turning in bed, Norn Ace finally pinned the blame on Mini the Lady. Once she'd made up her mind, she relaxed a little and decided to give her nails some care. After all, she was a stylish Uma Musume—how could she not keep up her appearance?
Just as she dug out her nail polish and clippers and sat up in bed, the dorm door suddenly creaked. Norn Ace's grip tightened around the little bottle of polish, her guard instantly up.
'What's going on? A thief? The school's security can't be that bad. And what kind of thief would be dumb enough to target an Uma Musume?'
Her eyes fixed intently on the door, she raised the bottle high, ready to throw it. If a thief came in, she'd hurl the bottle first and follow up with a flying kick to take them down.
But her plan wasn't needed. The person opening the door looked familiar—and had a pair of ears perched on their head.
'Huh? Ears?'
Seeing those ears, Norn Ace unconsciously lowered her defensive stance and let out a quiet sigh of relief. It was another Uma Musume. Everyone knew Uma Musume were simple, honest souls—they didn't dabble in petty theft or serious crimes.
'Must be some kind of misunderstanding,' Norn Ace thought to herself. She decided to ask the girl why she'd barged into her room.
And that's how they ended up in this standoff.
The two locked eyes for a moment. Norn Ace stayed silent, just staring at Nearl, but Nearl only needed a quick glance around the room to piece things together.
'One half of the room is neat and tidy, filled with personal belongings, and Norn Ace is sitting right there. The other half clearly hasn't been lived in—judging by the layer of dust, it's been vacant all along. Probably just been used as extra storage by Norn Ace.'
'Only one question remains: the teacher should have notified Room 226 that someone would be moving in today. Even if Norn Ace wasn't willing to clean up, she should've at least moved her things. Why does she look like she's just finding out now? Better ask her and clear things up.'
Nearl processed all this quickly. To Norn Ace, it seemed like Nearl only paused for a second or two before snapping back to attention, her expression returning to the same calm composure she'd had during the day—not that it had wavered much to begin with.
"Norn Ace, why don't we talk this over? I'm sure you have plenty of questions for me, too."
Nearl spoke naturally to Norn Ace, who was still sitting on the bed, completely unbothered by the awkward tension. Meanwhile, Norn Ace—the actual resident—was fidgeting, unsure how to handle the situation.
"How—how did you get into my room? What do you want?" Norn Ace stammered nervously, her fingers twisting the hem of her shirt as she tried to soothe her nerves.
"Let me start with why I'm here," Nearl replied calmly. She had to stay composed; she could see Norn Ace was already flustered. If she didn't keep a level head, this conversation would go nowhere.
"The academy assigned this room to me, so I have a key. You know I'm a special-admit student, right?"
"This room? But the teacher never said anything about someone moving into my dorm!"
Norn Ace looked irritated and upset—though not at Nearl. Her frustration was directed at that bald-headed teacher. He must have forgotten!
"I doubt that. The academy director told me today that the room had been arranged. It's unlikely the teacher would forget something the director said."
Nearl shook her head, disagreeing. But her words struck Norn Ace like a bolt of lightning, sparking a sudden realization.
"…What if the old man did say something, and I just wasn't there?"
"Norn Ace, please don't call the teacher an 'old man.' That's very disrespectful."
Nearl corrected her sternly, but Norn Ace ignored her and kept thinking aloud.
"Like today, there was a time I wasn't around—when I was showing you around this morning. Maybe he mentioned someone moving in during then."
"That's possible, but if you weren't there, why would he bring it up? It wouldn't make sense to discuss room changes if the resident isn't present."
Nearl expressed her doubt, but Norn Ace let out a cold laugh.
"Oh, normally he wouldn't. But it's a different story if a certain friend of mine was there."
Norn Ace gritted her teeth.
"Like my dear friend. No wonder Mini the Lady was grinning at me like that—she set me up. That little… I'll get her back tomorrow."
Well, the truth was out now. But the problem still wasn't solved. Norn Ace glanced at the messy state of the other half of the room, feeling conflicted.
"If only I'd heard earlier. I might not have cleaned, but at least I would've tidied up my things. It's so late now—cleaning up would be a hassle."
"It's alright. I have another place I can stay for the night. I'll come back and clean tomorrow."
Nearl thought of the training room she'd organized that afternoon and decided to sleep there for the night. But to Norn Ace, it sounded like she was just putting on a brave face, which only made her feel worse about the whole situation.
"Wait, it's pitch black outside—where could you even go? We're not allowed to leave campus without permission."
Norn Ace paused here, seeming hesitant, but finally stamped her foot and stood up, throwing on her jacket.
"Come with me. I know a place where you can stay."
Hearing this, Nearl followed without hesitation. She could tell Norn Ace wasn't the type to mess around when it mattered.
The two walked down the hallway for a bit before stopping in front of a storage room. Norn Ace looked at it with a mix of emotions.
"This is where you'll sleep tonight. Don't let the 'storage room' label fool you—we've kept it clean, even cleaner than the dorms. It's got all the essentials. Staying here for one night won't be a problem. Is that alright with you?"
When Nearl opened the door, she was surprised. The storage room had been completely converted into a bedroom—cozy, comfortable, and perfect for someone who didn't want to disturb others. Nearl was quite pleased.
"This suits my needs perfectly. I'd be happy to stay here."
--+--
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!
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If you guys wanna check it out.