What a troublesome girl.
In all this time, Manhattan Cafe was meeting someone even more troublesome than Agnes Tachyon for the first time.
This person kept drifting closer to her 'friend', intentionally or not.
Her hands and feet were always fidgeting, subtly lifting as if she wanted to touch the 'friend'.
"I see, so this is the indoor training gym? Quite a lot of equipment here."
Copano Rickey voiced her admiration. "Mind if I pick one up to try?"
"Go ahead..." Manhattan Cafe replied expressionlessly.
"Oh... For an Uma Musume, the weight feels just right. It must be calibrated specially."
Lifting a heavy dumbbell, Copano Rickey spoke up. "What model does Sunday Silence use? Wouldn't something like this be too light for her?"
As she said this, she offered the dumbbell to the other girl, but Manhattan Cafe intercepted it midway.
Snatching the dumbbell away, she lifted it a few times casually and nodded. "It is indeed light. My 'friend' could lift at least five times this weight."
"Haha, five times is quite the exaggeration. Three times would be enough to make an Uma Musume's muscles burst."
Copano Rickey joked, though a faint flicker of disappointment passed unnoticed through her eyes.
She had been looking for a chance to observe the other girl up close.
She was deeply curious.
Why did this girl, who had no destiny, exert such a powerful influence on others?
Where did the energy that interfered with fate originate from?
It was like stepping into a brand new field, stirring an unprecedented thirst for knowledge within Copano Rickey.
Who would have thought that beyond Feng Shui lay an even more fascinating unknown.
Copano Rickey felt like she could hear that voice, the one that always guided her, urging her to solve this mystery.
But right now, a solid, insurmountable obstacle stood firmly in her path.
The Uma Musume named Manhattan Cafe separated her from Sunday Silence.
Blocked so thoroughly, she couldn't even get close, let alone observe.
This is really difficult...
"Manhattan Cafe, when did you and Sunday Silence meet?"
After leaving the gym, Copano Rickey asked, feigning nonchalance.
"A long time ago," Cafe replied tersely.
"Was it around the start of the school term?" Copano Rickey pressed.
Since you keep blocking me again and again, you must be very aware of your friend's unusual nature, right?
Copano Rickey changed her strategy, deciding to start with Cafe herself.
"Mmm... A little before that..."
"I see, you met before the term started." Copano Rickey nodded. "It shows. Your relationship is very close, far more intimate than just classmates. Even describing you as ordinary friends doesn't quite cover it."
"..."
Manhattan Cafe frowned slightly.
What is she trying to get at?
"As for me, I truly wish for every Uma Musume to be happy and fortunate. That's why I continuously study Feng Shui, striving to find a way to bring luck to all Uma Musume."
"Whenever I see those Uma Musume who stumble due to fate, I wish I could help them."
"Because Feng Shui is fundamentally about helping people, aiding all living beings to avoid misfortune and encounter good fortune."
She continued, "If you truly care about your friend, you'd do well to hear me out."
"This is very important, both for you and for your friend."
Seeing her so serious and earnest, Manhattan Cafe suppressed the impulse to turn and leave.
"Only... a few minutes..."
If it's completely useless nonsense, I'll just leave her here to tour the school by herself.
If she gets lost, she can ask the other students around. If that fails, she can go observe Feng Shui.
She's so capable, surely she won't get lost.
Manhattan Cafe thought irritably.
"A few minutes is fine. I'll be direct. A life without a destiny cannot reach an end."
"Everyone's fate is a winding line—sometimes soaring high to reach a peak, sometimes plunging down into a valley. But no matter how tortuous, every fate eventually reaches an endpoint."
Copano Rickey raised a finger.
"The cycle of life and death, from beginning to end. Everyone's final destination is death."
"But a person without a destiny means they have deviated from the world's operational path. They defy the natural order."
Listening to Copano Rickey's nonsense, Manhattan Cafe mustered the last of her patience to ask:
"So what?"
It was already an unimaginable miracle that her 'friend', a ghost, could be seen by others.
Even if she had no fate, it made sense. What was the big deal?
Why was she acting as if the sky was falling?
"This isn't scare-mongering. The consequences of defying the natural order are severe. They will be rejected by all things in the world."
"Rejected...?" Hearing this word, Manhattan Cafe's ears twitched.
"Correct. Rejected by all things. In the end, they will likely be reduced to a state without spirit or wisdom, their soul returning to the origin, their essence scattering to the heavens."
"Simply put, what we call... vanishing—"
"Wha...!"
Manhattan Cafe's heart jolted.
"Stop... talking nonsense! My 'friend' is standing right here, and you're telling me she'll vanish? There's a limit to jokes!"
Gritting her teeth, Manhattan Cafe scolded angrily.
She had never imagined a day when her 'friend' might leave her.
Even now, when the time spent together had lessened, Manhattan Cafe still firmly believed that when she looked in the mirror, her 'friend' would appear.
The thought of days without her made Cafe shudder with fear all over.
So it's impossible!
How could my 'friend' possibly end up like you say!
Just as Manhattan Cafe was about to argue further, her phone rang abruptly.
Picking it up, the screen showed Symboli Rudolf's name.
Hesitating for a moment, Manhattan Cafe answered.
"Cafe?"
"Yes, President Rudolf."
"Sorry to bother you. Have you picked up the student from Oi Tracen?"
"Yes. I'm currently showing them around the school."
"Is that so... Well then, would it be convenient for you to come to the student council room now?"
"Right now?"
"I don't want to be so strict with the timing, but Copano Rickey just called saying her trainer has finished work and might arrive earlier than scheduled. So we'd like to adjust your itinerary accordingly."
Immediately, Manhattan Cafe looked at Copano Rickey.
The other girl raised her eyebrows, revealing a harmless smile.
This girl...
"If it's not convenient, I can come find you later instead."
Manhattan Cafe showed a conflicted expression.
Having President Rudolf come find her personally would be far too rude...
While Manhattan Cafe hesitated, her 'friend' spoke.
"It's fine," she said. "Go to Rudolf."
"But..."
"I'll handle things here."
Her eyes turned to look at Copano Rickey beside her.
"Actually, I have a few things I'd like to say to her as well."
--+--
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.