They're… back.
Platinum froze, immediately clamping a hand over her mouth.
She'd returned to the locker room right after her win, leaving Leap of Faith and the others out on the track to acknowledge the crowd.
In that short time, she'd been figuring out the system, swapped her phone, and then… that sudden, wrenching cough.
Thinking about it, of course Leap of Faith and the others would be back by now!
For debut races, all the Uma Musume shared one large locker room—a practice that changed after their debut. For bigger stakes races, each girl got her own private space, ensuring proper rest and privacy.
But pre-debut fillies got no such luxury. No matter who you were, no matter your placing, you all ended up back in this same room.
Everyone jostled together in the cramped space, changing into their frilly outfits before heading out for the victory dance.
Damn it… She'd been crying her eyes out. She might not be a complete mess, but she certainly wasn't presentable. Platinum hastily scrubbed at her face with her hands.
And… that wasn't even the worst of it. She wiped the dark red stain from her palm with a tissue, but without water, it was hard to get completely clean, leaving a sticky residue.
If… if she really had brought Soul Dissolution Syndrome here… that was the true nightmare.
Soul Dissolution Syndrome… was contagious.
Even now, the exact transmission methods of Soul Dissolution Syndrome weren't fully understood.
The only certainty was that prolonged cohabitation and intimate contact could spread it.
But with proper precautions and a regular regimen of suppressants, those in the first stage could live mostly normal lives.
Even couples could usually be intimate without transmission. It wasn't until the second stage that Soul Dissolution Syndrome's infectious nature truly manifested.
But that was only with timely suppressants! Platinum quickly bought the special medicine from the system and dry-swallowed it, the pills scraping down her throat.
"Platinum, you in there?" A knock came at the door, followed by Leap of Faith's voice. "Are you changing? Can we come in?"
No, she couldn't let them in… If they saw her like this… No, being seen in such a pathetic state was absolutely unacceptable.
Besides, she'd only just taken the suppressants. Who knew how long they'd take to kick in?
Even if they did work… she'd just coughed up blood! If they came into contact with it, who could guarantee they wouldn't catch it from her?
Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance she'd brought Soul Dissolution Syndrome to this world, a one-in-ten-thousand chance the first stage could spread, a one-in-ten-thousand chance her blood was infectious… Platinum couldn't allow it to happen!
No matter what hell she'd been through, no matter how grief-stricken or despairing she felt… Leap of Faith, Fuji Kyoji, and the other fillies in the race were innocent.
She couldn't drag them into her suffering.
So, she couldn't let them in.
"Y-yeah, I'm changing. Just a second," Platinum mumbled, scrambling to her feet.
Hearing her reply, Leap of Faith's voice from the other side of the door noticeably relaxed. "Okay."
After a moment's hesitation, Leap of Faith spoke through the door again. "Are you sure you're okay? Because when I came back, I heard you… I heard you… crying."
"I'm fine, don't worry," Platinum brushed her off, her eyes darting around the room.
Can't. Let them in!
Her gaze landed on the row of metal lockers. They looked pretty heavy, especially stuffed full with everyone's gear.
Platinum clenched her fist, feeling an unnatural surge of strength coursing through her body—a stark contrast to the girl who'd just been coughing up blood. It felt absurd, almost like a hallucination… but the sticky, drying stain on her palm was a grim reminder it was all too real.
Taking a deep breath, Platinum grabbed a locker and pulled.
With a grating screech, the entire row of lockers shifted, scraping across the floor until they were firmly wedged against the door, blocking it completely.
"Platinum? Platinum!" More knocking came from the door. "What are you doing? I heard a huge noise in there!"
"Step aside, I'll check it." That was Fuji Kyoji's voice, husky like a pre-pubescent boy's, giving her a tomboyish air.
"Wait, you—" Before Leap of Faith could finish, Platinum heard a heavy THUD from the hallway, and the lockers shuddered.
"She's blocked the door! Is something wrong in there?" Fuji Kyoji's anxious shout echoed from the hallway.
"Platinum? Platinum! What's going on?" Now that they realized the door was blocked, Leap of Faith's voice also rose in panic as she beat on the door.
Inside, Platinum stared at the vibrating lockers, a cold sweat breaking out. She realized that if she could move them, other Uma Musume might not be far behind in strength. If this kept up, they'd break through.
And if that happened… it would all be over!
Letting them into this room… was the one thing she absolutely could not allow!
Platinum leaned her back against the lockers, bracing against the repeated impacts shaking the door.
"Hey, can you hear me, Platinum! Are you still in there?"Fuji Kyoji's voice sounded so close, as if she were right next to her, separated only by the lockers and the thin door.
Platinum could hear more and more voices gathering outside. The other Uma Musume were coming back from the track, the crowd at the door growing.
"What's happening?"
"Not sure… Everyone's just waiting by the locker room… Why aren't we going in?"
"I'm so tired… Can we hurry this up?… I'm not dancing on the Winner's Stage, I just want to change and go home."
"Stop pushing, everyone's waiting."
Further away, she could hear Leap of Faith calling for a staff member.
Platinum's breath came in short, ragged gasps. Her heart was pounding harder than it had during the race itself.
This was bad. If this continued, she wouldn't be able to hold them off.
If this commotion dragged on, once the staff arrived and the crowd outside grew even larger, she'd have no choice but to let them in.
And then it wouldn't just be Leap of Faith and Fuji Kyoji at risk, but every single Uma Musume from their race, plus the stadium staff—all potential victims!
--+--
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.