Platinum fiddled with the spoon in front of her, utterly stumped.
It was supposed to be a victory celebration. Platinum had assumed Golden Sixty would lead everyone back to the villa for a feast, just like before—but instead, she'd brought the whole group to the Empress Hotel.
"Classic Russian cuisine, guaranteed to satisfy your appetite," Golden Sixty enthusiastically told Platinum, with even Leap of Faith nodding along in agreement.
Finally, Platinum understood their reasoning. Almost none of the Uma Musume present were locals. Ever Flourishing and Fresh Memory had flown in from Ireland and Australia, respectively.
Platinum's passport listed Polish nationality; Urban Sea was half-Hong Kong but had spent far more of her life in Europe than in Hong Kong.
Given the regional makeup of the gathered Uma Musumes, a full table of Chinese dishes really wouldn't have made much sense.
Golden Sixty's choice of restaurant was probably also meant to accommodate Platinum—since she was Polish, of course she'd be familiar with Russian food.
But that was where they were doubly wrong. Platinum had never even had Western food, let alone specifically Russian. If you gave her cutlery, she'd probably try to use two forks like chopsticks.
Major crisis!
Staring at the borscht before her, Platinum was at a loss for words. A glance at the menu with its glittering golden prices left her even more speechless.
Well... as long as you have money, I guess.
She took a spoonful. The taste of stewed beef and tomatoes flooded her mouth, so thick and heavy her tongue couldn't discern any other flavors.
There were also a few snails on a plate—she didn't know what they were called—plus a serving of pasta and a steak. She'd basically just ordered randomly, taking whatever came her way.
The borscht was manageable; at least she could handle a spoon. But looking at that pasta, Platinum genuinely struggled not to wish for chopsticks to twirl it up. As for the steak, she couldn't even imagine how to eat it without chopsticks.
So screwed!
Sneakily, Platinum glanced left and right, hoping to spot anyone else sharing her plight.
Ever Flourishing, that genuine Irish lass, with her delicate, well-maintained skin, clearly came from a good family.
She ate with light, elegant motions, perfectly proper. Fresh Memory, though a fiery temper on the track, was surprisingly well-composed at the dining table.
And the others were no different. Even Agnes Tachyon and Agnes Digital handled their knives and forks with practiced ease, not a hint of awkwardness.
Thinking about it, it made sense. Both Agnes Tachyon and Agnes Digital had been top-tier Uma Musume in their racing days, with Agnes Digital having frequently competed overseas. This sort of situation was old hat to them.
Only Platinum, with her foreign-looking face, harbored a truly native, red-at-heart soul.
Those snails gleamed with an ominous green sheen. Platinum didn't dare touch them.
Eating the steak would probably require imitating Oguri Cap's method of devouring the plate along with it, which wasn't an option.
So, fighting back tears, she could only sip her borsche spoon by spoon and nibble at the pasta.
Leap of Faith noticed Platinum's lack of appetite and mistakenly thought the food didn't match her idea of Russian cuisine.
Leaning in, she whispered comfortingly, secretly reaching her left hand under the table to pat Platinum's knee. "It's okay if you're not used to it. The Russian food here came via Shanghai—the flavors have changed who knows how many times."
"It's not that... I just..." Platinum grimaced, thinking to herself, 'How can I possibly say I'm actually debating whether to ask for a pair of chopsticks?'
Leap of Faith watched Platinum's profile, then lowered her gaze to her own bowl. But the hand resting on Platinum's knee unconsciously crept upward, finally closing gently around Platinum's fingers.
Startled, Platinum looked at Leap of Faith, only to find her turning away, avoiding eye contact, the tips of her ears burning bright red.
After a moment's thought, Platinum decided not to pull her hand away.
The fluttery feeling in her heart was one thing—mainly, if her hand wasn't with Leap of Faith, it would have to be holding that fork on the table. Better to leave her hand in Leap of Faith's care for now.
"Platinum, I..." Leap of Faith stammered.
There at the dinner table, their fingers intertwined. Though it was a group celebration, this small act was known only to them, a secret belonging solely to the two.
Platinum's heart raced a little too. Her thoughts began to wander uncontrollably.
Leap of Faith's fingers were more slender than her own, with distinct knuckles, their texture like the finest porcelain. They say people who practice piano have hands like this.
Platinum didn't know if Leap of Faith could play the piano, but she felt these hands were born for it.
'Platinum, don't forget, you're a...' she reminded herself inwardly.
"Platinum, I don't want to be a Racing Uma Musume anymore."
Platinum's head snapped up. This time, she was genuinely shocked.
"Leap of Faith..."
How could she just... not want to be a Racing Uma Musume anymore?
Was it because of the fracture?
Or because she lost to Golden Sixty?
For a moment, Platinum felt a pang of panic. Leap of Faith was always following behind her, like a little tail, sometimes annoying her to no end.
But now that this little tail was suddenly saying it was time to say goodbye, that she didn't want to follow anymore, Platinum felt... a little reluctant to let her go.
"What happened? Is it the fracture? Is it that serious?" Platinum asked in a hushed voice, a slight tremble in it. "If you need help... I might have a way."
That useless shop in her system was actually quite comprehensive, selling everything from inhibitors to tanks. While carrots were hard to come by and quite expensive, she could probably still afford medicine to help Leap of Faith's bones heal.
At worst, she'd just run a few more races. Maybe even enter en masse, just stroll on the track, greedily snatching those completion rewards.
Where there's a will, there's a way.
"It's not that," Leap of Faith shook her head. "I've just realized... I'm not really cut out to be a Racing Uma Musume."
"I don't have the talent for it. Maybe I could make up for it through hard work, but no matter what, I'll never reach your level."
Leap of Faith's gaze swept over the others at the table: Golden Sixty, Sham, Urban Sea, including Agnes Digital and Agnes Tachyon—all former top-tier Uma Musume.
Fresh Memory, Ever Flourishing, and Jade Lion were all promising new generations with plenty of potential.
And Platinum, who managed to stand out even among them, was truly exceptional.
The gap between herself and them was just too vast. A small gap could be bridged by effort, but a chasm this wide could only be looked upon from below.
Maybe through hard work, she could win her debut race, take first in an OP race, and climb higher. A G3 graded race? A G2? Could she go any further than that?
Winning a G2 might have been enough to satisfy her. But her sister is Golden Sixty.
As Golden Sixty's sister, Leap of Faith couldn't allow herself to stop there.
--+--
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.