[Did I get it right this time?] : There we go.
[File Transfer Assistant] : ...
[Did I get it right this time?] : Ah, nope.
Platinum let out a long sigh, placing her phone on her chest and lacing her fingers behind her head, feeling the gentle vibrations of the road.
This Flourishing girl seemed so sweet and innocent, a tiny little thing with more than enough quirks already—how could she also be so hopeless with technology?
Was she destined to become a permanent fixture in her life?
"What's with the long face? Still missing Leap of Faith?" Agnes Tachyon, sitting beside her, teased, noticing Platinum's dramatic display.
Platinum just rolled her eyes and ignored her.
The group was on their way back now. When they'd come, Agnes Tachyon had sneaked off on her own, so only Platinum, Leap of Faith, and Agnes Digital had traveled together.
Now, for the return trip, Leap of Faith had to stay behind in Hong Kong to recuperate, leaving just the three of them again.
This time, though, they weren't planning to fly straight back. Instead, they were going by car, heading north from Hong Kong for a little tour of the Guangdong and Guangxi regions.
Well, we're already here, after all ¯\_ (ᵕ—ᴗ—)_/¯.
Not to mention Platinum really wanted to use this chance to slack off a bit. Even Agnes Tachyon was all for some tourism.
The recent race had really taken a lot out of Platinum; facing a top-tier Uma Musume was no easy feat.
Especially since she'd also run in a G3 race in early October—you could even call it back-to-back competitions.
Even though Platinum was pretty tough, Agnes Tachyon didn't want her dealing with any aches or pains. A proper break was totally reasonable.
The main reason, though, was definitely the prospect of a vacation on the company's dime.
It's not like they were spending their own money, anyway.
Let Symboli Rudolf be the one to worry about it.
They'd initially tried to politely decline Golden Sixty's offer to see them off, but when Golden Sixty heard about their plan, she slapped her thigh and said, 'You should've told me sooner!' Then she immediately made a phone call.
Five minutes later, they had a skilled driver and a little jeep at their disposal.
Golden Sixty even assured them, 'Drive as far as you want! I borrowed this from Uncle Francis's company. The driver's on a business trip, his expenses are covered.'
Ah, the sweet smell of capital.
"Well now... I've been to plenty of places for races, but as a proper homebody, this is my first real trip," Agnes Digital mused, rubbing her hands together in the front passenger seat.
"As the saying goes, 'Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles.' I'm sure this journey will grant me entirely new insights."
She meant insights on anonymous forums, of course.
"I don't really mind either way, but I did find the forums quite fruitful this time," Agnes Tachyon said, giving Platinum a meaningful look. Her implication was crystal clear.
Platinum rolled her eyes again. Well, her weak spot was firmly in Agnes Tachyon's grasp now. She could do whatever she wanted; it's not like Platinum could fight back anyway.
Faced with Agnes Tachyon's tyranny, Platinum chose to simply give up and go with the flow.
Just then, another notification popped up on her phone.
[Sea the Stars] wants to add you as a friend.
Sea the Stars? Was this her real name, or just some fan's screen name?
Platinum tilted her head, thinking. That didn't seem right though. How would anyone else even know her account?
Her friends list had only gained a few new faces since coming to Hong Kong; before that, it was a complete wasteland.
So... this Sea the Stars... was the real deal? She must have gotten Platinum's contact info from Urban Sea.
Glancing at Agnes Tachyon and Agnes Digital, Platinum figured, why not? and just hit accept.
Maybe she had a reason to reach out. Maybe she needed a hand with one of those group-buying deals...
Or maybe she wanted to share a video streaming account subscription. You know how it is.
The moment the friend request was accepted, a message came through from Sea the Stars.
[Hello. Is this Platinum?]
[Yeah, it's me. What's up?]
[My sister told me to add you. She said I should build a good relationship with you.]
Two sentences. That was all it took to render Platinum speechless. She got the distinct feeling that the person on the other end of the screen was... a tough nut to crack.
The kind of 'tough' that meant they had absolutely no idea how to make conversation.
Platinum even suspected Sea the Stars's friends list was probably as barren as her own used to be.
I mean... really? Straight to the point, laying all your cards on the table like that? I'm not some NPC where you can just click 'Increase Friendship Points.'
Platinum nudged Agnes Tachyon with her shoulder. "What am I even supposed to say to this?"
Agnes Tachyon glanced over, intrigued. "Just tell her that building a good relationship requires paying a 'friend fee.' Ask if she wants the monthly subscription or the annual plan..."
"Knew I was wasting my time asking you," Platinum grumbled, shrinking back into her seat with a grimace.
This was... awkward. Ignoring the message wasn't great—the 'read' receipt was already on. But replying... how exactly was she supposed to reply?
[Well, did your sister mention that East Asians tend to prefer a more... indirect approach?]
An instant reply.
[But you're not East Asian.]
[Alright, I'll try.]
[My sister indirectly told me she wants me to be friends with you.]
That's not where you're supposed to be indirect!
Platinum was starting to get the feeling that Sea the Stars... wasn't quite what she had expected.
It was, how to put it... she gave off a bit of a T.M Opera O vibe.
That same sort of clueless, doofy energy.
[Friendship isn't like confessing your feelings to a lover. It's not a matter of you saying 'Let's be friends,' me saying 'Okay!', and then boom, we're friends.]
[Friendship doesn't have strict rules like that. We have to take it slow.]
Platinum decided to take on the role of instructor for Sea the Stars.
[That sounds like a lot of trouble. How do all those other people with so many friends manage it every day?]
[That seems really impressive.]
Are you actually admiring them?! Wait, by the sound of it... don't tell me you've never had any friends at all!
The hand holding Platinum's phone trembled slightly.
You're even more like an isekai protagonist than I am.
And... chatting with someone who had no friends but wanted to be her friend suddenly felt like a mountain of pressure had settled on her shoulders.
( ꩜ ᯅ ꩜;) .jpg
While Platinum was lost in her thoughts, Sea the Stars kept messaging.
[You seem to know a lot about this.]
[You must have lots of friends, then.]
Having spent so much time online, it took Platinum a moment to realize Sea the Stars wasn't being sarcastic, but was actually expressing admiration.
She thought about her own pristine, nearly empty friends list...
[Of course! I have tons of friends. Enough to circle Tracen Academy three and a half times.]
Without a hint of hesitation! Platinum brazenly lied through her teeth!
This girl, telling lies came as naturally to her as drinking water!
It's not like Sea the Stars could chase her all the way to Japan, so she might as well let her imagination run wild.
She'd gotten herself shipped off to Hong Kong for mouthing off about Symboli Rudolf, but with half the planet between her and Sea the Stars, surely she couldn't have her thrown into the Atlantic Ocean, right?
So what was there to fear? Full speed ahead.
Platinum was also starting to understand Urban Sea's intention. She probably wanted a peer to help draw her sister out, encourage her to make more friends.
She wasn't just going to spout nonsense; she had to set a good example.
[It still feels like too much trouble.]
[Earlier, you said that becoming lovers just requires a confession and an acceptance, right?]
[So, if I confess to you, and you accept, that should work. That seems simpler.]
--+--
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.