"So in the end, did you manage to catch her?" Agnes Tachyon had a large, swollen bump on her head, even sporting a bandage wrapped around it as if it were some serious affair.
Though she had slept soundly all morning, Agnes Tachyon now looked utterly listless. Her eyelids and ears drooped, wearing an expression of complete apathy, as if she had lost the will to live.
Platinum glanced at Manhattan Cafe, who was sitting beside Agnes Tachyon, radiating a chilling aura. She vaguely understood what must have happened.
"No, I didn't," Platinum picked up a leaf of vegetable from her plate, tossed it into her mouth, and chewed. She nearly gagged.
The cafeteria at Tracen Academy was quite lavish, offering all kinds of dishes.
Although Tokai Teio had once described the cafeteria as "extremely healthy," the quality was actually pretty high.
The only problem for Platinum right now was Agnes Tachyon herself.
She strictly enforced Platinum's diet according to the meal plan she had designed, while Agnes Tachyon got to feast to her heart's content right under Platinum's envious and resentful gaze...
So every meal felt like torture to Platinum.
"But… didn't you wait outside the dorm even before curfew was lifted?" Manhattan Cafe slowly took a sip of her steaming coffee, then poured another cup and pushed it toward the despondent Agnes Tachyon.
No sugar, no milk, no condiments. Just pure, hand-brewed bitter coffee—a pitch-black liquid of pure suffering.
"That's what's puzzling me," Platinum frowned deeply.
"I waited at the dorm entrance from the moment curfew ended all the way until morning classes started, but I never saw a trace of Neo Universe."
"But when I rushed to the classroom, Neo Universe was already sitting properly at her desk, and she even asked me for the homework as soon as she saw me."
Platinum truly couldn't make sense of it.
"Is it possible… that you just missed her?" Manhattan Cafe helped Platinum sort through the clues while multitasking.
Seeing Agnes Tachyon sitting motionless at the table, Manhattan Cafe considerately lifted the cup to Agnes Tachyon's lips. "Be good, open up, ah—"
After all, the Ritto Dorm had no other exits. Most Uma Musume came and went through the main gate, and during peak hours, the flow of students was anything but small.
"Impossible!" Platinum slammed the table, her face full of frustration.
"With my eyes, there's no way I could've missed her!"
"I'd have to be blind not to notice Neo Universe passing by me."
Platinum wasn't exaggerating. Not only was her physique sturdy, but her eyesight was exceptionally sharp. In old-fashioned terms, she had the eyes of an eagle.
With just one sweep, she could easily identify everything in her line of sight—she could even tell the gender of a fly from twenty meters away.
"I've been thinking all morning, and I've come up with two possibilities," Platinum continued.
Manhattan Cafe nodded along with an "mm-hmm" to show she was listening, while using her other hand to pinch Agnes Tachyon's lips, dividing her attention effortlessly.
"The first possibility is that Neo Universe never returned to the dorm last night. She went out to have fun straight away."
"That's impossible…" Manhattan Cafe refuted, "Fuji Kiseki checks the headcount in every dorm before bedtime. Plus, anyone trying to sneak out would have to get past Hayakawa Tazuna."
Hayakawa Tazuna—the green-clad demon. Always smiling, yet no student had ever escaped her grasp.
"The other possibility is that Neo Universe woke up even earlier than I did," Platinum picked up another leaf of vegetable and nibbled on it, mumbling vaguely, "She may look like she's always half-asleep, but secretly, she's a total grind-goblin!"
The mere thought of this possibility filled Platinum with rage.
So someone's grinding, huh?
That's a direct challenge to my authority as the anti-grinding spokesperson!
This time, Manhattan Cafe didn't immediately refute her.
Instead, she pried open Agnes Tachyon's mouth, poured the entire cup of black coffee down her throat, and then tightly covered Agnes Tachyon's mouth, completely ignoring her pained whimpers.
She tilted Agnes Tachyon's head back, ensuring every last drop made it into her stomach.
Only after finishing this did Manhattan Cafe gently set the cup down, refill it to the brim, and finally speak again.
"It's not impossible… But if she got up that early for morning practice, wouldn't it be counterproductive?"
"I'm still leaning toward you having missed her."
Having said that, Manhattan Cafe blew on the steaming bitter coffee and once again raised the cup toward Agnes Tachyon, her eyes full of tenderness: "Come on, Tachyon."
Agnes Tachyon tremblingly raised a hand. "I… I can't take anymore… Please let me off, I admit I was wrong…"
"Aren't you the one pursuing the limits of the Uma Musume? This is also a form of limit," Manhattan Cafe completely ignored Agnes Tachyon's pleas, stubbornly pushing the cup closer to her.
"Or have you changed your mind?"
Platinum watched with a cold sweat.
It's true—there's always someone who can keep you in check. She had never seen Agnes Tachyon in such a sorry state before.
I'd better show Manhattan Cafe more respect from now on. Another one of those gentle-on-the-outside, ruthless-on-the-inside types…
Just as Agnes Tachyon let out another pained whimper, Platinum felt a light tap on her shoulder.
Every hair on Platinum's body stood on end. She leaped up from her seat, hugged her tail, and spun around to dodge backward. If she hadn't restrained herself, she might have kicked out instinctively.
"Who? Who just touched me?"
Standing right where Platinum had been sitting was a girl, ethereal and ghostlike.
Gorgeous golden hair, bright blue undertones, and those deep blue eyes—it was none other than Neo Universe, the very girl at the center of their earlier discussion.
Neo Universe retracted the hand she had stretched out, actually looking somewhat hurt. "Sad… Neo Universe only wanted to connect with Centaurea… wanted INTI…"
"Ahaha, Neo Universe, it's you." Platinum flustered, even losing control of her expression. After all, they had just been talking about her behind her back, and now they were caught red-handed.
She didn't hear, right? She couldn't have heard…?
"Well… it's just… you know…"
While Platinum was still racking her brains for an explanation, Neo Universe spoke again.
"If Centaurea wants to understand Neo Universe… she can CMIN directly with Neo Universe…"
"No need to speculate like this…"
"But… NEVM…"
Although Neo Universe's words were as hard to decipher as ever, the eyes she fixed on Platinum were filled with sincerity.
"Neo Universe never refuses Centaurea's requests."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 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.