"Somehow…I want to do something protagonist-like."
"What brought that on all of a sudden?"
"Protagonist-like stuff… like getting wrapped up in some kind of incident, or having a rom-com with a beautiful girl… Sounds nice, right? It's romantic, right? Golshi-chan?"
Come to think of it, I'm a TS reincarnator, I have an ability where I don't forget anything I see or hear even once, and my appearance is like deep night-blue hair and heterochromatic eyes that look like something out of a chuunibyou fantasy—like 'the strongest Uma Musume I came up with.' …Well, I'm far from being the strongest though.
Anyway, since entering Tracen Academy, there haven't been any big incidents, so when I indulged in my fantasies during free time, they wouldn't stop. Right now, I really want to get caught up in some kind of incident. Or rather, I want to be popular like those protagonists in anime or manga.
"Ahh… Degitan would be the heroine position… or maybe… hmm, I don't particularly like harems but… it's kind of a dream, isn't it? Uma Musume harem… nfufufu…"
"You're seriously ill… Aren't you an Uma Musume yourself? Just look in the mirror or something."
"That's what I did before coming to Tracen. I fulfilled my desires with the mirror and my mom's praise… But! Ever since I met Degitan, that's just not nearly enough anymore…!"
"…It was my mistake to ask."
…This place is sinful, seriously. Even this Golshi-chan, she's already beautiful as is, and every morning and night, she lets her hair down and shows her unguarded sleeping face, and I see it. I'm holding out well, really.
Today is a day off, but Degitan said she has errands, so she's not at the academy. …I can't get any Degitan supply! Therefore, I must constantly be exposed to Uma Musume divinity or I'll die immediately. I'm an otaku, can't help it.
"I've decided to wander around a bit today. I might stumble into some kind of Uma Musume-related incident. Golshi-chan, you coming?"
"Nah, I'm going out too. Got some stuff to prepare… gotta hit the home center…"
"…Home center? What are you buying?"
"…Hmph."
When I asked, Golshi-chan closed her eyes and exhaled through her nose rather than through the slightly twisted smile on her lips. Eh… scary. What's scary isn't just that meaningful chuckle, but the combination of Golshi-chan and a home center is the scariest part. There's no doubt she's plotting something troublesome, and whatever she needs to make it happen is definitely sold at a home center.
"I don't know what you're planning, but I'm not gonna get caught up in it… right?"
"…Hmph."
"…Ah, nope, I am gonna get caught in it."
Seriously, Golshi-chan? I thought you'd been calm lately. You're still Golshing around after all.
"Well then, I'll head out now. I'll bring you back some insanely cool sunglasses as a souvenir! …Enjoy your brief moment of peace, Aurora…!"
With a wicked grin, she said that and left the room. …Through the door, this time.
"…I must stay alert."
From Golshi-chan, I felt a strong will of I'm definitely gonna do it no matter what. And also a hint of joy like she's finally going to release some built-up frustration. Did I do something to make her hold a grudge against me? …Well, no point thinking about it now.
More importantly, the supply of Golshi-chan has been cut off, so I need to quickly find another Uma Musume.
"Let us go, to the yet unseen Uma Musume!"
◆
Well, even though I was all hyped up, this is the holy land of Uma Musume—Tracen Academy. On the neatly maintained paths where not even a pebble is in sight, the radiant figures of Uma Musume, shining brighter than jewels, catch my eyes without even trying to look.
"Ahh… just walking here makes me happy…"
I walk past the fountain spraying refreshing droplets and head into the school building. I figured I'd move my body after lunch, so I decided to go to the library. Of course, my purpose is… well, to read books, but mainly to admire the Uma Musume from the corner of my eye. Memorizing the content of books page by page while counting the pleats of the Uma Musume's skirts is nothing to me. Yep, I'm using my ability properly. Totally protagonist-like.
"Nfufu… Uma Musume studying hard… in this quiet air, the only sound is the soft turning of pages… and with that sound, their cute little ears sway… nnngh…! Just imagining it is already too precious…!"
The outline of a divine scene is already formed in my head…! Then I must see it with my own eyes as soon as possible and color my brain even more vividly…! Lost in imagination, I kept walking and stopped in front of the library door.
"Finally here…! Let's open—uwaah!?"
Just as I reached for the door, it swung open with a sound, and something flew out, crashing into me. The impact made me stagger.
A flash of white crosses my vision. It's the white of the clothes of the person who bumped into me. For a moment I thought it might be someone other than a student, but upon closer look, she was wearing something white… a lab coat over her uniform.
"Oho, almost dropped the books. Are you alright? If you're hurt, I shall personally treat you… or do much more, so rest assured."
"I-I'm fine…"
Our eyes met.
…In those red eyes filled with unknown depth, I felt like I was being sucked in… no, wait. The distance is shrinking, physically. She's so close I can smell the scent of medicine on her! Ah, this is that "slightly too close, heart-racing distance"…!
"Oh, ohh…! Heterochromia—how rare…! Such beautiful colors… I believe it's called odd-eyes… Ah! That reminds me… hmm… yes… if that's the case…"
"Uh, um…?"
Her name is Agnes Tachyon.
Tachyon—the Uma Musume named after the faster-than-light particle, with legs that hold unfathomable speed like her eyes, overwhelming others with her light-speed running. However, she also calls her trainer a guinea pig and often performs human experiments, making subjects glow or shine, a true mad scientist of madness. By the way, she shares a dorm room with Degitan.
That Agnes Tachyon is now, at a distance where our noses could touch, furiously scribbling something into a notebook while mumbling.
"…Alright, Aurora-kun. Would you like to try drinking some medicine?"
"…Huh?"
What did she just say? Drink medicine?
That escalated quickly. …As for her knowing my name, I can understand. She's Degitan's roommate, so she must've heard things. She probably saw my mismatched eyes and realized I'm the Uma Musume Degitan talks about.
However, wanting to use me as a test subject mere seconds after meeting is beyond comprehension. So this is a mad scientist… I've seen her in my past life many times, but the real one is way more dangerous.
As I'm turning a little pale, she speaks.
"I understand you're uneasy. But you see, I, Agnes Tachyon, take pride in the medicine I make. So the first test subject is always myself. Its safety is guaranteed. …At least when it comes to Uma Musume, that is."
"…If I drink it, what will happen?"
"Who knows? When I drank it, nothing particularly noteworthy happened, but there could be individual differences. …But, you're Degital-kun's favorite, aren't you? She always looks so happy when she talks about you. As her roommate, I wouldn't do anything to harm her friend. I'll say it again: the medicine has no harmful effects."
Haahh…! Degitan… talks about me…! That fact scrambles my brain. Degitan. Talking about me. Happily… …No, no, calm down…!
What I should be thinking now is whether to drink it or not. I don't really mind drinking it itself but… there's this vague sense of anxiety… In reality, I'm sure her medicine is harmless. But the aura she gives off is just too suspicious and makes me uneasy.
"By the way, the experiment will take place in my and Degital-kun's room."
"Yes!! I'll drink it!!"
◆
"URIIIIIIIII!!"
"…Do you love Degital-kun so much that you scream the moment you enter the room?"
"Yes!! Absolutely!!"
It's here it's here it's here it's here!! Thanks to Savior Tachyon-sama, I get to witness Degitan's bed! What is this place? This is undoubtedly a sacred ground. The air is so holy I feel I might be purified.
"…Hmm, looks like this method could be used again."
"Tachyon-san? What did you just say?"
"…No, it's nothing. More importantly, let's begin the experiment."
Ah, right. I didn't come here to sniff the lingering scent on Degitan's bed, but to assist in an experiment. While I was taking deep breaths, Tachyon-san had already picked up a glowing fluorescent-colored bottle.
"So… what should I do?"
"Just drink this and lie down on the bed for a while. The effects will show soon."
She said, prompting me to sit on the bed. …Thank goodness it's Tachyon-san's bed. If it were Degitan's, I would've ascended on the spot. This way, I'll only suffer a fatal wound.
"Are you ready? Then, bottoms up."
Inside the bottle was a fluorescent, very deep pink liquid shimmering. …How do you even make something this color?
The moment I opened the lid, a sweetness, far stronger than expected—like every fruit soaked in sugar—stabbed my nose. …Come to think of it, Tachyon-san loves sweets. She drinks tea with a 1:1 ratio of hot water to sugar. This medicine must also be loaded with sugar. She probably can't handle bitter medicines.
Well, it's much better than something bitter. Determined, I lifted it to my mouth.
"Gulp… guh…"
As expected, it was sweet. But it wasn't a gentle sweetness—just a few sips and the sweetness clung stubbornly inside my mouth.
"Quite different from commercial medicine, isn't it? I'm very particular about the flavor. …It was hard to maintain the medicinal effect while achieving this sweetness… thanks to that, it turned out an interesting color… kukuku."
So that's why it became fluorescent pink… Just to make something that tastes like syrup medicine with absurd amounts of sugar dumped in?
"Mm…! …Phaa…!"
I finally finished it all. The burning sweetness will probably linger in my mouth for a while. …And she drinks this sort of thing willingly… She really lives in a different world.
"It was delicious for something called medicine, wasn't it? Now, lie down."
"…Next time, I'd prefer tablets."
"What!? What are you saying!? Of all things, you prefer those bitter, scratchy things!?"
Yeah, I thought so. She's probably the type who even spits out sugar-coated pills saying they're too bitter.
…While I was distracted by the taste—right, what does this medicine even do?
"Tachyon-san. What kind of effect does it have?"
"Ah… the effect of this very delicious medicine is… unknown."
"…Huh?"
"To be precise, I know what it should do, but I don't know to what extent. It should temporarily sharpen the five senses and thoughts, but when I drank it, I couldn't feel much. But you might not be the same. …We won't know until we try. That's the essence of experimentation… exciting, isn't it?"
"I see… that makes sen…se…"
…Suddenly, I feel sleepy. Why? Because of the medicine? All of a sudden, without warning… I'm sleepy. My consciousness is fading. My head feels… fluffy.
"Ohh… it induces drowsiness…! A completely different reaction from mine, fascinating…! Ah, if you want to sleep, go ahead. It won't interfere with the experiment."
"…Nn."
My body feels warm and cozy. …This feels good.
…It smells like Degitan.
◆
It feels kind of stuffy, and I slowly open my eyes.
…Huh, what was I doing? Right, I drank Tachyon-san's medicine… …Then I don't remember anything after that.
"…Oh, you've finally woken up. It was the right call to do this experiment somewhere with a bed…"
"…How long… was I asleep?"
"About six hours."
…Longer than I thought. It's already evening.
"How do you feel? Do you feel your five senses sharpened, or your thoughts clearer?"
"No… not particularly…"
At the moment, I don't feel anything like that.
More importantly… it's hot. Even though it's only May, it feels like I'm in a desert. Sweat beads on my skin, and my breathing gets shallow subconsciously.
"Then do you notice anything else unusual?"
"…It's hot."
From head to toe, the heat won't stop, like I'm being steamed. My thoughts aren't clearer—they're rather hazy and won't work properly.
"Hot…? Huh, your face is quite red… let's see, your temperature…"
Wait. No way. As her face gets closer, the haze in my thoughts clears.
"Hyuu!"
"Hm, no fever…"
…She did the forehead-touch thing to measure my temperature! That instantly woke me up. My mind cleared and my vision expanded in a flash.
"For now, drink some water. Here."
"Thank you… ...gulp—!?"
The cold sliding down my throat flipped a switch—instantly, the world changed.
I can see. I can clearly see the insect perched on the branch of a tree outside in the dim light. Every time her heart beats, my ears catch the sound.
"Why did you suddenly freeze? Is your condition changing?"
"Ah…"
The smell. Degitan. I smell Degitan.
"DegitanDegitanDegitan!! Ahh… amazing! Degitan is Degitan, and Degitan is pouring into me…! Degitan!!"
"…Oh my?"
The smell of Degitan, the traces of her fingers, her hairs—everything Degitan is flowing into my brain.
"Hawaa… Degitaaaan…! Nnnnn…!"
"…You're drooling. Are you alright?"
Degitan Degitan Degitan… Degitan's room. The room where Degitan sleeps.
"Hm, flushed cheeks, rough breathing… incoherent speech. No doubt she's in an excited state. Very interesting… could this be…"
Tap, tap, a sound. Distant… that's the sound of the dorm's entrance. No mistake.
That rhythm is Degitan's footsteps. Degitan is coming closer. Her scent gets stronger.
She's done climbing the stairs and walking this way. 4 meters to the door.
"Degitaaaan…!"
50 cm. …Now, her hand touches the doorknob.
"Haa… I'm tired… Ah, Tachyon-san… you're actually in the room for once—wait, eh!? Aurora-chan!? Why are you he—"
"Degitaaaaaaaaan!!"
It's Degitan the real Degitan the one in my arms right now is Degitan I always wanted this Degitan Degitan Degitan!!
"Wha!? U-Um, A-Aurora-chan!? Why are you suddenly hugging me— kyaaaa!!"
With just a pull, she and I fall onto the bed. My fingertips can feel each of Degitan's individual cells. Ahh… it's Degitan. It's Degitan…!!
"T-Tachyon-san! P-Please help! For some reason Aurora-chan's making the kind of face you see in those doujinshi…! S-She pushed me down and um, anyway… I'm gonna die!"
"Degitan? Degitan, I want you to look only at me, okay Degitan? I love you, Degitan… nfufufu…!"
The reason I love Degitan this much is because she's just that cute… Degitan is cute…!
"…The truth is, I had her take a drug that enhances the five senses and cognitive functions earlier. But it seems that wasn't the only effect. When she experiences strong emotions or desires, those feelings get amplified, and in proportion to that, her senses and thinking become even sharper… Well, I didn't expect it to go this far. Her feelings must be incredibly strong."
"So basically, Aurora-chan feels that much about someone like me…? No way…? W-wait, no no no! R-right now isn't the time to explain why, just please help me!? Actually, maybe this is fine as it is… no, never mind, help me—ugh! I've never been this conflicted in my life…!"
Deji-tan… She still doesn't understand just how cute she is. Perfect. I'll make sure she understands it properly from now on—that's what's best for her.
Ahh, Deji-tan, Deji-tan, Deji-ta—!?
"Ha!… Good thing I brought a sedative just in case something like this happened."
Something was injected into my neck…!?
Huh, suddenly my body feels____
"To think she'd thrash around this much… Honestly, what a troublesome girl."
"This is 100% because of your drug, Tachyon-san~!?"
…I can hear Deji-tan's voice.
◆
When I opened my eyes, there was the familiar ceiling.
…At some point, I ended up on my own bed.
When I turned my head, there was that usual white one.
"Agnes and the others carried you back to your room, scared out of their minds. So? What the hell happened?"
"Kill me."
"What the hell are you saying all of a sudden."
"…I messed up."
…I messed up so badly that waking up was immediately followed by suicidal thoughts.
Putting it mildly, I want to die about three times over.
Let me count my sins.
One: I got aroused by Takion-san's dangerous drug and, giving in to desire, pushed Deji-tan down.
One: I tried to monopolize Deji-tan, even though she's someone who should be known and adored by the whole world.
One: I rampaged and trashed their room.
One: I troubled them and made them go out of their way to bring me all the way back here.
My memory is perfectly clear. My senses were sharper than usual, so everything is even more burned into my mind.
If they hadn't injected me with that new drug at that moment, I definitely would've done something even more unforgivable.
To top it off, they even had to carry me back to my bed.
I'm so disgusted with myself that I feel like crying.
"Golshi-chan… I leave my final moments in your hands…"
"Stop trying to commit seppuku with a hand chop. …Seriously, what the hell did you do?"
"Well, long story short…"
As I spoke, her face grew more and more strained.
"…And that's how it went."
"…I'll do it."
When I finished, Golshi-chan, looking like she'd just bitten into a bitter bug, squeezed out only those words.
And what she handed me… was a pair of dark sunglasses.
…You actually went out and bought these?
"…Hehe… Sunglasses…"
For no particular reason, I put them on.
Through the tears blurring my vision, a thin veil settled over everything.
…Didn't really make it any harder—or easier—to see.
"Haaah… uuu…"
It's over for me… I'm gonna die…
How am I supposed to face them tomorrow…?