Seeing the main characters appear, Hikari consciously pulled Legend and moved two positions to the left.
Ardan sat down beside Legend very naturally.
McQueen wanted to sit next to Legend, but was beaten to it by Ardan, and as the theoretical acting head, she had no choice but to take the main seat in the middle.
Ryan and Palmer sat to the right of Dober.
The lineup was thus determined.
"McQueen, your new hairstyle is great." As soon as the few Uma Musume sat down, Legend said to McQueen with a cheeky smile.
"Right? I was very pleasantly surprised when I saw it just now, twin tails and all."
Ardan echoed her sentiment.
"...Thank you for the compliment, it's all thanks to you, Legend."
McQueen, sporting the twin tails, twitched the corner of her mouth.
"Don't mention it, we're close."
Legend replied shamelessly.
Ardan smiled without saying a word.
"Speaking of which, since the main characters have arrived, can I leave now?"
Legend made a move to get up.
"Legend, sit down."
Ardan said lightly.
"Alright."
Legend sat down obediently.
Various strange gazes converged on the two of them.
Ardan still smiled elegantly, while Legend was calm and composed, as if nothing had just happened.
"...Hikari, let's start the next segment."
McQueen said sternly.
"Alright~"
Hikari was still so leisurely.
"The next segment is to share some interesting stories about the family with everyone."
"What is this, this kind of deliberate gossiping segment."
Legend's actions and expression at this moment were like that person who got thrown out the window during a meeting.
"Legend-san, this is a public place after all, please pay a little attention to your image."
McQueen said helplessly.
"Look at you saying that, a beauty of my level doesn't need to care about such things at all."
Is it really okay for you to be like this?
Ryan and Palmer's expressions seemed to say this.
"Oh, as expected of Gold Legend, even in such a decadent posture, she is still so beautiful."
"I want to be Miss Legend's dog!"
The audience erupted.
"..."
McQueen was speechless.
"By the way, since we're talking about interesting things, can I ask a question?"
Legend seemed to have thought of something.
"What is it?"
"Does the Mejiro Family put restrictions on things like desserts?"
Legend pointed to the cake and desserts on the table.
"Why are you asking such a question?"
McQueen had a drop of cold sweat on her forehead.
"Just curious."
Legend made a funny face.
"..."
McQueen tried to use silence to avoid the topic.
The Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family also fell silent.
"There's no such rule at home."
Then Dober took over the conversation.
"Why? Aren't you afraid of gaining weight? High-calorie foods like desserts are very dangerous for Uma Musume, you know."
"What Uma Musume gains weight because of desserts! Really."
Dober gave Legend an angry sideways glance.
Palmer and Ryan had cold sweat on their foreheads.
McQueen wore a cold expression.
"Ah, that!" Palmer suddenly said loudly, while winking at Dober, "The word 'weight gain' isn't in the Mejiro Family's dictionary. Let's change the subject."
"Eh? What's wrong, Palmer?"
Dober asked, looking confused.
Of course I'm trying to save you, Dober!
Palmer roared in her heart.
Legend watched this interesting scene, feeling a certain sinful blood factor in her body activate.
She stoked the flames: "Oh, you can't say that. After all, Uma Musume are all different. There are always some Uma Musume who are prone to gaining weight, right?"
"Hmph, even if we gain weight, the Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family will gain it in the right places."
Dober, who retorted subconsciously, puffed out her chest.
McQueen's gaze could kill.
Legend was amused and intended to press the attack.
"That's enough, Legend. Don't bully Dober and McQueen."
Mejiro Ardan's gentle voice rang out, extinguishing Legend's restless criminal impulses.
"Alright, alright, sorry."
"Why are you apologizing for no reason..."
Dober, hearing Legend apologize because of Mejiro Ardan's words, turned her head away in annoyance.
Then she saw McQueen, whose aura was like a howling blizzard, and that cold gaze extinguished all her annoyance.
"...Very sorry."
The shy and timid Dober shrank back into her seat.
"Mind your manners, McQueen."
Mejiro Ardan reminded her softly, while reaching out to pinch Legend's waist.
Legend's face twisted instantly.
"...Yes, Sister Ardan."
McQueen retracted her gaze with a complex expression.
"...Legend-san and Sister Ardan, when did you two become so... close?"
Stealthily glancing at the complex-looking McQueen, Ryan asked cautiously.
Palmer and Dober also shifted their gazes over.
McQueen also glanced slightly to the side.
The two of them were almost not hiding their intimate relationship at all.
"Hmm, probably since that moment at the exhibition last year?"
Mejiro Ardan said softly.
"Oh, has it been that long?"
Legend looked surprised.
"Indeed, it has been a long time."
"I've known Legend-san for even longer."
McQueen suddenly said.
Mejiro Ardan raised an eyebrow.
Ryan and Palmer suddenly started looking at the sky.
Dober bit her lip, and Bright remained indifferent.
"Ah, that's right. Come to think of it, we've known each other for over a year now. How nostalgic."
Legend happily agreed.
"Thinking back now, McQueen was really very beautiful back then. That noble and dignified posture."
"...Are you saying I'm not beautiful now?"
McQueen's tone suddenly turned cold.
"McQueen has always been beautiful in my heart." Legend said sincerely, "It's just that my feeling for McQueen has changed from the 'most beautiful young lady' back then to the 'cutest young lady' now."
"...What kind of strange term is that?"
McQueen blushed a little because of Legend's sincere words.
"Wow, she's so good at this..."
"Why does she say such artificial things so sincerely?"
Ryan and Palmer whispered.
The audience was also restless, noisy and chaotic.
"And what about me? Legend?"
Mejiro Ardan asked with a smile.
For some reason, a cold chill crawled up the spines of everyone present.
The other Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family shivered in unison, and McQueen was no exception.
"Ah, Ardan is different."
The oblivious Legend waved her hand like an old mother.
"How is it different?"
Mejiro Ardan asked with a smile.
"Your eyebrows are like distant mountains."
Legend rested her chin on one hand and answered without hesitation, her smile like the spring sun.
"Pfft, hehe."
Mejiro Ardan also laughed, her gentle long hair brushing against the corners of her mouth. The girl's smile was clear and clean.
The whole stage went quiet instantly, looking at the smiles of the two girls.
A refreshing sight.
For some reason, McQueen felt she had lost, lost completely.
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