Vacation.
This was the happiest time of one's life.
Ever since returning to her hometown for summer break, Kitasan Black hadn't left the house in a week.
She only went out for a short walk during her morning exercises, then spent the entire day at home being lazy.
Her favorite thing was to lie on the outdoor corridor, basking in the sun while dozing off.
She would rather sunbathe here all day than go out and play.
As for video games?
Despite always playing mobile games at school, she actually wasn't very interested in electronic games.
This was evident from the fact that she basically never spent money on games and rarely touched the resources she accumulated.
For her, video games were just a way to kill time. As for the so-called joy of gaming, she felt absolutely none of it.
For her, life's greatest pleasures were sunbathing and sleeping in.
At school, she had nowhere to sunbathe.
No matter where she went, as long as she was on campus, she could feel eyes watching her from nearby. She simply couldn't relax enough to enjoy the sun.
What if she accidentally dozed off and got kidnapped by those young ladies?
So now that she was home, she needed to replenish all the sunlight she'd missed.
"Kita-chan, if you've got nothing to do, go buy some things for me."
Hearing her mother's call, Kitasan Black reluctantly opened her eyes and sat up from the floor.
She didn't want to go, but she couldn't refuse. So she took the shopping list and headed out.
She glanced at the items on the list.
She quickly made her assessment.
"Looks like we're having curry tonight."
She was in charge of buying vegetables and soy sauce; the curry powder and beef were already at home.
Carrots, potatoes, onions...
There weren't many items to buy, and she could get everything at the local supermarket. So Kitasan Black didn't bother going all the way to the shopping district.
Although it wasn't that far, the supermarket was closer to home.
"Ah, just as today's feng shui predicted I'd have good luck! Kita-chan, long time no see!"
A little uma musume in a yellow sundress came over to greet her.
Kitasan Black glanced at her.
"Who are you?"
"Here we go again—you're joking around as usual, Kita-chan. It's me! Kobayashi Reki, your childhood friend!"
"Your house isn't in this direction, is it?"
"Hehe~ I came here following the feng shui's guidance to find good fortune."
"Then you've definitely found the wrong person. My luck has never been very good."
"Is that so? No worries, I can share some of my good luck with you."
Kitasan Black looked speechlessly at the eccentric girl before her.
This person really was her childhood friend—they had been in the same class ever since kindergarten.
If she hadn't transferred schools, she would probably still be in the same class as her.
"Don't tell me you calculated that I'd appear here and came specifically to find me?"
"It's because you suddenly transferred without saying anything! And even though it's summer vacation, you haven't come to play at the park. I was worried about how you're doing."
"It's a rare break. Of course I want to rest at home for a few days."
"You say that, but Kita-chan, you're just too lazy to go out, right? Don't underestimate a childhood friend's intelligence network!"
"If you wanted to find me, you could've just come to my house directly. Was it really necessary to use divination to calculate where I'd appear?"
"You've got it wrong. I really was just calculating my good luck for today. Running into you, Kita-chan, was just a coincidence."
Kobayashi Reki pulled out a luopan compass and began her calculations right in front of Kitasan Black. Kitasan Black couldn't even be bothered to look.
She had once been curious about Kobayashi Reki's family's feng shui arts. After all, it was a genuine skill—if she could learn it, wouldn't making money be effortless?
But she couldn't understand it at all. This stuff required talent.
"The good luck is in this direction."
After determining the direction, Kobayashi Reki immediately put away the compass and headed that way.
"Don't tell me your good luck for today is inside the supermarket."
"That's right—the direction is definitely this way."
She followed Kobayashi Reki, and in a corner of the supermarket, they found an old-style gashapon machine.
"This is it!"
"Alright, I get it. Your good luck is the gashapon, right? Is there a limited edition inside?"
"Not quite—what I mean is, one of the capsules inside will bring me good luck."
"Oh, so you're planning to try to get it? Did you bring enough money?"
"No need—I've already calculated that I'll get it on the first try."
"..."
Was that something a normal person would say?
But Kobayashi Reki's luck really was extraordinary.
Especially if you bought drinks or popsicles with her, you'd find that Kobayashi Reki always won the "try again" prize.
Yet Kitasan Black herself had never won once. Her luck, while not as terrible as Rice Shower-senpai's—who seemed cursed by a god of misfortune—was still below average.
She wasn't particularly unlucky, but winning prizes was simply beyond her.
It was impressive that Kobayashi Reki had once read her fortune and, with a straight face, declared her to be someone with great destiny.
Kobayashi Reki inserted a coin, completed one gashapon pull, and suddenly the entire machine burst into a loud celebratory jingle.
Jackpot!
Kitasan Black was unfazed by this sight—she had never doubted Kobayashi Reki's luck or feng shui skills.
"Hmm..."
"What's wrong? Isn't this your good luck?"
"Kita-chan, I'll give this to you. It's been blessed with my good fortune."
"Don't tell me you planned this from the beginning."
"How could that be? Everything is just coincidence. I'm merely following Dragon God-sama's guidance."
Kitasan Black looked at the charm in her hand. She never would have expected to get an omamori from a gashapon machine.
Moreover, this was the jackpot prize. Honestly, she felt like it was rather cheap.
This charm looked like old stock that had been sitting here for ages.
If it hadn't been blessed by Kobayashi Reki, it probably wouldn't even be worth as much as the coin spent to get it.
But this was a good luck item certified by none other than Kobayashi Reki. It might actually have some effect, which made its value hard to define.
"Then I'll accept it."
"Mm, as payment for the blessing, you now have to buy me a popsicle, Kita-chan."
"You really did calculate exactly how much money I have in my pocket. I've got just enough loose change for two."
The two of them bought popsicles, one each, and strolled leisurely through the quiet streets.
"Kita-chan, you went to that uma musume training academy, right? Does that mean you're planning to become a professional uma musume?"
"If nothing unexpected happens, that should be the plan."
"I see. Then I'll come watch your debut race."
"Then I'll come watch your debut race too."
"My debut race? Kita-chan, what are you talking about? I'm not going to be an uma musume."
"...Huh?"
Kitasan Black was completely stunned.
What did she just hear? Kobayashi Reki said she didn't want to be an uma musume?
Then who was the Kobayashi Reki in the [Player's] memories?
"Your Dragon God-sama never told you that you'll also become an uma musume in the future?"
"Me? That's impossible. You know I don't like running."
This was true.
Kobayashi Reki actually hated running with others, because the dust kicked up during a race was unbearable to her.
Kobayashi Reki was extremely particular about cleanliness. Kitasan Black suspected she had a serious case of mysophobia.
But this girl was definitely an uma musume—and one who ran on dirt tracks, no less.
"I remember you've been learning how to promote feng shui online, right, Kobayashi? If you become a top-tier uma musume, that kind of thing would be easy to achieve."
"...Kita-chan, you make it sound so simple. Becoming a top-tier uma musume isn't that easy."
"Then let me read your fortune."
"?"
"Kobayashi Reki, you will definitely become an amazing uma musume."
Though she didn't know about Kobayashi Reki's actual horse counterpart, the uma musume Kobayashi Reki was incredibly strong.
She was a Tier 0 front-runner on dirt tracks.
"Kita-chan, you're not just reluctant to see me go, are you?"
"...What kind of joke is that?"
"At times like this, even if it's a lie, you should play along with what I said."
"I refuse."
The two of them walked to the park where they had first met as children. Several neighborhood kids were playing around inside.
"I'm tired. Let's take a break."
Spotting a park bench, Kitasan Black instantly couldn't walk another step. She set down the plastic bag of vegetables and soy sauce and sat down.
"Kita-chan, you really haven't changed at all. I thought after transferring, you might become more active."
"Why would I change? People change themselves to get a better life, right? But I'm perfectly satisfied with my life now."
"I'm talking about your habit of wanting to sit down after walking just a few steps. Can you really become an uma musume like this? They're athletes, you know."
"I do train seriously when I'm at school."
Kitasan Black lied without blinking.
Though for her, the bare minimum of training still counted as training seriously.
"Kita-chan, have you been lying more often lately? I can't even tell anymore whether you're telling the truth or not."
"Is it possible that I'm telling the truth?"
"Impossible."
Kobayashi Reki absolutely refused to believe that Kitasan Black would train hard.
After all, Kitasan Black was the type who, given the opportunity, could sleep from morning to night.
"No love left. As my best friend, you don't even trust me."
The two sat on the bench, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds, the sounds of children playing in their ears.
"Kita-chan, was what you said earlier true?"
"What?"
"About me becoming a really amazing uma musume in the future."
"It's true."
"..."
Kobayashi Reki's heart stirred at these words.
Although she really didn't like racing, if Kita-chan said so...
"But if I become an uma musume, won't I become your rival, Kita-chan?"
"Huh? No way. We're not even on the same track."
Kitasan Black waved dismissively.
She thought Kobayashi Reki was overthinking it. One of them ran on turf, the other on dirt—how could they possibly be rivals?
"Kita-chan, you're definitely joking, right? You just said I'd become an amazing uma musume, and now you're saying I'm not good enough to be your rival."
For a moment, Kitasan Black thought the Satomi sisters had followed her all the way to her hometown.
Looking at the pouty Kobayashi Reki, she explained, "What I mean is, you and I are suited for different track surfaces. We won't become rivals."
"What do you mean?"
"You run on dirt tracks. I run on turf. Get it?"
"I run on dirt tracks?!!"
Kobayashi Reki shook her head vigorously, her hair whipping against Kitasan Black's face.
"Dirt tracks are the ones that kick up clouds of dust when you run, right? No way—I can't run on those."
Kitasan Black looked at the resistant Kobayashi Reki, not knowing what to say.
Yes, you do have mysophobia, but you really are a natural dirt track uma musume.
And with your track surface aptitude, without some kind of cheat to alter your genes, there's no way you could run on turf.
Besides, even turf tracks aren't always that clean.
Only excellent good-condition tracks let you finish a race without getting your clothes too dirty.
Since you're going to get dirty either way, it doesn't really matter which surface you run on.
"Actually, turf tracks are the same most of the time. If you want to be an uma musume, you have to get used to being companions with dust."
"Then I definitely won't become an uma musume!"
"Well, I won't force you. I'm just giving you a suggestion. After all, your talent should be quite good."
"Is talent something you can just see? And you're not even an uma musume yet, Kita-chan. How do you seem to know so much?"
"Because you're my best friend, I'll tell only you a secret."
"What?"
"If I become an uma musume, I'll be the strongest in the world."
"..."
Kobayashi Reki rolled her eyes.
Although Kitasan Black was telling the absolute truth, Kobayashi Reki clearly didn't believe her.
"I take back what I said earlier."
"What?"
"Kita-chan, you actually have changed. Your skin has gotten thicker than before."
"How hurtful. I'm only telling you this secret because you're my best friend."
"Yes, yes~ Kita-chan, you'll become the world's strongest uma musume. I believe you. Happy now?"
"What a half-hearted tone."
"I've tried my very best to believe you."
Kobayashi Reki completely treated everything Kitasan Black said as a joke, and Kitasan Black didn't bother to argue further.
After all, the reason she had said these things to Kobayashi Reki was precisely because she knew Kobayashi Reki would treat them as jokes and laugh them off.
If Kobayashi Reki had actually believed her, she wouldn't have said any of it.
"Speaking of which, Kobayashi, don't you need to go home and take care of your younger siblings right now?"
"It's already this late? Time always flies when I'm with you, Kita-chan."
"You're not going to say I stole your time, are you?"
"No. What I want to say is, I'm really happy I got to see you today, Kita-chan."
"I'm pretty happy too."
After all, friends you could talk with this easily were rare.
Kobayashi Reki was the only friend she knew who could accept her true personality and whose future races wouldn't conflict with hers.
So in front of Kobayashi Reki, she didn't need to put up any pretenses at all.
"Kita-chan, I'll seriously consider your suggestion. See you!"
After saying this, Kobayashi Reki ran off.
Kitasan Black stood up and stretched, then picked up the groceries and headed home.
"I'm back. Mom, where should I put these?"
"Bring them to me."
After handing over the vegetables and soy sauce to her mother, Kitasan Black returned to her room and picked up the phone she hadn't carried all day.
Several messages from the chat app appeared on the screen.
Opening them, she found they were from Satono Diamond.
"Kitasan-san, have you returned to your hometown?"
"Kitasan-san, are you there? I've finished the Open Day roster form. Let me know if there are any issues."
"Kitasan-san, are you free next week? Would you like to come to my family's seaside villa for vacation?"
"..."
Kitasan Black's expression turned strange.
What was wrong with Satono Diamond? Were they close enough to make plans to hang out during summer vacation?
She scrolled to the last message.
"Kitasan-san, please reply when you see this. Crown has decided to transfer to Hong Kong next semester. We've decided to hold a farewell party for her..."
Satono Crown was transferring overseas?
This was great news!
Kitasan Black's eyes lit up.
Then she typed her reply: "Sorry, I don't have time that day. I won't be able to make it. Please pass along my farewell to Crown-san for me."
She would never attend something like a farewell party—especially not one for Satono Crown.
If she went, who knew if Satono Crown might suddenly ask for some kind of farewell gift?
She knew all too well that Satono Crown, for some inexplicable reason, wanted to become her friend, and also desperately wanted to race against her.
If at the farewell party Crown said something like "I'm about to leave—could you grant me one request, Kitasan-san?"—would she agree or refuse?
So she was absolutely not going to that farewell party.
...
At the Satomi residence.
Satono Diamond, who was working on her practice book, heard the notification sound from her phone and immediately pulled it toward her.
Seeing Kitasan Black's reply, Satono Diamond perked up immediately.
"I see. I'll pass your message along to Crown. So, do you have any free time this summer? Let's go out and have fun together?"
Kitasan Black looked at Satono Diamond's message, completely baffled.
What was Satono Diamond's deal? Why did she keep trying to hang out with her? Was there some kind of scheme?
"No time."
Satono Diamond nearly crushed her phone in her grip when she saw those two characters.
She could tell that Kitasan Black was just brushing her off with that response.
Given Kitasan Black's lazy personality, how could she possibly have no free time this summer?
"I see."
Satono Diamond thought for a long time before finally typing just that.
Because she knew there was absolutely no way she could convince Kitasan Black to go out.
And to get Kitasan Black to leave the house, online chatting alone wouldn't work!
There was only one method that could do it—showing up directly at Kitasan Black's house for a surprise visit.
"I need to think of a reason to get Father to contact Uncle Kitakami... but what reason would work..."
No, she didn't necessarily have to go that route.
And approaching through their parents might actually make Kitasan Black resent her.
It would be better to find a more natural way to get the entire Kitakami family to come out together.
With that thought, Satono Diamond went to ask the butler for information.
While Satono Diamond was scheming how to get Kitasan Black to come out, Satono Crown's mood was not good at all.
She had lost her race against Satono Diamond.
She hadn't been able to help Diamond.
And just as she was thinking of using this summer break to do something, she suddenly received word from her father that she was to transfer to Hong Kong next semester. This threw all her plans into chaos. She had always known that she would only be staying with her uncle's family for a few semesters before returning to Hong Kong, but she hadn't expected it to be now.
She wasn't particularly reluctant to go—she just didn't know who could help Diamond if she left like this.
Should she tell her uncle or aunt about it?
If that would have worked, she would have done it already.
But based on her observations, her uncle actually seemed quite pleased with Diamond's current changes.
Because Diamond really had become stronger and more studious.
Given her uncle's personality, he would definitely see this as a good thing.
"I should try talking to Diamond first."
Satono Crown came to Satono Diamond's door. Just as she was about to knock, she suddenly heard Diamond talking to herself inside.
Shopping district events, seven-day seaside villa vacation, Mrs. Kitakami's grocery shopping schedule...
Satono Crown couldn't help but cover her mouth. Diamond was planning to lure out the entire Kitakami family? What was she trying to do?
Not wanting to disturb Satono Diamond who was in the middle of her scheming, Satono Crown returned to her own room. She was about to search online for what kind of condition Satono Diamond might have when she suddenly noticed a message from Satono Diamond in the chat app.
"Crown, here's the farewell party guest list. Kitasan-san's family has something going on, so she can't make it. She asked me to pass along her regards."
Satono Crown: "?"
She had just heard Diamond alone in her room plotting against the entire Kitakami family, and now she received this message?
Diamond... she wasn't planning to commit a crime, was she?
...
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