Splash...
"It's so... comfortable~. That old lady really wasn't lying to us. Although it's a local hot spring, the water is continuously flowing."
In the hot spring, separated from the living room by just one flimsy door, T.M. Opera O, wearing a bath towel, was immersed in the water.
The comfort from the natural hot spring water was naturally on a whole another level compared to ordinary hot water.
And as such, T.M. Opera O quickly relaxed, lying there with flushed cheeks.
Slowly, T.M. Opera O's body slid down, eventually submerging half of her face into the hot spring.
As she was enjoying the water, her mind once again wandered to Wada, who was just one door away, watching TV, and she couldn't help but feel troubled.
"I... must be overthinking things, right?"
"Ryuji is acting no different than usual and he's even watching TV... It's likely that he really is treating this as an ordinary hot spring trip... Am I really overthinking it?"
But as soon as she considered this possibility, T.M. Opera O couldn't help but feel a bit inadequate.
She subconsciously looked at her chest, which was submerged in the water, and her mind involuntarily thought of Meisho Doto and Super Creek, immediately feeling self-conscious.
"Is it really because my figure isn't good? But when my other self was still around, she told me that Ryuji isn't the type to care about my body... yet he seems to have more romantic interest for Meisho Doto and Trainer Nase."
"Is Ryuji really not interested in me... because my bust size is smaller than Meisho Doto's...?"
While T.M. Opera O was pondering the importance of breast sizes, you might wonder what Wada was doing.
...Isn't he watching TV?
—No, he was actually just playing the sound of the TV to make T.M. Opera O feel calmer.
In reality, Wada was also incredibly nervous, even more so than T.M. Opera O.
"Help, I'm currently in a hot spring inn with my Uma Musume. What on earth should I do? Waiting responses, it's urgent."
At this point, Wada was incapable of thinking straight anymore. Thus, he quickly went to seek help from more knowledgeable people.
Wada sent this message to all the Trainers he knew, excluding Ikezoe, Imanami, and Fumino Nase, of course. And soon, he received many 'kind regards' from his 'helpful' colleagues.
Hana Toujou: "What?! You're with your Uma Musume at a hot spring inn?! Is it T.M. Opera O or Meisho Doto? Or both?! Shameless! But congratulations nonetheless."
Okino: "Ya lucky bastard, Wada! You're so rich! Meanwhile, us broke people over here have to save everything we have to afford the summer trip during July!"
Narita Top Road's Trainer: "Congrats, Trainer Wada! Although I had already expected it, I didn't think you'd act that fast. I really need to step up my game too! Oh, and please don't tell anyone about this."
Admire Vega's Trainer: "Thanks, Trainer Wada! I won the bet with Vega, so she'll have to obediently travel with me. Also, good luck~ But I suggest you to not do the deed so quickly, it might affect her career—"
—Not. A single. Reliable. ONE!
At this moment, Wada almost threw his phone at the wall. At such a critical time, how could none of these bastards be reliable?
Did he really have to handle this situation alone? For him and T.M. Opera O to be in the same room on the same tatami mat, even if there were two futons, in such an atmosphere, was it really appropriate for a man and a woman to stay in one room?
Something was definitely going to happen, right? It would be weird if nothing happened!
Creak...
"...Ryuji? What's wrong?"
At some unknown point, while Wada was anxiously scratching his head, T.M. Opera O had already finished bathing.
She walked out wearing the loose kimono that the inn had prepared. T.M. Opera O also noticed Wada's mood and couldn't help but ask.
"—N- no, it's nothing."
Wada quickly calmed down the moment he saw T.M. Opera O, putting on a nonchalant expression and nodding.
"Finished bathing? Then I'll take my turn now."
"Mhm, enjoy yourself, it's very comfortable."
T.M. Opera O and Wada exchanged a few simple words.
But just as Wada took the clothes he had prepared earlier and entered the hot spring, closing the door, T.M. Opera O quickly turned towards her clothes hanging nearby, taking out her phone.
"Emergency! The Overlord is facing a crisis! I'm currently in a hot spring inn with my Trainer! What should I do now? Please tell me quickly!"
T.M. Opera O had also lost the ability to think due to her overheating brain, and thus, like Wada, she intended to seek help from others.
After composing this message, she selected "select all" before unticking the names of Meisho Doto and several other Uma Musume on her team before finally sending the message.
And soon, T.M. Opera O received 'kind regards' from her Uma Musume friends, and at an even higher frequency than Wada did too!
The Uma Musumes, who had originally been relaxing during Christmas Eve, immediately found that a juicy piece of gossip had fallen from the sky the moment they saw the message from T.M. Opera O!
In an instant, the number of messages in T.M. Opera O's inbox turned into 99+.
There were many types of attitudes among the Uma Musume who sent her a message, but undoubtedly, none of them were reliable!
"With your Trainer? Is it Trainer Wada? You're so lucky to have such a handsome Trainer!"
"I'm so jealous! My Trainer is such a blockhead; he never takes me out anywhere and declines all my invitations! That's it! I'm going to kidnap him to meet with my parents today! Thanks for the motivation, T.M. Opera O!"
"At a time like this, the most important thing is not to be a coward. You already have strength, fame, and fortune. Your position as a Hall of Fame Uma Musume is secure, and you're the next Student Council President. It's time for you to think about your retirement life. I suggest forcing hi—"
"Umapyoi him tonight and then live out your retirement years peacefully! You'll become the most envied Uma Musume in all of Tracen Academy!"
"Aahhhhhhhhh!!!! Not a single reliable one!"
Finally, T.M. Opera O, realizing just how foolish her action was, immediately shut off her phone.
Unfortunately, the messages were popping up way too quickly, and the constant notification sounds from her phone made her even more flustered, so she ultimately chose to turn it off.
And the moment T.M. Opera O turned off her phone, her brain suddenly started to work again...
"Wait, I sent it to everyone... isn't that equivalent to me loudly proclaiming this to everyone in Tracen Academy, and now everyone knows?!"
She suddenly remembered how loose-mouthed the students in Tracen were.
If this got out, which it did, by the next day when she returned, everyone in Tracen would surely be constantly buzzing about the news of "T.M. Opera O and Trainer Wada's all-night hot spring trip!"
And she was even the one who spread it herself!
What would everyone think of her when she returned?!
The Overlord who had just finished the Arima Kinen and then immediately went on a hot spring trip with her Trainer?
What was this?! Wasn't this like those ending in romance stories where a Uma Musume who had succeeded finally deciding to dedicate herself to repay her Trainer's kindness?
But she was T.M. Opera O! She knew this wasn't the case!
However, now that this matter had already spread, even if she tried to clarify it, how many people would believe her?
"They definitely went and did umapyoi!" —Was definitely what they would say.
"What do I do, what do I do... How can I go back to Tracen Academy now...?"
"Everyone will definitely know about this... AHHHHHHHH!!!! WHY DID I DO THAT!!!!!! DID THE HOT SPRING FRY MY BRAIN???!!!"
Finally, T.M. Opera O, having made mistake after mistake, had driven herself into a corner— completely of her own fault to add.
Currently, although she had just finished bathing and hadn't gone to the sauna, T.M. Opera O was starting to break out into a nervous wreck with sweat all over her body.
Tap tap tap.
"Thank you for waiting~ Have you two finished bathing? Dinner is here, he he~"
The gentle laughter of the old woman came from outside the door.
But perhaps because T.M. Opera O didn't respond immediately, the woman spoke again:
"I'll leave it outside the door for now. Oh, and if you need to do the 'thing,' you can find the 'things' in the drawer in the cabinet. Please feel free to use them."
"Things? What things?"
T.M. Opera O's mind and body had completely frozen.
After the woman's footsteps gradually faded away, she didn't go to get the meal immediately.
Instead, she fixed her gaze on the only cabinet nearby, walked over, and pulled out the drawer.
And when T.M. Opera O saw the only "thing" in that drawer, she didn't say anything, and silently pushed the drawer back in.
"—T.M. Opera O? Was that the proprietress just now?"
"Ah? Yes! Dinner was just finished! Ryuji, hurry up and finish washing so you can come out and eat!"
Wada's voice made T.M. Opera O's tail instantly stand up in tension, and she replied rather uncomfortably.
However, at this moment, T.M. Opera O's mind was completely occupied by the "things" she had just seen.
As a normal, healthy, young Uma Musume who already knew of many things but hadn't actually experienced them in person, T.M. Opera O constantly shook her head, forcing herself to forget those things.
"You don't need those things... you don't need those things... T.M. Opera O, you HAVE to believe in yourself, in your bottom line!"
"You are the Overlord! The Overlord of the Century's End! You won't fall into depravity like this— you won't!"
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Ooooooooo
Umadachi!
Ooooooooo
Umapyoi! Umapyoi!
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If you spot any errors, feel free to comment about it and I will fix it as soon as I can.