Umamusume's days are numbered

Adjusting his facial expression, taking a deep breath, and regaining his poker face, Platinum raised his face and stared at Rudolf's symbol.

Rudolph, as if he hadn't seen Platinum's previous behavior, looked at Platinum with encouraging and earnest eyes.

"So, are we just going to wait here forever? Until the moon bestows life upon us?"

As he said this, Platinum felt like crying, as if he had lost something precious.

But that must have been a hallucination, since she also hallucinated hearing Alice's laughter.

Moreover, once she started speaking, Platinum was no longer so awkward.

It feels agonizing when you're just watching, but once you get involved, it becomes somewhat interesting.

"I am a ghost, a ghost that wanders in the ancient castle."

Silence is my friend, death is my mother.

"By day, I perch like a bat beside tattered armor. By night, I watch the devils play the nine-pillar game with boredom."

“I am happy, I am free, I am the master of darkness, even if I am an owl, even if I am a hyena, I guard my territory, even if there are no subjects left in my land.”

Platinum hadn't initially intended to say so much; she only wanted to appease Rudolf's symbol. But once she opened her mouth, the words seemed to flow uncontrollably.

Without thinking, or perhaps having thought about it beforehand.

"—But you!" Platinum suddenly pointed at the symbol of Rudolf.

"You damned fellow!"

"Are the thorns on the road so easy to cut down?"

"Are the ivy climbing outside the castle so easy to get rid of?"

"You enter my territory as if it were your own."

"You kick away the tattered armor, plunder the last lentils in the cellar during the day, take the doorknob off to burn as firewood, and sleep on the door at night."

“Aren’t you afraid of the devils? You play the nine-stick game with them, the stake is your soul, but you’ve never lost. The devils have to pluck out their own whiskers one by one, bloody and raw.”

Platinum stood up, her face still bearing that cold expression, but her chest heaving violently.

“You! You forced me out of my territory, you boasted that a ghost would accompany you. And now that we're here, you say you want me to have life, and that you want me to wait.”

Platinum raised her voice.

"Do I have to wait for the moon's charity?"

"I neither want to wait nor give alms."

Episode 218 I Can't Be With You Forever

After finishing the conversation, Platinum realized what she had said.

It could be said that she poured out all her grievances from this period of time. Although she expressed it in this pretentious way, it was precisely because of this pretentiousness that she was quite tactful, and the aggressiveness and sharpness of her language were reduced.

"Oh no." Platinum sighed softly.

He clearly understood that he was there to offer a symbolic apology to Rudolf, and he had already put himself in the right position... so why did he say something so willful?

The people around me treat me like someone who needs to be cared for, and then I become addicted to it?

Don't get your status wrong, Platinum.

Saying things like "we don't want to wait" and "we don't want charity"... isn't that just forcing Rudolf to make a symbolic statement?

"—Please forget what I just said."

In the end, that was all Bai Jin could say. She silently sat back down in her seat.

Forcing others to make choices they like... Haha, that's one of my specialties.

This has always been how I've been, from the very beginning until now. Haven't I made any progress at all?

"No, I can't pretend that none of it happened."

Rudolf's symbol is depicted with his two hands clasped together, and his eyes are frighteningly bright.

If this continues... it can work!

Rudolf symbolizes that his greatest difficulty has always been in understanding Platinum's thoughts.

I can't figure out what she's thinking, what's going on in her head. A conversation with Platinum might have annoyed her, a gesture during their time together might make her uncomfortable, what are her opinions on things? I can't guess any of these things.

The East Sea Emperor is the type who can't keep her thoughts to herself. She'll immediately express any topics she dislikes or things she dislikes. Therefore, Rudolf symbolizes her ability to understand what the East Sea Emperor is thinking.

But not Platinum. She treated Platinum like an alien, wanting to crack open its skull to see what was inside.

Platinum is like a capricious cat. Sometimes she'll get annoyed when you come too close, even though she just wants to play with her yarn. Other times she'll complain that you're ignoring her and not playing with the cat toy, even though she was the one who pushed you away just now.

This is the first time that Platinum has been able to confide in Rudolph. The Platinum of the past would never have dared to say such a thing.

Because here today, platinum is not platinum, and the Rudolf symbol is not the Rudolf symbol.

Megumi Mineki's plan worked surprisingly well.

Having finally heard Platinum's inner voice, how could Rudolf's symbolism be ignored?

"Because I never even realized how rude I was behaving."

From the very beginning, Platinum was brought to Treson College under the semi-coercion of Rudolf.

Later, Platinum was given to Spica to participate in the fan appreciation event, in order to help her make more friends and reconcile with people she had conflicts with in the past.

Even the later invitation to Golden Gun Sixty was something I practically forced Platinum to accept. My aim was to let her experience the pinnacle of horse racing.

But here's the question—are these what Platinum really wants, or what Rudolf symbolizes as beneficial to Platinum?

Thinking about it this way, it's not really surprising that Platinum kept her true feelings hidden.

Of course, I could say that all of this would become a valuable asset for Bai Jin in her future life, but did I ask for her opinion? Did I consider her feelings?

It was this rudeness and dullness that ultimately led Rudolph to utter the most vicious words, completely stepping into Platinum's minefield.

"Therefore, I apologize here for my stupidity and rudeness."

...Huh? Platinum blinked.

Didn't you say you'd apologize yourself? Why did Rudolf start the symbolism first?

"At the same time, I apologize for my incompetence."

...No, huh? What are you talking about?

“My family background is quite distinguished. My wealth ensures that I have no worries about food and clothing. Since I can remember, I have grown up with expectations—because I am good enough, because I am capable enough.”

Why are you bragging again? Seriously, can your family even be described as well-off? If you're well-off, what am I? Destitute?

"Indulging in this vanity, I fantasized that I could break all the injustices in the world and save all people from suffering."

Upon hearing this, Platinum realized that it was Rudolf's symbolic response to him.

Because he had spoken his true feelings, Rudolf symbolized that he also spoke his true feelings in exchange.

"But I can't—I'm unable to—"

Rudolf symbolizes the pain of closing his eyes.

"I can't save everyone."

Platinum is not Alice who stumbled into Wonderland, and Rudolph is not a prince on a white horse who will hold the princess's wrist.

“I brought you out and into this dense forest because you firmly believed that as long as you followed me, I could give you what you desired.”

“You question me, you’re angry about it, you ask me why I should wait.”

"What you crave is vibrant life. You yearn to live like a living person."

"I answer you now, I do not have that ability. I can only tell you the method of resurrection. All we can do is pray and wait for the moonlight to come."

"It was not me who gave you life, nor should it be me, nor can it be me."

Platinum is stupid; she's always known she's not smart enough. But today, she discovered she's actually too smart.

If only I could be a little more single-minded, if only I couldn't understand tactful words... but that seems even worse.

Her tense body suddenly relaxed, and she slowly exhaled, as if a huge weight had finally been lifted from her heart.

Didn't I come all this way just to hear that?

She did not want to give alms, nor did she want to wait. So Rudolph symbolically gave herself her answer, in the most sincere way.

Platinum pouted, stood up, and then sat heavily down next to Rudolf Symbol. She really did approach Rudolf Symbol slowly and tentatively, like a cat, and gently rested her head on his shoulder.

"That's enough, actually," Platinum murmured, pouting.

"That's all I want."

"Since you can't keep your promise to me... then until I can truly obtain [life], I want you to stay by my side forever."

"At least this should be achievable, right?"

Rudolph symbolically felt the touch on her shoulder, looked up at the chandelier above, and reached out to put his arm around Platinum's shoulder.

"Yes, that's what I was planning to do even if you hadn't said it."

Episode 219 Can I Dance With You?

Donghai naturally leaned against the door and winked at the side.

She strained to peek out, trying to get a better look at what was happening inside the private room; but she didn't dare to peek too far, afraid that the two people sitting there might notice her.

What's going on inside? Unable to hear anything or see anything in the private room, Donghai was extremely anxious, feeling like he had five or six kittens scratching at his heart at the same time.

If she weren't afraid of being discovered, she would have loved to peek out from under the table, chairs, chandelier, dining table, or through the gaps in the railing, and eagerly ask the two of them: Do you like the clothes? Do you like Platinum's new look? Did you enjoy dinner? Did the conversation go smoothly? Have you two made up?

Just then, Donghai naturally felt something soft and fluffy touch behind his head.

Not only was it soft and fluffy, but it was also very elastic. Under the pressure of Donghai Ziran's small head, a reverse force was applied, causing Donghai Ziran, who was already half-squatting in the corner, to stumble and fall to the ground.

"Ouch! Something bumped into me!" Donghai naturally rubbed his head. "Don't you know how to watch your step when you're walking?"

"I'm so sorry, I had some urgent business to attend to and needed to pass through here for a bit, so I didn't see you..." The gentle female voice calmed even the most furious person.

...Well, it sounds vaguely familiar.

"Never mind, it's my fault for getting in your way." Donghai, with his eyes closed, touched his head with one hand and took the hand extended by the other, groped his way to stand up and opened his eyes.

The first thing you see is the signature black and white highlights, and the plump and bewitching mature cheeks.

Mejiro Peak? !

Donghai naturally knew what had hit her head.

"what."

"what."

The two spoke at the same time. Megumi Takamine, who was holding Tokai's hand, suddenly let go.

Boom!

A crisp sound of his skull hitting the ground. Donghai immediately clutched the back of his head and rolled on the ground, yelling, "Ouch—it hurts, it hurts so much!"

Meguro Mineko looked at Tokai Nature, who was rolling around on the ground, with the indifferent gaze one would give someone trash: "Oh dear, I'm sorry. I thought I accidentally bumped into a guest, but it turns out to be a chimpanzee that was just relocated from the primeval forest."

"Where is the owner? If you want to keep this kind of creature in Japan, you need to go through the relevant procedures. You also need to keep it on a leash and not take it out to disturb others."

Donghai, clutching his head and shivering, stood up, but he refused to admit defeat.

"Huh? I think that instead of calling the innocent guest who was hit a wild animal, perhaps this title should be applied to someone who carelessly walks through public places, bumps into others, and causes secondary injuries. What do you think?"

"Or is it because the reins that usually hold its neck have broken free that it's barking so happily today?"

Megumi Mineki rarely showed such a clear expression of hatred.

But at this moment, neither of them was thinking about arguing. Their thought processes were remarkably similar.

Why is this guy here?

Is it some kind of persistent ghost following us? Damn it, it happened at the most crucial moment—