Umamusume's days are numbered

If there really is such a trainer, he should be nailed to the pillar of shame.

“If it were really the trainers from the New Universe who made that request, it would be simple.” Rudolf symbolized, rubbing his furrowed brow. “The problem is, this is a schedule set by the New Universe itself. She didn’t even discuss these things with her trainers.”

"According to Shin-Universe's trainers, she is also helpless. Because she simply cannot understand the meaning of Shin-Universe's words, nor can she effectively convey her own words to Shin-Universe. Therefore, Shin-Universe has always had a lot of autonomy. Since her debut, she has always trained, registered for competitions, and prepared for battles on her own."

"In fact, Shin Universe's trainer didn't know that Shin Universe had signed up for the NHK Mile Cup until she saw Shin Universe on TV."

...The trainers in the new universe must have had quite a few interesting expressions back then, Platinum thought to himself.

Equally compelling is the Rudolf Symbol. The new universe made this choice, and its trainers and the Rudolf Symbol will face the same public scrutiny.

"There's no point in dwelling on this now. Shin-Universe has already won the NHK Mile Cup." Rudolf slowly exhaled. "This time they achieved a good result, but in this state, Shin-Universe will only suffer a crushing defeat in the Japanese Derby. The most urgent task now is to persuade Shin-Universe to give up participating in the Japanese Derby."

The public opinion hasn't really taken off yet because people don't know that Shin Cosmos will continue to participate in the Japanese Derby. There are only Shin Cosmos fans complaining that her schedule is too packed.

And when she makes her appearance in the Japanese derby... boom, Rudolf, the symbol of the new universe, and the trainer can atone with their death.

Perhaps we should also bring the chairman?

Putting aside other matters, the Japan Horse Racing Association maintains its long-standing tradition of backstabbing and sabotage in various shady dealings, but it has never been ambiguous when it comes to protecting the rights and treatment of female racehorses.

Platinum isn't mentally challenged; she just doesn't like to think things through. In the current situation, Platinum figured it out as soon as she thought about it.

This is not only a crisis for the new universe, but also a crisis for the trainers of the new universe, and depending on the situation, it will also be a crisis symbolized by Rudolf.

What Rudolf symbolizes, isn't that my business? If Rudolf symbolizes atonement with death, then who am I supposed to torture... no, talk to?

Platinum immediately patted his chest and assured everyone, "Don't worry, President, leave this to me. I will definitely find out what the new universe is thinking."

For some reason, the new universe has always seemed to have a very good impression of him, so Platinum is somewhat confident about this matter.

and···

When you have a goal you absolutely must achieve, what will you choose?

Bai Jin thought back to what Shin Yu Zhou had said when they met in the corridor. She felt that the emotion she saw in Shin Yu Zhou's eyes at that time was familiar to her.

Those were intense emotions that had once been within her, so Platinum recognized them instantly. Although she couldn't understand the New Universe's language, her eyes spoke volumes.

That's the feeling when you're extremely unwilling to do something that others don't understand, and when you face criticism and dissatisfaction from others.

Although I've always adhered to the principle of not meddling in other people's business... well... how should I put it...

It's impossible to ignore.

Yes, the new universe still holds many secrets, including the diary I bought in the system, and memories that only I don't have... These are things that will be discovered sooner or later.

Rudolph was quite surprised to see Platinum take on the task. In her mind, Platinum wouldn't concern herself with such matters.

Does this also indicate that Platinum is indeed striving to grow in a more responsible direction?

This symbolized that even Rudolf's anger was dispelled, and he felt a surge of immense relief.

It seems my parenting was quite successful!

"Then I'll leave it to you." Rudolph stood up and stretched. She had been sitting at her desk all morning, and her shoulders were aching terribly. The heavy paperwork was something even a former racehorse girl couldn't handle.

"That···"

Before anyone knew it, Bai Jin was already sitting on the sofa in front of the student council. Unlike her usual huddled-up posture, Bai Jin was sitting upright this time, her legs pressed tightly together, her shoulders straight, looking elegant and intellectual.

"President, you must be tired."

The stars in Platinum's eyes were practically sparkling. She gently patted her thigh.

"Right, you must be tired."

"Want to take a nap?"

Looking at the starry eyes of the platinum figure, Rudolf Symbol fell silent.

After that dinner, the rift between Platinum and herself was indeed broken down... but it seems like it was broken a little too much.

The Platinum of the past would never have pestered me like this and made such a move.

Although they have become much closer to me, they have also become much more difficult to deal with.

Episode 225 Let's have some fun!

Her calves were well-proportioned, her knees were rounded, and her thighs were slender.

Encased in close-fitting stockings, her curves were as beautiful as sculpted plaster.

Although Platinum isn't tall, her proportions are exaggerated, with a stride length comparable to some tall, powerful horses. Therefore, her legs are very long, and because she's relatively slender, they also appear very thin.

It's not quite to the point where you can stick rice cakes on chopsticks, but it's not very round either.

Especially when her legs are together, that slender and ethereal feeling immediately emerges. Combined with the round-toed leather shoes she wears, and the little bit of skin exposed between the hem of her skirt and her stockings, it's enough to make one's soul yearn for her.

And there was Platinum's longing gaze, constantly urging Rudolf's symbolic gesture. A lap pillow...is this it?

But Rudolf's first thought was, "Hmm, lying on that probably wouldn't be very comfortable for my head. It's too hard."

"President...?" Platinum patted her knee again, gesturing for Rudolf to quickly sit on the sofa. But actually, she felt a little ashamed.

The reason Platinum kept urging Rudolph to symbolize this was because she was afraid that Rudolph would refuse her request, which would make her lose face.

...Wait a minute, usually giving someone a lap pillow is a reward, right? Why don't I feel confident about it? Rudolph should accept it with gratitude!

So, what symbolic choice did Rudolf make in this situation?

"Stop messing around." Rudolph, choosing to assert his adult authority, delivered a chop to Platinum's head. "The student council is not a private matter, but a public place."

"How could this happen!" Platinum complained, clutching her head. "There's no one else here, and besides, isn't the student council your territory?"

“There’s no such thing as territory. The student council serves all students in the academy. Perhaps it will grant some powers that don’t belong to the students, but that’s for better communication with the higher-ups.” Unexpectedly, Platinum’s words made Rudolph take a serious look and begin his lecturing mode, “You’re a racehorse girl with the potential to win the Triple Crown. If you really do win the Triple Crown, you’ll join the student council one day. So you absolutely cannot have such thoughts, Platinum, do you understand?”

"I won't listen! I won't listen! I won't listen!" Platinum covered her ears, ignoring Rudolf's ramblings, and started rolling around on the sofa. "I already promised to be your psychology teacher in the new universe, so just give in to me! You have to offer something in return for someone's help!"

Rudolf suddenly felt a headache coming on. The old Platinum wouldn't have acted like this; it would have just stiffened its neck and made faces at itself. Now, it looked more like the Emperor of the East Sea… and the East Sea Nature.

The East Sea Natural True Teaching is truly learned, and Bai Jin truly dares to use it.

"You haven't sent me the blessing text message from Satsuki no Shonen, and you don't allow me to keep tarantulas in my dorm... Just promise me everything."

Faced with such platinum, Rudolf symbolized that there was simply no way to reason with her.

"I really can't do anything with you..." Rudolf sighed deeply, his eyebrows lowered, but the emotion in his sigh was different from before. "Alright, I promise you."

The moment he finished speaking, the noisy sounds around him abruptly stopped. Rudolf Symbol opened his eyes and saw Platinum's dark eyes smiling at him: "President, you can't go back on your word once you've promised."

In the blink of an eye, Platinum was sitting back down on the sofa: "Come on, come on."

...How come he's so skilled? Rudolf's symbol began to feel a bit of a toothache. She had a premonition that her future days might not be easy.

With a gentle push from Platinum, Rudolf Symbol sat somewhat stiffly at the other end of the sofa. Before she could even prepare herself, Platinum grinned and wrapped her arms around her neck, pulling Rudolf Symbol to lie on her lap.

Rudolf's first impression is that it's not as comfortable as a pillow.

It wasn't that Rudolph symbolized a straightforward personality; Platinum was naturally thin, with hardly any flesh on his body, and only a thin layer of skin and flesh on his legs. The first feeling when he lay down was like lying on two sticks. How could Platinum's two mere legs possibly compare to the comfort of a specially made pillow designed for sleep?

However, Rudolf symbolically held back and didn't say it aloud. Doing something like this is inherently more symbolic than practical, and its psychological effect outweighs its actual impact.

I just made up with Platinum, so it's normal for her to be a little clingy. After a while, things should return to normal. For now, I'll just let her be.

Rudolf symbolizes opening one's eyes and looking up to see a slender waist hidden beneath the sailor's uniform. Above that is a smooth chin. Yes, a completely flat chest.

Rudolf symbolically held back, not saying a word.

Just as she was struggling with her inner turmoil, she felt a warm, soft touch on the top of her head. It was platinum fingers stroking the head symbolizing Rudolf.

"Is this the complete picture of a lap pillow?" Platinum spoke softly, carefully exhaling as if afraid of waking a sleeping child. "Pillow, finger massage, and... ASMR."

"President, you don't have to reply. I'll just keep whispering in your ear until you fall asleep."

"Ah, this." Rudolf suddenly felt a tickling sensation on his skin, as if he had been electrocuted.

What does it feel like?

Rudolph symbolizes someone who has traveled the world, stayed in luxury hotels, and enjoyed VIP treatments. Massages, acupuncture, and aromatherapy baths are commonplace for Rudolph, and she might even offer her own commentary.

However, she had never received this kind of service before; it was a completely new experience for her.

"How does the president feel? Is this position comfortable?" Platinum's light, airy voice continued, like soft feathers falling on Rudolf's symbol.

"It's alright." Although Platinum had said not to reply, the old-fashioned Rudolf still felt it wasn't right to remain silent. "I think I smell lavender. Is it your perfume?"

Although it might not be easily noticed at first, once relaxed and in a quiet environment, a person's five senses are amplified many times over. Thus, Rudolph noticed the increasingly strong scent of lavender, which almost overwhelmed her nasal passages.

"I've never used perfume. But the laundry detergent I used before was lavender scented, so the president probably smelled the clothes."

"That's it."

Platinum's fingers stroked Rudolph's symbolic forehead: "But it might not be the smell of the clothes."

"Because I bought my laundry detergent and shower gel together, and they both smell like lavender."

Episode 226 You two each talk your own thing

Upon hearing Platinum's words, Rudolf's symbolic eyes, which were about to close, opened again.

You promised to let me take a nap! How am I supposed to sleep now that you've said that?

Honestly, the tactics Platinum is using now seem so similar to those of Donghai Ziran. Could Platinum have actually gone to learn from them?

However, Rudolph, having lived with the East Sea nature for so long, must know a thing or two about how to deal with it.

At times like this, all you need to do is smile.

No response, no provocation, use the Iron Curtain to deflect all provocations.

I've defended them all out. (jpg)

Platinum didn't dwell on the topic. Her fingers continued to stroke, eventually grasping Rudolf's symbolic ear. Feeling the touch of her fingers, Rudolf's symbolic ear twitched involuntarily.

"Hey, the president's ears twitch, how cute."

"Generally speaking, a horse's ears will move when touched. This is a program engraved in its genes and cannot be changed by human intervention."

"Is there really no way to change this?"

"Of course, um—"

Rudolph opened her eyes again, seemingly resigned. She saw Platinum extend two fingers and circle them around the edge of her ear. She first released her ear, and after a while, when she wasn't looking, she went over and grasped her ear again to see if it would vibrate.

"Playing with someone's ears is very rude."

"Sorry, President." Platinum apologized with a grin, but her fingers showed no sign of loosening. "Actually, I've wanted to try out the feel of these ears for a while now."

"When I touch the president's ear, what strange feeling will the president have? I heard from Ali Digital that some people are particularly fond of the ears of Uma Musume."

Seeing that his resistance was ineffective, Rudolf could only close his eyes again and let Platinum touch his ears: "If we exclude psychological factors, there shouldn't be any."

"But ears are a place that few other people touch. At least in my memory, even family members, like those represented by Sirius, haven't had the experience of touching ears in a long time."

"Also, don't believe everything others say, especially what Aili Digital says."

Platinum pinched Rudolph's earlobe between two fingers and slowly rubbed it. Rudolph could hear the rubbing sound of Platinum's fingers, feel the warmth from her fingers, and faintly hear Platinum's soft voice.

"So the president just said to exclude psychological factors, right? What would it be like if psychological factors were included?"

"Does the president like it or not?"

In truth, Rudolf Symbol no longer needed to answer; her not continuing to stop Platinum's actions was the best answer. Platinum's fingers were light and nimble, as if born to play the piano. Now, those fingers were caressing Rudolf Symbol's earlobe. The rubbing sound on the ear was faint, yet clearly audible. At the same time, Platinum's movements were gentle enough to produce just the right sound. To describe it, the sound Rudolf Symbol heard was like the gentle patter of spring rain outside the window.

Unlike ear cleaning, Rudolph symbolizes that the primary sensation comes from hearing, followed by the scent of lavender wafting from the nose, and finally the tactile sensation of touch.

The stroking of the back and top of her head made Rudolf Symbolize that she was being embraced. Having been instilled with elite education and the study of imperial power since childhood, Rudolf Symbolize had always been a protector and role model for others, and hadn't felt any care from others for a very long time. Rudolf Symbolize herself never felt sorry for herself because of this; on the contrary, she saw it as proof of her strength, a sign of a good state of being.

In retrospect, perhaps being hugged by someone else isn't such a bad thing sometimes.

How can I compare you to summer?

You are not only more adorable than it, but also more gentle.

Unbeknownst to him, Platinum began to chant poetry. Accompanied by the gentle rustling of spring rain, by the faint sound of chanting amidst the rain, and by the fragrance of lavender, Rudolf symbolized a peace of mind he had never felt before.

Perhaps it was purely psychological, perhaps Rudolf Symbol was simply drowsy, or perhaps Platinum's method was truly effective, but Rudolf Symbol genuinely felt sleepy. She closed her eyelids, only feeling the raindrops continuously pattering against the windowpane.

"Sometimes the light from the heavens is too intense."