Umamusume's days are numbered

With clanging and banging, the four of them piled their luggage in the living room, grabbed pots and pans, and dragged them into the yard. A single incandescent light bulb was hung in front of the door, looking like a small, yellow sun.

The four people placed stools on the grass, pulled the power lines out of the house, set up a table, and sat down together.

It's no wonder the atmosphere among the four of them changed so quickly; they were all starving. Although they had slept for eight or nine hours on the plane, none of them were sleepy at all, but they had completely missed the in-flight meals. After getting off the plane, they were greeted by bright sunshine that made them wonder if their eight or nine hours of sleep had taken place in another dimension, followed by a long afternoon of scorching sun and migration.

After this whole process, even Sadako would have to sit down and eat her meal obediently.

"Didn't Linda tell us to close all the doors and windows at night?" Platinum still had some concerns. "Are we really okay leaving it like this?"

"What's wrong?" The astronomer shrugged and swiftly pulled a knife from the rack. "We did exactly what Linda said."

"The door and windows are closed, everything was done as instructed."

Platinum opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say.

The doors and windows were indeed closed... but why do I feel like Linda didn't mean for us to be locked out?

But Platinum quickly stopped thinking about it. The astronomer raised an eyebrow and skillfully used a knife to cut away the fungal layer on the surface of the beef, revealing the still tender and delicate beef inside.

The astronomer's fingers flew up and down, cutting off a whole piece of beef and pressing it into the hot oil in the pan, immediately releasing the aroma of protein.

"Come on, let me show you my skills." The astronomer cut the steak into small pieces. The outermost ring was a well-done brown, then turned into a pure white, like chicken breast. The inside was a tender pink, like rings of Fuji rolls.

Li Yuelongmen popped a piece into his mouth, immediately covering his cheek with a blissful expression: "The juices are practically dancing on my tongue... such a refreshing nutty aroma, the beef's umami flavor is locked in perfectly, I didn't taste any off-putting smell at all, and there's even a hint of cheese..."

"The distinct layers of flavor, Professor Astronomy, you're practically a master chef!"

Excellent Quality and Platinum exchanged a glance, then each put a piece in their mouths.

Well, no comment. Although the two of them would love to say something impressive like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, that would be asking too much of the two children.

And they were willing to express their praise in their own way... that was the constant sound of "delicious!"

However, for a carefully prepared ingredient and a skilled chef, a simple "delicious" is more powerful than a thousand words. After all, isn't the ultimate goal of all the preparation to satisfy the taste buds?

Episode 277: Bonfire and Ghost Story Gathering

Perhaps for the maker, a heartfelt "delicious" is the most sincere praise.

Of course, it's also possible that the beef wasn't processed by an astronomer; she was just responsible for serving it.

With a flippant whistle, the astronomer pulled an unopened bottle of amber-colored champagne from the ice bucket beside him. Under the incandescent light, the liquid looked as rich and creamy as syrup.

"It's a pity you're not old enough to drink sparkling water. I'll gladly accept this whole bottle of champagne."

"Let me demonstrate how to open a champagne bottle with a champagne knife!"

The astronomer was clearly intrigued. He unscrewed the iron clamp on the champagne bottle and pulled out a crescent-shaped champagne knife that had been sitting there for a long time.

"Haha, I've wanted to try this for a long time. When I tried it at home before, the whole glass bottle exploded, and glass shards were scattered everywhere. My older sister grabbed me and beat me up."

The astronomers were eager to try, their eyes filled with the excitement of finally wiping away their previous defeat.

Platinum had originally wanted to join in the fun and see how the champagne was opened up close, but when she heard the astronomer say that the last attempt had exploded, she immediately covered her head and retreated.

"This...isn't that a bit inappropriate..." Cold sweat beaded on her forehead as she tried to stop the astronomer, "What if there's any damage? We're guests after all..."

"What's there to be afraid of?" The astronomer had the fearless, almost childlike, air of a leader. "Champagne is in the cabinet, ice is in the fridge, and champagne cutters are out there gleaming in the open—aren't they meant for people to use?"

"Come on! Give us one!" Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate pulled Platinum, who was standing far away, and egged her on. He had originally thought she was the kind of well-educated and refined young lady from a respectable family, but being on the other side of the world, far from her teachers and elders, Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate was also a little intoxicated by the atmosphere, even without drinking any alcohol.

Thinking about it, it's understandable. After all, her older sister, Jin Qiang Liushi, was a prime example of reckless and unruly behavior, and as the younger sister, she naturally resembled her sister in many ways.

"three!"

The back of the champagne knife was pressed against the bottom of the glass bottle.

"two!"

The astronomer licked his lips excitedly.

"one!"

boom!

The bottle neck was beautifully split in two by the back of a knife, and the liquid, carrying foam, poured out under pressure.

"Wow, it splashed so far!" Excellent quality reached out to cover her front hair. She was standing closer to the astronomer, and some foam splashed onto her.

"Great technique!" Carp leaping over the dragon gate clapped enthusiastically, his eyes sparkling.

"Can we continue eating?" Platinum still felt her stomach was empty.

The amber-colored liquid sprayed out, like an amber-colored ocean. Standing on high ground, right here, one could see the sea, now a dark, crystal-like expanse, next to which lay the bright city, like a pile of scattered gold dust.

Although there was no bonfire, the warm incandescent light hanging in front of the door, like a small sun, still illuminated their smiling faces.

The humid sea breeze, the warm weather, and the Milky Way so clear it seemed to press down. Summer is a carefree, singing sprite, roaming among rainforests, volcanoes, and the laughter of girls.

"A great success!" The astronomer proudly poured the remaining wine into a wine glass, and the three people around him gathered around again.

She drank her wine, while the three girls who weren't old enough could only drink soda. The four of them shared a vegetable salad and mashed potatoes, and ate their steaks with forks.

For the precious beef that has aged for at least a month, it probably never imagined that after enduring so much hardship, undergoing so much fermentation, locking in its texture and juices as much as possible, and finally becoming a top-quality ingredient, it would not end up in any chef's kitchen, nor be placed on any exquisite plate, served at the table in a quiet and elegant environment and be unanimously sought after by guests—but would be swallowed by a few young girls with salad dressing and sparkling water.

But it's true that it's universally loved by diners. For this piece of beef, that was the best consolation. So Bai Jin and the others, without a trace of guilt and full of gratitude, devoured the meat.

Amen. (Chewing sound)

The horses' bellies are bottomless pits; their strength and speed translate to a high metabolism and voracious appetite. This amount of food would probably take a normal adult man three days to eat, but the four girls devoured it all in one night. And this was only after the well-mannered girls, who eventually blushed and started to be more mindful of their image, stopped eating to their hearts' content.

But even the biggest appetite can be satisfied eventually. The four people, having enjoyed a delicious meal, sat on the grass, accompanied by the starlight, city lights, and the glow of incandescent bulbs, all while the evening breeze blew.

"So full..."

"The astronomy teacher's skills are really good, thumbs up!" Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate followed Platinum and the others in calling the astronomer teacher without any hesitation, but Platinum had never called the astronomer teacher that before.

I feel like I'm suddenly considered inferior for no reason, and I absolutely cannot call them that.

Have you decided where to go tomorrow?

"It really is a beach, isn't it?" With her hands on the ground and her feet swinging back and forth on the lawn, she said, "When it comes to tropical islands, it must be the ocean, right?"

"Are we getting straight to the point?" Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate hugged her legs and looked at the distant night sky. "I want to go shopping."

"Buy some local specialties and some scenic postcards to send back home."

"So Ah Li is a conservative, huh?" Excellent Quality bumped Li Yuelongmen's shoulder. The two gradually became acquainted, and Excellent Quality, like Platinum, started calling him Ah Li. "Updating some photos on social media accounts is enough, isn't it?"

"Those are two different things."

"I was a bit disappointed that I didn't get to photograph the volcano last time I came here," the astronomer said, lying sprawled on the grass. "It would be great if I could rent a helicopter to take a couple of pictures of the crater."

"Are you all planning to go out and have fun?" Platinum found them very unreasonable.

"When you arrive in a new place, shouldn't the first thing you do be testing the internet speed? You should definitely stay in bed all day!"

"Hmm, uh..."

"Well..."

"That sounds like something Platinum would say."

The suggestion, which was expected to be widely praised, instead elicited three strange expressions. Leaving aside the individuals with excellent qualities and astronomers, even the one who had leaped over the dragon gate looked at Platinum with a helpless expression.

"I'm sorry." Platinum was overwhelmed with shame and decided to zip up her mouth and never speak again.

"We'll talk about tomorrow's problems tomorrow; tonight's event isn't over yet." The astronomer stood up, sat cross-legged, and said with a mysterious expression, deliberately sounding sinister, "Isn't this the perfect time... to tell ghost stories?"

(Fourteen more chapters to go)

Episode 278 The Suspension Bridge Effect and Romantic Dating

"Isn't this the perfect time to tell ghost stories?"

A gloomy sky, a setting sun, an old house, and a group of young women who have nothing better to do than eat their fill.

Platinum immediately shuddered and came to her senses.

How did we end up on a horror movie set again?

"I think we need to consider this issue carefully," Bai Jin said, trying to keep her expression calm. "Faced with such a problem, we need to come up with new methods and new paths to strive for a unified consensus, seeking common ground while reserving differences..."

It's definitely not because I'm scared.

"Telling ghost stories... isn't bad either." Excellent qualities didn't seem to matter much. She was the kind of person who went with the flow, and now that the atmosphere had set things up, even the usually noisy guys in Canopus would jump up and want to participate in a test of courage.

Moreover, ghost stories are essentially just a way to create a lively atmosphere, not much different from playing party games. The real reason people can't sleep because they're scared by ghost stories is actually to get together and kill time.

Coincidentally, the four people who slept soundly for eight or nine hours on the plane are now full of energy, still jet-lagged. The long night is just what they need. And those with excellent manners wouldn't deliberately contradict others.

"Great! I'm the best at telling ghost stories!" Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate was full of enthusiasm.

Her childhood was spent watching a plethora of ghost-hunting movies—Qing Dynasty zombies, black-haired zombies, two-faced men—none of which could have stirred her emotions even a decade earlier. She much preferred B-movies with their more gore and screams.

Every time I go to the haunted house, Koi Leaps Over the Dragon Gate, I keep a poker face the whole time, while Koi Leaps Over the Dragon Gate always gets scared and jumps up and runs into Koi Leaps Over the Dragon Gate's arms—which is why Koi Leaps Over the Dragon Gate always drags Koi Leaps Over the Dragon Gate to the haunted house.

I enjoy seeing people get scared; the idea of ​​a carp leaping over the dragon gate has a slightly perverse sense of humor.

She herself was indifferent to ghost stories. The main reason she agreed with the astronomer's suggestion was the look of terror in Platinum's eyes beneath her feigned calm when the astronomer spoke.

The fear was practically overflowing.

Ahem, let me solemnly promise that this "Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate" video isn't some perverse attempt to see Platinum's terrified expression.

Okay, I would like to see it, but that's not my main goal.

Do you remember the main purpose of your journey to Hawaii?

As a support staff member, I provide Platinum with comprehensive medical care (×)

Completely secured Platinum status during a two-month hunting vacuum with no competitors around (√)

A female African leopard, her blood-red eyes gleaming on the savanna, is eyeing a deer leisurely strolling across the plains.

The hunt is about to begin.

What can quickly bring two people closer? Of course, developing feelings over time is possible, and the story of the carp leaping over the dragon gate illustrates how patience, like water dripping on stone or an iron tree blooming, can help two people get closer.

But... something's missing. Something like a bolt of lightning is missing, to tear apart the thin veil between them. Otherwise, their leap over the dragon gate will only ever get infinitely close to platinum, never quite reaching it.

Actually, the carp had this opportunity to leap over the dragon gate—right after the Hong Kong Special Race, the atmosphere was just right, the knot in her heart had been untied, she had even held Platinum's hand, and they had agreed to be her support horse. If she had just mustered her strength at that moment, closed her eyes, and launched a full-scale attack, wouldn't she have won a resounding victory?

Unfortunately, back then, all I could think about was the Golden Spear Sixty. Sigh, this unlucky sister of mine has never brought me any good fortune.

But those who strive for success don't complain about their circumstances. If there are no opportunities, they create them; the trip to Hawaii was the perfect chance.

Give Platinum the best date and confess your love to her at the most romantic moment.

Before that, a little catalyst is needed to flirt... such as a ghost story contest suggested by astronomers.

There's no real danger, yet it makes your heart race.

Astronomers, my lucky stars!

"No, no, no, it's better for us to play some online games than to gather together and tell ghost stories, right?"

"But we can play games anytime, but the ghost story convention is only held once a year."

The frightened pony wanted to say something to dispel their terrible thoughts, but the clever pony had already pulled Platinum's hand and arranged the chairs together, ready to get into the swing of things at any moment.

Platinum hadn't realized that the real danger wasn't in the old house, but right beside him.

...Can't ghost stories be told anytime?

Under the eager gaze of the girl who seemed to be leaping over the dragon gate, Bai Jin could only sit down beside her, looking rather dejected. To avoid being accused of opposing the ghost story gathering out of fear, Bai Jin crossed her arms and snorted, feigning disdain: "What's the point of telling ghost stories? But since you're all so eager, there's nothing I can do..."

Now everyone should know that I have a lot of confidence, right?

Platinum is full of confidence.

With excellent manners, his eyes darted around, pretending not to see Platinum's gaze.

Well... Platinum's current gaze gave her a sense of déjà vu... like the feeling she had when facing Maya's heavy cannon and twin turbos.

It gives you the feeling that the child in front of you is so innocent that you can't help but want to tease him.

Without a word, the four of them moved the dining table aside and placed the incandescent light bulb hanging in the doorway between them. They had no candles, so they used this to create some atmosphere. The four of them sat huddled around the bulb; the pale white light illuminated their jawlines but couldn't reach their upper bodies…

Wait, wasn't this light originally emitting a yellow light?