Umamusume's days are numbered

“Each island is different. This is a great opportunity. The youth training base is full of unfinished buildings, which are a bit of a hindrance for filming.”

"Then let's go in a bit."

The two continued their conversation in this manner, mostly the astronomer talking non-stop while Platinum listlessly responded. It wasn't that Platinum wanted to appease the astronomer; she was actually quite looking forward to the date…

But she doesn't understand any of what the astronomers are talking about! What's wrong with mixing drinks? Are there any rules about it? What's wrong with the songs you played? You said they were different music, but to my ears they all sounded the same. And taking photos—I understand your desire to take pictures, but the way you handled your camera made me think you were holding your wife's hand!

Platinum wasn't unwilling to engage in a deeper conversation with the astronomer, but the problem was that he kept talking non-stop, one topic after another, leaving Platinum's mind blank. She had originally intended to take advantage of the atmosphere to ask the astronomer for tips on bartending and to chat about his talk of rock music, but the astronomer wouldn't give her a chance to speak. So Platinum could only nod silently and watch the astronomer, feeling as if she were in a class.

Forget about the enchanting atmosphere, Platinum was already dozing off.

Not far from the bar where the astronomer and Platinum were sitting, Strange Light wore sunglasses that covered half of his face and a sun hat, completely obscuring himself.

Rain or shine, mission accomplished. She thought her suffering would end after arriving in Haidu City, but it turns out her life is already stretched to the horizon. A strange light emanated from her, and she felt a pang of sadness. An astronomer called, and she realized she still had to follow behind her, acting as her wingman.

"Galileo...stay calm..."

Watching the astronomer's endless chatter, Strange Light couldn't help but sigh softly in silence. A naive girl like Platinum wouldn't notice, nor would anyone unfamiliar with her; only Strange Light could detect it. The astronomer was now in a panic.

The more flustered the astronomer became, the more talkative she became. Because if she stopped talking, she would easily reveal her nervousness. Previously, during interviews after races at the racetrack, the astronomer always spoke fluently, never giving the reporters a chance to interrupt. Only the strange light noticed that her left hand was tightly clenched in her sleeve, her palm sweaty.

She hadn't believed the astronomer when he said he didn't know how to pursue a girl with his strange radiance, but now that the battle was about to begin, she realized that what the astronomer said was indeed true.

Show me that flirtatious attitude you used to have around girls in bars! How did you manage to be so untouched by all those women back then?

From the current perspective of the strange light, if the astronomers continue like this, it will only lead to a falling out between the two. At that point, they'll feel awkward whenever they meet, let alone grow closer.

"Show me your usual flirting skills!" Strange Light sat in a corner, watching the two people at the bar, silently cheering Galileo on.

(Children, I am still alive)

I'll try to write two chapters whenever I have time, mwah!

Episode 324 Sigh, Top Racer Girl

Platinum, half-asleep, stared at the cup, while the astronomer, engrossed in his conversation, watched Platinum. A strange light, sitting in the corner, silently cheered on the astronomer. And just like a scene from a movie, behind the strange light, several fingers quietly reached out from behind the side door and hooked onto the doorframe, before a head popped out of the doorway.

Yes, with such skillful movements, such masterful breath-holding technique, and such masterful disguise, you've probably already guessed who it is—

It can only be a carp leaping over the dragon gate, having already made tracking a daily special training!

Li Yuelongmen styled her long, jet-black hair into a bun, covered it with a baseball cap, and put on a mask, making her look completely different from her usual self. After all, apart from her family and that annoying older sister, Jinqiang Liushi, everyone else saw her with her strikingly long, jet-black hair cascading down to her sides. Suddenly removing her signature look, even Li Yuelongmen herself wondered who she was when she looked in the mirror.

Then she put on jeans that she would never normally wear—by the way, it's incredibly hot here—and she was confident that even if she stood right in front of Platinum, she wouldn't recognize her.

And that was indeed the case. Li Yuelongmen was actually on the same bus as Bai Jin and the others, sitting in the seat behind Bai Jin.

Leaping over the dragon gate was truly uneasy about letting Platinum go out alone with that lecherous astronomer! She was afraid that if the two of them went out like that, the astronomer would immediately pack Platinum up and throw her on a plane back to his European horse farm, where he could then enjoy her properly.

"Ah, here it is..." Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate scanned the area and spotted the conspicuous Platinum and the Astronomer, while the strange light sitting in the corner, with whom it had once acted, was overlooked.

Similarly, the strange light did not reveal the carp leaping over the dragon gate.

Silently, beneath the head of the carp leaping over the dragon gate, another hairy head emerged expressionlessly. Although not as long as the hair of the carp leaping over the dragon gate, this head also had a head of striking black hair, as black as ink.

It's Haidu Star. Compared to the disguise of the Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate, Haidu Star appears quite swaggering. Compared to the master of disguise, the Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate, its tracking methods seem rather immature.

Haidu Star wanted to catch up on its own, with the tacit approval of Haidu City.

Not only the astronomer, but also the Star of the Sea City was viewed with great apprehension by the Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate. These two sisters were each possessing unique skills, providing the Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate with endless surprises. However, to prevent the astronomer from leaving alone, the Star of the Sea City was also a necessary asset… Most importantly, even with the Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate's speed, she couldn't shake off the Star of the Sea City who wanted to follow.

Sigh, top-tier racehorse girls.

"What are you doing?"

Immediately afterwards, a third head popped out from beneath the Star of the Sea. And its voice made no attempt to conceal itself, as if it were afraid no one would hear it.

The carp leaping over the dragon gate tensed instantly. There should only be himself and the Star of the Sea, so how could a third person suddenly appear? Had they been discovered?

Her gaze quickly shifted, bypassing the head of the Star of the Sea, and she leaped over the dragon gate to see long, flaxen, wavy hair that was even longer than her own and reached the ground, as well as a pair of innocent, bewildered eyes.

Even without looking at her body, just her face is so striking that it's impossible to forget her after just one glance. It's precisely because she's absolutely unforgettable that the carp leaping over the dragon gate experiences that momentary blankness in her mind.

Why is Cheng Quanbao here?

Cheng Quanbao sensed the gaze of the carp leaping over the dragon gate, a silly smile appeared on his face, and he even raised his arm as if to say hello.

However, before that, Haidu Star pounced like a cheetah, firmly and ruthlessly grabbing Cheng Quanbao's neck. Li Yuelongmen suspected that Haidu Star had grabbed Cheng Quanbao with the determination of a do-or-die battle, because at that moment she saw Cheng Quanbao's tongue sticking out.

In short, thanks to Haidu Star's calm handling, Cheng Quanbao was unable to make any sound except for a slight, leaky noise. He was then grabbed by the neck, thrown to the ground, and dragged back behind the door.

"You... what are you doing here?" Li Yue Longmen, who had retreated behind the door, forcefully pried open Hai Du Zhi Xing's fingers, which were still pressing on Cheng Quan Bao's neck, and asked Cheng Quan Bao in a low voice. She and Cheng Quan Bao had never spoken before, and facing her was an internationally renowned top racehorse girl; Li Yue Longmen was unsure how to react.

Cheng Quanbao coughed twice, covering his neck. He was about to complain, but when he saw Haidu Zhixing staring at him with eyes as still as water, he immediately fell silent, only his lips trembling as he said, "I...I secretly followed you guys here."

"I feel like you guys are doing something really interesting. That big liar Daitu is trying to trick me into going to training again, but I don't want to go."

The carp leaping over the dragon gate was incredulous: "I didn't see you on the bus."

Cheng Quanbao told the truth: "I ran all the way here following the car."

“...Okay.”

Given Cheng Quanbao's abilities as a European queen, this doesn't seem too surprising.

Sigh, top-tier racehorse girls.

She'd already come all this way, and she couldn't let Cheng Quanbao run back; she wouldn't be able to explain it to Dai Tuli. But she also felt it would be difficult to get Cheng Quanbao to listen to her obediently. In their brief interactions, she keenly sensed that Cheng Quanbao's personality was completely different from his appearance.

Cheng Quanbao blinked, his gaze sweeping between the headache-ridden Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate and the expressionless Star of the Sea, as if he wanted to say something.

"Quiet." Haidu Star approached Cheng Quanbao with an icy expression, his lifeless eyes fixed on Cheng Quanbao, his finger pressed to his lips.

When Cheng Quanbao remembered that it was those same hands that had just pinched him so hard, he quickly and timidly shut his mouth. He had only come along because he wanted to be friends with her.

"Follow behind me. Be good." Haidu Star's icy breath fell on Cheng Quanbao's face, and he only moved his face away after Cheng Quanbao nodded.

"That's enough." Haidu Star turned back and quietly nodded at Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate.

...No wonder she's Haidu City's little sister.

Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate sighed inwardly, then mentally raised the danger level of the Star of the Sea City by several levels.

After whispering behind the door, three heads peeked out again.

(I've lived another day, haha)

Episode 325 No, buddy.

After whispering behind the door, three heads peeked out again.

The bar was still empty. Even on this tropical island, people weren't like astronomers, spending their days getting completely drunk. It wouldn't get lively until evening.

Therefore, the three of them could clearly hear the conversation between the astronomer and Platinum. Thanks to the timely reaction of the Sea City Star, neither Platinum nor the astronomer sensed anything amiss.

"Then, following the release of *OK Computer*, Radiohead experienced a period of decline. After that, they began to experiment with more radical and even more grueling musical innovations—in their next two albums, they stopped using instruments and began to abandon them altogether, replacing everything with something more electronic and psychedelic..."

"...Um, umm...Um! I, I didn't doze off, really not. It was...it was wonderful, I really liked it."

This is the conversation between the two of them right now.

"It sounds like a conversation between me and Dai Tuli." Cheng Quanbao listened for a while, then whispered.

"...Heh." Whether it was a misperception or not, Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate not only heard a low laugh from the Star of the Sea, but also saw a smile creep onto its face, which had remained frozen solid for millennia. However, this smile was hardly benign.

The feeling of a carp leaping over the dragon gate is similar. She had originally wanted to listen to what private whispers the two of them might have, what greasy and annoying love talk the astronomer might say, but she didn't expect to hear these kinds of things.

No, buddy...

As they listened, even the carp leaping over the dragon gate started grimacing. Were these two really here for a date? There wasn't a hint of a date atmosphere at all. Especially the astronomer, with that eloquent, rambling manner—although she certainly had a beautiful face, a very likable one, a walking, talking mint-like beauty…

However, given this state, this posture, and this scene...

How should I describe it...?

Strange Light once bluntly called astronomers "idiots," but Carp Leaps Over the Dragon Gate feels there's a more fitting word to describe her.

Cheng Quanbao, unaware of the dilemma the carp was facing in leaping over the dragon gate, innocently exclaimed, "It's really difficult!"

The carp leaping over the dragon gate found the phrase it was looking for. So she echoed Cheng Quanbao's sentiment, "That's really impressive!"

Haidu Star didn't echo the sentiment of "Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate," but she affirmed it with her eyes.

Even the strange light that hadn't recognized each other unknowingly began to communicate with the three people at this moment.

That's really going down.

In the blink of an eye, the slightly tipsy astronomer was already seated comfortably at the bar, opposite Platinum. The astronomer, known for her invulnerability to alcohol, was surprisingly prone to getting drunk—simply put, she was in the zone.

"Come on, come on," the astronomer said, his breath reeking of alcohol as he clutched bottles and cocktail shakers to his chest, his eyes darting incessantly towards the liquor cabinet behind him. "I'll show you my bartending skills, I guarantee you'll love it..."

Platinum perked up for a moment, finally circling back to a topic she was still somewhat interested in: "I've never seen a bartender mix drinks before... but I can't drink either."

Platinum was about to ask if he could make her a non-alcoholic drink, but the astronomer immediately replied, "Oh, no problem, just watch me drink it."

Platinum: "...Okay, that works too."

A strange light seemed to grip the corner of the table tightly behind them, as if it wanted to throw the table right in the astronomer's face.

Do you know what you're talking about, Galileo?

Peeking through the back door, even the carp leaping over the dragon gate felt a tickle in its teeth. At the same time, a question arose in its mind.

Is this guy here to take down Platinum... or is he just out having fun? I was pretty sure about the carp leaping over the dragon gate, but after seeing the astronomers' performance, I'm not so sure anymore.

Cheng Quanbao didn't understand anything, but she found this spy game very interesting and novel. She looked up at Haidu Star. Although Haidu Star still had an icy expression, Cheng Quanbao saw a hint of pity and disdain in her eyes when she looked at the astronomer.

That's really going down.

In the blink of an eye, Platinum and the astronomer were no longer in that small bar, but strolling along the beach in the glow of twilight. A strange light trailed far behind them, and behind the bushes and coconut trees beside the light were three spies lined up in a row, still unaware of each other.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that they didn't even notice each other in such a small tavern; their disguises were so impeccable... Namo San.

"Yes, yes, the atmosphere is perfect!" The strange light watched the astronomer and Platinum walking ahead, and couldn't help but pump its fist in the air. Isn't this gradually getting back on track? Quickly reclaim your Casanova skills and end this here!

Platinum and the astronomer walked on the beach. The town was truly small, with only one street that stretched as far as the eye could see. Platinum and the astronomer stepped out of the back door of the bar, and after a few more steps, they were already facing the boundless sea, their feet sinking into the fine sand.

The astronomer walked ahead of Platinum, yawning. She had just consumed quite a bit of alcohol, and the warm glow of the setting sun made her feel relaxed, showing no signs of tension. Platinum followed behind the astronomer, her footsteps light and rhythmic on the sand. Her sandals exposed her toes, and even though she was being careful, grains of sand still clung to her toes, making her feet tickle.

Neither of them continued their incessant chatter, and instead, a slightly romantic atmosphere emerged. Platinum called to the astronomer, sat down by the roadside, and the astronomer stood beside her. Platinum took off her sandals and casually wiggled her toes on the roadside.

This...this atmosphere is ominous! My initial relief has turned into anxiety again. With this atmosphere, it wouldn't be surprising if the relationship progressed any further!

"Wait a minute." Seeing Platinum tapping on her sandals, the astronomer suddenly raised his camera. "I want to take a picture."

"Take a picture?" Platinum, who was holding her sandals, paused for a moment. "Now?"

“Okay, now. Wait a minute.” The astronomer shook his camera.

"Well... alright." Platinum thought for a moment, then gracefully tiptoed, facing the astronomer directly.

As an astronomer turned his camera around and pointed it at the setting sun, muttering to himself, "It would be such a waste not to take a picture of this."

Platinum: "...Okay then."

The strange light seemed to want to go back to the bar, drag the table over, and smash it in the astronomer's face.

Like a carp leaping over the dragon gate, a smile spreads across its face. Although you're humble, I'm very grateful to you.

Your lower part is good.

(I don't know if I'll be able to write another chapter tomorrow)

Episode 326 I'm Uncultured

The astronomers were quite pleased with themselves at that moment.

Today's date... was pretty good!

The astronomer reminisced about her high school days. Before becoming a horse racer and forming an underground band, she was a diligent and good student. Back then, she participated in the school's debate team and repeatedly won honors for the school. Whenever she sat at the debate table and watched her opponent fall silent because of her witty remarks, the astronomer felt a sense of satisfaction.

Just like now.

Since the feelings they evoked were similar, I suppose today's debate... oh no, my date was also a resounding success.

The astronomer, satisfied, put away his camera, which had been photographing the sunset, and turned to walk towards Platinum. Platinum was squatting on the beach, holding a pair of sandals, waiting for him.