Umamusume's days are numbered

...This analogy seems rather awful, but Platinum Games has its reasons for doing so.

Don't even mention playing live-action visual novels; they can actually cure diseases. They can even make Platinum do a one-legged split and spin 3,600 degrees on the spot.

So, who should he target during his free afternoon? Platinum sat up from the recliner, eager to try.

First, we can rule out Alice, who's just an old woman who's become a teammate. Following the traditional RPG rule that friendly characters are always weakened, spending limited time on Alice will only result in her taking more medicine and getting more injections.

As for the Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate and the Sixty Golden Spear Sisters... well, it's hard to say. Platinum was afraid that if she could walk into their house alive, she wouldn't be able to walk out alive.

The scammer looks too fierce; he's a high-difficulty character to deal with. Next.

Hai Dudu looks all smiles, but actually, this kind of sister-complex character is the hardest to win over... no, you have to build a good relationship with her. You can't exactly go to her wearing Hai Du Star's clothes, can you? Next.

After this round, it seems that the only option left is Aili Digital.

Although Platinum has excluded Aili Digital from its list of anchor points, it's not impossible. Besides, everything should be approached gradually, from the basics to the advanced.

Although Alice Digital seems a bit strange, she is a trustworthy person; otherwise, Rudolf Symbol would not have entrusted himself and the Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate to her.

...Although it seems to violate my principle of not wanting to have close contact with people I can see at any time, principles are meant to be broken, and the rules should be appropriately modified to suit the current situation.

Without further ado, Bai Jin rubbed the last bit of the afternoon that had been weighing on her body and staggered upstairs.

"Aili Digital... I think this is the guest room." Muttering to himself, Platinum knocked on the door of Aili Digital.

Thinking about it this way, Platinum even felt a little uneasy. After all, she and Alice Digital didn't have any special connection. She had slept soundly the whole way on the plane, and she knew nothing about Alice except that Alice liked ponies.

He just barged in like that, what was he going to say next? He was the kind of person who could chat with himself, he had no experience chatting with strangers, his interpersonal relationships were limited to acquaintances he already knew, or people like Rudolf who forcibly barged into his life and played the dominant role.

The more I think about it, the more scared I get! If you let Platinum lie on a recliner by herself for an afternoon doing nothing, she'll be very happy. But if you let her lie with someone she can't even talk to, she'll feel like she's sitting on pins and needles. Every second she lies there is torture.

The thought filled Platinum with terror once again.

Or... how about we sneak away now before Aili Digital opens?

Looking back now, it was incredibly stupid to treat real life like a visual novel. How could I have come up with such a disgusting and self-torturing plan?

Honestly, I was completely out of my mind just now. Platinum wished she could go back five minutes and slap herself.

Let's go, let's go! Run away quickly, and then at dinner, if Ali Digital asks, "Who was it that knocked on my door this afternoon and I couldn't see anyone when I opened it?" then say, "Actually, I saw Ali Souko playing a prank."

"Wait a minute, it's coming." Just then, a muffled voice came from inside the door.

Eek! Platinum felt a chill run down his spine; he felt as if there was an alien behind the door.

With a creaking sound, the wooden door slowly opened.

"Suko, what's wrong?"

With a pink headband holding her hair back, blue-light-emitting glasses to prevent nearsightedness, a fluttering nightgown and fluffy slippers, and a cooling patch on her forehead—Aili Digital is still dressed like a typical homebody.

Not hearing Suzi's lazy voice, Ali Digital looked up in confusion. When she finally saw the person standing in front of her, Ali Digital felt a chill run down her spine.

Eeeeeee! Why is it Shirogane instead of Alice?

I'm not familiar with her, am I?

Oh no, that's not what I meant. I really, really like Platinum, and it's the kind of attention you get when you idolize someone.

Ali Digital wants to see Platinum racing on the track, and wants to see her dancing on the winner's stage in all sorts of dresses, so that they can wave their glow sticks freely from below the stage and enjoy the happiness of watching their idol grow up.

Being asked by Rudolph to join them on a trip to Hong Kong felt like winning the lottery, filling Aili Digital with immense joy.

However, she had a clear understanding of her own position... Since Rudolf had symbolically entrusted her with taking care of the two children, it was her duty to act as their bodyguard and protect them!

Of course, I wasn't dissatisfied at all, and I felt very happy... Being able to have close contact with myself, isn't that the greatest joy?

However, in order not to disturb the normal life of its fans, Aili Digital has been restraining itself with an ascetic attitude... The fact that it hasn't gone crazy after all this time is irrefutable proof.

Miss Alice Digital, you've worked very hard!

In any case, their relationship will definitely remain the same. After this wonderful trip ends, they'll return to their daily lives with no interaction, and he'll still be watching over his beloved idol from afar...

As a result, Platinum came to us on its own?

What is this? What is this?

If we had to draw an analogy, it would be like a knight and princess traveling together in a novel. At night, the knight is sitting by the campfire keeping watch when the princess suddenly sits down beside him and says she can't sleep and asks him to keep her company.

Unless you're a knight from Dark Souls, your first thought isn't to roll over and slash the princess, but rather that a beautiful and romantic love story starting with the suspension bridge effect is about to begin, right?

This is the idea behind Aili Digital.

Right, I must have traveled to a parallel world... maybe even a visual novel world!

Aili Digital has already come up with a name for this work: "Heartbeat Heartbeat Autumn Memories ~A Rhapsody of Spending a Holiday in an Old House in Hong Kong~".

Otherwise, there's really no way to explain the current situation.

Episode 87 Drug Abuse

Upon seeing Aili Digital's personal style, Bai Jin... well, how should I put it, it perfectly matched her stereotype of Aili Digital.

The two of them stood facing each other in silence, the awkwardness in the air almost palpable.

Platinum closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "God, if you're going to punish me, just strike me dead with lightning. Don't make me suffer like this."

It's so agonizing to be face-to-face with no one saying a word!

I should have brought Alice along too! According to Platinum's laws of friendship and interpersonal relationships, two socially awkward people can't connect. There needs to be someone to act as a glue, maybe Link's ultimate hand, but ideally, someone both socially awkward people know well and won't have awkward silences.

Elisako, I misunderstood you! Not only were you not weakened, you've become Sheikah's Stone!

"This...it's...that..." Alice Digital stammered, her voice trembling as if navigating a winding mountain road, "Is there something you need?"

Platinum forced a stiff smile, cold sweat pouring down his face. It was clear that his strategy of randomly knocking to see if anyone was home was no longer viable.

Let’s go ahead!

So Bai Jin pointed a finger toward the door and asked, "Could we... go inside and talk?"

Aili Digital couldn't help but gasp.

So it wasn't just some random knocking on doors to see if anyone was inside?

Is it really, really someone who came to find me?

A huge surprise hit Alice Digital, making her almost unable to control her expression. Alice Digital quickly covered her cheeks to prevent her face from slumping to the ground.

Control yourself, Aili Digital. Don't scare others!

"Please come in..." Aili Digital mumbled indistinctly, stepping aside at the doorway.

The blankets piled up on the bed, the curtains left open, and the light on because the curtains were closed—everything was so familiar, it felt just like being back in my own dorm room.

The lights were on because the room was too dark with the curtains drawn.

Why draw the curtains? So that the morning sun won't shine in, allowing me to sleep in comfortably.

Why not make the bed? So that you can go to bed and fall asleep anytime, anywhere.

A perfect explanation.

"Oh, no, that's not it. I'm usually very clean in my dorm. This is... well... because I just arrived, I haven't had time to tidy up yet, that's all." Alice Digital explained hurriedly, quickly pulling open the curtains.

Luckily, I haven't put up the poster yet... otherwise people would definitely think I'm a weirdo.

The computer on the bed was still playing something noisily because Aili Digital hadn't pressed the pause button.

"Wow, the Platinum runner is so fast! She's far ahead, so strong! She's about to lead from start to finish..."

"This is...?" Platinum turned her head, she vaguely thought she heard someone on the computer saying her name.

Then, she looked at the computer screen. At that moment, the camera was positioned right in front of Platinum, who had just galloped out of the final corner. As Platinum sped past, the other female racehorses behind her gradually emerged from the corner, and the vibrations of their galloping hooves made the camera vibrate slightly.

"Isn't this the Saudi Arabian Royal Cup?" Platinum scratched his head a little embarrassedly. "I didn't expect you to watch this."

"Don't mention it!" Unexpectedly, upon hearing Platinum's words, Alice Digital grabbed her finger and shook it vigorously up and down. "That was a very, very beautiful match!"

Platinum was still unaware of the hefty reward she had won. After all, she had always lived a life of eating and sleeping at Treson College, and while a Game 3 victory might bring fans' attention to her, she wasn't yet a household name.

In addition, since many elf girls have always lived in Tresen Academy, the surrounding residents have an unspoken rule—to try not to disturb the normal lives of these elves.

So in the days immediately following her victory, Platinum deliberately strolled around the shopping street outside Treson College with an air of superiority, but no one recognized her or asked for her autograph or a photo. As a result, Platinum returned to her dorm room in dejection that night, crying her eyes out and vowing never to do such things again.

Unexpectedly, Aili Digital would actually watch this game... This made Platinum a little smug.

Praise me more, I love hearing that.

Aili Digital was truly praising Platinum, holding her hand with stars in her eyes: "Especially the final sprint, it was absolutely amazing! Although the second-place Kiri Mizuki is also very cute and strong, you still left her behind."

"The video of this match has hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube. That means hundreds of thousands of people have seen your victory!"

“I have always believed that you are capable of standing on the G1 stage and winning.”

"No, not really...hehe..." Platinum's ears twitched rapidly, revealing her true thoughts. "Would you mind if I sat on your bed?"

"Of course I don't mind, in fact, you absolutely must!"

According to Platinum's Law of Friendships and Interpersonal Relationships, two socially awkward people cannot be closely connected. There must be something in the middle to act as a glue, which could be Link's ultimate hand, Elise, or even a game recording.

The two sat on the bed, constantly flipping through other race recordings. Ali Digital would pause and explain to Platinum why the racehorse chose to run that way, and what the reasons were for losing, rather than simply because of insufficient strength; she would also explain to Platinum in detail why the racehorse that won the race won, not just because it ran fast, but also because of many strategic and tactical factors.

"Take you and Kiri Mizuki as examples. In the end, Kiri Mizuki didn't achieve her ideal time. Was it because she didn't want to?" Aili Digital talked eloquently. "She was actually influenced by you. Not pulling away from her beforehand was a brilliant move, giving her the illusion that your stamina and endurance were constantly being depleted while you were leading. And when you both started accelerating at the same time, your initial acceleration was actually almost the same."

His explanations were much easier to understand than those of Nishizaki Ryu and Airi Soko. One of them just kept saying, "Just watch and see," while the other just kept saying, "Does this even need to be learned?"

"Hmm..." Platinum rubbed her eyes and yawned. She hadn't slept well the night before, and her body, like a child's, craved sleep.

"When Kirei Mizuki realizes that accelerating hasn't reduced the gap, her confidence will gradually crumble. Psychological factors are very important in a race, and in the end, it's really a contest of willpower between the race girls."

"That's why she ended up being almost ten horse lengths ahead of you. Otherwise, with her strength, she could have at least maintained a four-horse length lead over you... although she would still be second."

Hearing that there was no sound behind her, Alice Digital turned around and saw Platinum leaning against the pillow, her head slightly lowered, breathing evenly.

She's just a kid who's only recently entered puberty.

Alice Digital smiled gently, pursing her lips, and put her arms around Platinum's neck, wanting her to lie down on the bed and enjoy a peaceful afternoon nap.

A small, clear medicine bottle emerged from Platinum's tilted pocket and landed on Alice's bed, the pills inside making a soft clinking sound.

Upon seeing these pills, Aili Digital's actions suddenly stopped.

Episode 88 My Heart is in Turmoil

Platinum is actually quite meticulous.

She once forgot to take her medication in her panic because she overslept. Although her soul dissolution syndrome did not recur, it still gave her a fright.

If even one person gets infected, Platinum himself wouldn't be able to atone for it with his own death.

Therefore, she decided that once she developed symptoms of moving from the first stage to the second stage, she would immediately leave Treson Academy and preferably go to a deserted place.

As for now, waking up early is impossible unless Alice is playing the suona in his ear. But to prevent a similar situation from happening again, since that American product is a large medicine bottle full of pills, Platinum takes out a few pills from it and puts them in a small medicine bottle, so that he can take immediate action if a similar situation occurs.

At first, Aili Digital didn't pay much attention to these little white pills. They were just supplements, like vitamins, something everyone takes. These things are meant to regulate the body, and while carrying them around might seem a bit over-the-top, it didn't really matter.

But then she realized that these little pills weren't calcium or creatine. She had taken a lot of these things during her military service, and being roommates with Alice had given her some ability to tell the difference.

Of course, you can't tell much from a small pill, and Aili Digital isn't an expert, so this is all the information they can give.

Looking at Platinum, whose chest was rising and falling evenly as she slept soundly, Aili Digital shook her head violently, trying to shake off all the thoughts in her head. She laid Platinum flat on the bed, then turned off the computer screen and tiptoed to lie down beside Platinum.

Since that's the case, why not take a nap now? Surprisingly, Aili Digital had absolutely no romantic thoughts at this moment, like taking a close-up photo or anything like that.

Next time...when we go out together, let's take the platinum photo then.

Alice closed her eyes. But she felt like some thoughts were buzzing around her mind like mosquitoes, making her feel wide awake.

What exactly is that pill?

Alice Digital is a very curious horse racer girl. Even so, she can still distinguish between what she can and cannot do, and between what is public and what is private.

But Aili Digital was extremely concerned about that one pill... that one pill...

Oh, what's there to worry about? Besides, Alice is a platinum-level pharmacist...

Alice Digital rolled over and suddenly opened her eyes.

Alice!