The sun dipped low, casting long shadows across the sand.
Under the shade of her parasol, Barbatos lay lazily on a lounge chair, savoring the post-Summer Dream Cup tranquility alongside Seiun Sky.
"I felt fine a moment ago, but now that things have quieted down, I can still taste it."
"Senior, do you honestly think that vegetable juice tastes good?"
During the Dream Cup, their focus had been entirely on the races, leaving no room to dwell on the flavors lingering in their mouths.
But now that the event was over and true leisure had set in, the "aftertaste" of that special vegetable juice was returning with a vengeance.
Beside them, Maruzensky reclined with an air of mature elegance, her sunglasses perched perfectly as she rested on her lounge chair—looking every bit the tropical beauty one might see vacationing in Hawaii in a movie.
Dressed in a swimsuit that left much of her skin bare, Maruzensky showcased a radiant, youthful vitality that completely belied the fact that, in terms of racing generations, she was practically a grandmother to Barbatos.
She nudged her sunglasses up with her right hand and glanced sideways at the two younger girls.
"It really is quite delicious," she purred. "The flavor is unlike anything else."
"I'm actually a bit curious myself," Maruzensky continued. "I'd love to know what Hana's special vegetable juice tastes like."
She was genuinely tempted to try the concoction that was famous for making even the stoic Symboli Rudolf lose her composure.
"In that case..."
Seiun Sky's ears twitched. she turned slightly on her side, a faint, fox-like grin spreading across her face.
"Why don't you suggest it to Miss Toujou, Maruzensky-senpai? Maybe Rigil should start providing special vegetable juice to its members every day?"
Since Maruzensky was so looking forward to it, Sky thought it would be a treat to watch the elite members of Team Rigil choke down that brew every morning.
Besides, the Summer Dream Cup was over; she and Barbatos wouldn't have to touch the stuff for a while.
As for whether Minamizaka would suddenly have a lapse in judgment and implement such a rule for them?
In Team Canopus, while Minamizaka was the trainer, the girls essentially held veto power. He was just that easy-going.
Maruzensky pressed her lips together, knowing full well that Seiun Sky was trying to stir the pot, but she enjoyed the playful banter with the younger Uma Musume nonetheless.
"That's a grand idea, though the cost of those ingredients..."
Just then, a boisterous shout interrupted them.
"Haha! I win this time!!"
Hishi Amazon's voice boomed from the other side of the beach. She was currently clung to a coconut tree like an octopus, her legs wrapped tightly around the trunk while her hands gripped a coconut each.
With the sheer leg strength of an Uma Musume, she could easily lock herself onto the bark and hang there indefinitely without slipping.
On a neighboring tree, Narita Brian was mid-motion, her hand frozen in the act of reaching for a fruit.
Even if Barbatos hadn't been paying attention earlier, the scene made it immediately clear: the "Big Sister" of the tracks was in the middle of a coconut-picking duel with Brian.
A scattered pile of coconuts already littered the sand below, and several trees had been stripped completely bare by their competition.
"Witness my Turbo Serve!"
Twin Turbo's voice rang out, bursting with misplaced confidence.
On the court where the Dream Cup had recently concluded, a recreational match had broken out. It was a friendly showdown between the members of Canopus and Spica.
The reason Barbatos hadn't noticed the coconut duel earlier was that she had been preoccupied watching the beach volleyball game.
Before Twin Turbo and Matikanetannhauser had stepped onto the sand, it had been a doubles match featuring Ikuno Dictus and Nice Nature against Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet.
Barbatos, Seiun Sky, and Maruzensky had been enjoying the show from their lounge chairs—mostly watching Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet sabotage each other.
Despite being on the same team, the two spent the entire time bickering and competing for the spotlight.
It was a testament to their bond; even those outside of Team Spica knew those two argued constantly in class but were practically inseparable.
Thump.
The sound of the ball hitting the sand echoed. Barbatos watched as the ball Twin Turbo had tossed high for her "Turbo Serve" fell straight to the ground. The atmosphere turned instantly awkward.
It had been an incredibly spirited shout, and she had tossed the ball impressively high, but she had swung and missed entirely.
"Pfft... Hahaha!"
Barbatos couldn't help it; she burst out laughing.
If she had been the one to whiff the serve, she would have been mortified. But since it wasn't her—and since there was no vegetable juice penalty on the line—she felt no guilt in laughing as a spectator.
"Hey!"
Twin Turbo flailed her small fists on the court, putting on a "fierce" expression as she glared over. "B-chan! You're laughing too loud!"
"Right! Sorry! I'll do better next time!" Barbatos wheezed.
Accepting the apology, Twin Turbo turned her focus back to the ball. Her face was slightly flushed from the miss, but her fighting spirit remained unshaken.
A little laughter from Barbatos wasn't going to ruin their friendship.
She tossed the ball high again, determined to give Gold Ship and Mejiro McQueen on the Spica side a "serve to remember."
"By 'next time,' she means she'll definitely laugh again when you miss the next one," Seiun Sky added.
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a sharp, mischievous edge.
Though the lounge chairs weren't particularly close to the court, the sharp hearing of an Uma Musume ensured Twin Turbo heard it loud and clear.
Next time? As in... laughing at the next failure?!
Twin Turbo froze. For a split second, her brain scrambled to process the implication. The volleyball began its descent from the corner of her vision, threatening a repeat of her previous disaster.
Whack!
The sound of a hand connecting with the ball rang out. Even though Seiun Sky's comment had distracted her, Twin Turbo's instincts kicked in at the last possible second. She managed to smack the ball over the net just in time.
She let out a massive sigh of relief as she watched the ball sail into the opposing court.
Despite being a frantic, last-second hit, Gold Ship and Mejiro McQueen failed to react!
In an instant, the confusion over Barbatos and Sky's teasing vanished. Twin Turbo planted her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. "Hmph! Now do you see the power of my Turbo Serve?!"
Mejiro McQueen, who had taken the court with Gold Ship, stood there blinking in confusion. She had been fully prepared for Twin Turbo to miss again.
She had been ready during the first serve, but during the second, she had relaxed her guard after hearing Seiun Sky's comment and seeing Turbo's hesitation. She was certain another miss was coming.
Who would have thought it would actually go over?
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.