"Eat, McQueen, this is your destiny."
Gold Legend sat opposite Mejiro McQueen, gently spearing a piece of cream cake with a fork and holding it before McQueen's eyes.
The beauty before her was the person she liked the most.
The cake before her mouth was her favorite food.
The person she liked feeding her favorite food—this should have been a scene from paradise.
But why… why did it turn out like this?
…Time rewound two hours.
Team Spica finished a day of training and then cleaned the training room.
Most logistical tasks were generally arranged by the Trainer themselves for the logistical Uma Musume to handle, requiring a certain remuneration. This was also considered an internship for the logistical Uma Musume.
Of course, if a team had dedicated logistical Uma Musume, that would be a different situation, but most of the time, if it didn't affect training, the team's logistical Uma Musume would take responsibility for a portion themselves.
"Ugh! Formal training is really different," Special Week stretched and exclaimed.
"Didn't Special Week undergo formal training before?"
She clearly had talent that even Trainers praised endlessly.
Suzuka, who was changing clothes, tilted her head.
"No, when I was in the countryside, my mother's training for me was all her own ideas; it was very different," Special Week said frankly.
"Uma Musume training is all pretty similar, right? What's different?" Tokai Teio interjected.
"Don't assume your situation is universal, Teio," McQueen said seriously. "But, Special Week, you were trained by your mother before? Is your mother also an Uma Musume?"
"Ah, no, my mother is human." Special Week scratched her head, a little embarrassed. "In fact, before coming to Tracen, I hadn't even seen another Uma Musume."
"Eh?" This topic caught everyone else's attention.
Special Week recounted the story of her two mothers.
"…What wonderful mothers! Both of them!" Vodka wiped away tears, moved by the story.
"That's so nice, I want to be a mother like that someday too," Daiwa Scarlet said from the side.
"Spe-chan…" Silence Suzuka's maternal instincts were awakened, and she looked at Special Week kindly, deciding to take good care of her.
"…Speaking of which, Legend is very quiet."
McQueen, who vaguely felt something was wrong, wondered why the two troublemakers from the Gold Family hadn't reacted at such a moment.
She turned her head to scan and saw Gold Ship, with dark circles under her eyes, slouching in a 'Ge You Lie' pose, and Gold Legend deep in thought.
"…Gold Ship, what happened to your eyes?" Although she was concerned about Legend who was deep in thought, Gold Ship's purple-blue eye circles truly piqued McQueen's curiosity.
"…It's all mistakes made in my youth." Gold Ship looked up, then continued to slouch. "A word of advice, McQueen, don't stand between people who are arguing when you're trying to mediate."
"…What are you suddenly talking about?" A question mark appeared above McQueen's head. "Never mind, Legend, what are you thinking about?"
Gold Legend, called by name, turned to look at McQueen. As if she had thought of something, a light bulb seemed to light up above her head.
"McQueen, you really like sweets, right?"
"Eh? That's right, what about it?"
"Then do you have any recommendations? Preferably cakes or something similar." Legend suddenly leaned close to McQueen's face.
"Eh?! What's with the suddenness?" McQueen leaned back, startled by Legend's abrupt movement.
"Well, you see, a friend of mine is having a birthday soon, and I plan to give her a birthday cake," Legend said frankly.
"Eh? Birthday?"
How did Legend-san know my birthday was coming up?
She said she was going to give me a cake? Although it definitely wouldn't be as luxurious as the cakes made at home, it was still Legend-san's kind gesture!
Hmph, since Legend-san is being so kind, I'll graciously accept it!
Mejiro McQueen, spirits rising!
"That's right, it's Oguri Cap's birthday soon!" Gold Legend added.
"Oh…" McQueen's face instantly darkened.
Mejiro McQueen, in a terrible mood.
"What, what? What are you discussing? Don't leave Empress Teio out!"
Tokai Teio's energetic voice forcefully cut into the conversation.
"It's nothing…" Gold Legend looked at Teio, who had jumped in front of her, and suddenly had an idea. "Perfect, everyone come along! Let's consider it a belated party for Suzuka and Special Week joining the team two days ago."
…Afterward, everyone returned to the dorms to wash up and change clothes, then gathered at the school gate.
At McQueen's reluctant recommendation, everyone spent some time traveling to a high-end dessert shop with exquisite decor.
"Wow, wow, this is amazing! Is this really a place a country Uma Musume like me can step into?" Special Week timidly followed behind Silence Suzuka, fully displaying the simplicity of a country girl.
"It's alright, Spe-chan," Silence Suzuka gently comforted Special Week.
"Shouldn't we change into formal dresses before coming to a place like this?"
"Not necessary, really not necessary!"
Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka were whispering to each other.
"McQueen, how did you find a place like this?" Tokai Teio curiously surveyed the surroundings. Even she rarely came to such high-end places, let alone one that was just a dessert shop.
"Hmph! This is a dessert shop exclusively for high-society individuals. Not just anyone can come here without a recommendation."
McQueen said proudly, her words revealing the pride of an Uma Musume from the prestigious Mejiro Family.
"As expected of McQueen, truly reassuring." Gold Legend found a seat and gestured to everyone. "Everyone, sit down and order whatever you like. Don't be shy, it's my treat."
"How can we impose?" Special Week said, but her hands were quick as she picked up the menu, then was startled.
She tremblingly pointed at the prices on the menu: "Huh? Are there a few extra digits on these numbers?"
"The desserts here are all handmade by top masters. Although they are indeed a bit expensive, they are absolutely worth the price," McQueen added unhurriedly.
Even with the pocket money McQueen received as a representative of the Mejiro Family, she could only afford to come here once a month at most, which showed how high the prices were.
McQueen recommended the best dessert shop she knew at Legend's request. She wasn't doing it on purpose, and it definitely wasn't revenge because Legend mentioned Oguri Cap, absolutely not.
However, if Legend-san couldn't afford it, it wouldn't be impossible for me to help out.
Gold Ship leaned over to look at the menu.
"Not expensive? It's quite cheap."
Gold Legend also leaned over.
"Indeed."
Huh?
What did Legend-san just say?
"As expected of McQueen, the shops she recommends are all places with good quality and reasonable prices." Gold Legend nodded. As expected of the steadfast main heroine in the game, she's considerate and reliable!
You call this good quality and reasonable prices?
McQueen couldn't understand.
"Is, is this, is this good quality and reasonable prices?" Special Week was confused.
"Spe-chan, don't let yourself get caught up in the Gold Family's way of thinking." Suzuka quickly stopped Special Week's values from plummeting into the abyss.
"Scarlet, am I abnormal or is the world abnormal?" Vodka took the menu, looked at the prices, and also fell into confusion.
"Is there a possibility that the Gold Family is abnormal?" Scarlet seemed very calm.
"Legend, this can already be considered a luxury, right?" Tokai Teio said with some difficulty.
Even she, who was showered with affection, could only come here a few times a month with her pocket money.
"Is it? It does seem a bit expensive." Legend, whose values were already completely skewed, didn't really think there was anything wrong, but seeing her friends' serious expressions, she decided to go along with it.
"Waiter!" Then she called the waiter over.
"How may I help you, esteemed guest?" As expected of a high-end establishment's waiter, every movement was so refined.
"This, this, and this." Gold Legend circled a few items. "Everything else, one of each."
"Certainly, please wait a moment." Although the waiter showed a hint of surprise, she responded gracefully.
"Ev-everything?" McQueen finally snapped back to reality; she had been startled by Legend's casual gesture.
"It's alright, you can take home whatever you can't finish and eat it slowly."
"...This is a high-class restaurant that gathers all kinds of desserts from all over the world. Do you know how vast that quantity is?"
"...It should be fine?" Gold Legend looked around at her companions. "Everyone will finish it, right?"
"We'll try our best." x7
...Time returns to the present.
After several hours of arduous struggle, the Uma Musume finally reached the end of this dessert war.
The Generalissimo, Special Week, single-handedly devoured a third of the desserts and even blocked quite a few for Suzuka. Now she was lying beside them, belly distended.
Suzuka gently poked Special Week's swollen belly with her finger.
"...Don't do that, Suzuka-san, I'll throw up," Special Week said with difficulty.
"Special Week is amazing." Uma Musume are truly mysterious, Silence Suzuka exclaimed from the bottom of her heart.
"I won!" Daiwa Scarlet, with a bulging belly, struggled to swallow another cookie.
"I... I haven't lost yet!" Vodka tried to pick up another cookie, but she no longer had the strength.
Her hand slipped, and Vodka collapsed onto the cookie plate.
"I won!" Daiwa Scarlet proudly declared her victory, then also collapsed onto the cookie plate.
"...I never want to eat desserts again..." Tokai Teio lay on the sofa, her expression dazed.
Gold Ship had long since strategically fainted in the pose of a Flower of Hope.
Mejiro McQueen pulled her gaze away from this scene, which resembled an inferno, and once again looked at the person of her affection before her.
"Hmm, this flavor is also quite good, McQueen, want to try some?"
She gently speared a piece of cake and offered it to McQueen.
"..." McQueen smelled the fragrant aroma of the cake, but her stomach truly couldn't remember carrying any more weight.
"Legend-san, you've eaten quite a lot too, why haven't you changed at all?" McQueen found a topic to distract herself.
"Huh? This is just a small amount," Gold Legend said as a matter of course. "Still far from enough."
I'm a fierce person who's eaten and drunk with Oguri Cap for a year, alright?
"Aren't you eating, McQueen?" Gold Legend still held up the cake. "Enduring isn't good for your skin."
But I really can't eat anymore!
McQueen suppressed the urge to retort, bit into the cake with difficulty, chewed slowly, and gradually swallowed it.
For the first time, McQueen felt that desserts were such terrifying things.
The thought of the cake she had eaten today turning into weight gave Mejiro McQueen an urge to faint.
"Next month is the Spring Tenno Sho..." McQueen muttered to herself.
"Come on, McQueen, ah~"
"Ah~"
Mejiro McQueen was both in pain and happy.
"...Good luck, McQueen."
Suzuka, who hadn't gotten a big belly thanks to Special Week, looked at the enviable scene before her, clasped her hands together, and silently offered her blessings.
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