From a distance, Yaeno Muteki watched as Myriad Dreams gently stroked Marvelous Sunday's hair, her face wearing a trace of tenderness that she herself likely didn't even notice.
In that instant, a certain emotion surged up from deep within her heart, making her quicken her pace and walk toward them.
Noticing her, Myriad Dreams greeted her with some surprise: "Muteki, what are you doing here?"
Yaeno Muteki suddenly snapped out of it.
She quickly reined in her visible emotions and walked over to Myriad's side, feigning calmness.
"I didn't see you after training ended, so I looked for you on my way."
Her gaze then shifted to Marvelous Sunday, a flicker of imperceptible sharpness passing through her eyes.
"Marvelous Sunday-san is here too?"
Marvelous Sunday suddenly felt restless, even forgetting to eat the ice cream in her hand.
She sensitively picked up on the subtle, almost invisible hostility coming from Yaeno Muteki, and her tail flicked uneasily.
The thick-skulled Myriad Dreams completely failed to sniff out the delicate tension in the air, asking cheerfully, "You two know each other?"
"Yes," Yaeno Muteki's tone was flat and emotionless. "We've seen each other a few times during training."
Her gaze drifted quietly between Myriad and Marvelous Sunday, an indescribable bitterness spreading through her heart.
Marvelous Sunday couldn't sit still any longer.
She finished her ice cream in two or three bites and hurriedly wiped her mouth.
"I—I'm finished! I'll be going now!"
Before the words even landed, she had already turned and walked away at a brisk pace, practically fleeing the scene that made her so uncomfortable.
Myriad Dreams watched her hasty departure and smiled helplessly. "That child, honestly..."
Yaeno Muteki tentatively asked in a soft voice, "She seems... very afraid of me?"
Myriad Dreams shrugged, completely oblivious. "I don't know."
Of course, she wouldn't know that Marvelous Sunday had been scared off simply because she was caught between the two of them and overwhelmed by Yaeno Muteki's invisible aura.
Myriad Dreams looked down at the time.
"It's getting late, I need to head to the training room to meet up."
A flash of disappointment crossed Yaeno Muteki's eyes, but she still gave a gentle nod. "Mm."
Watching Myriad Dreams' back as she walked further away, Yaeno Muteki sighed softly and whispered to herself:
"As expected... I'm still not good at getting closer to people."
Once Myriad Dreams was gone, Yaeno Muteki seemed to think of something and immediately headed toward the school building.
Although she wasn't good at closing the distance with others, there was one person who definitely had a way.
Soon, Yaeno Muteki arrived at a classroom.
She saw Super Creek chatting animatedly with others.
Surrounding her were Inari One, Mejiro Ardan, Tamamo Cross, and Oguri Cap.
They were either classmates or rivals, yet they were all brought together by Super Creek alone.
Seeing Yaeno Muteki, Super Creek greeted her: "Muteki-chan, is something the matter?"
Super Creek saw at a glance that she had a request, otherwise, she wouldn't be acting so fidgety.
Yaeno Muteki took a deep breath, her hands unable to stop fiddling with her skirt.
Finally, she mustered the courage to speak.
"Creek-san, I want to ask you... how can I get closer to someone I care about?"
As soon as Yaeno Muteki finished, the Uma Musume present let out a collective gasp.
"EH!!!" x5
Inari One couldn't help but rush forward to interrogate her.
"Yaeno-san, are you saying you have someone you like?"
Hearing this, Yaeno Muteki's face turned crimson, and she gave a bashful nod.