Naturally, Dyna had no idea what was happening on Treve's side, much less that Treve had nearly been smothered flat by her newfound older sister, Frankel.
In Tokyo, Dyna had been busy with something else entirely—
She was opening a franchise store in Takarazuka City.
Thanks to the Mejiro family's connections, the location had already been decided. The site had originally been a gift shop, but after poor management had driven it to the brink of collapse, it had fallen right into Dyna's hands.
The location itself was excellent. For a shop in a busy pedestrian district with heavy foot traffic to end up on the verge of bankruptcy because of the owner's own bad decisions, Dyna found that genuinely a little tragic.
"So in the end, you've settled on this place?" Mejiro Takamine sat across from Dyna, gazing absently at the girl as she pored over the documents with serious focus.
The last time Takamine had come here seemed to have been when she'd arrived to confront the Golden family. And in what felt like the blink of an eye, so much time had passed before she returned again. Takamine herself felt a great deal of emotion over that.
Then again, for Takamine, it had only been a very short stretch of time.
Because the Mejiro family's situation had grown dire enough that she'd been drowning in work. Just keeping Mejiro Trading afloat had already left her overwhelmed. In order to preserve the Mejiro family's prestige, Takamine had practically gone half a year without proper sleep. Every night she lay down at one or two in the morning, only to be forced up again before dawn to meet people and negotiate business. As a result, her condition had worsened day by day.
Now, even seated here in front of Dyna, there was a deep shadow of exhaustion under her eyes.
Dyna nodded slightly. "Yeah. The location's fantastic. I really don't get how the owner of a gift shop managed to drive it to bankruptcy. But if I make use of the existing décor, maybe I can turn the next shop into something with a distinctive style."
To Dyna, everything had potential value. The gift shop's interior design was unique enough that, theoretically, it could be turned into part of the store's appeal. Still, the specifics would have to wait until she saw the place in person.
"Oh, right—Takamine, you haven't been sleeping well lately, have you? And you've been drinking way too much coffee too, right?"
Dyna finally closed the file and, upon meeting Takamine's weary gaze, couldn't stop herself from asking.
Takamine blinked. "Hm? I'm fine. Once the Mejiro family regains its footing, I'll be able to rest properly."
She brushed aside the concern, but even so, her fingers tugged a little guiltily at her collar. After hearing Dyna say that, she had felt a faint tightness in her chest. Loosening the neckline and letting the cool air touch her skin helped settle her somewhat.
Dyna looked at her with clear concern, bent down, opened a drawer, and pulled out a tin of floral tea. "Try this instead, Takamine. Too much coffee really isn't good for you."
"Hm?" Takamine had thought Dyna would tell her to rest, not recommend an alternative stimulant. But of course, Dyna knew very well that given the Mejiro family's current state, Takamine simply didn't have the luxury of adequate sleep. So the only place to intervene was with what she was using to keep herself going.
This particular blend was one Dyna had put together herself in her spare time. Whenever she had to stay up late or push through heavy fatigue, she'd brew a pot. It soothed the liver, protected the eyes, and eased exhaustion. She'd tested it on herself and found it very effective. She just wasn't sure how much it could still do for someone as overworked as Takamine.
Still, with a "might as well try," Dyna brewed a steaming pot and poured Takamine a cup.
The tea carried both bitterness and fragrance. The moment Takamine inhaled the aroma, a faint light flickered in her eyes.
This felt different from coffee—different from that harsh, forced stimulation of the nerves.
She took a careful sip. The stronger taste exploded across her tongue, and Takamine's horse ears shot upright with a visible twitch.
"How is it? I drink this all the time," Dyna said with a smile.
Takamine nodded, clearly pleased. "It's very good… I always thought tea was just something people served guests. I never realized it could be this good for staying alert."
"Of course. And…" Dyna hesitated, then added, "Do you know Sakura Chitose O from Central Tracen? She's really good at therapeutic care. If I remember right, she's supposed to be especially skilled at helping people recover from fatigue. You might want to see her."
Dyna had a great deal of faith in restorative treatment. After all, it was practically her family's ancestral specialty—there was no way it wouldn't work.
"Sakura Chitose O…" Takamine repeated the name. She did know of her.
She was from the Sakura line, a rather frail horse girl herself. Her trainer was also in poor health, which was why Chitose O had dabbled in that field to begin with—she'd wanted to develop something that could heal her trainer's body.
"Of course I know her. If I get the chance, I'll go."
That answer finally put Dyna at ease.
"Then this box of tea is yours, Takamine. Consider it my thank-you gift. You've helped me so much. And besides that—Wuyou will always welcome everyone from the Mejiro family too~"
Dyna wrapped up the tea neatly and handed it over.
Takamine didn't refuse. "Thank you. Then I'll gratefully accept it. The Mejiro family… may not be in good shape right now, but our doors will always remain open to Miss Dyna. That invitation to come work as a chef still stands too."
Apparently trying to make a joke of it, Takamine brought up that old matter again. It really did make Dyna laugh.
"Pfft Alright, I'll remember that! Once I stop racing and my franchise stores are all up and running, I'll go experience life at the Mejiro household"
Saying that, Dyna escorted Takamine out.
She watched the woman get into her car and leave, then let out a long breath.
"Whew… I really didn't expect the Mejiro family's situation to get this serious so quickly. Takamine's got it rough…"
She sighed, but family matters were family matters. Dyna wasn't in a position to get overly involved. Besides, she had to hurry and go inspect that shop in Takarazuka City herself.
If it really looked good, she'd buy it on the spot.
Right now, Dyna had plenty of money. Not to mention that Nakayama Festa had once given her a bank card containing the prize money from that Arc second-place finish. Still, Dyna had no intention of touching it. She'd already decided that if the Golden family ever ran into hardship, she'd return every last yen to Festa.
Back in the shop, Dyna stretched and sighed again. "Phew Changying, come to Takarazuka with me, okay?"
"Huh? Boss, did the Takarazuka branch finally get settled?" Changying poked her head out of the kitchen where she was busily working. Oguri Cap, who had been idling behind the counter out front, was also instantly drawn in.
Oguri didn't say anything, but the yearning in her eyes practically screamed: I want to go too, I want to go too!
"It's just that I found a place there that has a great location and that I really like~ I still need to inspect it in person before anything's final. But if I'm happy with it once I'm there, I'll probably buy it on the spot."
Dyna noticed Oguri's expression and couldn't stop her lips from curling upward. The girl looked so close to turning into a full-on bean-brained horse.
"Well, since it's my first franchise store, let's all go together! Too bad Gold Ship is busy preparing for her debut race, or she could've come too."
With a clap of her hands, Dyna made the decision.
"Boss… good person," Oguri said simply.
That one line filled the whole shop with an easy, cheerful atmosphere.
Of course, they couldn't leave today. So Dyna let everyone clock out early and went to pack what she'd need for tomorrow's trip to Takarazuka. There was a good chance they'd have to stay overnight, so she wanted everything prepared properly.
Which meant—
The horse girls at Central Tracen Academy discovered something terrible that day.
And along with the horror came genuine worry.
The Wuyou bakery had closed early.
Even though it normally stayed open until evening, today it had shut down in the afternoon just as classes ended.
"Do you think… maybe Boss Dyna got hurt during the Satsuki Sho, and it only showed up today?"
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!"
"Say one more stupid thing like that and I'll pluck your tail bald!"
"Eek!"
Groups of horse girls in Tracen uniforms crowded in front of the shop door, staring through it longingly, half-hoping Dyna would suddenly unlock it and welcome them in.
Of course, that was pure fantasy.
At that very moment, Dyna was upstairs in the shower. With the bathroom's excellent soundproofing, there was no way she could hear the commotion below.
To the horse girls of Tracen, Dyna no longer represented just delicious little breads.
She was also an idol.
At this point, the number of girls who had begun chasing after Dyna as a target to surpass had probably reached ten percent of the entire academy—and that was a frightening figure.
"Waaah, if I don't get to eat Dyna's bread today, I'm going to die!"
"Like you're the only one suffering! Look how fat you are already—how can you still be thinking about bread like this?!"
Before long, the crowd in front of the shop had devolved into horse girls loudly critiquing each other's figures. After all, if there was any leftover stock still inside, a fierce struggle was sure to break out. The chubbier girls absolutely couldn't be allowed to keep stuffing themselves with those sugar-bomb breads!
"You just called me fat! I'll kill you!"
"I didn't call you fat! You admitted it yourself—why are you blaming me? If you feel guilty, just say so!"
The mood in front of the door was chaotic but oddly lively, and it lasted until Dyna, fresh from her shower, heard the noise, changed into home clothes, and came downstairs.
"Ah? What's going on?"
She opened the door and blinked at the dense mass of horse girls packed outside.
The moment they saw the door open—and saw Dyna in casual clothes, bare-faced and unguarded—the whole crowd fell silent.
For most of them, this was the first time they had ever seen her like this.
Her damp hair clung in soft strands, her cheeks still a little flushed from the hot water. It was almost unfairly cute.
"Um… Boss?" one of the horse girls finally raised a hand.
Dyna looked back. "What is it?"
She still sounded a little out of it. After all, in the bathroom, Koddi's Wish had pinched her hard in the waist, making her slam forehead-first into the tiles, and she still wasn't fully recovered.
"Are you reopening tonight?"
The question was accompanied by eyes so hopeful they almost seemed to glow.
Dyna reflexively lifted a hand to cover her own eyes and answered, "Ah, no, I won't be~ I'm going to Takarazuka tomorrow. But don't worry—I'll definitely be back within two days. And when the time comes, if you're racing at Hanshin Racecourse, you'll even be able to buy my bread in Takarazuka, okay?"
"Huh? So you mean…"
The crowd looked stricken for one brief instant at the thought of two days without the shop open, but the moment they registered Takarazuka and Hanshin Racecourse, their attention shifted.
Dyna smiled. "I'm opening a franchise store~ Surprised?"
She didn't see any reason to hide it. If anything, announcing it early would only build buzz, so she said it outright.
"Whaaaat—?! Yaaay!!! So Boss is opening a store in Takarazuka too?!"
A cheer went up at once. The girls in the back probably hadn't even heard the full details, but once the front rows started celebrating, the rest joined in too.
"Most likely, yes So look forward to it. I promise it'll be open before the Takarazuka Kinen"
That announcement was posted to the Tracen forums almost immediately and spread like wildfire. And when Dyna added that horse girls racing at Hanshin would have priority purchasing rights, she indirectly encouraged quite a few girls to choose Hanshin for their June race schedules.
Which meant Hanshin's June events were likely to become fiercely competitive.
Once she'd finally sent the horse girls off, Dyna quickly made a little sign to hang on the door before returning upstairs. There she found Koddi's Wish seated in front of the vanity, fiddling with Dyna's laptop.
Judging by the amount of English on the screen, it looked like some kind of American forum. Just glancing at it made Dyna's scalp tingle.
"Welcome back~ It was really lively downstairs just now," Koddi's Wish said, closing the site and vacating the vanity seat. She moved to sit on the edge of the bed instead.
The one bad thing about this room was how close it was to the street and how poorly it was insulated. At night, the road was usually quiet enough, but in the daytime, trying to rest in the bedroom was pure wishful thinking.
And honestly, seeing how adored Dyna had become left Koddi's Wish deeply displeased.
Yes, becoming a major star was good for Dyna in every conceivable way.
But looking at her being admired and watched by everyone made something in Koddi's Wish twist unpleasantly.
It felt as though something private she had tucked away for herself had been dragged out into public and put on display for anyone to admire at will.
That feeling had first appeared when she and Dyna stepped together into that gloomy room long ago—and from then on, it had only continued to intensify.
By the time the Satsuki Sho ended, it had reached an entirely new peak.
"Yeah~ The girls at Tracen were really worried when they saw I'd closed early. But it's fine now. We can spend the next two days checking out the Takarazuka place and contacting the renovation team."
Dyna opened the Takarazuka city site for local remodelers and started filtering for restaurant renovation contractors.
Koddi's Wish remained seated on the bed, quietly watching Dyna's back.
Leaning against the doorframe, Haito no Hoshi stood there with her arms crossed, regarding Koddi's Wish with a strange look in her eyes.
Goo goo, gaga.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 138)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter160)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter98)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter175)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 163
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 150
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 100
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 170
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 145
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 125
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 69
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 90
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 100
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 70
Uma Musume: I Want All 90
I Can Copy Unique Skills 65
Summoning an Evil God, but the 52
Supernatural Multiverse 65
My Harem Is Indescribable 55
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 55
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 66
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 55
Still playing traditional Honk 35
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 35
What Should I Do After Switchi 24
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 35
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 27
Transmigrated as Sukuna 27
Checking In in Demon Slayer 32
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