Gently passing through the woods, the intertwining path quickly transformed into a modern asphalt road.
In just a few short minutes, a small shortcut completely outside of Akira’s usual knowledge twisted and appeared before him.
“Hm?
What’s wrong?
Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Watching the free spirited Uma Musume who expertly navigated her way out of Tracen Academy, Akira shook his head, lacking the energy to say anything.
Mr.
C.B.
was a free spirited Uma Musume.
A free spirited Uma Musume did whatever she wanted, and she would ultimately use any means necessary to achieve her goals.
Moreover, society’s tolerance for a Triple Crown Uma Musume was a bit too high.
Akira clearly saw a security guard notice them, but after seeing Mr.
C.B., the guard pretended to see nothing and went right back to standing at attention.
(Wait, what are you even guarding?!
A living, breathing person is being dragged off campus, and you have no reaction?!)
Akira tried winking and hinting at the guards, desperately hoping they would stop Mr.
C.B.’s tyranny.
But without a doubt, no one did a thing.
Because stopping her was meaningless.
Trying to block her was even more meaningless.
This was Mr.
C.B., the freest Uma Musume on earth.
Trying to restrict her actions was an exercise in futility.
She was like a sweeping storm—she could envelop others, but no one could ever tie her down.
Even back when she was the challenger facing the supreme Emperor, Symboli Rudolf, it was Mr.
C.B.
who held the advantage in popularity.
Yes, on the Uma Musume popularity polls, this carefree horse girl consistently ranked higher than the Student Council President of Tracen.
This was exactly the confidence that allowed her to casually drag someone out to play, and the very reason she could pull Akira toward Tokyo Tower with such certainty.
“So, why Tokyo Tower?”
“Because Rudolf just told me a cold pun today.”
“Ah?”
“She said six, three, and four can be read as Mu-sa-shi, so Tokyo Tower is actually Musashi Tower.” (TL:I don’t know about this, don’t ask….)
“…What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Right?
I thought it was super weird too, so I wanted to go see it no matter what.
And since there happened to be a very lonely looking acquaintance nearby, isn’t it perfectly normal to bring you along?”
“I feel like this isn’t normal at all…” You are reading on g.com, the official source.
“Don’t sweat the small stuff!
Get ready, we’re off~”
Watching the Uma Musume naturally hail a taxi while pulling him along, the man had absolutely no idea what this horse girl was thinking.
But to her, the fact that Akira didn’t understand didn’t seem to matter at all.
She naturally flagged down a taxi, naturally shoved him inside, and then sat right next to him in the backseat.
In the enclosed space, Akira could instantly smell the faint fragrance wafting from Mr.
C.B.
Unlike Symboli Rudolf, whose scent carried an intense, individualistic aura of dominance, Mr.
C.B.’s fragrance smelled like a gentle breeze and fresh greenery.
Perhaps because Mr.
C.B.
was always running around the campus and hanging out in that scrap yard shed, Akira felt that her scent carried a deep forest vibe that somehow put him at ease.
He had sat separated by a thin wall with this very scent, and he had unilaterally shared his thoughts and Orfevre’s story with her.
To her, Akira probably wasn’t a stranger.
But to Akira, the smiling Mr.
C.B.
sitting next to him was an absolute enigma.
Why was she following him?
Why did she help him cover for Symboli Rudolf?
And why was she dragging him to Tokyo Tower right now?
None of it made any sense to Akira.
“Right now, you must be wondering why I came looking for you, right?”
“…Yeah.”
“It’s fine, you can think about it all you want.
I’ll tell you the answer when we eat dinner tonight.”
“We’re having dinner too?”
“Of course.”
Facing a deeply shocked Akira, Mr.
C.B.
nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Going to Tokyo Tower, eating dinner, and then heading back to the dorms—isn’t this a perfectly normal itinerary?
Is it really that strange?”
“No, but you…”
A high school girl taking an adult man to Tokyo Tower and then out to dinner—isn’t this more than a little inappropriate?!
(Besides, before I get my paycheck, I don’t have a single cent to spend!)
But, as if she could read Akira’s mind, the moment the taxi smoothly pulled up under Tokyo Tower, Mr.
C.B.
Watching Mr.
C.B.
casually pull out a black card to swipe, and feeling the sharp, interrogating glare of the taxi driver, Akira felt incredibly uncomfortable all over.
(She isn’t after my money, so what is she after?
My body?
What do I even have that’s worth plotting for?)
Stepping out of the taxi, Mr.
C.B.
once again naturally threw her arm around Akira’s shoulder and pointed toward the top of the massive tower.
“I heard there’s a Kabuki performance at the Tokyo Tower observation deck today.
Want to go watch it together?”
“So why did it have to be me…”
“Are we really bringing up such boring things at a time like this?”
Her eyes, the exact same color as the clear blue sky, looked at Akira and blinked slightly.
“You really don’t understand romance, Akira.
When a girl asks you out like this, the correct answer is ‘Sure.’ Isn’t that right?”
“No, C.B., I really want to know the answer.”
Firmly pulling away from Mr.
C.B.’s grip, Akira looked at the smiling Uma Musume and voiced his true thoughts.
“Right now, I feel like I’ve been blindfolded and forced to walk the plank on a pirate ship.
I have no idea what kind of abyss is waiting beneath my feet.
I’m a human being, and I have the right to know what’s going on.”
“Even if it means betraying your current life?
Knowing some things and not knowing them are two very different concepts, you know.”
“That’s still better than living in constant fear of the unknown, getting completely played by you and Symboli Rudolf.”
“Let’s leave Rudolf out of this for now, but I have absolutely no intention of playing with you…”
Pouting as if she had been wronged, Mr.
C.B.
smiled again and reached out to pat Akira’s shoulder.
“At the very least, watch this Kabuki performance with me.
I’ve been really looking forward to it.
So please?
I promise I’ll tell you everything right after.”
“…Fine.”
Looking at Mr.
C.B.’s sincere expression, and thinking back on her actions so far, Akira finally gave a calm nod to the Triple Crown Uma Musume who was waiting for his reply.