Agnes Tachyon had originally meant to give Daiwa Scarlet a little guidance, only to hear another voice say the exact same thing she had been about to say.
She and Seiun Ryoka had been practically perfectly in sync.
Even after Tachyon stopped, Ryoka finished the part she had not said aloud. Really, it was just…
Had Seiun Ryoka seen right through her?
But why? Ryoka should not understand her that well yet.
Agnes Tachyon could not make sense of it. She wanted the full picture. If she could not figure it out—no, not even that, right now—it felt as if a kitten had been shut up inside her heart, scratching and clawing restlessly. It was unbearably irritating.
She looked at Seiun Ryoka and wanted, more than ever, to know everything about her.
But Ryoka merely curved her lips into a smile and said, "My, my Looks like Agnes and I just happened to arrive at the exact same conclusion"
And honestly, with Ryoka's height and figure, that one lazy little "my, my" carried the kind of mature-woman allure that made people want to keep looking at her.
Because of that, Daiwa Scarlet's face flushed even more vividly, and she had to awkwardly look away so Ryoka would not catch her staring.
But at that very moment, she suddenly realized something.
Why was she so worried about not being able to explain herself clearly in the first place?
Leaving aside how "horse-jumping" was perfectly normal behavior between horse girls, neither she nor Ryoka was actually dating anyone, so what exactly was she panicking over?
Maybe it was because she admired Ryoka too much.
Yes—because she admired her so deeply, revered her so much, she did not dare draw close.
Because she had placed Seiun Ryoka in the position of the sun itself, and how was something ordinary and earthly supposed to reach out and touch the sun?
And then there was one more thing: the bold and reckless Agnes Tachyon clearly had a strong interest in Ryoka. Agnes was her senior. How could Scarlet possibly let herself come into conflict with a senior over romance?
Thinking that far, Daiwa Scarlet snuck a glance at Seiun Ryoka.
She did not know why she did it. She simply did, and even she was startled by herself.
When Scarlet looked over, Ryoka was smiling and waving at the people on the boat below. She looked completely unaware of Scarlet's gaze. Because of that, Scarlet quietly let out a breath of relief.
But once that breath escaped her, she felt oddly hollow inside, and some strange, indescribable emotion rose up in its place.
Perhaps…
Was this love?
Daiwa Scarlet had no idea. She was completely confused.
Just then, as though she knew nothing at all, Seiun Ryoka turned toward the two of them and said softly,
"To a lot of people, we're not just horse girls running on the track. We represent the thing called 'dreams' themselves. But if your heart is knotted up inside, there's no way you can give it everything you've got on the course, right? So if something's bothering you, don't bottle it up. Look at me—I couldn't run in the Japanese Triple Crown, so I just packed up and went overseas."
Ryoka raised her right index finger, her eyes bright.
"Whether you're living life or living as a horse girl, the key is being able to move forward without anything weighing on your heart!"
She smiled lightly at the two of them, her eyes sparkling as though they reflected the stars themselves. For a while, neither of them could find the words to answer.
Seeing that both girls had gone silent, Ryoka turned away again. This time, she took off her cap and gave her hair a light toss. Her silver-white hair flew out behind her like moonlight woven into silk, dazzling enough to leave people momentarily breathless.
With one hand she caught each girl by the wrist, then broke into a light run, dragging them along with her.
Their skirts billowed in the playful night breeze, the thin fabric fluttering sharply in the air. Under the streetlights, their shadows stretched long, then snapped short again over the old stone pavement, leaping like little spirits.
They ran past the neon blaze of Piccadilly Circus, the riot of illuminated advertisements flickering across their eyes. Mist from the Thames drifted with the music spilling out from roadside pubs, wrapping them in the embrace of a sleepless city.
They ran for who knew how long before they finally arrived at the foot of the London Eye.
The enormous Ferris wheel turned slowly beneath the summer night sky, each capsule shining like a gemstone.
But since it was already past midnight, the wheel had long since stopped admitting guests. The operators were only keeping the lights on now, letting it serve as a glittering city landmark. Had the girls arrived a few hours earlier, they likely would have found a long line of people—and caused quite a commotion in the process.
After all, they were all beautiful in their own ways, and they were horse girls besides.
Most importantly, the one leading the way was Seiun Ryoka, the legendary horse girl herself.
Before Daiwa Scarlet had even caught her breath properly, Ryoka walked up to a staff member and casually said, "We made a reservation."
Agnes Tachyon blinked.
A reservation? So this was planned from the start?
Then how had she managed it? Elizabeth?
Ryoka did not leave them any time to think. She simply hauled the still-hesitating girls into one of the capsules. Since she had invited them out to admire the nightscape of this great international city, then now that they were here, obviously they were not going to miss it.
As the Ferris wheel rose slowly through the ink-dark night, the capsule gliding upward in brilliant light, the entire city began unfolding beneath them in a river of stars.
The Thames became a winding ribbon of black silk. The brightly lit boats traveling across it looked like pearls sewn along its surface.
At Ryoka's prompting, Daiwa Scarlet pressed her palm gently to the cool glass. She watched the spires of the Houses of Parliament slowly rise to meet her eye level, while in the distance, The Shard stood like a diamond driven straight into the night sky.
Agnes Tachyon, matching Ryoka's pace, looked down at the river of car lights flowing far below. Under the wash of illumination, St. Paul's Cathedral gleamed like a luminous shell—though whether it held a pearl within was another matter.
The city lights spread like stars cast down upon the earth, reaching all the way to the edge of sight.
Looking at the scene, Daiwa Scarlet parted her lips slightly. She thought that Ryoka really did know how to appreciate beauty, and she suddenly found herself wanting to hear Ryoka's thoughts on the city spread out beneath them.
She turned instinctively to look.
Ryoka was leaning against the window. Under the lights, her silver-white hair was rimmed with a soft glow, and from head to toe she radiated a quiet, tranquil beauty.
For a moment, Daiwa Scarlet no longer dared to speak to her. She was afraid she might shatter that stillness.
But then, as if sensing her gaze, Ryoka looked back at her.
Scarlet panicked, then immediately plastered herself to the glass and blurted out, "Seiun-sama, from up here everything looks so small. Ahaha…"
She had no idea what she was even saying anymore.
Agnes Tachyon sat on the other side, instinctively calculating altitude, visibility, and light pollution levels out of pure habit. Then, in her mind, she calculated the odds of that happening.
Inwardly, she counted down.
Three. Two. One.
At that exact moment, a mysterious smile touched Seiun Ryoka's lips.
A streak shot up.
Then—
Boom!
A firework burst open in the night sky without warning, blooming into a great golden peony.
The light instantly flooded the whole observation capsule, illuminating the amazement on Daiwa Scarlet's face and the "I knew it" expression on Agnes Tachyon's.
The moment she had seen the Ferris wheel, Tachyon had guessed there was a chance of this happening. After all, what could possibly be more enchanting than viewing the city from a Ferris wheel at night?
If there was something better, it could only be a fireworks display.
One after another, more fireworks rose. White lilies of the valley, red roses, blue roses, golden irises—flowers of light bloomed one after another across the sky, painting London's night in impossible colors.
"Fireworks!"
"Oh my God—look!"
"They're beautiful!"
On the ground, along the riverbanks, everyone who saw the sudden spectacle was deeply shaken by it. None of them had known there would be anything like this tonight.
People raised their heads in unison. Gasps, laughter, cheers, and cries of amazement rippled one over another. Camera flashes sparkled like scattered stars on the ground. Children waved excitedly from atop their fathers' shoulders. Couples kissed passionately beneath the fading brilliance. Elderly people looked up with the unguarded delight of children.
For that one moment, all of London seemed to have fallen beneath some secret spell, steeped in a shared wonder and joy.
Inside the observation capsule, Daiwa Scarlet had entirely forgotten all of her earlier embarrassment. Both hands pressed to the glass, her eyes wide, she followed the path of each exploding flower.
"Amazing… It's amazing…"
Each burst reflected in her clear eyes, filling them with lovely light.
Agnes Tachyon had expected something like this, and at first she had thought it would not be such a big deal.
She had been wrong.
Just as horse girls were born with an innate longing to run, there was apparently no resisting the way one's pulse quickened in the face of beauty like this.
Her heart was no longer listening to reason.
Seiun Ryoka sat between them, her voice warm and clear even through the rumble of fireworks.
"Agnes, you understand Daiwa better than anyone, and you care about her more than anyone too. That's why you use that… hmm, clumsy? Well, something like that—kind of method to push her toward a wider world and help her show her true self, so she can move toward the future."
Then Ryoka turned to Daiwa Scarlet.
"And Daiwa, you want Tachyon-senpai's approval, but you hate feeling like she's arranging your life for you, don't you? The truth is, the two of you are exactly alike—just as proud, just as stubborn, and just as bad at saying what you really mean when it matters."
At that perfect moment, one especially enormous firework burst above the Ferris wheel, breaking into a shower of drifting stars.
In that radiance, Seiun Ryoka's eyes shone brighter than the night sky itself.
Join here to read ahead.
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 180)
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 285
"Is this chat group even serious?" 150
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (This matter is completely finished.)
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 255
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 210
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 305
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer (This matter is completely finished.)
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/40
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 130
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 155
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 120
Summoning an Evil God, but the 75
Supernatural Multiverse 155
My Harem Is Indescribable 105
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 110
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 110
Still playing traditional Honk 96
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 95
What Should I Do After Switchi 51
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 80
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 105
Checking In in Demon Slayer 95
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 105
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 95
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 80
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel (This matter is completely finished.)
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 95
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 90
Why did they assign me to Uma 80
MYGO Beauties 75
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 80
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 100
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 120
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 65
The Uma Musume Who Became 70
I'm Definitely Not the King of 105
After Maxing Out Every Class 110
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 95
I, the Elden Sword Saint 60
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 60
No One Knows Pokémon Better 60
I, Sakazuki, Won't Go Down Tha 69
From Trilobites to Titans 57
Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 75
DanMachi: My Party Members Are 86
An Anime Heroine Darkened 60
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Links 70
Honkai: The Fire Devil 70
Honkai Transformation Cards Volume2/30
Age of Heroes, I'm Just a Back 60
Uma Musume Has No Weird Fan Le 74
At age 8, she co-starred with 45
Honkai: Schicksal Media 53
An Extremist in a Slice-of-Lif 30
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