Helios's pitiful expression was truly adorable.
Starlight reached out and gently stroked her head.
"Helios, you know me. I'm busy fishing right now and don't have time. Why don't you go find someone else?"
"Wait, don't drive me away yet, Starlight-chan! I really could only think of contacting you."
Seeing Starlight reaching for her fishing rod again, Helios hurriedly moved a step ahead to grab her hand.
"I don't want to do a duo dance alone on stage~ It would be such a total social death."
"Hmm... what about Palmer and the others? Wouldn't it be fine to just form a group with them?"
"I had such a confident face when I went to see Milady earlier. If I go back to find Palmer and the rest now, I'll..."
Shaking her head, Starlight said helplessly, "Where's that spirit you have when chasing Daiichi Ruby? How is it gone at a time like this?"
"I can't do it! Palmer and the others will definitely laugh at me."
"How is that possible... Everyone is a good friend, no one would mock you."
'Actually, the fact that you'd fail is pretty much common knowledge anyway.'
After complaining internally, Starlight saw Helios's soul-crushing dejection and found it hard to just leave her be.
"Alright, I promise."
"Really?"
Upon hearing this, Helios's originally drooping ears stood straight up, and the tail behind her began to wag back and forth.
"Really," Starlight confirmed. "But I've never performed in this style before, so I'll need you to guide me on the specifics."
In that instant, another sentence began to echo in Helios's mind:
"I am truly not well-versed in this style of performance. I likely would not be able to meet your expectations..."
"You've never performed it? Then why did you agree to do it?"
"Eh? Weren't you the one looking for me? Why are you unhappy now that I've said yes?"
"No, no, no! I'm just surprised, because people usually refuse when they're asked to do something they aren't good at, right?"
Listening to Helios's words, Starlight spoke dismissively.
"Because the one inviting me isn't some 'someone else'— it's Helios."
Seeing the other girl dazed, Starlight turned helplessly to the two Uma Musume who had been watching the drama unfold.
"Flower-chan, Sky-chan, I'm going to go accompany Helios for a bit. Let's fish together another day."
"Go on, go on..."
'With you gone, maybe I'll actually catch a fish.'
"No problem. I heard the show starts tonight, so the schedule is pretty tight. I hope it goes well for you two," Nishino Flower said with a smile.
"Mhm. Good luck, Flower-chan! These are all of our spoils of war, so don't let Sky-chan overtake us."
"Understood, leave it to me!"
Standing up, Starlight looked at Helios, who was still standing frozen in place, and tapped her shoulder in confusion.
"Let's go. To the dance studio."
"Ah, right, right!"
Nodding blankly, Helios immediately followed after her. She walked side-by-side with Starlight, looking back once at the two girls still fishing.
"Starlight-chan, thank you... I'll treat you to sweets afterward."
"Sure. I think some new items just came out recently."
Pulling out her phone, Starlight began browsing the official website of the sweets shop.
Perhaps because she had received a completely different response than the one she got from Ruby, Helios was incredibly happy.
"Starlight-chan, if the practice isn't good enough by the end, would you still be willing to go on stage with me?"
"That? It's a small issue... at worst, we'll just be embarrassed together. Anyway, you'll be there too."
Starlight turned off her phone, looked at Helios, and squinted her eyes with a smile.
'Ah... I-Is that how it is?'
"Wait, if the performance is bad, you aren't going to cancel the treat, are you?!"
"No way. Whether the show is good or bad doesn't stop me from treating you."
"Then it's a deal!"
As a resort for an Uma Musume training camp, there was no way it lacked a venue for idol singing and dancing.
After arriving at the dance studio, the two changed into their training outfits and shoes and found an empty spot.
"Come on, come on! I'm all yours to command, Coach Helios."
"Then... can I hold your waist first? Let's start with the physical contact part."
Blinking, Starlight said speechlessly, "Anything goes. Don't be so formal though— just tell me directly whatever you need me to do."
"Ahaha..."
Actually, you couldn't blame Helios for being awkward. After all, she hadn't danced this style many times herself.
The only other time was during the last Cultural Festival.
Back when Daiichi Ruby had finally agreed to perform with her, their rehearsals together hadn't exactly gone smoothly.
This was why Helios had subconsciously started things off with such a tentative approach.
Fortunately, Starlight's words had given her a bit of confidence.
And besides, Starlight's temperament was quite different from Ruby's.
It didn't take long for the two Uma Musume to enter a state of deep focus. Because Starlight had a solid foundation in dance, she learned remarkably fast.
They would definitely be able to run through the entire routine before the performance started.
Time slipped away, and the sun began to set.
The outdoor stage lit up with brilliant, colorful lights. Quite a few Uma Musume had already begun to gather as spectators, finding seats and settling in.
On stage, a certain Uma Musume who loved a good scene was already spinning records. There's no need to say who this Uma is, you already know.
"Hey, what should we do? What are we wearing?"
"I brought something! I have them in my dorm. Come with me for a bit," Helios said.
"Sure, let's hurry. We should be able to make it in time."
Arriving at Helios's room, Starlight looked around and watched as Helios rummaged through her drawers.
"Who are you rooming with...?"
"I'm with T.M. Opera O. She's actually quite an interesting person."
"Is that so? That's nice."
"What about you, Starlight-chan? Who are you staying with?"
"Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen."
"Eh? Why is it a triple room?"
"The President helped arrange it for Teio."
The confused look on Helios's face immediately vanished into a flat expression. "Well, that explains it."
Once they got the outfits, they fit quite well. The upper half was a white T-shirt paired with a blue translucent outer shirt, featuring several rings at the hem.
The lower half was a red-and-white checkered skirt, with a red jacket tied around the waist.
Helios's set was the opposite color scheme: A red outer shirt and a blue jacket tied at the waist.
"It feels pretty good, but I bet Ruby wouldn't wear this style of clothing."
Starlight knew perfectly well that these clothes were originally intended for Daiichi Ruby.
"This..."
Hearing this, Helios froze. Something seemed to click in her mind, her gaze sharpened, and she said with a laugh, "No, no! This wasn't for Milady— this is a gift I'm giving to Starlight-chan."
"Are you sure this is a gift for me?"
"Mhm, of course! I'm not stupid, you know. Just like you said, there's no way Milady would wear something like this."
"Hahaha..."
"What are you laughing at? What I said is totally true!"
"Mhm, mhm, no problem. Let's go quickly, it wouldn't be good if we delayed the show."
Behind the stage, Palmer looked at the two Uma Musume beside her and spoke up.
"Today's performance was pretty good... I'm going to dance this during my next Winning Live."
Gold City waved her hand dismissively. "The President will probably give you a lecture as soon as you finish."
Tosen Jordan, who had been fiddling with her nails, asked lazily, "Where's Helios? Since her Milady rejected her, she isn't going to skip out, is she?"
"Probably not. After all, she's one of the main organizers of this concert."
"Sigh~ That girl is truly obsessed. If it were me, I would have stopped chasing a long time ago," Tosen Jordan said with a sigh of resignation.
"Hey! Are you guys done performing?!"
Suddenly, Helios's usual lively voice drifted in from the distance.
When the three Uma Musume looked over, they were surprised to see her looking incredibly happy and wearing a brand-new, beautiful outfit.
"Did you actually manage to invite Ruby?" Mejiro Palmer was the first to ask.
"You've been fooled, Palmer! Actually, I invited Starlight-chan."
To save face, our Helios chose this version of the story.
Divine Starlight, who was following behind her, smiled and waved at the three of them. "Hello there~"
Mejiro Palmer and Tosen Jordan greeted her back quite cheerfully.
"Hey, hey, Starlight-chan, tell us the truth— did Helios only find you because Ruby rejected her?" Mejiro Palmer teased, her hands behind her head.
Catching a glimpse of Helios's silent plea for help, Starlight decided not to expose her.
"No, no. She came to me right from the start..."