The scene shifts.
Seiun Sky is now holding up a fish roughly the size of Divine Starlight. A brilliant smile is plastered across her face.
Kiryuu Inami is busy taking photos of her with a professional camera.
"Are you sure you want to post this on the academy forums?"
"Of course... It's rare for me to post on my timeline, so naturally, it has to be eye-catching," Seiun Sky replied with a nod.
Afterward, Starlight and Rice Shower split the fish Seiun Sky had caught into two.
They lit the fire, brushed on some oil, and after descaling it, placed it directly onto the grill to start roasting.
At that moment, the four Uma Musume who had gone out to buy ingredients returned. Special Week was the first to pull back the curtain.
She was carrying two large bags in one hand, while the other held a paper bag filled with fried chicken drumsticks and croquettes.
"Hehe... We're back! Wow~ What a huge fish! Sky-chan, did you catch this?"
Unobtrusively, Seiun Sky tilted her chin up. "Yep, you could say Matikane Tannhauser and I caught it together."
"You two are amazing!!!"
Setting down the bags, Spe-chan hurried over to Starlight's side, staring at the sizzling grilled fish.
Gulp.
"Spe-chan, just how much did you eat already? Your little belly is so round~"
Divine Starlight turned the grill rack and then gently patted Special Week's stomach with her small hand.
"Hehe... Not much, really. Just a quick snack to tide me over," Special Week said, scratching the back of her head sheepishly.
"By 'not much,' do you mean the six teriyaki chicken meatballs, five hamburger patties, and eleven fried chicken drumsticks you already ate?"
El Condor Pasa followed closely behind. She was mostly carrying vegetables and some desserts.
"Whoa~ You actually ate that much!? Spe-chan, will you even be able to eat anything else later?"
Seiun Sky also approached Special Week, poking her bulging belly with a finger to inquire.
"Hmph hmph, don't worry. I've still got at least 70% of my stomach space left. Ah, Suzuka-chan, let me help you with those."
After bragging, Spe-chan hurried over to Silence Suzuka to take some of the bags from her.
"Is this... beef rolls and dipping sauce?"
"Yes... the four of us discussed it and thought just having a barbecue might be a bit monotonous, so we planned to make a hot pot as well," Suzuka nodded, speaking to Starlight in a gentle tone.
"Ahaha, it's strawberry sparkling water~ Thanks, Grass!"
Seeing the item she wanted, Kiryuu Inami excitedly ran over to Grass Wonder to take it from her.
"It was no trouble, Trainer Inami."
"Alright~ Everyone, let's divide the tasks and work together. It's getting late."
Starlight clapped her hands together to direct the group.
Though she wasn't sure why she was the one leading, seeing all the Uma Musume looking her way, she felt she had to step up.
Silence Suzuka and Grass Wonder set up the cutting boards and began slicing vegetables and skewering them.
El Condor Pasa and Spe-chan busied themselves with the hot pot.
Rice Shower and Nishino Flower arranged the tables and chairs.
As for Seiun Sky, she entered a carefree leisure mode, leaning back in her chair and watching everything unfold.
Matikane Tannhauser was much like Sky.
Though she desperately wanted to help, after everything that had happened, Starlight seemed to have realized that this girl's luck wasn't exactly the best.
Being a hindrance was one thing, but it would be bad if she got injured.
Soon, everything was ready. The table was covered with skewers and sliced grilled fish.
Nine Uma Musume and one Trainer sat around the table, watching the bubbling hot pot as they began to eat.
"Little Tannhauser, would you like to sit next to me?"
Remembering the Chairwoman's request, Starlight spoke to Matikane Tannhauser.
"Ah, okay! Then I'll be in your care, Starlight-senpai..."
As for the seat on Starlight's other side, there were several who would have normally fought for it.
However, despite her innocent looks, Rice Shower was surprisingly crafty.
From the very beginning, she hadn't strayed a single step away from Starlight's side.
Thus, when it came time to assign seats, Rice naturally sat down on Starlight's other side.
Once everyone started eating, Starlight spent the whole time putting food into Tannhauser's bowl, giving her what could be described as special treatment.
Nishino Flower, sitting on the other side of Tannhauser, also helped look after her from time to time.
Anyone who could manage to get injured twice in such a short period of time was, in a sense, a formidable force.
"Ah, everyone is so kind to me, it feels like having a mother! At first, I was really nervous about coming out with Uma Musume I wasn't familiar with."
Patting Tannhauser's head, Starlight said with a smile, "Don't say that. Someone as likable and cute as you is bound to be popular, so don't worry."
"Hehe... Starlight-senpai."
After the meal, the Uma Musume headed to a nearby ski resort.
Tightening her cotton hat, Starlight shivered slightly and began rubbing her hands together.
"I really don't like cold weather~"
Suddenly, a pair of slender, jade-like hands reached out from behind and gently cupped Starlight's two horse ears.
These hands were very warm, as if they had just been heated up.
"Eek~"
Because her ears were quite sensitive, Starlight couldn't help but let out a soft whimper.
"Sorry, did I hurt you, Starlight-chan? I thought doing this might make you feel warmer." Grass Wonder's worried voice followed immediately in her ear.
"No, no, thank you for the kindness, Grass-san. But this makes me feel like I'm getting the better end of the deal~ How about I warm yours up too?"
Turning around, Starlight breathed a puff of hot air onto her hands and rubbed them together, speaking with a smile.
"Yes, thank you, Starlight-chan..."
With a faint smile, Grass Wonder didn't refuse, she even bent down slightly to make it easier for Starlight to reach her.
Special Week, sitting across from them, watched this scene and asked curiously, "Does Starlight-chan dislike winter?"
"No, Spe-chan, I actually like winter, but my body just doesn't seem to handle the cold very well."
"Is that so? Hehe, I feel like I'm pretty resistant to the cold. I remember when I was little, my mom took me to the night market. I went out with just a jacket and didn't feel cold at all."
"That's just because you eat so much, so you have a natural heater in your stomach," Seiun Sky teased, turning her head slightly from where she was leaning against the window.
"Ah, I don't think I ate that much..."
"Exactly, Spe-chan should eat more, that's what makes her cute. Sky-chan, you're not allowed to say that about her anymore," Starlight said with a laugh, sticking up for Special Week.
"Bleh~"
The space in the cable car wasn't large, so they went up in batches.
Once they reached the summit, they followed the staff's instructions to the sledding area. There were sled-like boards waiting quietly on the slope.
"It looks like this can carry three people. Who wants to go with Rice-chan and me?"
"I do!" x2
Two voices spoke in unison, and the atmosphere suddenly became strangely tense.
Silence Suzuka and Grass Wonder locked eyes for a moment.
As if communicating through some sort of internal team radio, they began a hand-off.
"Eh... Suzuka-chan, you go. I'll join Spe-chan and El Condor's group."
"Then, thank you, Grass-san."
The next group consisted of Nishino Flower, Seiun Sky, and our little Tannhauser.
As for the poor Trainer, Kiryuu Inami, she hadn't come up with them. She was currently down at the clothing store buying gear.
Starlight said to Rice and Suzuka, "You two get on first~"
"No, Starlight-chan should go first."
"Rice... also thinks Starlight-chan should go first."
Despite the back-and-forth, by the time the three were settled, Starlight had miraculously ended up sandwiched in the middle.
As the latch was released, the three began to slide downward.
Reflexively, Rice reached out and grabbed Starlight's arm, and Suzuka beside her did the same.
"Wahaha~ This is amazing! Look, everyone, the view over there is so beautiful!!!"