The sled glided rapidly down the mountainside, the surrounding scenery blurring into a streak of motion.
Amidst her fluttering silver hair, Starlight's golden eyes caught sight of the city's night view in the distance, its lights shimmering hazily.
Nestled between the dark silhouettes of the mountains, such a sight always brought a surge of warmth to Starlight's heart.
Sitting in front of Starlight, Rice Shower leaned back slightly into the embrace of the beauty behind her.
To Rice, the scenery was beautiful, but primarily because Starlight found it beautiful.
Her world had once been colorless, but through a race with this ash-gray Uma Musume, she had finally seen the colors the world was meant to have.
Behind them, Suzuka wasn't looking at the view at all, her eyes were fixed entirely on the person in front of her.
Her hands gently encircled Starlight's waist.
Though she hadn't known Starlight for long, the girl always seemed to appear whenever she was helpless or in darkness.
It was miraculous, almost as if Starlight were an angel sent specifically for her— watching over her so tenderly, yet granting her the freedom to run alone through the dark.
Unfortunately, beautiful moments are always fleeting.
Before long, the three had safely slid down from the summit.
After stepping off, Starlight stood on the flat snow and spoke to the two Uma Musume beside her.
"This was really great. I think I'll definitely come back again next winter."
"Then, Rice will come with Starlight-chan too."
"Me too, Starlight-chan."
"That would be even better! If I came alone, the happiness I could find would probably be limited. But if we all come together, the joy is endless."
Hearing Starlight's words, the two girls said nothing more, only smiling quietly.
Once Seiun Sky's group and Spe-chan's group had also finished their descent, the Uma Musume prepared to head back.
It was already quite late, and to maintain a healthy routine, they didn't dare stay out too long.
Inside the large tent, the girls lay together, whispering for a short while before gradually falling silent, waiting for the next morning.
Starlight was the first to wake up, though it wasn't on purpose.
She was startled awake, and the moment she opened her eyes, a damp sensation on her cheek hadn't faded.
The culprit was the brown-haired Uma Musume sprawled on top of her.
Matikane Tannhauser was half-asleep, muttering something while lightly nibbling on Starlight's cheek.
"Sakura mochi... hehe... so soft, so fragrant and sweet..."
Blinking, Starlight didn't immediately get up or say anything.
Her friends were still sleeping, and it wouldn't be a pleasant morning if she woke them with a sudden outburst.
Taking a deep breath, she reached out, cupped Tannhauser's face, and gently moved her onto the adjacent bedding.
Sitting up and tucking the girl in, she quietly got up and dressed.
Stepping outside, she took a tissue to wipe away the moisture from her flushed cheek.
"How is Little Tannhauser still like a child? Though, it is quite cute. Even though she's so unlucky, she still faces everything with a smile. She's very strong."
The early morning was still quite cold. Even though Starlight was dressed warmly, she could still feel her body shivering.
From a distance, Nishino Flower and Seiun Sky, who were getting off the camper van, waved to greet her.
"Yo, Starlight-chan, good morning~~"
"Good morning, Starlight-chan."
"Mm, good morning! How did you two sleep in the camper?"
Yawning, Seiun Sky waved a hand dismissively. "It was alright, though I'd sleep a bit longer if I could."
"Sky-chan was on her phone browsing the forums all night, saying she had to check if her friends saw the photo of her big fish," Nishino Flower said with a slight frown and a complaining tone.
"Ahaha, sorry, Flower-chan!"
One by one, the Uma Musume all woke up and began washing up and preparing breakfast.
Once they finished eating, the trip came to an end, and everyone set about preparing for the journey back to Tracen.
Monday, noon, at the Student Council President's office.
Starlight pushed open the door and walked in.
"Yay~ The President isn't working overtime today? How do you have the leisure to sit here drinking tea..."
Seeing it was Starlight, Symboli Rudolf looked at her with a smile and spoke casually.
"With my efficiency, everything is naturally settled in a matter of minutes."
"Well, aren't you impressive. Here's the lunch I brought you. I didn't ask about your dietary restrictions, so if you end up eating something you don't like, don't blame me."
Placing the sealed lunch box on the desk in front of Rudolf, Starlight turned and sat opposite her.
She opened her own portion and began to eat.
Setting down her teacup, Rudolf opened the meal container without any rush.
Picking up her chopsticks, she said, "If there's something I don't like, I'll just toss it over to your side."
"Hey~ I'm not helping you finish it. Eat it yourself."
"The races start at the end of this month, followed by a series of events. At that time, younger Uma Musume will be coming to visit," Rudolf noted.
"If you don't have any other club duties, you can go and lead them around."
"Club activities...?"
The image of a certain pink Uma Musume popped into Starlight's head, it didn't seem like she had any events planned.
She nodded. "Sure! Cute little Uma Musume... I'd definitely want to lead them."
"Though, it might not even be your turn. Plenty of Uma Musume scramble for this kind of job. Just see how it goes."
"What? Oh, alright~"
After a brief chat about the festival, the two headed straight to the gymnasium in the afternoon.
Many pairs of Uma Musume were already there preparing for the competition.
Seeing this, Starlight nodded in approval. "Everyone is working so hard! Good! I need to do my best too."
Standing on the ice in her skates, she recalled the training from the past few days.
With a shift of her feet, her silver-white figure began to move rapidly.
At that moment, Rudolf came up behind her and reached out to encircle Starlight's waist.
According to their plan, the two began to dance gracefully.
In an instant, they became the center of attention. Many Uma Musume stopped what they were doing to watch that area of the rink.
As the two separated, Starlight circled in place.
She slowly lowered her center of gravity, then spun and leaped into the air.
At that precise moment, Rudolf, having looped halfway around, flew in rapidly and successfully caught her in mid-air.
The two landed with their hands joined, performing like a waltz on ice.
Even in ordinary training gear, the two Uma Musume displayed elegance and beauty to the fullest.
"Previously, I truly did have a slight impulse... to keep you all to myself."
Suddenly, after the two jumped again, landed, and performed two rotations, Rudolf glided along, pressed closely behind Starlight.
Her words made Starlight tilt her head to look at her in surprise.
"Eh?"
"But soon after, following those few days spent with you, that thought grew even stronger... and then it dissipated."
"Phew~ That's good. You scared me to death just now."
Rudolf reached out to caress Starlight's cheek, then her hair, pausing for a symbolic moment.
"Yes, it's a good thing it dissipated. Divine Starlight, you really are extraordinary, just like your name."
Finally, with Starlight leaning on Rudolf's arm, the two finished their routine after a magnificent jump.
"To hear the President say such a thing, I'm actually quite happy."
"Alright, that's enough skating practice for today. Tomorrow, you can just carry on with your usual training."
"Mm, okay~"
"Remember to stay out of trouble. Otherwise, you can look forward to sweeping the President's office for the rest of your life."
"Yes, yes, I know~ Don't you know me by now? I'm the most well-behaved Uma Musume in Tracen."
Rolling her eyes, Rudolf reached out and flicked Starlight's forehead. "You have so many virtues, yet you insist on claiming one you don't have."
"Is that so? I really didn't know. Why don't you tell me, Madam President— what virtues do I have~?"
"I refuse."