Downstairs, King Halo had just stepped out of her dormitory building with a slight pout when she saw a familiar figure emerging from the opposite dorm.
Her eyes lit up, and after a quick adjustment of her clothes, she strolled over with measured steps.
"Oh my, Starlight-senpai. Are you on your way to training?"
Hearing the question, Starlight, who was carrying her gear bag, turned her head.
"Eh, that's right. Do you want to join me, Halo-chan?"
"Well, I suppose I was also preparing to head to the training grounds. Since Senpai has invited me, I shall accompany you."
The little tsundere act made Starlight find her quite adorable. She nodded and began walking toward the field.
Seeing this, King Halo hurriedly kept pace.
"Starlight-senpai, how was your morning?"
"Mm, it was great! I went to the Home Economics Department with everyone from class to make some desserts."
"Eh? Judging by Senpai's look, I imagine you aren't very skilled at that sort of thing~"
"How is that possible? I'm a huge dessert lover, and I make them quite often!"
Turning her head to look at Starlight with feigned surprise, King Halo asked with a hint of skepticism:
"Really? Truly?"
"Heh~ just you wait, let me look—"
Starlight rummaged through her school bag, pulled out a small black box, and stuffed it into King Halo's hands.
"I was originally saving this to eat after training... but it's fine, you can have it first."
'An unexpected surprise?!'
King Halo's heart leaped with joy, though her tone remained airy. "What is this?"
Starlight crossed her arms proudly. "Macarons I made myself. Go ahead and eat them."
"Eh?! Thank you, Senpai! In that case, I shall not be modest."
Walking beside Starlight, King Halo opened the box to find small, exquisite macarons neatly arranged inside.
A light, sweet fragrance drifted out.
King Halo's nose twitched involuntarily as she thought to herself:
'I have to say, the macarons Starlight-senpai made really do smell wonderful...'
She picked up a white one and popped it into her mouth.
The crisp shell and soft, chewy filling made King Halo narrow her eyes in pure enjoyment.
"Tastes good, right? I spent a long time researching the recipe to make those. It's my exclusive secret formula, you won't find it anywhere else~"
King Halo gave a slight nod, then turned her head away.
"Well... the flavor is indeed quite excellent."
"Alright, let's head to training first. You can finish the rest when we're done."
Nodding, King Halo carefully closed the lid.
She began heading back toward the dormitory building as if she were cradling a precious treasure.
"Eh? Where are you going?" Starlight asked, confused by the other girl's sudden rush.
"Ahem! I wish to store this in my room. Please wait a moment for me, Senpai."
Starlight gave a helpless smile and waved her hand. "Go on, go on. Watch your step—"
Bolting like lightning back to her room, King Halo gingerly placed the black gift box on her nightstand.
Looking at the box, a smile she couldn't suppress curled onto her lips.
'Heh heh~ Macarons from Starlight-senpai...'
"Wait! What am I so smug for?! I need to get back downstairs to find Senpai so we can train together!"
From that day on, Starlight noticed that this junior was seeking her out with increasing frequency.
Of course, that wasn't a bad thing. Having a junior come to train with her every day was actually quite nice.
Standing on the turf, Starlight watched King Halo waving at her and narrowed her eyes with a smile, waving back in response.
"Senpai, how was I today? Did I meet your expectations?"
"Well in my eyes, Halo-chan is always wonderful. Or rather, you should ask yourself if you met your own expectations?"
Lowering her head, King Halo rubbed her chin in deep thought.
"I feel like I haven't yet. Right! Senpai, could you train with me a little longer?"
"Of course. Let's go."
One week before the Oka Sho began.
After class ended at noon, Starlight packed her bag at a leisurely pace and headed toward the cafeteria.
"Ah~ Starlight-senpai! Good afternoon!"
"Hello there!"
"Starlight-chan! You look so pretty today as well, can I have a hug?"
"Of course you can..."
After greeting a crowd of Uma Musume, Starlight finally made it to the service counter.
"Hello, Auntie. I'll take a Set B, please. Also, could I get the soup from Set C as a separate side?"
"Coming right up, Starlight-chan. I'll give you a big serving, just wait a second."
"Thank you, Auntie~ You're so kind..."
A moment later, carrying her tray, Starlight found an empty table and sat down.
"Ouch..."
The very instant her bottom touched the seat, Starlight heard a soft, weak cry of pain.
"Ah~ sorry, sorry! I didn't see you there. Are you okay?"
Starlight stood up with a start and turned around to apologize.
"Oh, it's just Starlight-chan. It's fine, it's fine. I just accidentally fell asleep, that's all. Go ahead and sit~"
Rubbing her hand, Seiun Sky gave a languid smile.
Nodding, Starlight sat down next to Seiun Sky.
Noticing the table in front of the other girl was completely empty, she asked out of concern:
"Why are you sleeping here? And are you not even going to eat?"
Patting her own flat stomach, Seiun Sky shook her head and said:
"I'm cutting weight, Starlight-chan... I have two more races to participate in before I can head to the Satsuki Sho."
Starlight reached out to pat Seiun Sky's cat-like head and pushed her tray toward the middle of the table.
"Tell you what, why don't you share this lunch with me? Sky-chan, you have to eat at least a little bit, or else you won't be able to hold out."
"This... gulp... Senpai, I..."
"Be good now... Come on, open wide~"
Without giving Seiun Sky a chance to decline, Starlight picked up a piece of chicken with her chopsticks and brought it to the other's lips.
Faced with this, Seiun Sky could only obediently comply.
She opened her mouth and ate the chicken.
She then watched as Starlight picked up another piece and popped it into her own mouth.
"Senpai, I think I used those... you don't mind?"
"Hm~? Does Sky-chan mind? I can go grab another pair for you..."
"No, I don't mind, Starlight-chan."
"Well, then I don't mind either. Come on, open wide again~"
Under Starlight's persistent feeding, Seiun Sky managed to finish the lunch.
Later, strolling along an academy path side-by-side with Starlight, Sky kept her head down, seemingly lost in thought.
"What's wrong? It's rare to see even Sky-chan looking so melancholy."
"It's nothing. I was just thinking about the races."
"Starlight-chan... Spe-chan is so strong, and she has your guidance, too..."
"Hearing that, are you planning to give up, Sky-chan?"
"How could I? I'm not giving up. After all, I want to become a Triple Crown Uma Musume too."
"It's just that everyone is training so hard, it's a bit..."
"Don't worry, Sky-chan. I believe you can definitely do it. After all, when you get serious, you're actually super cool~"
Hearing this praise, Seiun Sky's footsteps faltered.
She furrowed her brows and looked at Starlight with a complex expression.
"Is that true, Starlight-chan...?"
"Of course! You have to work hard, Sky-chan. You have to give it your all to truly know what you're capable of, right?"
Nodding, a look of resolve appeared on Seiun Sky's face.
She couldn't help but lean in and hug Starlight.
"Thank you, Starlight-chan~ If I win the race, will you go fishing with me?"
Starlight was slightly dazed by the sudden initiative from this azure cat, but she quickly responded in her usual gentle tone.
"Of course. I'll be there to watch the Satsuki Sho, too. Good luck, Sky-chan!"
Releasing her, Seiun Sky gave her head a lazy shake.
"Can I go to your room to rest this afternoon, Starlight-chan?"
"Sure. Those little guys at my place have been missing you too, Sky-chan."