With only two days left until the Culture Festival, the Uma Musume had begun decorating and planning the layout of Tracen Academy.
The Student Council office had also become a hive of activity, checking application forms submitted by every class and auditing the props and materials required for the festival.
Aside from those busy girls, however, everyone else was quite relaxed, simply looking forward to the arrival of the festival.
The morning sunlight spilled down, its warmth paired with the occasional breeze, making Starlight feel very comfortable.
She sat on a bench at a crossroad, leaning against the backrest as she watched the maple leaves slowly drifting from the sky.
A circle of kittens had gathered around her without her noticing.
She had originally intended to help out, but Yaeno Muteki had turned her down.
'She's so mean.'
Swinging her legs out of boredom, Starlight simply watched the Uma Musume passing by— some carrying large boxes, others lugging gift sets and props.
Quite a few who noticed her would come over with a smile to say hello.
After responding with a smile of her own, Starlight reached out to pet the head of the little black cat on her lap, saying with a chuckle:
"The Chairwoman let you run out again, didn't she?"
"Meow~"
"Yay~! Starlight-chan, you're actually here!"
Suddenly, a lively voice called out from behind.
Turning her head, she saw Daitaku Helios running toward her with a brilliant smile.
She cleared the back of the bench like a hurdler, flipped over to land in front of Starlight, and planted her hands on her hips.
"Hehe, found you!"
"Is there something you need me for, Helios?"
"I was just way too bored~! I came out to find you to play!"
"I'm not free, though. I'm busy right now."
Starlight narrowed her eyes, feigning a cold rejection.
However, Daitaku Helios wasn't buying it at all.
Seeing Starlight's refusal, she stepped straight forward and threw her arms around the other's shoulders.
"Starlight-chan~ Let me accompany you, okay? Could you really bear to watch me wander aimlessly around the campus all by myself?"
'Isn't that exactly what I was just doing?'
"Hahaha... I was kidding. I don't actually have anything to do. I'm just sitting here idly looking at the sky."
"Eh? Starlight-chan! You— You're terrible~!"
Unable to contain her playful indignation, Daitaku Helios reached out and began to pinch and knead Starlight's small face.
This sudden move startled the little black cat on Starlight's lap, causing it to puff up its fur and bolt away.
Seeing this, Helios's eyes lit up.
She plopped down right on Starlight's lap and leaned against her, laughing.
"What are we doing in a bit?"
"Weren't you the one who came to find me to play? You actually didn't think of what to do..."
"Right, right, right! I've got it!"
Rubbing her chin, Helios began to ponder.
Divine Starlight didn't disturb her, silently waiting for the result.
"Got it, got it! Matikane Fukukitaru is doing Culture Festival fortune-telling over there. Let's go find her!"
Nodding her head, Starlight hadn't even had the chance to speak her agreement before she was pulled up by her wrist and led away by the rising Helios.
"Slow down! Don't trip!"
Once the two had walked far off, a mysterious girl wearing a veil slowly emerged from behind a large tree near the bench.
Her crimson eyes watched the shrinking silver-haired silhouette as her lips curled into a wide grin.
"Starlight-chan..."
Still in Love walked over to the bench.
Looking at the spot where Starlight had just been sitting, a flush spread across her face as if she were thinking of something.
Eventually, she sat down on it herself, and after lingering there for a moment to feel it, she resumed her stalking.
"That hateful Helios... I was silently accompanying Starlight-chan for three hours, and as soon as you showed up, you took her away!"
"You just wait, I'm going to... No, I can't do that. Starlight-chan would hate me..."
At the thought of doing something that would make Starlight hate her, Still in Love shivered, burying those dangerous thoughts deep in her heart.
"Hehe, Starlight-chan~"
"Um, Still-san?"
"Ah, what is it?"
Hearing someone call her name, Still in Love's expression shifted instantly.
She narrowed her eyes and responded with a gentle smile.
"There are some displays in the equipment room that need help moving, and we still have unfinished business here. Could we trouble you to help?"
Still in Love was just about to decline when a wonderful plan suddenly popped into her head. She quickly agreed.
Abandoning her mission to tail Starlight for the moment, she ran to the equipment room and efficiently moved all the displays.
Afterward, she lightly smeared a bit of dust and dirt onto her own face.
"Matikane Fukukitaru, are you busy?"
Daitaku Helios asked as she pulled back the curtain of the purple tent.
"Oho. Welcome, you two... Although we're still in the preparation phase, I can still take customers."
Cradling a glowing crystal ball in her hands, Matikane Fukukitaru spoke in her usual mystical, eccentric tone.
"Then, um, I want to know... can I be with the person next to me? Like, getting married and stuff..."
Helios leaned in and whispered into Fukitaru's ear.
"I see~"
Narrowing her eyes, Matikane Fukukitaru looked at Starlight, and then her hands began to swirl over the crystal ball.
A faint light illuminated the darkened space. She looked at the expectant Helios and spoke flatly.
"Hmm... it's complicated, but there is indeed a chance."
Helios's eyes widened, and she grabbed Fukitaru's arm almost pleadingly.
"Onegai! Tell me the way, please..."
"...Well... come find me at three in the afternoon on the day of the Culture Festival!"
"Got it!"
A confused Starlight scratched her head and spoke up.
"What question did you ask, Helios?"
"Oh, just about my luck lately, nothing big, haha!"
Starlight gave the black-and-blue-haired Uma Musume a searching look, then turned to Matikane Fukukitaru, who maintained her mysterious smile.
"Then I'd like to see my luck lately, too."
"Certainly."
As she operated the crystal ball, a very faint red light suddenly emitted from within. Matikane Fukukitaru froze slightly.
She swallowed hard and said:
"Starlight-chan, have you provoked someone recently?"
"Wh-why do you say that?" Starlight asked nervously.
"You're going to have some trouble soon, so be careful. But don't worry, it's not a major disaster, um... how should I put it? It's more like a conflict between friends."
"Is that so? That's good, you scared me to death..."
"Starlight-chan!"
As Starlight patted her chest and let out a sigh of relief, Helios suddenly grabbed her wrist.
"What is it?"
"Can you marry me?"
"No..."
"Then what about being together?"
"...Aren't we together right now?"
"Eh, I don't mean like this! I mean 'together' as lovers!"
Divine Starlight fell into a hesitant silence.
Helios was different, seeing that the other didn't refuse immediately, she felt there was a chance.
Just as she was thinking of pressing her advantage, a voice suddenly drifted in.
"Starlight-chan..."
Turning around, they saw a dusty and disheveled Still in Love walk in.
Matikane Fukukitaru, who had been maintaining her mysterious aura, trembled the moment she saw this figure.
The red light in her crystal ball grew a few shades brighter.
"Eh? Still-chan, what's wrong?"
"I-I lost something in the equipment room. It was the hairclip you gave me last time. I've looked for so long and can't find it..."
"I... I'm so sorry..."
"Don't cry, don't cry! If it's lost, it's lost. I'll just give you another one."
Starlight hurriedly stepped forward and patted her head to comfort her.
"But, I really love that hairclip Starlight-chan gave me. I still want to find it..."
"This... then I'll go with you to look for it, okay?"
"Really?"
"Mmh, of course. Let's go... Helios, I'm going to help Still-chan find her thing first. I'll come find you in a bit."
"Ah, oh, okay."
Matikane Fukukitaru: 'The crystal ball is telling me you won't be coming back.'