Chapter 732: NO．101：Horse Girls Eavesdropping on the Student Council Is Also Quite Normal

NO. 101: It's perfectly normal for Uma Musume to eavesdrop on the student council.

Before morning class, the Central Treisen Student Council usually gathers with the president, vice president, class representative, general affairs committee, and health committee.

The absent dormitory head and discipline committee chair are usually busy with their own work, while the aforementioned three less common positions are occupied with tasks prior to reporting.

Class Representative: Oujin Sakura, Ruta Narita.

General Affairs Committee: Shino Dithis, Thus line: Aimu Zhiji.

Health Committee: Guankuan Sakura, Aldan Mejiro, Super Xiaowan.

Among the seven names, one is someone I've seen several times due to often being near Nishizaki Yutaka, with brief contact; two are acquaintances I've met frequently recently.

Regardless of familiarity, it doesn't prevent them from inevitably casting glances at a certain person sitting in the corner of the long sofa during the waiting and progress of work reports.

After all...

Occasionally, Maruzen Suki, who is easily accepted in the student council due to being a respected senior, is compared to Aomu Lindun—someone with a 'complex reputation', a 'new trainer employed less than six months', and whose TV appearances as a mercenary and monster tamer far exceed those as a trainer...

Who deserves more attention is obvious at a glance.

Even Thus line: Aimu Zhiji, who is not unfamiliar with him, feels this guy doesn't belong in the student council.

I don't know why he appears in the room during such a serious report time, nor why he isn't kicked out by the 'Empress'.

And why does Senior Maruzen Suki keep staring at him? What's with that deeply resentful gaze?

Why does Senior Bai Ren Chengta, who always dozes off during the report segment, also stare at him? What does that even more resentful gaze mean?

Is this man really not going to say anything?

Although we're currently doing administrative reports, you and those two sitting so far away could say something, right?

Stop staring at your book—something titled 'The Biography of the Innocent Divine Beast' can't possibly be a serious read at first glance!

Chat about something, don't be shy! Everyone can hear you!

As several horse girls prick up their ears, Sakura Shiji—who didn't miss the earlier scene due to living in Meipu Dorm—lets her imagination run wild, while the vice president sitting beside the president, pen in hand to take notes, coughs twice.

"Focus on the report."

"Ah, yes!"

——

"To see Sakurajima Oujin, usually so straightforward in rumors, restrain herself like this during reporting—your two dignities are truly admirable."

"Overpraised, Trainer Lindun. I'm going to reorganize the report now; please bear with me."

"No problem. I just hope I didn't disturb your work, Vice President Qicao."

Aomu nods toward Qicao, who is quite far from him, then walks straight to her desk without another word, immediately turning his gaze to Ludaofu Xiangzheng.

"Qicao actually has some male phobia." The latter thought he was asking for an explanation.

"I understand. Compared to when she first debuted, she's already made remarkable progress."

Each interaction occurs at a half-meter distance, forming a stark contrast with the close proximity of Qianming representatives and Maruzen Suki; this reserved, distant demeanor even moves Aomu somewhat.

This is the Empress!

I, too, have D-ed teeth!

Due to past overexposure to aggressive expressions from the opposite sex, the Empress Qicao maintains considerable distance from both male trainers and male fans, yet still unexpectedly has a large male fanbase—though female fans are even more numerous.

After all, being called 'Empress' on the racetrack—if it were in an era of strong feminist winds, she might have been pushed as a representative.

Nowadays, her racing career is nearing its end; for horse girls, whether body or spirit, they exhibit varying degrees of 'completeness', and male phobia has likewise noticeably eased.

At least not as extreme as that certain Mejiro family fangirl.

Often, you can't even tell Qicao has male phobia, but some minor details still reveal the fact that this heart condition hasn't healed.

Even so...

Why are you sitting there with your ears perked up so high?

Seeing the other side display such a girlish side, Aomu can't help but feel amused, and Ludaofu Xiangzheng, who also noticed that, merely swipes at the light screen directly connected to the student council's internal tech equipment, adjusting some idle placements.

Now that the report is over, the student council should return to its usual state—like preparing some fruit on the table, or playing some soft music indoors.

Recently, feedback from students and trainers says the student council feels too pressuring; this side is still trying to make changes.

While adjusting, Ludaofu also says: "You can tell they're more curious about you and Maruzen, though I didn't expect Bai Ren to stare at you like that either."

Saying that, she glances toward the seat where Bai Ren was sitting not long ago.

——Now it's vacant.

Someone earlier stared as if intensely focused, as if Aomu wouldn't speak and he'd stare until the ends of the earth, but the result? Once the student council's various duty reports are done and it's the vice president's turn to organize materials into the record, that lone wolf becomes a dog with a red scarf.

He slips away quickly, fidgets constantly.

Afraid of being caught up by work, Vice President Qicao sees it and lets out a long sigh.

At times like this, someone might ask why we still give such a guy the vice president title—answer is simple: student council positions are decided by popularity vote.

Bai Ren has that popularity, and when it's Qicao's turn to handle tasks she's not good at—those requiring frequent male handoffs—he steps up without hesitation.

She just runs especially fast on all tedious mechanical work, which also happens to be the student council's main workload.

So she disappeared, and around the same time as Maruzen Suki, who also received the promise to 'run back after circling once'.

In her place came the newly arrived Chazuo Mancheng, holding a thermos-like container.

"... Trainer, coffee."

"Ah, thank you very much, Chazuo—I didn't expect to actually get this cup of coffee."

"... Um, President and Vice President, would you like a cup too?" Chazuo doesn't stint on her own work.

Huang: "Ah, of course—I've long heard of Chazuo's skill."

Qi: "I don't need any."

Huang: "?"

Cha: "Good......"

Aomo: "Miss Qi Cao..."

Huang: "Qi Cao."

Qi: "Still enough? If so, I'll have a cup, thanks."

She can still read the air, and she can also respond to the little horse girl Asasahi's Jidong tag horse girl, or she has changed her tone, although she initially refused because she suspected the thermos cup's capacity was insufficient, probably not enough for these few people to share.

But obviously, the capacity of that thermos cup is not as limited as its appearance suggests.

And after the student council room was filled with the rich aroma of coffee, Aomo also felt much more relieved and said:

"On Qixi Festival, to carry out official duties, I had refused some invitations, but when Miss Qianming updated her dynamics of hanging out that day on Umastagram, those friends had some misunderstandings."

Bixi Ke and Karen also sent quite a few yin-yang guai qi messages that night, leaving him somewhat speechless.

"No wonder she also looked at me." Ludafu Xiangzheng suddenly realized.

"The misunderstandings that should be clarified have already been debated; let time dilute the rest."

Aomo's attitude in this regard is relatively passive, after all, this is also baseless anger, and having interacted with Suzi and Xi, he considers this commonplace.

As long as one makes baseless compromises and perfunctory gestures, one can end that baseless anger, like some compensatory actions, just as inviting to the raptor coffee shop during leisure time—this is catering to preferences, although it will surprise the other party that one actually knows this.

But when there are more people, it seems difficult to schedule time.

How should I put it?

Or should I be glad that Qianming only mentioned Ludafu and myself, and did not include Xi, Chelenina, and Kong Xiao Jie among them?

Compared to celebrating that the misunderstanding did not grow larger and the reputation did not become more infamous, shouldn't we instead think about how such a misunderstanding should not have arisen at all!

And when exactly did Qianming secretly take that 'group photo'? I didn't even notice.

This person is still hiding this trick... so-called detective work won't rely on this stealth photography ability, will it?

His heart is full of worries; Guiye Xiaomei's bar invitation is not without giving him a rare channel for venting, but he ultimately still has all his attention overwhelmed by the idol issue.

There's also no way to sanction Qianming.

A matter originally had no problem, but as long as the angle of dissemination and the manner of description are slightly unusual, that hidden danger needs no one's words.

He himself can foresee it.

Moreover, just ten or so minutes ago he had just experienced it; if not for the appearance of Ludafu and Sirius, some topics might have become Umastagram's hot search.

Let the PR person he hired go back to work again.

But even so, by then he will still have to face the fact that he is further becoming an object of textual re-creation.

This is something PR has no reason to handle, and also not good to interfere with.

And yet...

Regardless of whether there is or not, first write something—he deeply understands the 'dross' of this circle's creative atmosphere.

—

"Want to run away feeling?"/"Feeling wanting to escape"

"Can't end like this, but coexist?"/"Coexisting with not wanting to just end like this"

"Just like Dr. Jekyll and Hyde?"/"Just like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"

"Twenty-faced hiding weakness? ~"/"Twenty-faced deeply hiding fragility"

—

"This song?" The suddenly rising cheerful music and those lyrics made Aomo look back, subconsciously glancing toward those small speakers designed to be very hidden.

He had heard it, just last night at that bar, used to accompany Guiye Xiaomei's storytelling.

"《switchbackstory》/Turning Story," Ludafu Xiangzheng generously introduced, "a song recommended by a partner in family industry, she hopes I listen carefully."

"Doubting while piling up? ~"/"Doubting while piling up everything accumulated."

"Time to pile up again? ~"/"On one hand, continuing to accumulate new time."

"Want to grow up soon? ~"/"Really want to grow up quickly."

"Still a child, huh? ~"/"Even though still a child, what's that?"

"No no? ~"/"No no!"

"I want to become a better me? ~"/"I want to become a better me."

"Just that? ~"/"Only this."

Aomo said nothing, just listened; Chazuo also deeply understood the principle of silence, only the occasional keyboard tapping sounds of a certain empress mixed with the singing, echoing in Ludafu Xiangzheng's unchanging smile.

"Can't cry even when hurt? ~"/"Even when hurt, not crying."

"Can't speak even when realizing? ~"/"Even when realizing, unable to speak out."

Even if covering the eyes, one would still care.

The swaying pendulum, rubbing, confirming, silently moving forward.

Only paying attention to what one wants to see, sealing away what one doesn't want to know.

As long as you look closely at this reality, you will know that those seemingly beautiful wishes are unfeasible.

Although what I want to do is only what I can do, but, what can I do?

This is an eternal topic.

"How is it?"

She suddenly asked when that lyric was sung.

And Aomo suddenly said: "I've watched a Gundam work."

Seems like an irrelevant answer.

But Ludafu responded very appreciatively: "Oh? What kind of work?"

And the background music was singing that line: "Future is pure white, past is pure black"/"Future is a blank slate, past is pitch black."

Living in, the gradating crevice, feet on the swaying clock.

"It is not considered good in public opinion, but there is a sentence in it that I like very much."

While lost in thought, looking back and striding forward, one might unintentionally detach from reality.

"What words?"

Sometimes one is brought back onto the right track.

"Words of escape can only yield one, while moving forward will yield two."

Step by step, climbing upward.

"……Aomo trainer."

"Yes."

"Are you free lately?"

"Training is never good on typhoon days."

"How about tomorrow?"

"A bit urgent, but still okay."

"Then, can you spare time tomorrow to accompany me to meet a group of time travelers?"

"Most willingly."

—

Outside the door, Sirius symbol and Ailisuzhi, with ears pressed tightly against the door crack, simultaneously stood upright, tacitly not looking at each other, each turning sideways independently, one smacking lips, the other pouting.

Compared to the originally entrusted time, it was advanced by six days……/Tomorrow is not available either, just a mere guinea pig, always someone coming to borrow.

Forget it, changing the old woman's design is a good thing/putting Chazuo as this variable in, it surprisingly does not participate in any chemical reaction.

However, this kind of advancement……that old woman would rather be happier/poor strategy, but that Bourbon fellow is also an inert substance.

Alas, ill fortune/tsk, trouble.