Umamusume's days are numbered

Even if Platinum were given a few more days to adjust, she'd still be the same old idiot when she met Rudolf's symbol. Alice had already figured out exactly what was going on in Platinum's limited brain cells. Trying to understand something on her own wouldn't work, and would only increase her timidity. It was better to push Platinum forward, force her a little; sometimes that could actually produce better results.

Moreover, the key to this dinner wasn't with Platinum, but with Rudolf's symbol.

Based on his and Mejiro Takamine's comprehensive simulation of Rudolf's symbolism, Platinum didn't need to say anything; simply sitting there was enough.

Then Rudolf will naturally begin my confession. And then, naturally, the two of them will start embracing and crying.

Platinum immediately fell silent. He dared not speak when Rudolf wasn't around, but Alice was sitting right next to him, holding his ear, so he couldn't utter a single word of dissent.

"Then whatever you say goes." Platinum said meekly.

Alice was satisfied with Platinum's answer.

Look how successfully he's tamed himself. How did Rudolf manage to make himself look so pathetic? Facing Platinum, wouldn't he have easily won?

Alice is even considering whether or not to carry out Mejiro Mine's Prince Charming plan. Or maybe she should just switch to Alice's plan instead.

Thinking this, Alice increased the pressure on her hand, and with Platinum's cries of "Ouch, ouch!", she raised her fingers upwards. As Alice raised her fingers higher, Platinum had no choice but to change from lying down to sitting up.

"Stop lounging on the sofa. Go back to your dorm, wash up, comb your hair, think about how to face Rudolf's symbol, and change your clothes quickly—these are all pluses." After shooing Platinum off the sofa, Alice could finally return to her beloved sofa.

"Understood." Bai Jingang wanted to sneak out, but saw Ai Lisuzi hesitate for a moment, then wave at him.

“Although I don’t think that will happen…” Alice took out a small bottle of clear liquid that looked like eye drops from her pocket, “but if things really break down, then we’ll have to resort to the last resort.”

Platinum stared at Alice in disbelief: "You actually have such a drug..."

"What did I lie to you for?"

"No, I always thought you were just talking big... Great scientist, Alisako."

"You should have addressed me that way much earlier, and with a much more respectful tone."

As Platinum, muttering "Okay, okay," finally walked out of the lab and closed the door, Alice breathed a long sigh of relief.

Instead of heading back to the dormitory immediately after walking outside, Bai Jin took out her phone first.

"Rudolph is implying that he wants to invite me to dinner tonight."

【I'm your little bear biscuit】: What, so envious... no, what a great opportunity!

【I am your little bear biscuit】: I didn't expect that what I just gave you would be useful so soon.

That's right, on the other end of the phone... was Donghai Nature, with whom Baijin had discussed advanced knowledge that afternoon.

【I am your little bear biscuit】: Don't forget what I taught you, try to put it into practice.

【I'm Your Little Bear Biscuit】: Dress a little revealing, but not too revealing. Wear something cute, showing both your childlike side and your alluring side. Let her know that you're not a relative from a different generation, but a junior from school!

“Is it really okay to be a little revealing?” Platinum hesitated. “The most revealing outfit I’ve ever worn is the Treson Academy uniform.”

Because her thighs were showing.

【I am your little bear biscuit】: Didn't you feel great wearing your final outfit? Just go for that level, and I guarantee Rudolf's symbolic eyes will be glued to you the moment he sees you.

【I am your little bear biscuit】: Something seems off... It's like I'm teaching you how to seduce the president.

【I'm your little bear biscuit】: In short, remember to learn to be cute! I promise that even if you go to the restaurant and stand motionless like a piece of wood, as long as you do what I said before, even a piece of wood can make peace with you.

"That's settled then." Platinum pouted and started walking back to her dorm.

Episode 214 Alice's Magical Kingdom

"It should be... here." Platinum flipped through the address in her hand, checked it again, and felt extremely frustrated.

Just to have a meal, they actually made a special trip to Shinjuku... This is already Platinum's annual travel volume.

Rudolf, surprisingly, arrived first! He let himself come alone!

Although Maruzensky was waving and honking her horn at Platinum from her iconic red Lamborghini as she walked out of the gates of Treson College, Platinum ignored her.

If you ride in a car driven by Maruzensky, is your life worth wholesale?

Platinum eventually had to ask around and follow the navigation to figure out how to get there.

This isn't the main reason why Platinum was so frustrated. It's normal not to find a restaurant, and it's normal to take the subway. As long as you're not late, everything is fine.

The problem lies in the outfit Platinum is wearing.

Donghai has strict rules regarding what Baijin should wear today.

First and foremost, it has to be cute.

Secondly, while maintaining a cute appearance, the more exposed the better.

Is this even human language?

Putting aside the fact that Platinum practically wears her school uniform as casual wear, even those with a lot of clothes don't meet this condition.

What kind of clothes are you wearing, Donghai Natural!

So Platinum started browsing her clothing store again. Ironically, when she first unlocked the store, Platinum thought, "What rubbish is this? I'd rather die than use this stuff," but unexpectedly, she'd used it twice in just half a month.

The key point is that the price is cheap, practically free, so why not buy it? The only downside is that it wasn't delivered by Zao Lu herself, which is a slight disappointment.

As Platinum browsed the clothing store, she became increasingly sweaty. It wasn't that she couldn't find anything; quite the opposite, she found a lot. In fact, she found far too much. Was this really a good thing? Weren't Arknights and Uma Musume Girls considered wholesome games?

Look at what they're wearing, is that something you could wear out in public?

But there was no other way; Platinum had to choose reluctantly. The final choice was the one she was wearing.

【Witch's Love: A Mystical Feast/Demon City Secret Order Custom Outfits/Demon City Echoes】

It's quite cute and not revealing. Because those revealing outfits are really too much to wear out. Actually, the reason I chose this one is because Wu Lian's style matches me well. Oh, I'm not talking about the "three-no" attribute (no expression, no attitude, no personality), I mean that when Bai Jin puts on a dead fish-eye look, it's really hard to achieve that playful, smiling feeling like in other outfits, but with Wu Lian's outfit, you don't need to smile.

Furthermore, when Platinum actually put on the clothes, she felt a strange sense of sadness. She knew perfectly well that the clothes had been altered to fit her own body, but the fact that clothes meant for a child fit her perfectly... well, it was a feeling of self-abandonment.

This outfit has no other flaws, except that it doesn't look like everyday clothes; wearing it out makes it seem like you're going to a Halloween luncheon. But that's a minor issue; it's better than wearing other clothes.

Both things are small, but when put together they become significant.

So Platinum wore that outfit for over twenty minutes on the subway, enduring the stares of passersby for just as long. It was even more agonizing than being stared at on the track. Platinum wanted nothing more than to cover her face, silently repeating to herself, "You don't know me, you don't know me."

Regardless of whether she was recognized or not, Bai Jin finally arrived at the agreed location.

This restaurant was also the main reason why Platinum chose to wear this outfit.

【絵本の国のアリス(Alice's Magical Country)】

It doesn't sound like the name of a restaurant; it sounds more like the name of a theme park.

Hidden on the second floor of the Kabukicho Commercial Building is this fairytale-themed restaurant.

"What kind of weird place did Rudolph choose to symbolize this..." Platinum thought to himself as he tentatively took a step into the store.

A massive bookshelf, as tall as a person, stands before the restaurant, filled with fantastical magic books. The only enticing thing, a notebook lying sideways, is the restaurant's door itself. Standing before it, one feels like Alice after drinking a shrinking potion; at this moment, the line between reality and fairy tale blurs.

"Eh..." The moment Platinum entered the restaurant, she felt something being put on her head. A staff member dressed as a waiter politely saluted Platinum, who touched her head and found it was a black headband.

A headband like Alice's.

The floor is a black and white checkerboard pattern.

The snow-white sliding doors and windows seemed to open and close by themselves.

The rabbit image printed on the wall seems to have inadvertently taken off its hat in the blink of an eye.

Emerald green—that's the lush, verdant forest.

Crimson red—those are the curtains that cast shadows before the Empress's throne.

The clock on the wall ticked away, and the playing cards on the table seemed to whisper among themselves.

They're saying, they're saying—

"A new guest has arrived." The waiter touched his lips lightly with his white-gloved index finger, bowed slightly, and stepped back into the darkness. "I hope you have a pleasant time here."

"Wait a minute... Hey!" Platinum quickly waved in the direction the waiter had disappeared. "I have a friend who made a reservation. Could you tell me their table?"

No one answered in the darkness, as if the waiter's figure had truly been swallowed by the shadows.

"This is...this is so strange." Platinum awkwardly clasped her hands around her arms. "Why didn't they even tell us our table number..."

Moreover, I always felt that the atmosphere here was a bit strange.

Should we directly shout Rudolf's symbolic name? Doing so in public seems rather impolite.

Just then, Platinum felt a light touch on her shoulder. Startled, she turned her head sharply to look.

"Ah, my dear and beautiful girl. I have noticed you for a long time."

White gloves. Long, slender arms.

"When you stand in the dense forest, are you listening to the sparrows chirping, or the howling of the wind?"

Golden silk, an upright back.

"I think, perhaps none of those are true. Tonight is the night of the full moon, tonight is the night of the returning souls. Tonight the closet will talk, tonight the piano will play, tonight the chair will be the conductor, tonight the pumpkin will be the trumpeter."

Her dazzling yet warm smile was as captivating as a ray of sunshine in the night sky.

"So, I suppose you've come to attend this magnificent ball."

Rudolph symbolizes gently taking the platinum finger, lowering his head, and parting with a touch of lips.

"Beautiful lady, may I... show you the way?"

(This shop is based on a real-life model and they even give out headbands. There are two Alice-themed restaurants in Shinjuku alone; interested readers can check them out.)

Episode 215 Are you serious?

Alice's Magic Kingdom offers semi-open private rooms, with partitions decorated in the style of a forest, but not completely separated, with gaps left between the ceiling and the doorway.

This design is certainly intended to help customers better immerse themselves in the environment, but it has also made things easier for a small group of people with malicious intentions.

"Hahaha—Rudolph symbol, that guy, actually did it!"

Alice took off her shoes and stepped onto the soft cushions she had brought. Her left toes barely touched the seat, while her right leg dangled precariously in the air. Her body was tense as she leaned against the partition of the private room, peering into the distance through binoculars.

That's right, since there's something to watch, why wouldn't Alice come? She loves seeing others in awkward and embarrassing situations; it's practically top-notch entertainment. Therefore, Alice got up and headed here as soon as Platinum returned to her dorm, just to find a good spot with a panoramic view.

Sure enough… when she saw Platinum appear in that gray-black gown, Alice almost couldn't suppress a smile. Her worst-case scenario was that Platinum would show up in her final outfit, and her best-case scenario was that she would come in her school uniform. After all, Alice knew Platinum's wardrobe well; besides school uniforms, it was always her final outfit.

However, given the choices of ordinary, standard, and masterful, Platinum pulled off a divine move. Alice couldn't understand where Platinum had pulled out that dress; all she knew was that tonight's fun was about to double.

When Alice saw Rudolph, dressed in a pure white men's suit, walk up to Platinum, take her hand, and kiss the back of her hand, she couldn't hold back anymore.

If it weren't for the fact that Alice was worried about falling, she would have loved to roll around laughing while clutching her stomach.

Even now, Alice was still trying hard to suppress the smile on her lips, her stomach clenched tightly, afraid that she might make a sound if she didn't control herself.

Being discovered is a minor issue; it would be much worse if I were to fall and injure this genius's brain.

"Rudolf symbolizes this guy... haha... he actually copied everything Mejiro Takamine taught him... haha... completely!" Alice was holding back her laughter so hard that tears were almost coming out.

Let's not even talk about Rudolph's glittering gold suit; it's just something to fool little girls. I bet only teenage girls would be completely fooled by something like that.

The most crucial element is Rudolph's words, delivered with the same meticulous expression he used when reciting lines.

Hahaha! She couldn't take it anymore; the thought of Rudolf's iconic expression was unbearable. She wobbled as she climbed down the fence.

"My dear lady, may I show you the way?"

After saying the sentence in a low voice, mimicking Rudolf's symbolic manner, Alice clutched her stomach and squatted under the table, laughing so hard she almost fell over.

...I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.

How did she manage to deliver those lines so meticulously and with such deep emotion?

Even if you were wearing a Christmas tree and saying these lines, it would still be less comedic than what you're seeing now, Rudolph.

After she finished laughing, Alice casually climbed onto the railing again, keeping a close eye on the situation at the front.

This is just the appetizer. Alice is sure there's even more fun to come, and she can't miss it.

"Well done, Platinum, just like this." In the activity area on the other side, Donghae was completely blocked by the tall back of the chair. She tilted her head to look at the door. Although the view wasn't very good and she couldn't hear what Platinum and Rudolf were saying... however, good clothes are half the battle, and Donghae could tell at a glance that Platinum's clothes today were particularly to her liking.

This is the kind of clothing the president likes!

Donghai naturally wanted to get closer to observe their conversation, but...