Umamusume's days are numbered

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episode 286 portrait

Platinum hesitated on the spot.

Her hesitation wasn't about whether to go to the attic and basement to take a look, but rather about how to gently and tactfully refuse Linda.

The house was already rather eerie, and the astronomer had just finished telling a ghost story with great fanfare. Regardless of the quality of the ghost story, she definitely had something hidden in the attic.

Especially since astronomers are using all four of their names to tell ghost stories! This is already a lot of unsettling omens, so it wouldn't be surprising if something actually crawled out of the attic next.

Why is everyone else's Hawaii trip so wonderful and beautiful, but mine is just an old house adventure or a horror movie set?

Platinum and Excellent Quality exchanged a glance. Excellent Quality also shook her head helplessly—she didn't want to go either, but Linda's hopeful eyes clearly indicated that she wanted Platinum and Excellent Quality to go in with her. As the hostess, Linda had prepared accommodations for them, lent them a car for their trip, and even prepared food; Excellent Quality simply couldn't refuse her request.

The two could only nod at Linda.

Bai Jin had already planned it all out in his mind. Once he got to the basement and attic, he would stand outside the door and take a quick look. If he saw anything suspicious, he would make a hasty retreat.

It's impossible for the things in horror movies to happen. Do you know why horror movies don't include horse girls? Although it's related to the appeals of the Horse Girl Protection Association, there's no point in making a creature that can physically climb a highway and be subject to speed limits appear in a horror movie.

“Don’t be afraid, there’s nothing dangerous in the basement and attic, and they’re all electrified and have lights.” Linda led the way, with Platinum and Excellent Quality following behind, the two of them shoving each other as they walked.

The three of them walked through the living room on the first floor, and could still hear the sound of running water from the bathroom. It was Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate taking a bath—goodness, Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate's bath time was indeed longer than imagined.

Linda stood in front of the open basement door. Although there were lights in the basement, a bone-chilling cold still emanated from it... along with the musty smell of rotting stored goods. The basement was impossible to enter; the visible space was crammed full of things, some rickety and on the verge of collapse, a sight that sent chills down one's spine. Folding bicycles, broken doors... a sea of ​​old things.

Just when Platinum was worried that Linda would go further inside, she took one look and lost interest, then closed the basement door.

"If it's not in the basement, then it must be in the attic. Let's go check the attic."

So Platinum and Excellent Quality had no choice but to continue following Linda up to the first floor, listening once again to the splashing sound of water as they bathed, and then up the stairs to the second floor, listening to the creaking sound under their feet, their hands gripping the cold iron railings—the stairs in this house were unexpectedly steep.

“The original owner of this old house was an elderly Japanese woman,” Linda explained as they walked. “She lived here all alone. My conman and I bought the house as a temporary shelter—you know, my conman and I are always flying all over the world. That guy is also an extreme sports enthusiast sponsored by Red Bull.”

Linda continued her ascent up the stairs. After the second floor, each step became steeper and more treacherous, a single misstep threatening a fall. The light from the second-floor lamps couldn't reach the stairs at all; after a few steps, her vision became completely blurred.

Linda bent over and fumbled for the light switch in the dark: "And then... this switch is really hard to find... The conman and I didn't renovate it, we just took over the whole old house. The old lady left almost all her belongings behind, and we were too lazy to clean it up, so we piled some junk on it, and that's how it turned out... Ah, it's on."

The warm light immediately illuminated the path ahead, making the steps easier to tread. Linda had reached the ceiling. She stretched out her arms and pushed upwards with all her might, half her body plunging into the attic.

“Come on, get on.” Linda reached out and pulled Platinum up. “Here you are.”

"Wait, wait, wait—" Platinum hadn't expected this turn of events. She was just about to peek out the window and then go back inside. Caught off guard, Linda's strong arm pulled Platinum straight into the attic.

And right behind her was the suddenly closed attic door. Without realizing it, she was locked in the attic, with no one to call for help. Linda was going to cook her into delicious horse meat sashimi here... Good heavens, so that's where the beef in the kitchen comes from! Platinum's eyes widened in surprise.

However, none of this happened. Platinum was simply pulled up by Linda. Hearing that there was no more sound from upstairs, Excellent Qualities tentatively peeked out halfway to see what was happening in the attic.

The attic, just as cluttered as the basement, perhaps because the stairs were too difficult to climb, contained fewer old items and a narrow passageway. Aside from that, it lacked the damp, gloomy smell of the basement—there was a small window in the attic.

Linda led Platinum and Excellent Qualities two steps forward, kicking aside a wooden mop lying across the path. Platinum also saw a Sony DVD player that had been swept into the dustbin of history.

After brushing away a thick layer of dust and removing several layers of cobwebs from her body, Linda finally stopped in her tracks.

She picked out a one-meter-tall portrait from among the many old things.

Despite the fact that everything around it was incredibly old, this picture frame was wrapped in a thick protective film, making it seem very precious.

Bathed in the moonlight streaming through the small window, Linda solemnly and even sternly tore off the protective film from the portrait, revealing the rustic base color of an oil painting.

A graceful noblewoman sits sideways beneath a long corridor, her dress adorned with golden tassels like ears of wheat. She is a breathtakingly beautiful young woman, and the painter who captured this moment must surely be one of the greatest. The girl in the painting seems as if she could step right out of it.

She had radiant, sun-kissed blonde hair and a serene smile on her face. But what was unsettling was that her eyes were completely blacked out, like deep, dark holes that seemed to suck everything in.

“This is a copy; the original is in the British Museum,” Linda said softly. “It’s one of Thomas Gainsborough’s masterpieces, painted for Princess Vivienne.”

"You may not be familiar with Princess Vivienne's name. She is also the Duke of Cumberland, and has another, much more renowned name—"

"Solar eclipse".

Episode 287 Platinum's Diary

Sunny day of a certain month

So, what date should we use now? Should we use Japanese time or Hawaiian local time?

The weather today is... indeed sunny, after all, there isn't a cloud in the sky, the clouds are all under the plane.

Forget about all that. It's a rare opportunity to get some rest, and I don't have to worry about Alice sitting by my bed in the middle of the night.

...Given her personality, I'm really worried that I'll wake up tomorrow morning to find her stroking my cheek and saying, "Honey, it's time to get up and do your morning exercise." Good heavens, that would be terrifying.

Logically, I should be in bed by now, but my brain wants to obey the American system, while my body remains stubbornly erect. I never imagined I could be so resilient.

Yeah, after sleeping soundly for eight hours on the plane, my eyes are wide open now. Forget about wanting to sleep; my body is telling me it's evening and time for dinner.

I wanted to chat with other people, but everyone said they needed to adjust to the time difference and went back to their rooms early. I don't believe they're all asleep.

Come to think of it, quite a lot happened today. I was in Tokyo during the day, and by evening I was already in Hawaii—it feels a bit strange to say that.

I met Linda, a friend of the conman, a good person. Just a little strange.

Linda provided us with accommodation and even showed me and Teacher Necha how to identify the stars. Finally, she showed us an oil painting…

It's amazing that the face of a solar eclipse could be conveyed to this day through oil painting. Considering it's from people hundreds of years ago, it feels incredibly distant.

Although I still don't know what Linda meant by showing me this painting.

Never mind, with my enthusiasm for sleeping, I'm going to bed! Didn't I always wish I could sleep all day long? Now, I have to consider whether this might be the only chance I ever have in my life.

It is our duty to restore the glory of the Sleeping King!

Light rain on a certain day of a certain month

The human body sometimes falls into a limp state.

You'll feel very sleepy, so you wake up and go back to sleep, only to wake up again. But each time you wake up, you feel even more tired. So you continue to try to relieve the fatigue by sleeping, falling into an endless cycle.

That's exactly what I'm feeling right now. Damn it.

When I opened my eyes this morning and saw my body like this, I thought I had suffered a soul dissolution attack. I screamed so loudly that Li Yuelongmen grabbed a fire axe and broke down the door. It was quite embarrassing.

I don't know if this is just me or if everyone is like this, but they all seem to be adapting very well. They are all radiant and full of longing for a brand new life.

During breakfast, we had a heated debate about where to go for a stroll today.

Ms. Necha expressed her desire to visit downtown Honolulu to see if there were any shopping centers to satisfy her shopping cravings. However, Li Yuelong countered that she could easily find a Walmart anywhere, so why specifically choose the Walmart in Hawaii?

The boy, nicknamed "Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate," wanted to go to the beach and experience the embrace of the sea and sand. However, Teacher Necha countered that they were already tired of the beaches available in Hong Kong, so why insist on seeing a beach here?

I wanted to stay in my room and test the signal strength. I was glared at by both the obsessed Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate and Teacher Neiqia.

The astronomer suggested a day trip in a jeep along the island's ring road, with lunch and dinner served out along the way. Both Li Yuelongmen and Teacher Necha were interested, but the idea was rejected.

The astronomer was swaying and clutching a bottle of liquor when he made the suggestion. Linda had left before dawn; she was the only adult with a driver's license among the four. Although I am an adult in spirit, the criminal law here seems unable to appreciate my stature as a spiritual giant.

Without a car, we can't go anywhere.

The last whole day was spent holed up in our rooms testing the internet speed. Astronomers were prohibited from drinking alcohol.

It's my victory!

Light rain on a certain day of a certain month

Hawaii's weather is like a beautiful, mature, and passionate young woman... I mean, it rained for two days straight.

Yesterday, we teamed up to lock the wine cabinet in the house, a move that elicited a sharp popping sound from the astronomers.

"Your cruel actions are like binding my hands and feet and then making a hundred naked Indian beauties perform a striptease in front of me!" the astronomer cried out, covering his face. "If you can't have close contact with these lovely ladies, you might as well kill me! Just kill me!"

"Don't worry, we don't have American citizenship, the police here can't touch us! Just let go of the liquor cabinet!"

In the end, the astronomers even rolled on the ground, then grabbed Professor Necha's leg and began to cry, "Just let me have one more sip, please, just one sip!"

"I feel like ants are crawling all over my body!"

For a fleeting moment, we collectively suspected that what the astronomers were abstaining from wasn't alcohol, but something much stronger...

In short, a day has passed, and the astronomers are no longer causing trouble. When I saw her this morning, I even felt that she seemed to have become more kind and benevolent, like a Bodhisattva who has been freed from worldly troubles.

There is a kind of otherworldly beauty to it.

While eating breakfast, taking advantage of her kind and gentle demeanor today, I finally asked the question that the astronomer had always wanted to ask—"Don't you find it troublesome to eat with your tongue pierced?"

So the astronomer pried open her mouth with his fingers and stuck out the tip of her tongue to show us. It was completely empty.

It turns out she only doesn't wear her tongue piercing when eating, and only wears it when drinking.

I'm starting to suspect that she got the tongue piercing so she could simulate having snacks in her mouth when drinking.

It's the same familiar content again, the same familiar debate. It's drizzling again today, so a trip to the beach is out of the question, and buying local specialties isn't urgent. If all else fails, I can always do what Haidu Zhixing did and shovel a box of soil myself to send back. Speaking of which, the soil Haidu Zhixing sent back is being used to grow flowers in Alice's lab, and they're growing quite well.

Ultimately, we settled on the astronomer's suggestion—we decided to take a roughly one-day road trip around the entire island of Oahu. Oahu is incredibly beautiful, and transportation is excellent; many people reportedly choose to spend a day or two exploring the entire island.

Hopefully, the astronomers won't get lost.

(Recommend books.)

"He's a Kamen Rider with Superb Acting Skills"

"Name."

"Ling Che."

"And your profession?"

"Before, you could be considered a part-time actor?"

"now what?"

"It's a Kamen Rider."

What about the future?

"A Kamen Rider with superb acting skills."

Looking at the personal information in his hand, the police officer became furious.

Episode 288 Sweet Clouds

"The ocean!" the carp exclaimed in delight as it leaped over the dragon gate.

"The beach!" Carp leaping over the dragon gate exclaimed in delight.

"Waves!" the carp exclaimed in delight as it leaped over the dragon gate.

"Alright, alright, we heard you." Excellent quality rolled her eyes. "Finally, we'll do as you wish."

The astronomer, unusually lucid, sat in the driver's seat and pulled the jeep over to the side of the road: "I'll find a parking spot. Girls, get ready, we're about to head to the beach."

Oahu is dotted with beautiful beaches and luxury hotels built around them. Things that are rare elsewhere are commonplace here. The astronomers, having driven around the highway in their jeeps for so long that morning, certainly didn't waste their gas money—Kenila Beach is a white sand beach.

Taking a tour around the island of Hawaii is a highly recommended activity, with every view showcasing the island's beauty. The crystal-clear blue sea, the dazzling sunshine, and the breathtaking volcanic rock formations are all a feast for the eyes, eliciting constant delight from the girls in the back seat. Along the way, they even spotted a pasture—on the right side of the road, the roar of the waves was deafening, while on the left, cattle and sheep lazily strolled across vast green meadows.

Unfortunately, for drivers, no matter how beautiful the scenery, after driving for several hours, they no longer want to see it. Astronomers are in the same situation. The moment they see the finish line, the astronomers almost want to shout out in relief.

Although only one person, "Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate," was constantly cheering and jumping for joy, everyone was actually full of anticipation for this trip... after all, they came wearing swimsuits.

The islands in the south have a mild and warm climate, and you can see some strollers and runners wearing swimsuits on the streets. Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate doesn't mind following local customs, but Platinum and Excellent Quality do, so they put on their swimsuits first, and then put on outerwear over them.

We've reached our destination, which means...

"It's time to show off the swimsuits!"

The astronomer was the first to jump out of the car and was already waiting outside. She herself was wearing a swimsuit, but it wasn't your average swimsuit—the astronomer wore an oversized pair of sunglasses that covered half her face, loose-fitting swim trunks in brightly colored palm leaves, and flip-flops. Her upper body was covered by a fluorescent blue waterproof jacket, zipped tightly from the bottom all the way up to her neck.

This guy was dressed entirely as a man—although you could still see a striking feminine charm, his impatient expression made him look like a middle-aged man. To be honest, it felt like a waste of such a good-looking face.

"Go down quickly, Teacher Necha."

There was pushing and shoving inside the car.

"I'm a little embarrassed... By the way, why are you calling someone 'Necha's teacher' like Platinum does? You should just call people by their names!"

They were still pushing and shoving each other.