Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 560 Lion Dance
When they came out of the dim sum restaurant, it was already noon. The three from the Northern Pavilion were all rubbing their bellies, looking quite satisfied.

After having morning tea, I definitely won't have an appetite for lunch.

At the suggestion of Genkobuki, the three strolled along the streets of Chinatown, admiring the unique architecture and dazzling array of goods on both sides.

Before I knew it, I had arrived at a cheongsam shop.

In the shop window, cheongsams of various sizes and colors shone softly under the lights, resembling exquisite works of art.

"What a beautiful dress! This looks like...right, it's a cheongsam!"

As he spoke, Beifang Xuanju's eyes lit up, and he pulled Xingmu and Chunqiufen into the shop, excitedly saying:

"Light blue or pink would definitely look good on almond-shaped eyes! For smaller eyes... you could try red, or black, or light blue would probably work too!"

"Let's go in and give it a try!"

Somewhat bewildered, Xingmu and Chunqiufen were pulled into the store. Before they could react, the shop assistants had already come up to them, asking them all sorts of questions and recommending cheongsam styles that would suit them.

With the help of the shop assistants, the two racehorse girls quickly came to their senses and, seeing that the cheongsam did look really good, couldn't help but be eager to try it on.

After trying on many outfits, the three racehorse girls were very satisfied. However, when Northern Black Horse decided to pay for the clothes, Almond and Spring Awakening both objected.

"Senior Xiao Bei, didn't we agree on this?"

Holding the hand of the Northern Black Steed, she glared at him with her almond-shaped eyes, clearly displeased, and said:
"Although the senior has a lot of bonuses, if it's something this expensive, I'll buy it with my own bonuses in the future. How can I let the senior spend so much money?"

"Yes, yes, senior."

Spring and Autumn Equinoxes, holding the other hand of the Northern Black Steed, nodded repeatedly in agreement:
"I feel... I'm already very satisfied to be able to try on these beautiful clothes with you, senior. Please don't spend too much money."

"Uh, you two..."

After a moment of hesitation, the Northern Black Steed's expression suddenly changed:
"Okay, then... let's take a few more photos! Since these clothes are so beautiful, it would be a shame to just try them on."

"Quickly, you two change into these. I'll ask the staff to help us take some photos together."

Feeling that Beibu Genko had truly given up on the idea of ​​paying, Xingmu and Chunqiu exchanged a glance and involuntarily breathed a sigh of relief.

While the two women were changing in the dressing room, Beifang Xuanju craned his neck to peek around, and after confirming that no one was paying attention, he quietly discussed something with the shop assistant:
"Hello, it's best to wrap these clothes up, but please don't let those two know. As for payment..."

"So, I don't have much cash with me. Can I pay a deposit first and then pay the balance later?"

The matter of the final payment was something to be decided later when we went to Dubai. Beibu Xuanju wasn't entirely sure about it at the moment, but seeing the shop assistant nod with a smile, he breathed a sigh of relief.

She wasn't insisting on giving Xingmu and Chunqiu clothes, but she felt they looked really good in them, and since Christmas was just two months away, it was a good idea to choose Christmas gifts in advance.

Unaware of Kita Genko's little scheme, Almond and Spring Awakening came out of the dressing room, one excited and the other a little shy, and took many photos with Kita Genko.

After leaving the cheongsam shop, the three of them walked past many other shops along the street and had a bowl of noodles with soybean paste for dinner.

"Next, there are some really nice little accessory shops, we..."

Standing in front of the jajangmyeon shop, Beifang Xuanju had just begun to explain his plans when his ears suddenly twitched:
"Hey? You guys... did you hear that? It sounds like there's a lot of noise over there."

As she spoke, she pointed in the direction of the sound.

Xingmu and Chunqiufen were waiting for the next part. Upon hearing this, they looked in the direction she pointed and saw a square not far ahead, which was crowded with people. They could also faintly hear the sound of gongs and drums.

The three exchanged a glance, a tacit excitement flashing in their eyes, and quickened their pace toward the square.

As they drew closer to the square, the lively drumming grew increasingly urgent. Beibu Xuanju, standing on tiptoe, peeked out and turned excitedly, exclaiming:
"Oh! It's a lion dance! How lucky! This is a unique feature of Chinatown, and you can't see it every day!"

"A lion dance?"

Both Chunqiu and Xingmu were startled. Xingmu, curious, tiptoed and hopped around, her eyes quickly lighting up:
"Huh? That...that's a really strange plush toy! But it looks so fun, and it's so lively!"

"Right, right? Crown-chan specially timed it and brought me here once, it was so much fun!" Nodding repeatedly, Northern Black Horse subconsciously looked at Spring and Autumn Equinox, and was unconsciously stunned.

Compared to her and Xingmu, Chunqiufen, who was still in elementary school, was too short. Even now, when she tried to stand on tiptoe and crane her neck, she only reached her own chest.

After a quick glance, he realized that even if she were a head taller, she would probably only be able to see the backs of the heads of the audience in front of her. Beifang Xuanju thought for a moment, then suddenly bent down and steadily supported Chunqiufen's knees with both hands:
"Come on, get on."

Then, before Chunqiufen could react, he hoisted her onto his shoulders.

With a sudden sharp rise in her gaze, Chunqiufen was startled and quickly grabbed Beifang Xuanju's black hair, her ears perking up in alarm:
"Eh?! Sen-senpai?!"

Spring and Autumn Equinox grabbed his hair, causing a slight pain, but Northern Black Horse didn't seem to mind.
"Hehe, can you see it now?"

Only then did she understand what the Northern Black Horse was thinking. Spring and Autumn Equinox, however, couldn't look ahead; her legs unconsciously tightened, and she said awkwardly and shyly:

"Thank you, senior, but... but... won't this tire you out? I... am I too heavy...?"

"Don't worry, Xiao Fen is very light."

The Northern Black Steed stood up straight and gently patted Spring and Autumn Equinox's calves:

“When I was little, my grandpa and dad took me to Kyoto to watch a race. There were so many people by the track that I could only jump up and down while holding onto the railing. That’s how they lifted me onto their shoulders.”

“They don’t seem tired at all. I’m a racehorse girl, I’m several times stronger than them, how could I be tired?”

As she spoke, she slightly adjusted her posture to make Chunqiufen's center of gravity more stable:

"See, isn't this more comfortable?"

Although she was still a little uncomfortable, for some reason, Chunqiu Fen didn't feel averse to this intimacy with this senior she was meeting face to face for the first time. Her discomfort was just that she was afraid of troubling the other person.

Seeing that Beifang Xuanju seemed indifferent, and not knowing how to refuse, she could only bite her lip and nod.

"Well... thank you, senior..."

Then try to lift your head and look towards the center of the square.

I was instantly attracted.

Amidst the bustling crowd, a tall stage with a gold and red color scheme stands.

On the stage, there were many wooden stakes of varying heights.

On the wooden stake, a red cloth lion leaped and tumbled, its golden mane swaying with its movements, eliciting cheers from the audience below.

As she looked over, the drumbeats suddenly accelerated, and the red lion leaped into the air, spinning several times.

"Wow! This...this is amazing!"

She couldn't help but grab the fingers of Beifang Xuanju that were holding her calf, and pointed at the stage, shouting:
"Senior, did you see that? That plush lion is amazing!"

Northern Black Horse looked in the direction she pointed, and a smile appeared on his lips.

Then her eyes flickered with surprise.

The red lion that had soared into the air landed, its front paws resting on the highest wooden stake. With a flick of its head, a bluish-red ball flew out.

The sphere traced an arc in the air and flew towards the audience seats.

The crowd stirred instantly, with some reaching out to catch it, but none of them managed to get it.

Staring at the arc traced by the sphere, Beifang Xuanju opened his mouth wide and suddenly said in a daze:

"Huh...? Koji, Koji, if I'm not mistaken, that strange ball... isn't it flying towards us?"

(End of this chapter)