“Hey, look over there, why is Trainer Lu also going to the preparation area?”

Someone, no one knew who, was the first to spot Lu Jue, and more and more Uma Musume noticed him.

“Is Trainer Lu going on stage too?” El Condor Pasa asked Seiun Sky beside her.

“Yes.”

“Is he going to sing? Or accompany Emperor?”

“I won’t tell you.”

El Condor Pasa’s excited expression faltered, “Seiun, why have you been so gloomy since just now?”

“No~” Seiun Sky pouted.

She had originally thought that as long as Silence Suzuka didn’t perform a duet with Lu Jue, it would be a success.

But looking at Lu Jue and Tokai Teio together at this moment, Seiun Sky also felt a pang of discomfort.

The evening she had been looking forward to all morning finally arrived.

But when night came, she began to long for deep night, hoping all lights but the moon would extinguish, and wishing to hear no other sound besides the 'smack' of lips intertwining.

Why is time passing so slowly!

“If you won’t tell me, then I’ll go ask Uralala.”

“You’ll know in a bit, it’s in the next performance.”

“Alright.”

......

“Trainer, I’ve been watching you for so long, and you’re only just coming up now.” Tokai Teio held the microphone Lu Jue had given her behind her back with both hands, “Could it be that you’re shy seeing so many people?”

“I was chatting with two seniors earlier.”

“Excuses, excuses~” Tokai Teio took a step closer, “Trainer, what score did you give me just now?”

“Why, do you want to bribe the judge?”

“Tell me~ Tell me~” Tokai Teio’s voice was crisp, like a yellow oriole, her voice circling from Lu Jue’s left ear to his right.

“Time to go on stage, time to go on stage, let’s hurry.” Lu Jue put his hand on Tokai Teio’s shoulder, turned her around, and pushed her to go on stage together.

......

Lu Jue and Tokai Teio went on stage together.

Looking at the sparkling eyes below the stage, Lu Jue opened his mouth.

He thought about introducing himself, but before the words could come out, his mind suddenly went blank.

But at this moment, a burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience.

“Trainer, you can do it!” Uralala waved her small hands, shouting with all her might.

Lu Jue also saw Rice Shower open her small mouth, but he couldn't hear her voice at all.

Silence Suzuka had set up her phone, but she was sorry to Emperor, her screen only showed Lu Jue.

Those with grudges got their revenge, and those with grievances found justice.

She had made so many of her expression packs, and now it was finally her turn to retaliate.

“Everyone, this next performance is a collaboration between Trainer and me. The song is called ‘Suki Dakara’ (Because I Love You).” Realizing Lu Jue’s nervousness, Tokai Teio simply smiled at him, then took the initiative to speak up and help him out.

(There's an audio of the poetry play on Bilibili, I highly recommend this song.)

After the applause died down, since the song had almost no intro, Tokai Teio began to sing right after she finished speaking.

The first half of the entire song was sung by Emperor, the latter half by Lu Jue solo, and finally, a duet by the two of them.

The first half also happened to describe the female protagonist’s affection for the male protagonist in the story.

“It’s not because of your handsomeness that I fell in love with you.”

“It’s because I fell in love with you that I found you handsome.”

......

Lu Jue on stage swayed slightly, moving with the music.

The Uma Musume below the stage also swayed their hands from side to side with the melody.

From Tokai Teio’s playful and lovely singing, everyone seemed to experience that innocent yet beautiful romance.

......

Lu Jue looked at Tokai Teio, a gentle smile always on his lips,

But as the lyrics became more direct, Tokai Teio no longer dared to look into Lu Jue’s eyes.

“Ah, I truly love you so much.”

“Please become my exclusive ‘hero’.”

......

Before going on stage, Tokai Teio wasn't nervous at all, especially since she had just finished one performance.

But now, she felt her cheeks being simmered over a gentle flame, heating up and blushing, as if they were about to be roasted through.

Could she suddenly get nervous too? Was it because she was performing with Lu Jue?

She hadn't felt this way at all when she practiced in private.

And logically speaking, Lu Jue should be the one who was nervous.

......

Special Week, who was watching Tokai Teio’s performance, suddenly felt a dark shadow fall in her peripheral vision.

She looked down and saw it was a phone, with “Recording” still displayed on its unclosed screen.

“Silence Suzuka, you dropped your phone.”

Special Week picked it up, and just as she was about to return it, she accidentally glimpsed Silence Suzuka’s eyes, which were almost narrowed into thin slits.

The faint chill emanating from them made Special Week’s heart tremble.

So scary, so scary...

“Xiao Te? What did you just say?” Silence Suzuka turned her head, smiling, her almost-closed eyes suddenly widening.

But Special Week couldn’t feel any friendliness from that smile.

So scary!

“Si-Silence Suzuka, you dropped your phone...”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I was so engrossed in the performance that I didn’t notice my phone dropped.”

Special Week gave a few awkward laughs, “Oh, so that’s it...”

As if! Who would be recording a video with their phone one second and then drop it on the ground the next because they weren’t paying attention!

“Silence Suzuka, weren’t you just recording Emperor and Trainer’s performance...”

“Yes.” Silence Suzuka clicked on the video, looking as if she was filming weeds on the phone, and also as if she was filming the person in the phone, “What’s wrong, Xiao Te?”

“Nothing...” Special Week turned her head back, her gaze returning to the stage, but her thoughts were no longer there.

Was Silence Suzuka’s reason just now because of Emperor? Or was it because of... Trainer?

Does Silence Suzuka also want to sing a duet with Trainer?

Just... like how she feels right now.

......

Tokai Teio’s part of the song was finished before she knew it.

As the interlude began, she finally took a breath, trying to calm her mind to meet Lu Jue’s eyes.

She respected her stage, and it was rare for such an unexpected situation to occur today, where she neglected her partner when they should have been interacting.

Although she knew she shouldn’t have, it was as if her head was stuck between railings on both sides, preventing her from turning.

The interlude was about to end, and Lu Jue slowly picked up the microphone.

“It’s not because of your cuteness that I fell in love with you.”

“It’s because I fell in love with you that I realized your cuteness.”

“It doesn’t matter how much people look down on me.”

“Because, you are my ‘heroine’.”

......

The male vocal part of this song was also light and full of youthful energy, and required a relatively high pitch to sing.

As soon as Lu Jue opened his mouth, his comfortable and inclusive voice refreshed the Uma Musume below, like a gentle breeze blowing in spring, entering their ears and nourishing their hearts.

But with these few lyrics, he was destined to be doomed tonight.

......