When Nearl arrived, the first thing she saw was two figures butting heads. Even though one had already retired and the other was a veteran Uma Musume, they were still acting like stubborn kids.
But Nearl didn't even need to think to know the cause had to be Oguri Cap. That normally spaced-out look of hers was admittedly cute, but sometimes it could really make your blood boil.
Especially with Tamamo Cross. She and Oguri Cap really were rivals through and through—every little move from one could spark a fire, though usually it was Tamamo, the tinderbox, who ended up blazing.
"Oguri, don't pick on Tamamo."
"Huh, I wasn't…"
Oguri Cap darted over to Nearl and hugged her tightly, nuzzling against her with a genuinely wronged look, which made Nearl reach up and gently pat her head.
"I'm sure you did, even if you didn't realize it. Don't I know you?"
"No, you don't. Hmph."
Dissatisfied, Oguri Cap rubbed her face harder against Nearl, venting her little grumble with such force that Nearl's chest visibly shifted.
"How old are you, still acting like a child? Enough now—dinner's ready."
That sentence worked like magic on Oguri Cap. Her earlier complaints vanished in an instant, replaced only by obedience to her appetite, her two ears swaying expectantly.
"Food!"
Meanwhile, Tamamo stepped forward, pulling Oguri Cap out of Nearl's embrace while muttering under her breath.
"Have some self-awareness, would you? Can't you see you're bothering Nearl? Or are you just a baby who can't be happy without a parent comforting you?"
"Oguri, let go. I still have to take everyone to the dining room. If you keep clinging, the food will get cold."
Their coaxing—though really, only Nearl's words had any effect—finally worked.
Oguri Cap stood up properly and obediently followed into the dining room, where Kitahara was already digging in voraciously.
"?"
He'd started already?
Oguri Cap's gaze sharpened instantly!
"Kitahara, you cheater!"
As she shouted, Oguri Cap lunged forward, scanning the table mid-motion. The portions on each plate had already undergone varying degrees of reduction.
"That's the privilege of being an adult. What would you know?"
Saying that, he grabbed another plate of spaghetti marinara from the side.
"Besides, if I waited for you to sit down, how would I ever get the dishes I wanted?!"
Those words clearly struck a nerve with Oguri Cap. Her eyes locked onto the remaining food like a predator surveying her territory.
But!
Before she could even take a bite, another predator had already swooped in ahead of her. How could she tolerate that? Hunger drove her to join the raid on the table.
"…"
Tamamo Cross stopped in her tracks. Watching the two utterly uncivilized creatures before her, she suddenly lost her appetite.
"Tsk, feels like if I sit at the same table as those two, even my dignity would get eaten up along with the food."
In short, it felt beneath her.
Of course, maybe there was also one percent plain resignation—because just from looking, she knew she stood no chance in that fight.
Just as Tamamo stood there with a complicated expression, Nearl quietly tapped her on the back. When Tamamo turned, Nearl pointed toward the kitchen.
"Tamamo, I set aside a special portion for you over there. Go eat."
"Eh, why?"
"Because it's hard to eat peacefully with Oguri around. After all, this isn't like the academy cafeteria—it's not an all-you-can-eat setup."
"Mmm~~"
Tamamo covered her mouth, touched, then gave Nearl a heartfelt hug.
"You really are the friend I admire. So thoughtful—my approval of you just went up again."
"What level is it at now?"
"Best friend!"
Tamamo turned her head away, her voice trembling slightly.
--+--
Lunchtime passed, and everyone was thoroughly satisfied.
Oguri Cap got to taste Nearl's familiar cooking again after so long, Kitahara Kitahara scored a free meal, and Tamamo Cross filled her stomach in peace without having to fight Oguri Cap for every bite.
A bright future for all.
After the meal, Nearl handled the cleanup alone. From the game room, she could occasionally hear Tamamo's sharp, startled cries.
'Playing a horror game, are they? Oguri never was good with those… looks like Tamamo isn't either.'
She smiled fondly at the thought of the two legendary gray-haired Uma Musume. If nothing unexpected happened, she'd join them as soon as she finished the dishes and spend a pleasant afternoon together.
After all, she couldn't go outside right now.
Not that she was imprisoned or anything—she was just lying low for a bit, because her fame had gotten… a little too high, maybe, probably, quite possibly.
To put it bluntly, even when Symboli Rudolf swept the Undefeated Triple Crown, she hadn't been this famous.
Now Nearl's face was all over newspaper headlines, online trending lists, even TV news. Students, office workers, even management types were all talking about her. Her reputation had peaked.
People eagerly discussed Nearl's background, her impressive racing record, her beauty and poise, and her creative winner's stage performances.
There were even musicians claiming the music from her winner's stages was elegant and profound enough to be passed down for generations.
In short, Nearl had been lifted to the heavens—though her performances did deserve the praise.
But Nearl herself was deeply uncomfortable with it, especially at Tracen Academy. Crowds of people watched her every move, most with admiring eyes, which made her feel uneasy.
And because Nearl hated interviews, information about her remained scarce. As the saying goes, the more mysterious, the more it fuels speculation. Nowadays, the daily flood of media requests was enough to drive Rudolf up the wall.
All things considered, Nearl felt it was better to lay low for a while. After all, everyone had their own lives to attend to. In three or four days at most, most people would lose the energy to keep focusing on her.
Only then would she find a little peace and freedom—until the next race, at least.
But reality never let Nearl rest for long.
"Ring-ring-ring~~~"
The old cell phone in her pocket began to buzz, which puzzled her. Very few people had her number, and even fewer would be calling her now.
"Hello, this is Nearl."
"It's me."
"Rea?"
Of all people, it was the one who shouldn't need to call.
"Why are we talking on the phone? We could just… 'talk' the other way."
"Ahem, let's not get into that. I need a favor."
Centaurea clearly didn't want to dive into that topic, a reaction that told Nearl she probably wasn't alone.
"Go ahead, what is it?"
"Special Week's Maturation is ending in a few days. It's time to prepare for the entrance exams to Central Tracen. You're better than me at teaching some of this stuff."
"For Spe-chan? Alright. Come over—I'll be waiting."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.