Time always flies when you're having fun.
Before Bless the Moment knew it, the open campus day at Tracen Academy was nearly over, and she once again found herself face to face with Satono Diamond and Kitasan Black.
"Dia, Kita-chan."
After parting ways with that silly… Mejiro Ardan, Bless the Moment had waited by the school gate for a while.
Finally spotting her friends and the seniors they admired, she hurried over, gently tapped Diamond on the shoulder, then swiftly moved behind her right side and blew a soft puff of air against her earlobe.
"Bless?"
Satono Diamond turned to see the white-haired Uma Musume standing unexpectedly behind her. "How long have you been waiting here?"
"I lost track," the white-haired girl replied with a shake of her head.
"I've been here ever since I said goodbye to one of the seniors from Tracen. Did you two have fun today, Kita-chan?"
"We had a great time!" Kitasan Black answered cheerfully.
After all, she and Diamond came to the campus open day every single year.
Even though they hadn't officially enrolled yet, they were already quite familiar with Tracen Academy.
Their main reason for visiting, of course, was to see Miss Teio and Miss McQueen.
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves," Mejiro McQueen said with a gentle smile. "…But it's getting late now. Will you be heading back on your own, or are your parents picking you up?"
"We'll go back ourselves," Satono Diamond replied, naturally stepping closer to Bless the Moment. "We already promised our parents we'd make sure Bless gets home safely."
"I see," Tokai Teio nodded in understanding.
That put their minds at ease.
Just as the two groups were about to go their separate ways, Bless the Moment spoke up again, drawing everyone's attention.
"Miss Teio, Miss McQueen—could I have your trainer's chat handle? There's something I'd like to discuss with him."
"You want to talk to our trainer? Ah…" Tokai Teio's mind flashed back to the scene earlier that day when Okino had patted her thigh. She shifted awkwardly. "Um, about that… Trainer, he…"
"I'm not looking to settle any scores with him," Bless the Moment said, as if reading Teio's thoughts. "I just want to have a chat with him, that's all."
Just a chat?
Mejiro McQueen and Tokai Teio exchanged a glance.
She must have heard something from that senior who showed her around the campus.
They reached a silent understanding.
"Well, I don't mind giving it to you…" Tokai Teio pulled out her phone. "But please don't cause any trouble for him, okay?"
"Mm," Bless the Moment nodded with a faint smile, memorizing the string of numbers Teio recited.
Trouble?
If anything, he ought to be startled just seeing me again.
--+--
"I'm home!"
Bless the Moment stepped inside, swapping her shoes for slippers at the genkan and calling out toward the living area.
"You're back?" her mother's voice carried from the kitchen. "Go wash your hands, dinner's almost ready."
"Okaaay~"
Bless the Moment drew out the word, then pattered down the hall to the bathroom.
Cupping her hands under the faucet, she splashed her face with several handfuls of cold water before finally looking up into the mirror.
Staring back at her was a white-haired Uma Musume with blue eyes, delicate and well-proportioned features, and a refined, pretty face.
Though her health had never been the strongest, giving her skin a paleness that stood out even among others, it didn't detract from her looks in the slightest. If anything, it lent her a certain fragile beauty.
'It's true what they say—every Uma Musume is impossibly gorgeous.' Damn, I look good.
She brushed the damp bangs off her forehead, still gazing at her reflection with a touch of vanity.
"Bless? Are you free? Come help me bring out the dishes."
Her mother's voice called from the kitchen again, interrupting her self-admiration.
"Coming, coming!"
Bless the Moment hurried over, peeking around her mother's shoulder to see what was sizzling in the wok. "What's for dinner tonight?"
"There's shrimp—your favorite."
"Yay—!" the white-haired Uma Musume cheered. "Where's Dad and Sis?"
"Well…" Her mother, who had tied her hair into a single braid draped over her chest, sighed slightly.
"Your father said he has to work late and won't be back until after dinner, so we shouldn't wait for him. Your sister said she made plans with friends and will be eating out. She's not coming back tonight."
What a coincidence…
A faint sense of suspicion stirred in Bless the Moment as she eyed the ingredients frying in the pan.
"Mom, what are you cooking?"
"Oh, just a new recipe I learned online."
Noticing her daughter's expression instantly stiffen, her mother added with a mischievous grin, "I think I did a pretty good job with it. Make sure you eat plenty tonight."
"Um, you know—I just remembered! Kita-chan invited me over to her place for dinner, so I should probably get going—"
So they both knew Mom was trying a new recipe and didn't warn me? They just ran off and left me here!
"Trying to escape?"
The middle-aged woman reached out, a single hand firmly holding the white-haired Uma Musume in place as she tried to make a break for it. "Go sit in the living room. Dinner will be ready soon."
Ugh… I'm done for!
Trapped under her mother's firm grip, Bless the Moment sighed inwardly. Even the joy of reuniting with her former rival Uma Musume earlier was dampened by the situation she was about to face.
I guess this is what they mean by 'after joy comes sorrow.'
Resigned, she took her seat at the dining table, eyeing the assortment of dishes laid out. After a moment's thought, she picked up a shrimp from one of the plates.
If I can't avoid it, I might as well enjoy what I can.
She popped the shrimp into her mouth.
--+--
That night was also shaping up to be a long one for Okino.
There was just too much piled up for him to handle for his team, not to mention the daily training routines. Lately, it felt like he was barely keeping his head above water.
No matter what, he had to get through all this work tonight—otherwise, it would only keep piling up.
Okino set his phone to silent and placed it at the corner of his desk. Then he pulled out a box of energy drinks from the drawer, setting them within easy reach.
Most of his main team—Teio and the others—had already retired. He needed to find a way to recruit new members before the next school term started.
But given Spica's current reputation out there… he sighed.
Okino massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
…Better just focus on clearing this backlog first.
Out of habit, he unwrapped a lollipop and slipped it into his mouth.
In the quiet of his room, the only sound was the steady clacking of mechanical keys.
Beep-beep-beep!
He had no idea how much time had passed when the sudden chime of a notification pulled his focus away from his work. His eyes shifted to the flashing icon in the lower right corner of his screen.
A friend request? Through account lookup?
Okino's gaze dropped to the note attached below, and he froze.
[Hey there, son. Miss me?]
"?"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, 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.