"I'm home."
"You're back... huh?" A middle-aged man, having just finished lunch and curled up on the sofa watching daytime TV, responded out of reflex before snapping to attention.
He looked back and saw his younger daughter, who he thought wouldn't be back until the afternoon, standing there looking utterly drained, slowly making her way towards the stairs.
"Bless? Why are you back?"
"Oh... hey Dad..." Bless the Moment, who had just stepped onto the first stair, paused. She pulled a neatly folded piece of white paper from her jacket pocket and placed it on a nearby shelf. "...I put Maruzensky's autograph here. Don't forget to take it."
"Okay... but Bless, what's wrong?"
Seeing how exhausted his younger daughter looked after only being out for half a day, the concerned man stood up and walked towards the white-haired Uma Musume, who had her back to him. "Are you alright?"
"It's nothing..." Bless the Moment spoke listlessly. "Just really tired... I'm going upstairs to take a nap."
"Alright."
The man watched his daughter's back disappear from view.
...What in the world did she and Maruzensky do this morning to wear her out like this?
Picking up the white paper she left behind, he unfolded it and stared at the highly prominent signature, lost in thought.
Could it be that Maruzensky dragged her out for a run?
The guess flashed through his mind like lightning, but he just as quickly dismissed it.
No, no, no... impossible.
Even if Maruzensky didn't know about Bless the Moment's physical condition and invited her for a run, Bless would have refused.
But then... if it wasn't running, what exactly did Maruzensky and Bless do that left her so exhausted?
The man stared at 'Maruzensky's' signature, utterly perplexed.
Sigh...
Back in her room, Bless the Moment closed the door, flopped onto the bed, hugged her pillow, buried her face in it, and took a deep breath.
Even though she hadn't really done anything, she felt so incredibly tired...
Remembering the conversation she had with Neo Universe earlier, Bless sighed.
Well... sleep first.
Relaxing her body, letting drowsiness envelop her, the white-haired Uma Musume closed her eyes. Her breathing soon steadied as she drifted into dreamland.
--+--
When she awoke, the sky outside her window was stained red by the setting sun.
Feeling much better after her nap, the white-haired Uma Musume sat up, raised her arms over her head, and stretched comfortably with a satisfied groan.
Did Mom or Dad come into my room?
Noticing the blanket that had slipped off her and the pillow tucked under her head, Bless the Moment blinked. She grabbed her phone to check the time.
5:30 PM... I slept that long?!
Startled by the realization she'd slept the entire afternoon, she hurriedly got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and rushed downstairs.
Hearing the rapid 'thump, thump, thump' of footsteps on the stairs, the middle-aged woman peeked out from the kitchen and immediately spotted her younger daughter standing in the living room.
"What's all the rush?" Seeing her daughter had left her room without even straightening her clothes, the woman frowned and scolded, "Fix your clothes!"
"Right, right!"
Following her mother's gaze to her own disheveled outfit, Bless the Moment hurriedly smoothed everything down, then moved towards the kitchen.
"Bless... come keep your old dad company for a chat?"
Bless, with one foot already in the kitchen, paused as her father's voice sounded behind her.
"Huh?"
Bless stopped and turned to look.
She saw her father sitting on the sofa, smiling and waving for her to come sit beside him.
"Dad?" Bless sat down next to him, a questioning look on her face. "What is it?"
"Just felt like chatting with my daughter, that's all." The man met his daughter's gaze, brushing it off with a casual excuse. "Did you have fun with Maruzensky this morning?"
"It was great," Bless replied.
"Great, that's good to hear." He nodded, then shifted gears. "Are you feeling okay? Physically, I mean."
"I'm fine." Bless scooted back a little, kicked off her slippers, and swung her legs in the air. "...Besides, my condition stabilized two years ago, didn't it? You and Mom worry way too much!"
"Hahaha... I suppose you're right." The man laughed it off. "Just glad you're okay. Really glad."
"By the way, where did Maruzensky take you this morning? Can you tell your dad all about it?"
"..."
Bless didn't answer immediately. Instead, she silently stared at her father sitting beside her.
"Dad... you're not worried that Maruzensky and I were up to something, are you?"
"Well... it's just you seemed so tired when you came home this morning," the man admitted, slightly embarrassed. "...Was I wrong?"
"We just went to see a movie and did a bit of shopping. That's all."
"Just... just that?"
"What did you think I was doing with Maruzensky?"
"I... I thought maybe you went for a run with her..." His voice trailed off, but then he quickly seized on another point of confusion.
"But if it was just a movie and shopping, why were you so worn out at noon?"
"Because Maruzensky took me to the commercial district."
"The commercial district, huh..." Realizing he had completely overthought things, the man gave a dry laugh and averted his gaze, hoping to end the conversation he himself had started with silence.
"Dad... you didn't really think I'd give in to temptation and go running with Maruzensky, did you?" His daughter, however, wasn't about to let him off the hook.
Having gleaned plenty from his expression and words, Bless the Moment leaned in with a knowing smile. "Don't you trust your own daughter a little?"
"...You never gave us a moment's peace when you were a child!" Remembering all the stunts his daughter pulled when she was younger, a bit of the father's assertiveness returned, and he began pointing an accusatory finger her way.
--+--
"Oww..." Back home and properly rested, Maruzensky took a few pictures of the back of her head with her phone. Confirming there was no bump forming, she finally let out a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness. It was just my imagination.
Maruzensky poured herself a glass of water and downed it in one go.
So now there's just one last problem... Who was the one sneaking around and whacking her on the head? And why didn't they want her to ask, 'Are you Nakatsuru Aya?'
Just what is the relationship between Bless the Moment and the Trainer?
Her attempt to ask the white-haired Uma Musume that very question today had been thwarted, and now Maruzensky's curiosity was burning brighter than ever.
Next time, I have to find a way to get it out of her!
--+--
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.