One provided meticulous care, attending to every aspect of daily life, almost like an external brain; the other, having been doted on and looked after since childhood, had grown completely accustomed to it. What a picture-perfect, loving family they made.
Super Creek watched the two before her with a troubled expression.
Their relationship, weathered by time, had become a tangled mess.
The excessive care and devotion had long surpassed the bounds of mere childhood friendship.
And Oguri Cap now took Nearl's presence entirely for granted. For them, the whole "lovers" phase had been skipped over altogether, jumping straight into a familial bond.
'But this just won't do. Love is something accidental and complex, appearing as quietly as the morning dew and vanishing just as silently. Without going through the complete stages of meeting, understanding, falling in love, and cherishing each other, one can never experience true romance.'
'These two are in for a world of trouble.'
Super Creek sighed inwardly, giving up for now on trying to make Oguri Cap see reason on this matter.
She knew that at this stage, nothing short of a major shock would make Oguri Cap realize just how important Nearl was to her. And she wasn't the one who should be delivering that shock.
'Love is essentially the process of one person gaining another. The weight of a heart gradually increases; you can feel another person's presence growing in your life, and your heart slowly learns to carry the burden of two people's emotions.'
'But Oguri Cap… she received that care far too early and has spent over a decade completely adapting to it. She can't feel it now because she accepted her feelings for Nearl long ago.'
'Others add the weight of another person to a lonely heart. But Oguri Cap has already come to see this double weight as her normal.'
'Only when she feels she's lost Nearl, when Nearl's traces vanish from her future life, when the weight of that heart suddenly feels halved—only then will she understand.'
Super Creek's heart ached as she glanced at Oguri Cap, who was just the same as always. She could already picture the devastated look on Oguri Cap's face when Nearl eventually fell for someone else.
'When she realizes she'd long since fallen for that golden Uma Musume who accompanied her through her most precious years.'
The gathering time came to an end.
The moment Nearl and the others left the buffet restaurant, the manager and all the chefs burst into tears.
They saw Oguri Cap out with beaming smiles, then slammed the door shut. One day later, the restaurant stopped offering buffet service altogether.
Super Creek and Fumino Nase said their goodbyes at the restaurant entrance. They had been on a date, after all, so naturally they wouldn't be leaving with Nearl's group.
"Trainer, I—"
"Stop!"
Before Super Creek could finish, Fumino Nase made a shushing motion.
"Don't call me 'Trainer' anymore. Given our relationship now, it makes me feel kind of guilty when you say that."
"Hehe, I'm going to say it anyway! Trainer, trainer, trainer! You'll always be my trainer."
A coquettish Super Creek pouted playfully. It was only in front of her lover that she acted her age; normally, she was always "Mama Creek."
"Alright, alright, I get it," Fumino Nase surrendered helplessly. "What did you want to tell me earlier?"
"It's nothing. I just feel really lucky—the person I like likes me back, and our confession and holding hands all went so smoothly."
"Huh? Why say something like that all of a sudden?"
Fumino looked at Creek with concern.
"It's nothing, Trainer. I just suddenly felt like wishing someone else good luck, that's all."
Shaking her head without elaborating, Super Creek quietly took her trainer's petite, pale hand.
Noticing this, Fumino gripped back firmly, their hands clasped tightly together.
--+--
That night, Oguri Cap lay alone in her dorm room bed. But for someone who usually fell asleep the moment she touched the mattress, she found herself unable to drift off.
Super Creek's words from earlier kept echoing in her heart.
"Margaret…"
Without even understanding why herself, Oguri Cap murmured Nearl's name.
But Nearl, at that moment, didn't hear Oguri Cap's muttering. She was busy attending to another newly made friend.
--+--
"Ines, I'm here."
"Ahh! Nearl! Thank you, thank you for coming to help!"
A Uma Musume with a side ponytail had been anxiously pacing in circles, but upon seeing Nearl, her worries vanished. Her face lit up, and she practically pounced on Nearl, giving her a hug.
"The chef's house caught fire, and he rushed back home. If you hadn't come, the shop would've been in trouble tonight."
Pulling Nearl into the shop, Ines Fujin explained the current situation in detail.
"In charge of cooking the snacks? No problem. Leave it to me."
Nearl responded earnestly.
"So reliable! As expected of a teammate I approve of!"
Ines Fujin gave Nearl's shoulder a hearty pat and flashed her a thumbs-up.
Yes, the new friend Nearl had made was none other than this girl—Ines Fujin, a Uma Musume the same age as Nearl, who would also embark on the path of the Triple Crown this year.
Their meeting was actually quite ordinary—just a chance encounter at a bank.
Nearl had been sending money to the Komori Orphanage. As she finished, another Uma Musume next to her looked up at the same time, and their eyes met.
"Ah, that form—are you here to send money too?"
The Uma Musume with brilliant, emerald-green eyes enthusiastically initiated the conversation.
"Ah, yes. You too?"
Nearl replied politely, and the two chatted as they walked out of the bank.
"Yep! I've got two little sisters at home. As the big sister, I gotta do my part, right?"
It sounded like a sad situation. What kind of impoverished family would make a daughter this young help support them?
Nearl could tell. She could see that even though Ines Fujin spoke about her circumstances so casually, deep down, she was tense, bracing for Nearl's possible reaction.
If Nearl showed even a hint of disdain or pity, Ines would probably have run far away.
What did Nearl say?
"That's really impressive. Your family must make you very proud."
Nearl offered gentle praise, a response Ines hadn't expected, leaving her stunned.
"After all, you were smiling the whole time you talked about your sisters."
"Haha."
Ines let out an uncharacteristic laugh.
"Right? My sisters are definitely the best in the world."
Respect. Ines Fujin felt respect.
If it had been contempt, she would have responded with coldness. If it had been pity, their relationship would have remained superficial. If it had been mere praise, Ines would have acknowledged her as an acquaintance.
But this was the first time she had felt genuine respect.
A smile gradually spread across her lips. An unprecedented impulse filled her heart. She was utterly convinced that the person before her was someone who could become her closest friend.
"My name is Ines Fujin. Can we be friends?"
Facing the outstretched hands, Nearl didn't hesitate to grasp them, giving a light shake.
"Of course. The honor is mine. I'm Margaret Nearl."
"Nearl…"
Ines Fujin slowly savored the name, then broke into a radiant, cheerful smile.
"That's a wonderful name! It suits you perfectly!"
And so, Nearl made another new friend—a hard-working part-timer.
"I see, so you send money to your family too?"
Excellent. Ines Fujin's favorability towards Nearl rose yet another notch.
--+--
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.