"Take care, and we look forward to your next visit!"
Bending at the waist in a polite gesture, Nearl saw off the excited young fan and customer who had just gotten her autograph.
The smile on her face wasn't forced or professional, but genuinely pleased.
For her, it was all the same no matter what she did. As long as she could help others, it was enough to make her happy.
"Brilliant, Nearl."
Ines Fujin gave Nearl a thumbs-up, her tail wagging excitedly a few times behind her.
"No wonder the papers unanimously call you 'The Radiant Knight.' You really have a way with customers. Those girls are regulars here, and they can usually be a bit of a handful, but the moment you stepped in, they became like different people—so easy to talk to!"
"You flatter me too much, Ines. They just have a lot of pent-up stress from daily life. Once you connect with them and guide them to let out that frustration, everything's fine."
Organizing the kitchen tools in her hands, skewering new ingredients one by one, and adjusting the proportions of the seasonings, Nearl methodically went about her work.
"So modest. We've clearly had more customers today. The boss will definitely thank you when he gets back."
Collecting the plates and temporarily placing them in the sink, Ines Fujin and Nearl worked together to manage the small eatery.
"But seriously, ever since I heard you grew up in an orphanage, I knew you must have a high 'big sister' power level, and handling these daily chores must be easy for you. But isn't yours a little too high?"
As she cleaned the sauce and grease off the plates, Fujin seemed completely at ease.
"Aren't you the same, Ines? You're only seventeen, but you're juggling your studies while also helping out at home. Not many people can manage that, you know."
"You say not many, but isn't there one right in front of me? What I do is just odd jobs. You do far better than I do, Nearl."
"But still... aren't you pushing yourself a little too hard?"
Changing the subject, Ines Fujin steered the conversation back to Nearl.
"I'm aware of my own situation. My classmate, Ryan, often tells me to rest, but even so, I don't think I work as hard as you do."
"Don't rush to refute me."
Holding up a finger, Fujin stopped Nearl before she could speak.
"As your friend, I've observed you a few times, so I have solid evidence."
Counting on her fingers, Ines recalled the scenes where she'd seen Nearl. Without exception, Nearl was always doing something, only stopping when someone talked to her.
"When I get up to deliver newspapers in the morning, I see you on the school track field, even before the sky has brightened. During lunch, you're working part-time at the cafeteria. The afternoon goes without saying—it's definitely training. And then at night, I asked your roommate. She said you're always burning the midnight oil, reading books that are all academic, not exactly light reading for relaxation."
"Are you sure you're okay like this? Squeezing every last second out of your time so urgently... is something chasing you?"
Fujin was worried. She felt that the people around Nearl seemed deceived by her aura of being all-capable, that steady sense of security—a case of being blind to what's right under one's nose.
Just how exhausted was this seemingly perfect Uma Musume, really?
Even Ines Fujin, who also worked every day, only dared to say she'd glimpsed the edge of such fatigue.
"It's really not that tiring. My body is a bit sturdier than most people's. Besides, isn't improving yourself satisfying for the soul?"
"Sure, but only if you still have a soul left. If you don't give yourself any time to rest, no matter how knowledgeable you are or how much money you have, there's no room left for joy."
"My knowledge can help others. My actions can benefit others. That makes me happy. You're overthinking it, Ines."
"Sigh... that's exactly why I'm worried."
Adjusting the cap on her head, Ines Fujin was at a complete loss for how to persuade her.
"Everything you're saying is about others. You're happy if others are happy. What about you, yourself? Have you ever done anything just to make yourself happy?"
"I'm simply not that important. The happiness I feel from everyone else is still happiness. It's real and genuine."
Nearl didn't need to think much about it.
From the moment she gained self-awareness in this life until now, her mindset had never changed.
She had been given a second chance at life, a healthy body.
The kindness around her and the connections she had with everyone were precious things she wouldn't even have dared to dream of in her previous life.
If she could do something for them, if she could change some of the sad fates, that was enough. It didn't matter if she used herself up in the process.
Besides, she could still feel happiness from it. Wasn't that enough?
"Tch... I'm not good with words, I can't argue with you. Let me think."
Ines Fujin covered her ears as if she had a headache.
Right now, she felt she had a lot she wanted to say about Nearl's situation, but it was all fragmented thoughts, impossible to form into coherent sentences.
But one thing she understood clearly: the seemingly perfect Uma Musume, the Radiant Knight in everyone's eyes, had a problem in her heart that couldn't be ignored.
Unfortunately, she couldn't continue the topic today, because another customer had arrived at the shop.
"Welcome!"
Professional duty made her set aside the conversation with Nearl for now, turning instead to greet the customer with a smile.
"Mhm."
The newcomer was an Uma Musume, and she didn't seem the easy-going type. This Uma Musume, dressed entirely in black, was no unknown figure.
"Ah! Manhattan Cafe-senpai!"
Ines Fujin cried out, a mix of surprise and delight.
She had a very deep impression of this senior. Her overwhelming power in long-distance races and that still vividly bright late kick were things she couldn't forget even now.
But Nearl's smile at that moment was a bit peculiar. Ines Fujin couldn't tell, but Nearl could see it clearly.
This wasn't the seemingly shy, actually affectionate and delicate Manhattan Cafe-senpai at all. This was clearly the truly aloof and proud SS.
But this was a secret between her and Cafe-senpai. Even if Ines was her friend, she couldn't just reveal it.
So Nearl offered an ambiguous greeting.
"Welcome, Senpai. What brings you out for a stroll today?" (Aren't you usually by Cafe-senpai's side?)
Faced with Nearl's somewhat odd question, SS thought for a moment and understood her meaning.
"Because the night and the moon are quite captivating, they put one in a different mood than the daytime. So I came out for a walk." (At night, my range of activity becomes much larger, not limited to just being near Cafe.)
"And what do you need from us here, Senpai?" (Do you need my help with something?)
"I'll look around myself." (No need.)
The covert exchange concluded without Ines Fujin having the slightest clue.
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T/N: Why does this remind me of Shirou Emiya...?
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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.