"Kita-chan, we can't keep going on like this."
After Bless the Moment left, only Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond remained in the room.
Meeting Kitasan Black's gaze, the chestnut-maned Uma Musume spoke up: "If we don't explain things clearly, how will Bless ever know what we're really thinking?"
"But... but how can we even bring something like that up...?" Kitasan Black retorted, her face flushing red. "Th... th... three of us together? Seriously?"
"Yet wasn't it you, Kita-chan, who said those very words?" Satono Diamond cheerfully exposed the truth.
"Urk...!"
Unable to refute, Kitasan Black's face burned even brighter. "...Wouldn't it startle Bless if we just suddenly dropped this on her?"
"So when do you plan to tell her, Kita-chan?" Satono Diamond pressed. "If we don't make it clear, she'll never understand what's in our hearts, you know?"
"Let me... let me think a bit more about how to tell Bless." Kitasan Black was deeply troubled.
"I heard that! Who summons me?!"
The moment the voice rang out, the room's door was pushed open, and a sound that made Kitasan Black's heart skip a beat followed.
Bless the Moment stood outside the door, holding a few carrots, frozen in the motion of pushing it open with one hand.
She stared at the two seated inside for a moment, finally fixing her gaze on the black-haired Uma Musume's face.
"Wh... why are you staring at me like that?" Under the intense gaze, a guilty Kitasan Black faltered, unconsciously averting her eyes, unable to meet Bless's look.
"Kita-chan... you were the one muttering my name just now, right?" Bless the Moment sat down beside Kitasan Black, carrots still in hand, her eyes never leaving the other girl.
"Is something the matter?"
"Um... well..." The short, sharply-cut black-haired Uma Musume stammered.
Then, spotting the test paper on the table with uncorrected mistakes, she grasped at a sudden idea born of desperation: "I was thinking... maybe you could teach me how to solve this problem? Like, hand-in-hand guidance?"
"No can do," Bless the Moment shook her head. "If I just guide your hand, you'll still be lost the next time you encounter a problem like this."
"It's better to teach you the problem-solving approach. That way, you'll have the ideas down next time you face it."
"Mmm..." Kitasan Black squeezed out a meaningless, dry syllable.
"Speaking of which... Bless, what do you think of me and Kita-chan?" Satono Diamond, sitting to the side, suddenly asked with a giggle.
"Huh?" Hearing the chestnut-maned girl pose this question, Bless the Moment tilted her head, a puzzled expression appearing on her face. "Why ask that all of a sudden?"
"Just answer the question, Bless," Satono Diamond said, still grinning.
Why ask this now...? Could it be that while I was gone, something progressed between the two of them?!
Diamond, you move too fast!
Wait... [What do you think of me and Kita-chan]?
Repeating the question in her mind, Bless the Moment pondered.
"Delicate features, well-proportioned faces, outstanding figures," Bless the Moment began her evaluation of the two before her, her expression serious. "Both of you are great beauties with remarkable looks."
"..." x2
Hearing the white-maned Uma Musume's assessment, Satono Diamond and Kitasan Black exchanged a glance.
'See? I told you Bless didn't grasp what I meant. Shouldn't we just spell it out clearly here?'
Kitasan Black clearly read that message in Satono Diamond's eyes.
"What are you two whispering about with all those looks?" Bless the Moment remarked, watching the two communicating with their eyes.
"Discussing a certain someone's denseness and lack of self-awareness," Satono Diamond replied cheerfully.
Hey, hey, hey...
The white-maned Uma Musume felt a wave of helplessness.
Is that really something you say to an outsider like me?
Are you just including me as part of your play?
Bless the Moment handed a carrot to Kitasan Black, temporarily closing the topic.
"Got any ideas yet?" Bless the Moment asked after waiting for Kitasan Black to finish the carrot.
"...Isn't this break time right now?"
"So I'm just asking, that's all," Bless the Moment said with a clever, radiant smile.
"..."
A belatedly understanding Kitasan Black looked at her friend, her gaze tinged with a trace of resentment.
Bless the Moment, you're so mean!
"Bless, any plans for the winter break?" Satono Diamond suddenly asked.
"Winter break plans? None," the white-maned Uma Musume thought for a moment. "If I had to say, probably just reading at home."
"Reading?" Satono Diamond sighed. "Bless, you're really only ever thinking about yourself, huh... Ouch!"
"You don't actually think support Uma Musume just simply hand you water and pass towels, do you?"
"Isn't that the case?" Satono Diamond and Kitasan Black retorted in unison.
"Of course not, it's nowhere near that simple," Bless the Moment said exasperatedly, counting on her fingers. "Shoe maintenance, racecourse scheduling, helping the trainer monitor your weight—all that is part of a support Uma Musume's job."
"Wait—isn't racecourse scheduling the trainer's job?" Satono Diamond objected. "Bless, you're not just making things up to fool us, are you?"
"Sadly, I'm not lying," Bless the Moment shook her head. "If I had to explain... you could think of support Uma Musume as half-trainers to you."
"O... oh, I see..." Kitasan Black nodded, a look of comprehension dawning on her face upon hearing Bless the Moment say 'half-trainer.'
"See? That's why I specifically went to the bookstore to get those books the other day," Bless the Moment hurriedly added. "But those books are such a headache to read... I need to spend more time on them during the break."
"Is that so..." Satono Diamond's expression turned somewhat regretful after hearing the white-maned girl's words.
If Bless has already said all this... it seems pulling her out of her house easily during the winter break is out of the question.
If it really comes to it, we'll have to wait until next summer.
Next summer, no matter what, she'd have to put in more effort and definitely drag Bless the Moment out of her house to have some fun with them!
And—
Satono Diamond glanced sideways at Kitasan Black seated beside her.
—make Kita-chan say those words.
Since they were little, the three of them had always been inseparable.
If because she and Kita-chan got together, Bless the Moment started distancing herself to give them space, gradually drifting apart... that was an outcome neither she nor Kita-chan wanted to see.
So, this was an ill omen.
She didn't want to see this scenario actually play out before her eyes.
In that case, they just had to shatter it.
For a future where all three of them could be like before! I, Satono Diamond, will absolutely never give up!
Her hands, resting on her knees, clenched tightly. Satono Diamond was filled with resolve.
--+--
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.