"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"
Seated on Kawasaki Ryoko's lap, Bless the Moment felt the other girl's hands continuously stroking her head while making these odd noises.
Her white-haired mane felt like it was being turned into a bird's nest. The Uma Musume shot a look at the couple sitting not far away, her eyes screaming the obvious—Are you just going to sit there and watch? Can't you control her?
"Ryoko."
After her youngest daughter cast a third pleading glance her way, the middle-aged woman finally spoke up. "That's enough now."
"Aw... just let me pet her a bit longer."
Kawasaki Ryoko, utterly enchanted by the texture of Bless the Moment's hair, insisted, "Bless's hair is just so lovely to touch..."
"Let! Go! Of! Me!"
The white-haired Uma Musume emphasized each word sharply, struggling once again. "You're going to knot up all my hair! It's a pain to fix!"
"Alright, alright, I get it, I understand."
Ryoko raised her hands in surrender, watching as Bless the Moment pushed herself off her lap and hurriedly made her way upstairs.
"Mom, I'm going to my room."
As she passed her mother, she slowed her steps just enough to say this before quickening her pace again, ascending to the second floor under her family's gaze.
"Bless, I've been waiting for you."
The moment she closed her bedroom door, a voice echoed through the room where no second person should have been.
Startled by the sudden sound, Bless the Moment whirled around, her eyes locking onto the wardrobe.
There, she saw a golden-haired, blue-eyed Uma Musume leaning out from the half-open wardrobe door, staring intently at her.
"Yuni?! When did you get in here... How did you even get in?"
Recognizing the familiar face, Bless the Moment's panicked heart settled slightly.
"I just came in."
"...Huh?"
Bless the Moment blinked at the response, then glanced up at the window.
It was shut tight, no signs of being opened.
The living room downstairs had people in it all along; no one could have come in unnoticed... Wait.
Then she remembered—she had gone out with her father that morning. It clicked.
So that's when she slipped in?
"Yuni... Do you know what kind of behavior it is to 'enter someone's house without permission'?"
"It's a crime."
"You actually know it's a crime?!"
Bless the Moment retorted. "If you wanted to see me, why couldn't you just wait until we were home and come in through the front door like a normal person?"
"Emergency."
Neo Universe replied succinctly. "So I came straight in."
"What emergency?"
Bless the Moment asked, sitting down on the edge of her bed and starting to comb through her tousled hair.
"Other Uma Musume already know you're Nakatsuru Aya, right?"
Neo Universe inquired.
"Yeah, so what?"
"Don't tell any more of them. Otherwise, you'll be in serious danger."
Neo Universe's expression was grave.
"Danger?"
Bless the Moment was baffled. "...What kind of danger could I possibly be in?"
"You were a trainer for over a decade. Even if you haven't experienced it yourself, haven't you heard about Uma Musume with possessive streaks who lock their trainers in basements?"
"You think I'd get locked in a basement by those girls?"
Bless the Moment brimmed with confidence. "No way, absolutely no way."
"I've kept a perfectly appropriate distance with all of them. There's no chance they'd have any... other feelings for me!"
"...Bless, do you know how people nowadays describe the relationship between trainers and their contracted Uma Musume?"
After a moment of staring at Bless the Moment, Neo Universe's stoic expression softened into one of helplessness.
"How do they describe it?"
Bless the Moment's curiosity was piqued.
"They say there's no difference between contracting an Uma Musume and confessing your love."
"?"
Bless the Moment stared blankly at Neo Universe, wondering if she'd misheard.
How in the world did anyone equate contracting an Uma Musume with a love confession?
"By that logic, since my Venus team has so many members, did I 'confess' to each and every one of them when I invited them to join?"
The white-haired Uma Musume rolled her eyes. "Which amateur came up with that? It's completely ridiculous."
"But statistically, trainers marrying their assigned Uma Musume has the highest rate."
Neo Universe let the data speak for itself.
Highest marriage rate?
Skeptical, Bless the Moment pulled out her phone and searched it up—only to find it was true.
Ugh... how the times have changed, how the times have changed!
She shook her head and sighed.
"The more Uma Musume who know you were Nakatsuru Aya in your past life, the more danger you're in."
Seeing the white-haired Uma Musume shake her head, Neo Universe pressed on. "...Unless you actually want to be locked in a basement by your former charges?"
"Lay off the weird fanfics."
Bless the Moment, finally having smoothed out her long hair, let out a relieved sigh. "What Uma Musume would ever have the heart to lock her trainer in a basement? Besides, Uma Musume have a very low crime rate. The stuff you're talking about only happens in those creepy stories."
...Low doesn't mean zero.
Neo Universe watched the white-haired Uma Musume sitting on the bed, thinking to herself.
Because the heating was on, she was only wearing a single layer.
Looking up, the girl on the bed had bright, captivating eyes and delicate, lovely features.
Her top was stretched taut over her chest, and from the V-shaped neckline, one could glimpse her collarbones.
Looking down, her smooth, waist-length hair cascaded across the bed, while a pair of pale, long legs emerged from beneath her overly long thermal shirt, only to disappear into her thermal pants, leaving just her feet exposed.
Simply put, she was beautiful.
And precisely because of that, in one parallel timeline, there were certainly non-Venus Uma Musume who fixated on that very fact, locking her in a dark basement, deliberately reducing her to tears, and taking pleasure in watching her, bound and helpless, weep bitterly.
Some even seemed to enjoy it a little too much.
"...Bless, it'd be better if you were more careful."
Having finally found a timeline where Bless the Moment hadn't met such a grim fate, Neo Universe couldn't help but speak up. "After all, you never really know what's going on in their minds."
"Mm, I will."
Bless the Moment nodded.
"And also, this is for you."
Neo Universe pulled out what looked like a miniature clock from her pocket and held it out to the white-haired Uma Musume.
"What is it?"
Bless the Moment didn't take it immediately, instead studying it for a moment before asking.
"If you're ever in danger and I'm not around, this can protect you."
Neo Universe replied.
--+--
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.