[Red Supercar]: Hey kiddo, wanna come out and play with your big sis?
The next morning, before she'd even gotten out of bed, Bless the Moment saw a message from Maruzensky waiting for her.
"..."
She glanced upward and noticed it wasn't even 7:30 yet.
...Heading out this early?
Maruzensky, don't tell me you're out racing again?
[Red Supercar]: Hey kiddo, reading a message and not replying is rude, you know.
Ugh.
The white-haired Uma Musume sighed, realizing she'd forgotten to pull down the notification bar to check messages properly.
[SilentGazer]: Miss Maruzensky, you're out already this early?
[Red Supercar]: Because the feeling of the wind while driving is just so lovely.
[Red Supercar]: So, wanna come out and play with me?
So you're out tearing up the roads in "Ta-chan" this early in the morning?
Bless the Moment pulled her clothes on, only typing a reply after her hands were free.
[SilentGazer]: I'm not even up yet... and I just planned on staying home to read today.
[Red Supercar]: Planning to just stay home and read again today?
[Red Supercar]: That just won't do. You need to get out more, let your eyes rest properly.
[SilentGazer]: I'll keep that in mind. Hope you have fun today, Miss Maruzensky.
After sending that last line, Bless the Moment placed her phone on the nightstand and hurriedly finished pulling on her clothes.
She wasn't a trainer in this life, no need to run outside every single day.
Ahh... but home is just so comfortable.
[Red Supercar]: Staying cooped up reading all the time will turn you into a bookworm, you know?
[Red Supercar]: If it really comes to it, how about I come pick you up?
[Red Supercar]: If you don't reply, I'll take that as a yes, okay?
?
Staring at the messages on her phone screen, Bless the Moment narrowed her eyes, frowned, and leaned back in disbelief.
Wait, do you even know where I live? And you're talking about picking me up?
She pulled the curtains aside and peered around the vicinity of her home.
And that's when she made eye contact with Maruzensky, who was standing beside a red sports car parked on the street.
...How do you know where I live?
Seeing Maruzensky smiling and waving at her, Bless the Moment silently closed the curtains again.
Has my info been leaked?
The white-haired Uma Musume was stunned.
[Red Supercar]: I'm waiting for you downstairs.
[Red Supercar]: If I get too impatient, I might just come knock on your door to get you myself, you know~
...Looks like there's no staying home today.
Bless the Moment felt a wave of resignation.
"Dad, Mom, I'm heading out."
"Out this early?"
The middle-aged woman watched her daughter rush downstairs and glanced at the time in surprise. "...At least eat something before you go?"
"Can't, she's already waiting for me at the door."
As she passed the dining table, Bless the Moment snagged a piece of bread from the table, clutching it in her mouth as she hurried out the front door.
Who could be visiting Bless this early? Little Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond, maybe?
Driven by curiosity, the couple leaned over and looked out the window.
They saw their daughter walking straight towards a red sports car parked not far away.
And beside that red sports car, a brown-haired Uma Musume, who looked vaguely familiar to the middle-aged man, was standing by the vehicle, already holding the passenger door open for the white-haired girl.
...Maruzensky?
The middle-aged man stared at the familiar brown-haired Uma Musume, his eyes widening unconsciously.
—Since when is our daughter this close with Maruzensky?
"Miss Maruzensky, how did you know I live here?"
Bless the Moment stood by the passenger door but didn't get in.
She looked at the brown-haired Uma Musume, already seated in the driver's seat, hands on the wheel. "Don't tell me you…"
"That's right!"
Maruzensky nodded, meeting Bless the Moment's suspicious gaze. "Your big sis went through a lot of trouble to find this place!"
"Miss Maruzensky, that's basically stalking."
The white-haired Uma Musume sighed. "If you wanted to know where I live, couldn't you have just asked me directly?"
"Oh? Where'd your mind go, little Bless?" Maruzensky's smile widened. "I asked around for directions the whole way here~"
"...Miss Maruzensky, is there some urgent reason you came to get me so early?"
After a brief silence, Maruzensky heard the little white-haired Uma Musume outside the car change the subject.
"Not exactly urgent."
Maruzensky played along. "I just wanted to take you somewhere to see something."
"That's all?"
The white-haired Uma Musume blinked, puzzled by the brown-haired one's actions. "Just for that, you specifically came to find me this early on a holiday?"
"It's very important to me."
Maruzensky's expression suddenly turned serious. "Please, come with me."
"...I understand."
Hearing the brown-haired Uma Musume's request, Bless the Moment nodded. "Can I at least ask where you're taking me, Miss Maruzensky?"
"To Central Tracen."
Maruzensky replied.
--+--
After receiving Maruzensky's assurances, Bless the Moment finally got into the red sports car.
Maruzensky drove exceptionally smoothly, not causing the white-haired Uma Musume in the passenger seat any discomfort.
Led by the brown-haired Uma Musume, Bless the Moment smoothly passed through the gates of Central Tracen Academy, followed her into a school building, and all the way up to the top floor.
Maruzensky strode quickly to the edge of the rooftop, gripping the railing and looking down at everything from above.
"This is the place where I met my trainer for the second time."
Once Bless the Moment stood behind her, Maruzensky spoke up. "...I was hiding up here back then, talking on the phone with the young Uma Musume from my hometown. And she… she came up because the weather was nice and she wanted to eat her lunch here."
"She overheard my conversation with them, and she learned about my desire to live up to their expectations."
Recalling the past, a faint smile unconsciously touched Maruzensky's lips. "Other trainers wanted to sign me because they wanted me to win races, to add another honor to their records."
"But Nakatsuru Aya was different."
"She thought my running form was a joy to watch, and she hoped I could keep running like that forever."
As she spoke, Maruzensky turned to face Bless the Moment, resting her hands on the railing behind her before continuing. "So I chose her to be my trainer."
Maruzen…
The white-haired Uma Musume looked at the brown-haired one before her and let out a soft sigh.
Ahh…
How did her identity get exposed after only meeting them a few times?
While musing over this inwardly, Bless the Moment took a step forward, ready to admit her identity in response to whatever Maruzensky would say next.
"You're our trainer's niece, right!"
"Yes, I am the trainer... wait, what?"
The white-haired Uma Musume's words cut off abruptly.
--+--
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.