Musumefied...Nase Fumino.
As the trainer of Super Creek, she could safely say her daily life revolved entirely around worrying about that Uma Musume.
Originally scheduled for a summer debut, Super Creek had to postpone due to health issues. Only after her condition improved could they even consider arranging her debut race.
Lately, with Super Creek's growing anxiety over her situation, Nase Fumino once again found herself dealing with sprained ankles and similar problems—all stemming from Super Creek's habit of overtraining on her own.
Because of this latest injury, Nase had no choice but to work overtime readjusting training schedules. Even her meals were now mostly limited to options around Tracen Academy.
But the real reason Nase Fumino chose to eat outside campus was…
"Say ahhh~…"
Recalling Super Creek's recent habit of feeding her meals by hand, Nase, after months of resistance, finally cracked.
She was only a rookie trainer, after all. It was impressive enough she had lasted this long. Thus, under such circumstances, Nase used the convenient excuse of "going out to gather research materials" to slip away.
Walking along the shopping street, Nase glanced around and let out a quiet sigh.
Honestly, if she had any other choice, she wouldn't have picked a place so close to Tracen Academy—the risk of being discovered by Super Creek was just too high.
But she really did need to find those materials, and on the way, the only place with decent dinner options happened to be this shopping street.
Scanning the shops lining the street, Nase noticed that although the area had plenty of stalls and snack bars, proper restaurants were surprisingly few.
Options were limited.
But…
When she thought back to Super Creek's current condition, Nase decided she might as well take a closer look around here.
"Will tomorrow's menu also change?"
A soft voice caught Nase's attention.
Turning, she saw Symboli Sirius closing a shop's door behind her.
"I see, I'll be back tomorrow as well."
After those words, Symboli Sirius walked away.
"That place…"
Watching the shop Symboli Sirius had just left, Nase hesitated for a few seconds before peeking inside.
Through the glass window, Nase could see a petite Uma Musume tidying up dishes.
Considering her limited alternatives—mostly convenience stores and snack shops—Nase sighed again and stepped toward the restaurant.
At the entrance, she noticed a paper notice taped to the door.
[Currently in soft opening. Pricing undecided; menu changes daily.]
After a brief hesitation, Nase pushed the door open.
"Welcome~ Feel free to take any seat."
Having just finished clearing the table used by Symboli Sirius, Tokai Natural glanced over at her new customer.
"Ah, okay…"
Tokai Natural's greeting left Nase briefly unsure how to respond.
Because something about this Uma Musume felt oddly familiar, stirring memories she'd rather not revisit.
But…
Looking up at her, Nase realized the vast difference in size compared to Super Creek, convincing herself the earlier feeling was mistaken.
With this reassurance, Nase let go of her initial hesitation and took a seat at the counter.
Almost immediately after she sat down, a menu and a glass of water appeared in front of her.
"Since we're in soft opening right now, we only have main dishes available. Side dishes and appetizers aren't finalized yet, and we only serve water," Tokai Natural explained briefly, turning away afterward to allow Nase time to choose.
Picking up the menu placed in front of her, Nase quickly noticed there were only five items listed. There were no pictures—no prices, either. Just a photocopied sheet with dish names.
Nase didn't dwell on this too much. The notice had clearly stated that menus changed daily, so using simple photocopies made sense.
However…
Most dishes listed were beyond Nase's comprehension.
So she chose the only one whose basic ingredients were obvious to her. "Um, I'll have this minced beef mashed potatoes, please."
Hearing that, Tokai Natural looked at her for a moment. "That portion's quite large. Would you like a smaller size?"
"Is it really big?"
"A full serving would probably feed about four people. We're planning to serve it mainly to Uma Musume with bigger appetites since we're close to Tracen Academy," Tokai Natural explained, shifting slightly. "Half-size or a third might suit you better."
"Oh, then I'll take that smaller portion, please."
"Got it."
With that, Tokai Natural quickly washed a few potatoes and dropped them straight into a pot to boil—after all, mashed potatoes needed cooking first.
But before the water could even boil, faint crying sounds drifted in from elsewhere.
Hearing this, Tokai Natural turned to Nase apologetically. "Sorry, I'll step out briefly."
"No worries."
Tokai Natural quickly disappeared from view. Moments later, Nase saw her return to the kitchen, gently cradling an infant in her arms.
Even as she tended to the child, Tokai Natural had to monitor the cooking progress. Although mashed potatoes were best cooked to a mushy texture, they'd still require baking afterward, so careful timing mattered.
Witnessing this scene, Nase finally understood why she'd felt such familiarity earlier.
If Super Creek was overflowing with maternal instinct, then the Uma Musume before her was an actual mother…
No wonder Nase felt such a familiar vibe.
Yet rather than dwell on that, Nase found herself now fixated on something else—the girl's apparent age. Although Uma Musume often blurred age lines due to the timing of their full awakening…
She definitely looks a bit too young…
Frowning at this realization, Nase considered the situation. She knew that opening a shop legally meant the Uma Musume had to be an adult, but…
After several minutes spent puzzling over this, a modestly sized serving of mashed potatoes was placed before Nase.
"Enjoy your meal."
By this point, Tokai Natural had already returned Mochizuki to her cradle.
Facing her food, Nase finally pushed aside her earlier concerns. After all, one Super Creek was already close to overwhelming her. Adding any more maternal figures into the mix would be too much…
Better to just enjoy this meal for now.