"It smells incredible! How is it this fragrant?!"
Shoving a bite of food into her mouth, Tamamo Cross voraciously slurped up the noodles before her.
No appetite? Can't eat? The scene unfolding had absolutely nothing to do with those phrases.
Nearl sat to the side, quietly waiting for Tamamo Cross.
She had anticipated this outcome. After all, this meal was specifically prepared by Nearl after she learned of Tamamo's condition.
Every ingredient had been specially treated by her Radiance, transformed into what you could call legendary-grade ingredients, the kind you simply couldn't find on the market.
These ingredients contained incredibly rich energy.
Maybe Tamamo Cross herself didn't realize it, but her body, pushed to its absolute limit, was instinctively craving the nutrients and energy to repair itself.
So, the moment she smelled that aroma, escape was no longer an option.
"Nearl! What did you do to these noodles? They're amazing!"
Twirling a forkful of noodles, Tamamo excitedly held it up towards Nearl, her expression so bright it was like she'd discovered a new world.
"This is my own little innovation. I mashed bananas and carrots, mixed them with some other ingredients, and formed them into a noodle shape. So the texture you're experiencing, Tamamo-senpai, is completely different from regular noodles."
Nearl explained with a smile.
But there was one thing she didn't mention: normal ingredients couldn't possibly be prepared following her described method. The prerequisite for this dish was those very legendary ingredients.
"Incredible! To make something this delicious, I really underestimated you!"
After praising Nearl, Tamamo dove back into her meal, completely forgetting that Nearl had only asked her to try a bit initially.
Time flew by, and soon the entire container of food had been devoured by Tamamo Cross, far exceeding her usual appetite.
But this also revealed just how harsh she usually was with her own body.
For a healthy Uma Musume, Nearl's cooking was simply delicious.
But for an Uma Musume whose body desperately needed energy for recovery, this flavor was irresistible.
For them, this meal was comparable to a heavy smoker, forced to quit for a week, catching a whiff of cigarette smoke.
"Urp... hic!"
Satisfied, Tamamo put down the container and let out a cute hiccup.
Her stomach, after all that gorging, was visibly distended.
"Mmm, so good... hmm, so sleepy..."
The moment she put down her bowl and chopsticks, a wave of drowsiness suddenly washed over her, her whole body feeling warm and cozy.
This was completely different from the forced drowsiness she felt from sleeping pills during her worst bouts of insomnia.
When she took sleeping pills, it felt cold.
The world seemed to be sinking into darkness, the sleepiness pulling her into the abyss of sleep like pitch-black shadows.
But this time, it was different. Completely opposite, even.
Warmth spread through her limbs. She felt like a cat basking in the winter sun, completely relaxed, drifting off with a wonderful feeling in her heart.
'The sun... feels so nice...'
Just before she completely lost consciousness, it felt like she was touching the sun. For the first time in many sleepless nights, Tamamo Cross was having a good sleep.
As she slumped over, Nearl gently caught her, holding her close to prevent her from falling to the floor.
"Pleasant dreams, Tamamo-senpai."
Nearl whispered her blessing.
"I can't eat anymore..."
The Tamamo in her arms smacked her lips, nuzzled deeper into Nearl's embrace, and fell into an even sweeter slumber.
--+--
The sun set in the west.
The training room had grown dim, with only faint, dusky red rays of light filtering through the window, providing a little illumination.
"Mmm..."
A soft moan sounded in the room.
Tamamo's eyelids fluttered a few times, and her breathing became less steady than it had been in her dreams.
"I had such a good dream."
Slowly opening her eyes, her vision was blurry at first, but Tamamo felt surprisingly peaceful, a serene expression on her face.
But it only lasted for a moment.
"Tamamo-senpai, it seems you slept well. Did you have a pleasant dream?"
A familiar voice came from above. Still groggy, Tamamo murmured in agreement.
"Of course, a rare...!!!"
Halfway through her reply, her vision cleared.
This made the previously relaxed Tamamo jump up in embarrassment, her words starting to stumble.
"Ne-Ne-Nearl?! How are you? Was I...?"
It was only then that Tamamo realized one thing: she had fallen asleep leaning against Nearl.
And judging by their surroundings, it seemed she had been sleeping on Nearl this whole time. To avoid waking her, the other girl had stayed completely still in this position.
"Are you an idiot? Why didn't you just wake me up?"
Scrambling off of Nearl, her cheeks flushed red, Tamamo looked at her with a mix of embarrassment and concern.
"Are you okay? Being pinned under me all afternoon, aren't your limbs numb?"
Worry in her eyes, Tamamo was more concerned about Nearl's condition than her own embarrassment.
She reached out her hands, wanting to help Nearl up and walk her around a bit.
But contrary to her expectations, Nearl stood up directly, moving her limbs with ease, showing no signs of numbness at all.
"It's fine. Tamamo-senpai is very light; it wasn't a burden at all."
Saying this, Nearl walked over to the table and began cleaning up the food container that had been sitting there all afternoon.
"Since you're awake, senpai, I should be going."
"Ah? Ah! Let me see you out."
A flustered Tamamo hurriedly followed.
Watching Nearl deftly tidy up, she wanted to step in and help, but for some reason, she stopped herself.
"That's not necessary, Senior. You should use this time to have a good talk with Trainer Komiyama. She was very worried about you today."
"Komiya... I will."
Tamamo nodded.
She knew all along she was in the wrong. This behavior of running herself into the ground must have caused her trainer a lot of trouble. For both reason and courtesy, she owed her an apology.
"That's good then. Tamamo-senpai's condition seems much better now. A different state of mind can make the world look different. Do you see things in a new light now?"
"...You're right."
Tamamo looked down at her own hands.
Even though she'd just woken up and her limbs still felt weak, she sensed a strength far greater than what she'd felt during her previous training.
"I think... I really have seen something new."
Clenching her fists, a flash of white lightning seemed to flicker in Tamamo's pupils.
The images from her dream were so vivid in her mind. Even though she knew it was just a dream, her family was there, surrounding her as she ran, smiling at her.
So many people were by her side. Her trainer, Oguri Cap, her classmates from the academy...even Nearl.
"For this Arima Kinen, I'll deliver a spectacular run!"
--+--
T/N: I love tamamo cross
--+--
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.