Late at night, after the Winner's Stage had ended, Oguri Cap, Nearl, and the rest of the Uma Musume gathered at the hilltop observation deck.
Perched at the city's highest point, this spot drew a steady stream of sightseers every day. And where there were crowds, there was business to be made.
In the winter chill, barbecue stalls had already been set up early—the perfect, fuss-free setup for a casual get-together.
Trainer Musaka wasn't with them this time.
As he'd put it: "You little girls won't have much to talk about with an old codger like me—sixty years young and counting. I won't stick around to cramp your style. Besides, Nearl's watching over you; I know you won't cause any trouble."
With that, he paid the stall rental and strolled off without a backward glance.
And truth be told, the gathering felt freer without him.
"Nearl-san, please! Here's beef for five!"
"Alright, I'll get it on the grill right away."
"Nearl, here's some veggies and carrots—could you roast these too?"
"Leave it to me."
"Margaret, I wanna eat…"
"Nope! These aren't done yet. But I brought some homemade snacks—why don't you try those first to tide you over?"
Nearl swiftly caught Oguri Cap's reaching hand mid-air—gentle, yet firm.
She knew better than to let Oguri Cap loose on the barbecue. If she did, the others wouldn't get so much as a scrap—maybe just a lick of the skewers.
"Mmm, okay! Margaret's cooking is amazing. I'll be plenty full with that."
Oguri Cap didn't mind in the slightest—in fact, she looked downright cheerful.
"Go on then. Be good."
Nearl watched with a soft smile as Oguri Cap dashed off.
To her, this exchange was just another thread in the fabric of daily life—familiar, comforting, and utterly ordinary.
Her hands never stopped moving, and soon she'd finished grilling a portion of the food.
The rich, savory aroma, however, drew an unexpected visitor.
"Mmm, that smells heavenly! Can you spare a few skewers for me?"
A bright, youthful voice rang out beside her—and then a flash of gray hair entered her field of vision.
"Tamamo-senpai? Are you joining the party too?"
Nearl looked up at Tamamo Cross, who stood before her in casual clothes. A loose sweater swallowed her small frame, and the cartoon carrot printed on her chest made her look more like an elementary schooler than a seasoned racer.
"Yep! I was supposed to celebrate with Komiya, but she suddenly got called away by her mentor for a chat, so she sent me over here instead."
As she spoke, Tamamo's delicate nose twitched adorably, and a single glistening tear welled at the corner of her lip.
"Your cooking's seriously good—that roasted carrot smells incredible."
"Please, help yourself if you'd like."
Nearl carefully selected a few perfectly grilled pieces and handed them over with gentle care.
"Nearl, you're such a sweetheart! I won't hold back, then!"
Rubbing her hands together eagerly, Tamamo's eyes sparkled as she snatched the food and took a hearty bite.
"Wait—"
Nearl hadn't expected her to be so impatient, and her attempt to stop her came too late.
"HOT!"
Predictably, Tamamo leapt straight up, mouth wide open—inside, a steaming chunk of roasted carrot sat plainly visible.
Her tongue darted around frantically, dodging the scalding bite, her cheeks flushed crimson as she panted desperately for air.
"Tamamo-senpai, spit it out!"
Nearl quickly set down her tools and hurried over.
But Tamamo, for some reason, refused to let go—even as tears pooled in her eyes and her gaze started rolling back, she stubbornly swallowed the whole thing.
"Aaahhh!! My tongue! It burns!"
After gulping it down, she stuck out half her fiery-red tongue, flapping it in the air as if hoping the breeze would cool it.
"Why on earth didn't you spit it out, senior?"
Nearl leaned in, concern flickering in her eyes as she examined the damage.
"You've even blistered the skin… How careless! Have you never had roasted carrots before?"
"The outside might cool from the wind, but the inside stays piping hot—especially when it's soft and tender like this. That's exactly what makes it so easy to burn yourself."
Gently, Nearl cupped Tamamo's face in both hands and leaned closer, softly blowing cool air onto the little tongue sticking out.
"!!!"
Tamamo's face instantly burned scarlet—but since it was already red from the burn, Nearl didn't notice a thing.
'W-w-what is happening?!'
Inside her head, her little inner self was screaming in panic.
'Does she have any idea how ridiculously embarrassing this is?! How can she just do something like that so naturally?!'
'I can't take it… my innocence…'
Despite the mortification, the cool air brushing over her tongue felt undeniably soothing—and the searing pain began, slowly, to fade.
They weren't even that close, yet the intimacy of the gesture sent Tamamo's pulse racing. She could feel Nearl's breath, light and warm against her skin.
'She smells like sun-dried grass…'
Gradually, her bright blue eyes grew hazy, unfocused.
"Alright, Tamamo-senpai—does it still hurt?"
Nearl pulled back slightly and gave her shoulder a gentle shake.
'I infused that breath with a touch of Radiance. A minor burn like this should heal quickly.'
"H-huh? I-I'm fine now…"
Tamamo stammered, still dazed.
"Good. But please don't do that again—if it's too hot, just spit it out. Why did you swallow it anyway?"
Nearl relaxed a little, though her tone remained puzzled.
"...Call me Tama."
Tamamo lightly corrected her, then answered with a bashful shrug.
"Don't laugh at me for this, okay?"
"I promise—I'll take your answer seriously."
Nearl placed a hand over her heart as she spoke, making Tamamo squirm.
"Y-you don't have to be that dramatic… It's really simple, actually. I just… couldn't bear to waste it."
She scratched her cheek, voice dropping to a near-whisper.
"My family was really poor when I was little. We barely had enough to eat—carrots like these were a rare treat. So, no matter how bad something tasted, once it was in my mouth, I'd always swallow it. Throwing food away meant going hungry… and that mindset got stuck deep inside me."
She shrugged again, meeting Nearl's gaze with a casual expression—but her eyes betrayed a flicker of nervous tension.
"You think I'm weird for that?"
Unexpectedly, Nearl didn't hesitate for even a second.
"I think it's completely understandable."
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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.