"Hmm, the beef patty provides protein and a small amount of fat, and I have to account for the oil used during frying. The bread is baked, but this crispy surface... was it brushed with egg wash? Seems like I need to include that protein too."
Inside the red fast-food joint, the petite Tachyon was half-crouched on her seat, facing a thoroughly dismantled hamburger.
"Oh, they did give me triple the vegetables like I asked. But, tsk! They still added some sauce, even though I told them to leave it out completely."
Frowning slightly, little Tachyon glared displeasedly at the salad dressing smeared on the lettuce leaves.
She stood up, grabbed a napkin from the tray, and meticulously wiped the sauce off every single leaf.
"Even though I can't trust the cleanliness of this napkin—who knows how many bacteria are breeding on it—I have faith in my stomach and immune cells."
By the time she was done, the leaves were thoroughly bruised and crumpled.
And it wasn't just the lettuce. The burger bun had been torn apart for closer inspection, and the patty was reduced to a pile of shredded meat.
What was once a perfectly good hamburger now lay before her as a heap of deconstructed ingredients.
"Good, calculations complete. One burger is enough for my basic daily energy expenditure, but I'm a child. I need plenty of energy to grow, so I'll have to eat two."
Having made that declaration, Tachyon finally began eating the pile that had once resembled a burger.
Across from her, Nearl felt she'd already gotten a pretty good read on this young Uma Musume who called herself Agnes Tachyon.
'She's got a wild, confident personality, even to the point of arrogance, but she also has the intellect to back it up. She analyzes everything in minute detail, but it's more about observing things as they exist, not truly seeing them.'
With that thought, Nearl was about ninety percent sure she was dealing with a super problem child.
'A little mad scientist, huh? But for now, she seems easy enough to get along with.'
After finishing one burger, Tachyon finally felt the sharp, throbbing pangs in her stomach ease up a bit, which lessened her desperate urge to keep eating.
'Now that I think about it, why was I so hungry?'
The thought flashed through her mind and vanished before she could grasp it. Soon, another idea took its place.
"Hey, Nearl big sis, do you know who the fastest Uma Musume is right now?"
"That's a tough question. There isn't any Uma Musume powerful enough yet to claim that title."
"Eh, really?"
Hearing that answer, Tachyon's energy instantly deflated. Bored, she poked at the "food pile" in front of her with a gloved finger.
"That won't do. If there's no fastest Uma Musume, what's going to happen to my future dream?"
"You already have a dream at your age, little Tachyon? That's amazing. Many people don't figure out what they're pursuing until they're adults."
Seeing Tachyon so dejected, Nearl's nurturing instincts kicked in, and she tried to comfort her.
Whether it was Nearl's reassurance or her own realization, Tachyon suddenly straightened up, left hand flat, right hand clenched into a fist and striking her palm.
"Oh well, relying on others is pointless. I'll just have to do it myself! I'll definitely become the fastest Uma Musume. That's the conclusion my genius brain has reached."
"That's a wonderful ambition. I look forward to seeing you on the track someday, Tachyon."
"But competing isn't really my goal. I want to research the limits of how far an Uma Musume can run. I probably won't have time for races."
Tachyon looked a bit troubled.
She didn't care much about actually racing, and she felt she might not be able to live up to this kind big sister's expectations.
"But you plan to use yourself as the test subject, right? To uncover those limits, you'll need the experience of life-and-death competition. You'll definitely step onto the track—it's the destiny of an Uma Musume."
"Hmm, I guess there's no way around it then. Since you put it that way, I'll trust you, big sis."
Tachyon spoke with an air of maturity that made Nearl genuinely fond of her.
"Alright, full now? Do you want to go back and rest this afternoon, or shall I keep you company a while longer?"
"Don't wanna go back!"
The moment she heard that, Tachyon perked up excitedly.
"I want to collect data on 'the degree of sensory impact on an Uma Musume during a sharp surge of adrenaline'! Especially if it's vehicle-based!"
"..."
The overly academic phrasing left Nearl a bit confused, but seeing the sparkle in Tachyon's eyes, a guess surfaced in her mind.
"Should we go on a roller coaster, then?"
Nearl ventured, and Tachyon's gleaming eyes confirmed her hunch.
'Seems like talking with this kid requires following that split-second intuition,' Nearl mused.
--+--
"So, was the roller coaster fun?"
Sitting on a bench in the amusement park, Nearl tried to comfort the listless Tachyon.
"Not good. I failed to account for the blood pressure surge from rapid vertical changes, which put pressure on my invincible brain. Urp..."
Yeah, looking at Tachyon now, there was no way she was fine.
"Even... even if the side effects warrant reflection, the process was enjoyable. The experimental data was perfect."
Leaning against Nearl, Tachyon managed to give a thumbs-up.
"Next, we should verify the effects of dopamine, endorphins, and other secretions on Uma Musume."
"Got it. Merry-go-round, bumper cars, or trampoline?"
"Skip the bumper cars. I don't want to see any vehicles for a while."
Hearing that, Nearl understood Tachyon's preference.
"So, the trampoline then? Come on, I think it's this way."
But Tachyon just giggled. "Hehe."
"Big sis, you're really great. I'm so happy today. I don't think I've ever been this happy before."
"I'm glad I could bring you some happiness, Tachyon."
Nearl smiled warmly.
"Yes, exactly!"
Tachyon clapped her hands, her lips curling up, a fervent light shining in her brown eyes.
"You're the only one who's ever tried to understand me—my dreams. All the other adults just brushed me off. None of them wanted to understand what I was thinking."
"'You're just a kid,' 'you're still young'—that's all they ever say. Just because of my age, does that make all my ideas invalid?"
"But you're different, big sis. You respect me. You get what I'm thinking. I don't know if you noticed, but every time you talk to me, you look right into my eyes."
Yes, even now, Nearl was still gazing directly into those bright eyes.
"So I'm really happy. Today, I finally found someone who understands me, and she's also someone willing to tolerate and take care of me. Yes, just like water and a swimming fish."
Little Tachyon threw herself into Nearl's embrace, her silvery laughter swallowed by the amusement park crowd.
"When I become a researcher someday, you have to be my assistant, big sis!"
--+--
T/N: Damn, tachyon mad cute rn(in a wholesome way)
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! 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.