"So what's your plan now? Are you staying at this hotel for the night, or do you have somewhere else to go?"
No longer as close to Tachyon as she had been in the afternoon and morning, Nearl stood a few steps away from the bed, maintaining a distance that wasn't exactly distant but still gave Tachyon some psychological space.
"Me, well..."
Agnes Tachyon's mind began racing. In her current state, she had to consider the consequences of every move.
'Another place? Though I secretly set up a few backup labs to avoid getting shut down, they're all inside Tracen. How am I supposed to get in like this?'
'Forget the dorm—there's no way I'd get past the dorm head. Damn, is this the price of being too well-known? I can't believe I can't think of anyone who could help me right now.'
Yes, Agnes Tachyon realized with sorrow that because she often secretly recruited people for her experiments, no Uma Musume at Tracen was willing to get close to her, let alone be friends.
'Miscalculated. I always thought those classmates were just ordinary, not worth associating with if they couldn't keep up. But maybe I should've made a few friends after all? Then I could've used those "friends" to handle things when I needed help or got into trouble.'
Agnes Tachyon thought coldly; to her, so-called "friends" were just reusable, renewable human resources.
But even someone as aloof as Agnes Tachyon had one or two people she could actually talk to.
'Wait! If I really think about it, there might be one.'
Straining her brain, Tachyon suddenly had a flash of inspiration—a dark figure flitted through her mind.
'Manhattan Cafe! Yes, she's also someone who defies common sense. And though I hate to admit it, we actually get along pretty well.'
Thinking of this, Agnes Tachyon quickly nodded at Nearl.
"Yes, do you have a phone? I can call my... dear friend."
Nearl silently took out her flip phone, stepped closer to place it on the mattress, then retreated to her original position.
'She's really different now. She's not even calling me "big sister" anymore. And my eyes aren't mistaken—Tachyon's shoulders are broader than before, and she's taller too.'
'It seems this isn't a coincidence. She's definitely the Agnes Tachyon I know, last year's Satsuki Sho winner.'
Watching the younger girl she'd gotten along with so well earlier, Nearl's face showed no emotion, but she felt a pang of sadness inside.
Meanwhile, Agnes Tachyon stared bewildered at the phone Nearl had handed her.
'What is this, some ancient relic? What's her deal? Does she even live in the real world?'
Shooting Nearl an incredulous look, Tachyon reluctantly flipped the phone open.
'Whatever, as long as it can make calls. Cafe, pick up, pick up.'
But perhaps it was Murphy's Law in action. Nearl watched as Tachyon's expression shifted from anticipation to irritation, then to confusion, then to panic, before she finally gave up and hung up.
"No one answered?"
After watching the entire process, Nearl sighed helplessly.
"Do you have any other acquaintances?"
Tachyon silently shook her head.
"Are you staying here tonight, then?"
She silently nodded.
"I see. But from now on, you should try to socialize more. What if you end up in a situation like this again?"
Thinking of Tachyon's circumstances, Nearl sighed helplessly and turned to leave.
"Then I'll go buy you some towels and toiletries. You should take a bath—your hair is already messy and dirty. I'll leave the phone with you for now, in case your friend calls back."
"Thank you."
Receiving such considerate care, even the thick-skinned and ruthless Agnes Tachyon felt warmth and a slight tinge of embarrassment.
"No need."
Nearl accepted the thanks and left. The room was now occupied by Tachyon alone, and instantly, it felt much quieter.
Thump.
Letting go of the strength supporting her body, Tachyon let herself collapse onto the not-very-soft bed. In that moment, Agnes Tachyon felt a rare sense of relief.
Not thinking about anything, not doing anything, temporarily forgetting the dense data and her injured leg. For now, only peace accompanied her.
"Maybe taking a break like this once in a while isn't so bad. Should I thank heaven for this little prank?"
Rolling over, her petite body curling up on the bed, Tachyon recalled everything she'd experienced that day.
Though her personality back then was slightly different from now, the joy and warmth she felt were undiminished.
In fact, with all these extra years of experience and a more mature, deeper mindset, that happiness felt even clearer and more memorable.
"She's really something else. Caring but knows how to keep her distance, skilled at all sorts of life tasks, considers others' perspectives, respects their opinions—impressive in every way."
"Mmm, I want her as my assistant. Even if it's not for testing medicines, having balanced meals every day and someone to remind me of things I forget would be so convenient, right?"
"Want her… I really want her… I want her as my assistant…"
The embarrassing brown non-combustible trash rolled around frantically on the bed.
After that, there wasn't much else to say.
When Nearl woke up the next morning, Agnes Tachyon was already gone from the next room, leaving only Nearl's phone and a note with the words "Thank you" written on it.
"A brief encounter, but a meaningful one nonetheless."
Nearl summed up yesterday's events, shook her head, and prepared to leave. But just then, the phone in her hand suddenly rang.
"This is... President Rudolf?"
Yes, displayed prominently on Nearl's phone were the words "Student Council President."
--+--
Elsewhere, on the roadside, a noticeably larger Agnes Tachyon sat quietly on a bench.
That morning, Nearl's phone had woken her from sleep—it was a reply from Manhattan Cafe.
After explaining her current situation to Cafe, they arranged to meet up, which was why she was now sitting here waiting.
"Speaking of which, I thought she'd share the room with me last night, since it had a double bed. Didn't expect her to rent another one. And these clothes—they're just a bit tight now, but I'm so different from last night. Saying she bought them a size too big doesn't really explain it."
These small details didn't escape the notice of a science fanatic like Agnes Tachyon, making her suspicious.
"Could it be that she realized my body is constantly changing? That would explain a lot of her actions."
--+--
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.