This was a typical day for the trainer and her charge, the Uma Musume.
In the apartment bathed in the soft glow of the morning sun, a lovely young woman had already completed her morning routine and was adjusting her attire before the mirror.
Click.
The bedroom door opened without a sound.
A pair of distinctive ears peeked in first, and their owner, upon seeing the girl already up and about, showed an expression that was hard to place—somewhere between regret and relief.
"Trainer, breakfast is ready. Do you need help getting dressed?"
Seeing the jacket and skirt still scattered on the bed, Super Creek visibly perked up, an unnameable desire swirling in the depths of her eyes.
It was a mix of maternal nurturing, a lover's closeness, an Uma Musume's admiration for her trainer, and certain darker, harder-to-control urges.
Perhaps it was an individual case, or maybe it was common in this world, but Uma Musume who fell in love were prone to actions that bordered on inappropriate yet stayed just within legal bounds.
That director from the Compliance Department was a prime example.
But Super Creek hadn't gone that far.
Although their feelings had deepened since moving in together, leading to certain inevitable intimacies, that final step remained an unspoken agreement between them.
Super Creek hadn't exhibited any of that… intense behavior.
It likely had a lot to do with her own gentle nature and the fact that Fumino Nase had accepted their partnership early on, giving her feelings a proper outlet.
"No, there's no need to trouble yourself with such a small thing. In fact, I insist on handling this myself."
Buttoning the collar of her white shirt, Fumino Nase turned and cast a gentle yet resigned look at her lover, who was still wearing an apron.
"And didn't we agree to take turns cooking? Did you go ahead and make breakfast again today, Creek?"
"I wanted you to sleep a little longer. Weren't you up late again last night?"
"Not really. Just two hours later than usual. I still get a solid six hours of sleep every night. Unlike Miss Toujou—her dark circles are really showing lately. I heard she's been getting only four hours of sleep for two weeks straight."
"That exhausting?!"
Super Creek's ears gave a startled twitch. She couldn't even imagine living with such sleep deprivation.
For Uma Musume, as athletes, their bodies were their top priority. Nothing was allowed to encroach on sleep—that was fundamental.
"Yeah, though the reasons differ, when you girls complain about being tired, your trainers might be even more exhausted. But Miss Toujou is a special case. The burden she inherited is too heavy. Having five or six Uma Musume under her care… just thinking about it gives me a headache."
"Yeah, that's way too many."
Creek narrowed her eyes slightly, deftly untied her apron, and quietly slipped her arms around her trainer from behind, eliminating any space between them.
Her hands, resting on the trainer's waist, slowly but surely tightened their embrace.
"Creek?"
Feeling the warmth pressed against her back and the hands gently squeezing her stomach, Nase fell silent for a moment.
Lately, she had started to notice that Creek's possessiveness seemed to be growing. She wanted to cling to her, and didn't want her out of her sight.
Had she finally reached her limit? Nase wondered.
As part of a trainer's family, she had some understanding of an Uma Musume's personality. Their emotions tended to be more intense and weighty compared to humans'.
But was Creek really like that?
"No."
Something wasn't right, Fumino realized.
--+--
"I thought about it for a long time afterward and finally understood one thing: Creek was just scared. She was feeling insecure."
Under Nearl's calm, steady gaze, Fumino Nase took a deep breath and finally voiced the thoughts that had been weighing on her heart.
It was Nearl who had this comforting, reassuring aura.
Anyone else might not have made it so easy for Nase to open up.
"This is Creek's third year competing in the Twinkle Series. While some Uma Musume might keep going strong, Creek is nearing her limit. As her trainer, no one knows that better than I do."
"Injuries, declining stamina, the pressure from the younger generation… All I can do is try to prolong her peak a little longer. But both Creek and I know that retirement isn't far off anymore."
Here, Nase paused. Creek's expression from that time resurfaced in her mind—that face, clearly worried, yet forcing itself to smile as usual.
"I'm an Uma Musume trainer. Discovering and nurturing new talent is part of the job. Right now, I can still use Creek as an excuse to convince myself. But once she retires, finding a new Uma Musume will become an inevitability."
"Trainer Nase, do you dislike Uma Musume? From what you're saying, you sound almost unwilling to sign a new one."
Nearl found this point strange. If she was so resistant to Uma Musume, how had she ever endured the tedious studies required to become a trainer?
"No, how could I possibly dislike you all? No trainer could hate you lovely girls."
Waving her hands in front of her chest, Nase felt she absolutely could not let this misunderstanding stand. That would be too unfair.
Seeing this, Nearl quickly clarified.
"I was just joking."
"…Nearl, has anyone ever told you your serious face makes jokes impossible? People take everything you say at face value, no matter how unbelievable it might be."
"Really? But the President said humor is a necessary part of conversation."
"Symboli Rudolf? Her own deadpan jokes are disastrous enough as it is. Asking her for advice is like asking Oguri Cap if she's full—completely pointless."
"…I feel like the President would be sad to hear that."
This little diversion left Nase feeling surprisingly more relaxed. She instinctively compared her interactions with Creek to those with Nearl.
'One is a dependable senior, the other is a clingy child… That doesn't make sense. Creek is older than Nearl, but it's the opposite dynamic.'
"So, Trainer Nase, are you considering resigning because of Creek-senpai?"
After the joke, Nearl steered the conversation back, causing the previously light atmosphere to grow somber once more.
"Nearl, when I say this, I'm not making excuses, you understand?"
"Yes, I know you're not the type to use others as a shield, Trainer Nase."
A moment of silence settled between them.
"I am Creek's lover, and I'm not treating this as some fling. I'm serious about spending my life with her. Precisely because of that, I have to put Creek first."
"You know, Creek always appears gentle, caring, and nurturing to everyone else. So many Uma Musume have complained to me that she's like a fussy mother."
At this, Nearl couldn't help but smile faintly, which in turn lifted the corners of Nase's mouth.
"But I know that's not her true, resilient nature. Deep down, she yearns to be embraced and valued by others. Her insistence on taking care of people is more like a test of her place in their hearts—like a child throwing a tantrum to claim attention."
"In daily life, she takes care of me. But in a spiritual sense, I am her support."
"And because of that, I absolutely cannot abandon her."
"She's afraid that once she retires and I sign a new Uma Musume, my focus will gradually shift. That makes her terribly anxious, and that anxiety is already showing in our daily life."
Recalling how Creek had recently become more… hands-on with her, Nase felt a mix of shyness and deep sorrow.
--+--
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.