Staring at the strawberry-flavored hard candy pressed into her palm, Bless the Moment picked it up and examined it, spotting the familiar label at the very bottom.
...Wasn't the factory that made these candies supposed to have gone out of business ages ago? Where did Maruzensky manage to find them?
"Nee-san, where did you buy this candy from?"
Having lived two lives now, Bless the Moment tossed out the term 'Nee-san' with practiced ease, not a hint of blush on her face.
...After all, in this life, she was only fourteen years old. By that count alone, Maruzensky could practically be her aunt.
"Where I bought it..."
Maruzensky, who was watching the girl pop the candy into her mouth, paused. "...It's a kind only your Nee-san here can get her hands on."
'So, she bought out the whole candy factory,' Bless the Moment understood immediately.
It's good to be rich.
"Your phone's been buzzing nonstop, aren't you going to check it?"
The brown-haired Uma Musume sitting next to the white-haired filly politely scooted over a bit. "I won't bother you while you chat with your friends."
"They're not friends."
The white-haired filly shook her head.
Friends? Her and Okino? They had a pure father-son relationship!
Not friends? Then it must be family?
But would family members text her that frequently?
Hearing the persistent buzzing of the phone and seeing the white-haired filly showed no intention of elaborating, Maruzensky wisely decided not to press further.
The white-haired filly sat silently, watching her peers training on the field. The brown-haired Uma Musume also watched the training, but her eyes kept drifting back to the girl beside her.
...She looks so familiar.
Watching her stare so intently at the trainees, Maruzensky felt a pang of recognition, as if she was looking at a reflection of her younger self.
Being an 'imported horse,' she faced numerous restrictions racing in Japan.
If it hadn't been for her trainer, she...
The memory of a certain black-haired woman caused the smile on Maruzensky's face to fade for a long moment.
"Maruzensky Nee-san."
A voice beside her pulled her back from the brink of her swirling thoughts.
She turned to see the white-haired filly leaning towards her, left hand braced on the bench, her body tilting.
"Your expression just now... was something wrong? Did you remember something bad?"
"...Just some not-so-pleasant memories, that's all."
Recomposing her smile, Maruzensky brushed off the topic lightly. "Speaking of which, I just realized I don't know what to call you. Could you tell me your name?"
"Bless the Moment."
The white-haired filly offered her name. "Maruzensky Nee-san, you can just call me Bless."
"Alright, then Bless it is."
Maruzensky nodded, then shifted gears. "Do you want to run?"
?
Bless the Moment looked at the brown-haired Uma Musume sitting beside her, who was smiling brightly back at her. A question mark practically materialized above her head.
How did you segway into that question so smoothly right after asking my name?
"Maruzensky Nee-san... I'm not sure what you're thinking, but my physical condition doesn't allow me to run."
"Do you have glass legs?"
Maruzensky lowered her head, peering at the girl's feet.
"No."
Bless the Moment shook her head. "I've been sickly and weak since I was a child. If it weren't for Mom and Dad taking such good care of me, I might not even be here now."
"I... I see..."
Maruzensky forced out the words, her voice strained.
—What have I done!
She had stepped on another landmine. Maruzensky barely managed to keep her expression neutral, but inside, she was screaming like a startled groundhog.
Uma Musume are girls born to run.
And here she was, repeatedly stepping on landmines in front of a fourteen-year-old filly who couldn't run because of her health...
Maruzensky, oh Maruzensky, even if you see a shadow of your past self in her and want to help, you can't keep messing up like this!
No! I have to change the subject. Now!
"I remember that your former trainer was Nakatsuru Aya, right, Maruzensky Nee-san?"
"Yes, it was her... How do you even know that?"
"It's in the textbooks."
The white-haired filly replied.
"'Trainer Nakatsuru Aya protested to the Uma Musume Association on behalf of her charge, Maruzensky, who was unable to compete, and achieved success. This action directly reduced the barriers to entry for imported Uma Musume wishing to compete domestically.'"
As Maruzensky beside her muttered, 'They put that kind of thing in the textbooks?', Bless the Moment recited the passage flawlessly, her demeanor calm.
"Protest? Ahaha!"
Hearing the words from Bless the Moment, Maruzensky couldn't hold back a laugh.
The phrase 'protested successfully' was such a nice way to put it!
It acknowledged that her trainer had indeed gone to the Association to voice her displeasure about the racing ban, while also subtly complimenting the Association for being receptive, saving them some face.
But unfortunately, she had been there herself the day her trainer went to 'protest.' The textbook version could only fool those who weren't there. It couldn't fool her.
"Did I get it wrong?"
"Wrong. Completely wrong."
Wiping a tear of mirth from the corner of her eye, Maruzensky adjusted her breathing and spoke to the filly beside her.
"Back then, when my trainer found out I couldn't race, she stormed straight into the Uma Musume Racing Association, furious."
Maruzensky began recounting the events of that day.
"...'Maruzensky can't race because she's an imported horse? What idiot came up with that rule?'"
"'File a complaint if you have an issue? If complaints actually worked, would I be standing here trying to reason with you lot?!'"
"'It's precisely because you place so many restrictions on foreign Uma Musume that Uma Musume from other countries don't come to race in Japan! How dare you have the nerve to claim the quality of Japanese Uma Musume is steadily improving when you pull stunts like this?'"
"'Keep this up, and you'll just be driving all the promising talent overseas! Still dreaming of a Japanese Uma Musume winning the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe? Keep dreaming your fool's dream, you bunch of stuck-in-the-mud old fossils!'"
The sound of her trainer, a lone figure, furiously berating the entire Association membership, seemed to echo in her ears.
The memory hadn't faded; it was as clear as if it had happened yesterday.
But that black-haired human woman, who had defied the entire Association for her sake, had quietly vanished from her side, leaving her alone.
...To have met a trainer like that, Maruzensky truly was blessed for three lifetimes.
"Maruzensky Nee-san?"
"Hmm?"
Maruzensky looked at Bless the Moment, who was meeting her gaze, and realized she had zoned out mid-story.
"Sorry, sorry, where was I?"
Maruzensky apologized with a smile, but her thoughts were already drifting far away.
...Tonight, I'll find Ms. Tazuna and have a drink, reminisce about the old days.
--+--
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.