Hearing Oguri Cap's mother's question, Nearl answered without hesitation, her words brimming with praise for the young Uma Musume.
"Oguri is truly an outstanding Uma Musume. She has no shortage of talent or dedication—pure-hearted yet incredibly perceptive, genuine in how she treats others and always respectful. She doesn't care much for material pleasures. You could say she's the perfect friend. I'm truly honored to have someone like Oguri as a friend."
"Oh, little Nearl, you're praising her far too much. Who knows my daughter better than I do? Of course, Oguri has many strengths, and they make me proud as her mother—but she has just as many little flaws. Not many can accept my daughter's shortcomings without hesitation and remain her friend all the same."
A smile spread across Oguri Cap's mother's face as she listened. What parent doesn't love hearing their child praised? But with a certain goal in mind, she felt it necessary to give a more balanced introduction of her daughter.
And so, she began carefully listing Oguri's flaws.
"This girl—she's clumsy with her hands, always misplacing things. Though her heart is pure, she isn't as thoughtful or considerate as other girls tend to be. All she ever thinks about is training—she can't even take proper care of herself. And her appetite… it's huge. Going out to eat with friends must be downright embarrassing for them."
As she went on, her own mood began to dip.
"Not at all, Auntie, you're overthinking it."
Noticing the change in her demeanor, Nearl guessed she might be worried about her daughter's future. So she decided to vouch for her friend.
"It's true—Oguri has plenty of little issues. Maybe they'll make her life a bit turbulent down the road, but that's all it'll be—just turbulence."
Nearl's eyes drifted to a newspaper clipping on the wall featuring Oguri Cap, her tone full of confidence.
"Nothing in this world is perfect. What matters most, I believe, is being able to accept one's own flaws. Oguri already does plenty well enough—I even look up to her now. Her light won't dim just because of a few things she isn't good at. She's the kind of Uma Musume who inspires dreams in everyone who watches her."
"Then, little Nearl… could you promise to always look out for her? Like you've seen, my daughter is… worryingly helpless."
Oguri's mother gazed at Nearl, her eyes slightly narrowed, a soft smile playing on her lips.
Nearl agreed without the slightest hesitation.
"I will. I'll do everything I can. A knight never turns away someone in need—especially not a friend."
Perhaps she'd let her guard down, but Nearl had accidentally revealed her admiration for knights.
'Oh no, is Auntie going to tease me about it?'
The thought crossed her mind instinctively, and she braced herself for the coming embarrassment. But to her surprise, Oguri's mother took it quite seriously.
"Hehehe, so our little Nearl likes knights, hm? No wonder you're always so strict with yourself. When the time comes for your official racing nickname, why not choose something knight-related?"
Nearl let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Yes, let's do that when the time comes."
"Hehe…" Oguri's mother chuckled softly, silently cheering on a certain dapple-gray girl who was still out running laps.
'Hang in there, daughter. It's easier now, but once little Nearl steps onto the track, she's going to be very popular.'
--+--
By the time Oguri Cap finished her run and returned home, an enormous spread of food covered the plastic cloth laid over the tatami mats. Her eyes sparkled like stars.
"Sweetie, I made some of this, and little Nearl made the rest. Be sure to tell me which ones you like better after you try them."
Her mother smiled warmly as she handed Oguri a large pot of rice.
"Okay!" Spoon already in hand, Oguri could hardly wait. The moment she took the pot, she began devouring everything.
Devouring—that was the only word for it. To Nearl, it looked as though the food and rice were being poured like water into Oguri's stomach. The spectacle was nothing short of breathtaking.
No wonder her mother had simply spread a plastic sheet on the floor and dumped the food right on top—it was a matter of cost. Even throwing away two sheets a day was cheaper than wasting huge amounts of water washing dishes.
The meal flew by in what felt like an instant. Once it was over, Oguri lay on her back, resting with her full belly, while Nearl helped her mother clean up.
"Heave-ho!"
The sauce-stained plastic sheet was folded up and tossed into a trash bag. Spoons and the rice pot were scrubbed clean. It was already 7 PM. Though nightlife was just beginning for most city dwellers, the Oguri household had no plans to go out—it was time to wash up and wind down.
Not that there was anywhere to go in such a remote, quiet place anyway.
"Alright, little Nearl, why don't you take your bath first? Sorry, but we only have a shower here—no bathtub to soak in."
After finishing the chores, Oguri's mother suggested Nearl go first. Nearl accepted gladly.
"Please don't trouble yourself, Auntie. I brought my own clothes."
Stopping her from rummaging through spare clothing, Nearl pulled her pajamas from her bag and headed into the bathroom. What followed was a refreshing, enjoyable shower.
Among Uma Musume, Nearl was relatively quick in the shower. Most took forty to fifty minutes, since they had to carefully wash their ears and tails. Compared to that, Nearl's thirty-minute routine was remarkably efficient.
By the time she stepped out, Oguri's bulging stomach had completely flattened. No matter how many times Nearl saw it, it still mystified her—where did all that food go?
After Nearl, it was Oguri's turn to shower. While she was in the shower, the house grew quiet. Both Nearl and Oguri's mother were occupied with their own tasks.
Nearl was studying training techniques on her own. She'd long since mastered the basics taught at local training centers—now she was delving into more advanced material.
Meanwhile, Oguri's mother was working on a novel. After all, there weren't many jobs that offered both plenty of free time to care for Oguri and a decent income.
Though she'd been an Uma Musume herself, her racing record was fairly average. The earnings she'd made before retiring would've been just enough to support herself—but adding Oguri to the mix made that impossible. And with so much time spent cooking each day, a typical job wouldn't have met her needs.
So she'd decided to try her hand at work she could do from home—like writing novels. That way, she could write during breaks while looking after Oguri. Fortunately, she had something of a natural talent for it. Her novels sold fairly well, and with the royalties combined with her past winnings, she managed to keep the household afloat.
The rest of the day slipped by in that warm, comfortable atmosphere. For once, Nearl turned in as early as 11 PM—usually, she'd study until 2 in the morning. But today, as a guest in Oguri's home, she didn't want to disturb their rest.
'I'll have to figure something out when I'm studying in the school dorm, too. I can't bother my roommate.'
With that thought on her mind, Nearl drifted into sleep.
--+--
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.