The next morning, Nearl woke once again in Mr. C.B's embrace.
She tilted her head slightly, glancing at the senior who was hugging her, head nestled in the crook of her shoulder. Nearl let out a soft, understanding sigh.
"Staying at senpai's place always leads to this… I'm starting to get used to it."
As usual, she carefully slipped out of bed and tucked a pillow into Mr. C.B's arms, hoping the substitute would keep her from waking due to the lack of warmth.
After leaving the room, Nearl smoothed her disheveled golden hair—mussed from a deep sleep—and pondered how to address Mr. C.B's little habit.
"Senpai never says it, but clinging to me like this helps her sleep well—gives her sweet dreams, I suppose."
She gathered her waterfall of golden hair into a simple ponytail at the nape of her neck, gave a light toss of her head, and that was that.
"Maybe I should make her a body pillow someday. If it's something about me that helps her rest, maybe I can just imbue the fabric with a bit of radiance."
Musing over such whimsical ideas, Nearl stepped out of the small apartment.
By then, Platinum was still fast asleep on the sofa. Yesterday, she and Mr. C.B had really hit it off—laughing and carrying on for hours. The result? Both of them were completely knocked out this morning.
Out of respect for Mr. C.B, Nearl decided to let Platinum off the hook for now. Adjusting the girl's lifestyle habits could wait.
"Nothing beats a morning run. The air might not be the freshest, but this peace and quiet is rare."
Jogging alone along the roadside, Nearl occasionally waved or exchanged greetings with other Uma Musume out for their morning runs.
She kept up her pace for about an hour. On her second pass by the main gate of Central Tracen, she noticed an unfamiliar Uma Musume catching up to her.
At first, Nearl thought it was just a coincidence, but the girl persistently tailed her for quite some distance.
"…"
Puzzled, Nearl glanced back, then gradually slowed until they were running side by side.
"Hello there. Is there a reason you've been following me?"
Gazing at the Uma Musume's lovely face, Nearl asked with gentle curiosity.
"Eep! Um…"
The girl seemed startled. Her visible right eye darted nervously, her lips pressed tight, and a faint blush spread across her cheeks—she looked utterly shy.
"…"
For some reason, Nearl fell silent. She studied the flustered girl intently for a moment, then broke into her usual warm smile.
"No need to be nervous. How about we slow down and talk as we run?"
Nearl made the suggestion, and the unknown Uma Musume nodded in agreement.
"Good. Let's start with introductions—it'll make things easier. You can call me Nearl."
Hearing this, the girl hesitated, fiddling with her sleeve before shyly offering her own name.
"You can… call me Butler."
"Butler? That's an unusual name. Is it a code name for your profession?"
Nearl asked curiously, which only made Butler's face grow redder.
"It's my name…"
"Your name… Well, that's nice too." Maintaining a pace that felt leisurely to Nearl, they turned a corner.
"Let's get back to the main point. Why were you following me, Miss Butler? Just looking for a running partner?"
"N-No, that's not it!"
Butler waved her hands frantically, her face flushed.
"I saw your races in the reports—they were really amazing! So… when I saw you today, I just wanted to get a little closer…"
Her voice trailed off, thick with embarrassment.
"Heh, so I have a little fan now? And here I've only run in two races so far."
Nearl responded with a light laugh, her expression as kind as ever.
"Please don't say that! You won both races by 30 lengths—that's a record-breaking achievement!"
Butler argued earnestly, gesturing animatedly.
"Well, thank you for your faith in me. I won't let my supporters down. From now on, I'll keep delivering exciting performances."
Nearl glanced up at the morning sun on the horizon, then turned back with an invitation.
"How about running a lap with me? It's getting late, and I'm sure you have your own schedule. Once we finish, it'll be time to return to our daily routines."
Although Nearl had extended the offer, Butler didn't seem entirely willing.
"But… I was hoping to spend a bit more time with you…"
"Ah, how about tomorrow morning, then? Around the same time? I run every day."
"Really? Then I'll make sure to come early and wait for you!"
Butler's eyes sparkled as if filled with stars, her voice brimming with excitement.
"No need to go that far. Alright, let's start our run. We'll finish at that tall building over there."
Pointing casually toward a distant skyscraper, Nearl settled into a running stance. Butler hurriedly followed suit.
"Begin."
At the signal, two figures sped away, growing smaller under the morning sun.
--+--
Two hours later, Butler—now separated from Nearl—slumped onto a roadside bench, panting heavily. The muscles in her legs still trembled faintly.
"Damn, she's strong!"
Gone was the shy fan from earlier. Now, Butler's face was filled with pure frustration.
"She's the real deal, all right. The strongest active runner hasn't even stepped onto the graded stakes stage yet—what a joke."
Butler took several large gulps from her water bottle, then wiped the droplets from her lips with bold resolve.
"Thirty lengths… A monster like that, hiding close to Oguri Cap… I'll have to scrap all my earlier predictions. A strong friend and rival can bring unimaginable changes."
Sweeping her beautiful hair back gracefully, Butler stood up, ready to return and rebuild her predictive models concerning Oguri Cap.
Oh, perhaps we shouldn't call her Butler anymore. It's time to use her real name.
Obey Your Master.
"The next few days will be crucial. I need to find a way to learn more from Nearl—about their training progress or performance limits…"
Meanwhile, having already entered Central Tracen, Nearl shook her head slightly. She turned to gaze into the distance, narrowing her eyes.
"Wearing a mask won't help you make true friends, Miss 'Butler.' I hope you find your real self soon."
With that, Nearl turned and continued toward the student council room. She still had to request a leave of absence for Mr. C.B today.
--+--
T/N: just in cause, Obey Your Master's irl name is Pay the Butler
--+--
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!
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