"Mom, why are you here?"
Unconsciously rubbing her fingers over her collar, Oguri Cap could still faintly catch the lingering, most familiar scent of warmth on it.
It was the smell of family—the one who had accompanied and cared for her since she was little.
"You heartless girl!"
Oguri's mom gave her a light tap on the head, but seeing Oguri Cap's unfazed expression, it was clear she hadn't used much force.
"You never get in touch, and now I'm not allowed to come see you?"
Hands on her hips, Oguri's mom looked down at her daughter, who shook her head frantically, a nervous sweat beading on her face.
"Silly girl."
She sighed affectionately at her simple-minded daughter, then turned with a warm smile to Berno Light, who had been standing stiffly since earlier.
"Hello, I'm Oguri Cap's mother. Are you my daughter's friend?"
Faced with such a gentle woman, Berno Light couldn't help but relax a little.
"Y-yes! My name is Berno Light, and I currently serve as Oguri Cap's support Uma Musume."
With a touch of pride, Berno Light introduced herself.
To her, being Oguri Cap's support Uma Musume was a greater honor than anything else.
"Support, I see. Thank you for always being there to back Oguri Cap up. I hope this child hasn't let you down."
Gently patting Berno Light's shoulder, Oguri's mom asked with caring warmth.
She'd had support Uma Musume herself in the past.
For these girls who longed for the racetrack yet lacked the talent, choosing this path was a bittersweet decision.
"Of course! Oguri Cap… Oguri Cap is our pride! I'm still honored to be her support. Watching her run freely on the track, I can almost feel the wind of the field myself."
"Oguri Cap… I'm sure she'll become a great Uma Musume one day!"
Berno Light's eyes shone with unique passion and hope, something everyone present could feel.
"Is that so? You're placing your hopes in Oguri Cap like that?"
She gently ruffled the young girl's hair, her smile growing even softer.
"I believe in my daughter. She'll definitely live up to your expectations. Please continue supporting Oguri Cap from now on."
"Mom…"
Oguri Cap tugged shyly at her mother's hand, too embarrassed to let her continue.
"Alright, alright, I get it. My daughter's feeling shy."
Amused, Oguri's mom pulled her daughter into a hug, then turned to say goodbye to Berno Light.
"In that case, I'll borrow Oguri Cap for a while. I'll make sure she's back before curfew. Could you please let the trainer know?"
"Of course, no trouble at all! The trainer's been busy planning strategies lately and said Oguri Cap can have free time. You're welcome to take her out, just have her back before curfew."
Berno Light shook her head vigorously, waving her hands expressively.
"That's wonderful."
The mother took Oguri Cap's hand and bid farewell to Platinum and Berno Light.
"Please excuse us."
"Goodbye!"
"See you."
Both responded, watching as the two dapple-gray figures—one tall, one short—gradually faded into the distance, a surprisingly harmonious picture.
But after Oguri Cap and her mother left, Berno Light suddenly found herself at a loss.
Until now, she had always followed Trainer Musaka's directions, busy with various tasks.
With Trainer Musaka secluded for planning and Oguri Cap not needing her at the moment, she suddenly found herself with nothing to do.
That emptiness, however, was short-lived. After a moment, she quickly found her rhythm again.
"I'll take the day off today."
Berno Light stretched and muttered to herself.
"Should I go shopping or to the park?"
"Planning to go have fun?"
Just as she was about to leave, Platinum's cool voice sounded behind her, making her jump.
"Y-yes, is there a problem?"
Turning stiffly, Berno Light looked nervously at Platinum, who she'd always found a bit intimidating.
"Of course there is. Your problem is quite significant."
Platinum said bluntly.
"I won't comment on other support tasks since I'm not familiar, but your data gathering skills really need improvement."
"Urk…"
Scolded like this, Berno Light's expression visibly fell.
"But I'm not just here to criticize you. I'm here out of the goodness of my heart."
After delivering the criticism, Platinum's tone did a complete one-eighty.
The shift left Berno Light struggling to keep up.
"What do you mean?"
"Dummy! I'm saying I'll teach you how to do it."
Frowning, Platinum shot her a glare, suddenly feeling the weight of her task.
"Eh, but…"
"No buts. Come with me."
Completely ignoring Berno Light's hesitation, Platinum, like a cold tyrant, unilaterally declared the outcome.
"Okay…"
Her tail drooping limply, Berno Light trailed after Platinum's footsteps, dejected.
Tears as wide as noodles streaked her face, betraying her inner misery.
'My day off!'
--+--
"Oguri Cap, where should we go first? To be honest, Mom hasn't seen much herself, so I can't think of anywhere off the top of my head."
Oguri's mom laughed a little sheepishly.
"There's a hot pot place that's really delicious!"
Oguri Cap gave a thumbs-up, her face full of anticipation.
"This girl, always thinking about food. I meant somewhere fun to play!"
Looking at her clueless daughter, Oguri's mom realized her own foolishness.
"Ah, what was I thinking, expecting you to know about fun spots? How naive."
"Since neither of us has any ideas, why don't we just go with the popular choices? Like the movies or an amusement park."
Oguri's mom suggested. Seeing her daughter didn't object, it was settled.
"Okay, let's go see a movie first."
"Okay!"
Oguri Cap raised her hands in a muted cheer.
Though she wasn't particularly interested in movies, just being with her mom was enough to make her happy.
--+--
"So, what did you think of 'Ghost of Tsushima Uma Island'?"
Oguri's mom asked as they exited the theater.
"Mhm, the popcorn was sweet. Really tasty."
Oguri Cap's eyes sparkled, making her mother laugh.
"Haha, I wasn't asking about the snacks, you foodie. Never mind, let's head to the amusement park next."
"Okay!"
--+--
"The roller coaster was so exciting! Sweetie, want to go again?"
Oguri's mom shouted excitedly, but Oguri Cap remained silent.
"Urgh… hurl…"
She already looked green in the face.
"Alright, guess you don't want another ride. Let's try paddle boating instead."
"Okay."
Oguri Cap responded weakly.
--+--
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.