On the other hand, the fact that Nearl could joke about it so freely showed she didn't mind such physical closeness in the slightest.
Seems she still had a long way to go before certain realizations would dawn on her.
"So, since you're heading to the capital, why not stay at my place? Centaurea-chan will be there too. It'd be a good chance for you sisters to meet, don't you think?"
After patting her cheeks to clear her head, Ardan made the suggestion.
"You're right. I should meet her."
Nearl agreed without hesitation, her own thoughts aligning perfectly with Ardan's proposal.
"Some things just have to be faced. I just wonder what she thinks of me."
Leading Ardan onto the train, Nearl gazed toward the distant capital, a certain anticipation stirring in her heart.
'Another me... I wonder how [I] will see me?'
"Hmm..."
A sudden, inexplicable chill ran through Platinum's body, making her shiver uncontrollably and rousing Mejiro Bright, who'd been using her as a pillow.
"Ahhh... Centaurea? Bad dream?" Still drowsy, Mejiro Bright covered a yawn with her hand.
"No, just felt like someone was talking about me."
Platinum rubbed her arms, trying to shake off the sudden cold sensation.
Incidentally, while strong emotions were sometimes shared, their memories weren't interconnected. Or rather, they had an unspoken agreement not to pry into each other's memories.
Of course, that time Platinum watched those things with the Three Goddesses didn't count.
"If you're feeling unwell, do you need some comforting? Want a hug?" Mejiro Bright spread her arms open, tilting her head with a soft, smiling expression.
"Hmph."
Centaurea didn't stand on ceremony. She wriggled a bit, found a comfortable angle, and promptly flopped into Bright's embrace.
"There, there~ Good girl~" Once Platinum was in her arms, Bright gently wrapped them around her, softly stroking her back.
Bathed in the perfect morning sunlight, the two of them sat leisurely on the garden swing, enjoying the comfortable, gentle winter rays.
The gentle swaying of the swing, combined with the warmth they shared, created a serene and peaceful atmosphere.
Unfortunately, someone wasn't having it.
"You two, is this really acceptable? All you do is laze around here. You should be training more." Mejiro Dober, standing nearby, looked utterly disgusted.
She frowned at the two slackers, occasionally using the towel around her neck to wipe away sweat.
"It's fine, it's fine! We're just taking a little break. Why don't you join us, Dober? Centaurea might even let you hold her. Look how cute she is right now." Bright puffed out her chest slightly, making Platinum's face more prominent, and smiled.
"Pass. My training schedule isn't finished yet," Dober refused bluntly.
"Remember, all work and no play makes Jack a dull girl. Centaurea here takes it easy every day, you know." Continuing to nuzzle the Platinum in her arms, Mejiro Bright wore an expression of pure bliss.
"That's different. I don't know how she stays so strong while being this lazy all the time. It's just absurd." Just thinking about it made Dober feel a pang of bitterness.
Even though she pushed herself with extra training every day and was steadily improving, she still couldn't catch up to Platinum, who only bothered to run a few laps now and then.
"Now, now, that's just her natural talent. It's nothing to be jealous of. We just need to focus on doing our best." Mejiro Ryan, having just finished her own training, came over to comfort Dober.
"Besides, Dober, your training intensity these past few days has been really high. It's time to take a break."
"I don't want to." Mejiro Dober refused outright. "I need to keep training. I haven't beaten Centaurea yet. How can I afford to slack off?"
"Dober." Ryan's expression turned serious. "This is Grandmother's order. She believes continuing like this is just wearing down your body. You have to stop."
"Urgh!" Dober bit her lip in frustration. "Grandmother's order?"
"That's right."
Hearing the firmness in Ryan's voice, Dober had no choice but to abandon her plan for more training.
In her heart, the words of the Mejiro family head held absolute weight. If Grandmother said her training was problematic, then it was problematic.
"I understand. I'll stop for today."
Seeing Dober heed the advice, Ryan was pleased. She stepped forward and ruffled Dober's hair.
"That's better."
But Dober shook her head uneasily, dislodging Ryan's hand, and took a few steps back.
Ryan didn't mind. She knew this junior of hers wasn't very comfortable with physical contact.
"So, how about going to watch a race instead?" Mejiro Bright suddenly chimed into the conversation, her expression suggesting she had a recommendation.
"The Japan Cup is coming up soon, right? I heard a lot of world-class Uma Musume will be there. Want to go?"
"I'm not going. The races are exciting, sure, but is there any need to go in person? Can't we just watch it on TV?" Mejiro Dober refused outright. That was just her nature; she really didn't like crowded places.
"I can go. I quite like the atmosphere at the live venue. It gets me excited." Mejiro Ryan patted her firm arm, looking quite interested in the proposal.
"So now it's one to one." Mejiro Bright clasped her hands together and looked down at the Platinum in her lap.
"Since it was my idea, I won't vote. Centaurea, what do you think?"
"Hah, Bright, are you being stupid?" Dober said, puzzled. "With Centaurea's lazy personality, there's no way she'd go to watch a race in person."
"I'll go."
Before Dober could finish, a muffled voice came from Bright's embrace, shattering her prediction.
"Eh? Centaurea, why are you so enthusiastic about it this time?" Dober's small mouth opened slightly in surprise.
But Platinum had already gone back to pretending to sleep, staying silent.
Being ignored made Dober feel her fists clench.
"So now it's two to one. Dober, are you coming or not?" Mejiro Bright looked at her with a smile, waiting for an answer.
"I keep my promises. I'll go with you this time. But Ardan should be returning today. We should invite her too when she arrives." Letting out a resigned sigh, Dober conceded.
"Of course! But Ardan dotes on us so much, she'll definitely agree." Mejiro Bright was full of confidence.
'Ardan... She probably went to meet the other me, didn't she? I wonder what news she'll bring back? Will it be a greeting from [me] to me?'
Slumped limply in Bright's embrace, Platinum lost herself in thought.
--+--
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.