"Done! The [Uma Musume Penetrating Leg Cell Retroactive Tachyon Healer No.6] spray reagent!!"
Long white sleeves waved about, and held aloft above them was a tightly clutched transparent glass vial. The murky green liquid inside exuded an aura that was somehow intimidating.
"Guh-heh, guh-heh-heh… My reagent is finally complete. According to my deductions, it's definitely going to have an effect on injuries."
A certain impatient urge compelled Tachyon to immediately use this freshly developed reagent, but thankfully, the last shred of reason held her back.
"No, I still need to test it. Can't just drink it straight. Calm down, my right hand!"
Using all her might to pull her right hand—which was bringing the vial to her mouth—away, Agnes Tachyon fell into thought.
"Test subjects… who should I get to try it? Do I have anyone I particularly dislike? Or is there someone gullible enough who counts as my friend?"
But after much pondering, Tachyon sadly realized she didn't have any gullible friends. Even sadder, she didn't even have anyone she genuinely wanted to trick—no one she truly disliked enough.
"Not even someone I hate… have I really been cut off from the world for this long?"
Her hands didn't stop transferring the reagent into a spray bottle, and meanwhile, Tachyon's mind was racing.
"Manhattan Cafe? No, she's been buying my meals lately. Can't afford to make her mad right now, what would I do for food? And what's really annoying is why won't she tell me where she gets them from!"
Thinking about this made Tachyon furious. She'd tried countless methods, including but not limited to whining, bribing, acting cute, and promising not to use her as a little guinea pig, yet Cafe remained tight-lipped, stubborn as a fortress.
After too many attempts, Cafe had even stopped coming around her place during her usual visits, leaving Tachyon all alone facing this increasingly lonely lab.
It was a blatant betrayal!
"It's so strange. With Cafe's gloomy, loner personality, she shouldn't have found any acquaintances besides me."
"Plus, she's always held to the principle that 'people who can't fully understand her don't deserve to be her friends.' So why has the time she spends with me clearly decreased lately? She's clearly the clingy, lonely-averse type."
This was what Tachyon couldn't figure out the most.
She absolutely wouldn't admit she was feeling a bit lonely herself.
"Alright, at this point, there's no other choice. Time to go outside and bamboozle… ahem, I mean, invite some guinea pigs over for experiments."
Shaking the spray can in her hand, Agnes Tachyon finally decided to step out of the laboratory she hadn't left in three days.
"Where should I find some guinea pigs? The teachers are in the teaching building, and trainers are usually on the field. The cafeteria it is, then. That's where the Uma Musume congregate daily, after all. Heh heh heh heh…"
Scratching her messy, unkempt short hair that hadn't seen care in days, Agnes Tachyon swayed her way toward the cafeteria, a place she'd only visited a handful of times.
--+--
"Cafe, thank you for your hard work. Take a rest."
Wiping the dishes in her hands, Nearl, who had just seen off a group of customers, called out to Cafe, who was assisting her by tidying up the coffee machine nearby.
These days, Cafe had been helping Nearl a lot with the restaurant work, and their relationship had grown increasingly close.
Now, Cafe would often lean on Nearl for her afternoon naps.
"Mhm."
Giving a light nod, Cafe sped up her pace cleaning the utensils. After a long period of working together, she was now very familiar with the routine.
The peak dining hours were over now. Most students had gotten the food they wanted and were gathered in twos and threes to eat.
This was the time to relax a little.
Nearl would prepare her coffee and snacks in advance, and she could have Nearl to herself for a short while—like leaning on Nearl's shoulder for a nap.
Nearl inexplicably had a warm, sunny aura about her, along with an indescribably warm and pleasant scent.
Cafe loved it; it was something she never experienced during her lonely days before.
Moreover, Nearl was her understanding friend, and they shared each other's secrets.
This made Cafe's fondness for Nearl grow even stronger, mingled with reverence—a complex and weighty feeling.
'I want more. I want more of her attention. I want to stay with her always. I want to see my reflection in her eyes anytime, anywhere. I want to feel her presence every night when I fall asleep…'
Such thoughts constantly swirled in Manhattan Cafe's heart.
But whenever she saw Nearl's beautiful smile, that desire would fade and hide, transforming into a gentle warmth and joy.
Yet it was like quenching thirst with poisoned wine.
The more happiness she felt from their interactions, the stronger Manhattan Cafe's urge to stick to Nearl's side grew.
How far was she now from the breaking point?
"Here, today's coffee. I changed the quality of the beans a bit. Hope you like it."
The aroma of the coffee was rich yet not overpowering, like fine rain seeping into the heart. Its color was pure; even someone who knew nothing could tell this was truly good coffee.
"It's delicious."
Blowing away the rising steam, Cafe slightly narrowed her eyes. Right now, it was just her and Nearl alone—the moment she looked forward to most each day.
'The sunlight is nice too, the temperature is comfortable, peaceful as always. Ah, I'm getting a bit sleepy.'
Thinking this, Cafe familiarly leaned against Nearl's shoulder, giving a slight wiggle to adjust her position for more comfort.
"Just let me sleep like this…"
She murmured softly.
But I refuse!
"Cafe!!"
Only a few seconds after settling against Nearl, just beginning to feel comfortable, that familiar, wildly eccentric voice—the one that now made Cafe's heart skip a beat—rang out not far away.
"Tachyon?"
Cafe turned her head, somewhat flustered and guilty, but subconsciously, she tightened her grip on Nearl's sleeve.
"…"
Agnes Tachyon's face was full of anguish. Trembling, she extended a sleeve, pointing at the person who seemed to be snuggling against Nearl, looking as if she herself were the victim.
Of course, she wasn't truly heartbroken; this display was mostly an act. But deep down, there was indeed a sliver of jealousy and resentment she herself hadn't noticed.
"Cafe, aren't we best friends? Why? What tempted you to betray the profound bond between us?"
"Hmph."
Manhattan Cafe let out a soft, disdainful sniff. A strange sense of rivalry and annoyance made her instinctively lean closer to Nearl.
"Wah!"
As if struck, Agnes Tachyon staggered back several steps, wearing an expression of utter heartbreak.
All the while, her eyes remained fixed on the hand Cafe was using to cling to Nearl's sleeve.
'So irritating. I knew her first.'
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! 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.