"Agnes Tachyon… So you're the friend she mentioned?"
Nearl noticed it immediately, recalling that peculiar, science-obsessed Uma Musume from yesterday.
"Mhm, Tachyon. Even though she can't see me when I don't actively appear, she still managed to deduce my existence just from observing Manhattan Cafe's daily habits."
Picking up her coffee cup again, SS recalled the scene with a sense of astonishment.
"Tachyon truly possesses remarkable intelligence and judgment—she isn't bound by common sense."
"When other Uma Musume see Cafe talking to me daily, they assume something's off about her mental state. Only Agnes Tachyon would hypothesize that someone real is communicating with Cafe, and then gather clues step by step to confirm my existence."
"So, in a way, she's half a friend to Cafe, because she's come to understand the real Manhattan Cafe. Though limited by her innate abilities—she still can't see me, after all."
After hearing this, Nearl felt her impression of the girl from yesterday deepen. The image of Agnes Tachyon, once shaped by news reports, now felt more complete.
"So today, you wanted to see if Manhattan Cafe could make friends? Even if the cost might be your own disappearance?"
"…"
SS shrugged and said nothing, but her silence spoke volumes.
"Alright, let's end our chat here. I should get back to work. Can I get you two something to eat?"
Nearl shook her head, rising from her chair to return behind the counter.
Manhattan Cafe and the others had come early, when the cafeteria was nearly empty, which was why Nearl had time to chat.
Now, a stream of Uma Musume was pouring in, and from here on, Nearl wouldn't have a spare moment.
"I don't need to eat. For me, food is just about taste. Ask Cafe."
"I… I'd like to try an onigiri."
Cafe said softly, her cheeks consistently flushed, making her look utterly adorable.
Or perhaps it was simply that Manhattan Cafe was, at heart, a cute and ordinary girl.
It was just that her natural ability to perceive a world beyond the ordinary had made her overly reliant on SS, who was practically a part of her.
That was what turned her into the supposedly unsociable, gloomy, and eerie legend others saw today.
Before leaving, Nearl glanced at SS and felt a wave of understanding.
Maybe SS knew that her own presence was disrupting Manhattan Cafe's normal life. That might be why she was so actively searching for someone who could understand Cafe.
For that, even if it meant she herself might be driven away, she was willing to risk it.
"Here's the onigiri you ordered. It's filled with pickled plum and seasoned fish flakes—really tasty."
"Thank you."
Cafe carefully accepted the onigiri, but the moment she took it, she noticed it felt unusually heavy.
"Um, isn't there a lot more here? I won't be able to finish it."
"No problem. This portion includes shares for SS and Agnes Tachyon, too."
Nearl winked at Cafe, a slight smile curling her lips—a rare break from her usual composure.
"Could you take these to Agnes Tachyon for me? Otherwise, she might get so absorbed in her experiments that she skips a proper lunch. This specially wrapped onigiri is my own recipe—it should meet her nutritional standards."
"Understood. I'll make sure she gets it."
Manhattan Cafe nodded and prepared to leave, but just before she did, Nearl called out to her.
"You're welcome to come see me anytime from now on. No matter what it is, you can always ask me for help. After all, we're friends now."
"…Mhm."
Without turning back—perhaps too shy to let Nearl see her expression—Manhattan Cafe gave only a soft acknowledgment before quickly walking away without a backward glance.
"Alright, time to focus."
Seeing new customers arrive, Nearl set aside her distractions and threw herself wholeheartedly into her work.
"Hello, how can I help you?"
--+--
Meanwhile, Cafe arrived in front of a deserted academic building, not a soul in sight.
There were two or three such buildings at Central Tracen Academy, kept on reserve and usually completely empty.
This kind of place perfectly suited Agnes Tachyon's experimental needs, so she had quietly commandeered one of the classrooms and converted it into a lab.
As one of the rare few Agnes Tachyon acknowledged, Manhattan Cafe knew the locations of all her labs.
"Tachyon."
Sliding open the locked door, Cafe stepped into a room that looked suspicious from the get-go. Inside, a figure with chestnut hair was busily working away.
"Oh, Cafe? What brings you here on your own today?"
Finishing up what she was handling and pausing the experiment, Tachyon turned to look at the girl she somewhat tolerated.
"Here. Lunch."
A neatly wrapped round object was tossed into Cafe's arms, making her catch it on reflex.
"This size, this texture… Is it onigiri?"
Scratching her hair in mild annoyance, Agnes Tachyon set the onigiri aside.
"Pretty sure I've told you this—nutrition is the foundation of growth. Just stuffing your belly is pointless. Thanks for the thought, but I'll make myself a blended juice."
At the mention of blended juice, Cafe's face paled, and she looked like she might gag.
"You mean that concoction where you toss chicken breast, carrots, fruit, seasoning, oil, and salt into a blender and pulverize it?"
"Oh, you tried it once with interest, didn't you? What, feeling nostalgic for the goodness of blended juice? Don't worry, I'll share some with you."
With that, Tachyon enthusiastically pulled out her custom blender from under the counter, sending Cafe stumbling backward, her face ashen.
"No! I was tricked that time! Who'd want to drink that stuff?! It's slimy, yet full of a fishy smell and greasy slickness, with vegetable scraps scraping down your throat."
As she spoke, Cafe began to tremble all over.
"That thing is disgusting."
"Honestly, Cafe, you're still so limited. How can you reach higher realms like this? The human body isn't much different from a machine—just varying in complexity. Machines run on oil; we consume a broader range of things. Isn't that just normal?"
Agnes Tachyon launched into a fervent speech about the superiority of her dietary habits.
"Besides, this method saves so much time, and you never have to worry about choking. I believe this is the eating strategy befitting a truly highly intelligent person!"
"Suit yourself. Eat it or don't."
Haunted by bitter memories, Manhattan Cafe had no desire to continue the conversation. She set down all the onigiri Nearl had prepared for Tachyon, then quickly turned and fled.
"I guess ordinary minds really can't grasp my genius? How tragic."
Tachyon shook her head regretfully and made to throw the onigiri away.
But the moment she picked one up, a faint warmth seeped through the wrapping into her hand, and a savory fragrance drifted up to her olfactory senses.
"…"
Agnes Tachyon fell silent.
A moment later.
"This is… genuinely delicious. And the ingredients are surprisingly well-balanced—even I can't find fault with it… Suddenly, eating like this doesn't seem so bad."
--+--
T/N: Nearl really capturing hearts through food
--+--
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.