Time flowed slowly, gradually slipping into May.
Tokai Natural's life was finally beginning to stabilize.
Since her daughter rarely cried or fussed, taking care of Mochizuki was relatively easier for her.
Though there were still five or six months left until Mochizuki turned one year old and could be weaned, Tokai Natural could now go out alone for extended periods without worrying too much about her daughter.
Precisely because of this, today Tokai Natural was able to accompany Chiyono O to check out the shopping street near Tracen Academy.
Previously, she had never had enough time to come to such a distant place.
"Why did you want to come here today, Yayoi-san?"
"The other day, Mr. C.B. mentioned that a storefront here seemed to be available, so I thought I'd come take a look."
Tokai Natural's gaze swept across the street, searching for the shop Mr. C.B. had spoken of.
"Are you planning to buy it, Yayoi-san?"
"How could I possibly have that kind of money? I'm just a bit worried that Mr. C.B. or Maruzen-san might buy it."
After answering Chiyono O's question, Tokai Natural continued softly, "Knowing those two, if they did buy it outright, things could get complicated. Plus..."
She turned to glance at Chiyono O.
"Hm?"
Seeing Tokai Natural pause, Chiyono O's face filled with confusion.
"Wouldn't it be a bit too far from Maruzen-san's house?"
She didn't mention the real reason.
After all, saying it was because the shop was too close to Tracen Academy wasn't something easy to speak aloud.
If Chiyono O misunderstood and thought she disliked being near her, that wouldn't be good either.
Besides, the proximity might attract that person's attention.
"Oh, I see. Yayoi-san really needs to be careful about that. Mochizuki is still so young, and if you couldn't get back home quickly, that could be dangerous."
Not noticing Tokai Natural's hidden concerns, Chiyono O interpreted her hesitation as purely family-related.
"That's pretty much the reason. Even though this location is very profitable, it really is a bit far from Maruzen-san's house."
Following Chiyono O's explanation, Tokai Natural finally spotted the storefront Mr. C.B. had mentioned.
"I found the place."
"Eh? Where?"
"Right ahead."
Following Tokai Natural's pointing finger, Chiyono O finally noticed the shopfront a short distance away.
Chiyono O quickly approached and soon saw the sticker labeled "Shop for Sale" on the glass.
Looking at this notice, Chiyono O peeked through the glass window to check the shop's interior.
From the decor, it was clearly a typical restaurant.
Lots of seats packed tightly together; obviously, it usually attracted plenty of customers.
Of course, that made sense.
After all, it was right next to Tracen Academy.
Though Tracen Academy's cafeteria provided free meals, just like most university students, Uma Musume didn't always want to eat cafeteria food every day.
Thus, the restaurant's usual traffic would not be low at all.
Adding in the academy's staff, it seemed natural that there would be so many seats.
"Hm, if we only consider the location, this is definitely a great spot. And considering Yayoi-san's cooking skills, I'd probably come every day."
Watching Chiyono O's tail wagging like an excited puppy, Tokai Natural couldn't help but smile softly. "Judging by the geography alone, this shop definitely won't lose money. I wonder why it's being sold."
Saying this, Tokai Natural shifted her eyes from Chiyono O's wagging tail back to the tables and chairs inside. "I wonder if the interior furniture could be bought cheaply. If that's possible, the initial cost to open the store would drop significantly. There's a market nearby, so sourcing goods there would cut down costs too. Though, I don't know if there's a cold storage room inside..."
Tokai Natural's muttering naturally drew Chiyono O's attention.
When Tokai Natural finished instinctively calculating the basic expenses, she finally noticed Chiyono O staring at her.
"Wh—what's wrong?"
"Yayoi-san, even though you said you don't want to open a shop here, you already started planning it out, didn't you?"
"It was just an instinctive reaction." Saying this, Tokai Natural turned her head slightly, hiding her embarrassment. "But opening here really would reduce operating costs quite a bit."
Hearing Tokai Natural's explanation, Chiyono O just nodded: "Then—"
"Let's drop it. This isn't something I should be considering, anyway. Let's head back. On the way home, we can buy some groceries. Since those two aren't here right now, you get to choose dinner."
Seeing Tokai Natural firmly refuse, Chiyono O opened her mouth to say something, but eventually just nodded quietly: "Okay."
Chiyono O understood why Tokai Natural refused. After spending so much time together, she knew Yayoi's personality well enough to understand her reasons.
But…
Seeing the calm, unchanging expression on Tokai Natural's face, Chiyono O felt her own footsteps becoming heavier.
However…
If Tokai Natural herself wasn't saying anything further, Chiyono O wouldn't press the matter, so—
"Yayoi-san."
"Hm? What is it?"
"What foods do you like to eat?" Looking at Tokai Natural, Chiyono O asked this quietly.
Facing Chiyono O's sudden question, Tokai Natural paused briefly, pretended to seriously think it over, and finally gave her answer: "I don't particularly have any favorites. Whatever you all enjoy, I like too."
Hearing this answer, which felt like Tokai Natural was again putting others before herself, Chiyono O fell silent for a few seconds before speaking again softly, "Um, Yayoi-san..."
"Yes?"
"What if… I used my prize money to buy that shopfront?"
"Eh~ Then what would Chiyono O-chan want to do with it?"
"I don't know, but somehow I feel like, if I handed it over to Yayoi-san, it wouldn't fail, right?"
"With that location, no matter what you sold, it'd be hard to lose money. Since it's so close to Tracen Academy, the Academy alone could keep the whole shopping street alive. So, Chiyono O-chan, you could do whatever you wanted."
Not responding directly, Tokai Natural carefully left some ambiguity in her words.
"But Yayoi-san, what about yourself?"
"I'm not suitable for that~" Saying this, Tokai Natural gently raised a hand and tapped Chiyono O's forehead. Then, softly, she added, "I'm not worth that much trouble from you, Chiyono O-chan."
Listening to Tokai Natural speak in such a manner, Chiyono O suddenly recalled another conversation she had overheard—a conversation outside a hospital room that day.
Only now did Chiyono O finally understand why Mr. C.B. had said those things back then.
Thinking about this, Chiyono O opened her mouth again, yet she couldn't manage to say anything.
Seeing Chiyono O's reaction, Tokai Natural simply stepped forward quietly: "Alright, let's go buy ingredients. We still haven't decided what to have for dinner."
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T/N: mmm so cute so comfy