Love You, Mom

"I mean," although she had interrupted her son, Kikou Mirei's tone only grew gentler, "ever since you were little, you've been more sensible and mature than other children. But because of that, you never had many friends your own age. The people you got along with were all older seniors.

"Now that you're in Tokyo, from what you've told me, most of your interactions at work are with Horse Girls and colleagues, all for the sake of training and races.

"Sometimes your mom wonders whether, aside from work, you have any friends you can really open up to. Never mind friends of the opposite sex.

"Especially at your age—so many other people's children are already thinking about starting families, while you're still alone. Mom's so worried she's practically going bald."

"—No," Anjing Zhen said even more helplessly. "Mom, what on earth are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your problem, of course," Kikou Mirei said matter-of-factly. "You need to change that habit of tying everything back to work. Otherwise, the next time you run into this sort of problem, are you going to come running to your mom for the rest of your life?"

She paused, seeming to consider it for a moment, before getting back to the point. "Still, I do have a few general suggestions."

Forgetting his earlier helplessness in an instant, Anjing Zhen perked up. "You mean Almond Eye? Then—do you have any good ideas?"

"Hmm—even your mom wouldn't dare claim to have some instant miracle solution for a young girl in the prime of adolescence, so sensitive and so determined to prove herself."

Kikou Mirei smiled. "After all, Mom isn't the age of a young girl anymore."

Anjing Zhen was not too disappointed by that. He had only thought of talking to his mother on a