Due to her exhaustion, Kagura slept exceptionally well.
Kagura had a strange ability—no matter how late or how early she went to bed, she'd always wake up precisely at 6:30 AM the next day. Even if she was dead tired, she'd still open her eyes briefly before drifting back to sleep.
"Mm…"
Kagura slowly woke from her deep slumber. This rare quality sleep left her feeling immensely satisfied. Just as she was about to stretch a little, she suddenly felt something soft and warm pressing against her back.
Still groggy, Kagura subconsciously thought it was Eclipse-san, but quickly realized she was in her pajamas. She couldn't possibly feel Eclipse-san's presence this clearly through fabric. Confused, she opened her eyes, glancing forward to see Ardan's bed empty, the covers thrown aside.
"Why…is Ardan-san…in my bed?"
Kagura jolted awake, instantly alert. She quickly tried to recall her fragmented memories from last night. She vaguely remembered returning to the dorm, opening the door, grabbing her pajamas to take a bath…and then nothing.
Did I fall asleep in the bath...? Did Ardan-san carry me out? But why is she in my bed?
Unable to figure out exactly what happened in between, Kagura decided not to overthink it. She could guess vaguely—given how groggy she was last night—that Ardan had probably done something to help her and ended up unable to leave, thus staying behind.
Sigh… Looks like I caused trouble for Ardan-san. I should be more careful from now on.
Quietly slipping out of Ardan's embrace, Kagura glanced at the clock, checking if she had anything scheduled today. After confirming she had nothing planned—not even classes—she decided to head to the Cafeteria.
"Morning, Kagura-chan. You looked exhausted yesterday—are you okay being up this early?"
To Kagura's surprise, Nice Nature was already in the Cafeteria. But she didn't seem to be here for a meal from Kagura today; she'd already gotten her own breakfast and was eating quietly.
"I'm fine… Hold on! Didn't I tell you it's best to have protein for breakfast? Go get some milk or eggs. Stop eating so many fried foods in the morning—it's bad for you!"
"I—I know!"
Nature, gently scolded, laughed helplessly. She picked up her tray again and hurried off sheepishly to supplement her breakfast.
Kagura stepped into the kitchen to gather ingredients and began preparing today's breakfast. With Nice Nature already taken care of, she only needed to prepare Rudolf Ojou-sama's meal.
Ardan-san probably hasn't woken up yet either… Might as well make her a portion too?
After thinking it over briefly, Kagura decided to make an extra serving for her roommate, unsure whether Ardan would be used to her cooking.
Opening the fridge, she saw her newly pickled radishes still neatly stored away, estimating they'd be ready in a couple days. Of course, that wasn't what she needed right now.
Recently, Kagura had managed to get some unusual ingredients from a distant Chinese specialty shop—pidan (century eggs). To most of her Nihonjin friends, this food was something of terrifying magical potency, but Kagura herself quite liked it.
"Hm-hmm~"
Humming cheerfully, Kagura skillfully chopped the pidan and lean pork, dropping them into a pot to simmer porridge. Ginger and green onions were finely sliced and set aside for later.
Rudolf Ojou-sama was accustomed to Chinese cuisine now and wasn't opposed to trying such dark cuisine—if anything, she'd had very positive reactions.
With plenty of time left and porridge cooking quickly, Kagura even leisurely whipped up some egg pancakes. Even though Tracen lacked certain specialized cookware, this posed no real problem for Kagura.
"Hmm?"
Carrying two boxed breakfasts out of the kitchen, Kagura spotted a familiar "student" sitting beside Nice Nature unusually early. Nature was nervously eating, clearly feeling immense pressure.
"Speed-sama?! You're up so early? Why are you here at Tracen?"
"You haven't had proper rest for a long while. Rudolf's next race isn't your responsibility for now, and nothing major is scheduled soon. After careful consideration, I've decided to order you to take a few days off. You're coming home with me now. There's no way you can properly rest at school."
"Ah…"
Kagura opened her mouth to speak, but after meeting Speed-sama's unyielding gaze, she immediately swallowed her words. Clearly, Speed-sama wasn't open to discussion.
"Nice Nature-san… If you have some free time between your training sessions, you're welcome to visit Symboli Estate to play with Kagura."
"Y-yes!"
Nature hastily nodded, terrified that a slow response might offend Speed-sama. She instantly reverted to her earlier timid, insecure state—it seemed Speed-sama's imposing aura had truly overwhelmed her.
"Um…Speed-sama, may I deliver this breakfast first before leaving with you?"
"Very well. I'll be waiting at the school gates. Come find me once you're done."
…
Kagura carried breakfast to the school building first, delivering Rudolf Ojou-sama's meal and explaining that Speed-sama had personally come to bring her home for rest. Though Rudolf Ojou-sama showed a brief moment of hesitation, she soon nodded firmly in support of Speed-sama's decision.
Rudolf Ojou-sama indeed felt Kagura needed rest. Although she'd miss Kagura's cooking for a short while, risking the child's health for momentary comfort was hardly worth it. Besides, Tracen's Cafeteria food wasn't terrible; it would suffice temporarily.
"Oh, by the way, Ojou-sama, have you decided on your next race yet?"
"Trainer Tojo asked me the same thing—whether I'll enter the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes. It's a G1 race, a showdown among Uma Musume of the same generation. Media predictions currently point to my participation… Kagura, what do you think?"
"If possible, I'd personally advise against entering the Asahi Hai, Ojou-sama. A championship-level showdown would put immense stress on your body. You're already very strict with yourself daily; participating would multiply your training pressure several times over… It's not wise."
Hearing Rudolf's plans, Kagura involuntarily frowned. She was no longer a rookie completely unfamiliar with racing. To better assist Rudolf Ojou-sama, she'd diligently studied relevant racing knowledge herself, and she felt Rudolf's choice wasn't prudent.
If Rudolf hadn't joined the previous special race or had raced earlier, Kagura might've agreed. But now, with time so limited, entering would inevitably force Rudolf to her physical limits. Kagura feared Rudolf's health might suffer irreversible damage.
"Is that so...? Then which race would you prefer I enter?"
"The open race at the end of November. If Ojou-sama strongly desires a G1, I suggest the Hopeful Stakes in late December. At least then, time pressure won't be so severe."
"I see...hehe. Kagura, your advice matches perfectly with Trainer Tojo's."
Rudolf smiled appreciatively. Kagura's judgment wasn't wrong. She genuinely desired early participation in a G1, but as Kagura and Trainer Tojo both advised, that would significantly compress her schedule, endangering her health.
"Ojou-sama, your real goal is next year's Triple Crown, right? There's no need to rush yourself now."
"Mm… Alright. I'll convey your opinion to the trainer, and we'll decide after careful consideration. Is that acceptable?"
"Yes. Trainer Tojo is a professional, surely thinking further ahead. Whatever Trainer Tojo decides, I'll continue supporting you as always."
Kagura bowed slightly to Rudolf Ojou-sama, then turned to leave:
"If there's nothing else, I'll stop disturbing your work."
"Very well. Kagura, you should hurry home and rest."
…
Back in her dorm, Kagura saw Ardan already awake, washing up.
"Good morning, Ardan-san. I was so tired last night it seems I caused you trouble. I apologize."
"N-no, it's okay! Really, I don't mind! You don't have to apologize so formally, Kagura-san!"
Ardan quickly waved her hands, flustered.
Truthfully, she'd slept wonderfully last night, cuddling Kagura was unprecedentedly comfortable, and she even quietly wondered if she might ask Kagura to sleep together again sometime.
"I brought breakfast for you, Ardan-san. Just return the utensils to the Cafeteria after eating."
"Oh…this familiar scent… Is it pidan and pork porridge?"
Before Kagura opened the lunchbox, Ardan already guessed the contents.
"Mm? You've tried it before?"
"When I stayed abroad, Wudi-san took me several times. Though scary at first, I found pidan surprisingly tasty. After returning, I couldn't find it anywhere..."
"Glad you're okay with it. Please enjoy."
Smiling, Kagura handed Ardan the meal, watching as nostalgia softened her friend's eyes.
If only I could always eat Kagura's cooking…