"You're quite impressive, little miss... I heard that you're also very good at housework when you're at the Symbol family's home, is that true?"
"It's merely my duty. It's nothing worth mentioning."
"That's so nice~ I'm so envious of whoever gets to marry you in the future... Once Kagura grows up, she'll definitely make a very virtuous wife! Big sister guarantees it!"
"Maruzensky, is it really okay to say things like that to an eleven-year-old...? Never mind, I'll just take it as a compliment~"
Seeing Maruzensky's envious expression, Kagura could only smile helplessly. She had never thought that far ahead herself. Her greatest goal right now was to live independently, then repay Speed Symbol for all her help. As for what came after that, she would leave it for her future self to consider.
Although Maruzensky had not been able to help much this time aside from acting as a human shopping cart and carrying things for her, having someone around to chat with while working was still a pleasant experience.
Maruzensky is actually a pretty good person...
Putting aside the fact that she occasionally liked to crush Kagura against her chest, Kagura felt that Maruzensky was a warm and friendly senior. She just had no idea how old this senior actually was. Although she looked like a high school student, she gave off the passionate feeling of a neighborly aunt.
"What is it? Why have you been staring at me like that, Miss Maruzensky? Is there something on my face?"
While they waited in line for the cashier, Kagura noticed that Maruzensky seemed to be staring at her face. She had been lost in thought, mulling over all sorts of random things, but now she came back to herself and asked.
"It's nothing... Have you bought enough ingredients, little miss?"
Remembering that Kagura was especially sensitive to other people's gazes and to being followed, Maruzensky quickly shook her head.
"More or less. It's a little heavy. Without a small cart, I wouldn't have known how to transport all this back to the hotel. It was a huge help that you came along, Miss Maruzensky~ Thank you very much!"
Uma Musume ate far more than humans, so Kagura had to carry a huge amount of ingredients back after shopping. She was quite glad that Maruzensky had agreed to come along. Otherwise, she would have had to find some way to move all this herself.
"You're welcome~ I'm glad I could help. Besides, I only carried a few things. You did everything else, little miss."
"Hehe... Then I'll leave these several big bags to you, Miss Maruzensky~ Be careful not to tear them."
"Cheers~"
That night, in the private room booked by Speed Symbol, Rudolph Symbol and several others from Tracen Academy gathered to celebrate her debut victory after her performance.
Of course, Uma Musume could not drink alcohol, so all the drinks Kagura had prepared were fruit juice and carrot juice bought from the supermarket.
The food on the table had naturally been prepared by Kagura herself. She and Maruzensky had also carried the ingredients over from the supermarket, though they had borrowed the hotel's unused kitchen. Fortunately, although Uma Musume had fairly large appetites, those present were all within the normal range. Kagura did not have to work herself to exhaustion in the kitchen.
Maruzensky, who had watched out of curiosity, could not forget Kagura's astonishing efficiency in the kitchen—one person working as hard as five. Whether handling ingredients or cooking, Kagura was extremely proficient, as though she had done it countless times before. Even the hotel chef nearby had been left speechless with admiration.
"Delicious! This is the flavor I've been longing for! I never expected you to know how to cook Chinese food, little miss!"
After everyone began eating, Akikawa Yayoi had taken only a few bites before she let out an excited cry of praise.
"Yes. My skills are nothing special, so please be lenient with me."
"Denied! It tastes exactly like the food prepared by the hotel chef when I traveled to China before! If this is what you call 'nothing special,' then there probably isn't a chef in the world!"
Akikawa Yayoi firmly rejected Kagura's modesty. She clearly loved Kagura's cooking and gave it extremely high praise. Kagura felt embarrassed, but seeing that everyone else seemed satisfied, she finally relaxed. She had been worried that her cooking might not suit their tastes.
—Other matters could be handled carelessly, but cooking was for her own stomach. She absolutely could not be sloppy!
That was the principle of a food lover like Kagura. Before she crossed over, she had worked hard to learn many different cuisines in her spare time. She had never expected that the day would come when those skills could truly be put to use.
Speed Symbol also felt more at ease about Kagura's future arrangements. While Kagura was busy cooking, Rudolph Symbol, who normally could not quite get on the same wavelength as her, had taken the initiative to speak with her. After learning about Kagura's current situation, she wanted to help. She wanted to bring Kagura to Tracen Academy.
Kagura was certainly too young to take part in races, but it would still be good for her to familiarize herself with academy life in advance. After observing Kagura for some time, Speed Symbol had realized that Kagura had probably received a human education before. Her knowledge of Uma Musume was pitifully limited—practically nonexistent. Going to Central Tracen Academy should greatly improve her understanding of Uma Musume.
Of course, Speed Symbol had not forgotten that Kagura disliked accepting favors from others without good reason. She had already thought of an excuse. After discussing it with Rudolph Symbol today, the grandmother and granddaughter had reached a rare agreement: as long as Kagura consented, Speed Symbol would send her to become Rudolph Symbol's Logistics Uma Musume and look after her daily needs. That was how they would explain it publicly, but Rudolph Symbol had grown up receiving elite education and was highly capable of taking care of herself. Did she really need someone to look after her? The answer was obvious.
—At least, that was what Rudolph Symbol still thought for now.
"Kagura, would you be interested in changing your working environment?"
Halfway through the meal, Rudolph Symbol exchanged a glance with Speed Symbol nearby to confirm the signal. Only after confirming that Speed Symbol was ready did she speak.
"Huh?"
Kagura raised her head from the ribs she had been gnawing on, set down her chopsticks, and looked at Rudolph Symbol in confusion.
"My work at the academy is very busy, and I often have no time to take care of myself. You work as a maid at home, don't you? Would you be interested in becoming my Logistics Uma Musume, responsible for my daily life outside of work and races?"
As soon as she said this, Akikawa Yayoi, who had been turning her grief into an appetite, immediately perked up. She stopped eating, raised her head, and stared at Rudolph Symbol with bright, sparkling eyes full of expectation.
Maruzensky rolled her eyes at Rudolph Symbol. How could she not know how much her friend loved talented people? Normally, she went to great lengths to find promising prospects, sometimes even traveling hundreds of kilometers to remote rural areas to recruit them.
You're practically shoving your scheme in my face. The product of the Symbol family's elite education, the student council president of Central Tracen Academy, can't take care of herself? What a joke. You just want to get your hands on those legs!
Still, if Kagura came to Central Tracen Academy, Maruzensky would have many more chances to cuddle the little Uma Musume. With that in mind, she hoped Kagura would agree, though the final decision naturally had to depend on Kagura's own wishes.
As for Toujou Hana, her expression was less obvious, but she had her own plans. She would not put such a young child through intense training, but having Kagura at the academy would make it easier to monitor her condition and provide some basic guidance. After all, it was not easy to discover such a promising prospect. She naturally hoped Kagura's talent could shine, even if Kagura ultimately chose someone else as her trainer.
"So you mean that the young miss needs me to go to the academy and look after you? Is that really okay? Will the Head of the Family be all right with it?"
Kagura looked toward Speed Symbol. She did not mind changing her working environment. She had heard of young ladies bringing maids to school, and looking after an old woman's granddaughter was no problem either. She was only worried that Speed Symbol might object.
"It's fine... There are other maids at home. Little Kagura, it would be good for you to go look after Rudolph. She's far busier than this old woman and needs looking after more than I do. Besides, the Symbol family home isn't far from Tracen Academy. You can come back whenever you want."
Having already discussed everything beforehand, Speed Symbol naturally played along with her granddaughter. In truth, she was somewhat reluctant to let Kagura leave, but this was for Kagura's future. Kagura would have to become independent sooner or later, and Tracen Academy happened to have the necessary resources. With Rudolph Symbol's influence, making that happen would be easy.
"Since the Head of the Family has no objections, then I'll follow your wishes, young miss. I'll go to Tracen Academy every day on time."
Kagura herself did not particularly care either way. Her main concern had been whether Speed Symbol needed her care. Since Speed Symbol had no objections, she would not refuse Rudolph Symbol's proposal.
"There's no need for you to travel back and forth. Since Kagura will be enrolling as a Logistics Uma Musume, the academy can treat her as a student. There are still vacant rooms at Tracen, so arranging a dormitory for you won't be a problem."
"Wouldn't that be troublesome? It isn't the start of the school year right now, is it?"
As she remembered it, changing dormitories in high school and university had been very inconvenient. Besides, it was already July, so Kagura was worried that this might cause unnecessary trouble.
"Don't worry. As the student council president, I... Ahem, in any case, once summer camp ends, everyone will be returning to school soon. There's no need to worry about that."
Rudolph Symbol suddenly seemed to remember something halfway through her sentence and stopped herself. She glanced at Akikawa Yayoi, who was still staring at Kagura with shining eyes and eager anticipation, apparently not noticing what Rudolph Symbol had said at all. Only then did she relax.
"All right... If there's any trouble, please be sure to tell me. I'll cooperate fully."
Kagura nodded. Once she confirmed that there was nothing else to discuss, she lowered her head and continued sucking the meat from the ribs in her bowl.
Because of that, she completely failed to notice Akikawa Yayoi secretly giving Rudolph Symbol a thumbs-up across the table, or Maruzensky's ears twitching nonstop with delight.
17. The Feel Is Obviously Great!
After spending most of the day busy preparing Rudolph Symbol's victory banquet, exhausted Kagura returned to her hotel room. Once she had washed up, she fell asleep almost the moment her head touched the pillow.
Ever since becoming an Uma Musume, Kagura's schedule had become much healthier, so she usually woke up very early. Today was no exception. After waking, washing up, and changing clothes, she happened to look out through her room window. Through the not-too-thick white mist, she saw a familiar chestnut-haired figure on the street outside the hotel.
"Young miss? It's only six o'clock... You got up that early?"
Rudolph Symbol seemed to be running on the street outside. She was panting heavily, and Kagura had no idea how long she had been running.
Guessing that Rudolph Symbol would probably run back soon, and having nothing else to do for the moment, Kagura rummaged through the luggage she had brought with her. She filled a water bottle with some warm water and took a towel as well.
The sun had only just begun to peek over the horizon, and the sky had yet to brighten. Summer mornings were not hot. Perhaps because it had rained recently, the damp air felt sticky and uncomfortable. This kind of weather did not seem especially suitable for strenuous exercise.
After running several laps, Rudolph Symbol slowed down slightly to recover her strength. Because her speed had dropped, she finally had enough attention to notice the situation along both sides of the road. For example, a small, black-haired Uma Musume had appeared at the hotel entrance, where there normally should not have been anyone at this hour.
"Kagura?"
She stopped and called out the other girl's name. Although the thin mist affected her vision somewhat, she still could not possibly mistake Kagura for someone else.
Seeing that Rudolph Symbol had finally stopped, Kagura walked over and handed her the water bottle and towel.
"Good morning, young miss. You're up very early. Do you have a habit of exercising in the morning?"
"I woke up this morning and realized I had nothing to do. It wouldn't be good to waste time, so I came out for a run... Thank you. I'm sorry for the trouble of bringing water and a towel down for me."
"It's my duty, so it's nothing... But I remember the Head of the Family and Miss Toujou telling you yesterday that you should get plenty of rest, didn't they?"
Exercise was a good thing, but Rudolph Symbol had only just completed such a strenuous race yesterday. The fatigue from competition needed time to fade. Speed Symbol and Toujou Hana naturally knew this, which was why they had reminded Rudolph Symbol to rest. It seemed that the young miss had completely ignored their advice.
"Ah... Well, it was only a light jog. That doesn't really count as exercise... does it?"
"Young miss, you're soaked through. It's obvious that you've been exercising intensely. You wouldn't want the Head of the Family and your trainer to learn that you went running wildly first thing in the morning and then lecture you, would you?"
Looking at Kagura's kind and friendly smile, Rudolph Symbol inexplicably felt a pressure that did not belong to a child. It was as if a doctor were staring down a patient still lying in bed.
"While everyone is still asleep, you should hurry back, rest for a while, take a bath, and change your clothes. That would be best, young miss."
"I suppose you're right... All right, then. Let's leave it at that for today. Um, Kagura, you'll keep what happened today a secret, right?"
"Please rest assured. I'm very good at keeping secrets."
Kagura smiled and raised one finger to her lips, indicating that she would not tell anyone what she had seen today.
It seemed that Rudolph Symbol was quite afraid of Speed Symbol and her trainer. Or perhaps she was not afraid of them so much as she simply dreaded being nagged. She did not want them to worry.
Kagura had originally planned to return to her room and lie down on the sofa for a while. It was rare to have nothing to do in the morning, and she wanted to lounge around like a lazy fish for a bit. But Rudolph Symbol said she wanted to chat, so she dragged Kagura back to her own room.
Rudolph Symbol naturally went straight to take a bath after returning. With nothing else to do, Kagura could only sit on the large bed in the room and swing her legs idly.
"I heard from Grandma that you lost a lot of your memories, Kagura. Is that true?"
Kagura heard Rudolph Symbol's voice coming from inside the bathroom. It seemed the hotel bathroom did not have very good soundproofing.
"Yes. I can't remember anything related to my family."
This was Eclipse's suggestion, and it had become Kagura's standard explanation.
If Eclipse counted, then Kagura technically did have a family member—at least, she had a mother in name. But Eclipse was still unwilling to let her reveal her existence, supposedly to protect her. So Kagura had no intention of sharing that information.
"I see... No wonder you don't seem to care much about it."
"After all, I can't remember anything. You don't need to be so careful when discussing it with me, young miss."
"That isn't right. Even if you can't remember, knowing that you've forgotten something would still leave a knot in your heart, wouldn't it? I'm sorry. I won't bring up topics like this anymore."
Before she had finished speaking, Kagura heard the bathroom door open. Rudolph Symbol walked out wearing only a bath towel. Kagura had to admit that Uma Musume all had excellent figures, and the young miss Rudolph Symbol was naturally no exception. Her perfect body made Kagura, who was still short and small, incredibly envious.
"Speaking of which, Kagura, you don't seem afraid of me at all. You spoke very naturally with me before, too."
Rudolph Symbol quickly changed into her everyday clothes and sat down beside the bed. Kagura sat behind her, preparing to dry her hair. Leaning back against Kagura, feeling the girl's small hands gently brush through her hair, Rudolph Symbol sensed a soothing, relaxing warmth. It made her, who had been quite energetic, suddenly feel her fatigue rising. She suddenly felt an urge to lean into Kagura's arms and take a nap.
"Afraid? Why? Is there anything frightening about you, young miss?"
Kneeling on the bed while drying the hair of Rudolph Symbol, who sat fully dressed at its edge, Kagura asked her question.
When she had first seen Rudolph Symbol, Kagura had indeed thought that she would be difficult to talk to. But that was all it amounted to. Kagura had faced countless patients, leaders, and supervisors as an adult. She could not possibly retreat simply because someone seemed difficult to approach.
Compared to them, Rudolph Symbol was like the student council president from Kagura's high school days. Compared with all the strange people she had encountered at work, Rudolph Symbol was ultimately still just a student. No matter how difficult she was to approach, she could not be harder to deal with than those oddballs. Besides, Rudolph Symbol's personality was not bad. Speed Symbol had said that Rudolph Symbol used to have a fiery temper, but she had improved greatly by now.
"You probably don't know this, Kagura, but no one at school dares talk to me. When I eat in the cafeteria, there's an empty circle around me... Everyone respects me too much. Having dignity is a good thing, but if it creates a barrier between me and the students, then the priorities are backwards. The student council president should be close to the students."
"Hmm... That's a worry unique to people who are too outstanding~"
Seeing how troubled Rudolph Symbol looked, Kagura nodded understandingly while combing her hair. She understood that feeling all too well. When she had been a student, she, too, had avoided unfamiliar student leaders. After all, there was always a natural barrier between geniuses and ordinary people like her.
Rudolph Symbol had always felt that although Kagura was only eleven years old, she possessed composure and maturity equal to, or even greater than, her own. Perhaps asking Kagura for help with problems she could not solve would produce unexpected answers.
"Maybe it also has something to do with how formal you always sound when speaking, young miss. No one likes to feel tense and rigid everywhere they go, as though they're still at work, right?"
"That's how I've always worked... It's difficult to change. Kagura, do you have any good ideas? How can I become a little closer to the students?"
"Try relaxing a little and learning about things that are popular nowadays. That way, you'll have more topics to discuss with the students. If you want to change the problem of speaking too formally... perhaps you could try reading some jokes. You might not use the jokes themselves, but the humor behind them would be worth studying. It could make the way you speak feel less stiff."
Kagura thought seriously for a moment before giving what she believed was a practical answer. Of course, she had no idea how much trouble this answer would cause the members of Tracen Academy's student council in the future.
"Popular trends and jokes... I understand. I'll look through some joke books when I have time... But as for popular trends, Kagura, do you know anything about them?"
"Huh? Why ask a maid like me?"
"You're also a teenager, Kagura. You should know what young people like nowadays, shouldn't you?"
Kagura fell silent and thought for a moment. She had only recently gotten a phone and had not yet explored much of the entertainment in this world. When the younger maids had free time, they mostly chatted about television dramas and similar things. As for mobile games, she had never heard the maids mention them.
Still, she recommended some games and anime to Rudolph Symbol. Whenever she went to the Shopping District, she had seen advertisements for games and anime on the televisions in electronics stores. This world also had some mobile games she liked, though she had not yet had the chance to try them.
"I see. Ordinary students like these things... I'll look into them when I have time."
Rudolph Symbol nodded thoughtfully. Kagura felt that this serious young miss had been exposed to too much work too early, to the point that she no longer knew what girls her age normally did.
"I'm glad I could help. All right, young miss, would you like me to style your hair?"
"No need. I rarely bother with any special hairstyle. This is fine."
After finishing her preparations, Rudolph Symbol stood and turned to look at Kagura, who was still sitting properly behind her. Kagura smiled up at her, her gentle and adorable appearance especially endearing. A strange impulse welled up in Rudolph Symbol's heart, and she could not resist reaching out to carefully pinch Kagura's soft, plump cheek.
Ah... I knew this would happen. Why does everyone like pinching me whenever they have nothing better to do? Is the feel really that good?
Kagura did not dodge. She simply let Rudolph Symbol knead her cheeks. She had already grown used to the people around her suddenly doing things like this. Maruzensky, the maids at home, and even Speed Symbol all liked to gently pinch her cheek or simply give her a hug whenever she came close. Kagura did not quite understand it. She knew it was an expression of affection, but sometimes their excessive enthusiasm troubled her.
A few seconds later, Rudolph Symbol suddenly came back to herself. She realized that, without noticing, both her hands had completely seized Kagura's cheeks, kneading her face as if she were working dough. Kagura had closed her eyes and resigned herself to her fate. Her face showed no expression, but a faint air of helplessness could be sensed.
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