Kagura found something amazing: the green-clad big sister at the school gate. No matter when she went to Central Tracen Academy, whether it was windy or rainy, she could always see that woman standing there. Even during summer break, when she and Nice Nature arrived at the school entrance, the woman was still there.
"Ah, are you two students here to register?"
"Yes, Miss Hayakawa Tazuna. Sorry for the trouble, but could you open the gate for us?"
Since there were hardly any people at school during this period, the gate was naturally not left wide open as usual. Kagura had to find Hayakawa Tazuna and ask her to open it before they could enter.
"All right. Inari Kagura, and this student is... I remember you. Are you Nice Nature?"
What surprised Kagura even more was that Hayakawa Tazuna seemed to know every student. Even when they were not wearing their uniforms, she could tell whether they belonged to the academy. She could even recognize Nice Nature, who had not enrolled yet. Kagura was intensely curious about how she did it. Even if she had really read through the entire student list, it was terrifying that she could remember so many students.
"Huh? You know me, big sis?"
"I saw you in the student register. You were the highest scorer on the theoretical exam among this year's students, after all. Your theoretical score was as excellent as your name. Congratulations on entering Tracen Academy through your outstanding talent and hard work."
"Ahaha..."
Nice Nature grew a little embarrassed at Hayakawa Tazuna's praise and instinctively traced a finger lightly along her cheek. She knew that Kagura's tutoring during this period had played a huge part in her excellent theoretical score.
"Little Kagura, this is your second time coming to Tracen, right? Are you here to officially enroll this time?"
"Yes. I'll be in your care from now on, Miss Jun River."
"Mm~ Likewise~ If you're looking for the registration office, you can go to the central atrium on the first floor of the teaching building at this hour. Maruzensky and Rudolph Symbol should both be there. They'll guide you through the registration process."
"Okay~ Thank you, Miss Jun River~"
After the gate opened, the two said goodbye to the ever-smiling green-hatted lady and finally entered Tracen Academy.
It was Nice Nature's first time officially entering the academy, and she kept looking around curiously, occasionally asking Kagura questions. Seeing her ears and tail swishing excitedly, Kagura knew the girl was already over the moon.
Kagura wanted to show Nice Nature around the school first, but both of them were dragging around a mountain of luggage. They had to find their dormitory and put everything down before they could continue their exploration.
"Morning~ little sis... Oh, is this your friend?"
"Yes. She's also a new student this year. Her name is Nice Nature."
"Eh~ I'm Maruzensky. Nice to meet you, little sis."
"H-hello! I-I'm Nice Nature!"
This was Nice Nature's first time meeting another Tracen student. Since it was obvious that Maruzensky was a senior, the young and somewhat insecure Nice Nature became tongue-tied.
"Haha, don't be nervous. Now that you've come to Tracen, just treat us like friends."
Hearing the commotion at the entrance, Rudolph Symbol, who had been inside, also came over to welcome the two new students.
"Good morning, Lady."
"Morning, Kagura. So this is the friend you met in the Shopping District? I remember her. She's Nice Nature, the top scorer on this year's theoretical exam, right? Your performance is as excellent as your name. I hope you'll keep running at Tracen and find your own shining path. I'm Rudolph Symbol, president of Tracen's student council. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Rudolph Symbol was as formal as ever. Even her greeting to a new student sounded official. Kagura finally understood why the other students did not dare approach her. She looked amiable, but as long as she was working, she radiated an invisible majesty.
"Y-yes! You flatter me, senior. I still have a lot to learn!"
What an imposing senior... No wonder she's the young lady of the Symbol family...
Nice Nature hurriedly bowed to Rudolph Symbol in reply. She suddenly realized that the senior Uma Musume Kagura had just addressed, and the name she had given, clearly belonged to the young lady who had helped Kagura enter Tracen.
"Since you've come to the atrium, you're here to ask about the registration process and dormitory arrangements, right?"
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Rudolph Symbol quickly returned to the main topic. Both girls nodded.
"The registration process is practically finished. You only need to sign your names on the list here. As for the dormitories... Here are your keys. The room numbers and building information are written on them. Don't go to the wrong place and disturb the students who are still at school."
As she spoke, Rudolph Symbol handed them two paper bags containing enrollment gifts, along with their dormitory keys. Nice Nature picked up her key and looked at the room number, then turned toward Inari Kagura. Only after seeing Kagura nod did she lean over to look at the number on Kagura's key.
"Eh... What a shame. We're not in the same dorm room... I thought I'd be assigned to the same room as Kagura."
Seeing that Kagura's room was one floor above hers, Nice Nature felt a little disappointed. She had been hoping that Kagura could be her roommate.
"It's fine. I also live in Sokuto Dormitory. If you want to find me, you only have to climb one floor~"
"Mm... Um, President, can I apply to change rooms?"
"No, Nice Nature. The assignments are made by the school, and we can't change them freely. Don't be disappointed. Getting to know a new roommate is also a good thing. Encounters with the unknown are part of a colorful academy life."
Rudolph Symbol and Kagura could both see at a glance that Nice Nature wanted to be assigned with someone familiar. After all, the two had already become friends before enrolling. But Tracen's arrangements did not take the students' social connections into account. Besides, meeting a new roommate might not be a bad thing.
"Come on, Nature. Other students will be arriving to register soon. Let's not bother the president. We should go put our things down in the dormitory. Isn't it getting heavy?"
"All right... Kagura, lead the way. I still don't know how to get to the dormitory."
Fortunately, Nice Nature did not stay depressed for long. She quickly recovered.
"Okay. Don't walk too slowly, or you might get lost."
"I definitely won't lose sight of someone as big as Kagura!!"
21. Plans for the Future
"Phew..."
After carrying all her luggage to her dormitory and doing some basic cleaning, it was already afternoon. Having worked hard for most of the day, Kagura lay on her own bed and stretched comfortably.
It was a double room. Kagura had not yet seen her roommate and did not know whether she simply had no roommate for the time being or whether her roommate had been away for a long time. She saw a neatly folded quilt on the other bed, but it was already covered with a layer of dust.
The Tracen dormitories were not very large. Each room consisted of two desks and two beds, a long cabinet running across the middle, and a bathroom. Though small, it was cleverly designed. Kagura did not know whether someone performed regular maintenance, but she suspected not. When she had first entered, the room had been full of dust, and she had needed to spend some effort cleaning before she could lie down.
"..."
Looking at the dusty bed on the other side, Kagura felt her mild obsessive-compulsive tendencies acting up.
After lying there for a while, Kagura decided she could not stand it any longer. She sprang off the bed and prepared to give the dormitory a thorough cleaning. She had brought cleaning tools from the Symbol family. Although the other side was not her living area, it was still part of the room, and she disliked having such a large patch of dust in the place where she lived.
Thanks to Kagura's usual household-skills expertise and the tools in her hands, she quickly cleaned the small room from top to bottom. Only after admiring the spotless room did she nod in satisfaction, return to her bed, and take out her phone.
—Kagura, have you settled in?
As soon as she opened her phone, Kagura saw an unread message. She had only added one friend so far. Even without a note, she knew who it was.
—I'm done. I cleaned the dorm too. Do you have any plans, Nature?
—Not really. I'm a little hungry. I heard the cafeteria is open. Do you want to go take a look together?
—Sure.
Thus, the two hit it off and decided to go get some food first.
Tracen's cafeteria looked enormous from the outside, and the aroma could be smelled from far away. Today was Kagura's first time entering the building she had been looking forward to for so long. The moment she stepped through the door, the rich smell of food rushed toward her and filled her nose, making Nice Nature's already-hungry stomach issue an immediate protest.
The cafeteria offered a huge variety of dishes, all of them delicious in appearance, aroma, and taste. It was also an all-you-can-eat buffet, completely free. Kagura personally felt it could not compare with her own cooking, but it cost nothing. To get such an experience at that price was simply top-tier. It was leagues above the cafeteria at her university.
Nice Nature had already lost her way in the sea of food. It was her first time seeing such a grand spread, and she looked like a country girl visiting the big city. Faced with so many choices, she became dizzy just looking at them one by one. Holding her plate, she wandered between the different counters, unable to decide what to choose.
Kagura, meanwhile, served herself while chatting with the enthusiastic cafeteria workers. If she could rate them, she would absolutely give full marks to the uncles and aunties who never trembled while ladling out food.
From chatting with them, Kagura also learned that the kitchen could be borrowed by students. If a student wanted to show off their cooking skills and make something for their classmates, this was the perfect place to do it.
That's great... Maybe I can come here and experiment with cooking when I have time?
Kagura memorized the fact that the kitchen could be used freely and planned to show off her own skills here sometime. After all, there were some dishes the cafeteria normally would not make.
After filling her plate, Kagura turned around to look for Nice Nature. She found that Nature's plate was still empty, and the girl looked extremely troubled.
"Mm! Kagura, there are too many things I want to eat! What do I do? I have no idea what I should eat first!!"
"Know your limits, Nature. I remember that you don't have a very large appetite. Wasting food wouldn't be good. From a nutritional perspective, I recommend these..."
Seeing that Nice Nature could not even decide where to begin, Kagura used some of the theoretical knowledge she had learned to offer advice. She was not sure whether the flavors would suit Nature's tastes, but she could at least ensure that her nutrition was balanced.
Fortunately, Nice Nature was a well-behaved girl who was not picky. She had no particular taste preferences, so she basically ate whatever Kagura recommended.
"Tracen's food is delicious, but I still miss the food Kagura makes..."
"We'll have a chance. I'll try making you a few meals here sometime. Just focus on attending school, Nature."
Seeing that Nice Nature still longed for her cooking, Kagura could only smile helplessly.
Looks like I'll be borrowing the cafeteria kitchen often from now on...
Kagura silently memorized the procedure for borrowing the cafeteria and made a decision.
Nice Nature originally wanted to visit Kagura's dormitory and play for a while after eating, but Rudolph Symbol apparently had some paperwork for Nature to handle. In the end, Kagura returned to the dormitory alone.
Even though it was already evening, Kagura still had not seen her roommate return. She guessed she probably would not see her during the summer break.
I hope she isn't some difficult weirdo...
Kagura did not have high expectations for her roommate. As long as the girl was not some bizarre person impossible to communicate with, that would be enough.
Since she had no work arrangements for the moment and was tired after a busy day, Kagura naturally did not want to look for trouble. She simply kept scrolling through her phone.
Besides amusing prank videos, Kagura's favorite content was food videos. Unfortunately, those food videos often refreshed onto her homepage late at night, leaving her both loving and hating them.
Of course, the video sites in this world featured not only humans but Uma Musume as well. By chance, Kagura came across a video by an Uma Musume named Machikane. Seeing that the girl had a considerable number of followers and received widespread praise gave Kagura an idea while she was worrying about what to do in the future.
"Oh, right... Classes aren't that busy, and the usual workload shouldn't be too heavy. Could I try becoming a content creator too?"
Adding another item to her future plans, Kagura still had not decided what kind of creator she wanted to become. The idol route followed by Machikane was certainly unsuitable for her, so she would need to think it over carefully. Still, she now had a goal.
22. An Uma Musume Who Doesn't Want to Be a Trainer Isn't a Good Uma Musume (A Radical Opinion)
"Mm..."
Rudolph Symbol awoke groggily from her sleep. She felt as though someone was calling her.
"Lady, it's time to get up."
After becoming slightly more conscious, Rudolph Symbol finally confirmed that someone really was calling her. The voice was gentle and even, like soft sunlight brushing across her ears.
"Kagura... Why are you in my dormitory?"
Rudolph Symbol recognized the voice and instantly woke up. She saw Inari Kagura standing beside her bed and looking at her.
"You gave me your dormitory key last night and asked me to wake you this morning. Don't you remember?"
"Uh..."
Rudolph Symbol felt as though her memories had been cut off. She tried hard to recall what had happened the previous night.
She remembered that it had been around eleven in the evening. She had still been in the office, looking through the final document, when she heard a knock. An Uma Musume had entered...
"Last night, I received a call from Miss Toujou. She said you were still working overtime in the student council and asked me to bring you back to your dormitory to rest."
Seeing that Rudolph Symbol was still groggy, Kagura guessed that she had slept through part of the night and filled her in on what had happened.
Rudolph Symbol gradually remembered some things. After entering the office, Kagura had urged her to rest. She had said she would go after reading the final document. She vaguely remembered signing the last document, after which Kagura had massaged her. An incomparably warm and comfortable sensation had enveloped her, and everything afterward had blurred into a haze. Only the peace and relaxation she had not felt in a long time remained deeply etched in her memory.
"You made it back to the dormitory while half-asleep, took a shower and changed clothes, then fell asleep leaning against me... Ahem, Lady, hard work is admirable, but exhausting yourself to this degree isn't appropriate."
It was no exaggeration to say that Rudolph Symbol's behavior on the way back to the dormitory had been indistinguishable from sleepwalking. After eleven, Kagura, who had been watching food videos and getting ready for bed, received a message from Toujou Hana asking her to drag Rudolph Symbol back.
After accepting the task, Kagura hurried downstairs to report to the dorm supervisor, then ran all the way to the teaching building. When she entered the student council office, Rudolph Symbol had still been fairly lucid. After Kagura offered to massage her, however, Rudolph Symbol began sleepwalking.
"Ah..."
After hearing Kagura's detailed description of the previous night, Rudolph Symbol blushed slightly. However, she felt unusually energetic today. It seemed that her sleep quality had been excellent.
She looked around her dormitory. Recently, she had been so busy with her debut race and the academy's internal affairs that she had neglected to tidy up. Yet somehow, the room had been cleaned until it was spotless. Every item, large and small, had been returned to its place. The scattered clothes had been hung up neatly, and both the desk and floor seemed to have been cleaned. Not a speck of dust could be seen, and the surfaces gleamed harshly in the sunlight.
"All right, let's not talk about last night for now. Lady, since you're already awake, go wash up. I hung the clothes you need to change into in the wardrobe, and breakfast is on the table. I woke up a little late today, so I could only bring breakfast from the cafeteria. Next time, I'll bring you something I made myself."
Rudolph Symbol still wanted to ask a few questions, but Kagura pulled her up and pushed her toward the washroom. She had already gotten up before Rudolph Symbol woke, cleaned and organized the dormitory, and brought breakfast.
After changing clothes and eating breakfast, Rudolph Symbol was about to leave when she remembered what Speed Symbol had once told her about Kagura. She was still somewhat dazed because she had slept so well.
"Once in a while should be fine..."
Rudolph Symbol thought that she had been so busy lately that she could barely take care of herself. She rarely felt this refreshed when she went out. Being cared for did feel wonderful, and Kagura was only a child, so there was no way this could happen every day. She could just enjoy it occasionally.
After sending Rudolph Symbol to the student council to begin her work for the day, Kagura entered a period of free time. Since it was still summer break, Tracen Academy had not arranged any theoretical classes, so she had no lessons to attend for the time being.
Before you continue