There's Something Wrong With You, Logistics Uma Musume

[Count me in! The student upstairs can do anything!]

[Tomorrow at noon, by the tree hollow in the courtyard. I'll give you the notes.]

Kagura felt a little strange. She really didn't go to class much. The last time she went, a classmate asked her for help with studying. Since she was in a hurry to make a training plan for Quality, she simply gave him a copy of her notes. Anyway, she had an electronic version for herself, and she could just use her phone or print another copy if she needed it in the future.

So that's why there were so many people in the courtyard that day, distributing my notes.

Thinking about it now, when she passed by the courtyard that day and saw a large group of people gathered around the tree hollow, she thought it was some competition where everyone had been wiped out. She didn't expect it to be a group of fellow sufferers exchanging hope of not failing.

Tapping something on her phone, Kagura thought about it and deleted it. The incident had already happened several days ago, and it seemed that the problem had been resolved, so there was no need for her to get involved again.

Flipping through, Kagura saw another post.

[What's the name of that cute student who's often in the cafeteria's student kitchen? Does anyone know who she is?]

[Post Details:

I've seen her every time I go to the cafeteria lately. Her food smells so good! I want to try what she makes, but she doesn't usually cook for just anyone, right?]

[Hello, student. That's Inari Kagura, a freshman in the logistics department. She's usually responsible for supporting the student council president and is the most outstanding student in our Tracen Academy logistics department.]

The reply below had a hint of official personnel tone. This post was very early, and it was the earliest post related to Kagura that she had found so far. It seemed that her title came from here, but Kagura rarely participated in these things, and the replies below were anonymous, so she couldn't guess who was posting these things.

So Tracen Academy has a forum like this. What an eye-opener...

Feeling like she had opened the door to a new world, Kagura silently added a "need to pay more attention" tag to this forum in her mind, lest she miss out on any big gossip at the school.

—You're quite famous at your school, aren't you? I don't usually see you going to class, but the rumors of a genius are spreading quite widely.

I think it's because I don't go to class often, and there aren't many people in the logistics department in the first place, so that's why...

Although Kagura also wanted to go to class, she was usually quite busy, and when she wasn't busy, there usually weren't any classes, so she could never find the time to go.

However, there was no use in thinking about these trivial matters now. Kagura was worried about how many troubles she would have to deal with when she returned to school tomorrow. After all, she had been away from school for the past few days, and she didn't know how Excellent Quality and the others were doing.

I hope there aren't any major problems...

70. Open Day

The next day was Saturday. Although Speed Symbol wanted to give Kagura a few more days off and let her go back next week, Kagura insisted on going back to school to attend classes.

The first thing Kagura did upon returning was to head straight to Tracen Academy's cafeteria. The student kitchen was almost her second office. Although it was supposed to be shared by the entire school, Kagura hadn't seen anyone come to compete with her for the kitchen.

"Hiss..."

Kagura opened the refrigerator and looked at the empty interior, scratching her head in confusion. She vaguely remembered putting two jars of pickled radish and cabbage in here, but now there were only two empty jars left.

Without much thought, Kagura could guess where her things had gone. This wasn't very unexpected for Kagura, and it wasn't her biggest concern right now.

"Uncle! Is Tracen holding some kind of event today? Why does it feel like there are so many people in the school?"

Kagura was already a bit puzzled when Hayakawa Tazuna didn't stop her at the school gate. Then she saw a lot of passersby in the school today, so it seemed that Tracen was holding some kind of event.

"Oh! Kagura, you're back! These two days are Tracen's open day, allowing others to come in for a visit, so there are a lot of people coming in!"

"I see..."

But thinking about it, it's normal for a school to have an open day. It was obvious that the cafeteria was under a lot of pressure today.

The news of Kagura's return hadn't been announced to others yet. She planned to clean up the mess in the kitchen first before considering other things.

"Ah! Found it!"

Just as Kagura was busy cleaning up the student kitchen, she heard a familiar, impish voice coming from outside. She looked up and saw a cream-colored haired Uma Musume running towards her, followed by a male and female adult duo.

"Kagura-sensei!! I knew you'd be here!"

"Eh!? Machikane, why are you here?"

"I've been waiting for so long, and I finally got to come in on the open day! Wow! Sensei is even wearing a maid outfit today! So cute! Let's take a picture together~!"

Machikane ran over and pounced on Kagura in the kitchen. The overly fierce impact almost knocked Kagura to the ground.

This child's leg strength is so fierce... she's probably a good candidate for short-distance running.

Holding the enthusiastic little Uma Musume steady, Kagura also gave Machikane her own unreliable evaluation in her mind.

Machikane hugged Kagura and rubbed her face against hers, then came down and waved to her parents who were following from a distance:

"Papa~ Mama~ Can you help me take a picture with Kagura-sensei?"

"Alright!"

Also to make it easier for her fans to take pictures, Kagura came out of the kitchen and took a picture with Machikane at the kitchen door. Machikane hugged her excitedly, almost sticking to her completely.

"I'm so sorry, you're Kagura-san, right? Machikane has been making a fuss about seeing you. I hope she hasn't bothered you too much?"

Machikane's mother apologized to Kagura with embarrassment. Her child's willful personality couldn't be changed in a short time, so she could only hope that Kagura wouldn't mind too much.

"I think it's fine. I can see that Machikane-chan has parents who love her very much. She's such a happy child."

Kagura smiled and touched Machikane's little head. Machikane was already excitedly lowering her head and tapping on her phone to post.

"That child said that Kagura-san is always working at the school? It's open day today, didn't Kagura-san's parents come to see you?"

"My parents are... quite busy and don't have time to come to school to see me."

Kagura didn't plan to tell Machikane's parents that she was an orphan. Saying that would definitely ruin the chatty atmosphere, so she just made up an excuse to muddle through.

Machikane also finished posting. She put away her phone and bounced over to Kagura, looking at her with anticipation:

"Kagura-sensei said before that if I could find you, you'd make me something to eat. Does that still count?"

"Hehe... of course. Machikane, is there anything you and your parents can't eat?"

Seeing that the two parents wanted to refuse, Kagura immediately raised her hand and gestured for them not to worry. She had just brought a large bag of Coconut Osmanthus Cake that she made yesterday when she came out of the Symbol family, and it was still in the refrigerator in the kitchen.

In addition to Coconut Osmanthus Cake, Kagura also tried to make Almond Tofu according to the recipe in her memory. She originally planned to make it for Gold Ship to try and see how it tasted, and then make some for McQueen if she had the chance in the future, but since she had a taster delivering herself to her door today, she decided to let Machikane try it.

Machikane and her parents waited for a while in front of the student kitchen window, and then they saw Kagura pushing out a few small plates of very delicate, petite, crystal-clear pastries with a small trolley.

Greeting Machikane and her parents to sit down at the place where Akikawa Yayoi and the others usually freeload meals, Kagura served the dishes to them:

"Here~ Machikane, this one is for you! And these two are for you two parents~"

Kagura knew that Machikane liked sweets, so she specially added more Almond Tofu to her portion. Machikane curiously poked the plate of dessert that she had never seen before with a spoon. She had never seen this dish in Kagura's videos before.

"Kagura-sensei, is this a new dish you made? I feel like I've never seen it before."

"Yes, I've only recently started trying to make this dish. It's called Almond Tofu, you should like it."

"Tofu?"

Machikane had indeed seen tofu, but the thing Kagura brought her today seemed slightly different from the tofu in her impression. She curiously picked up a spoon, scooped a bite and sent it into her mouth.

"!"

Immediately, Machikane opened her eyes incredulously. The rich milky fragrance mixed with the taste of sweet almonds, accompanied by a Q-elastic and soft texture, exploded in her mouth. It was ice-cold, and in this sultry summer, it made her feel a lot cooler all of a sudden.

The two parents next to her also showed surprised expressions after tasting it, looking at Kagura, and then at the pastries on the plate, their faces full of disbelief.

"Delicious...!! This... this tofu... is completely different from what I've eaten!! It's amazing!"

"Because, this is not the tofu you know. Although this dish is called tofu, it doesn't have any tofu at all. The whole thing is made of milk and almond powder, and only a little sugar is needed to make it an extraordinary delicacy."

Almond Tofu is also one of Kagura's favorite desserts. She has long been familiar with its recipe. It's just that she hasn't had time to replicate this thing before, and she only found the opportunity to pick up this skill again during these few days of rest.

"I want to take a photo and record it! This kind of delicacy must be promoted!"

"Haha~ It's good that Machikane likes to eat it. How do you two parents feel?"

Seeing Machikane almost burying her whole body in the plate and inhaling it like a storm, Kagura smiled and patted her back to remind her not to eat too fast, and then looked at the two parents to ask for their opinions.

"Kagura-san's craftsmanship is really good. This Osmanthus Cake is also very delicious, but if you eat Almond Tofu first, you can't taste the flavor of Osmanthus Cake very well."

"Yes, this is also what I didn't consider when I made it. I will try my best to avoid this situation next time."

"No, no, no, Kagura-san's craftsmanship is already very amazing. I heard that Kagura-san is working as a Logistics Uma Musume at Tracen Academy, right?"

Machikane's mother asked Kagura.

Kagura nodded, looking at the couple sitting opposite, waiting for their next words.

"It's just... this child Machikane has always wanted to get into Tracen Academy. If Machikane comes to Tracen in a few years, can you please take care of her, Kagura-san?"

"If I'm not so busy with work at that time, it's not impossible."

Kagura originally wanted to agree, but she wasn't sure what kind of work she would have in the future, so she didn't say anything definitive.

'If I'm free at that time, it's not a problem to take care of Machikane, right?'

71. A Free and Unfettered Uma Musume

"Oh! Who is that..."

When Kagura returned to the kitchen from Machikane's side to prepare today's lunch, she noticed that there was a new commotion at the entrance of the dining hall, and it was quite a big commotion. Kagura in the kitchen and Machikane's family not far away all turned their faces to look over, wanting to see what expert had entered.

"That's..."

A tall, black-haired Uma Musume who seemed to be walking with a gust of wind walked in from the outside. Her white and green attire was simple and neat, giving people a sense of lightness. Seeing so many people inside looking at her, this Uma Musume also reached out and helped the small top hat on her head, and greeted the others in the dining hall who were looking at her in a dashing and handsome manner.

For a time, the dining hall was filled with noise, and Kagura couldn't hear anything. She listened for a while before she could hear what the people outside were making noise about. They were all shouting the same name—Mr. C.B..

'Mr. C.B.? I remember that's...'

Kagura had heard of this Uma Musume's name. After all, she was a senior who was only a little older than Rudolph Symbol, and there was still a chance that she would encounter her in the future, so she had also investigated this Uma Musume's information in her spare time. As far as she knew, the other party had already completed the legendary Triple Crown this year, and was also one of the most popular Uma Musume in Tracen Academy.

In online public opinion, various comments about Rudolph Symbol always inevitably mentioned Mr. C.B.. One could often see fans of both sides arguing endlessly online about who was stronger, but after all, they had not officially competed yet, and Mr. C.B. had the legendary record of the Triple Crown first, so naturally more people supported Mr. C.B..

"Okay, okay, I have already felt everyone's enthusiasm~! But if this continues, I won't be able to move! I still have to go in to find someone!"

Surrounded by enthusiastic fans, Mr. C.B. could only helplessly raise her voice to remind them. Fortunately, most of the people here were students in the school, and they were all more sensible children, so they quickly made way for Mr. C.B. to enter.

"Thank you for your support! Thank you! By the way, I haven't been back to school for a long time and I don't remember the layout of the dining hall very well. Does any student know where the student kitchen is?"

"Over there!"

Almost at the same moment that Mr. C.B.'s voice fell, Kagura, who was still watching the melon from afar, felt that the eyes of the entire dining hall were focused on her.

"Oh oh! Got it! Thank you everyone!"

Obviously, Mr. C.B. came to the dining hall to find her. Even Kagura, with her psychological quality, couldn't help but feel nervous in the face of the other party. After all, the person in front of her was a real Triple Crown winner, and she could already be regarded as a walking legend in Tracen.

The entire dining hall was so quiet that you couldn't hear a sound, only the sound of Mr. C.B. walking. She walked to the window of the student kitchen, bent down slightly and looked at Kagura inside:

"Kagura-san, right? I'm Mr. C.B.. It's a pleasure to meet you. Your Ojou-sama has a lot on her plate today, so she's swamped and can't make it to lunch. She asked me to bring her a meal instead."

"Oh... oh! Coming right up!"

Seeing how many people there were today, Kagura, who figured Rudolph Symbol was most likely tied up, had been planning to deliver the lunch herself. But she didn't expect Rudolph Symbol to be able to get Mr. C.B. to bring the meal for her. It seemed their relationship was better than she had guessed.

She took out the packed bento box and handed it to Mr. C.B.. Kagura also brought out a small plate of Coconut Osmanthus Cake:

"Chimei-senpai, would you like something to eat?"

"Oh? There's some for me too? Thank you very much! I won't be shy, then!"

Picking up a piece of pastry with a toothpick, she popped it into her mouth. Mr. C.B. quickly nodded with a satisfied expression, then picked up another piece:

"Your Ojou-sama has been telling me for ages that you're a great cook. After trying it today, I can see it's all true!"

"You flatter me, Chimei-senpai. I'm glad you like it."

"Hehe... I heard Kagura-san can also make radish cakes. Actually, I'd like to try that even more."

It seemed Mr. C.B. knew quite a bit about her, at least in terms of what she could cook. Rudolph Symbol must talk about her a lot.

"Chimei-senpai prefers radish cakes?"

"I haven't tried them, but I like radishes. I like all sorts of things made with radishes, so I want to give it a try."

"I see. Well, there probably won't be a chance today. I didn't bring any ingredients... If you have time to come by in the future, I'll make some for you to try."

"Oho~ Is that so? Then I'll definitely come by in the next few days. Just so you know, I'm troubling my kouhai~"

Mr. C.B. happily made a peace sign with her fingers. Then, as if she suddenly remembered something, she leaned down and asked Kagura in a low voice:

"By the way, I heard from Rudolph that you're a lead runner?"

"Hm? Yes... that's right. Why?"