This Logistics Uma Musume Has a Problem

Ardan, sitting beside her, did not look nearly as relaxed. This was the first time she had tried inviting someone outside her family to crawl under a kotatsu with her, and she was still a little nervous.

She tried edging closer to Kagura, just as she had when she carried the utterly exhausted Kagura back to bed last time. That reassuring, relaxing feeling welled up again, easing much of Ardan's tension. She felt an inexplicable urge to hug Kagura lying beside her, though she had no idea why. It was as if Kagura possessed some kind of magic.

"Kagura..."

"...If you want to hug me, go ahead."

Before Ardan could finish her sentence, Kagura, who had been resting with her eyes half-closed, suddenly spoke.

"Huh? Kagura, how did you know..."

"I heard you moving... Besides, Miss Ardan isn't the first person who's wanted to do that to me. I'm used to it by now."

Come to think of it, whether it was the stern and mature Rudolph Symbol, the clingy Nice Nature, or the big-sister-like Maruzensky—or even Speed Symbol and Old Mejiro, those seniors—whenever they got close to her, they all seemed to enjoy pinching and hugging her. Over time, Kagura had grown used to these inexplicable but harmless gestures.

"Really? Is it okay? I... I'm going to hug you, okay?"

"Mm~ Go ahead."

Only after receiving Kagura's permission did Mejiro Ardan carefully reach out. She wrapped her arms around Kagura's petite body from the waist and gently pulled her into her embrace. Perhaps because she had just taken a bath, Kagura carried a pleasant scent. It was not the milky smell of a child, but Ardan could not quite describe what it reminded her of.

"This is the first time I've ever taken the initiative to ask someone for something like this. If it bothers you, please tell me..."

"Mhm~ You're really cautious, Miss Ardan."

"Of course! Once, I was half-asleep... and then I got up in a daze and hugged Invincible, who was sleeping in the other bed... Invincible said I kept rubbing her head hard in my sleep while saying, 'Good girl, good girl'... I rubbed her awake... and after that, Invincible never dared sleep beside me again."

"Pfft... Did you mistake Invincible for a child, Miss Ardan? Were you always in Huaguo before? Why were you there?"

Kagura, held in Ardan's arms, could not help laughing. In a sense, Ardan was one of the few connections Kagura currently had with Huaguo, so she was quite curious about what had taken this Uma Musume there.

"It was more suitable for recuperating... I went there for medical treatment and stayed a long time. My health improved a little recently, so I decided to come back."

"Your health... really is frightening, Miss Ardan."

"It is... I really want to be like Sister Takamine. Sister Takamine is already preparing for next year's Triple Crown Race. Even if I don't have as much talent as she does, at the very least... at the very least... I want the chance to debut. I can't even participate in training right now, and all my sister and grandmother can do is worry helplessly..."

Ardan's voice was heavy with helplessness. Kagura could hear the unwillingness in it. Perhaps because she had decided that Kagura was someone she could trust, this was the first time she had discussed the topic she cared about most with someone else.

"In another two or three years, I should be able to debut too. I was supposed to take over from my sister and win glory for the Mejiro family, but my health... Two or three years probably won't be nearly enough..."

Kagura felt the body pressed against her back tremble, and Ardan tightened her embrace considerably.

She did not know what to say. She had never expected the conversation to become so heavy. Being held from behind, she could not turn around, and she had no idea how to comfort Ardan.

"I'm always looking forward to it... looking forward to encountering a miracle like Sister Takamine did. Sister Takamine was born with a pair of fragile legs too, but she miraculously recovered..."

"But I feel... that I'm still too naive. The reason a miracle is called a miracle is that it won't happen a second time... right?"

"My parents have always opposed me running. A few days ago, they even called me, crying and begging me... hoping I would give up... They can't bear the fear of losing me..."

"Before I was born, I was supposed to have been a twin... But my sister... didn't make it to birth. The flame of her life quietly went out... My parents... don't want to endure that tragedy a second time."

Kagura had spent years working in hospitals, so she had encountered topics like this more than a few times. They were unbearably heavy. Whenever she or a colleague from her department had to deliver such news to a family, everyone's expression was terrible. Her past experiences were also part of why she had come to approve of Toujou Hana's ideals.

"But... even so, even if I amount to nothing compared to the history of the Mejiro family, and might be swallowed up by it before long... I still hope... Even if it's only once, I want to burn brightly with my own existence. I want to shine like a star, just once..."

"Miss Ardan..."

Kagura realized that she ought to persuade Ardan to give up on such an idea. A doctor's duty told her that a person's safety had to come first, no matter the circumstances. But when the words reached her lips, she found she could not say them.

"I'm sorry... I only wanted to relax with you, Kagura, but somehow I ended up talking about something so heavy..."

Ardan came back to herself and realized that she had accidentally let out far too many things she probably should not have said. It had been unintentional, but since it had happened, did that mean she had unknowingly come to trust Kagura quite a lot?

"No, it's fine. I should be thanking you for trusting me enough to tell me all this. Your dream... it's passionate and dazzling. Even though your body is frail... it can't cool your heart. Anyone can see that you're a very strong person."

"Ahaha..."

Mejiro Ardan felt embarrassed by Kagura's praise. When she moved her arm, she suddenly realized that she had somehow pressed her whole body against Kagura. Not only was she hugging her, she had even wrapped her legs around Kagura, like a koala clinging to a tree.

After a brief network delay, Ardan finally processed what she was doing. She hurriedly released Kagura and rolled away, nearly bumping into the corner of the kotatsu again. When she looked back, she saw Kagura smiling helplessly. Ardan could not tell whether she had simply gotten used to this or had given up resisting.

"Er... um... Kagura!! I-I-I didn't mean to do something so rude just now!! I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!"

"It's fine, it's fine. Compared to the more serious cases, you're actually fairly civilized, Miss Ardan..."

Ever since Nice Nature had sleepwalked and bitten her neck, Kagura felt that nothing could surprise her anymore.

It seemed that, under certain conditions, Uma Musume would unconsciously do things they never intended to do. Nice Nature, Rudolph Symbol, and Mejiro Ardan had all shown such behavior. Kagura was a little worried that, in some extreme situation, she might unconsciously do something strange too.

"Speaking of which... Kagura, do you have any plans for winter break? Where do you want to go?"

Ardan did not want to linger on the awkward subject, so she hurriedly changed the topic.

"Not for now. The chairwoman said she wanted me to visit her house. Aside from that, I'll probably wander around Tokyo, I guess?"

"How about coming to the Mejiro family's home, Kagura? Grandma and Sister have been saying they want to see you again, and McQueen really misses you too. She sends me messages every day asking when Sister Kagura can visit again."

Ardan recalled how her grandmother and McQueen thought about Kagura every day. Their motives seemed to be different, though. McQueen was probably thinking about delicious food, while Ardan could not quite see through Old Mejiro. Old Mejiro claimed that she wanted to thank Kagura, but Ardan always felt there was more to it than that.

"I suppose I can... If McQueen really wants me to come, and it won't trouble you all, I can visit when I have some free time."

Kagura liked that little girl McQueen. If McQueen wanted her to come that badly, Kagura did not mind making a special trip to the Mejiro family's home. If it had only been Old Mejiro or Mejiro Takamine inviting her, she would actually have wanted to find an excuse to refuse.

"Great. When you have time, just contact me. Remember to tell me a day in advance so I can have the servants prepare."

"No, no, that's far too much preparation..."

"Kagura is my great benefactor. How could that be too much? I'll give you a proper welcome when you come. I mean it!"

Ardan's gaze was firm. She clearly had no intention of negotiating with Kagura.

"Okay~ Then thank you in advance, Miss Ardan."

"That's more like it... By the way, Kagura..."

When Ardan suddenly began fidgeting again, several question marks seemed to appear over Kagura's head. She tilted her head in confusion.

"It's just... could I hug you again?"

"Is it really that comfortable...? If you want to, I don't mind. But please don't wrap your legs around me like that again. Forgive me, but I'm still young. I can't withstand being tossed around by someone as strong as you, Miss Ardan..."

"That... That was an accident! I definitely won't lose control like that this time! Hurry up and forget it!"

Only after receiving Kagura's permission did Ardan, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, carefully move closer and put her arms around Kagura.

Miss Kagura... she really is like an angel... She always shares her kindness equally with everyone around her...

For some reason, Ardan's heart felt warm, and she suddenly had the urge to hug Kagura tightly, just as she had before.

What would it be like if someone could receive a little more of Miss Kagura's kindness?

79. Why does every single one of you keep asking the same question?

"Morning~ Kagura!"

"Morning, Nature. You got up surprisingly early today."

That morning, while Kagura was busy preparing breakfast in the cafeteria, Nice Nature came hurrying over unusually early despite usually sleeping in.

"I fell asleep halfway through looking at my phone last night, so I forgot to cover myself with a blanket... I woke up from the cold this morning..."

As she spoke, Nice Nature scratched her head sheepishly.

"...Nature, Nanban will be very worried if you keep this up."

Kagura sighed and flicked Nice Nature on the forehead.

No trainer wanted to see their assigned Uma Musume fail to sleep properly. Insufficient rest seriously affected stamina and made the next day's training more difficult. It was unquestionably devastating for training. And if Nature caught a cold from freezing herself...

"I really feel sorry for Nanban..."

"Hehe... But Nanban really is a great person. He takes care of me like I'm his child. I'm really grateful that you went to so much trouble to find me such a good trainer, Kagura!"

"Good. Then don't do things that make people worry next time!"

Kagura busied herself moving around the kitchen while responding to Nice Nature outside.

"I know! Speaking of which, winter break is coming soon, right? Do you have any plans to go anywhere, Kagura?"

"I don't have any plans of my own, but the chairwoman and Miss Ardan have both invited me to visit them, so I might be busy for a day or two? Why?"

"I'm planning to visit my hometown during winter break. My family told me to ask whether you had any free time and whether I could bring you along too... Ahaha... Honestly, they're always saying strange things."

"I can't travel that far during winter break. There are still things I need to do here, and I can't leave somewhere I wouldn't be able to get back from immediately."

Even if Kagura did not mind visiting someone else's home, Nice Nature's hometown was objectively too far away. Kagura still could not travel such a great distance. But when she thought about it carefully, this was probably the first winter break in her life when so many people had invited her somewhere.

"Exactly..."

Nice Nature scratched her head awkwardly. She did want Kagura to come home with her, but considering how far away her hometown was, Kagura—who could barely protect herself—would obviously have trouble making such a long journey. She had never expected Kagura to accept.

After preparing and packing Nice Nature's breakfast and handing it to her, Kagura suddenly spotted someone sneakily peeking around the entrance to the cafeteria so early in the morning.

Why does that person look so familiar?

The person seemed oddly familiar, so Kagura stopped and took a closer look at the entrance. The person peeking around appeared to notice Kagura looking in her direction. She stopped pretending and popped out, waving at Kagura:

"Morning, underclassman!"

"Morning, Senior C.B. Speaking of which, aren't you usually still asleep at this hour? Won't getting up so early leave you sleep-deprived?"

This was the first time Kagura had seen Mr. C.B. in the cafeteria during breakfast. In her impression, Mr. C.B. was never that diligent.

"Of course I'm sleep-deprived if I get up this early, but I actually didn't sleep at all last night. As long as I don't sleep, there's no such thing as being sleep-deprived!"

"Senior C.B., I can practically see your trainer coming at you with a knife..."

Seeing these two troublemakers in the cafeteria, neither of whom had slept, Kagura could not help sighing over the trainers' blood pressure. Fortunately, after Kagura had dragged Rudolph Symbol away several times, she had stopped working overtime voluntarily. Otherwise, Toujou Hana's burden would probably have been even greater.

"Hey! Who cares about that? It's fine! You're done with your work too, right, underclassman? I heard your team's trainer say on the news that you have no plans to compete for the rest of the year. Are you free during winter break?"

"Mm... Huh? If I don't go back to the Symbol family... I suppose I'm free?"

Kagura felt that something was off. She remembered answering a great many variations of the same question in a short period of time. Her task queue seemed to be getting longer and longer.

"Not going back is even better! When you're free, want to come out and walk around with me?"

"Ah... I suppose I could... It's just that a lot of people have asked me to visit them..."

"No problem~! I'm very easygoing too. There's no need to schedule it so rigidly. Just call me when you're free."

As she spoke, Mr. C.B. naturally walked over and sat down at the window outside Kagura's kitchen. Nice Nature, who was also sitting there waiting for food, was so shocked that her ears drooped. The legendary Triple Crown Race Uma Musume had simply sat down beside her. Nice Nature had long admired Mr. C.B.'s reputation and was practically a fan. She had not even debuted yet and had no idea what to say in this situation.

"Sorry, Senior C.B. If you came for turnips, I didn't prepare any today. I don't even know when the chairwoman and Maruzensky finished eating all the pickled turnips."

"That's fine. Your cooking is so good, underclassman. I'll like anything you make."

Mr. C.B. had obviously come to freeload a meal. She was a turnip fanatic, but Kagura's cooking really was excellent. Since Mr. C.B. was casual about food to begin with, she naturally did not mind eating something else.

"You're really easygoing, Senior... Speaking of which, are you the type who eats instant noodles whenever you can't think of what else to eat?"

"Instant noodles are pretty good too... When my trainer's around, I can at least eat properly, okay?"

"So when your trainer isn't around to take care of you, everything's a mess... It's a miracle your body's still fine despite eating so carelessly..."

Kagura could more or less guess what Mr. C.B.'s usual diet was like. Honestly, she was worried that Mr. C.B. might collapse in the street one day from treating herself like this. A professional Uma Musume who paid no attention to her diet, ate random things, burned through so much energy, and kept such an ungodly schedule—Kagura could hardly imagine how much pressure her trainer was under.

Senior C.B.'s trainer really has it hard...

That morning, Kagura had rolled out a pile of wrappers in advance, intending to cook some wontons for Nice Nature. She had not expected Mr. C.B. to come too, but fortunately, she had prepared plenty of ingredients, so making one extra serving was no problem.

She took two large bowls from the cabinet, placed a pinch of dried shrimp, seaweed, and chopped scallions at the bottom of each, then added several spoonfuls of seasoning. Seeing that the broth in the large pot beside her had begun to boil, Kagura used a large ladle to scoop hot soup and wontons into the bowls. A fresh, savory aroma immediately filled the kitchen, making the two Uma Musume sitting outside swallow hard.

After filling both large bowls and setting chopsticks on top, Kagura carried them over with both hands and passed one serving through the window to each of them.

"Sorry it's not much!"

"This is nice... Little girl, I'm rather jealous that you get to taste the underclassman's cooking every day."

Just as Nice Nature was about to pick up her chopsticks, Mr. C.B. suddenly spoke to her.

"Huh? Um... Senior C.B... you know me?"

"Nice Nature, right? That fellow Rudolph mentioned you some time ago. You're Kagura's good friend, aren't you? I heard Kagura went to a lot of trouble for you."

"Y-Yes! Kagura often helps me and looks after me... She even helped me with my homework before, and trained with me..."

"Don't be so nervous, Nature. Relax. Do I look that scary?"

Seeing Nice Nature stammer, Mr. C.B. could not help wanting to laugh. She raised a hand, intending to rub her junior's head, but then remembered that Nice Nature was not Kagura and might dislike it, so she lowered it again.

"N-No...! It's just that I've always looked up to you, Senior C.B.! I want to become someone who shines on the racetrack just like you!"

"Hoho... That's a fine dream. But, Nature, once you've gone farther, you'll realize that sometimes, living an ordinary life is pretty good too. Just like now—I'd rather you treated me as an ordinary senior and talked to me normally. Don't be so stiff. Come on, eat up. It won't taste good once it gets cold."