Morning came early for Rampage. It always did. She found herself waking up well before her phone alarm, a habit she couldn't quite shake. A quick glance at the clock confirmed it: 4:00 AM. Whether she was a natural short-sleeper or just conditioned by years of discipline, her body refused to stay in bed.
As she moved to get up, she felt a familiar weight on her arm. Something was tugging at her sleepwear.
"Hehehe... I can't eat another bite..."
There was Fine, using Rampage's arm as a pillow. A room had been prepared for her, and the SP Captain was supposed to be in the guest room next door, but it seemed the princess had staged a midnight infiltration. Looking at her sleeping face, the titles and royal blood meant nothing. She was just a young horse girl, innocent and peaceful.
Rampage pulled her closer in a light embrace and stroked her hair. At the touch, Fine let out a contented hum, her grip on Rampage's shirt loosening.
"Mother..." she murmured.
Fine's mother must have done this for her often; that shared memory was likely why she wore such a serene smile even in her sleep.
"It's okay. Sleep well, Fine," Rampage whispered. "Stay in your dreams a little longer."
Her "Horse Soul" flickered to the surface. Without realizing it, Rampage's expression had softened into one of profound kindness. Her words were laced with a quiet, maternal affection, and her touch was full of grace. Feeling the safety of that presence, Fine finally let go and drifted back into a deep, dreamless slumber.
Rampage gently slid her arm out from under the girl's head, pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, and slipped out of the room. Once the door clicked shut, she let out a long breath.
"Good grief... is this what my life is going to look like from now on?"
She wondered if getting married and having children would mean every day started like this. Not a bad way to live, she thought. She grabbed the morning paper, filled the kettle, and sat down at the kitchen table.
"...Time to sell these, I think. As for the next investment... maybe that one? It's my favorite game dev, after all."
Checking the news and the stock market was a daily ritual. Once the water boiled, she brewed a cup of coffee, trying out the vanilla-flavored beans she'd picked up at the supermarket with Fine.
"Smells sweet enough, but the taste is lacking... I'll have to blend it next time."
And so, the quiet hours of Rampage's morning ticked by.
"Yaaaawn... Morning, Bestie..."
"Good morning, Ms. Rampage."
"Morning, you two."
At 6:00 AM, the guests finally emerged. Fine was still half-asleep, her eyes bleary despite having washed her face. However, the moment she saw the table, her eyes snapped wide open.
"Whoa! Look at that! Breakfast is already served! Did you make all this, Bestie?"
"Who else would have made it? I'm the only one who lives here. Sit down, sit down."
Fine obeyed instantly. Rampage removed her apron, served the miso soup, and joined them at the table.
"Hands together. Itadakimasu."
"Itadakimasu!" the two guests chimed in unison.
Today's menu was the "Classic Japanese Breakfast" Fine had requested: Salt-grilled salmon, miso soup with potatoes and onions (using leftover veggies from last night's pot), sweet tamagoyaki for Fine, savory dashi rolled omelets for Rampage and the Captain, lightly pickled cucumbers, carrot shirishiri, and fluffy white rice.
"So this is a Japanese breakfast! To think people eat like this every morning... Japan is amazing!" Fine exclaimed.
"Indeed," the Captain added. "If this is the standard for a typical household, the level of preparation is quite impressive."
"I wouldn't say every house goes this far, but this is the gist of it," Rampage said. "I skipped the fermented beans and seaweed because I figured they might be a bit much for your palates. Anyway, dig in. Oh, do you guys need spoons?"
"That is very kind, but I intend to master the use of chopsticks while I am here," the Captain replied firmly.
"Chopsticks are so handy!" Fine added. "It was tricky at first, but you can eat anything with them!"
They ate while the news played quietly on the TV. Rampage watched their reactions with a hidden sense of satisfaction.
"This egg is so good! It's sweet and so soft!" Fine cheered.
"Sweet?" the Captain blinked. "Mine has a very deep, savory flavor... Wait, are they different?"
"Fine's has sugar; yours and mine are made with dashi. Want to swap a piece?"
"Yes! Okay, let's see... Mmm! This one is delicious, too!"
Watching Fine enjoy the meal so thoroughly made the early wake-up call worth it. As Rampage started on the dishes, she noticed the Captain staring at her with a look of pure bewilderment.
"You... look surprisingly natural doing that, Ms. Rampage."
"I grew up in a normal household," Rampage shrugged. "I might have joined the Mejiro family later on, but I never intended to play the part of a 'high-born lady.' I'm just me."
"I see..."
"More importantly, what's the plan? Are you heading straight to the Academy?"
"Yes. Her Highness wishes it, so we would like to accompany you, if that's alright."
Fine wanted to save the tourist spots for when Rampage was officially off the clock. For now, she wanted to see Tracen Academy—the place she'd eventually call home—and observe the training sessions.
"In that case, the school cafeteria would have been enough... I guess these were overkill."
Rampage gestured toward two items on the counter wrapped in pink cloth. The Captain tilted her head, confused, but Fine's eyes lit up the moment she spotted them.
"Ooh! What are the pink things?!"
"Your lunches."
"Lunches...?"
"Bentos. If that helps."
"Wait... You made these for us as well, Ms. Rampage?" the Captain asked.
Rampage resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Who else would have? She usually didn't bother making bentos for herself, but since they were heading out, she figured they'd need them.
"Is this like in the anime?!" Fine squealed. "The ones you eat under the cherry blossoms?! Can I eat it now?!"
"No, it's for later. Besides, I thought it might be pointless since Tracen has a cafeteria..."
"I'm eating it! Bestie made it for me, so I'm eating it!"
Rampage hadn't expected the bento to be such a hit. Even the Captain seemed secretly excited. It had taken a fair amount of effort—packing a lunch for a horse girl required a volume of food that made Rampage feel like she was prepping for a school sports day.
"I wonder what's inside~? I bet it's tasty~ well, of course it is, Bestie made it! ♪"
"Don't set the bar so high, Fine. If you set it too high, I'm just going to crawl under it."
"I cannot thank you enough for including me in your hospitality," the Captain said with a bow.
"Don't worry about it. You're guests in my home; it's only natural."
Once they finished cleaning up, they piled into the Impreza and set off for Tracen Academy. Rampage knew that bringing an Irish Princess to school was going to cause a massive stir, and she'd likely be the one stuck handling the fallout. But at this point, she was past caring.
"So, Fine. What's the first thing you want to do at the Academy?"
"I want to see your team practice!"
"Wait until classes are over for that, at least."
Rampage pulled into the school lot, half-planning to parade Fine around the different teams just to spite the trainers who hated her. But her peaceful mood was shattered the moment she stepped out of the car.
"Wait, wait, wait! Is that Ms. Rampage?! I can't believe I'm seeing you this early! Listen, you won't believe it—I had the greatest dream of my entire life!"
Rampage's face soured instantly. "And my morning is ruined. Fine, what did you dream about, Flora?"
"Heheh... Ehehehe... I dreamed of 'Housewife Rampage-san' making breakfast in an apron!"
"Oh! Bestie actually did that for us this morning!" Fine chimed in.
Flora froze. "...Wait. It was a prophetic vision?! Your Highness, are you serious?!"
"Yeah! She even had the apron on."
"..." Flora's eyes rolled back into her head. "The 'Preciousness'... it's... it's a Big Bang of adoration! My soul is ascending to the cosmos!"
"Shut up, you're being too loud," Rampage snapped.
Her good mood had been officially pulverized by the Academy's resident fangirl.
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