The next day, after informing Tojo-sensei and Rudolf ojou-sama of her leave, and handing Rudolf today's menu with instructions on what to eat at noon, Kagura prepared to set out alone to complete her schedule for the day.
Last night, she hadn't lied when she said she already had plans. Following Eclipse-san's earlier advice, Kagura decided to personally visit the venue for Rudolf's next race to get a feel for the place. Yesterday she'd spent some time researching the Ichou Tokubetsu, confirming today's destination—Tokyo Racecourse.
Central Tracen Academy was still quite a distance from Fuchu, where the racecourse was located. Kagura initially considered running there herself, but one glance at the actual distance quickly convinced her to obediently take the train. Learning from past mistakes, she changed into less conspicuous casual clothes this time.
——I think wearing your usual maid uniform and standing out a little is a good thing. You need to build up some courage, child.
Eclipse-san, are you trying to kill me…
Though saying she was traveling alone wasn't entirely accurate, as Kagura was always accompanied by an invisible ghost—Eclipse-san. Most of their current exchanges involved Eclipse-san writing on reflective surfaces, while Kagura replied either mentally or by quietly murmuring. Just like now: she appeared to be scrolling through her phone, but actually she was reading Eclipse-san's notes appearing on the screen.
——Even without the maid outfit, people will still take photos of you, you know. After all, I'm incredibly beautiful!
Eclipse-san, you really could afford to be just a bit humbler!!
Of course, Kagura knew people were photographing her. A short while earlier, several children and their parents even approached her, asking if they could take pictures together. Kagura felt a bit shy, but seeing how delighted the kids were, she didn't really mind.
The train ride from the Tracen Academy stop to Fuchu took roughly twenty minutes. Kagura genuinely couldn't understand what made her stand out so much, because during these twenty minutes, three separate groups asked for photos. Two were families with children who clearly loved Umamusume, which Kagura could understand. But the third person, who stood in front of her right now, was a stylish, grey-haired young Uma about the same age as her.
"Hey, cute girl~ If you don't mind, can we take a picture together? I'd like to post it on my Umastagram account!"
"I don't particularly mind… but you are…?"
Kagura recognized the name of that platform. She had her own account, "Inari kagura," there too, posting her cooking videos. Over the past two weeks, she'd gathered quite a following—both Japanese netizens curious about Chinese cuisine and a large number of Chinese fans who quickly identified themselves. Though she hadn't yet reached her goal of a hundred thousand followers, at this pace, she probably wouldn't take much longer.
"I'm Curren-chan~ That's also my username on Umastagram!"
"Curren-chan…"
Feeling vaguely familiar, Kagura paused to recall where she'd heard that name before. Then she remembered—there was an Umastagrammer she'd noticed early on, one whose follower count was absurdly high. Kagura had followed this user as the first person after joining, thinking she could reference how other Uma gained popularity.
"Ah! I remember now! You're that famous Umamusume influencer with an incredible number of followers, right?"
"Eh~ you're on Umastagram too, and you even know Curren-chan? That makes me so happy!"
Hearing Kagura recognize her, the young Uma's ears perked up excitedly, her fluffy tail swishing happily as she practically bounced forward.
"Can we exchange friend follows then~?"
"My account is Inari_Kagura. Actually, I already followed you. Nice to meet you in person, Curren-chan-san."
"Inari_Kagura...? Eh?! You're that Inari_Kagura? The one who specializes in Chinese cuisine videos?!"
Though excited, Curren-chan at least knew not to loudly broadcast someone's username in public, lowering her voice as she spoke.
She quickly showed Kagura her phone, and Kagura realized Curren-chan had followed her account ages ago.
This is incredible! Did I just randomly meet a fan?? And she's actually the legendary Curren-chan??
Kagura, who hadn't paid much attention to her follower list, checked her recent notifications. Sure enough, Curren-chan had followed her a while back. Somehow, Kagura had completely missed it.
"To think I'd bump into Kagura-sensei just riding the train! Is today my lucky day or what?!"
"I also never expected to run into Curren-chan-san here. You look just as adorable in real life as in your posts."
"Thank you so much!! I didn't expect Kagura-sensei to be such a cute girl, either! Let's take a selfie together!"
As she spoke, Curren-chan naturally wrapped herself around Kagura's right arm, resting her cheek against Kagura's shoulder while holding up her phone for a selfie. Kagura hesitated for just a second, then leaned slightly toward Curren-chan and smiled at the camera with a shy peace sign. Compared to the playful Curren-chan, Kagura ended up looking adorably bewildered in the photo.
Kagura felt almost blinded by a dazzling aura emanating from Curren-chan—bright enough to make her eyes sting. She recognized it as the radiance of someone blessed with boundless social energy. Kagura herself wasn't particularly socially anxious, but approaching strangers so naturally and easily was something she doubted she'd ever achieve in this lifetime. Yet this young Uma did it effortlessly.
"Kagura-sensei, take a look~ Does this photo need any filters? Personally, I think it looks perfect already!"
"I agree. Curren-chan is a very cute girl."
"Hehe~ then Curren-chan is posting now, okay?"
Curren-chan excitedly typed out a brief post. Curious, Kagura peeked at the content.
[Ran into Inari_Kagura-sensei on the train today! So happy! #CurrenChan #InariKagura]
Ah, it's a surprisingly normal daily post. Then again, there's nothing special to elaborate on.
"By the way, Kagura-sensei, I've been drooling over your delicious food videos for so long! Every night, right before I sleep, they pop up on my homepage and torture me! So many times I ended up snacking... nearly ruined my figure! Sob sob! Sensei, where's your shop? I absolutely must visit sometime!"
After posting, Curren-chan finally asked a question a typical fan would.
"I don't have a shop. The videos are just from my daily job. But if you don't mind, you can visit Central Tracen Academy's cafeteria sometime. I'll treat you to some snacks I made~"
"Daily... job? Kagura-sensei looks about the same age as me though?"
Curren-chan tilted her head in confusion, her sparkling purple eyes brimming with curiosity.
"I'm a Support Uma at Central Tracen. All the food you see is stuff I usually make for the Uma I support."
"Ehhh—?"
Curren-chan blinked slowly, drawing out her surprised reaction. Guessing she didn't quite understand what a Support Uma was, Kagura briefly explained Central Tracen's support department and its relationship with professional racers.
"So, in other words, entering Central Tracen means there's a chance to eat Kagura-sensei's cooking? And if someone made you their personal Support Uma, they'd get to eat your food whenever they want?"
"You can think of it that way… basically, yes."
Considering it, Kagura realized Curren-chan wasn't exactly wrong, so she didn't bother correcting her.
"Alright, understood!"
Suddenly, Kagura felt Curren-chan spark with an odd sense of motivation. Her gut told her it wasn't simply about appetite. But based on their short interaction, aside from food, what other motivations could Curren-chan possibly have?
"Now arriving—Fuchu Station. Passengers, please…"
At that moment, Kagura felt the train begin to slow and heard the announcement.
"Ah, this is my stop. You're not headed to Fuchu, are you, Curren-chan-san?"
"No, sadly… But let's hang out sometime! I know Tokyo very well, lots of fun spots!"
"Sure! Next time I want to go out, I'll rely on you~"
With a cheerful wave, Kagura said goodbye and stepped off the train.
Curren-chan waved from inside, her purple eyes following Kagura until she disappeared from sight.
"Central Tracen, huh...? Curren-chan needs to step up her game too…"