"Um…um…Kagura…"
"What's wrong? Have you decided where you'd like to go, Nature?"
Even though she'd managed to successfully invite Kagura out, Nice Nature hadn't thought about what to do afterward at all. Compared to Nature, who was now so nervous she felt dizzy, Kagura appeared incredibly calm. She even had time to casually browse her social media account.
Kagura could clearly see that Nice Nature probably had never asked a friend out before, seeing her panicked state now. Kagura almost felt guilty about teasing such an adorable kid.
"If you haven't decided yet, how about listening to my suggestion?"
Unable to bear watching any longer, Kagura finally decided to help Nature break out of her awkwardness.
"Yes!! Ah… Um… Kagura, do you have any good ideas?"
"It's almost lunchtime now. How about we get something to eat first, and then go to the park nearby? I've noticed lots of students often take a stroll there when they have free time. What do you think?"
"I—I'm totally okay with that! Sounds great!"
Nice Nature hastily nodded, then exhaled deeply in relief.
"Nature, next time, if you want to hang out, try to make a plan ahead of time. Otherwise, you'll just end up panicking again right before heading out. That's no good, you know?"
"I know…uu…"
Nature's ears drooped sadly. Seeing her downcast expression, Kagura gently tiptoed closer, reaching up to pat her head.
"Alright, we're here to have fun, so cheer up. Just be better prepared next time."
"Uuu… Somehow it ended up like this again…"
Even though Nice Nature always wanted to act more mature, somehow whenever she was in front of Kagura, she always ended up feeling like a small child.
Kagura pulled out her phone and quickly searched for nearby restaurants. Considering both Nice Nature's usual taste preferences and their acceptable budget range, she soon made a decision.
"Nature, you probably like ramen, right? How about ramen?"
"Um…Eh? Kagura, how did you know I like—"
"Hmhm~ I've been cooking for you for months already! Your favorite flavors are all written right here," Kagura teasingly pointed at Nature's belly.
Kagura had never cooked ramen specifically for Nice Nature before, but based on her preferences and Kagura's own cooking experience, it was easy enough to deduce what dishes she'd enjoy.
Nice Nature instantly blushed, suddenly feeling a bit flustered. Only now did she realize Kagura seemed to know her as thoroughly as if they were family, yet she still knew so little about Kagura.
Arriving at the restaurant, Kagura deliberately picked a Jiro-style ramen shop, remembering her close friend recommending these for their affordable prices and generous portions—perfect for hungry Uma Musume students.
"By the way, I'm a bit curious. Kagura, do you have any favorite foods?"
Once they entered, ordered, and sat down, Nice Nature finally couldn't hold back from asking. She felt she still didn't know nearly enough about her dear friend.
"Oh, plenty! As long as it's delicious, I love nearly all ingredients, except for houttuynia and overly bizarre foods. If I tried listing them all, we'd be here till tomorrow."
"Is that so… By the way, what's houttuynia?"
Despite having good household skills herself, Nice Nature genuinely had never heard of this particular ingredient.
"A certain kind of herb. It has a very…peculiar taste. But I doubt they have it here anyway."
"Oh? This customer also knows houttuynia?"
A brown-haired Uma Musume waitress approached them, carrying two large bowls of ramen. She'd overheard Kagura's comment and seemed rather surprised.
"Ah, thank you. I guess I've heard of it… Miss, are you—?"
"Oh, sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt. It's just that I rarely hear someone here mention something from my hometown, especially from such a young kid. It piqued my curiosity."
Kagura carefully examined the waitress. She looked quite young, probably just a few years older than Kagura's current body. Though nationality was difficult to discern from appearance alone among Uma Musume, this girl wore clothes distinctly styled as Chinese—or rather, styled in the stereotypical way that others imagined Chinese clothing. Kagura was quite certain no one would casually wear something like that back home.
"Miss, are you from China?"
"Yes. I came here recently with my senior and will be staying for a while, so I'm working here part-time. After a while, I'll be returning home."
"Oh, I see…"
Kagura glanced at the name badge pinned to the waitress's chest—Wudi (Invincible), written in clear Chinese characters. It was exactly the kind of absurdly grand name that Uma Musume often had—hardly recognizable as a person's name at all.
"Well then, here are your noodles! Other customers are calling me—I'll be going now!"
"Oh, okay…"
Watching the cheerful waitress leave, Kagura had actually wanted to ask whether she spoke Chinese. But given how busy the restaurant was right now, she decided it might not be appropriate to ask at this moment and dropped the thought.
"So she was a Chinese Uma Musume, huh… It feels like Chinese Uma Musume are pretty rare around here. You don't see many of them normally."
Nice Nature, who had been quietly observing, was genuinely intrigued, as this was her first encounter with a foreign Uma Musume. Although she'd remained silent during their interaction, she'd been watching the waitress named Wudi curiously the entire time.
"Maybe Uma Musume from over there don't often come here… Anyway, let's hurry up and eat. If ramen sits too long, the noodles get soggy."
"Mmm!"
Being rather knowledgeable about food herself, Nature immediately understood and quickly began devouring her ramen. Kagura also picked up her chopsticks, eating at a relaxed pace while mentally dissecting the cooking methods and ingredients, already planning to recreate this dish for Nature back at Tracen.
"You don't have to rush so much, you know? You got sauce all over your face."
Between bites, Kagura glanced over at Nice Nature, who was so enthusiastically slurping noodles she looked like she might choke at any moment. She couldn't help but gently remind her.
Still chewing, Nice Nature raised her head with a slightly blank expression. Kagura sighed softly, taking out a tissue she always carried and carefully wiping the careless child's mouth. Normally, Nature wasn't this careless. But for some reason, whenever eating with Kagura, she easily slipped into this kind of messy state. Kagura wasn't sure if the food was just that delicious or if Nature simply felt less self-conscious in front of someone she knew well.
"If you like it, I can memorize the recipe and cook it for you when we get back to school?"
"Really? Wait, isn't ramen the kind of recipe restaurant owners keep secret?"
"No need to worry about that. I just need to taste it once to figure out how it's made—if that's what you'd like."
"You can figure it out just by tasting? Is that really possible??"
Nature's eyes widened in disbelief. She knew Kagura was an amazing cook, but learning dishes simply by tasting them sounded absurd. The cafeteria staff back at Tracen would probably break into a cold sweat if they heard this.
"Of course. As long as I have the ingredients, I can make it."
"Then… Then, in the future, if I find anything tasty, could I invite you to come try it, so you can recreate it for me later?"
"Hm-hmm~ That'll depend on whether what you find is healthy enough. Eating delicious things is fine, but I can't let a little foodie like you hurt your stomach. I wouldn't know how to explain it to your family."
With a playful tone, Kagura raised her finger and lightly poked Nature's forehead, gently pushing her back. Nature smiled bashfully, lowering her head and resuming her fierce battle against the noodles in her bowl.
This kid is so pure and adorable… I really can't stop worrying about her.