"Ahh... It was perfectly sunny this afternoon! Why did it suddenly start raining?!"
Holding her head, Nice Nature rushed into Ritto Dorm, frantically shaking out her hair and tail, scattering droplets of rain everywhere. Kagura, equally soaked from being caught off-guard without an umbrella, closely followed, holding her head as well and shaking out her dripping hair and tail.
"Kagura-san, Nature-san, are you two alright?"
The dorm leader hurried over with towels in hand, checking on them. Luckily, both were merely drenched, with no injuries.
"We're okay, we're okay... Just didn't expect it to rain so suddenly, so we didn't bring umbrellas."
"Well, that's good. Hurry upstairs, take a warm bath, and drink some hot water. You don't want to catch a cold."
The dorm leader gently rubbed their heads dry with the towels, then quickly urged them upstairs to rest.
Due to frequently retrieving Rudolf Ojou-sama from her office late at night after curfew, Kagura had become quite familiar with Ritto Dorm's leader, Fuji Kiseki-san.
Fuji Kiseki-san was a handsome, charismatic Uma Musume, exuding an elegant charm quite similar to Rudolf Ojou-sama's princely aura. She was kind, gentle, and genuinely cared about the students, like a cool and handsome older sister. Kagura had heard this dorm leader was rather popular among the dorm residents. She herself would occasionally bring Fuji Kiseki-san some of her cooking.
"Thank you, Dorm Leader-san!"
"It's my duty. Besides, Kagura-san, you always look after me as well. No need to be so polite. Take care of yourself, alright? Don't push yourself too hard."
"Yes~!"
Kagura and Nature swiftly ran upstairs, returning to their respective rooms to change and bathe.
Honestly speaking, among the things Kagura liked about Neon, the availability of bathtubs everywhere was definitely a plus. After being chilled by the sudden rain, sinking into a warm bath was truly comforting.
"Ahhh..."
She sighed comfortably as she immersed herself in the hot water.
——Earlier, when we were at the park, I sensed the presence of another spiritual entity nearby.
Lines of words appeared clearly on the water's surface in front of Kagura, quickly dissolving into ripples and vanishing.
"Another spiritual entity? Could there really be a ghost around?"
Recalling the recent rumors and having Eclipse herself by her side as evidence, Kagura found it surprisingly easy to believe such things now.
——I wouldn't rule out the possibility. Or perhaps, it might be another Uma Musume with a similar physique to yours, able to be permanently possessed by a spirit.
"That'd be interesting... I'd love to see what she looks like."
Kagura wondered if she could see the spirit if she wore her shrine maiden attire, given its special properties.
——I wouldn't recommend it. That shrine maiden outfit enhances your spiritual affinity, primarily to help you communicate with me. Under those circumstances, the other entity might seize the opportunity to possess you.
"Huh? Is that possible?"
——There's no rule saying only I can do it. But don't worry. If anyone dares to lay a finger on you, I'll smack them right back.
Reading Eclipse's confident response, Kagura suddenly felt a strong sense of security.
Outside, the rain hadn't subsided, growing even heavier instead, with occasional low rumbles of thunder. Kagura was grateful she had hurried back before the downpour worsened.
Finished bathing, Kagura judged the weather too severe to go out again, deciding she'd just eat an apple or something light for dinner.
Back in her room, wearing just her camisole and panties, Kagura reached for her school uniform, then paused. Remembering Eclipse's earlier mention, she decided to test out the shrine maiden outfit's effect, quickly changing into it instead.
"Oh~? Why the sudden mood tonight? Miss my voice, perhaps?"
After putting on the clothes, Kagura clearly felt Eclipse embracing her from behind. Perhaps due to the outfit's amplification, her perception of Eclipse's touch had grown significantly clearer, and Eclipse's voice had become audible, albeit faintly.
"Eclipse-san, I can hear your voice now, but I still can't see you."
"That's normal. If you want to actually see me, you'll have to wait until I recover a bit more. If you can offer some promotional support, perhaps I'll recover faster."
"Promotional support?"
"No need to worry about it for now. When you start racing, it'll naturally happen. It's not the right time yet, so no rush."
Eclipse seemed to be in no hurry to push Kagura into action, maintaining her usual relaxed attitude in raising her.
"Oh, by the way, I sense someone familiar standing outside your door. She's been standing there a while. I think it's your friend from downstairs. Though, oddly enough, she hasn't knocked."
"Huh??"
Eclipse clearly meant Nice Nature. Kagura suddenly remembered she'd turned off the lights earlier to try out her spiritual experiment. Nature probably assumed the room was empty due to the darkness and didn't dare knock.
She quickly ran to the door and opened it. Sure enough, Nature stood outside, dressed in her pajamas and holding a pillow. Kagura blinked, slightly confused by this unexpected sight.
"Nature? What's this...?"
"Hehe… well… there's thunder tonight, and my roommate is out… I'm a bit scared. Can I come in and sleep with you?"
"…Huh?"
Kagura blinked again. She didn't recall Nice Nature having a fear of thunder, but seeing Nature's pleading look, Kagura couldn't bear leaving her alone during such weather, so she invited her in.
"Kagura, why didn't you turn on the lights just now if you were already inside?"
Closing the door behind her, Nature glanced around curiously at the darkened room.
"I just enjoy sitting quietly and listening to the rain without artificial lights. It feels calming, as if blending with nature."
"Oh... I didn't know Kagura had such an elegant hobby…"
Although that wasn't actually what Kagura was doing earlier, it genuinely was something she enjoyed on rainy days.
Kagura turned the lights on, and after adjusting her eyes, Nature finally noticed Kagura's elaborate attire. It was completely different from the maid outfit or school uniform Kagura usually wore.
Normally, Kagura always gave off a gentle, approachable vibe, but tonight, Nature sensed something pure, sacred, and untouchable in her. She resembled a genuine shrine maiden. Nature felt any rude thoughts would be disrespectful to a divine emissary.
"Wow… Kagura, you look really beautiful in that! Are you actually a real shrine maiden?"
Nature admired Kagura's clothes with envy and curiosity. Honestly, she too wanted a unique, gorgeous outfit that belonged only to herself.
"I suppose you could say that. Didn't Head Maid-san mention it? I come from a shrine, after all."
"Nope! It's my first time seeing you dressed like this! Hehe… Kagura's always cute, but tonight you look especially pretty!"
Nature eagerly wrapped her arms around Kagura's neck, rubbing affectionately against her. Freshly bathed, Kagura had a pleasant fragrance that was calming to breathe in.
"Thank you for the compliment, but please don't press me against your chest next time, Nature. I might suffocate…"
Kagura gently struggled free. Only then did she realize how much Nature had grown lately, enough to nearly smother her entirely.
"It's still early before bedtime. Is there anything you'd like to do?"
"Kagura, you mentioned earlier about listening to the rain in the dark. I'd like to try it too."
"But aren't you scared of thunder…?"
"As long as you're here with me, I'll feel perfectly safe."
I get it now. She just wanted to act spoiled.
Kagura understood immediately that Nature wasn't actually afraid of thunder but of being alone. She'd come because she felt lonely. Kagura chose not to expose this little secret.
Instead of immediately turning off the lights, Kagura brewed some tea for herself and Nature. She also retrieved a small plate of senbei crackers she'd previously bought while shopping, placing them on a table beside the window.
Having completed these preparations, Kagura invited Nature to sit down, then turned off the room lights.
"Oh~ Very tasteful. Didn't realize you had such refined tastes."
A teasing voice that only Kagura could hear whispered playfully into her ear, gently tickling her.
You should try relaxing and enjoy it too, Eclipse-san. It's very comfortable.
Kagura responded silently in her mind, biting into a crunchy senbei.
Nature sat quietly, listening to the rain and secretly watching Kagura. In the quiet darkness, faint lights from outside softly illuminated a small corner of Kagura's cheek. The gentle sound of rain wrapped around them, casting everything into a hazy, dreamlike glow.
What a magical feeling… So comforting…
Nature, lost in this ethereal moment, couldn't tell clearly.
Was it the rain she loved listening to, or was it listening together with the girl sitting quietly opposite her?
She didn't know. But she thought things were perfect exactly as they were right now.