"I'm so full…"
Rubbing her stomach, Kagura left the restaurant and slowly headed back to her room. Tonight, she'd been forced to eat a whole lot of unplanned food, and her belly felt a little bloated.
To be honest, Kagura was still a bit worried about whether eating like this would cause problems. Her debut race was only a few days away—if she suddenly ended up overweight, she wouldn't have time to adjust back.
——Don't worry. Overeating for just one day won't affect your weight. And you didn't even eat that much. You'll probably be back to normal by tomorrow noon.
Really…?
——I'm the one who made your body. Why would I lie to you? Rest easy. Isn't the whole reason your Trainer had you come along for the training camp so you could get some proper rest before your debut?
When summer training camp started, Kagura had suggested she stay at school and train a few extra days, then join camp after her debut race was over. But Trainer Tojo told her that her training load was already enough and had her come along directly. She was to rest here for these next few days, and when the time came, Maruzensky would drive her to the race.
Not long ago, Kagura's debut race schedule had also been finalized. Even though Kagura's strength was already far beyond most Umamusume her age, certain rules still had to be followed. It wasn't like there had never been cases of debuting in a graded race, and Trainer Tojo was confident—she believed Kagura wouldn't lose at a GIII-level race. But considering that could bring unnecessary public pressure, she still registered Kagura through the normal process: a newcomer race at Tokyo Racecourse (Fuchu). Because the entry had been a little late, Kagura was slotted into the fifth race of the day.
Of course, for now Kagura still hadn't announced her plan to compete. Only Trainer Tojo and a few close friends around her knew.
When Kagura reached her dorm room door, she suddenly felt a vibration from the pocket at her waist. She paused before opening the door, pulled out her phone, and checked it.
[Wudi]:Kagura, kiddo! I remember you said you were debuting in July—have you set a date yet?
[Kagura]:Ah, I forgot to tell you, Wudi-san. The schedule's already set—it's in two days. The debut race will be at Tokyo Racecourse (Fuchu), the fifth race that day, 1600 meters.
[Wudi]:Huh? It's already set? But… from the races I've seen you run, you left your opponents way, way behind. It should be fine, right?
[Kagura]:It should be fine. I don't think it'll be a problem.
The reason Kagura could be this confident was mostly because she'd already gone head-to-head with several legendary Umamusume a few times. She'd realized the gap between her and those Umamusume wasn't that huge anymore. In that case, handling a newcomer debut race at this level definitely shouldn't be a big deal—unless a race like this could still produce a perfectly-in-form Rudolf or Mr. C.B. But the odds of a genius like that showing up were about as small as winning the lottery, or pulling five SSRs in a ten-pull.
[Wudi]:Okay~ Then I'll post an announcement for the fans. Ever since the last School Selection Race, everyone's been looking forward to your debut for ages! Will there be a stream we can relay?
[Kagura]:There should be an official broadcast, right? Worst case, I can have my Trainer film it for me?
[Wudi]:Works for me~! Then I'm counting on you!
...
Since she was a bit too full, Kagura didn't feel like lying down on the bed right away, so she did some stretching out on her balcony for a while.
"Huh? Kagura, it's so late—aren't you going to sleep?"
Bizen Nishiki, who was staying next door, happened to be on her own balcony looking out at the sea. Hearing movement from Kagura's side, she leaned over curiously to see what she was doing. Without even noticing it herself, the moment she saw Kagura, her tail started wagging happily on instinct.
"I ate a little too much tonight, so I'm moving around a bit out here…"
"Ah… s-sorry! It's all because of me! If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been forced to eat so much…"
Remembering how Kagura had gotten fed in turns by her and several other Umamusume until her stomach was practically stretched out, Bizen Nishiki felt a surge of guilt. She'd only wanted to share food she liked with Kagura—she hadn't expected it to end up like that.
"You don't have to apologize, Bizen Nishiki. Thanks to you, I got to try a lot of delicious things I'd never had before… By the way, why are you still out here so late?"
"Just… looking at the sea, I guess?"
At least, when Bizen Nishiki had come out onto the balcony, she really had meant to look at the sea. For some reason, she'd been restless tonight. Thinking back to how calm and comfortable it had felt watching the sea with Kagura earlier that afternoon, she'd even dragged a lounge chair out of her room so she could lie down the same way and stare out at the water for a while.
But she couldn't recapture that peaceful, cozy feeling no matter what. She didn't know if it was because it was dark and the view was worse, or because she didn't know how to make tea. She lay there for ages without relaxing again. Not until just now—when Kagura came out, when she moved closer—did she feel that same wave of ease return. It was like a gentle hand had smoothed out the ripples in her heart, settling her agitation back down.
Bizen Nishiki didn't know why it was like this, but she didn't dislike the feeling.
"Um… Kagura, I… want to go sit over there with you. Is that okay?"
Huh? What am I saying?
Almost instinctively, Bizen Nishiki blurted out words she didn't even know whether they'd come from her brain or from somewhere else entirely. The moment they left her mouth, she realized it was wrong—but it was too late to take them back.
"I want to say yes, but… it's already really late. You should get some rest, Bizen Nishiki."
"Okay…"
Phew… good thing Kagura didn't say yes…
Bizen Nishiki felt relieved that Kagura hadn't agreed to such an unreasonable request—and yet, at the same time, she felt an inexplicable sense of regret. The contradiction left her utterly confused.
"Kagura? Why are you still up this late?"
A cool, crisp voice came from the balcony to Kagura's right. Kagura stopped mid-stretch and looked over. Bizen Nishiki followed her gaze and saw a familiar figure—Trainer Tojo.
"Ah, Tojo-san. I just ate a bit too much today, so I'm moving around a little."
"I see… Then get to bed soon. You're racing in a few days, so it's best to keep a normal schedule."
Trainer Tojo nodded in understanding. She'd seen Kagura get surrounded and fed by a whole group of Umamusume tonight. With Kagura's personality—she wasn't very good at refusing people—she'd probably ended up being stuffed with quite a bit.
"Okay. I'll be careful."
"Huh? Kagura, you're debuting soon?"
More than surprise, what Bizen Nishiki cared about was the other piece of news she'd just heard from Trainer Tojo—that Kagura would be debuting in a few days. She hadn't heard anything like that before. She'd assumed Kagura planned to wait another year before debuting.
"Yes. Ah… I guess I forgot to tell you, Bizen Nishiki."
"N-no, it's fine! If you're going to rest, then I won't bother you…"
"Yeah, I should head to bed too… You should sleep soon as well, Bizen Nishiki. If Narumiya-san sees you out here chatting with me in the middle of the night, he'll scold you for not resting properly again."
"Mm… okay! You rest well too, Kagura! Good luck in your debut race!"
Only after Kagura went back into her room to sleep—and after Trainer Tojo in the distance had also retreated—did Bizen Nishiki let out a soft sigh. She turned and went back into her own room, then flopped onto her bed and buried her face in the blanket.
"Waaah… what kind of weird stuff was I even saying to Kagura tonight…"
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T/N: is kagura like matatabi to these guys or what