It was Saturday the next day. Although Symboli Speed wanted Kagura to take a longer break and return to school next week, Kagura still insisted on going back to class.
Naturally, the first thing Kagura did upon returning was head straight to Tracen Academy's cafeteria. The student kitchen had practically become her second office. While it was technically a shared kitchen, Kagura had yet to see anyone else seriously contest her use of the place.
"Huh…"
Kagura opened the refrigerator, stared at its completely empty interior, and scratched her head in confusion. She clearly remembered leaving a few jars of pickled radishes and cabbages inside, yet now only two empty jars remained.
She hardly needed to ponder deeply; it was obvious where her food had gone. Not particularly unexpected, but it also wasn't her main concern right now.
"Uncle! Is there some kind of event going on today? Why does it feel like there are so many people inside Tracen?"
When she returned earlier, she was already puzzled by the fact that Tazuna-san hadn't stopped her at the entrance. Then she noticed a large number of unfamiliar faces wandering around the school, confirming there was indeed some event today.
"Oh! Kagura, you're back! It's the Tracen Open Day today, so they're letting visitors come in and have a look around. That's why it's so crowded!"
"I see…"
Thinking about it, it made sense for a school to host open-house days. Even the cafeteria seemed far busier than usual.
Kagura hadn't yet informed anyone else of her return. She decided to clean up the mess in the kitchen first before doing anything else.
"Ah! Found you!"
Just as Kagura was busy tidying up the student kitchen, she heard a familiar, mischievous young voice approaching from outside. She raised her head and looked over—sure enough, a little Uma Musume with off-white hair was rushing toward her, accompanied by an adult man and woman trailing slightly behind.
"Kagura-sensei!! I knew you'd be here!"
"Eh!? Curren Chan, why are you here?"
"I waited forever for today! Finally, it's Open Day, so I can get inside! Wah! Kagura-sensei, you're still in your maid uniform today! So cute! Come on, let's take a selfie together~!"
Curren Chan dashed into the kitchen, practically leaping onto Kagura. The sheer momentum nearly sent Kagura sprawling to the floor.
This kid's legs are way too strong… definitely has the makings of a sprinter.
Stabilizing herself with the help of this overly enthusiastic little Uma Musume, Kagura silently gave Curren Chan an evaluation in her mind, though she wasn't entirely certain how accurate it was.
Curren Chan hugged Kagura tightly, rubbing her cheek against her like a spoiled kitten, then turned around and waved eagerly at her parents.
"Papa Mama Help me take a photo with Kagura-sensei!"
"Alright!"
For convenience, Kagura stepped out of the kitchen and posed by the entrance for the photo. Curren Chan clung tightly onto Kagura, practically glued to her side.
"We're very sorry about this—you're Kagura-san, right? Curren Chan wouldn't stop talking about wanting to see you. I hope she isn't bothering you too much."
Curren Chan's mother apologized sheepishly to Kagura. Their daughter's spoiled, willful personality wasn't something easily fixed, so they could only hope Kagura wouldn't mind her too much.
"Oh, not at all. I can see Curren Chan-chan has parents who really love her. She's a fortunate child."
Kagura smiled gently, reaching out to stroke Curren Chan's head. Meanwhile, Curren Chan was already eagerly tapping away at her phone, clearly posting something online.
"Curren's been saying you work here at the school? Since it's Open Day, are your parents coming to see you today?"
"My parents, huh… They're very busy, so they don't have time to visit."
Kagura didn't intend to mention that she was an orphan, since saying so would only ruin the cheerful atmosphere. She made up a vague excuse to smoothly sidestep the topic.
Curren Chan finished her post, stashed away her phone, and bounced back to Kagura, staring up at her with sparkling eyes full of anticipation.
"Kagura-sensei, you said before that if I managed to come find you, you'd cook something delicious for me. Does that still count?"
"Hehe…of course. Curren Chan, do you and your parents have any food restrictions or things you can't eat?"
Seeing the parents about to refuse out of politeness, Kagura quickly gestured to reassure them it wasn't any trouble. Luckily, she had brought a large batch of freshly-made Osmanthus Coconut Cake from the Symboli household, still safely stored in the kitchen's refrigerator.
Aside from the Osmanthus cake, Kagura had also experimented with making almond tofu, based on a recipe from her memories. Originally, she'd planned to test it with Gold Ship, and later prepare some for McQueen if the results were good. But since Curren Chan had volunteered herself as today's taste-tester, Kagura decided to serve her some first.
Curren Chan and her parents waited briefly by the window of the student kitchen, and soon Kagura appeared pushing a small cart carrying several exquisite-looking, delicate desserts, translucent and tempting.
Kagura guided Curren Chan and her parents to the table where Akikawa Yayoi and the others usually sat when freeloading food, and started placing dishes in front of them.
"Here, Curren Chan, this one's for you! And these two portions are for your parents."
Knowing Curren Chan's fondness for sweets, Kagura had deliberately given her a slightly larger portion of almond tofu. Curren curiously prodded the unfamiliar dessert with her spoon—she'd never even seen Kagura make this on video before.
"Kagura-sensei, is this a new dish you made? I've never seen this before."
"Yes, I just started making it recently. It's called Almond Tofu. I'm sure you'll like it."
"Tofu?"
Curren Chan had certainly seen tofu before, but the plate in front of her looked quite different from her expectations. Curious, she scooped up a small bite and placed it into her mouth.
"!"
Curren Chan immediately widened her eyes in amazement. A rich, milky fragrance combined with the sweet aroma of almonds burst open on her tongue, accompanied by a bouncy, silky texture. Chilled and refreshing, it quickly cooled her down in the summer heat.
Next to her, Curren's parents also showed expressions of astonishment, first glancing at Kagura, then back at their desserts, clearly stunned by the quality.
"So delicious…!! This…this tofu…is nothing like the tofu I've had before! It's amazing!"
"That's because it's not actually tofu at all. Although it's called almond tofu, there's no tofu in it. It's entirely made from milk and almond powder. With just a hint of sweetness, it becomes something extraordinary."
Almond tofu was also one of Kagura's favorite desserts, and she knew the recipe inside-out. She'd previously lacked the free time to recreate this dish, but her recent days off had allowed her to revisit and polish this skill again.
"I have to take pictures of this! Such a delicious dish must be shared everywhere!"
"Haha~ I'm glad Curren Chan likes it so much. How do you two like it?"
Seeing Curren Chan practically burying herself in her plate, inhaling it rapidly, Kagura gently patted her back to remind her not to eat too fast, then turned to ask the parents their opinion.
"Kagura-san, your skills are genuinely impressive. The Osmanthus cake is excellent as well, although after eating the almond tofu first, it becomes hard to taste the subtler flavors of the cake."
"Yes, that was my mistake in preparation. I'll be careful to avoid that next time."
"No, no—Kagura-san, your culinary skills are already exceptional. By the way, I heard from Curren Chan that you're working as a Support Uma Musume here at Tracen?"
Curren Chan's mother asked gently.
Kagura nodded, looking back at the parents, waiting for them to continue.
"It's just… Curren Chan has always dreamed of entering Tracen someday. In a few years, if she manages to get in, could we trouble Kagura-san to look after her a little?"
"If I'm not too busy with work at that time, I don't mind."
Kagura initially considered promising outright, but then thought of the unpredictable future workload and decided not to overcommit herself yet.
If I have time in the future, I suppose looking after Curren Chan wouldn't be much trouble, right?