After hiding in the kitchen for quite a while, Kagura waited until the cafeteria had cleared out a bit before she finally dared to come out. Not daring to linger in such a crowded place again, she quickly said goodbye to Curren Chan and her parents, grabbed her basket of sweets, and left the cafeteria.
Before leaving, Curren Chan's parents asked for Kagura's contact information, though not for casual chatting. Kagura checked the messages afterward and discovered that they actually wanted to consult her about positions in Central Tracen's logistics department.
[Are you thinking of applying?]
[Yes. Curren is bright and talented; it's pretty certain she'll get accepted into Tracen. We'd like to come along to look after her.]
[Exactly, so we wanted to ask the most capable Kagura-san about what duties the logistics department entails. Are there jobs suitable for us?]
[About that…]
Clearly, these two parents deeply adored their daughter, even willing to follow her by joining Tracen's logistics department. Kagura sent over some information about the department's workflow and a few regulations she knew.
Putting away her phone, Kagura heard another wave of noise from afar. It seemed Mr. C.B. was now over by the track; the passionate cheers and dense crowds, whether students or visitors, clearly displayed the immense popularity of a Triple Crown Uma Musume.
You're really amazing, Mr. C.B.-senpai…
Kagura definitely didn't dare go over there now. She still vividly remembered the intensity of the gazes in the cafeteria at noon. If Mr. C.B. decided to casually rub her cheeks again out of enthusiasm, Kagura wasn't confident she could safely walk back to her dorm alive.
"Um… Excuse me… Are you Kagura-sensei?"
Just as Kagura was hesitating about whether to go find Nice Nature, she heard someone call out to her from behind. Turning around, she saw a little Uma Musume with pink hair styled in twin tails, nervously looking at her, as if recognizing someone familiar but unsure whether to approach.
"Huh? That form of address… Are you one of my Umastagram followers?"
Kagura remembered that only her viewers called her that, since she produced Chinese cooking tutorials. Recently, some fans even jokingly called her "little mom" in the comments section, though most still stuck to "Kagura-sensei."
"Y-Yes!! That's me! I'm 'My Uma Oshi!' I guessed Kagura-sensei might be a Tracen Academy student, so I've been waiting for the open house day. I finally made it here today and got to meet Kagura-sensei!!"
As she spoke, the little Uma Musume hurriedly rummaged through her small bag, took out a tiny notebook and a pen, then lowered her head, respectfully offering them with both hands to Kagura.
"Kagura-sensei! Please! Could you give me your autograph!?"
"Oh my… Little one, it's just an autograph. It's really no big deal. I'm not some famous celebrity; you don't need to be so formal."
Kagura hurriedly helped the excited fan stand up. She felt a little happy inside. Even with Mr. C.B.-senpai hogging the spotlight today, someone was actually here specifically for her.
Taking the pen, Kagura gracefully signed her name in her usual neat handwriting, then carefully placed the pen back into the notebook and handed both items back to her young fan.
"Thank you so much!!! I'll treasure Kagura-sensei's gift forever!!"
"Hehe… Oshi-chan, is it okay to call you that?"
Seeing the child's nervous excitement, Kagura couldn't help but laugh softly and lightly patted her shoulder to calm her down. She did get nervous in front of a large crowd, but dealing with just one, especially such a young child, didn't faze her at all.
"Aaaah…!! Y-y-you can!! Kagura-sensei… calling me 'chan'… sensei's hand…"
"Oshi-chan? Uh… Are you alright?"
Watching this young fan look ready to ascend to heaven, Kagura felt like her comforting gesture might have actually backfired—not only failing to calm her down, but also seeming to trigger a worse condition.
"Respect…!!"
Under Kagura's shocked gaze—as a medical student—this little fan let out a soulful cry and, clutching the notebook in bliss, toppled backward, blood dripping from her nose.
"Oshi-chan!? Are you alright?!"
Kagura hurriedly put down the box of sweets and knelt beside her fan. Following professional instinct, she first checked breathing—steady, no obstructions—so no immediate CPR or rescue breaths were needed. After confirming a stable pulse and examining her further, Kagura found that within the span of less than ten seconds, the little fan regained consciousness on her own.
"Huh… What just happened…?"
"Um… Oshi-chan, you fainted just now. The amount of blood was a bit scary… Does this happen often? If it does, I recommend seeing a doctor."
Considering the volume of blood loss, Kagura suspected something like a platelet deficiency or clotting issue. She seriously wondered whether to call a hospital, since issues like these could significantly impact the girl's life if left untreated. Her professional ethics wouldn't allow her to simply ignore it.
"Ahhh! Sorry, sorry!! I troubled sensei by accident! I'm okay, really! I've been like this since I was small, hehe… I bleed easily when excited. I've been to the doctor, and they said there's nothing wrong! Please don't worry!"
The young Uma Musume quickly jumped up, patting her chest to assure Kagura she was perfectly fine, even hopping a bit to prove her point.
Hey, hey… Can that amount of blood loss really count as 'nothing wrong'? Guess human medical knowledge really doesn't apply to Uma Musume, huh…
Kagura suddenly remembered this fan wasn't human, so maybe some unusual occurrences were normal.
"Well… Oshi-chan, can you tell me your real name?"
"Digital! I'm Agnes Digital!"
"Agnes Digital, huh… Such a cute name. Just as adorable as you are."
"K-Kagura-sensei… Please don't compliment me anymore… I'm afraid I'll faint again and embarrass myself in front of you…"
After Kagura's praise, Agnes Digital's face turned bright red, and she quickly turned her head aside, unable to look at Kagura directly.
This child… When she's not losing it, she's actually quite shy.
Honestly, Kagura found the embarrassed Agnes Digital very cute. It's just that her behavior when overly excited was really… abstract. Kagura had assumed such intense reactions only existed online, never expecting to see a genuine case in real life—a rare occurrence indeed.
"By the way, Agnes-chan, you sent me a private message before, right? Saying you wanted to taste my cooking?"
"Huh? That's true, but—no no, I couldn't possibly trouble Kagura-sensei! I just wanted to meet you…"
"You managed to find out where I am through clues alone and had the determination to come all this way. At your age, that's really impressive. Such perseverance deserves a reward."
As she spoke, Kagura took a small plastic bowl of Almond Tofu from the basket she carried and handed it along with a disposable spoon to Agnes Digital.
"This is Almond Tofu I made. I hope you like it, Agnes-chan. Unfortunately, I have things to do, so I can't stay much longer today. But next time you manage to come again, you can find me in the cafeteria—I'll prepare a delicious meal for you."
"O-Okay!! Thank you, Kagura-sensei!!"
Agnes Digital watched Kagura slowly walk away, feeling an indescribable fluttering in her chest. Being so young, she couldn't yet understand what this strange feeling meant, nor did she dwell on it for long.
Taking a spoonful of Kagura's Almond Tofu, Agnes Digital's eyes widened instantly. She'd never tasted such sweet dessert in her life. She didn't understand why, but this seemingly ordinary treat tasted better than anything she'd ever eaten before. The lingering sweetness enveloped her warmly, filling her heart with happiness.
Kagura-sensei… is so gentle… and cooks so well… She's truly amazing…