It had been a long time since Rudolf had enjoyed such a restful sleep. When she awoke that morning, she felt thoroughly refreshed, her body so comfortable and energized that she instantly thought about heading straight to the track to run a couple laps.
Of course, considering yesterday's intense burst of effort, Trainer Tojo definitely wouldn't allow her to run today.
"Hmm…?"
Rudolf moved her arm slightly, feeling something warm and soft pressing down on it. Still not fully awake, she subconsciously squeezed it a few times.
"Mmm…"
A faint little sound drifted up from beneath the blankets. Rudolf quickly snapped back to full alertness, trying to recall why that soft voice sounded so familiar. Noticing a small lump moving slightly beneath the covers, she suddenly remembered that she'd brought Kagura back here last night.
Hurriedly lifting the covers, Rudolf found Kagura curled up like a small kitten, snuggled securely in her arms. That tiny sound had come from Kagura, probably because Rudolf had unknowingly rubbed her stomach, causing slight discomfort. Clearly, Kagura's exhaustion from the past month had been severe; even though it was already past seven in the morning, she showed no signs of waking.
She must've been really worn out…
Looking at Kagura's peacefully sleeping face, Rudolf felt a pang of tenderness and lightly pinched her soft cheek. That gentle, comforting warmth still surrounded her, making Rudolf reluctant to leave the cozy bed.
But since she was already awake, Rudolf wanted to get up—yet she worried that any sudden movement might disturb Kagura's sleep. Unable to move, she maintained the position of holding Kagura in her arms. Kagura's face rested softly against Rudolf's chest, her gentle breath brushing lightly against Rudolf's skin, tickling her and making her feel oddly restless.
"Ugh…"
Rudolf wasn't sure if idleness was the source of her sudden flurry of distracting thoughts. Unable to move or even reach for her phone, Rudolf found herself staring at Kagura's sleeping face longer and longer, and gradually, some thoughts that weren't quite appropriate began creeping into her mind.
She felt a growing impulse, some instinct urging her to tighten her grip and hug Kagura even closer. Luckily, Rudolf's reason quickly intervened. She tried taking a few deep breaths to clear her mind, but it didn't really help. If anything, it made things worse: she discovered Kagura had a sweet, appealing scent that filled her senses. Right now, Rudolf struggled with an intense urge to press Kagura down beneath her and gently bite into her adorably soft-looking cheeks.
Wait, what am I even thinking about? She hasn't even reached honkaku yet—this is absurd.
Rudolf immediately realized the dangerous direction of her thoughts and consciously loosened her arms. Kagura had completely trusted her, falling asleep defenselessly in her arms. How could she even think about exploiting that trust just to satisfy a fleeting impulse?
"Mmm…mmm…"
Because Rudolf's movement had been a bit too abrupt, Kagura stirred slightly, letting out a cute muffled noise before slowly opening her eyes.
"Ojou-sama… why are you… in my bed…?"
Opening her eyes, Kagura saw a face she never expected to see upon waking. Normally, Rudolf never woke earlier than her; Kagura usually had to wake Rudolf herself, so it was genuinely shocking to open her eyes and immediately see Rudolf's face.
"Hehe, Kagura…are you still half-asleep? Didn't I tell you clearly last night? This is my dorm."
Kagura blinked sleepily, confusion written plainly across her face. That adorably dazed expression nearly brought back Rudolf's suppressed impulses.
"Ojou-sama's dorm… ah! My apologies, Ojou-sama!"
After a full four or five seconds of network lag, Kagura's consciousness finally reconnected. She immediately jumped up from the bed in a panic:
"I was way too tired last night!! I'm so sorry for troubling you!"
Rudolf's dorm was a single-person room. Just one glance at the narrow bed was enough for Kagura to realize she had definitely caused inconvenience for Rudolf, prompting her to bow her head immediately in apology.
"No, I didn't feel troubled at all. Actually, compared to the trouble I usually cause you, Kagura, this is really nothing worth mentioning."
Rudolf quickly reached out, gently lifting Kagura's chin. In truth, Rudolf still struggled with how to repay Kagura for all she'd done, so she would actually prefer Kagura troubled her more often—otherwise, it felt far too one-sided.
Thanks to the student council's efficiency boost from earlier improvements, Rudolf had literally nothing important to do for the next few days. She watched Kagura climb out of bed, put on her socks and shoes, and head to wash up, all the while pondering what she should do with her rare vacation days.
"Hm?"
As Rudolf was deep in thought, she suddenly felt her phone vibrating gently in her pocket.
[Speed]:Awake yet? Congratulations, dear. It was a splendid, beautiful victory. Last month, when Kagura told me you were seriously overweight, I almost fainted. Who would've thought you'd really bounce back in just one month?
[Rudolf]:Even I was surprised. It's all thanks to Kagura's and Trainer-san's efforts that I was able to recover so quickly.
[Speed]:Ah, so you do realize that. Are you free today? Is Kagura-chan also free?
[Rudolf]:Yes, we are… what's going on?
[Speed]:A few days ago, that old brat Akikawa went to the amusement park. There was some promotion going on, and she got excited and bought a few extra tickets. You know how busy she usually is; she doesn't have many chances to use them herself. So she shoved them onto me instead—but I'm already old; no way am I going to an amusement park. Since you're free now, why not take Kagura-chan out to get some fresh air? You young people shouldn't spend all your days cooped up in kitchens and offices, or you'll start growing mold.
Speed-sama's reminder suddenly cleared Rudolf's previously muddled thoughts. Kagura always acted so mature that Rudolf often forgot she was just a child. What did kids Kagura's age usually do for fun? Rudolf wasn't too familiar with what young people enjoyed nowadays, but amusement parks should be a safe choice suitable for all ages.
[Rudolf]:Understood. Kagura just went back to her dorm to shower; I'll come get the tickets from you now.
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