With the School Selection Race behind her, Kagura resumed her usual daily activities at school.
But unlike before, classmates now greeted her whenever they saw her. News of her terrifying daitō strategy in yesterday's selection race had swept through the academy in less than a day—her performance was even more shocking than the 20-length debut victory last year. The gap Kagura opened up was simply unprecedented.
"Yo, Kagura-chan~ Congrats! Yesterday's win was beautiful!"
As Kagura was preparing breakfast in the kitchen like usual, she bumped into someone who hadn't been around the Cafeteria for a while—Maruzensky.
"Maruzensky-senpai? Feels like I haven't seen you here in ages. Have you been busy lately?"
"Yep… Something happy came up, so I've been in contact with family recently. I might be leaving Japan after a while."
Maruzensky certainly seemed in much higher spirits. Kagura could feel she was brighter than before, though she wasn't sure exactly what good news she'd encountered.
"Leaving Japan? Are you going abroad, Maruzensky-senpai?"
"Mm, heading to Europe~ Staying here too long gets boring after all."
"Oh, Europe…"
Kagura paused slightly. Only when Maruzensky mentioned Europe did she remember—Maruzensky wasn't originally from Japan.
"Going back to visit your family, Senpai? By the way, which country are you going to?"
"England. Is there anything special you'd like your onee-chan to send back?"
"Not really… I'm mostly into food, but…"
Kagura hesitated halfway, feeling a little embarrassed. After all, she couldn't just ask Maruzensky-senpai to bring back French cuisine from England, could she?
——Even though I know my homeland's food sucks… Ahhh, your thoughts are way too cruel!! Why the heck are all my homeland's restaurants French anyway?!
Eclipse's roast popped up briefly on Kagura's phone screen, quickly disappearing afterward.
"Pfft, don't be shy. At times like these, honesty is best!"
Maruzensky understood exactly why Kagura paused so abruptly and couldn't hold back her laughter.
"To be honest, it's really hard to leave… Ugh, just thinking I won't get to eat your cooking after moving to England… I'll lose my mind!!"
In a way, this was Maruzensky speaking her genuine feelings. Having grown used to Kagura's cooking here, even when Kagura wasn't in the Cafeteria, she could always find Osmanthus Cakes Kagura had secretly stocked in the freezer. She didn't even dare imagine how miserable she'd be without Kagura's food.
"Haha, this is actually why you're at the Cafeteria today, right, Maruzensky-senpai? So, what do you want for breakfast?"
"Hmm, let's see what you have here… Ah, that's called Cheung Fun, right? Could you give me a portion of Cheung Fun and some Crystal Shrimp Dumplings?"
"Sure~ Coming right up~"
Kagura quickly responded, grabbing a steaming basket of six Crystal Shrimp Dumplings for Maruzensky-san while skillfully scraping up a serving of Cheung Fun.
Recently, Rudolf had taken a liking to Cantonese-style dim sum, leading Kagura to frequently prepare dishes of this kind. Maruzensky had thus gotten to taste these dishes too. She found the flavors delicate and fresh, and the presentation aesthetically pleasing—truly a perfect harmony of color, fragrance, and taste—which led her to learn more about this cuisine from Kagura.
"Mmm…! This is the happiest moment of the day~!"
Sitting down at a table to the side, Maruzensky-san picked up a dumpling with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth, unable to hide her blissful expression.
"It's a good thing the Cafeteria is quiet right now, or your expression of pure bliss would seriously scare some students."
Kagura also came out with her Fresh Fish Slice Congee and dumplings, choosing a seat beside Maruzensky.
"I don't care! Your cooking is worth losing my image over!"
Maruzensky stuffed two more dumplings into her mouth, chewing while mumbling indistinctly.
"You still have plenty of fans at the academy, Senpai. Mind your image, okay?"
"Hmmph…"
After swallowing the dumplings, Maruzensky reached out and playfully ruffled the mane of the little Uma Musume beside her.
What she truly couldn't bear about leaving for England was actually this adorable kouhai. Missing Kagura's cooking was one thing, but being able to pet and tease such a cute kouhai every day was another pleasure she didn't want to give up. Honestly, every moment with Kagura was delightful, and Maruzensky constantly felt the urge to play pranks on this earnest, adorable kouhai.
"Oh, by the way, speaking of Europe… I heard from my family there's some Irish royal family member coming to Tracen for an exchange or something… I'm not entirely sure of the details, though."
"Huh… Royal family? Coming to Tracen?"
Kagura was instantly confused. When talking about European royalty, the first person that popped into her mind was always Eclipse-san. After all, Eclipse-san had claimed to be an ancient princess—though Kagura wasn't sure how believable that claim was. Still, she doubted Eclipse-san had any reason to lie.
"Yeah, apparently they're interested in Uma Musume sports, so they're coming to check it out… Mm! Delicious! Could you give me another portion of the same thing, Kagura-chan?"
"Alright… But Maruzensky-senpai, eating too much breakfast isn't good for your health, you know."
Considering Uma Musume appetites, Kagura had already made even the Cantonese dim sum portions quite generous. The portion Maruzensky had just eaten wasn't exactly small, prompting Kagura's gentle reminder about moderation.
"No problem! I'll never get tired of your cooking, Kagura-chan!"
"Geez~ Senpai, if you keep praising me like that, you'll make me blush…"
Kagura brought over another breakfast portion for Maruzensky, genuinely embarrassed by such direct compliments.
"It's no exaggeration! If I could… I'd love to have you cooking for me forever from now on. Speaking of which, your contract papers expire at the end of the year, don't they? Why not just come with me to Europe? Onee-chan can support you!"
Maruzensky excitedly rubbed her hands together as she took the breakfast from Kagura's hands.
"I haven't considered going abroad right now… Besides, Ojou-sama still needs me. Even if my contract expires, I can't just leave like that."
"Ahh…"
Seeing Kagura's serious expression, Maruzensky could only sigh helplessly. She knew well that Kagura's main concern right now was Rudolf—after all, Rudolf was her benefactor and her beloved ojousama. It was only natural Kagura would prioritize her.
How enviable… Rudolf, you lucky brat…
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