"So delicious—!"
Tamamo Cross sat on the steps, happily munching on a skewer of grilled meat.
"This sauce… I bet it'd be amazing on fried noodles too."
Gold Ship, fanning herself beside Peach Waves, sighed wistfully. Her own noodle stall barely attracted anyone besides Oguri Cap.
"Don't even think about it. This sauce is a family secret—I'm not giving it away!"
Peach Waves sprinkled cumin over a fresh batch of skewers and plated them. She glanced up and noticed the tray was still short a few sticks, so she tossed more on the grill.
Meanwhile, Oguri Cap's hand kept sneaking over to grab freshly grilled skewers, one after another.
This went on for a while.
"Alright, looks good. Let's head out!"
"OK!" ×3
"Wait… what's going on with you two?"
Peach Waves turned at the sound of chewing—only to see Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross with bulging cheeks and skewers in hand.
"Peach-chan! I've decided—I'm coming with you!"
Oguri Cap declared, serious-faced after swallowing.
"Me too!" Tamamo chimed in.
"Fine, let's go together."
Free labor? Who could say no?
Wait… the ingredients?
Peach Waves looked down. The tray wasn't full. The basin of skewers at her feet was… empty.
Her eyes widened.
"Wait—what?! We're out of meat?! That was over two hundred skewers! You two ate all of it?!"
"Normally, Oguri doesn't eat this much…" Tamamo murmured.
"That meat was supposed to be refrigerated for the stall!"
They turned toward the two culprits still chewing.
"Gulp… Ahaha, I only had a few. Oguri ate the rest!"
Tamamo tossed dozens of empty sticks into the trash.
Oguri scratched her cheek, chuckling.
"Sorry… I got carried away."
"You two—! You're doing prep duty for the next two days!"
Fuming, Peach Waves grabbed Gold Ship and headed back to the meat shop.
Tamamo wiped her mouth and poked Oguri's belly.
"She's mad. What now?"
"I'll do what she says… but those skewers were worth it."
"Is your stomach a bottomless pit?!"
Tamamo jabbed harder.
"Pfft… Farewell, Tamamo. My stomach is innocent—"
On the street, Peach Waves carried bags of vegetables while Gold Ship pushed the cart behind her.
They didn't call a taxi—walking was faster, and Peach Waves figured it was a good way to sneak in some exercise for Gold Ship.
As they passed the park, Peach Waves spotted a petite brown Uma Musume sitting alone on a swing. Her bangs covered half her face, and her eyes were focused on a picture book.
There was a quiet loneliness in the warm afternoon light.
"Peach-chan! The cart's stuck on a rock—help!"
Gold Ship's voice snapped her back. Peach Waves bent down and cleared the path.
"What were you staring at?"
Gold Ship followed her gaze.
"Is that… Rice Shower?"
"You know her?"
"Of course. She's quiet. Always alone."
"Hmm…"
They walked on.
Behind them, Rice Shower looked up from her book, catching a glimpse of Peach Waves' retreating figure.
"Did she see me? Did I get in her way? Did I bring bad luck again? I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"
Her eyes filled with worry.
"Should I apologize? What if she looks disgusted… like a big sister scolding me…"
Panicked, Rice Shower clutched her book and ran back to the dorm.
After a dull history class, Peach Waves rubbed her eyes and headed to the bathroom.
"Ugh… that class was so boring."
She entered an empty stall and sat down—only to hear a timid voice from the next stall.
"Um… excuse me… do you have any tissue?"
The voice was familiar.
"Sure, here."
Peach Waves handed over a fresh pack through the partition.
On the other side, Rice Shower took it with trembling hands. For her, asking for help had taken immense courage.
Later, they both exited their stalls and stood awkwardly in the hallway.
Peach Waves blinked.
Wait… that voice… isn't this Rice Shower?
Rice Shower bowed deeply.
"Thank you for the tissues. I'll return a pack next time."
She offered half a pack, then looked up—and froze.
Peach Waves leaned in, concerned.
"Are you okay? You look pale."
Her soft scent drifted toward Rice Shower, calming her nerves.
Rice Shower bowed again.
"I'm sorry… I made you uncomfortable yesterday…"
Peach Waves scratched her head.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"You looked at me in the park… I thought I was bothering you…"
"No way! You're adorable. I just couldn't help looking. You're overthinking."
She gently patted Rice Shower's head and handed back the tissues.
"Alright, I'm off to class. Don't worry so much, okay?"
Rice Shower stood frozen, the warmth of the touch lingering.
"I… I thought too much…"
Rice Shower walked slowly to the cafeteria, head down.
After getting her meal, she searched for an empty seat—finally spotting one in the corner.
She hurried over, only to realize Peach Waves was already sitting there.
"Ah! I'm sorry—I didn't know you were here. I'll leave—"
Peach Waves grabbed her wrist gently.
"No need. Sit with me. There's nowhere else anyway."
"Really? Thank you…"
Rice Shower sat down, grateful.
Peach Waves smiled—then glanced at Rice Shower's tray.
Her eyes widened.
"… Rice Shower, are you really going to eat that much rice?!"