Hyogo, where Hanshin Racecourse was located, was extremely far from Tokyo, where Tracen was. If it had not been for the Race Outfit issue, Kagura really would not have wanted to make another round trip.
The organizers' definition of a Race Outfit was broad enough that even if she had not gone back, she probably could have shown up in her maid outfit and they would still have counted it. Convenient, sure—but Kagura felt that would not be quite right. After all, what she represented was not just herself.
I wonder what backup plan Eclipse-san was talking about...
With that thought, Kagura got on the train back to Tokyo.
By the time she returned to Tracen, it was already past eight that evening. Fuji Kiseki, who was watching the dorm entrance downstairs, looked startled when she saw Kagura—who was supposed to have already left—suddenly come back. She knew perfectly well that going back and forth between Hanshin and Tokyo was anything but convenient. Normally, it was completely standard to head over there three or four days, even a full week, in advance and wait for the race. So why had Kagura, who had left early, suddenly come back today? There were only a few days left until the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes.
"Kagura? Didn't you leave for Hyogo already?"
"Well... I forgot to bring my Race Outfit, so I came back."
"...Huh?"
Hearing that reason, Fuji Kiseki froze for a moment. Then she realized that after all this time, she had indeed never once seen Kagura wear anything that looked like a Race Outfit. Other than her everyday clothes, the outfit that had left the deepest impression on Fuji Kiseki was probably Kagura's miko outfit. But now that Kagura had reached honkaku, she could no longer fit into her old clothes, which made Fuji Kiseki even more curious what Kagura's Race Outfit actually looked like.
Of course, until Kagura got back to her room and opened her wardrobe, even Kagura herself did not know the answer to that question.
When she returned to the dorm room, the lights were off and no one was inside. Mejiro Ardan did not seem to be there today. Kagura thought for a moment before remembering that Mejiro Iris had called Ardan back home for a checkup and some rest over the past few days. When the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes began in a few days, she would go straight to Hanshin Racecourse with Tojo and Rudolf to watch, so for now Kagura was on her own.
I hope Ardan-ojousama gets better soon...
Setting down the little bag she had with her, Kagura followed Eclipse's hint and walked toward her wardrobe. As she drew close, she felt the back of her right hand grow faintly warm. She instinctively raised it to look. The red mark that deity had left on her hand during the New Year shrine visit had surfaced again, flickering in and out on the back of her hand.
Don't tell me Eclipse-san's backup plan was asking that old acquaintance for help...
With a vague sense of what was coming, Kagura hesitated for a second, then opened the wardrobe door.
There was nothing frightening inside. Everything looked normal. Kagura swept her gaze over the contents of the wardrobe and, among her usual familiar clothes, found an outfit whose main colors were blue and white, with a black lining. The design was elaborate—something like a miko outfit, but with a cape-like piece attached as well.
Kagura was certain that outfit had not been in her wardrobe before.
So this was the backup plan Eclipse had mentioned.
Wow... The style's kind of strange, but it's actually really pretty. Where did Eclipse-san even get this? And when did she sneak it into my wardrobe...?
It looked both old-fashioned and modern at the same time, but Kagura found it very much to her taste. It did not look especially well-suited for exercise, though then again, Umamusume Race Outfits all seemed to have that same "not made for movement" quality. She had seen racers wearing even more cumbersome outfits sprinting across the track like it was nothing. Maybe that was just the legendary protection of the gods or something.
Kagura took the outfit into the bathroom, planning to shower and then try it on while she was at it. The somewhat complicated clothing took her a little time to get into, but there was no denying that the fit was excellent. It was practically tailored exactly to her body. There was no doubt at all that it had been made for her.
"Hm? This is...?"
With her arms hanging at her sides, Kagura suddenly felt something slip from inside a sleeve and brush against her palm. She instinctively looked down at her right hand and found it was a note.
[As a reward for taking such good care of that child all this time, I'm giving you this outfit Make sure to treasure it properly~ If you want to thank me, then repay me with a splendid victory~! Good luck, little one~]
There was only a single short line on the note, and no signature or anything like that. Even so, Kagura could tell now that the outfit really had been sent by Eclipse's old acquaintance.
A few seconds after she finished reading it, the entire note was suddenly wrapped in a faint red glow. It blackened, cracked, and crumbled away as if it had been burned to ash. As the note disappeared, the mark flickering on Kagura's right hand gradually settled down again.
"Hellooo~ Can you hear me?"
As the mark on her hand calmed, Kagura heard Eclipse's voice. It seemed this outfit also had the effect of enhancing spiritual sensitivity. In the empty bathroom, Eclipse's voice even seemed to carry a slight echo. Kagura suddenly felt rather relieved that Ardan had gone home for her checkup tonight and was not in the dorm. Some things would have been hard to explain if Ardan noticed them.
Kagura raised her head and looked toward where the voice had come from—the mirror in front of her.
In it, Kagura saw a girl identical to herself. The only difference was that the girl had red eyes, and the tips of her black hair were a completely different dark crimson.
"Ah, Eclipse-san..."
"Well? Do you like it? It's not too tight, is it?"
As she spoke, the girl in the mirror smiled faintly at Kagura.
Late at night, alone in the dorm, seeing someone in the mirror who looked almost exactly like you but behaved completely differently ought to have been a deeply eerie sight. But Kagura had long since grown used to it, and felt nothing strange about it anymore.
"I do! I think it looks really nice!"
"That's good~ I was worried my measurements might be a little different from yours. Looks like, when it comes to build, you really are exactly the same as me."
"I'd rather there were at least some differences, you know... Speaking of build, this outfit fits so perfectly it really looks custom-made. Did you ask that old acquaintance of yours to help?"
"Mhm, I did. When I saw you setting off without remembering it at all, I contacted her ahead of time. Luckily that person has plenty of free time most days, so she agreed right away... She said the design was based on her impression of you. I was worried it might not suit your taste, so if you like it, that's the best outcome."
A trace of helplessness showed on the girl's face in the mirror. Whenever that old acquaintance came up, Eclipse seemed to get an especially severe headache over it.
Although Kagura still wanted to know more about Eclipse's old acquaintance, seeing that Eclipse did not seem very willing to talk about her, Kagura gave up on asking further.
After leaving the bathroom, Kagura took off the Race Outfit and packed it back into her suitcase, then changed into her normal pajamas. Since she had to get back to Hyogo early the next morning, and since Ardan was not here tonight to chat and fool around with her, Kagura did not plan on staying up late.
I should get some rest. Rudolf and Trainer Tojo are both looking forward to my victory...
...
——I've actually been curious about something. You watch food videos to make yourself sleepy every day—can you really fall asleep like that?
I can. It's mostly the sounds of people cooking, really. In a way, it's another kind of white noise. It helps you relax.
——I had no idea that was a thing... Watching them just makes me jealous... Why can't I make food that delicious-looking?
Wait, Eclipse-san, are you the type who's just terrible at cooking?
——Did you know there used to be a rule in the palace? If anyone saw me going into the kitchen, they had to drag me out immediately no matter what it cost. They said if they were even a little too slow, the kitchen would blast off into the heavens! Seriously! How rude!
Ah... ahaha... was it really that bad...? That does sound like a level beyond merely terrible...