Kagura, exhausted from spending most of the day preparing the celebration banquet for Rudolph Symbol, fell asleep almost as soon as her head touched the pillow after returning to her Hotel room and freshening up.
Ever since she became an Uma Musume, Kagura's routine had become much more regular, so she usually woke up very early. Today was no exception. After waking up early, washing up, and changing clothes, she inadvertently looked out her room window. Through the not-so-thick white mist, she saw a familiar chestnut-haired figure on the street outside the Hotel.
"Young Lady? It's only six o'clock… You're up so early?"
It seemed Rudolph Symbol was running on the street outside, looking quite out of breath. She wondered how long she had been running.
Figuring Rudolph Symbol would probably run back soon, and having nothing else to do for the moment, Kagura simply rummaged through her luggage for a water bottle, filled it with warm water, and grabbed a towel.
The sun had just peeked out, and the sky was still dark; the summer morning wasn't hot, perhaps because of recent rain, making the damp air uncomfortably sticky, a time not very suitable for strenuous exercise.
Having already run a few laps, Rudolph Symbol slightly slowed down to conserve energy. Due to her decreased speed, she was able to pay attention to the surroundings along the road, such as the Hotel entrance, where at this time there should have been no one, but now a small, black-haired Uma Musume stood there.
"Kagura?"
She stopped and called out the other's name. Although her vision was somewhat affected by the thin mist, she wouldn't mistake her.
Seeing that Rudolph Symbol had finally stopped, Kagura stepped forward and handed her the water bottle and towel.
"Good morning, Young Lady. You're up quite early. Do you have a habit of morning exercise?"
"This morning, I just woke up with nothing to do, and wasting time isn't good, so I came out for a run... Thank you, and thank you for bringing the water and towel down."
"It's my duty, it's nothing... However, I recall that the Head of the Family and Miss Tojo specifically told you to rest well yesterday, didn't they?"
Although exercise is good, after such a strenuous race yesterday, the fatigue from competition takes time to alleviate. Speed Symbol and Tojo Hana naturally knew this, which is why they reminded Rudolph Symbol to rest. It seemed the Young Lady had completely ignored their advice.
"Ah... well, it was just a jog, not really exercise... was it?"
"Young Lady, you're soaked through. The scent of strenuous exercise is quite obvious. You wouldn't want the Head of the Family and Trainer Miss to find out you went for a wild run this morning and then lecture you, would you?"
Looking at Kagura's gentle and friendly smile, Rudolph Symbol felt an uncharacteristic pressure, as if a doctor was staring at a patient still in bed.
"Before everyone else wakes up, it would be better to quickly go back, rest a bit, take a shower, and change your clothes, Young Lady."
"That does sound about right... Alright, that's enough for today. Um, Kagura, you'll keep today's events a secret, right?"
"Please rest assured, my lips are sealed."
Kagura smiled and put a finger to her lips, indicating she wouldn't speak about what she saw today.
It seemed Rudolph Symbol was quite afraid of Speed Symbol and her Trainer, or rather, she wasn't afraid of them, but simply disliked being nagged and didn't want to cause worry.
Originally, Kagura had planned to sneak back to her room and lie on that lazy sofa for a while, as it was rare to have nothing to do in the morning, and she wanted to just relax. But Rudolph Symbol said she wanted to chat with her, so she dragged Kagura back to her room.
Rudolph Symbol naturally went to shower upon returning. Kagura, with nothing to do, could only sit on the large bed in the room, idly swinging her legs.
"I heard from my grandmother that you've lost a lot of your memories, Kagura, is that true?"
Kagura heard Rudolph Symbol's voice coming from the bathroom, indicating the Hotel bathroom's soundproofing wasn't very good.
"Yes, I can't recall any memories related to my family."
This was a suggestion from Eclipse, and now Kagura's standard explanation.
If Eclipse counted, then she wasn't without family after all; at least nominally, she had a mother. But Eclipse was unwilling to let her reveal her existence for now, supposedly to protect her, so Kagura had no intention of revealing this information.
"I see... No wonder you don't seem to care much about these things."
"Since I can't remember anything, Young Lady, you don't need to be so cautious when discussing these things with me."
"No, that's not right. Even if you can't remember, knowing that you've forgotten such things would always leave a lingering feeling, wouldn't it? My apologies, I won't bring up such topics again."
Before she finished speaking, Kagura heard the sound of the bathroom door opening. Rudolph Symbol emerged, clad only in a towel. Kagura had to admit that Uma Musume all had excellent figures, and as a Young Lady, Rudolph Symbol was no exception; her perfect figure made Kagura, who was still a little shorty, incredibly envious.
"By the way, Kagura, you don't seem to be afraid of me at all. You spoke quite naturally earlier."
Quickly changing into her casual clothes, Rudolph Symbol sat down by the bed. Kagura, positioned behind her, prepared to blow-dry her hair. Leaning against Kagura's back, feeling her small hands gently caress her hair, Rudolph Symbol felt a deeply reassuring and relaxing presence. The feeling of fatigue suddenly washed over her, and she had an impulse to just lean into Kagura's embrace and fall asleep.
"Afraid? Why? Is there anything scary about the Young Lady?"
Kagura asked, kneeling on the bed and blow-drying the hair of Rudolph Symbol, who was sitting on the edge of the bed after getting dressed.
Although her first impression of Rudolph Symbol was that she might be difficult to talk to, it was only to that extent. After all, she was an adult who had faced countless patients and superiors in her work; she wouldn't shrink back just because someone seemed unapproachable.
In comparison, Rudolph Symbol was like the Student Council President from her high school days. Compared to the various strange people she met at work, she was, after all, just a student. No matter how unapproachable she seemed, she couldn't be harder to talk to than those odd individuals. Moreover, Rudolph Symbol's personality wasn't bad; Speed Symbol said that Rudolph Symbol used to be very irritable, but she had improved significantly now.
"Kagura, you probably don't know, but no one at school dares to talk to me. When I go to the Dining Hall, there's an empty circle around me... Everyone respects me too much. Having dignity is good, but if it creates a barrier with the students, then it's a bit counterproductive. The Student Council President should be approachable to students."
"Hmm... that's a unique kind of trouble for exceptionally talented people~"
Seeing Rudolph Symbol's troubled expression, Kagura, who was combing her hair, nodded in understanding. She could deeply relate to that feeling. When she was a student, she would also avoid unfamiliar Student Council leaders. After all, there was always a natural barrier between geniuses and ordinary people like her.
Rudolph Symbol had a feeling that even though Kagura was just an eleven-year-old child, she possessed a composure and maturity comparable to, or even surpassing, her own. Perhaps some problems she couldn't solve could yield unexpected answers if she sought Kagura's help.
"Perhaps it's also related to how formally you always speak, Young Lady. After all, no one likes to feel as tense as if they're at work everywhere they go, right?"
"I'm always in that state at work... It's hard to change. Do you have any good ideas, Kagura? To help me be a bit more approachable to students?"
"Try to relax a bit, and learn about popular trends? That way you'll have more topics to discuss with students, won't you? If you want to change the problem of speaking too formally... perhaps you could try reading some joke books? While the jokes themselves might not be directly useful, the humor that forms them is worth referencing; it can soften that stiff feeling when you speak."
Kagura thought seriously for a moment before giving what she believed was a feasible answer. Of course, she had no idea that her answer at this moment would later lead to such troubling consequences for the members of the Tracen Student Council.
"Popular trends and jokes, huh... I understand. I'll read some joke books when I have time... But as for popular trends, do you know anything, Kagura?"
"Eh? Why would you ask a maid like me such a question?"
"Kagura, you're also a teenager. You should know what young people like these days, right?"
Kagura silently pondered for a moment. She had only recently gotten a phone and hadn't really delved into the entertainment of this world. When the young maids were free, they would chat about TV shows and such, but she hadn't heard them mention mobile games. However, she still recommended games and anime to Rudolph Symbol. When she went to the Shopping Street, she had seen some game commercials and anime on the TV in the electronics store. This world also had some of her favorite mobile games, but she hadn't had a chance to try them yet.
"I see, so ordinary students like these things... I'll look into them when I have time."
Rudolph Symbol nodded thoughtfully. Kagura felt that this serious Young Lady had probably been exposed to too much work too early, to the point where she didn't know what girls her age normally did.
"I'm glad I could help. Alright, Young Lady, would you like me to style your hair?"
"No need. I rarely bother with special hairstyles. This is fine."
Having tidied her attire, Rudolph Symbol stood up and turned to look at Kagura, who was still sitting properly behind her. Kagura was also smiling at her, her docile and adorable appearance particularly endearing. A strange impulse welled up in Rudolph Symbol, making her unable to resist reaching out and carefully pinching Kagura's soft cheeks.
'Ah... I knew this would happen. Why do they all like to pinch me twice for no reason? Is the texture that good?'
Kagura didn't dodge, simply allowing Rudolph Symbol to knead her cheeks. She had grown accustomed to people around her suddenly making such gestures. Maruzensky, the maids at home, even Speed Symbol, all liked to gently pinch her cheek or simply give her a hug when she was near. This left Kagura a bit confused; she knew it was an expression of affection, but sometimes the excessive enthusiasm also bothered her.
Within a few seconds, Rudolph Symbol, who had been immersed in the soft sensation, suddenly snapped back to reality. She realized that without her conscious awareness, both her hands had completely gripped Kagura's cheeks, kneading her face as if making dumplings. Kagura, with her eyes closed in resignation, showed no expression on her face, subtly revealing a hint of helplessness.
"No, what am I doing... I'm sorry, Kagura, I made such a move without your permission."
Rudolph Symbol, realizing her impoliteness, quickly withdrew her hand.
"No, it's fine, I don't really mind. You're not the first person to do that to me. But I am genuinely curious, does it really feel that good?"
Kagura asked with a helpless smile, seeing that Rudolph Symbol seemed to have pinched her in a state where she was still completely unaware.
"This… I can't deny it feels quite good… Oh, speaking of which, Kagura, have you measured your body dimensions?"
Rudolph Symbol awkwardly changed the subject. She had indeed called Kagura over to talk about the school uniform, but there had been some unexpected minor interruptions.
"No, why do you ask?"
"Since you're coming to Tracen with me, according to regulations, every student needs a school uniform. I happen to have a tape measure here, if you don't mind, I can measure you now?"
"If it's a regulation… please go ahead. Do I need to take off my clothes?"
...After some time, Kagura had Rudolph Symbol help her take her measurements. As she was putting her clothes back on, she looked at her measured height and three sizes, which, as expected, perfectly matched her Little Horse Girls physique.
"Hmm~ Don't be sad. Kagura hasn't gone through her 'full transformation' yet, she still has a chance to grow."
Seeing Kagura seemed quite dissatisfied with her height, Rudolph Symbol smiled and patted her shoulder to comfort her.
"I have a feeling that even after my 'full transformation,' I won't grow much…"
As she put on the clothes she had taken off, Kagura looked at her regrettably flat chest and height, and couldn't help but sigh. She missed her previous body, which was 1.7 meters tall. Now, at just over 1.4 meters, she had to look up to see Rudolph Symbol.
"Don't be discouraged. Besides, for your body type, Kagura, your figure is excellent. You're not bony, and you don't look fat. A little bit of just-right plumpness is the best, you know."
Rudolph Symbol smiled gently and stroked Kagura's Little Head.
'Indeed, she can even eat more than an average adult and not gain weight. How can there be a child with just-right plumpness in reality… Ah, in her words, this is the perfect figure that can only exist on a two-dimensional girl, right?'
Kagura thought to herself. To some extent, her body type perfectly matched her height and age, yet also didn't, because aside from her flat chest, it was too ideal. She couldn't help but recall some of her best friend's crazy remarks from before. Thinking about it now, her best friend's words weren't without reason.
"Alright, I've already sent the measurements to the supplier so they can prepare your school uniform as soon as possible. It's almost breakfast time, let's go down and eat."