"Whoa... Kagura's speed is just ridiculous!"
After finishing her training on the Track, Excellent Quality immediately let out a wail of frustration. She had originally thought that as a senior, she should set a good example for Kagura, but she ended up being fried like a fish by Kagura.
"Excellent Quality's strides are powerful, and her stamina is also quite good. She just lost her rhythm because Kagura disrupted it, which led to her underperforming."
Tojo Hana stepped forward and patted Excellent Quality, who was doubting herself. She could tell that Excellent Quality was also a rare talent, but she was just paired with an unreasonable monster.
"Soshi... that... are you okay?"
Kagura, encountering such a situation for the first time, didn't know how to speak. She cast a pleading glance at Tojo Hana, who merely shrugged helplessly, returning a look that said she was also powerless.
"I'm fine... sigh... I knew it. An ordinary girl like me really can't compare to a genius..."
Although Excellent Quality said she was fine, seeing her ears droop, Kagura could guess her current mood.
However, Excellent Quality also knew there was no need to be so dejected. She shook her head, and seeing Kagura looking at her worriedly, not knowing what to say, she proactively opened her arms and leaned in towards Kagura:
"Kagura, let me give you a hug~~"
"Oh, you... really. Alright, today you can have your way."
Kagura smiled helplessly, then leaned into Excellent Quality's embrace, letting her be hugged.
Hugging Kagura and taking two deep breaths, a warm and gentle mysterious scent immediately enveloped Excellent Quality. She felt her dejected mood improve significantly. She discovered that Kagura's embrace seemed to possess a unique magic; every time she hugged Kagura, it always made her feel incredibly comfortable.
"You two have such a good relationship."
Seeing Excellent Quality recover so quickly and even have the energy to hug Kagura, Tojo Hana, who was watching, also breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well... we are friends, after all, Soshi. I'll cook dinner for you tonight. What do you want to eat? Any ideas?"
"Yes! radish cake!"
"Can you mention something other than radish cake..."
Excellent Quality didn't know why she was particularly fond of the various radish cakes Kagura made. Although Kagura had tried different dishes for her, radish cake remained the most appealing to her.
"Oh~ did I hear that the Little Horse Girl is cooking tonight?"
Hearing that Kagura was going to cook, Maruzensky, who had come over to get feedback from the two contestants after the race, suddenly perked up.
"I was going to cook anyway. After all, Miss Tojo said that the young lady always forgets to eat dinner. Miss Maruzen and Miss Tojo, would you like to eat something?"
"I have some things to do tonight, so I won't be able to make it."
"If there's extra, I'd love to! You wouldn't believe it! After I ate your cooking last time, I couldn't get used to my own cooking anymore! I'm suffering, big sister!"
Unlike Maruzensky, who immediately agreed, Tojo Hana had to decline because she still had Trainer work to do.
Maruzensky lived alone off-campus, so she handled all her daily living arrangements herself. Previously, she didn't feel anything about her own cooking; she just made do. But ever since she went to Rudolph Symbol's debut race celebration that day, Maruzensky found that she could never forget the taste of that day. She started to feel uncomfortable and dissatisfied with the things she cooked herself. So now, hearing that she could get a free meal from Kagura, she was naturally very excited.
"Then... I'll borrow the school kitchen tonight. I'll start cooking around six. If you want to eat, come over then."
...Although Kagura agreed, she still underestimated the workload of hosting too many people. After all, she was still only one person.
Feeling equally overwhelmed as Kagura were the Tracen Dining Hall staff. For no other reason than that around six o'clock this afternoon, Chairwoman Akikawa Yayoi, Student Council President Rudolph Symbol, the already famous Maruzensky, and the legendary new Uma Musume who scored first in this year's theoretical exam—a large group of influential figures—all gathered in one area of the Dining Hall.
Anyone with eyes could see that these people had all come to the Dining Hall for the same reason. The Dining Hall usually didn't have so many big shots gathered there. Clearly, the Little Horse Girl who borrowed the kitchen today and was now bustling about in it was their target.
Fortunately, that Little Horse Girl truly managed to host the group of big shots she brought with her. It could be said that tonight, Kagura almost single-handedly took over a stove in the kitchen. This Little Horse Girl, whose work efficiency was equal to five, taught Tracen's Dining Hall a harsh lesson, perfectly demonstrating what it means to remain calm in a crisis.
"Ugh..."
Of course, everyone else enjoyed their meal, but Kagura, who was so busy she felt like she was falling apart, didn't fare as well. Today was another so-called training race, and then she was subjected to such high-intensity torment tonight. She felt like she was about to fall apart.
In the end, Excellent Quality took Kagura back to her dorm. Kagura, exhausted, just wanted to quickly take a shower and lie down to sleep.
"Kagura, do you want me to give you a massage? I just happened to teach myself a little bit..."
Seeing Kagura, who had showered and changed into her pajamas, lying on the bed looking utterly exhausted, Excellent Quality hesitantly asked.
Kagura weakly responded with a sound. Now somewhat dazed, she truly didn't care whether she agreed or not.
Having received permission, Excellent Quality carefully climbed onto Kagura's bed, sat on Kagura's lap, and reached out to gently grasp Kagura's shoulders. Following the massage techniques she remembered learning from her parents, she slowly increased the pressure.
"Mm... Mmm-ah~!?"
Kagura, who had been somewhat drowsy, was instantly jolted awake by the massage, involuntarily letting out a cute sound that invited fanciful thoughts. Realizing something was amiss, she quickly lowered her volume again:
"Soshi... gen... gently! !"
"Sorry! I haven't massaged anyone in so long, I lost control of my strength for a moment... Are you okay?"
Excellent Quality apologized profusely. She also hadn't realized that she hadn't done this in a long time, and her technique was still a bit rusty.
"It's okay... Soshi, you can start with a little less strength."
"Okay, I'll pay attention."
After the initial mistake, Excellent Quality's movements became much more cautious. A Little Horse Girl's delicate body like Kagura's couldn't handle the strength required by her own older Uma Musume.
Carefully grasping Kagura's fair and tender thighs and gently massaging them, Excellent Quality adjusted her massage technique, constantly asking Kagura how she felt. Only when Kagura's voice gradually changed from clear to indistinct whimpers did she determine the most suitable pressure for Kagura.
The reason Kagura stopped making sounds was because she had buried her head in her arms. After adjusting the pressure, even she, who had learned massage from the Head Maid for a while, had to admit that Excellent Quality's massage technique was indeed very good.
Moreover, Excellent Quality truly had enough strength to achieve the massage effect. That feeling of relaxation and comfort almost made Kagura let out sounds that could be misunderstood. To avoid embarrassment, she chose to cover her mouth with her arm, leaving only her wagging tail and two ears that would occasionally perk up sharply to show that she was currently enjoying it very much.
'Why does it hurt so much when it hurts, and feel so good when it's comfortable! Is a Uma Musume's body sensitivity also higher than a human's... Is this really not a succubus!?'
Kagura, her small face flushed, unconsciously let out faint whimpers, frantically complaining in her mind.
Uma Musume have more nerves in their legs, so they're a bit sensitive. That kind of reaction is normal, and besides, you're still young. If you can't hold it in, it's fine to cry out; there's no need to bottle it up so hard.
'Why is there a scientific explanation for a setting like this, which feels straight out of a hentai game? And why do you know what I'm thinking?!'
As for crying out... I'd rather not. Even though it's summer break, there are other Uma Musume in the school. I don't know how good the soundproofing in this dorm is. If my embarrassing sounds were heard, my school life would probably be over.
Fortunately, the massage didn't last long. After Kagura, who was already a bit tired from her run in the afternoon, drifted in and out of dreams for a while, she felt Excellent Quality poke her a few times, pick her up, and turn her over, laying her face up on her bed.
"How do you feel?"
"Soshi, your technique is pretty good. So comfortable..."
"Hehe~ This is a skill even my parents praise!"
Excellent Quality saw that Kagura below her was so tired she couldn't even open her eyes, and her voice was a bit muddled, so she didn't say much more. She just reached out and gently rubbed Kagura's soft cheek, then got up and climbed off Kagura:
"Well then, good night, Kagura."
"Good night... *huff huff*..."
A groggy Kagura instinctively responded to Excellent Quality. She heard the sound of Excellent Quality turning off the light and closing the door as she left. After that, no other sounds could be heard in the dorm, and her consciousness quickly sank into darkness.