Because she was overly exhausted last night, Kagura's sleep quality was surprisingly good.
What Kagura found a bit incredible was that even though she slept so deeply, she still woke up at her usual time. Checking the time, she even had enough time to slip into the Dining Hall to make breakfast for Rudolph Symbol.
"Why...? Oh, right..."
Rudolph Symbol opened her eyes again and saw Kagura standing by her bed, looking at her. She was startled at first, then remembered that she had given Kagura the key the day before yesterday and hadn't remembered to ask for it back. It was perfectly normal for Kagura to be there in the morning.
Sitting up, Rudolph Symbol subconsciously scanned her surroundings. Sure enough, the clothes she needed to change into had already been found and hung on the closet door. The room was also filled with a fresh aroma, somewhat like a certain type of fish, making her mouth water just by smelling it.
"...Kagura, I smell fish. Is that your breakfast?"
Clearly, Tracen wouldn't have this kind of dish, so it could only be something Kagura made herself.
"Yes~ Breakfast is fish porridge, Young Miss. Get up, wash up, and change. It won't taste good if it gets cold."
As Kagura spoke, she gently pulled Rudolph Symbol out of bed.
Half-coaxed, half-dragged by Kagura into the restroom, Rudolph Symbol brushed her teeth while taking some time to reboot her brain.
'...Didn't this child get so tired yesterday that Fine Motion had to carry her back? Is it really okay for her to wake up so early today?'
Actually, Rudolph Symbol hadn't slept very well last night, leaving her still a bit sleepy now.
She suddenly missed that long-awaited high-quality sleep from the night before last. That feeling of being refreshed after waking up was truly comfortable; her work efficiency the next day could even double. She just didn't know why she had slept so well that day.
'Did I do anything special that night?'
Trying hard to recall what happened that night, Rudolph Symbol, after washing up, walked out of the restroom with a head full of questions. Seeing Kagura in the dorm, sweeping the floor and tidying up various small items, she felt like she might have remembered what special thing she did the night before last.
"Kagura."
"Yes?"
Kagura, holding a broom and sweeping the floor, heard Rudolph Symbol call her, stopped her movements, and looked at her.
Rudolph Symbol guessed that the likely reason for her high sleep quality that night was Kagura. Unsure if this was truly the reason, she wanted Kagura to help her with an experiment, but the words got stuck in her throat. If she were to say to Kagura, 'Can you stay in my dorm tonight and sleep with me?'... 'Hey, that sounds strange no matter how you put it!'
Not to mention whether Kagura would agree to such a request, it would be good if she didn't get scared and run away!
"What's wrong? Did you call me for something, Young Miss?"
Seeing Rudolph Symbol stuck for a long time, Kagura, who had been waiting patiently, reminded her with some confusion.
"No... Uh... It's just, well, if I overwork myself tonight, remember to drag me back."
"I would go even if you didn't say so. Miss Tojo specifically instructed me to make sure to drag you out of the office when it's time."
Watching Kagura, who had an innocent expression, ponder for a long time, Rudolph Symbol ultimately couldn't muster the courage to say those words. She then rushed out the door to start her day's work.
Kagura felt that Rudolph Symbol's demeanor just now wasn't quite right, but she ultimately didn't find any problem, so she didn't dwell on it too much. After quickly cleaning Rudolph Symbol's dorm, she left.
With more free time, Kagura planned to buy some ingredients to cook a big meal. Of course, before she left school to buy things, she still made and delivered Excellent Quality's breakfast, then went to the Track to confirm that no Uma Musume from the Mejiro Family who shouldn't be there had appeared.
Al Dan's figure was not seen on the Track in the morning. Kagura estimated that in her state yesterday, being carried back, she probably wouldn't have a chance to come out for a while. It was normal not to see her today.
"Little sister~! Good morning~"
She didn't find an Uma Musume from the Mejiro Family, but she did find another Uma Musume who made Kagura instinctively want to step back two paces when she saw her. She heard her voice from a long distance away.
However, the other party didn't seem to be running or exercising. It felt like she had just eaten breakfast and was taking a walk on the Track to aid digestion, as she was wearing her school uniform instead of sportswear, and there were no signs of her being sweaty.
"Morning, Miss Maruzen. I was just worried that some students might train themselves to exhaustion here, regardless of their physical condition, so I came to check."
"Ah, you mean Little Al Dan, right? I heard about what happened yesterday too; it was really scary. Luckily, you were there, little sister."
"I was scared too. It was midday, so hot, the Track must have been at least fifty degrees. If she had collapsed, she really would have been barbecued... I don't understand. Miss Al Dan's body is already so weak, why does she insist on tormenting herself like this?"
Kagura had heard a little about Mejiro Al Dan's physical condition. To be honest, she really couldn't understand why Mejiro Al Dan, despite her condition, insisted on coming out to run, even going so far as to hide it from her family and Trainer.
"Little Al Dan's personality is just that stubborn... Sigh, everyone knows she can't run, but she really loves running. She really wants to bring honor to her family, but unfortunately, fate isn't very kind to her."
"It's truly a pity..."
Talking about Al Dan, both of them sighed. It seemed Maruzensky was quite familiar with Al Dan, probably because of Rudolph Symbol.
"By the way, little sister, now that you've checked and Al Dan isn't here, what are your plans next?"
"I want to make a dish. The ingredients need to be fresh and good quality. Tracen's kitchen can't provide what I need right now, so I got up early to prepare to buy ingredients outside."
The dish Kagura wanted to make was a very complicated hometown dish, an extremely difficult recipe that she wouldn't normally make. She had this idea partly because she wanted to cook a delicious meal for her friends, and partly because she had confirmed the direction of her video content. She decided to become a food blogger, so this dish would also serve as material for her video.
"Eh~ How exciting! Since you're going to buy ingredients, little sister, why don't I come with you?"
Hearing that Kagura was going to buy ingredients again, Maruzensky immediately became eager. She didn't know if she genuinely wanted to help or if she was just greedy.
"If Miss Maruzen wants to, I have no objections. Thank you in advance for your help, Miss Maruzen."