"Mmm... Mmm... Kagura..."
"What's wrong? Soshi, have you decided where you want to go for a walk?"
Although she had managed to ask Kagura out, Excellent Quality had no idea what to do next. Compared to the extremely nervous Excellent Quality, Kagura appeared much calmer. She even managed to open her social media account and scroll through it a bit.
Kagura could tell that Excellent Quality probably hadn't asked friends out before, which was why she was so flustered now. She almost couldn't bear to tease this cute child.
"If you haven't decided, would you like to hear my suggestion?"
Unable to bear it any longer, Kagura finally decided to speak up and help Soshi ease the awkwardness.
"Yes!! Ah... Kagura, do you have any good suggestions?"
"It's almost noon, let's go eat first, then go to the nearby Park. I've seen many students go there for walks when they're free. What do you think?"
"I... I have no problem! I think it's great!"
The nervous Excellent Quality quickly nodded, then let out a long sigh.
"Soshi, if you want to go out and play in the future, you can plan ahead. Otherwise, if you're all in a mess when it's time to leave, it's not good."
"I know...Woo..."
Excellent Quality's ears drooped in disappointment. Seeing this, Kagura leaned forward, stood on tiptoe slightly, and patted her head.
"Alright, you're out to play, be happy. Just be prepared next time."
"Mmm mmm... It's turned out like this again..."
Even though Excellent Quality always wanted her older self to act more like an older sister, for some reason, she always felt like a child in front of Kagura.
Kagura opened her phone, searched for nearby restaurants, considered Excellent Quality's usual taste preferences and the price range they could both accept, and quickly made a choice.
"Soshi, you probably like ramen, right? How about we go eat ramen?"
"Hmm... Eh? Kagura, how did you know I liked..."
"Hehe~ I've been cooking for you for several months, what flavors you like are all written on your belly!"
Kagura hadn't made ramen for Excellent Quality before, but based on Excellent Quality's taste preferences and her own cooking experience, she could roughly infer what she liked to eat.
Excellent Quality couldn't help but blush, feeling a bit flustered for a moment. Only then did she realize something: Kagura seemed to understand her like family, while she still knew very little about Kagura.
Bringing Excellent Quality to the storefront, considering the large appetite of Uma Musume, Kagura specifically looked for a Jiro-style ramen shop. She remembered her best friend had recommended such establishments to her. They were moderately priced, offered large portions, and were very suitable for students.
"By the way, I'm a little curious, Kagura, is there anything you like to eat?"
Walking into the shop, ordering, and sitting down, Excellent Quality finally couldn't help but ask Kagura. She felt she still didn't understand her good friend well enough.
"Oh, there's a lot. Besides Houttuynia cordata and things that are too bizarre, as long as other ingredients are cooked well, I like them all. If I were to list them one by one, I wouldn't finish until tomorrow."
"I see... By the way, what is Houttuynia cordata?"
Although Excellent Quality's household skills were also highly developed before, she had indeed never heard of this ingredient.
"It's an ingredient with a very unique taste, but it doesn't seem to be available here."
"Oh, do customers also know about Houttuynia cordata?"
The brown-haired Uma Musume waitress came over with their ramen, having just heard Kagura's words, and seemed a bit surprised.
"Ah, thank you. I've heard of it, at least. Miss, you are..."
"Sorry, sorry, no offense intended. It's just rare to hear someone mention something from my hometown here, especially such a young child. I was a bit curious."
Kagura carefully observed the waitress. She was very young, appearing only a few years older than her current body. Although it was difficult to distinguish nationality from an Uma Musume's face, the other party's attire was indeed more chinese-style—of course, it was the stereotypical chinese attire in the minds of the Japanese. She was sure no one would wear that in everyday life.
"Miss, are you a chinese Uma Musume?"
"Yes, I came here with a senior not long ago and will be staying for a while, so I'm working part-time here. I'll be going back after a while."
"I see..."
She glanced at the waitress's name tag—Muteki, written in chinese characters, a very Uma Musume-like name that didn't sound like a human name at all.
"Alright, customers, your noodles are all served. Other customers are calling me, so I'll be leaving now!"
"Oh, oh..."
Watching the enthusiastic waitress leave, Kagura had actually wanted to ask if the other party spoke chinese, but she thought that the busy environment might not be suitable, so she didn't ask.
"That person is a chinese Uma Musume... I always feel that chinese Uma Musume are quite rare, it's hard to see them normally."
Excellent Quality also saw a foreign Uma Musume for the first time today. Although she hadn't spoken just now, she had been curiously watching the waitress named Muteki.
"Maybe it's because Uma Musume from over there don't come here much... Hurry and eat, the ramen will get soggy if it sits too long."
"Mmm mmm!"
Excellent Quality, who had a good understanding of food, naturally knew this too and immediately started digging in. Kagura also picked up her chopsticks and ate unhurriedly, distinguishing possible cooking methods and raw ingredients as she ate, planning to make it for Excellent Quality to eat when they returned to Tracen.
"I didn't tell you to eat so fast, your mouth is all messy."
While eating, Kagura also took some time to look at Soshi. Seeing her eat so fiercely, Kagura, worried she might choke, reminded her.
Excellent Quality, still chewing, looked up, a little dazed. Kagura took out a tissue she carried with her and wiped the mouth of this somewhat careless child.
Normally, Fine Motion isn't so careless about herself, but when she eats with me, she tends to be like this. Kagura doesn't know if it's because the food is delicious or because she doesn't pay much attention in front of acquaintances.
"If you like it, I can write down the recipe and make it for you when we get back to school?"
"Really? Speaking of which, ramen recipes are usually not given out by shop owners, right?"
"No need to worry about that. I can tell how to make it just by tasting it, as long as you want it."
"You can learn it just by tasting it? Is there really such an ability??"
Fine Motion's face was full of disbelief. Although she knew Kagura was good at cooking, learning a dish just by tasting it sounded a bit outrageous. The uncles and aunties in the Tracen Dining Hall would be sweating if they heard that.
"Of course, I can make it as long as I have the ingredients."
"Then, in the future, if I find something delicious, can I ask Kagura to come and taste it, and then go back and make it for me?"
"Hmm~ That depends on whether the things you find are healthy or not. Eating is fine, but I can't let you, little foodie, ruin your stomach, or I won't be able to explain it to your parents."
As Kagura spoke, she reached out and gently pushed Soshi's forehead with her finger. Fine Motion, who was pushed back, smiled a little embarrassedly and lowered her head to continue battling the noodles in her bowl.
'This child is really purely adorable, making people unable to rest assured...'
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