On the second day after discharge, both Mr. C.B. and Maruzensky had—without arranging it—taken leave.
They had the same goal today.
To buy Yayoi Natural some clothes, and to tidy her up properly.
After all, her long-term illness had left her with no time to care for such things.
Her hair and tail fur both showed signs of dryness and split ends.
This too had to be dealt with a little.
And also…
Looking down at the photo from Yayoi Natural's wedding day, Maruzensky let out a soft sigh.
The Yayoi Natural in that photo looked completely different from the one Maruzensky had picked up later.
In the photo, Yayoi Natural's complexion wasn't great, but her condition was still clearly decent.
By the time Maruzensky found her, though...
Yayoi Natural was already in terrible shape.
If she hadn't happened to find her back then, perhaps…
Thinking this, Maruzensky only sighed again.
Leaning against the doorway, Mr. C.B. bent slightly and asked:
"About Yayoi's past—have you found out anything?"
"I could only confirm that she was probably kicked out the day after giving birth. And then…"
"Hm?"
"Tokai Teio. Might be related to her."
After tucking the photo away, Maruzensky straightened her posture slightly.
Hearing this, Mr. C.B. frowned, thinking for a few seconds before speaking:
"That Tokai Teio—the one the Tokai family adopted a month ago?"
"Mm."
"Though we already suspected it before, still…" Mr. C.B. shifted her gaze aside, then spoke again: "The Tokai family's gone too far. Feels like the Symboli family's about the same."
Maruzensky didn't respond to Mr. C.B.'s words. She simply stood up straight.
"That's not something we should be thinking about right now."
Seeing Maruzensky straighten like that, Mr. C.B. blinked and straightened herself as well, just as the door opened—completely blocking her.
Standing in the entrance, Yayoi Natural was still wearing the same clothes.
The very same clothes she'd worn the day Maruzensky first found her.
"Um… where are we going?"
Looking at Maruzensky, a trace of worry still flickered in Yayoi Natural's expression.
Though she had come to understand Maruzensky a fair bit during this time together, clearly she still had lingering fears, so—
"To give you a bit of a makeover."
Saying this, Maruzensky grabbed Yayoi Natural's hand.
"Eh?"
This moment of confusion allowed Mr. C.B., still standing behind the door, to grab Yayoi Natural's other hand:
"Before, when we tried to take you out, you always resisted. So now, this is why."
Saying this, she glanced at Maruzensky.
Clearly, the two of them had wordlessly agreed not to mention what they had uncovered.
Because Yayoi Natural's body simply couldn't handle such a shock.
That they were so in sync was only natural.
Looking at the two of them, Yayoi Natural stayed silent for a second before speaking:
"There's really no need…"
"What do you mean 'no need'? A girl should still look after herself. And…"
Recalling the Yayoi Natural from the photo, Maruzensky fell silent for a moment, then continued:
"Today we've brought in a professional Uma Musume."
"A professional?"
There was a hint of doubt in Yayoi Natural's voice. It sounded like she might already have guessed who it was.
But she didn't have the strength to resist, so in this situation, Yayoi Natural could only be pushed forward by the two of them.
Led by Mr. C.B., Yayoi Natural was soon brought to the front of a beauty salon. And at this very moment, the Uma Musume inside the salon was indeed the one she had been thinking of.
Gold City.
Although originally a model, Gold City had actually worked in a beauty salon before.
So Maruzensky bringing her here wasn't strange at all.
Only…
Looking around and seeing that there weren't many people here, Yayoi Natural finally relaxed a little, letting herself be guided inside.
...
Yayoi Natural's "base" wasn't bad—in fact, no Uma Musume's looks were.
In just two hours of basic care by Gold City, Yayoi Natural's original charm was completely restored.
Seeing Yayoi Natural step out of the salon,
Maruzensky stayed silent for a few seconds, then nodded slightly.
As for Mr. C.B., since she had never investigated Yayoi Natural's earlier state and had only seen a registration photo, she didn't even know what to say now, faced with this complete change in her spirit and appearance.
"Next…"
Glancing at Yayoi Natural, Maruzensky spoke again:
"Let's go to a clothing shop. We'll buy you some clothes, and underwear and such."
Looking at the hand holding hers, Yayoi Natural simply nodded.
Just as Mr. C.B. was about to follow, Gold City came out.
"Her physical condition isn't good."
"...Mm."
"Her hair alone tells you plenty. It's not hard to see." Saying this, Gold City stayed silent for a few seconds, then spoke again:
"Like we agreed before, I won't say anything at the academy."
At that, Gold City looked at Yayoi Natural.
Watching Yayoi Natural's back, Gold City stayed silent for a few seconds, then spoke again:
"By the way… I can't say much about your situation, but—be careful."
"There's nothing like that between us."
Offering a brief explanation, Mr. C.B. looked toward Maruzensky and Yayoi Natural in the distance.
Watching them, she stayed silent for a second, then spoke again:
"Just a fri…end. This is all from a scumbag's doing."
Hearing this, Gold City froze for an instant before replying:
"I didn't hear anything."
Clearly, she already knew who Mr. C.B. meant.
So, for her own safety, Gold City decided to pretend she hadn't heard.
Seeing Gold City's reaction, Mr. C.B. only spread her hands slightly:
"Now you understand why it can't be spoken about?"
"I suppose I do. But…" Looking at Yayoi Natural's back, Gold City only sighed softly, then added:
"Forget it. This doesn't have much to do with me."
"Exactly. So just act like you don't know."
Saying that, Mr. C.B. stepped forward, hurrying to catch up with the two ahead.