"Suzuka-chan... From now on, we're roommates. P-please take good care of me!"
Special Week was a bit excited as she hurriedly bowed and spoke.
Silence Suzuka watched this scene with a hint of surprise in her heart, but she still nodded with a smile.
"Yes, let's look forward to working together. Do you need some help?"
Pointing toward the unmade bed on the side, Silence Suzuka spoke in a gentle tone.
With a slight flush still on her face, Special Week scratched the back of her head and laughed bashfully.
"Well then, thank you so much, Suzuka-chan, hehe..."
The two of them got along quite well.
The next morning:
Silence Suzuka stood before the mirror. After straightening her outfit, she looked over at Special Week, who was still fast asleep clutching a carrot plushie.
She shook her head helplessly.
"Spe-chan... Spe-chan, it's time to get up. Otherwise, you'll be late."
Swish—!
Her horse ears pricked up, and Special Week bolted upright from the bed.
She scratched her messy hair and asked Suzuka, "What time is it now?"
"Well... it'll be 8:00 in half an hour."
"What!!? I'm going to be late, I'm going to be late..."
She changed her clothes at lightning speed and folded her blankets.
After a quick grooming, Special Week rushed out with a piece of bread in her mouth.
At this time, there were very few Uma Musume entering the school gates. Seeing Special Week running over in a hurry, Hayakawa Tazuna simply squinted with a smile and spoke.
"Good morning, Special Week-san."
"Wu~ mgh... Good morning, Miss Tazuna."
"Just in time. I'll take you to get familiar with your class in a little while."
"O-okay."
Looking at the bread hanging from the girl's mouth, Tazuna offered a gentle suggestion.
"How about we go to the cafeteria and have a nice, slow breakfast? What do you think?"
"Eh, is that okay?"
"Of course. Follow me. The cafeteria is generally open all day, if Miss Special Week is interested, you can head there to eat whenever you like."
Upon hearing this, Special Week was no longer sleepy. She immediately followed behind Tazuna and arrived at the cafeteria.
As soon as she stepped through the door, she was shocked by the vast space and gorgeous decorations inside.
After all, this was the place where all the students and faculty ate, it certainly wouldn't be small.
As she looked around, her gaze caught a nearby table, and she was startled.
"Waaa—!"
She saw a grey-haired Uma Musume with a bulging belly, shoveling away at a plate of fried rice.
On both sides of the table stood piles of steamed buns as high as small mountains.
Hearing the noise, Oguri Cap silently raised her head. Looking at the curious Special Week, she spoke while her mouth was still stuffed.
"Hello..."
"Ahaha, h-hello."
"Oguri Cap-san, it is better to eat a little less in the morning," Tazuna suggested.
Hearing Tazuna's advice, Oguri Cap nodded and said indifferently, "I've already eaten two fewer buns than I did at this time yesterday."
Cold sweat couldn't help but trickle down Special Week's forehead.
Even though she was quite a big eater herself, seeing this Uma Musume made her realize what the saying "there's always a bigger fish" meant.
Following that, she followed Tazuna's guidance to the counter.
She ordered a massive "extra-large" set meal meant for four people.
She picked a seat, sat down, and started digging in.
"It seems Special Week-san has quite an appetite this morning as well."
"Mmm, this is delicious..."
The two didn't waste time. Tazuna took this opportunity to calmly explain some of the campus rules to Special Week.
Clatter—!
"Hi hi!! Onee-san~ I'm here!!"
A familiar and lively voice rang out from the cafeteria entrance.
Dressed in training gear, Divine Starlight came skipping and hopping to the window.
"Yo~ Little Star, you finished training early today," the Cafeteria Lady replied with a smile while wiping her hands.
"Aiyee, every movement is so tiring. My whole body is aching right now."
"Then you need to nourish yourself properly~ Come, this big sister saved a bowl of meat broth for you."
Hearing this, Divine Star's ears flickered as she said in pleasant surprise, "Really? Yay! Thank you, onee-san!"
Turning around with her tray, Starlight locked eyes with Special Week.
"Eh, Spe-chan, you're here for breakfast too?"
"Mmhmm... Hello, Starlight-senpai~"
As Divine Starlight sat down next to her, she looked at the several large plates on the table and teased, "Spe-chan is quite the little foodie, huh? Being able to eat this much so early in the morning."
"Ehehe, I-I couldn't help it. These all looked so delicious, I accidentally ordered too much."
"Haha... How about I help you share some of the burden? If you don't finish, you might get lectured, you know~"
As she spoke, Starlight picked up her chopsticks and reached toward Special Week's plate.
Looking at Special Week's hesitant, lingering expression— which even carried a hint of reluctant sorrow at the thought of giving up her food— Starlight didn't eat the piece of fish she picked up.
Instead, she held it out to the girl's lips.
"Spe-chan, come on, say ahhh~"
Coming to her senses, Special Week froze for a moment. Then, looking at the fish right in front of her, she subconsciously opened her mouth and ate it.
"I really wish I could have taken a photo of that expression just now, it was absolutely adorable."
Reaching out to pat the girl's head, Starlight began to eat her own meal at a leisurely pace.
"Wait, so Senpai was just teasing me? How could you..."
Waving her hand with her chopsticks still in her grasp, Starlight laughed dismissively. "It's just that Spe-chan is so dorky, you're just so cute to look at that I couldn't help myself."
After saying that, she used the same chopsticks she had just used to feed the girl to pick up a fried egg and stuff it into her own mouth.
Seeing this, Special Week's face turned slightly red.
'On those chopsticks... there's probably the ones I... Star-senpai...'
"Senpai, I'm not dorky! Don't just say things like that."
"Mm-hmm, yes, yes, I know."
Watching the banter between the two, Hayakawa Tazuna quite enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere, so she simply listened in silence from the side.
Just then, a pale-faced Oguri Cap made a stiff, determined approach toward Divine Star.
While the three of them were still wondering what was going on, she reached out and slapped a hand onto Star's shoulder.
"Sta... Starlight... My stomach... it feels a bit bad. What should I do~"
"Ah, this—hold on, I'll take you to the school infirmary right away," Divine Starlight said helplessly, glancing at the girl's slightly protruding belly.
"Oguri~ next time, try not to eat quite so much."
"Mmm..."
Oguri Cap was already past the point of being able to speak, she could only let out a few whimpers.
Supporting the other girl's weight, Divine Starlight turned around.
"Tazuna-san, Spe-chan, I'm going to take Oguri to the infirmary first. You two take your time eating."
"Do you need my help, Starlight-san?"
"It's fine, Tazuna-san, I can handle it on my own."
"Well then, be careful on the way..."
At the entrance of the infirmary:
The school doctor looked at Oguri Cap's condition and frowned, asking, "What happened to Miss Oguri Cap..."
Before the doctor could finish the question, Divine Starlight took a step forward with a look of self-reproach.
"That's right, I admit it. I'm the one who did this to her. Doctor, I'll take full responsibility, so please—"
"Ouch~!"
The doctor flicked Star's forehead and ignored her, turning instead to deal with Oguri Cap's issue.
Scene change:
Lying on the sickbed, Oguri Cap looked at Divine Star, who was sitting by her side, with a heavy expression.
She reached out her hand with great difficulty.
"Sta... Starlight..."
Seeing this, Divine Starlight hurried to grasp her hand, her own expression equally solemn.
"Tell me, Oguri."
"You said... you'd take responsibility for me, right?"
"...Yes."
"Then, then... there's still half a plate of buns in the cafeteria I didn't finish. Please, you must save them for me. Once I recover this afternoon, give them back to me."
"You've already eaten yourself sick and you're still worrying about that plate of buns?! Oguri Cap! You really are something..."
Divine Starlight shook her head with a melancholic look.
"Don't worry, leave it to me."
"Yes... I'm counting on you... Starlight-chan."
As soon as she finished speaking, Oguri Cap's hand went limp and dangled down.
"OGURI CAP—!!!"
Bam!
The school doctor, who was trying to read, couldn't take it anymore and kicked Divine Starlight out of the room.