Saturday morning was quiet and peaceful.
The morning sun cast its rays upon the river, and as a gentle breeze stirred, tiny waves danced, creating a shimmering expanse of fragmented gold across the water.
Gold Legend, having finished her morning run, stood at the entrance of the supermarket, looking at the sign that read "Chips Half Price Today." She felt a little hesitant.
Her goal today was actually to buy ingredients.
For Legend, snacks were not a high priority. Usually, snacks that could be delivered by courier were far less important than ingredients.
After all, ingredients couldn't be openly brought into the dorm.
However, today chips were half price!!!
This wasn't about money; for Gold Legend, money was not an issue.
Half-price chips were a way of life, a source of joy.
But, ingredients couldn't be ignored either.
Oguri Cap and the guys from the Gold Family would often drop by her dorm to freeload food. If she didn't have ingredients stocked, who knew if a starving Oguri Cap and the bored Gold Family would extend their claws towards her poor collections.
But if she bought ingredients, she wouldn't be able to bring the chips back to the dorm as well.
Although the Dorm Head turned a blind eye to such things with enough cash, sneaking around and doing things openly were two different matters. Rules were rules, and Fuji Kiseki was so good to her, she didn't want to make things difficult for her.
"Ugh, I'll just wait for next time..." Legend reluctantly decided to give up on the half-price chips.
"Oh, Legend-chan? What are you doing here?"
A familiar voice, yet with a different tone.
Unlike her usual vibrant and clear voice, this one carried a hint of drowsiness and laziness.
Gold Legend turned her head to look.
"Senior Chiaki? Are you..."
Her bangs were clipped back with a hairpin, revealing a smooth forehead.
She was wearing a casually matched sweatshirt, clearly homewear.
In her arms, she held frozen instant food.
Her eyes were half-closed, looking as if she hadn't quite woken up.
She showed none of her usual flamboyant charm.
"Oh dear, you've seen my unsightly side. Good morning, Legend-chan."
Mr. C.B. chuckled, not caring about her appearance, and gave a light greeting.
"Morning."
Legend looked at Mr. C.B., who was different from her usual self, with some surprise.
Normally, although Mr. C.B. was often unreliable, she generally maintained the image of a perfect, intellectual senior.
Seeing her in such a disheveled state was truly rare... Let me take another look!
"...Such an intense gaze, even I would be shy."
Mr. C.B., who still had some senior's dignity, said awkwardly.
"No, it's just rare to see Senior like this, so I'm a bit curious."
Since I've been discovered, I don't need to pretend to be a gentleman anymore.
Legend openly stared.
"Ugh... a miscalculation."
She should have washed up before going out.
"By the way, Senior Chiaki, do you live around here?"
Gold Legend assessed Mr. C.B.'s attire.
Such a relaxed posture, even wearing slippers, could only mean she lived very close by.
Considering that Mr. C.B. lived off-campus, she was most likely in this vicinity.
"Yes, just a few minutes' walk. Would you like to come over to my place?"
Senmei invited with a smile.
"Although I'd love to, I have something to do here."
I still need to buy groceries.
"With your circumstances, Legend, you don't need to do these things yourself, do you?"
Senmei blinked and asked curiously.
"If I had to say, it's probably a lifestyle choice."
"Ha, sounds interesting." Senmei smiled. "Coincidentally, I don't have anything to do right now, so I'll go with you."
"Is it okay if you don't go back earlier?"
"It's fine, it's fine."
And then trouble arose.
Gold Legend, holding her groceries, stood with Mr. C.B. at the supermarket entrance, looking up at the gloomy sky.
Summer weather changes in an instant; one moment it's clear skies, the next it's a torrential downpour, especially during this peak rainy season.
"It's raining..." Gold Legend murmured.
"It's raining..." Mr. C.B.'s voice drifted.
"This is troublesome; the ingredients can't get wet." Gold Legend scratched her face.
"Why don't you come to my place? It's close anyway?" Mr. C.B. invited again.
"...Then I'll impose. I'll go buy an umbrella." Since she couldn't go back to school anyway, Legend stopped being coy, handed the ingredients to Senmei, turned back into the supermarket to buy an umbrella, opened it on the spot, and walked into the rain with Mr. C.B.... Walking in the summer rain, the small umbrella was like a tiny boat in the ocean.
Since she couldn't go back to school anyway, Legend stopped being coy, handed the ingredients to Mr. C.B., turned back into the supermarket to buy an umbrella, opened it on the spot, and walked into the rain with Mr. C.B.... Walking in the summer rain, the small umbrella was like a tiny boat in the ocean.
Mr. C.B. and Gold Legend walked side by side.
It's a pity the umbrella was still too small.
Gold Legend thought, tilting the umbrella towards Mr. C.B..
Mr. C.B. noticed the umbrella tilting, glanced over, and saw Legend's already wet shoulder.
She then looked at herself; there was still plenty of room under the umbrella.
With a slight smile, Senmei proactively moved a little closer to Legend.
"You're too close, Senior Chiaki."
"Hehe, it's fine, it's fine." Mr. C.B. said with a smile, "Say, Legend-chan, don't we look like a couple right now?"
"...Please spare me that." Legend said awkwardly.
"Oh my, looking at your expression, do you have someone in mind? Who is it?" Seeing Legend's reaction, Mr. C.B.'s eyes suddenly lit up.
"Rather than someone in mind, it's more like..." Legend prevaricated.
"...Could it be, more than one person?" Mr. C.B. became even more excited. "That makes sense, Legend-chan, with your qualifications, tsk tsk, even I, your senior, am tempted."
"...Please spare me." Legend was helpless.
"Hahaha." Mr. C.B.'s laughter was still clear in the rain.
While chatting and laughing, the two had already arrived in front of a villa.
Mr. C.B. opened the door and led Legend into the house.
"What are these?"
As soon as she entered, the various landscape photos framed on the wall caught Legend's attention.
"Collected from my travels. Since I live alone, it's easy to travel all over the world." Senmei walked over with guest slippers.
"Live alone?" Legend blinked.
"Yes, I don't really like the atmosphere at home. It's too serious for me there." Mr. C.B. scratched her head.
"I see." Gold Legend understood.
If she hadn't been born into the Gold Family, Legend would probably be similar to Mr. C.B..
"By the way, do you want anything to eat?"
Mr. C.B. walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
"Senior, you can cook?"
This was truly surprising.
"...Uh, I can handle frozen food, at least."
Mr. C.B. awkwardly took out a box of frozen pizza from the refrigerator.
"...Frozen food isn't good for your health, you know." Legend watched speechlessly.
"Ahahaha."
"ε=('ο｀*))) Alas, perfect, these ingredients will come in handy. I'll do it."
Legend sighed and walked into the kitchen.
"...Is that okay? You bought these ingredients to stock up, didn't you?"
Mr. C.B. obediently walked out of the kitchen, handing over the apron that had been bought but never used.
"Aren't ingredients bought to be eaten?"
Legend's eye twitched as she looked at the pink, girlish apron in front of her, but she didn't comment.
Skillfully tying her hair into a ponytail, then putting on the apron, she looked at the ingredients, checked the cooking utensils, and Legend began to work.
"Whoa, where did this virtuous wife and loving mother come from? Honestly, I'm tempted."
Senmei, who had obediently gone to the living room to wait, lay on the sofa watching Legend, her tone filled with an indescribable ambiguity.
"Why don't you just move in with me, Legend-chan? I have plenty of empty rooms here anyway."
Senmei said sincerely.
"Well... maybe later."
Legend didn't refuse. Indeed, her dorm was getting a bit cramped, and her collectibles were almost overflowing.
But now was not the time.
"Hey! What a shame."
Senmei shook her head, turned and sat down, turned on the TV, which played soothing music.
Then she picked up the poetry collection that had been on the living room table at some point and continued reading from where she had left off.
The two of them chatted idly, accompanied by the music.
"Dinner's ready!"
After placing the last dish on the dining table, Legend called out to Senmei.
"Coming!"
Tossing the poetry collection onto the table, Mr. C.B. jogged to the dining table.
"Wow, home cooking."
A simple meal of three dishes and one soup, her specialty when she lived alone in her previous life.
"Well, my cooking skills aren't great."
"No problem, no problem! As someone getting a free meal, I have no right to be picky... Oh, it's delicious!"
Mr. C.B.'s eyes lit up as she eagerly took a bite.
"This is delicious too, and that's not bad either! Legend-chan, who taught you how to cook?"
"Isn't this a skill people living alone should have?" Legend said helplessly.
"I don't," Mr. C.B. said without reservation.
"Want to learn? I can teach you." Legend rested her chin on one hand, looking at Mr. C.B. across from her, who was eating heartily, with a doting expression. "It's a good opportunity to change your eating habits. Seriously, you're an Uma Musume, yet you're so unhealthy. Also, don't smack your lips when you eat."
"...Are you my mom or something?" Chiaki complained.
"By the way, do you still grow flowers?"
Legend turned her head and saw flowers swaying on the balcony.
"It's just a hobby. If you want, you can take one or two with you."
"Forget it, it's too much trouble."
Soon, the simple three dishes and one soup were cleared.
"Hoo—" Mr. C.B. exhaled contentedly, leaning back in her chair. Judging by her wagging tail, she thoroughly enjoyed the meal.
"Oh dear, I'm already starting to hate the thought of Legend-chan leaving me."
"Ah, um, thank you for the compliment during your busy schedule."
Legend, who was getting up to clear the dishes, said perfunctorily.
"That's a surprise. To be honest, I thought Legend, you were the type who doesn't lift a finger in the kitchen, just like me."
Mr. C.B. turned the TV back on, then collapsed onto the sofa, striking a 'Ge You slouch' pose, completely unconcerned about her image.
"For someone living alone to not lift a finger in the kitchen, that's what's surprising."
How have you lived until now?
After tidying up and washing, Legend sat down next to Mr. C.B.
Chiaki took the opportunity to lean in, wrapping her smooth arms around Legend's waist and burying her face in Legend's abdomen.
"...What are you doing?"
Although she was already accustomed to the occasional intimate contact from Uma Musume, this level of action still made Legend a bit uncomfortable, leaving her somewhat stiff for a moment.
"Ah, what an enviable waist."
Mr. C.B. rubbed against Legend's abdomen, then let go and lay on her back, resting her head on Legend's lap.
"...Are you trying to be cute with me?"
Legend raised an eyebrow, unable to resist her restless hand, and gently stroked Chiaki's head.
"Huhu." Mr. C.B. showed a comfortable expression and said nothing.
The sound from the TV brought a slight din, as the two Uma Musume quietly enjoyed their moment of leisure.
Outside the window, the sun had reappeared at some point. A gentle breeze softly swept across the windowsill, and the flowers swayed lightly, softly singing a poem unique to summer.
Feeling light, even breathing on her lap, Legend smiled helplessly, pulled a blanket from nearby, and slowly covered Mr. C.B.
"Looks like I'll have to stay here a bit longer."
Legend looked at the sleeping Chiaki with a helpless, speechless expression.
Turning off the TV, Legend picked up the poetry collection left on the table and slowly flipped through it.
"...I will take your rocks, your harbors, your sounds, your reflections on the water."
In the quiet space, there was only a gentle voice, reading romantic verses.
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