At the register, even though Ardan tried to snatch the bill and pay for ages, Kagura had already come prepared. There was no way she was letting Ardan spend money on her—so she stuffed the cash straight into the cashier's hand with lightning speed.
Good thing Japan doesn't have such convenient payment options everywhere. As long as you have the money ready, you're set.
After all, this place didn't have the kind of "scan a code and pay" setup—at least, not here. Kagura only needed to pay in cash. She'd only seen those convenient mobile payments at a few very large shopping venues; most places still took cash the old-fashioned way.
She wasn't about to let Ardan pick up the tab for no reason. Besides, she'd been saving up wages for most of a year now. She wasn't exactly short on money—at the very least, a swimsuit wasn't a problem.
"Ah! Kagura! Morning!"
Shopping bag in hand, Kagura had just stepped away from the counter when she heard a familiar voice calling her. Ardan, who also found the voice familiar, turned to look as well.
Before Kagura could even get out her next word, her head was hugged—and shoved straight into two soft mounds.
"Wah—!? Nature? What are you doing here!?"
Kagura sprang back on instinct and hurriedly lifted her head. For a split second, the "boob ambush" made her think Maruzensky had come charging in, but when she looked up, it was Nice Nature. Glancing behind her, Kagura also spotted a blue-haired little Umamusume, and—standing far away by the entrance of another shop selling tea—Trainer Minamizaka.
"Well, summer's coming up, right? Of course I'm here to buy a swimsuit. Didn't expect to run into you and Ardan-senpai too. So what are you here to buy?"
"Tojo-san said our team is going to summer training camp soon, so I thought I'd come out and buy a swimsuit. I don't really trust my taste, so I asked Ardan-ojousama to come with me. She's basically here to help me pick."
"Eh… so you're done already?"
Nice Nature eyed the bag in Kagura's hand. She could just barely see some blue fabric inside. No need to think too hard—that was definitely Kagura's swimsuit. Nice Nature suddenly felt a pang of regret that she hadn't listened to that kid she'd run into on the way and sprinted over at full speed.
If I'd gotten here earlier, would I've gotten to see Kagura in a swimsuit?
Nice Nature couldn't help thinking it.
Behind her, the blue-haired kid started practically vibrating the moment she saw Kagura. That look—so similar to Tokai Teio seeing Rudolf—made Kagura a little surprised, because the kid was staring at her.
"U-um! Y-you—You're… Inari Kagura-senpai, right?!"
The moment Kagura looked her way, the blue-haired little Umamusume dashed up in excitement, like Tokai Teio finally getting close enough to her idol.
"That's me… and you are…?"
"This kid's someone I ran into on the road. She asked if I was a Tracen student. I said yes, and then she got super excited and asked if I knew Inari Kagura… so, uh, yeah. That's how this happened."
Nice Nature explained where her little tagalong had come from, since she was the one who'd brought her here.
Kagura raised her eyebrows in surprise. This was the first time she'd heard of a kid from outside school knowing who she was. She couldn't help wondering if the kid was one of her followers, or something else entirely.
"Oh? So you're not a Tracen student, kiddo. What's up?"
"I—I came to the school that day with my friend! I watched Kagura-senpai's Selection Race!! Kagura-senpai was really—so amazing! So cool! I—I…"
The blue-haired kid was so excited she could barely get her words out. Her nervous, wound-up state made both Ardan and Nice Nature look like they were about to laugh.
Oh, so she was in the crowd for that race…
"I… I want to become like Kagura-senpai too—strong and cool! Leaving everyone behind on the track!"
After stammering for ages, the kid finally forced the sentence out. Kagura couldn't help feeling like she'd heard something very similar before—like, maybe just yesterday, somewhere.
Ardan and Nice Nature both froze for a beat, then smiled warmly. Kids really did say the most earnest, straightforward things—and it was kind of delightful. Kagura laughed too. Not just because it was cute, but because it reminded her of Tokai Teio yesterday. She reached out and ruffled the kid's head—she was about the same height as Kagura.
"That's not an easy thing to pull off. You need luck, talent, and effort—every single one of them. Especially effort."
"Yeah! I won't slack off on effort!"
"Hehe. Then start by getting into Tracen Academy, kiddo~"
"Mm! Mm!"
The kid's ears and tail swished excitedly. It was obvious she was in a great mood.
Ardan, who'd been smiling while watching Kagura interact with her little fan, suddenly felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She took it out and checked.
[Iris]:Good morning, Ardan. Are you up?
[Ardan]:What is it? Why are you looking for me so early?
[Iris]:Nothing much. It's just that it's already late May, so I wanted to ask about this year's summer training camp. Do you want to come with Ramonu? How have you been feeling lately?
"Ah…"
At the mention of summer training camp, Ardan snapped back to reality. She'd been away from Tracen for a long time before, and her health had been fragile. Now she was back, and with Kagura's careful care, she'd improved a lot—enough that she could participate in the summer training camp the Mejiro family's trainer organized.
[Ardan]: I've been doing very well lately. Kagura has been taking care of me, so I'm much better now.
[Iris]:Good. Then I'll come pick you up for a checkup at the hospital right now and see what the doctor says. If it's okay, I'll have the trainer include you this year. You're at the dorm, right?
[Ardan]:[Location]
[Iris]:? Why are you out buying clothes this early?
Mejiro Iris glanced at the location Ardan sent and couldn't help feeling surprised. It was rare to see Ardan up early and out shopping.
[Ardan]:Kagura said she's going to summer training camp and wanted to buy a swimsuit, so I offered to help her pick.
"LETS GO!!!"
In Mejiro Iris's room, a maid who'd been mopping the floor jumped in fright at the sudden bang—she nearly flung the broom out of her hands.
[Iris]:Are you finished buying? Is Kagura still with you?
[Ardan]:Yes, she is. And Kagura's friend is here too, plus one of her fans.
[Iris]:…Fine. I'm coming to pick you up for the hospital now. When you're back at the dorm tonight, remember to ask Kagura where they're going for camp this year.