[Inari_Kagura]:Wu Di-jiejie, my final race on this end is over now, so I'm planning to find a chance to hold a livestream for the viewers sometime soon. What do you think?
[Wu Di]:Kagura-meimei finally remembered she should livestream! The viewers over here have missed you so much! Also, also, those two races a while back were super cool! I had the stream open and watched them with the viewers, and the livestream room was completely filled with danmaku!
[Inari_Kagura]:Haha, then I really have to thank everyone for their support. If my running can bring everyone joy and encouragement, that already makes me very happy.
[Inari_Kagura]:By the way, Wu Di-jiejie, since I happen not to have any races at the end of the year, there are some Chinese specialties I'd like to ask you to help me buy. Do you think you could help me look for them?
[Wu Di]:Chinese specialties? Sure! As long as Kagura-meimei needs them, and they aren't anything too rare or outrageous, I can find them for you!
[Inari_Kagura]:Then I'll write up a list and send it to you in a bit. I want to make a certain dish, but there are some things I really can't buy over here, so I'll have to trouble you to help me gather them.
Now that things had conveniently quieted down at the end of the year, and next year's race schedule still had to wait until Rudolf returned before it could be arranged, Kagura, with time on her hands, started planning to carry out the big project she had always wanted to do but had never gotten the chance to because she had been too busy and could not get the ingredients. On one hand, it was to fulfill the promise she had made to Eclipse-san before; on the other, it was also to do something big and fun for her fans.
[Wu Di]:Got it! Speaking of which, Kagura-meimei, how has Ardan-senpai been recently?
[Inari_Kagura]:She's doing all right. She has already resumed training recently. Her trainer said she should be able to make her return debut next year or the year after.
[Wu Di]:That's good. And thank you too, Kagura-meimei for always putting so much time and effort into taking care of Ardan-senpai. If you ever come to China when you're free, I can be your tour guide!
[Wu Di]:Ah, my mom's calling me to do housework! I'll stop here for now. I'm going to post a livestream announcement. Let's chat again when there's time!
It seemed Wu Di had been summoned away by her parent, so no more replies came for the time being.
Kagura put down her phone, leaned back against the chair, tilted her head up to look at the sky overhead, and let out a long breath.
Right now, Kagura was sitting in the spectator seats beside Tracen's track. Originally, after breakfast that morning, she had instinctively wanted to come over and run a couple laps, only to remember afterward that she was resting today and had no need to run anything. Since she was already here, Kagura did not feel like going straight back to the dorm and lying down, so she simply came up to the stands and sat there.
Because it was already the end of the year, there were very few students training on the track now. Even though classes were over, not many people were training, because it really was the year's end and there were basically no races being held during this period. The biggest news Kagura had heard recently was only that Katsuragi Ace had won the Arima Kinen not long ago, then announced her retirement.
Without realizing it, more than a year has already passed…
Thinking about how more than a year had already gone by since she came to this world, Kagura could not help feeling a little emotional.
"Mm?"
Suddenly, Kagura heard an extremely faint sound from behind her, almost too soft to hear. Just as she was about to sit up and look back, a pair of hands reached out from behind and gently hugged her.
"Guess who?"
"Ah… That voice. Nice Nature?"
Kagura quickly recognized the voice behind her, and her tense body relaxed at once.
Nice Nature's hand moved upward and patted Kagura on the head. Then she let Kagura go and sat down in the seat beside her.
"Morning~ Kagura. Why are you sitting here so early today?"
"I originally came over to exercise, then remembered I don't have any races right now and I'm supposed to be resting, so there's no need to rush into training. But I didn't feel like going back to the dorm and lying down either, so I'm sitting here for now."
After a brief pause, Kagura turned her head to look at Nice Nature. Nice Nature was still wearing her school uniform, with nothing in her hands, and she did not look like she had come to train. Thinking about how it was already the end of the year, it was normal that no one was training. But in Kagura's impression, Nice Nature's home was quite far from school. Logically, Nice Nature should have been starting to prepare to go home around now.
"Speaking of which, it's already the end of the year. Are you getting ready to go home, Nice Nature?"
"The ticket I bought is for early January, so there's still plenty of time before I leave… No need to get ready that quickly."
At the mention of going home, Nice Nature suddenly remembered what she had thought of a while back while watching Kagura's Winner's Concert after the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes. Now that it happened to be the end of the year, it was about time to bring it up.
"Right, Kagura, do you have any plans for the end of the year?"
"Hm? Not for now, I think. Why?"
"It's just… My mom and dad said, well, they wanted to thank you for always taking such good care of me, Kagura. You cook for me, and you teach me too. So they wanted to invite you to my house for a few days as a guest. They also want to take this chance to thank you themselves. What do you think?"
Nice Nature said it somewhat shyly and awkwardly.
Those were indeed her parents' exact words. Of course, Nice Nature herself was also very much looking forward to Kagura coming over as a guest. Although she did not know what exactly she was looking forward to, she felt that as long as Kagura could come to her house, she would be very happy.
"There's no need to thank me for that kind of thing… But I remember your home is pretty far from Tokyo, right?"
"Yes, it is a little far… I-if it's inconvenient for you, Kagura…"
Although Nice Nature very much hoped Kagura would go home with her, when the words reached her mouth, she could not say them after all. They turned into something else entirely, something she had not planned to say.
Sure enough, when it comes to Kagura, I still can't bring myself to force her to spend effort and time on something like this…
Nice Nature, cheeks slightly red, let out a silent sigh in her heart, and the ears on her head drooped as well.
"It's not inconvenient for me. It mainly depends on you and your family. If none of you mind, I can go back with you."
"Eh… Kagura, does that mean… you agreed?"
Just when Nice Nature had thought there was no chance, Kagura suddenly gave her an answer that took her by surprise.
"I'll be free anyway. Besides, didn't you just say the ticket you bought is for after early January? By then, I'll have finished the New Year shrine visit with Family Head and the others, and I won't really have anything else to do~"
"Yay!"
Before Kagura could even finish speaking, Nice Nature happily pounced on her, nearly knocking her down onto the spectator seats. It was plain to see that Nice Nature was extremely excited right now.
Kagura was already used to Nice Nature's almost clingy, spoiled gestures. She did not dislike them either, and simply reached out with her free hand to pat Nice Nature on the head.
"Right, Christmas is coming up soon. Do you have any plans to go out and do something, Nice Nature?"
"Eh… I don't have anything for now…"
Only after Kagura reminded her did Nice Nature remember that Christmas was also coming up at the end of the year.
"Then… do you want to go shopping together when the time comes?"
At Kagura's invitation, Nice Nature's body answered before her brain could think of a reply.
"Yes!"
...
[Nice Nature]:Dad! Mom! I invited Kagura to our house! She even asked me if I wanted to go shopping together in a few days for Christmas!
[Nice Nature]:I know! I'll definitely be careful not to embarrass myself!
[Nice Nature]:T-that kind of thing is still too early! I… I'm going to go look for clothes I can wear!
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