—[Kagura-chan! I just noticed this post—you're actually Sensei Kagura! [Link]]
Having prepared breakfast for Rudolf Ojou-sama, Kagura went out for her morning jog and stopped beneath a tree in the park near Tracen. Leaning comfortably against its trunk, she savored one of the rare peaceful moments in her busy day. Suddenly, her phone chimed with a private message. She picked it up, noticing the sender was Wudi-san.
Clicking the link, Kagura saw the photo Curren Chan had taken with her on the last Open Day, posted on Umastagram. Apparently, Wudi-san had stumbled upon it as well.
—[I've been following your cooking videos! Your skills are amazing! You're not even from China, right, Kagura-chan? Your Chinese cooking is even better than some of our locals 🤣? Did you live in China before?]
Ah, well, I did spend over twenty years there... but "Inari Kagura" hasn't even set foot in China once…
Thinking this to herself, Kagura quickly typed back a short reply:
—[Nope, just learned it as a hobby.]
—[Wow! Kagura-chan, you're incredible! I also saw your videos reposted on our local sites—your views are crazy high!]
—[Haha, knowing you like it is the biggest compliment for me. By the way, Wudi-san, did you message me today just to talk about my videos?]
—[Of course not! Actually, I wanted to ask if you've considered opening an account on Bilibili. Oh, do you know what Bilibili is? It's something like Umastagram in China.]
—[Yeah, I know it. I even authorized those reposts. What's up?]
—[Great! Actually, many of your fans over here are hoping you'll open an account. I personally think your videos would do really well here. Wanna give it a shot?]
Truthfully, Kagura had thought about opening an account on Bilibili earlier but simply didn't have the time to manage another one. So, she had temporarily shelved the idea.
—[If you're worried about the language barrier, I could help manage your account. Coincidentally, I just returned to China recently.]
It seemed Wudi-san thought Kagura had avoided creating an account because of language issues.
Oh, Wudi-san already went back to China?
Kagura had always been curious about China in this world, but currently lacked any means to visit herself. The Uma Musume from China, Wudi-san, had become her only link to that place, which was why she had eagerly exchanged contact information the first time they met.
—[Are you sure about this, Wudi-san? Running an account can be really exhausting.]
—[It's fine! I only have a regular user account anyway, just scrolling videos in my free time. If you're willing to let me handle your account, it'll also be good training for me~]
—[I'm happy you feel that way, but don't let it interfere with your studies or your career, okay?]
—[No worries! Trust us Chinese kids! Our multitasking ability will definitely impress you! 👍]
Seeing Wudi-san add a thumbs-up emoji at the end, Kagura couldn't help but smile. Having once lived in that intensely competitive environment herself, she knew exactly how things worked. She wasn't worried about Wudi-san encountering issues—after all, as a foreigner, Kagura's videos would be perfectly safe unless Wudi-san deliberately stirred trouble. Given Wudi-san's gentle personality, that was unlikely anyway.
Without much hesitation, Kagura agreed to the idea. After briefly discussing management and monetization, the matter was settled. Now, both of Kagura's accounts were managed by others: Eclipse-san watched over her Umastagram, and now Wudi-san would take care of the Bilibili account. All Kagura had to do was produce and edit videos for them.
Having resolved this small matter, Kagura glanced at her phone and noticed it was still early. She considered running a few more laps—
Hm? Behind that bench over there...
Just as she stood up, Kagura noticed a small Uma Musume squatting behind a distant bench, holding two tree branches as if playing hide-and-seek—apparently believing this rendered her invisible.
After observing carefully for a moment, Kagura realized the little girl was staring directly at her. It felt rather puzzling. Moreover, the girl's parent, a chestnut-haired Uma Musume sitting further away, appeared to be struggling very hard to suppress her laughter. Deciding not to torment the little girl further, Kagura called out softly:
"Hey there, little miss behind the bench, what are you doing squatting there? You've been hiding for a while. Are you hiding from someone?"
"I've been discovered!"
As Kagura's voice rang out, the small Uma Musume jolted in surprise, attempting to stand up dramatically. Instead, she immediately bumped her head on the bench with a loud thunk! and promptly squatted back down, clutching her head with watery eyes.
This time, Kagura herself was startled. The bump sounded quite painful, so she hurriedly ran over to check on the girl. She always carried some simple first-aid supplies, so she'd be ready if the child was injured. At the same time, the parent approached with a sheepish smile.
"Hey, little miss, that looked like a nasty bump. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine… Teio-sama won't fall that easily! Just a tiny little bump!"
The small Uma Musume calling herself Teio straightened up, proudly puffing out her nonexistent chest, trying hard to appear calm—but the tears in the corner of her eyes betrayed her bravado.
It was only then that Kagura recognized her clearly—she had seen this little Uma before. Her distinctive white forelock was unforgettable. During Rudolf Ojou-sama's recent victory interviews, this little girl had desperately jumped up and down in the crowd before being pulled away by her parent.
Up close, she seemed even younger, probably around Mejiro McQueen's age, even slightly younger than Kagura herself.
"I think I've seen you before, little miss."
"That's right! I've seen you too! During Rudolf-san's interview, you were that pretty onee-san wearing a maid uniform standing beside the second-floor railing the whole time, right?"
"Pretty onee-san…? What kind of nickname is that… Wait, you actually noticed me? I thought I was pretty well-hidden in the shadows."
Apparently, this little Uma Musume had spotted her even back then, though the nickname made Kagura feel both amused and speechless.
"Of course! Teio-sama's eyesight is very sharp—gah!?"
"Teio, it's rude to behave like that on your first meeting with a new onee-san."
Before the small Uma could finish her proud declaration, her parent gently but firmly rubbed the girl's head, causing Teio to let out a strange squeak.
"Hello there, adorable young miss. We saw you at Rudolf-san's recent press conference. This child's name is Tokai Teio. She wanted to speak to you the moment she saw you earlier but was too shy to approach, so she's been hiding over here. I hope it didn't cause you trouble."
"Haha, not at all! She's so cute, how could I possibly mind? And may I ask how to address you, onee-san?"
Since the parent looked quite young herself, Kagura deliberately chose to call her "onee-san." Not everyone was as easygoing about age as Speed-sama, after all. As Kagura anticipated, the other woman's smile brightened noticeably, her ears twitching happily—clearly pleased by the title.
"I'm this child's mother, Tokai Shizen. And you?"
"Shizen-onee-san, I'm Inari Kagura, Symboli Rudolf's Support Uma. It's nice to meet you both~ By the way, you mentioned Teio-chan wanted to talk to me. Was there something in particular?"
"Ahh! You're Rudolf-san's supporter!?"
Teio seemed to have heard of Kagura before, which didn't surprise her. After Rudolf's recent victories, there had been plenty of online buzz—not only about Rudolf but also about her mysterious support team, especially Kagura, who had yet to appear publicly.
"Yes, that's right. But please don't spread this around, okay? It'd really cause me trouble."
"Don't worry! Teio-sama can absolutely keep secrets! Pretty onee-san, since you're Rudolf-san's Support Uma, you can be the first one backstage after each race to see her, right?"
When Kagura recognized Teio, she'd guessed the child might make such a request. After all, back then Teio had bounced around eagerly, clearly desperate to see Rudolf up close.
"That's right. Next time, if you'd like, you can wait upstairs or outside. After the interviews, if Rudolf-san agrees, I'll bring you in to meet her."
"Thank you so much!!"
Teio dramatically bowed, making Kagura once again marvel at Rudolf's immense popularity—even such a young girl had become her fan.
Kagura considered petting the adorable child but restrained herself since Shizen-onee-san was present.
"Well, little miss, was that all? If there's nothing else, I'll continue my morning run."
"Oh! Pretty onee-san, you're jogging here too?"
Teio's eyes suddenly sparkled with excitement, filled with hopeful anticipation.
"Yes, when I have time. This park's spacious and has fresh air, perfect for exercise."
Despite feeling a slight premonition of trouble, Kagura answered honestly.
"Then… c-can you race me!? Not training, a real race! Please! Everyone else in the park ran with me once and now refuses to race me again…"
Teio's ears drooped sadly, her hopeful eyes fixed earnestly on Kagura.
Kagura glanced hesitantly at Shizen-onee-san, who simply gave an apologetic smile and clasped her hands in a pleading gesture.
Smiling gently, Kagura nodded.
"Alright then, little miss. Shall we race along this park path?"