After a lot of coaxing, Kagura finally got the two ghost-scared kids to believe the weird feeling by their ears was just a draft—because she hadn't shut the balcony door properly.
Maybe it was her imagination, maybe not, but Kagura felt like Ardan's picks were getting scarier and scarier. Her proof was simple: the two cowards beside her were hugging tighter and tighter. And now even Ardan—who'd looked calm at first—had joined in.
Right now, Kagura was sitting upright with Bizen Nishiki pressed to her left, Nature pressed to her right, and Ardan glued to her back. Being squeezed and jostled by three "big sisters," Kagura could only feel her head getting heavier and heavier from all that pressure.
Was the movie actually that terrifying? Kagura couldn't really say. To her, it was pretty average. The truly scary part was the three people clinging to her.
Ardan had started to notice something: whenever a scary moment hit, she and the other two Umamusume would sway Kagura back and forth like they were fighting over the same prize.
And Ardan wasn't sure if she was imagining it, but Nature's movements were clearly bigger than Bizen Nishiki's. It almost felt like, out of everyone here, only Bizen Nishiki was genuinely scared…
It's probably just my imagination…
Nature was still such a kid—surely she wouldn't do the same thing Ardan did, pretending to be afraid just to cling to Kagura. Ardan decided not to think too hard about it.
The morning flew by. After lunch, the girls all went back to their rooms to nap and rest, so they agreed to continue in the evening.
...
In the afternoon, the wind eased a little. After eating, Kagura wandered the hallway, and through a corridor window she spotted a white-haired Umamusume sprinting across the beach with a plastic street-stall chair in her arms. A man—probably her trainer—was chasing after her, clearly trying his best to stop his girl.
So there really are fellow crazies who go "chase the wind" on the beach in a gale… But why do those two look like Trainer Okino and Gold Ship? Spica has the budget to come to summer camp too?
It was too far away for Kagura to see clearly. Still, even in a storm's lingering wake, there weren't many Umamusume crazy enough to charge the seaside like that. Then again, not everyone here was from Tracen, so she couldn't be sure.
She'd heard Gold Ship say Spica was tight on funds, and with only one notorious slacker on the roster, Kagura had assumed they wouldn't come to summer training camp at all.
Not wanting to dwell on it, Kagura offered a silent prayer for that trainer on the sand and stepped away from the window. On her way toward the elevator, she noticed an entrance piled with cleaning supplies. A few staff members were coming out, and curiosity made her stop and peek.
"Oh! What a cute little girl. Are you here to check out the hot pool?"
A cleaning lady spotted the little Umamusume craning her neck at the doorway and smiled.
"A hot pool? Here? I just saw all the stuff piled up and got curious."
"Ah! This is the hot pool—like a big artificial hot spring. We finished maintenance, so it's officially open again today. Little miss, try calling your family to come with you tonight! Soaking in hot water is really good for your body!"
"I see…"
Kagura nodded and made a mental note of the place. She didn't have family she could "call over"—or rather, her "family" was already right by her side without needing an invitation. She decided she'd come check it out tonight.
"Huh? Kagura—where are you going?"
...
That evening after dinner, Nature came out to wander and kill time, only to see Kagura stepping out of her room with a towel and a change of clothes in hand. It looked like she was going to bathe, but the rooms here all had their own bathrooms—there was no need to head out.
"Evening, Nature. I saw the hot pool downstairs is open, so I thought I'd go soak a bit. Want to come with me?"
Realizing she'd forgotten to mention it earlier, Kagura quickly messaged a few familiar people first, then looked back at Nature.
"Huh? A hot pool…?"
"They said it's like an artificial hot spring. You've been working hard these days—soaking helps with fatigue. Well? Want to come?"
Nature didn't fully get it yet, but she understood "hot spring." And with Kagura inviting her, she answered before her brain could catch up.
"I'm going! I love hot springs!"
"Pfft… Nature, you make it sound kind of weird. Okay, I'll wait here. Go grab what you need and we'll head down together~"
"Y-yeah! Okay! I'll be right back!"
Nature hurried off.
While she was grabbing her clothes on the balcony, she noticed Trainer Minamizaka on his own balcony as well, leaning on the railing like he was enjoying the view.
"Good evening, Nature-chan. Going to bathe?"
"No, no. Kagura said she found something like an artificial hot spring downstairs and asked if I want to go with her."
"Oh—got it. Wait a second."
Trainer Minamizaka dashed back into his room, then came right back out with a small bag and passed it over from the balcony.
Nature took it, confused. Inside were new towels and a few other items.
"If you're going to soak, bring this with your clothes. I noticed the pool earlier when I passed downstairs, so I figured you might go tonight. I prepped it ahead of time—saves you from running over to ask me for stuff again."
"Ah… thank you! Thank you, Trainer!"
"No problem. If you're relaxing, relax properly~"
Watching Nature hurry off with her clothes and the little bag—and hearing two sets of footsteps in the hall a moment later—Trainer Minamizaka smiled and went back to leaning on the railing to "enjoy the view."
...
"Huh? Ardan-san, why are you pacing the hallway?"
Bizen Nishiki, out to get some water, saw Ardan in the corridor—more precisely, hovering around Kagura's door. She glanced at the time. It was still a while before they'd agreed to watch horror movies together, so she asked out of curiosity.
"I'm wondering if I should go to Kagura's and set up the equipment early…"
"Then why don't you just knock and tell her?"
"Uh… it's still pretty far from the time we agreed on. I'm worried going too early would bother her. I texted her earlier but she didn't reply—she might be resting inside."
"I see… Come to think of it, from my balcony, it looked like only Kagura's bedside lamp was on. Maybe she really is resting."
Hearing that, Ardan nodded with a touch of regret. If Kagura hadn't replied, she probably was asleep, so Ardan gave up on going over early.
Back in her room, Ardan picked up her phone again and saw a message that had come in a few minutes ago—right when she'd been pacing. She hadn't checked her phone then, so she'd missed it.
[Inari_Kagura]:I'm not in my room right now, so I can't open the door for you, Ardan-ojousama. I found a place downstairs that's like an artificial hot spring. You've been training hard these days—go soak and relax your body.
"Huh?"