At seven in the evening, Tokai Natural finally arrived at the rehab and training facility, carrying a small grocery bag.
Standing once again in front of the entrance, Natural stared silently at the heavy gates.
She hesitated for a long while.
Only after gathering a bit of courage did she gently push open the doors.
Inside, the decor remained exactly as she remembered, but unlike before, it was completely empty.
Gazing around the courtyard filled with an air of quiet desolation, Natural took a deep breath before stepping forward.
Entering the main building, she wandered slowly through the corridors, eventually finding the other three sitting in the lounge area.
Seeing them, Natural simply nodded in greeting and then headed off in another direction.
Her behavior was clearly unusual.
Unaware of the circumstances, Teio noticed nothing odd, due to her naturally easygoing personality.
Roman, fully aware of the situation, recognized the issue but was unsure how to proceed.
Mochizuki, having spent the most time with Natural, immediately stood up.
"Mom, I'll take you to the kitchen!"
Saying this decisively, Mochizuki quickly left the lounge and caught up to Natural.
Once they were far enough away from Roman and Teio, Mochizuki spoke quietly, "Mom…"
"…"
When she received no reply, Mochizuki didn't press further. Instead, she just quietly followed behind her mom, walking slowly down the hallways.
As they reached a particular junction, Natural continued forward absentmindedly, causing Mochizuki to pause briefly.
Then, she grabbed her mother's hand.
"Mom!"
The sudden call finally snapped Natural back to her senses.
Feeling the gentle pull on her hand, Natural turned around, slightly confused.
"We should be going this way."
"…"
Natural blinked in surprise at Mochizuki's reminder.
After a short pause, she replied, "Ah, you're right. I just subconsciously took the other path."
Adjusting her direction as indicated by Mochizuki, Natural then asked, "By the way, Mochizuki, when did you follow me?"
This question left Mochizuki briefly stunned.
Clearly, she hadn't expected her mom to be so distracted that she didn't even notice her presence.
From this alone, Mochizuki sensed that something must have deeply affected her mother here.
Thinking quickly, Mochizuki deliberately shifted the topic, "Mom, have you ever thought about starting your own YouTube channel? I think plenty of Uma Musume would watch."
A crude diversion tactic—and a completely unrelated question.
Yet for Natural's current state, this was exactly the right approach.
Considering how distracted Natural had just been, it was unlikely she'd even realize Mochizuki was purposefully changing the subject.
Thinking this, Mochizuki carefully observed her mom's reaction.
Sure enough, Natural's earlier anxiety faded slightly as she began considering Mochizuki's casual suggestion.
After a brief moment, Natural asked back, "What would I even do?"
Seeing Natural's attention successfully redirected, Mochizuki shifted her gaze slightly and answered lightly, "Cooking videos, probably? You already have quite a few Uma Musume following your Twitter, right?"
Purposely broadening the topic further, Mochizuki glanced sideways at her mom, who stood about the same height as herself, carefully watching her expression.
As she observed Natural's gradually relaxing face, Mochizuki continued gently, "Or maybe everyday vlogs might be good, too? Or even a promotional video for the restaurant?"
Bombarded by Mochizuki's various suggestions, Natural's troubled thoughts finally began to clear, and she answered thoughtfully, "Doing YouTube videos could be pretty simple, but I don't really have much free time for that right now."
"The restaurant workload is still too much for one person."
As she spoke, Natural's gaze softened, "Maybe sometime in the future."
Seeing Natural become increasingly normal again, Mochizuki nodded with relief. "Alright, maybe later then."
After another slight pause, Mochizuki asked, "Mom, need help with dinner?"
"Hmm, probably…not?" Natural turned to face Mochizuki, walking alongside her, and suddenly felt something odd.
Something about Mochizuki today felt slightly off.
But she couldn't pinpoint exactly what.
Natural tilted her head thoughtfully and looked at her daughter. "Aren't you being a bit too attentive today?"
"Just thought your mood seemed a bit down," Mochizuki answered naturally. "If there's no one watching over you, it could get dangerous, right?"
Listening to Mochizuki's reasoning, Natural set aside her lingering doubts and nodded in agreement. "Since you put it that way, I suppose you can help. I haven't been in this kitchen either."
Without waiting for Mochizuki's response, Natural continued, "By the way, Mochizuki, have you decided for sure about becoming a trainer?"
"Yeah, it's decided. If everything lines up perfectly with Teio's honkaku-ka, maybe I'll even end up becoming her trainer?"
"Really? But your age…"
"I looked it up. There's a professional school for trainers. The average graduation age is around twenty. But if my grades are good enough, I might qualify to graduate early or directly take the trainer qualification exam."
"Hmm, if that's the case, I suppose there wouldn't be much issue about your age." Natural paused briefly as Mochizuki smoothly interrupted her concerns again, then added softly, "But…"
"Mom, I've already applied to skip grades. If it goes through, there shouldn't be any problems at all."
Saying this, Mochizuki stopped before a metal door. "Mom, here's the kitchen. Try not to get lost next time."
Reminding her mother once more, Mochizuki pushed open the kitchen door.
"I know."
Natural's gaze drifted into the kitchen.
Inside, everything appeared brand new, and judging from its layout and equipment, it could probably rival even the Mejiro family's kitchens.
A subtle shift appeared in Natural's expression as she stared.
Taking a deep breath, Natural slowly exhaled.
Finally, she nodded determinedly. "Alright, let's get started. We can't keep Roman and Teio waiting."