"Oi—! Kagura-san~! And Ardan-san~! Where are you two~? Come eat some grilled stuff!"
After taking photos—and drifting out on the water with Ardan a little longer—Kagura finally heard Bizen Nishiki calling from shore. She and Ardan headed back to the beach together. By then, night had fully fallen.
Barbecue—one of those activities that delivers the most primal, straightforward kind of joy. It satisfies the urge to put something to flame, and it fills your stomach at the same time. Sitting by the grill, listening to animal fat sizzle over fire… it really was its own little pleasure.
——Smells so good! Barbecue… I really want to do it myself… Kagura, can you run back and change into a miko outfit?
Kagura was alone at one grill, cooking meat, when a line of text popped onto her phone screen. Eclipse seemed to be getting restless too.
No! Eclipse-san, you just gave me guidance not long ago. At your recovery rate, you're nowhere near ready to interfere with the world again. Go rest properly! If you want to eat something, I'll grill it and eat it for you, okay!?
Kagura knew Eclipse's condition. There was no way she'd let her mess around like that, so she shut it down without hesitation.
——Aaaah!! But this kind of thing is only fun if you do it yourself!! Just tasting it has no soul!
Eclipse complained, but Kagura still felt a faint chill settle onto her shoulder, then curl lightly around her neck. She knew that sensation—Eclipse had linked up with her through shared perception.
Thankfully, Eclipse's tastes were pretty close to Kagura's. There wasn't much Kagura loved that Eclipse couldn't handle. And when it came to avoiding things they didn't like, they could dodge the same "land mines" together—no awkward moments where one person adored something the other absolutely couldn't stand.
After being active all day, Kagura was starting to feel the fatigue. She stared at the meat crackling on the grill and drifted off into a daze.
A while later, her ears twitched. Footsteps—someone nearby.
Kagura snapped back to herself. Before she could even turn toward the sound, a pair of hands reached from behind. A jacket settled over her shoulders, and the cold that the sea breeze had been working into her bones vanished in an instant, replaced by warmth.
"Kagura, you're still in your swimsuit. Once it's night, the wind off the sea gets cold. Don't catch a chill."
"Ardan-ojousama…!"
"Mmh~ I saw you sitting here alone, so I came to check on you~"
As she spoke, Ardan pressed a hand lightly to Kagura's abdomen and pulled the jacket zipper up for her. Then she sat down right beside Kagura.
"Thank you, Ardan-ojousama. Sorry you had to come all the way over just to bring me a jacket."
Kagura turned to look—and realized Ardan was still in her school swimsuit. The jacket carried a trace of lingering warmth, and it fit Kagura terribly, especially around the chest, where it hung absurdly loose. She didn't need to think hard to guess: Ardan had just taken it off herself.
"But… Ardan-ojousama, aren't you cold?"
"I'm fine. Thanks to you helping me adjust my condition these past days, I'm not as weak anymore. And no matter what, I'm a few years older than you. A little wind like this won't do anything to me."
Ardan smiled and waved it off, then lifted a hand to rub Kagura's head.
Thinking back to the time they'd spent drifting together under the moon, Ardan's heart still wouldn't quite settle. That was why, the moment she returned to the beach, Kagura was the first person she sought out. She'd even brought a pile of skewers—partly to share, partly to see if she could feed Kagura a little. Opportunities to be alone with her were something Ardan treasured.
"Kagura-san? Why are you sitting so far away? Huh—Ardan-san's here too…"
Not long after, a voice from nearby broke the quiet between them. They looked over to see Bizen Nishiki walking toward them with an armful of skewers.
"It's just… there were too many people over there, and I couldn't get a grill. So I came and sat here. But why'd you come over, Bizen Nishiki?"
"Sitting over there… Rudolf-san and Ramonu-san are there… and they're… kind of scary…" Bizen Nishiki smiled, a little embarrassed. "It feels safer over here with you, Kagura."
Kagura nodded, understanding. Only then did Bizen Nishiki sit down on Kagura's right.
For some reason, as she sat, Bizen Nishiki felt a gaze on her—hostile, almost. She glanced around, but there was no one who looked remotely threatening. Only Ardan and Kagura were here, quietly grilling.
"Anyway, I brought some chicken wings. Want to try them, Kagura-san? I'm actually pretty good at grilling wings!"
As she laid her skewers out on the grate, Bizen Nishiki asked with an easy, natural warmth.
"Ehh~ You've got skills like that too, Bizen Nishiki-senpai? If you don't mind, can you share one when they're done?"
"Of course~!"
Bizen Nishiki nodded happily and gave Kagura a bright, guileless smile.
"I… I brought some beef too. Kagura, do you want to try some?"
Ardan blinked, then spoke up quickly, like she was afraid of being left behind.
"I do like beef, but… Ardan-ojousama, what you brought doesn't look like it'll even be enough for you."
"N-no, it's fine! I don't eat much at night! There's extra!"
"Mm…"
Kagura tilted her head. She didn't quite understand why Ardan suddenly seemed… anxious. But remembering that night she'd been fed by a whole rotation of Umamusume until she was stuffed, Kagura thought she understood what Ardan was trying to do.
Don't tell me she wants to feed me again, like the other day…?
Kagura didn't dislike being fed, and she could understand the big-sister impulse to spoil a little sister. But it wouldn't do if they ended up going hungry because of it.
Her eyes flicked once, and a plan formed—one that would satisfy their desire to feed her without leaving them short.
"Ardan-ojousama, and Bizen Nishiki-senpai—how about we trade~? I'll swap my grilled squid and cartilage for your skewers, okay?"
"Sure! I'm curious what Kagura-san likes to eat, too!"
"Eh…? O-okay!"