"Eh?"
Tokai Teio had initially been following President Rudolf's scent, but as she ran, a mysterious figure dressed entirely in black gradually became visible ahead.
It wasn't that this person had suddenly appeared; rather, they'd been there all along—Teio simply hadn't noticed them until now.
And President Rudolf's scent was coming directly from this person!
Teio briefly considered that the hooded figure might be Symboli Rudolf herself—but swiftly dismissed the idea. After all, how could the President she admired so much be running this slowly?
Could they be a thief?
That would explain why they carried President Rudolf's scent—they must have stolen something personal from her! A pervert!
Stealing from the President I respect most... unforgivable!
But Teio's anger was mixed with excitement. If I retrieve President Rudolf's belongings, she'll surely praise me!
Teio absolutely adored President Rudolf. Ever since she was little, she'd been Rudolf's biggest fan, dreaming of becoming an admired Uma Musume just like her idol.
Ever since joining Tracen Academy, Teio regularly visited the Student Council room to chat with Rudolf, even feeling overjoyed simply standing quietly nearby, watching her work.
Rudolf also had great affection for Teio. Though often strict, she genuinely cared for the spirited younger girl, treating Teio with the warmth of a doting father.
Still, Teio couldn't hang around Rudolf constantly—it would severely disrupt the President's duties. To visit Rudolf again, she needed a legitimate reason. And it couldn't be something flimsy like "the President needs an energy boost." It had to be serious.
And now, the perfect excuse had presented itself right before her.
A thief.
Teio's eyes sparkled.
If she caught this thief, she'd have an excellent reason to meet the President again—and Rudolf would praise her for recovering the stolen item!
"Hehe~" Teio smiled mischievously, eyes fixed firmly on the hooded figure's back.
---
"Hmm?" Mizuno shivered suddenly, a dreadful chill running down his spine.
What was that?! Why do I feel impending doom?!
"Stop right there, thief!"
Just as Teio prepared a flying kick to subdue Mizuno, he abruptly came to a halt.
"Haa...Haa..." Completely exhausted, Mizuno bent over, hands on knees, gasping for breath.
I can't outrun her. Screw it—I never had much endurance anyway.
"Ehhhhh?!"
Teio hadn't anticipated Mizuno would suddenly stop running. Already mid-sprint, preparing her kick, she couldn't brake fast enough!
"Watch out—danger!"
Unable to halt her momentum, Teio instinctively pressed both hands against Mizuno's back.
"Whoosh!" She vaulted over him, scattering honey drink from her cup onto Mizuno's Doctor's Outfit.
"Uwah—" Mizuno staggered forward, barely steadying himself.
Teio landed gracefully ahead, jogging a few more steps before finally slowing to a stop.
"Mou~ That was super dangerous! If I wasn't such a clever, unbeatable genius, that would've hurt!" She puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.
Noticing the spilled honey drink, her mood darkened even more.
"My honey drink, o(〒﹏〒)o..."
Just as she prepared to lecture Mizuno, his next move stunned her into silence.
He dropped to his knees, respectfully holding out a photograph with trembling hands.
"Haa...Hello, Tokai Teio-san... I'm also a fan of the Emperor... Symboli Rudolf... Haa... Here's my gift... Let's support President Rudolf together...!"
Mizuno was practically wheezing from exhaustion.
"Eh? You know me?" Teio tilted her head curiously.
Wait, why is the thief bowing to me?
"..." Mizuno didn't actually want to kneel. His legs had simply given out from fatigue, and Teio's push made kneeling inevitable.
Teio approached cautiously, peering at the photo Mizuno offered.
"Ehhh!?"
Her eyes widened in delight. "This is—President Rudolf's swimsuit photo!"
And the picture was incredibly clear—like Rudolf herself had been captured in the photograph!
Had she not met Rudolf just an hour ago, she might have thought the President had been sealed away by some evil magic.
Such a rare and precious photo could fetch an astronomical price at auction—but Teio would never sell it. She'd rather keep it as a family heirloom.
But... why did this supposed thief have Rudolf's swimsuit photo?
Teio's gaze turned suspiciously dangerous as she stared at Mizuno.
"Wait a sec." She recalled Mizuno's earlier words.
Hadn't this person just claimed to be Rudolf's fan?
"You said you're a fan of President Rudolf?" she asked.
Mizuno nodded seriously. "Yes."
"Then, about this photo..."
"We're both admirers of the Emperor, right? Consider this my gift for meeting you." Mizuno held out the photo once more, urging Teio to take it.
"Arigatou~" Teio eagerly accepted the picture, her tail swishing happily. Instantly, her sadness over losing her honey drink vanished without a trace.
President Rudolf… hehe… President Rudolf!
She was in an utterly blissful mood.
"But why did you start running earlier? I thought you were a thief!" she asked.
Mizuno quickly invented an excuse. "Ah, I was just exercising. When I stopped to rest, you happened to arrive, so I thought I'd give you a little gift."
"Oh, I see." Teio accepted the explanation easily.
"But running should be done at the track, you know. Running around campus is against the rules."
"My mistake."
"Hmm, since you apologized sincerely, the Great Teio-sama won't report you~" she declared proudly. Her expression shifted curiously. "But your outfit's really weird. You don't look like a trainer or an Uma Musume. So who are you?"
"..." Mizuno hesitated, unsure if he should reveal his identity.
Revealing it might attract Teio's dangerous attention, but if he refused, she might call others, making things even worse.
Reluctantly, Mizuno admitted, "Actually, I'm a new trainer."
He quickly flashed his ID card, carefully covering his name with his thumb.
"Oh, a trainer!" Teio's suspicion immediately faded, replaced with trust.
"Sorry for suspecting you earlier…"
Mizuno stood up casually, waving it off. "No worries."
"Um, trainer-san…what's your name?"
"Ah... My name's Hokuto Seiji," Mizuno improvised hastily.
"Hokuto Seiji? So...you're a boy?"
Teio still couldn't figure out Mizuno's gender. His voice was ambiguous, and the pronouns he'd used were gender-neutral, leaving her utterly confused.
Mizuno nodded vaguely, then shook his head. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not."
"Ehh?" A giant question mark appeared above Teio's head. What does 'maybe' mean?!
Mizuno didn't clarify further.
He needed to keep himself hidden—the less information exposed, the better. After all, relationships grew through conversation. He feared that chatting more would only deepen their connection, pushing him closer to Teio's infamous basement.
Ignoring Teio's confusion, Mizuno quickly turned away. "Sorry, I have something else to do. We'll talk another time."
"Wait, Trainer-san! Let's exchange contacts!" Teio hastily pulled out her phone.
Tracen Academy had its official forum, where trainers and Uma Musume could chat online. Yet Teio hadn't added any trainers as friends, believing trainer-Uma Musume relationships should be treated like marriage—not something casually done. At least, that's what she'd learned from her seniors—who, ironically, had mostly vanished with their trainers.
But Mizuno was a fellow fan of Rudolf, even gifting her that precious photo, so today she'd make a rare exception.
"No thanks—I didn't bring my phone," Mizuno called over his shoulder.
"But how can I find you again later?"
"Just remember, my name is Hokuto Seiji, and I'm a Japanese girl. You'll easily find me with that info."
"Hokuto Seiji...-san...okay, got it!"
Ignoring her confusion, Mizuno quickly rounded the corner, disappearing from sight.
Teio stared after him, tilting her head cutely in puzzlement.
"Hokuto-san seems a bit shy. I really wanted to chat more about President Rudolf…"
She frowned slightly.
"But... isn't her stamina...a little too terrible? Or are all humans really like that?"
Tokai Teio had inadvertently discovered something she perhaps shouldn't have.