"Rudolf-san, you've secured another overwhelming victory today—could you share your thoughts?"
"Trainer Tojo have you already planned your next race?"
"Rudolf-san—"
…
The moment they stepped from the exit passage into the backstage area, Rudolf and Tojo Hana were immediately surrounded by a crowd of eager journalists. Kagura, who'd trailed a bit behind, felt quite relieved she hadn't walked as quickly, or she'd have been caught in the camera's glare too.
As an Ojou-sama, Rudolf was long accustomed to standing before the cameras. She greeted the journalists naturally, casting a brief glance toward Kagura standing near the doorway outside. Seeing that Kagura stayed put and had no intention of following further inside, Rudolf understood her Support Uma's personality and didn't try to call her over.
Ojou-sama really handles these journalists with such ease…
Back at Rudolf's debut race, Kagura had never seen so many reporters. She didn't know exactly what had happened in the past two months to cause such explosive media interest, but the number of reporters today was overwhelming, almost crowding out the entire backstage.
"Really now, coming here at a time like this, disturbing Ojou-sama's rest…"
Honestly speaking, Kagura disliked these journalists quite a bit. Rudolf needed rest right now, and in Kagura's eyes, anyone barging in at such a moment was simply inconsiderate. But since Rudolf and Tojo Hana showed no objection, Kagura decided to hold her tongue.
"You shouldn't think that way, Kagura-chan. Interviews like these are very helpful in gaining more fans."
Maruzensky-san, who'd just come down from the audience stands, noticed Kagura's unhappy expression and reached out to playfully rub her head again.
"But I feel like Ojou-sama doesn't exactly lack fans, right?"
Up until now, Rudolf had participated in two races and won both decisively. Every time Kagura had gone to watch Rudolf compete, she'd been forced to squeeze through massive crowds outside. Even with the special entrance, she still spent plenty of time maneuvering through the human sea. Rudolf hardly seemed lacking in fans to her.
"Fans never hurt~ And high popularity brings more than just fans' support. It can give you unexpected conveniences in daily life."
"Actually, I find being recognized everywhere on the street pretty inconvenient…"
"That depends on the individual~ At least, I personally don't mind the feeling at all, and Rudolf's already used to it. Kagura-chan, you'll have plenty of fans yourself in the future—are you really going to hide under a trench coat and mask every time you step outside?"
Maruzensky-san could already foresee that Kagura would likely become the next terrifying presence like Rudolf, well-known even before her debut. Perhaps Kagura might even surpass Rudolf's fame. Either way, Kagura would inevitably encounter similar situations one day.
"I'd rather just dress up more securely when I go out…"
"You won't feel that way when you grow up~"
Is it possible that I'm actually already grown up now?
Kagura silently retorted in her heart.
——Either way, having more fans is always good, right? It means more and more people are attracted by your running. Besides, don't you already have quite a few followers online right now?
Eclipse seemed supportive of the idea as well, clearly not opposed to this kind of fame.
Listening quietly outside, Kagura noticed the journalists' questions gradually changing direction. Initially, they had asked Rudolf and Tojo about future plans, but now their questions were shifting toward Rudolf's thoughts about her victory itself.
"…Maintaining Rudolf's competitive condition wasn't just my effort alone. Rudolf's classmates have also provided significant support."
"That's right. Aside from my trainer, my classmates have helped me a great deal in preparation for this race. My victory would have been impossible without my classmates' immense support."
Kagura suddenly heard the conversation beginning to swing towards her, and her heart involuntarily sank.
Sure enough, the reporters immediately pressed for more details. Thankfully, Rudolf and Tojo Hana had no intention of revealing precisely who these "Tracen classmates" were, nor whether it referred to one person or several. They brushed past this topic briefly, allowing the reporters to assume Rudolf was merely thanking Tracen Academy for their general support.
That scared me… I didn't expect these journalists to dig so deeply into support details. Luckily, Ojou-sama didn't plan on mentioning me…
"What's this, Kagura-chan? Don't you want Rudolf to openly praise everything you've done?"
Kagura's relieved expression naturally hadn't escaped Maruzensky-san's notice, who teasingly asked with a playful smile.
"…It's just ordinary daily work. There's no need to specifically bring it up in front of so many people, right? I don't need others to know exactly what I'm doing. Ojou-sama's performance in the race is already the greatest praise and validation of my work."
"Oh~ So Kagura-chan, you actually think everything you've done is just standard daily support work…"
Maruzensky-san nodded thoughtfully. She knew exactly what a Support Uma's usual duties entailed at Tracen. Though they also assisted racers, their duties rarely reached Kagura's level of meticulous care, much less her level of professionalism.
"What is it?"
"Nothing really. I was just thinking—you really are just as humble and dedicated toward your work as Rudolf said."
"Hm? Did Ojou-sama really describe me like that?"
…
When Rudolf finally finished dealing with the reporters, it was nearly time for the Winner's Concert.
Kagura waited until all the journalists had left before stepping backstage to help Rudolf prepare for the performance. She found Rudolf seated on a chair by the wall, eyes closed, resting quietly.
"Kagura, have you been standing outside listening the whole time?"
Seeing Kagura enter the room immediately after the reporters left, both Tojo Hana and Rudolf realized she must've been just outside the door.
"Yes. Was there anything I shouldn't have heard?"
"No. In fact, just now I really wanted to introduce you to those journalists as an exceptional Support Uma, but I figured you probably wouldn't appreciate that, right?"
"I just think there's no need to specifically mention that kind of thing…"
While helping Rudolf apply some simple stage makeup, Kagura calmly answered Trainer Tojo's question.
"You've put in tremendous effort supporting Rudolf. You contributed greatly to this victory. Without your daily care, there's no way I alone could have kept Rudolf, a total workaholic, in such excellent condition."
"Although I don't deny that… Kagura, am I really as difficult to handle as Trainer says?"
"At least, pulling you away from your desk when you work late every night is very challenging… I'd still prefer if Ojou-sama would rest a bit more often."
Over the past few months, Kagura had repeatedly gone out after eleven o'clock at night to drag Rudolf away from her office. She was very clear about her workaholic master's habits. Trainer Tojo alone probably wouldn't manage to get Rudolf to rest on schedule.
"I see… After today, perhaps I should relax a bit from work."
While they spoke, Kagura finished Rudolf's makeup. Checking herself in the mirror, Rudolf nodded with satisfaction.
"Kagura, after today's over, why don't you take a few days off too?"
"Me?"
"Yes. You've been busy for a long time and definitely need some rest yourself. Also, tomorrow…why don't you join me for a day off? What do you think?"
Rudolf extended an invitation to Kagura.
This was the first time Rudolf, who usually buried herself deeply in work, had proactively suggested something like this. Kagura naturally saw no reason to refuse and quickly nodded:
"Of course. If Ojou-sama has a plan, I'd be happy to accompany you."