"You want me to go to the station?"
In the student council room, Tokai Teio, munching on snacks from the sofa, asked blankly.
"Yes. Today's the day Oguri Cap arrives at Tracen. I was hoping you could go to the station to pick her up."
"Oguri Cap…" Teio pinched her chin, furrowing her brow as she racked her brain. Then, she smacked a fist into her palm. "Ah! That famous one from the regional circuits, the one they call the 'Grey Monster,' right!"
Even though regional races were far less renowned than the central ones, every now and then an Uma Musume would appear who achieved dazzling results there.
And Oguri Cap was one of them.
As a student of Kasamatsu Tracen, Symboli Rudolf had spotted her potential instantly while observing a regional race and subsequently extended an invitation for her to transfer to the central circuit.
"As expected of the president, to manage to recruit someone so amazing! You must've done a lot of research, like always!"
"Ahem, ahem."
Standing nearby, Air Groove cleared her throat softly and shot a glance at Rudolf, who looked slightly embarrassed. "Since it's Oguri Cap's first time in the central district, she's unfamiliar with everything. So, we'd like you to help her get acquainted with the surroundings while bringing her here. We're counting on you for this, Teio. Is that alright?"
"Of course! Leave it to me, no worries at all!"
The young girl patted her even younger chest, promising with a confident smile.
"Well then, I'll be back in a bit!"
With that, she dashed out of the room and hurried straight towards the station.
Watching the lively girl depart, Rudolf let out a sigh of relief.
Ever since that last scare, Tokai Teio had been overly cautious about everything, her eyes constantly darting around even while eating or drinking, as if afraid something might suddenly appear.
Sometimes, a simple tap on the shoulder from behind would make her jump like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, nearly launching all four hooves onto the ceiling.
In short, during that period, Teio's nerves were shot. She always slept with the lights on, and needed to wake her roommate just to go to the bathroom.
At its worst, she was even afraid to leave her room. It wasn't until the school arranged for her to see a counselor, coupled with Rudolf's constant care, that she gradually improved.
Now, seeing her regain her original lively self, Rudolf's anxious heart could finally relax.
"I really caused you a lot of trouble during that time."
Trouble?
Ah…
"Just doing my job."
It took Air Groove a few seconds to realize what Rudolf was referring to.
During those days Rudolf spent accompanying Teio, Air Groove had handled nearly all the student council affairs, processing paperwork meant for several people.
Narita Brian had helped out too, but, well…
Asking that fiery, combative girl to do meticulous work like reviewing documents was a bit too much for her.
Rudolf had seen her potential and lured her into the council by promising a race if she joined, essentially reeling her in with a big promise.
The actual workload assigned to her was light.
Lately, though, Brian's demeanor had improved quite a bit; she wasn't as excessively pugnacious as before.
In her free time after training, Brian would come to the student council to plan future race schedules with Rudolf.
But her quietness gave Air Groove the impression less of serenity and more of a well-fed beast digesting its meal, converting the nutrients to fuel its growth, channeling strength throughout its body.
It made Air Groove sigh inwardly. 'What a terrifying capacity for growth.'
Returning to the present, Rudolf said with a soft smile,
"Having you here to help is truly my great fortune."
"What are you saying now, after all this time…"
After all, she was someone who shared Rudolf's ideal: to create a brilliantly shining world for the Uma Musume.
"Well then, I'll go arrange Oguri Cap's class assignment. By the way, has her trainer been decided yet?"
Gathering the documents about Oguri Cap from the desk, Air Groove inquired.
"It's been decided," Rudolf replied. "It's the trainer who's been with her since her regional days."
"The trainer connected to her?" Air Groove thought for a moment.
"That person?"
"Yes." Rudolf nodded.
"Tracen's seasoned trainer, Musaka Ginjirou."
--+--
Hachimi~Hachimi~Hachimi~
"How about a special honey drink?"
Jogging along, Tokai Teio spotted a food truck parked by the street.
During those days she'd holed up in her dorm, too scared to go out, Teio had stumbled upon a profound truth of life.
Namely, that sweets are an essential cure for overcoming fear.
The more frightened she was, the more she craved sweet things, and the more she ate, the faster her fear subsided.
In just two or three days, Teio had polished off several bags of snacks and candy, enough to make even Rudolf frown with a 'is it really okay to eat like that?' look.
Of course it was okay!
Blessed with a metabolism that kept her slim no matter what, she just needed to put in a little extra effort during training to burn off any excess.
This was a point Teio was immensely proud of.
"Let me see… Double strength, and make it a large."
She said to the server inside the truck.
"Certainly, please wait a moment."
"Mmm~"
Today, she was back at full strength.
The psychologist had explained it all: the lock on Tracen's door had been broken for years, causing it to slide shut on its own.
The vent fan was set to max power at a fixed time each morning to air the place out.
The faucet, not fully tightened and combined with unstable water pressure, would drip.
It was all perfectly explainable.
As for the final sound and the hand, the doctor said it was likely due to extreme stress and tension causing auditory and visual hallucinations.
In psychiatry, such symptoms were very common, seen almost daily.
After the lock was fixed and the faucet replaced, when they went back to check that bathroom, there was nothing unusual at all.
Everything made perfect sense.
That's right, there are no such things as ghosts. How ridiculous that I, the great Teio, could have been scared like that!
From now on, I'm determined to become someone unflappable, just like the president!
She resolved firmly.
"One large, extra-strength honey special. Here you are."
"Ohh~"
Clutching the hefty drink, Teio felt her heart settle. Yep, couldn't give up her daily drink habit.
Just as Teio was sipping her honey drink…
Tap—
A clear, sharp sound of a hoof striking the pavement rang out.
Suddenly, her heart clenched tight, and the air around her felt instantly cooler.
Tap tap tap…
The sound grew quicker, closer. Teio's eyes widened, her heartbeat racing in time with the steps.
This feeling… it was familiar.
It was as if she was back in that deserted bathroom, hearing the drip of water hitting the floor.
Her neck turned like a rusty gear, creaking and groaning, as she mustered all her courage to look towards the source of the sound.
She saw a black-maned Uma Musume in a tracksuit, sprinting towards her at incredible speed. Those golden eyes were like soul-hooks, piercing straight through and snagging her heart.
A bone-chilling cold shot from her head to her toes. Teio's ears and tail shot straight up, every hair on end, as she let out a blood-curdling scream.
"No, no, noooooo—!!"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.