Alright, so I started looking around all motivated and stuff, but…
"Right, if today's the entrance ceremony, that means it's the upperclassmen's opening ceremony too, huh."
It's been over two hours since I started searching, and I've checked every single training area, but there's literally no one around.
Not on the turf track, not on the dirt track, not on the uphill course, not even the woodchip track.
Just in case, I checked the gym and the pool too—but yeah, not a single Uma Musume. Not even one person.
I even waited for like 20–30 minutes just in case, but no one came.
And when the facility manager gave me a really suspicious look, I panicked and left, ending up back at the plaza with the Three Goddesses statue.
"Ah—right! They did say during homeroom that the training grounds would all be under inspection this afternoon. How did I forget that… embarrassing…"
I press my red cheeks with my hands and groan.
Yeah, if my past self saw Nice Nature acting embarrassed like this, I'd probably be gushing blood from my nose out of sheer cuteness.
But now I'm Nice Nature… goddammit!
"So, what now…?"
Honestly, I could just give up and head back to the dorms, but I'd probably stay restless and annoyed if I left it like this.
I really want to figure out which wordline I'm in today and clear my head.
But there's not much info to go on.
I could check the club area to see if Team Spica, Team Rigil, or Team Canopus exist here—that alone would tell me a lot—but that area's on the complete opposite side of this massive Tracen Academy.
Just walking there sounds exhausting.
And honestly, if I run into Gold Ship, there's a high chance I'll get kidnapped or something.
"Isn't there some other way to check, though…"
Like, if there were an easy way to tell just by looking… Oh, wait—weren't Akikawa Chairwoman and that green devil Tazuna at the entrance ceremony?
Did they even appear in Cinderella Gray though?
Unfortunately, Cinderella Gray was sold out at the bookstore near my place, so I never actually got to read it.
"Oh—right! There's always the Rudolf Diagnosis!"
The Rudolf Diagnosis was a theory I came up with in my past life—it's a way to tell which version of the story I'm in (game, anime, or manga) based on the personality of Symboli Rudolf, the Student Council President of Tracen Academy.
Game version: the one who cracks jokes all the time, known online for "Air Groove's motivation dropped."
Anime version: the one who quietly watches over Teio and instantly sees through Canopus's schemes—kind and cool.
Manga version: the one who says "Don't you dare disrespect Central," and is genuinely terrifying.
Well, I've never actually seen all of the anime or manga versions myself (thanks, work), so the accuracy might be questionable.
But still, Rudolf should be in the student council room, and if I just get a look at her, I can tell which version this is.
It's way closer than the club area, and, well… I kinda want to see her in person, too.
I'll just go, make up some excuse, greet her, and judge based on her vibe.
If she's got that "Don't you dare disrespect Central" energy, I'm out.
If I take too long, unpacking back at the dorm will be a pain, so—quick visit, quick exit. Good plan!
The campus itself is ridiculously huge, so I definitely needed the pamphlet to find my way around.
I wandered a bit, looking totally like a "brand-new student," but no one stopped me—not the teachers, not the seniors—so that was a relief.
Eventually, I made it to my destination: the door to the Student Council Room.
"Yeah… this is really hard to walk into."
The door in front of me looks totally normal—just a classic, old-fashioned wooden door.
But somehow it radiates this pressure, this aura of authority.
The elegant calligraphy reading "Student Council Room" on the plaque above only makes it worse.
For the past ten minutes, I've been standing here, trying to psych myself up to knock, then chickening out, then trying again.
And of course, this hallway seems to be deserted—no one passing by, no one to distract me.
Just me, pacing nervously in front of the door.
I'm mentally 25, physically 12 (April 16 birthday, so barely 12).
That makes me 37 total, and yet here I am—too scared to knock.
Whoever came up with the "your mind adjusts to your body's age" trope was a genius, because that's exactly what's happening to me.
"It's fine, it's fine… Nature can do this. She's capable. She can sparkle. Just say hi and leave, that's it. Easy."
I mutter pep-talks to myself over and over, trying to muster the courage, but my feet still won't move.
Finally, I channel my inner motivational coach—"You can do it, Nature! Don't give up now! Why stop here, huh?!"—and force myself to stand tall.
My throat's dry, my hand's trembling as I raise it to knock.
If the Rudolf in there is the scary one, I might just die again.
…Okay… deep breath… inhale… exhale… alright, go!
Just as I steel myself and lift my hand to knock—
"sigh How long do you plan to stand out there? If you've got business, hurry up and come in."
"EEP!!"
The door opened before I even touched it, and that calm yet exasperated voice hit me right in the nerves.
I yelped like a startled Teio—totally not my fault, okay?
Cautiously, I looked up—and there stood an Uma Musume with sleek bay-colored hair tied back at the nape of her neck. Wait, tied back?
"Uh… who… are you?"
"sigh Judging by that reaction, you're one of the new students from today, huh? What's your business here?"
It wasn't Symboli Rudolf.
It wasn't Air Groove, the vice president.
It wasn't even Narita Brian, the Shadow Roll Monster.
Standing before me was a tall, sharp-eyed beauty—more striking than cute, really.
Her long, narrow bangs fell like a comet across her face, kind of like Ines Fujin's, but she gave off this calm, regal vibe.
And yeah… she was kinda scary.
Had I maybe walked into the wrong room that just happened to have the "Student Council Room" sign on it?
Still, she gestured for me to come in, so I nervously obeyed.
Inside looked almost exactly like the student council room from the anime—just a few personal touches different.
Yup… this was the real deal.
"Go ahead, sit on the sofa. I'll make some tea."
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"
"I figured you might not know me. I've been swamped with paperwork lately, so I let Sho and Glass handle the entrance ceremony instead."
She moved gracefully, preparing tea and handing me a cup before sitting across from me.
I could barely manage a soft "Thank you…" in response.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
The clock was the only sound in the room.
Each second felt like an eternity, and the air was so heavy it felt like it was clinging to me.
"Well, it's hard to talk if we don't know each other's names. Let's start with introductions. What's your name?"
She spoke first.
"Uh… I'm Nice Nature. I just enrolled at Tracen Academy today."
"Nice Nature… 'A wonderful temperament,' huh? A fine name."
She smiled gently as she set down her cup.
That smile alone finally started to melt my nerves away.
"You're not drinking? Would you prefer coffee?"
"Oh, no, I'll have some. Thank you."
I took a careful sip, making sure not to spill.
It was warm, smooth—soothing after all that tension.
I couldn't help letting out a small sigh of relief, and she smiled again.
"Good, is it?
"It's delicious."
"My father's relatives work in America and Ireland. They send me good tea and coffee from time to time—without me asking."
She took another sip, looking serene.
Honestly, my first impression of her had been terrifying, but now she radiated nothing but calm and warmth.
"Really… I owe you an apology, Nice Nature. You took so long to come in that I got a little irritated and snapped. Sorry about that."
"Uh, you noticed me out there?"
"Of course. With an Uma Musume's hearing, it's obvious.
You were pacing back and forth making all sorts of noises while I was buried in paperwork—who wouldn't get a bit annoyed?"
Right. I totally forgot about their enhanced hearing.
Guess I was that nervous.
"I—I'm sorry…"
"Don't be. I needed a break anyway. It's fine."
She smiled again as she poured me a second cup.
And that's when I finally asked the question that had been eating at me since I got here.
"Um… if you don't mind me asking—what's your name, senpai?"
"Ah, I never said, did I? My mistake."
She winced slightly, as if realizing her own oversight, then poured the tea with a calm smile.
"Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Ten Point.
I currently serve as the Student Council President of Tracen Academy.
Nice to meet you, Nice Nature."
.
…
…
...
WHAT!?