"You mean, you went running without even washing up first?"
"Mm."
Symboli Rudolf didn't know whether to laugh or scold. She stared helplessly at Gotham Song, who had her head lowered and couldn't utter a single word, as she recalled everything that had happened.
As the Student Council President of Japan's Tracen Academy, Symboli Rudolf was always the first to arrive at the office each morning—perhaps it was her dedication to leading by example. Since assuming this role, aside from very rare exceptions, she had never been late even by a single minute.
So, even when she noticed a greater-than-usual number of students rushing toward the training track earlier, she hadn't bothered joining the excitement. She'd simply thought:
Perhaps they're eager to see those two legendary Uma Musume who just arrived at the academy?
If it involved Dancing Brave and Secretariat, she understood the enthusiasm. After all, they were legends strong enough to draw any crowd.
And if an emergency had occurred?
Well, someone would've called her immediately if something serious had happened, so she calmly proceeded to her usual duties.
Then, just moments after she sat down, an "emergency" literally came flying straight into her office.
She'd never forget the scene from a few seconds earlier—those hurried footsteps, the door flung open dramatically by a frantic Tokai Teio…
And the sight of Gotham Song held securely in Tokai Teio's arms, princess-style.
What exactly is going on here? Why was Teio so flustered, and why did Gotham Song look helplessly resigned to her fate? More importantly—
Why was Gotham Song still in her nightgown?! Did Teio drag her straight out of bed?
I certainly don't recall teaching you this kind of thing, Teio…
Before Rudolf could speak, Teio hurriedly placed Gotham Song onto the sofa, anxiously grabbing Rudolf's arm.
Since when did this kid get so strong?!
"Prez, Prez! Help Song! Please don't let her end up unable to race again!"
Wait… It's that serious?
Symboli Rudolf stood up immediately, now fully alert.
Come to think of it, Tokai Teio was usually calm and confident. She would never rush into the student council office in a panic unless it was truly urgent.
If Teio's first instinct was to rush here, it meant the situation genuinely terrified her, enough to seek out the most trustworthy person she knew at the moment.
At the very least, Rudolf owed it to Teio's trust to take this seriously.
Stepping forward, Rudolf soon realized why Teio was so worried. It wasn't that Rudolf's initial assumptions were wrong—it was because Gotham Song, with her long hair still loose and dressed only in a simple nightgown, had removed her running shoes to reveal blood dripping steadily from her delicate feet.
An injury to her foot? This was no small matter for an Uma Musume!
But wait—why was she running barefoot in the first place?
Rudolf knelt down to inspect Gotham Song's foot closely.
Her foot was delicate, smooth, and pale, the skin soft enough to seem like it would ripple with the slightest touch of water. Even Symboli Rudolf, despite being an Uma Musume herself, momentarily felt tempted to touch it—simply because it was unusually flawless.
Typically, due to rigorous training, even Uma Musume blessed by the Three Goddesses would develop some small callouses. Perfect, porcelain-like feet such as Gotham Song's were extremely rare.
Despite the urgent situation, Rudolf couldn't help thinking briefly:
Even sweaty, her feet are adorable enough that no one would dislike them, right?
Shaking off those irrelevant thoughts with practiced self-control, Symboli Rudolf carefully grasped Gotham Song's ankle, expertly examining her injury.
She was quietly grateful she was the one handling this—if someone less composed had seen this scene, who knew what strange ideas might have surfaced?
"I… I'm really fine," Gotham Song murmured weakly.
"All the more reason I need to confirm it myself, isn't that right?"
Symboli Rudolf's sincere eyes, filled with genuine concern, met Gotham Song's. For an Uma Musume, a foot injury was never something to take lightly.
In the face of such sincerity from the president, Gotham Song had no choice but to quietly nod, reaching out to gently grasp Teio's hand, trying to soothe her anxious friend.
It's nothing serious, really… Just a little scratch, probably?
At that moment, Rudolf stood and quickly dialed a number, before turning reassuringly toward the still anxious Teio.
"Don't worry. It's not that serious—I've already called an expert to handle this kind of thing. She'll be here very soon."
Probably, anyway.
Rudolf silently amended her own words. Knowing the eccentric personality of the individual she'd called, she quickly sent over a photo of Gotham Song's bloodied foot to make sure the message got through.
Then began the questioning session.
Learning Gotham Song had run outside barefoot and without even changing clothes left Symboli Rudolf genuinely exasperated.
But she understood—if it was for Teio's sake, this was exactly something Gotham Song would do.
Rudolf had known about Teio's psychological barriers but couldn't offer a solution herself. She'd originally intended to ask Gotham Song to help—but before she could even bring it up, Gotham Song had already managed to pull Teio out of her emotional abyss.
Perhaps Gotham Song is even more suited to become a trainer than I'd thought, Rudolf mused. She certainly had a natural talent for dealing with troubled Uma Musume.
"And you even ran over a thousand meters while holding Teio's hand?"
"Ahaha…" Gotham Song was now so embarrassed that she couldn't meet Rudolf's gaze, her entire face flushing deeply.
Now that she finally processed what she'd done, embarrassment surged through her.
Forget running out in her nightgown—just the fact she'd held hands with Teio in front of so many onlookers, racing together side-by-side…
Not to mention Teio suddenly scooping her up without explanation and princess-carrying her away once the injury was discovered!
By tomorrow—no, even right now—rumors about Gotham Song and Tokai Teio were surely spreading throughout the school.
No, no, no! This is absolutely not okay!
Covering her burning cheeks with both hands, Gotham Song felt her temperature skyrocket in pure embarrassment, unable to say another word.
Her neck was even turning faintly pink!
Meanwhile, Teio simply blinked innocently, clearly not grasping the seriousness of the situation. Rudolf promptly seized this moment to dispatch the clueless girl to fetch Manhattan Cafe, Neo Universe, and even Daiichi Ruby.
Teio initially refused, but Rudolf—fully aware that her presence would only prolong Gotham Song's embarrassment—resolutely guided Teio out of the office.
Finally alone with Rudolf, Gotham Song took deep breaths, gradually calming down. Her palms slowly slid from her cheeks down to her neck, still feeling the lingering heat.
"Thank you for helping Teio, Song."
"Ah, no need to thank me. I'd do it again in a heartbeat—it's what I should do, right?"
Accepting the water Rudolf offered, Gotham Song spoke sincerely. Facing her greatest rival like that this morning, she could only have done one thing: spare no effort to help her friend regain her courage.
And despite the embarrassment afterwards, she held no regrets.
Though her foot still throbbed with pain, Gotham Song leaned back against the sofa, gently swinging her legs, realizing it was probably just a scratch.
But perhaps I still lack some self-awareness as an Uma Musume?
After all, foot injuries were indeed considered serious in this world. This was exactly why she'd quietly accepted Teio's dramatic princess carry earlier—it was the quickest way to reassure her friend.
Well, that, and also because I couldn't break free.
Just as Gotham Song drained her cup of hot water, the "experienced specialist" Rudolf had called finally arrived.
To Gotham Song's surprise, she immediately recognized the Uma Musume: none other than Rudolf's old rival, the famously carefree Sakura Chiyono O.
TSakura Chiyono O walked straight over, crouching down to expertly handle Gotham Song's wounds.
"Oh, I thought you might be my type of reckless runner, but it seems you were just careless this time. You won't do it again, will you?"
She teased gently, tracing the wound with her fingertip as a playful warning, making Gotham Song vigorously shake her head in panic.
No way was she repeating this embarrassment!
At least next time, she'd definitely remember her socks!
Sakura Chiyono O stood up with a smile, lightly poking Gotham Song's cheek affectionately.
"So, what exactly happened?"
"Chiyono, let me explain," Rudolf swiftly intervened, filling in the details herself.
After hearing the story, even the carefree Sakura Chiyono O gave Gotham Song a genuine thumbs-up.
"You've got guts, kiddo. If you ever need anything, just ask me. I, Sakura Chiyono O, still have some energy left."
Gotham Song just smiled awkwardly in response.
Before they could continue, hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway. Surprisingly, it wasn't the girls Teio had fetched.
Instead…
Mejiro Ardan rushed in, her eyes wide with worry.
But Gotham Song saw something even stranger—
Ghostly and utterly unbothered, the old lady herself, Sunday Silence, came flying straight through the wall!