Dream Weaver had thought the party might go on late into the night, but she'd clearly forgotten—this wasn't the real-world student council with any special authority.
So, once it approached dorm curfew time, the Uma Musume in the room began to leave one after another.
Mr. C.B, who lived off-campus, had her own reasons not to stay out too late, so she slipped away clutching a half-finished bottle of apple cider vinegar.
Shiragawa would've liked to walk back to the dorm with Dream Weaver, but having recently become the dorm supervisor's assistant, she needed to hurry back to help keep things in order.
After apologizing to Dream Weaver, she dashed off alone.
Left behind, Dream Weaver simply started cleaning up the aftermath, while also keeping an eye on Symboli Rudolf, who was slumped on the sofa looking rather pale.
As Dream Weaver mopped the sticky floor, she glanced at Rudolf lying there staring blankly at the ceiling, feeling like whatever idealized image she'd once had of the president had completely shattered.
She let out a sigh and said, "You're not trying to tell me you got drunk on apple cider vinegar, are you?"
"Impossible… I just… drank a bit too much and feel kind of stuffed…"
As one of the core figures who'd brought everyone together before Dream Weaver arrived, Rudolf—who'd stayed behind laughing boisterously and drawing everyone's attention—naturally became the main target of toasts.
During the gathering just now, Rudolf had lost count of how many drinks she'd accepted.
Or rather, how many vinegar toasts?
Who knew—she couldn't keep track anymore. After so much apple cider vinegar, her mouth and stomach felt like one big vinegar jar.
Meanwhile, Dream Weaver, as the key contributor to the Satsuki Sho victory, had managed to slip away and hide among the crowd, luckily avoiding the spotlight.
That's why she still looked perfectly fine now.
Looking at Rudolf collapsed on the sofa, Dream Weaver sighed helplessly.
But remembering that the other had actually been taking the heat for her, she couldn't really complain—she just had to take good care of this not-yet-fully-formed student council president.
After tidying up the room a bit, she brewed a pot of tea for Rudolf and set the cup on the table in front of the sofa once it had cooled slightly.
"I don't know if this works for sobering up from vinegar, but drinking something warm should help, right?"
Rudolf, who'd been slumped on the sofa for a while, managed to sit up slightly, took a small sip of tea, and let out a soft sigh.
"Dream… you'll make a wonderful wife someday."
"What kind of nonsense are you mumbling?"
Ignoring Rudolf's odd remark, Dream Weaver shot her a glance and continued, "How are you feeling? Can you walk? Do you need me to take you back to the dorm later?"
Rudolf patted the sofa beneath her and gestured to Dream Weaver.
"No need, you go ahead back. I'll sleep here."
Dream Weaver looked at her strangely, puzzled.
"But if you don't return to the dorm, won't the dorm supervisor's checks cause trouble?"
"Staying in the dorms requires advance registration. I didn't sign up since I wasn't at Tracen much before. After leaving the Symboli household, I've been sleeping here."
Dream Weaver was startled by this. According to Rudolf, she'd been living here ever since coming to Tracen last year.
"You still haven't applied for a dorm room after all this time?!"
"I… I'm not really used to living with others, so I've just stayed here alone. It's fine just for sleeping anyway."
Dream Weaver looked at the sofa Rudolf was sitting on and asked with a frown, "Did you try applying for a single room? Someone like you should—"
She wasn't someone rigid about principles—if it were truly necessary, Rudolf wouldn't hesitate to leverage the Symboli family's influence, just as she had earlier wanted to use that power to help Dream Weaver.
But when it came to trivial matters like this, Rudolf oddly refused to borrow the Symboli name.
"If I've resolved to rebel, what would it mean to use that name for my own convenience?"
"Besides, staying here has its advantages—at least it gives me more time to handle tasks. After all, I still have classes and training during the day."
As she spoke, Rudolf smiled at Dream Weaver, seeming to genuinely find it convenient living here.
Because the label of "Student Council President" was so dazzling on Rudolf, even knowing this was a scripted world, Dream Weaver kept unconsciously overlaying real-world circumstances onto the situation.
Only now did it suddenly occur to Dream Weaver that this Rudolf wasn't the student council president yet—she didn't have all those special privileges.
Apart from working with the team on logistics, Rudolf also had to balance daily classes and training.
After realizing this, Dream Weaver fell silent for a long moment before speaking softly, "You're pushing yourself too hard. You really need proper rest."
To her surprise, Rudolf burst into laughter as if she'd heard a great joke.
Seeing Dream Weaver's flustered annoyance, she barely managed to stop laughing and said, "Sorry, sorry. It's just… hearing you say I need to rest feels a bit ironic."
"After all, you're the one pushing hardest among us. Mr. C.B told me—even when she dragged you out to relax, you kept thinking about coming back to train more."
"You're the one who really needs a break."
"It's just training. I'm used to—"
Before Dream Weaver could finish, Rudolf cut in with a serious tone.
"It's better not to get used to that sort of thing."
"To overturn European Uma Musume Racing, we have to improve our strength as quickly as possible. The training plans are designed for peak intensity."
"But that doesn't mean it's right—it's just a temporary measure."
"Aren't we trying to overthrow European Uma Musume Racing precisely because we can't stand how they disregard Uma Musume's dreams, just pushing them relentlessly to their limits?"
As she spoke, Rudolf couldn't help but sigh.
She didn't understand how Dream Weaver could execute daily training that pushed her to the limit without batting an eye, even adding extra sessions afterward.
If it weren't for the professional medical staff in their support team, Dream Weaver might have already accumulated hidden injuries from such intense training.
Yet even so, she acted as if it were nothing.
What on earth had Dream Weaver been through before?
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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.