A/N: I completely forgot what I was trying to write at that time, so fk it, we ball.
Should I skip the G2 race and jump straight into the Classic?
Check-ins to know if you're still alive. Though I quite admire that one guy who kept sending PS for the past 2 months.
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Oguri Cap stood inside the office, hands loosely clasped behind her back, posture straight in the way she had been taught.
Across from her, Symboli Rudolf maintained her usual composed presence, a neat stack of documents arranged with precise care on the desk. Even with her strict discipline toward herself, Rudolf felt overwhelmed by the growing workload pressing in from all sides.
What she did not realize was that a certain part-timer Uma Musume had taken a very practical lesson from Narita Brian, a senior of the Student Council.
With the sleight of hand worthy of a gambler, Silver Tear had printed a copy of her own workload, stacked them neatly on top of Rudolf's pile, and slacked off in a corner without drawing attention.
The result left the Emperor facing a sudden and inexplicable surge in paperwork.
Something was not right, yet every document appeared legitimate, leaving her feeling suspicious that something, somewhere, had been rearranged without her noticing.
Oguri Cap hesitated, her gaze shifting between Symboli Rudolf's faintly worn expression and the towering stack of paperwork on the desk.
The sight only reinforced what she already believed. Rudolf seemed almost invincible, able to manage an overwhelming load outside of class without faltering.
If anything, it left Oguri Cap feeling even more grateful, her admiration settling a little deeper as she stood there, unaware that the "mountain" in front of Rudolf was not entirely what it appeared to be.
"Um… President Rudolf."
Rudolf looked up from her paperwork, gaze attentive but unreadable. "Yes, what can I do for you, Oguri-san?"
Oguri stepped forward with a small, deliberate motion. Her expression remained as earnest as ever, unguarded in a way that made even simple statements feel sincere.
"I wanted to say thank you."
Rudolf seemed surprised but did not interrupt. She simply watched, allowing the silence to give Oguri room to continue.
"For everything." Oguri added, as though clarifying was necessary. "For letting me run here. For watching over the races. And… for believing I could stand on this track."
She paused, brows knitting faintly as she searched for the right words. It was understandable since she wasn't one good with words, but she still wanted to express her gratitude toward Symboli Rudolf.
"I don't really understand all the decisions you make." She admitted. "But I know they're important. And because of that, I can run freely on the track without worrying."
Her hands tightened slightly behind her back, then relaxed again.
"So… Thank you. I'll keep running with everything I got."
Rudolf's expression softened, the shift was subtle but undoubtedly there. "You don't need to frame it as repayment. Your performance already speaks for itself."
Oguri blinked, trying to process the meaning behind those words, but then gave an absentminded nod. She didn't really get it, but it seemed cool. No wonder she was the Council President
"I see." She flashed a bright smile, her tail wagging in anticipation of the next race.
Then—
Knock! Knock!
A knock at the door.
It was distinctly out of place against the calm that had just formed.
Oguri turned her head toward the sound, ears twitching slightly in reflex. Rudolf's gaze shifted as well, composure returning to its usual sharpness.
"Come in, the door is not locked." Rudolf said.
The handle turned with a hesitant click.
The door opened just enough for a figure to slip through. Her blonde hair caught the light, ears slightly lowered as if she already knew she was intruding.
She paused the moment she noticed both Oguri and Rudolf looking at her.
"…Ah."
Her eyes moved from Oguri… to Rudolf… then back to the door, as if reconsidering several life decisions in rapid succession.
"…Sorry for intruding."
The words were delivered evenly, and whatever touching atmosphere had been forming a moment ago was ruined completely.
With that same composure, she pulled the door closed—
Click.
Silence settled in, making things a bit awkward.
Oguri Cap glanced toward Rudolf. Rudolf, in turn, met her gaze. Neither spoke, though the question was shared plainly enough between them.
'What exactly was she doing?'
____
The handle turned again, though, just a tiny bit this time.
The door opened a sliver, barely enough for Silver Tear to peek through. Only her eyes and a hint of blonde hair were visible as she leaned in.
She glanced inside, only to find both of them still watching her, exactly as before.
"…Sorry."
Silver Tear slowly withdrew.
The door closed once more with deliberate care.
Rudolf did not move, but a faint crease had already formed between her brows, her patience thinning in a way she did not bother to conceal.
"Stop making a fool of yourself and come in." Rudolf pressed her fingers to her temple. She was seriously reconsidered the decision to bring Silver Tear into the Student Council.
When Silver Tear chose to focus, she handled matters with precision and clear judgment. Outside of those few moments, however, her behavior always had a way of testing Rudolf's patience.
At Rudolf's remark, Silver Tear stepped in as if nothing unusual had happened, as though the past minute did not exist.
She closed the door behind her, then walked further into the room.
"Good afternoon to Ms.President and my lovely Star."
The greeting landed with quiet confidence, entirely detached from the sequence of events earlier.
Oguri Cap blinked once, then twice, watching her with mild curiosity, unaware that the 'Star' in Silver Tear's words was her.
Rudolf did not return the greeting but instead put down her pen.
"Silver Tear."
Her name was spoken flatly.
Silver Tear froze mid-step.
A chill ran down her spine.
There was no clear reason for the reaction. Nothing in Rudolf's tone suggested anything beyond the usual, but instinct reacted faster than logic.
In the span of a heartbeat, her mind began assembling possibilities.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary— Unless… Rudolf had somehow noticed the portions of workload Silver Tear had redirected away from herself and onto Rudolf's desk.
No! Impossible! How can she find out this quickly!?
A bead of sweat formed at her temple.
"…Yes?"
Her voice remained steady, though the growing tension behind it was becoming increasingly difficult to conceal.
Just as Silver Tear was about to lose it and spill out everything, Oguri Cap's voice cut cleanly through the tension, drawing Rudolf's attention away.
"Ummh… I should take my leave." Oguri said, a touch absent-minded, as if the decision had only just settled in her mind.
She gave a small nod toward Rudolf, then turned to Silver Tear. This time, her gaze held a quiet seriousness that contrasted with her usual air.
"Next time, I'll get my revenge on the track." She added, flashing a bright smile toward her opponent.
For a brief moment, something flickered in Silver Tear's eyes before it settled into a small, playful curve at the corner of her lips.
"…Revenge?" She tilted her head, feigning confusion. "From that?"
"I thought that was just a warm-up."
Silver Tear said it with an openly smug expression, the kind that made it clear she knew exactly how provoking it sounded.
Oguri blinked, visibly thrown off by the sheer shamelessness. Then her cheeks puffed, a small pout forming almost immediately.
"…That wasn't a warm-up."
Silver Tear let out a soft breath that might have been a suppressed laugh.
"Is that so?" She said lightly. "Then I suppose I should take the next one seriously."
Oguri's pout deepened, though her eyes sharpened with a more focused determination.
"Alright, alright. If that's all, you can scram now."
Before Oguri could respond, Silver Tear had already moved, pushing her toward the door that left little room to argue.
"I will definitely beat you in the next race!" She declared, voice firm despite the undignified exit.
Silver Tear paused at the doorway, one hand still on it, and glanced at her over her shoulder. The faint smirk returned, measured and deliberate.
"Sure, I'll be waiting." She said, tone light but certain.
The door closed between them with a soft click.
—
"Now that you're done making yourself a laughing stock, why don't you tell me the reason you were eavesdropping outside the entire time?" Rudolf asked.
At Rudolf's sharp question, whatever lightness lingered from Oguri's exit had vanished instantly.
Silver Tear did not answer immediately.
She stood where she was, back still half-turned, as if considering whether the question warranted a response at all.
"...I wasn't." She said at last. "I was passing by."
Rudolf's eyes narrowed slightly. "Passing by, you say." She repeated, tone measured.
"From what I've observed these past few days, you're not the type to knock." She said. "You'd walk in and make yourself comfortable even if I said otherwise."
Her gaze settled fully on Silver Tear.
"And yet today, you lingered outside. That alone said everything, right?"
"Tsk… Why are you so annoying?"
Silver Tear no longer bothered to mask it. That cheerful pretense slipped away easily, leaving her tone bare, edged with quiet acknowledgment rather than denial.
Rudolf regarded her in silence for a moment, then shifted slightly, posture straightening as her gaze grew more intent.
"…Then by now, you should understand what it means to stand here and protect someone like her."
The implication settled between them without needing to be stated outright.
"Oguri Cap is no ordinary Uma Musume." Rudolf continued, voice measured. "She undoubtedly draws a lot of gazes, some with expectations and others with resistance."
Her eyes did not leave Silver Tear. "It takes someone willing to bear the consequences of that."
"In the end, hearing her gratitude made it worthwhile for me." She added.
Silence stretched.
"…But how do you feel right now?" Rudolf asked.
"…Feel?" Silver Tear repeated.
A faint, humorless breath left her.
"What does it have to do with me?"
Rudolf's expression remained composed. "You were the one who raised the issue in the first place."
"I nudged you at most." Silver Tear replied without a pause. "Everything after that was your doing."
Her eyes cooled, any trace of earlier levity gone, leaving only a distant clarity in its place.
"Gratitude?" She continued, almost absently. "That was never meant for me."
She reached for a stack of documents on Rudolf's desk, lifting one with practiced ease. Her eyes moved across the page, attention already drifting, as though the conversation had lost its relevance.
Rudolf drew a breath, ready to correct her—
Silver Tear spoke first.
"If this turns into one of your cheerful reflections." She said without looking up. "I'll excuse myself."
The words were calm and polite, yet they cut Rudolf's momentum short with precision.
Rudolf stilled.
"I'll take this." Silver Tear added, almost as an afterthought, already turning toward the door with the document in hand.
A brief pause followed before she spoke again, quieter this time, her gaze settling on Silver Tear's back as the latter moved toward the door.
She stepped out without turning back.
Click.
The room fell silent once more.
"For someone being so detached." Rudolf said. "She seems to be the one having the hardest time holding it together."
"Ironic indeed."