Tokai Teio glanced down at the information form... then raised her eyes again, looking at Garden Gale's gradually retreating back.
She seemed to be chatting happily with the Umamusume beside her.
…Why?
Why is it that with me… she barely speaks a word?
Teio bit her lip, frustration simmering.
Inside the room, Symboli Rudolf still wore a puzzled expression. "Teio?" She softly called out, trying gently to pull the younger girl's attention back. But it was no use. The last thing Rudolf saw was Teio carelessly tossing the form aside, not even looking back as she hurriedly threw out words:
"Prez, I'll come back later!"
Then, she sprinted after Garden Gale.
Her speed—fast enough to catch up to time itself, to outrun regret, like a Bugatti Veyron.
...
Garden Gale walked down the stairs, biting her lower lip as she endured the endless chatter from Curren Chan beside her.
"Garden-san, I heard you're like, an insanely strong Umamusume! Even President Rudolf mentioned you by name—I can't believe I'm lucky enough to be roommates with someone like that. Curren-chan must've really hit the jackpot!"
No.
I'm super weak, actually.
"Oh, and also, President Rudolf even asked me to learn from you! I'll be counting on you from now on~!"
Learn from me? Learn what exactly? My ability to silently let people invent wild assumptions?
She honestly had no idea how these people could leap to such insane conclusions! This is exactly how rumors snowball—fear the rumor mill!
"Wanna drink something? Since you've got low blood sugar, you should replenish with some sugar! I'll treat you to some milk tea~ Heard there's a new brand called HeyTea that just opened nearby."
I don't have low blood sugar at all, thank you very much.
Garden Gale could only protest internally.
In reality, harsh as it was, she couldn't even muster three words—her lips just symbolically twitched as she managed, "Okay. Drink."
It didn't matter what she said.
She couldn't refuse anyway.
One might even suspect that if Curren Chan tried kidnapping Garden Gale outright, she'd still only reply, "Okay." Rejecting was impossible.
Curren Chan tilted her head slightly, staring at Garden Gale, who'd barely responded after all that effort. Then, silently, she pursed her lips and looked away, not saying another word.
…Oh no.
She hates me now…
Garden Gale noticed this immediately—too perceptively. Or rather, her social anxiety was precisely because she was too sharp at noticing every little emotional shift in others. A slight distress welled up in her chest; her fists clenched.
Ah…
I ruined it again.
Curren Chan was genuinely trying to bridge the gap between them, but I acted like this… No wonder I have no friends. Do I even deserve any? Just to disappoint them again? I don't want that… I really don't want it anymore…
So...
Garden Gale added quickly: "It's on me."
Summoning up courage—perhaps this was her small breakthrough.
"Yay!" Curren Chan instantly brightened again, flashing a V-sign with a dazzling smile.
However, neither noticed… the sudden voice drifting eerily from behind them.
"You guys are getting a drink? I want some too!"
Garden Gale whipped around at the familiar voice.
It was Tokai Teio, tapping her shoulder playfully, cheerfully declaring, "Hey, GG-san! Can Teio join in~? I wanna drink too~"
That drawn-out tone at the end—so adorably coquettish!
Garden Gale felt her heart seize—critical strike by sheer cuteness!
I'm jealous… I wanna be an Umamusume just like Teio-san, cheerful, bright, and adorable…
Curren Chan's expression filled again with obvious confusion, clearly asking "Is she your friend?" without words.
With no choice, Garden Gale, acting as the bridge between them, pointed to Tokai Teio, introducing awkwardly: "This is Tokai Teio, a prodigy from the Junior Division."
"Curren Chan, a transfer student, my future roommate… Teio-san, you can join us too."
Then, silence again. Garden Gale was lost for words.
Curren Chan, meanwhile, seemed to recognize the name, sinking momentarily into thought without speaking.
It was Tokai Teio who broke the quiet again.
"…Just kidding!" She laughed brightly. "I had a honey special yesterday, so if I drink milk tea today, it'll definitely affect my training. Prez will scold me! So it was just a joke. Hey, how about we go train together first? We can talk about milk tea after!"
Finished speaking,
"Training?" Curren Chan's eyes sparkled.
She finally remembered! Even before joining Tracen Academy, she'd heard of Tokai Teio. The most anticipated prodigy, the next emperor… countless titles and expectations surrounded her. She was a first-rate Umamusume, the absolute center of attention even before her debut.
In short—
Curren Chan wanted to see if Tokai Teio lived up to the hype, to see if she could learn something from this encounter.
To test herself against the legendary prodigy of Tracen Academy.
So without hesitation, she agreed immediately.
Garden Gale, however, opened her mouth, ready to refuse, but the words never came. Because if they trained, wouldn't her actual abilities be exposed?! Tokai Teio thought she was stronger than herself—but the second they actually trained, wouldn't the truth come out immediately?
Oh no…
Her death was practically guaranteed at this point.
Now Garden Gale felt like a whole lamb about to be roasted alive.
Just waiting for a sprinkle of seasoning.
When dinner was served—her true ability would be revealed, and she'd be eaten alive.
MEGA CRISIS ALERT!!!
Thinking frantically, Garden Gale rapidly searched her mind, desperately seeking an escape route from social death. Standing silently between the two chatting happily, she watched helplessly as they walked toward the training track.
...
It was worth mentioning that this time, they weren't heading to Team LOCK's training grounds—but to the public training track instead.
As Garden Gale stepped inside, she immediately felt targeted, as if someone was marking her, watching her closely. Her brows furrowed in discomfort.
Her instincts were correct.
Standing amidst the crowd was another Umamusume, staring intently at Garden Gale from afar. The girl had locked onto her at first sight, unconsciously licking her lips, eyes glinting dangerously—like a predator about to strike.
---
T/N: okayyy i got the description of her appearance nowww, ill work on draiwng her this week :D
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