Currently, only the Emperor and Nearl were in the student council room. Air Groove was taking a break, so the two were speaking frankly.
"Truthfully, I only realized recently that I held feelings for C.B-senpai."
Symboli Rudolf sat side by side with Nearl on the sofa.
Though there was a significant gap in their seniority, judging by their height and expressions at that moment, Rudolf seemed more like a junior confiding the troubles of her adolescence.
"In the past, I always treated her differently, but I believed that was only natural—because Mr. C.B. was someone truly special to me."
"At first, I admired her. Later, after understanding her true nature, I grew exasperated, yet I couldn't help worrying about her. So I began looking out for her almost involuntarily, and it has continued until now."
Recalling her past, entangled with Mr. C.B. on the racing circuit, Rudolf's expression was a mix of a smile and a wince.
"Before I entered the Twinkle Series, Mr. C.B. was already a famous Triple Crown Uma Musume. As the Triple Crown winner following in the footsteps of Shinzan-senpai, she was the idol for all Uma Musume of my generation."
"I was no exception. Though I was already strong back then and had confidence in myself, the Twinkle Series holds no certainties. I didn't have the confidence to become a Triple Crown winner."
"So it was only natural to admire a senpai who already held the Triple Crown, right? Back then, Mr. C.B. was dashing and carefree, moving with a kind of effortless, soaring elegance. That sort of personality was the most captivating."
"And I back then was sullen and serious—we were practically opposites. During my time at Tracen Academy, I couldn't make any friends at all."
"Attending classes alone, eating alone, training alone… It wasn't that my classmates intentionally isolated me. I just couldn't become close friends with them."
"Or perhaps, I hadn't yet learned how to make friends. My student life should have just passed by uneventfully like that…"
"Until that day."
A smile unconsciously touched her lips. The Emperor now was completely lost in those memories, just like a genuine young girl.
"Someone's arrival shattered the routine of my life."
--+--
The Past—
By the edge of the field, Symboli Rudolf sat chewing the lunch she'd brought from home.
This was already her daily routine. The innate pride in her heart clashed sharply with her then-unremarkable racing record, leaving her isolated.
Fortunately, everyone was kind; no one acted out because she kept to herself.
But even so, Symboli Rudolf often felt lonely.
'It's fine. I just have to wait until my debut race. Then I can prove my pride isn't baseless.'
"Hey, what are you doing here all by yourself? Oh, your lunch looks really good. Wanna swap with me?"
Just as she was quietly gazing at the vast, seemingly endless field before her, a pleasant voice, accompanied by a light breeze, reached her side, along with a faint, fresh scent.
Glancing over, a very familiar face appeared before her.
"Mr. C.B.-senpai? Why are you here?"
"Now, now, don't say that. The field's nice, isn't it? The grass is pretty, the breeze is pleasant, and it's quiet. You've got good taste."
Saying this, she forcibly sat down right beside Rudolf, ignoring her slightly evasive movements, making Rudolf feel very uncomfortable.
"Mr. C.B.-senpai, swapping food like this isn't hygienic or proper. Let's just forget it."
As she spoke, Rudolf tried to get up and move somewhere else. Even though she still idolized Mr. C.B., this kind of interaction was just too unfamiliar.
"Hold on, what's the rush? Sit with me for a bit. How about taking pity on this lonely old senpai, huh?"
Something about that sentence triggered a chemical reaction in the young Rudolf, making her unable to hold back a soft laugh.
Hearing the laugh, Mr. C.B. looked delighted.
"So you agree! Great, then I have two conditions for you."
"Wait, why two conditions?"
Rudolf had never met an Uma Musume with such an aggressively forward personality.
Combined with the idol factor, she found herself being led along. But Mr. C.B. paid no mind to her hesitation, simply holding up two fingers.
"First, I don't like being called 'senpai' or stuff like that. We're only a year apart; it makes me sound old. And don't use my full name either; it feels too distant."
"Second, I'm really craving your lunch right now. Let me have a taste."
Eyes sparkling with a light smile, like clouds drifting across the sky. In that moment, this free-spirited, wilful senpai breached the walls around Symboli Rudolf.
"Yes… C.B. Is that alright?"
"Mhm! That sounds much better! Here, I want to try this shrimp!"
"Wait, the shell!"
Seeing Mr. C.B. pop the shrimp into her mouth, shell and all, Rudolf couldn't stop her in time. She could only set her own chopsticks aside for the moment, peel the shell off the shrimp piece by piece, and then offer it to her.
"Not bad at all! What's your name? I like you. Come find me to hang out when you're free."
"Symboli Rudolf."
Perhaps it was in that very moment.
Mr. C.B., an Uma Musume who seemed the polar opposite of herself—someone she should never have been able to get along with—had left her mark on Symboli Rudolf's heart.
In the days that followed, Rudolf never once sought out Mr. C.B. Perhaps the other had forgotten about that seemingly aloof junior she'd chatted with that day. Their paths didn't cross again.
But the number of people close to Symboli Rudolf gradually grew. By then, she was no longer struggling so much to reconcile her pride.
Then came the debut race. Victory.
Two Pre-OP races—the Icho Tokubetsu, the Three-Year-Old Pre-OP—both victories.
The Yayoi Sho. Victory.
The Satsuki Sho. Victory.
After the race, Symboli Rudolf faced the entire stadium, calmly and imperiously raising her index finger, pointing high towards the sky.
The name "Emperor" began to take shape.
The Japanese Derby. Victory.
The crowd roared. The Emperor raised the index and middle fingers of her right hand.
It was only then the spectators understood that her single raised finger at the Satsuki Sho wasn't simply declaring herself number one.
It was a proclamation. A declaration that she was advancing towards that supreme goal.
By now, Rudolf was no longer alone. Her strength and record had become the foundation for her pride; she was no longer a title without substance.
She could now interact effortlessly with classmates, rivals, and juniors alike.
The Kikuka Sho. Victory.
A third finger raised. All of Japan was stunned by the birth of the first Undefeated Triple Crown winner in history.
Now, the "Emperor," Symboli Rudolf, had reached the same level as Mr. C.B... No, she had surpassed it.
And so, on the very day after claiming the Triple Crown, Rudolf knocked on the door of the student council room, where Mr. C.B. was still serving as president.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 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.