The moment the main gate of Central Tracen Academy appeared in those violet eyes, it was instantly flung far behind.
Like a hurricane tearing into the campus, the figure sprinted through the grounds—every flower and blade of grass along the path bowing under the violent rush of wind. Only when the pounding footsteps vanished did the plants dare to lift themselves again.
Rudolf didn't spare a thought for the landscaping she might have ruined.
Right now, her world contained only one thing—the dorm building ahead, lit by only a few scattered points of light.
As she neared the bottom, she reached into her pocket to check her phone, wanting to see how much time was left until the fireworks.
No matter how many times she pressed the power button, the screen remained black.
When it hit her that Eternal Meteor's messages probably never reached her because her phone had died, the panic in her chest tightened even harder.
She didn't care if anyone was asleep in the dorms.
She was blatantly breaking school rules—the thunder of her steps on the first-floor stairs was loud enough that even the girls on the third floor could hear her.
Finally, she reached the door.
She pressed her fingerprint to the smart lock. The two-second unlock delay felt like torture.
The instant she heard it click, she shoved the door open, slapped the light switch, and scanned the room frantically—until her eyes found her.
Eternal Meteor was curled into the corner, wrapped in a thick blanket, with only her head sticking out.
Those red, nebula-like eyes blinked at Rudolf.
And then, even while trembling slightly, Meteor forced her lips into a smile and greeted her like she'd been waiting all night.
Rudolf knew: words would be useless. Action mattered more.
She moved to the wardrobe, pulled out Meteor's coat with practiced familiarity, and strode toward her—ignoring the heat in the way Meteor looked at her.
"P-President…? What are you doing?"
Rudolf didn't answer.
She kept coming.
Meteor instinctively kicked her feet, trying to retreat, but the hard wall behind her told her there was nowhere left to go.
In the heartbeat where Meteor froze, Rudolf's hand reached her with the coat.
With one arm, Rudolf gently peeled Meteor out of the blanket. Then she dressed her—one sleeve, then the other—smooth, efficient, almost tender.
And then, without hesitation, she scooped her up and started walking for the door.
"Wait—what is this for?"
"To watch fireworks." Central Tracen Academy
Meteor almost said they could just take the wheelchair—at that speed, they'd make it before midnight easily.
But tucked into Rudolf's arms, feeling the warmth radiating off her body, Meteor couldn't open her mouth.
Instead, she rubbed her cheek against Rudolf's chest.
Whatever.
If they were late, they were late.
Right now, this was… nice.
Rudolf glanced down at her and smiled—just a little—and in her mind began calculating the distance between the dorm and the viewing spot she remembered.
"What time is it now?"
The question came out fast—too fast.
Meteor blinked, then laughed.
"Eighteen minutes left. So that's why you didn't reply… you forgot to charge your phone."
"…Sorry."
The apology was short, clipped. Rudolf's arms tightened around Meteor, and her pace quickened.
The scenery blurred backward, but Meteor had no attention left for it.
She listened to the hard, frantic heartbeat beneath her ear.
She tilted her head up toward Rudolf's face—she could only see part of it from this angle, but the long hair whipping wildly in the wind made the entire image look like a painting.
"Hey~! I'm back with snacks!"
On the stairs, Tokai Teio lifted both hands toward her teammates and climbed a few steps, but the sudden thunder of footsteps behind her made her reflexively turn.
The familiar figure flashed past, cutting down the small path beside the staircase—but the brown hair and the white-haired girl being carried in her arms were unmistakable.
Teio froze.
President… and Eternal Meteor?
No. Impossible.
Meteor told me she'd stay in her dorm today.
And every year, she invites the President, and it never works out. She always just smiles and tells me to go have fun with Spica… that she has things to do.
So it can't be them.
Right?
Even though her mind had already formed the answer—because coincidences didn't come in this shape.
Same silhouette. Same hair color. Same length.
But Teio still couldn't accept it. She kept denying it, over and over, in her head.
"Teio! Teio! Teio!!!"
Mejiro McQueen hurried over when Teio didn't respond to anyone, concern tightening her voice.
"Teio? Are you okay?"
"Huh? Oh—yeah. I'm fine."
Teio forced a smile, then turned away and ran up the stairs, leaving McQueen staring after her, uneasy.
But none of that mattered to the two girls who were already nearing the viewing spot.
"This is somewhere I found when I was little—when I ran away to play," Rudolf said.
She set Meteor down on a lonely bench—the only one here, standing by itself like it didn't belong.
Rudolf brushed her fingers over the worn wooden slats, smiling at the chipped paint.
"President? You were mischievous like that?"
"Oh, definitely." Rudolf's eyes softened. "I didn't want to attend some New Year banquet, so I snuck out to watch fireworks. I got scolded badly afterward."
Meteor laughed. "I seriously can't picture that."
Rudolf's shoulders loosened, relief finally settling into her posture as she sat beside Meteor.
They both tilted their heads up to the sky.
After a brief stretch of silence, Rudolf turned toward Meteor, trying to apologize for tonight.
"About today, I—mmph!"
Meteor slapped her palm over Rudolf's mouth and turned her head back toward the sky, whispering at her ear.
"Shh. They're starting."
With the toll of the New Year bell, the sky erupted—as if the painter of the heavens had been startled and spilled every color at once.
Fireworks crossed and climbed, one after another, burning everything they had just to bloom higher and brighter.
Meteor had just told Rudolf to watch, but she herself couldn't help glancing sideways—watching Rudolf's face lit by shifting flashes of light.
Then, slowly, the sky calmed again.
"President."
"Mm?"
"I think… I've started to like you."
Rudolf's lips curled upward uncontrollably. She let out a quiet laugh.
"I've always liked you."
At that moment, the empty sky roared again—an enormous launch, louder than the rest.
They both looked up.
A single firework climbed, dragging an immense red tail behind it, rising higher and higher until everyone who saw it held their breath for the bloom.
But instead of exploding, it didn't burst.
It fell.
Slowly—like it had burned out, like it had failed.
And just as the crowd began to accept the disappointment, the firework detonated—suddenly, violently—flooding the entire sky in red flame.
The view was so overwhelming that nobody could look away.
In Eternal Meteor's mind, X spoke with quiet frustration.
"I don't understand. If you like her, why don't you just confess properly? From how she treats you, if you keep pushing, you'd probably succeed."
Meteor's smile didn't waver.
"Because I'm going to die soon," she answered, softly. "I can't walk with her to the end. In that situation, a confession would be irresponsible."
"As long as I can enjoy this simple everyday life a little longer… that's enough."
Still smiling, she looked at Rudolf and kept watching the fireworks—beautiful beyond words, and just as cruelly short-lived.
But when the final sparks died and the sky returned to darkness, Rudolf said something that froze Meteor in place.
"Meteor… during winter break, do you want to come live with me?"
"…Huh?!"
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter116)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 118
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 111
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 80
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 112
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 95
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 89
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 53
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 61
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 65
Uma Musume: From Beginner 61
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 37
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