"Your place… is here?"
Eternal Meteor's eye twitched. The building in front of her glittered under the sunlight, so blinding that her eyes actually stung when she looked up.
She turned sharply toward Rudolf, disbelief written all over her face, and pointed—fingers trembling—toward the extravagant, gold-and-glass reception lobby behind the massive doors on the first floor.
Sure, she'd tried to imagine "expensive," but a luxury high-rise apartment in the middle of the city was on a completely different level. It was obviously far pricier than any suburban villa she could've dreamed up.
"It's here, yeah."
Rudolf, carrying a small suitcase, led the constantly gawking Eternal Meteor to the elevator on the far right.
As for why the suitcase was so small?
Did you really think Eternal Meteor had luggage? Apart from her training outfit, she owned three sets of clothes total—and one of them was the set she'd arrived in when she "came over."
Rudolf herself didn't need to bring anything. Everything she needed was already at home.
Eternal Meteor was still studying the decorations on the elevator ceiling—trying to figure out whether it was real gold leaf—when the doors slid open with a chime.
Rudolf unlocked the door and pushed it open.
The first thing that hit Eternal Meteor's eyes when she looked to the right was an enormous floor-to-ceiling window—no, a living room wall that was basically all glass.
Outside, the city's skyscrapers looked strangely short. No building was tall enough to block the resident's view; the entire metropolis lay below, reduced to scenery at their feet.
Even the huge crystal chandelier on the ceiling seemed small against the room's soaring height. Beneath it, a cream-colored sofa and a marble coffee table in the same tone occupied only a fraction of the vast space.
On the other side was an open kitchen, every utensil arranged neatly where it belonged, sitting or hanging in perfect order.
The living room and kitchen were divided by a dining table and a bar counter, while pendant lights of various sizes dangled casually above.
"Nice, isn't it?"
"When I feel lost sometimes, I come here to look out. From this angle, you can see Tracen Academy in full."
Rudolf walked slowly to the window and gazed toward the distant campus.
"Compared to the entire city… it still looks so small. Seeing that contrast always helps me steel myself to keep pursuing my dream."
Even though the number of students admitted each year was higher than before, it still wasn't enough.
Not nearly enough.
Eternal Meteor was proof of that. Rudolf could only be thankful she'd found her when she did—otherwise the consequences would've been unthinkable.
"Your dream, President?"
Eternal Meteor remained by the door, watching Rudolf's back. She already knew what Rudolf's dream was, but this was one of those moments where it was better to play along.
"To create an era where every horse girl can be happy."
After saying it with firm conviction, Rudolf let out a small, self-mocking laugh.
Central Tracen couldn't even fully cover Tokyo, not yet. Saying something like that right now sounded like the empty boasting of a three-year-old.
"Does it sound ridiculous? Like I'm talking big?"
"Not at all. President, you've already made me happy. Everything takes time—you really are, step by step, making your dream real."
Rudolf turned around, about to respond—only to find that for some reason, Eternal Meteor was still standing at the doorway. The hand Rudolf had lifted to pat her head froze in midair.
"I just wanted to ask… do you have slippers? It'd be bad if the wheelchair got the floor dirty."
"Hey—wait! What are you doing?!"
Rudolf pretended to stay silent as she walked closer, but Eternal Meteor could tell—she was holding back laughter.
"I have crutches in my wheelchair!"
"But there aren't any slippers that fit you."
"I can walk barefoot!"
"Ha… you'll catch a cold."
Eternal Meteor struggled weakly in Rudolf's arms, which finally made Rudolf crack and laugh out loud.
"Come on. Let me show you your room."
Looking at the scene beyond the door, Eternal Meteor was starting to go numb. She tilted her head up, face solemn, and spoke with complete sincerity:
"President… how about you just keep me, then?"
"Sure," Rudolf said lightly. "If you can behave and do what you're told."
If anyone else had said something like that, Rudolf would've switched straight into lecture mode.
To her, that kind of self-destructive dependence was unacceptable—something that needed to be corrected immediately.
But Eternal Meteor was different. She was practically the opposite of the word "dependent."
Everything about her day-to-day behavior—like returning that card before, sneaking off to train in the middle of the night, or hiding injuries even after a fracture—gave Rudolf headaches.
No—massive headaches.
Even now, she could still feel her ears aching when she remembered the psychologist's furious yelling after learning about the bone crack.
So when Rudolf heard Eternal Meteor say something like that, she didn't doubt for a second that it was a joke.
This time, though, it was Eternal Meteor who fell silent.
She'd meant to tease Rudolf a little, but… wasn't that reply off?
The "serious" face she'd put on collapsed instantly. Her mouth opened on its own, leaving only stunned disbelief behind.
There was definitely something wrong with this Rudolf.
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
Uma Musume: I Want All 35
I Can Copy Unique Skills 36
A Guide to Aid in the Underwor 26
Summoning an Evil God, but the 27
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