"Hi~ You're that little Uma Musume who walks with the wind, right? Hello!"
There was no point clinging to the previous race. Rather than regretting the loss, it was better to turn her eyes toward the next race.
Having made that decision, Shirayuki encountered a brown-haired girl with a strange accent on the road. She wore red sunglasses on her head, and the way she stood gave off the impression that she had just returned from Hawaii.
Shirayuki knew her. She was one of this year's Triple Tiara participants, Seeking the Pearl. Shirayuki had also listed her as a dangerous character with the same kind of aura as Gold Ship.
"To think you'd put on such a guarded expression. Hmph, looks like you've noticed."
Noticed what?
"That's right. I am the villainess who will knock you back down into the abyss just as you try to climb up again. Miss Red!"
She struck a pose and winked at Shirayuki.
"I watched your race. It was truly amazing. You have the potential to become a hero, and I shall become the monster who defeats you! Remember my name, Miss Red! And I will be back!"
She gave Shirayuki a thumbs-up, then turned and ran off.
What did she come here for? To declare war?
And why come to me, the second-place finisher?
"Hahaha! You're the winner of that race, right? I watched your race. It was truly incredible! You have the potential to become a hero!"
Seeking the Pearl's voice came again from around the hallway corner. Fujiwara Shirayuki poked her head out and saw Mejiro Dober being pestered by her.
This girl… really is Gold Ship.
In the past, Mejiro Dober had been unable to handle people like this, and Shirayuki would have needed to step in and rescue her. But there was no need to worry anymore.
"Sorry, I'm in a hurry."
She waved at the other girl and calmly walked past from the side, completely ignoring Seeking the Pearl, who shouted, "No~!"
The current Mejiro Dober was already a girl who could stand on her own.
I'm proud of your growth, Dober.
No longer paying attention to that side, Shirayuki headed to the Student Council room. Today was another routine inspection day. The work that had originally belonged to Air Groove was gradually being transferred to Shirayuki. From resolving conflicts between students to handling Tracen affairs, Shirayuki was now involved in all of it. The students had also gradually accepted Shirayuki as Air Groove's substitute, and whenever something happened, they had started coming to her.
So now, Shirayuki had also gained the identity of the second-generation "Empress." Some students privately called her "Little Empress."
Of course, Shirayuki did not really care what they called her, nor did she particularly care about how the students evaluated her. The one thing Shirayuki did care about was Air Groove.
She had studied beside Air Groove for so long, yet in the end, she still had not beaten Mejiro Dober. Her first battle after receiving that training had ended in defeat. That surely damaged the reputation of the Empress. Shirayuki felt that Air Groove was probably quite angry. She was afraid that once she entered the Student Council room, Air Groove would explode at her. Even more than that, she was afraid Air Groove would directly say, "You are the worst generation I have ever taught." If that happened, Shirayuki would have nothing to say.
Standing in front of the Student Council room, Shirayuki felt as if she were standing in front of the Director's office. Her stomach hurt. After giving herself two little encouragement slaps, Shirayuki entered the room.
"Fujiwara Shirayuki, reporting in."
The room was the same as always. Rudolf sat in the middle, with Narita Brian and Air Groove standing on either side. Seeing her, Rudolf greeted her warmly.
"Come in, Shirayuki. Sit down first."
"Yes."
Shirayuki answered, then glanced at Air Groove. The other girl gave a slight nod, looking as calm as usual.
Shirayuki secretly let out a breath of relief. From what she knew of Air Groove, when Air Groove was hiding her anger, even if it did not show on her face, her eyes would be terrifyingly cold. Once, Teio had knocked over a vase in the Student Council room, and Air Groove's eyes had turned so icy that it seemed she might slice Teio into pieces. Teio had been so frightened that she hid under Rudolf's desk and refused to come out.
Judging from this, Air Groove did not seem to be blaming her for losing.
"Shirayuki, Tracen's school anniversary is in a few days. We hope to hold an unforgettable event for the students before the break. What do you think would be good?"
Rudolf had now begun asking for her opinion. Compared to Rudolf and Air Groove, Shirayuki, who stood among the students and mingled with everyone, understood what the students wanted better. As for Narita Brian… best not to mention her.
The school anniversary?
Shirayuki recalled that around this time last year, Tracen had held a water gun event. Chiya's notebook had been destroyed back then.
She did not want to experience those painful memories again. Even if they were going to make the celebration unforgettable, Shirayuki hoped it would be something peaceful.
"How about a dance party?" Shirayuki answered after thinking for a while.
"A dance party…" Rudolf looked toward Air Groove beside her.
"I think that sounds good."
"Then it's decided." Rudolf nodded.
It passed just like that after I casually suggested it?
"In that case, Shirayuki, you'll be responsible for arranging the related matters. Air Groove will assist you."
"Me? I'll arrange it?"
"That's right. Air Groove has arranged events alone before, so this time, you can try."
So that was what she meant.
President Rudolf was making her walk the same road Air Groove had once walked. Still, having Air Groove beside her would be a huge help. If she had to do it alone, she would definitely be completely lost.
"No time like the present. Start now. From the event contents to the items that need to be purchased, if you and Air Groove can't solve something, come find me."
Rudolf stepped back behind the scenes, supporting them from there.
The items to be purchased could not be too expensive, or the Student Council would not be able to afford them. But when Rudolf mentioned the approximate budget, Shirayuki realized she had been worrying too much. It was an amount she could not save even if she worked part-time for her entire life. The cost of one Student Council event was that large. This was not Tracen. This was clearly the national treasury.
After leaving the Student Council room with Air Groove, the two walked down the road, one in front and one behind.
"Senpai."
After hesitating a few times, Shirayuki still decided to speak.
"I'm sorry. I failed to meet your expectations…"
For the sake of Shirayuki's training, Air Groove had even used up her own training time.
Even though Air Groove had not said anything, Shirayuki still felt she should apologize.
Hearing Shirayuki's words, Air Groove stopped. After a while, she spoke.
"Do you know, Shirayuki? I lost my first debut race. I only succeeded on my second attempt."
"Yes…"
Shirayuki listened to her words.
"After that, I participated in the Hanshin JF. Unfortunately, I lost that race as well. My ability was not enough. Do you know? After that race, in the popularity poll, I received only one vote. No one held any expectations for me. Later, I participated in the Tulip Sho, the very same race you just ran."
"That race was the hardest race I had ever run. Blood surged in my throat, and my lungs felt as if they were burning. Several times, I wanted to give up. I thought, just lose like this. It hurts too much. But in the end, my desire for victory overcame the pain. I won that race."
"Compared to me, Shirayuki, you are far more outstanding. Very few can achieve results like yours." Air Groove touched her head. "Back then, no one expected anything from me, but I did not give up on myself. You are the same, Shirayuki. You do not need to answer my expectations. You only need to answer your own expectations. In that race, you ran beautifully."
Hearing those words, Shirayuki widened her eyes.
She had always thought that, because she had the dual identity of trainer and Uma Musume, her view of things had long since become incredibly clear. But in truth, there was one person she could never fully see.
No wonder I've been so restless.
So the person who understands me least… is myself.
"Thank you, Air Groove-senpai. This time, I really do feel much better."
Shirayuki leaned against her and spoke softly.