When teenagers develop a crush on someone, they find their eyes drifting toward that person unconsciously.
If they see that person surrounded by a laughing crowd, they can't help but feel a sharp, sour pang of jealousy deep inside.
Deep down, they know the truth—their relationship isn't actually that close.
No matter how popular that person is, they have no right or reason to interfere.
Naturally, Tokai Teio would never admit she was fixated on Dream Weaver.
As she watched Dream Weaver chatting and laughing with Nanno Sumire and the others, she repeated the same mantra in her head over and over: she was only there to return a medicine bottle.
But the bitterness in her heart didn't lie. Tokai Teio spent the entire day with a look of pure, teeth-gritting frustration, looking so intense that even Nice Nature didn't dare approach her for a chat.
You couldn't really blame Tokai Teio, though. Even if she told herself she was just there to return the bottle, she couldn't find a single opening to speak. Dream Weaver's schedule was packed, occupied by one Uma Musume after another.
There wasn't even a moment's break between rotations. Before Tokai Teio could even summon her courage, Dream Weaver would be whisked away by someone else.
King Halo, Orfevre, Agnes Tachyon... Uma Musume she knew and others she didn't seemed to have formed an orderly queue to seek Dream Weaver out.
Having spent almost the entire day crouched in a corner watching this play out, Tokai Teio's mood was anything but pleasant.
As the sun began to set, school hours unexpectedly came to an end. Just as Tokai Teio thought she would have to return empty-handed again today, Dream Weaver didn't head out on a date like she had yesterday.
Instead, she walked straight toward the Student Council office.
Sensing a glimmer of hope, Tokai Teio's eyes instantly lit up.
What kind of place was the Student Council office? It was practically her home turf. Dream Weaver going there was no different from a lamb walking straight into her lion's den.
Convinced success was inevitable, Tokai Teio didn't rush out to greet her. Instead, she decided to save time by heading back to the classroom first to grab her bag containing the medicine bottle before making her way to the office.
There would be no one left to disturb them. The only person likely to be in the office after school was Symboli Rudolf. Dream Weaver was probably just there to handle some tedious paperwork.
With a little bit of acting cute, the President would surely leave the office to just her and Dream Weaver.
At that thought, Tokai Teio couldn't help but clench her fists in excitement. Her steps became bouncy, almost skipping as she headed toward the Student Council room.
She couldn't be blamed for failing to hide her emotions. After all, she'd expected the entire day to be a waste of effort, only for things to take a dramatic turn for the better right at the finish line. How could she not be overjoyed?
With a light gait, Tokai Teio reached the corridor in front of the office. She noticed the door wasn't fully closed; Dream Weaver must have arrived just moments before her.
Without hesitation, Tokai Teio continued forward. She rehearsed the opening line she'd been brewing all day one last time. Once she was sure it was perfect, she reflexively tightened her grip on her bag strap.
It's finally happening. Time for just the two of us.
Tokai Teio thought to herself. It wasn't that she had never been alone with Dream Weaver before—it had never felt like a big deal in the past—but after spending the whole day stalking her, she finally realized just how popular Dream Weaver really was.
It made her realize how precious this private time truly was.
But before she could step into the office, while she was still a few paces from the door, voices from inside drifted out to her.
"Dream Weaver, have you been avoiding me all week?"
"I think you're overthinking it, President."
The unexpected nature of the conversation caused Tokai Teio to stop in her tracks.
Using the "peeking skills" she had refined over the past two days, she ducked behind the doorframe and strained her ears to listen.
"How could I be overthinking it? If I hadn't asked Mr. C.B. to use her name to get you here for some paperwork, I wouldn't have been able to see you at all!"
"And why have you started calling me 'President'? You used to call me Rudolf!"
"Dream Weaver, what on earth did I do wrong?!"
Behind the door, Tokai Teio's ears twitched. Although she couldn't see Symboli Rudolf's face, she could hear the desperation in her voice.
When had Symboli Rudolf ever been so frantic? Not once in Tokai Teio's memory. The President's behavior left her completely bewildered.
Were the President and Dream Weaver really that close? To the point where not seeing each other for a week prompted a desperate confrontation and an immediate assumption of guilt?
A strange agitation bubbled up in Tokai Teio's chest. She leaned in closer to the door.
"...I just haven't decided what kind of attitude I should have when I see you, President."
Dream Weaver's voice was low, but Tokai Teio, pressed against the door, heard every word.
Doesn't know what kind of attitude to use? Tokai Teio's heart skipped a beat. She realized she felt the exact same way about seeing Dream Weaver.
Could it be that Dream Weaver felt the same way about the President as she had felt about Dream Weaver these past two days?!
Panic set in, though she didn't know why she was panicking.
Even though she hadn't figured out her own feelings for Dream Weaver, the mere suspicion that Dream Weaver might harbor similar feelings for the President made her restless and uneasy.
Frustrated, Tokai Teio gripped her skirt tightly, but she didn't stop eavesdropping.
Just as she was spiraling into confusion, Symboli Rudolf spoke again.
"You don't know... what attitude to use? Eh, could it be...?!"
Clearly, Symboli Rudolf and Tokai Teio were thinking the exact same thing.
But before she could dive deeper into her misunderstanding, Dream Weaver spoke up. Her voice was different than usual—cold, almost sharp.
"Yes. After all, standing before me is someone who broke into my house while I wasn't there just to play the voyeur."
"It's only natural not to know how to face someone like that, isn't it?"
"Eh?"
Coincidentally, Tokai Teio and Symboli Rudolf let out a sound of confusion at the exact same time. Since the sounds overlapped, Tokai Teio remained undetected behind the door.
But inside her mind, a category five storm was raging. She was too shocked to think straight.
What did she mean, "broke into the house to play the voyeur"?
What did she mean, "natural not to know how to face someone like that"?
Had President Symboli Rudolf actually done something like that?!
And after doing something like that, she had the nerve to call Dream Weaver to her office?!
Tokai Teio suddenly heard a sharp sound, like glass shattering.
It was likely the sound of the "President Rudolf" pedestal in her heart crumbling into tiny pieces.
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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.