While Tokai Natural headed toward the Mejiro Estate...
Someone else visited Tokai Roman alone.
Facing Symboli Rudolf at the doorway, slightly taller than herself, Tokai Roman's expression subtly shifted. She wasn't sure why Rudolf had come.
But...
She turned briefly to glance inside.
Tokai Teio was currently in the bedroom, not in the living room.
Her subtle glance made it clear to Rudolf that Teio was home.
Realizing this, Rudolf remained at the door. "I'm here to tell you something."
"...Please speak."
"If the Climax Series is successfully approved..." Rudolf paused briefly, then continued, "Don't let Teio enroll in Tracen Academy. It's no longer a suitable place for Uma Musume."
Rudolf's words carried an unmistakable warning, one Roman found difficult to grasp.
Yet Rudolf offered no further explanation.
Turning around, Rudolf left without another word.
Roman watched Rudolf's retreating figure, uncertain how to respond.
Rudolf's words had been too vague, too general to understand.
But Roman truly didn't know why Rudolf would say such things.
It was just—
"Aunt Roman?"
Between Rudolf's departing back and Teio's voice, Roman chose the latter.
...
After leaving Roman's home, Rudolf headed down the road toward the shopping street near Tracen Academy.
This time, Rudolf had a clear goal:
She was looking for Mr. C.B. and Maruzensky.
Though she'd nearly lost all direct means of contacting them, Rudolf still knew exactly where they'd be at this hour.
She knew almost instinctively. But the real question was—
Whether she should go or not.
Precisely because she knew their location, Rudolf hesitated.
Whenever faced with anything related to Tokai Natural, Rudolf doubted herself deeply.
Though justified...
Those very doubts had become her greatest obstacle.
Still wrestling with these anxious thoughts, Rudolf finally arrived at Tokai Natural's restaurant.
A closed-for-the-day sign hung prominently by the door, seemingly warning Rudolf today wasn't good for a visit.
She sighed with relief.
That was Rudolf's first reaction upon seeing the closed sign.
Meeting Tokai Natural face-to-face wasn't something Rudolf was exactly prepared for.
Though if it had just been Natural, Rudolf might have braved it, but...
Mochizuki...
That was the encounter Rudolf feared most.
She had no idea how to face Mochizuki—or Teio. That was why she'd avoided them both all this time.
But avoidance couldn't last much longer.
Next Friday was Tracen Academy's Open Day.
Uma Musume from all over Tokyo would gather at Tracen Academy.
And Tokai Teio would definitely attend.
A meeting between Rudolf and Teio was inevitable.
Thus, this was Rudolf's final chance to mentally prepare herself.
Still, delaying a little longer wouldn't hurt.
So, the closed sign hanging before her gave Rudolf unexpected confidence.
Just as Rudolf thought about turning to leave...
The restaurant door swung open.
It was Mochizuki who opened it.
The restaurant was well-equipped. Aside from lacking a bathroom, it had practically everything needed.
But staying inside all day was troublesome for a child.
Having finished today's studies early, Mochizuki had planned to head out for a walk.
While at it, she'd also consider dinner plans for tonight.
Because, frankly, she couldn't cook to save her life.
Though partly due to her young age, somehow she'd inherited none of her mother's cooking talent.
She intended to step out briefly; if worse came to worst, she could always rely on Maruzensky-san.
Though Maruzensky-san's cooking skills were about as poor as her own, at least Maruzensky-san handled kitchen tasks more confidently.
Holding onto this thought, Mochizuki swung the restaurant door open—
Then saw Rudolf standing just outside, about to leave.
Facing the girl before her, Rudolf immediately knew who she was. After all, who else would be at the restaurant now besides…
Realizing this, Rudolf nearly turned around, intending to pretend she hadn't noticed and quickly leave.
But—
"Um, are you a customer?"
"..."
Asked a question, Rudolf momentarily had no idea how to respond.
The next moment, the girl spoke again: "Well, Mom's away today, so we're closed temporarily. Maybe you can come again tomorrow?"
"No, I..."
Her daughter's voice made Rudolf instinctively reply, yet she wasn't sure how to continue.
A wave of hesitation and anxiety swept over her.
But looking at the girl before her, Rudolf slightly furrowed her brow.
Her eyes shifted subtly—she'd made her decision.
"I'm actually looking for Maruzensky-san and Mr. C.B. There's something urgent I need to discuss with them."
Rudolf chose honesty; there was no real point in hiding her purpose.
"You're looking for Aunt Maruzensky and Aunt C.B...."
Mochizuki's voice trailed off. Only then did she finally study Rudolf carefully.
Though she'd noticed the sailor uniform from the start...
Only now did Mochizuki clearly confirm that Rudolf wore Tracen Academy's uniform.
Realizing this, Mochizuki fell silent a few seconds before speaking again. "Hmm, is your business with Aunt Maruzensky important?"
"It's related to matters between the Student Council President and its members—mainly internal affairs."
Having briefly explained herself, Rudolf added, "But for certain reasons, neither of them particularly wants to meet me right now, so I came here. If I show up here, they at least have no reason to refuse."
Rudolf clearly explained why she hadn't simply gone straight to their residence.
Mochizuki considered for a few more seconds, then asked, "Is this matter really important?"
"...Perhaps."
Perhaps it was indeed important, Mochizuki considered. If the person before her was truly from the Tracen Academy Student Council, any important decision might directly affect Teio's future enrollment.
After brief thought, Mochizuki decided to respond clearly.
"Then come with me, Auntie~ We'll go find Aunt Maruzensky together."
"A-Auntie...?"
"Well, since you're the Student Council President, and you already know Aunt Maruzensky, you must be from her generation, right? So calling you Auntie makes sense, doesn't it?"
Perfectly sound logic.
And this impeccable reasoning masked Rudolf's faint embarrassment: "...That's true. 'Auntie,' indeed."
"Speaking of which, Auntie, what's your name?"
"I... My name is Luna."
---
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl
Okay, real talk: I am extremely hungry for money, so I'm raising membership prices soon.
BUT.
If you're already subscribed before the change, your current price stays the same as long as you remain subscribed.
So for example:
Person A is already subscribed at $7/month
Price later goes up to $14/month
Person A still pays $7/month if they stay subscribed
Meanwhile:
Person B was not subscribed before the change
After the price becomes $14/month
Person B has to pay $14/month
So yes, prices are going up, but existing members get to keep their current rate if they stay in.
Which means:
If you want the cheaper price, join before the change. Otherwise, if you subscribe later, you'll be paying the new higher amount.
Price changes happen on Monday 16th, North America time.
last day of ads