Friday—Tracen Academy's special open house day—had finally arrived.
Mochizuki stood waiting at the school gate for two others to join her.
Inside the academy grounds, Symboli Rudolf, handling reception duties for the first time in ages, stood along the main path and quietly watched the girl at the gate. Her expression barely changed.
Tokai Natural hadn't come.
She knew Natural was still busy preparing for the restaurant's opening and wouldn't be able to show up.
A small part of her had held onto hope, but in the end, she already knew…
With that thought, Rudolf turned away and began guiding the young Uma Musume entering the academy.
...
Still waiting by the gate, Mochizuki soon spotted Tokai Roman approaching, holding Tokai Teio's hand.
"Roman-san!"
Calling out loudly, Mochizuki ran toward them.
Seeing her rush over, Roman stood still—she was still holding Teio's hand after all.
Once Mochizuki reached them, Roman spoke. "Can I leave Teio with you?"
"Hm?"
The question left Mochizuki visibly confused.
Seeing her look, Roman lifted a finger as if to explain. "I'm going to talk with your mom."
"Oh…"
Mochizuki understood the relationship between Roman and Natural well enough, so she quickly nodded. "Okay. I'll take care of Teio."
"Eh?!"
Teio let out a startled sound, surprised at how easily Roman had passed her off to Mochizuki.
Mochizuki watched Teio's reaction carefully. "Okay, okay. Let's just go inside first."
Hearing Mochizuki's reassurance, Teio looked up at Roman in clear worry.
Catching her gaze, Roman nodded gently. "Go on inside with Mochizuki."
"Oh…"
Teio's quiet reply—almost identical in tone to Mochizuki's earlier "oh"—finally made Roman realize these two completely different girls really were twins.
With that thought, Roman released Teio's hand. "I'll head to the restaurant first. Teio, if I'm not back when you return, stay with Natural-san for the day."
"Eh?! Why?"
"Your auntie has work too, you know." Roman turned toward the shopping street, then called back, "Mochizuki, take care of Teio."
"I will."
After giving a firm reply, Mochizuki watched Roman walk away.
Once Roman disappeared, Mochizuki turned to Teio. "Teio?"
"...Hmm…"
The two stared at each other, Teio's voice betraying her unease.
Seeing that, Mochizuki sighed, then turned to the woman in a green suit standing by the gate. "Um… these are our visitor passes. We should be allowed in, right?"
Her cautious question drew the attention of Hayakawa Tazuna.
Hayakawa-san remembered clearly: these passes were part of a new policy Rudolf had recently implemented. Harmless in general, but strictly regulated in how they were used.
She nodded kindly. "Yes, you may enter. Are you here with a friend?"
Glancing to the side, Mochizuki saw Teio standing a short distance behind her.
Teio didn't seem thrilled about being led inside by Mochizuki, but she still waited obediently, looking restless.
Noticing Teio's posture, Mochizuki corrected calmly, "She's not my friend. She's my older sister."
"Sister, hm…"
Hayakawa-san glanced at Teio, then nodded warmly. "I see. You may enter. But please be careful inside Tracen Academy. If you get injured, go straight to the infirmary."
Her solemn tone made the academy's potential dangers clear.
Mochizuki nodded seriously. "I understand. Thank you."
Then she went back to Teio's side. "Okay, let's go."
With those words, Teio immediately stepped into Tracen Academy.
Seeing her so excited, Mochizuki didn't comment.
Most young Uma Musume admired the students already attending Tracen Academy.
Their greatest dream was to run on the racetrack, and most students here had notable accomplishments. Of course the younger ones would look up to them.
However—
"Speaking of which, the Uma Musume entering the school all seem so young."
"Well, yeah! Most racing Uma Musume start at Tracen Academy in middle school." Teio grabbed Mochizuki's hand enthusiastically. "Come on, let's go find Emperor-san!"
"Eh?!"
"I heard Emperor-san is helping greet visitors today!"
After that casual explanation, Teio eagerly pulled her along.
Luckily, she realized a moment later that Mochizuki was still human and slowed down right away.
"Teio."
The voice wasn't loud, but the anger was clear. Mochizuki was definitely upset.
Seeing her expression, Teio bowed her head at once. "I'm sorry! I totally forgot you're human, Mochizuki!"
Her apology was loud enough to draw stares from everyone nearby.
Embarrassed, Mochizuki sighed. "Honestly."
"Humans can't handle being dragged around by Uma Musume. Remember that next time."
After giving that mild scolding, Mochizuki looked around. "So, this Emperor-san you're looking for—where is she exactly?"
"Emperor… Oh! Mochizuki, do you know Emperor-san—Symboli Rudolf?"
"Huh?"
"Guess not…" Teio sounded briefly disappointed, then instantly perked up again. "Wait! Mochizuki, you look a lot like Emperor-san!"
"Hah???"
"Yeah! If you ignore the ears, the markings, and your different hair color—Mochizuki, you look exactly like her!"
Teio's voice sparkled with excitement, as if she'd made a groundbreaking discovery.
Mochizuki immediately honed in on the important part.
"So basically, if we find an Uma Musume who looks like me, that's Emperor-san, right?"
"Hm… when you put it like that, it sounds right… but something feels off…"
Ignoring Teio's hesitation, Mochizuki confidently took her hand and headed off in another direction. "Come on. Let's go find this Emperor-san of yours."