Life at Tracen Academy was anything but leisurely for its students; most of them were constantly swamped.
But teenagers are a breed that finds ways to amuse themselves, to seek out their own fun.
In an academy short on entertainment facilities, where everyone was always chasing after one thing or another, the most popular pastime was one that was cheap, time-efficient, and spread like wildfire.
And that was...
"Hey, have you heard? Apparently, a girl from the Symboli family showed up here last night. Maybe soon, we'll see another Symboli mare galloping on the track."
"I heard she's a pure white filly... Can you believe an Uma Musume could have such a flawless coat color?"
And then, not long after...
"Did you catch the news? Symboli Rudolf herself brought a little white Uma to our academy last night. Rumor has it she's a distant relative of the president."
"Eh—What kind of distant relative gets that kind of treatment, enough for the president to personally pick her up?"
Then again...
"You know what they're saying? The president's little sister is transferring here."
"Seriously? Is that for real?"
"Word is she just got back from abroad, so she's enrolling now. They say she's an especially cute, pure white Uma Musume..."
"No way, since when does the Symboli family have a mare with that coat color?"
"Well... that part's a bit unclear."
And finally...
"Remember the day before yesterday when the president was out of the academy giving a lecture? Turns out she was actually picking up her secret love child."
"Wow, really? I don't believe it. The president is always so upright and kind..."
"Have you forgotten about Tokai Teio and Oguri Cap? From what I hear, the president basically sees this academy as her personal harem, even flipping a board each night to choose who to 'visit'..."
"Then how come she's never picked me?"
"Stop interrupting! Anyway, it's probably true... because I actually saw that Uma Musume in the dorms. In her pajamas, looking half-asleep, wandering around the upper floors. A pure white horse, with features that looked foreign."
"A foreign horse?"
"Maybe a... complicated situation from one of the emperor's overseas campaign trips..."
"But... but then... what about Teio?"
"Ah... the fate of great families..."
"Ah... the fate of great families..."
In short, both Platinum and Symboli Rudolf had somewhat underestimated the fillies' boundless curiosity and imagination.
Platinum had thought she'd managed to stay completely isolated, just eating and sleeping her days away, never expecting that her sleepy, disoriented shuffling through the halls—not only spotted by Gold Ship—had become something of a spectator attraction.
Symboli Rudolf, though, was in a league of her own. Just what kind of student council president are you? How did your reputation among the students end up like this, President Rudolf!
Without either of them knowing, one had been branded as Symboli Rudolf's second secret love child; and the other, her tyrannical legend within the academy had gained yet another chapter...
But Tokai Teio wasn't finding any of this amusing.
Everyone loved a good piece of gossip, and Teio was no exception. But it's a real headache when you find yourself at the center of the rumor mill.
Why were people patting her on the shoulder on the street, telling her to 'stay strong'?
Don't go treating those baseless rumors as truth, hey!
Still, even so...
Tokai Teio stood before her mirror, fiddling with her bangs. Her deep blue eyes were as serene and beautiful as the waters of Walden Pond.
Alright—today, yet again, she was the fully-armed, ever-ready Tokai Teio!
The night's haze had begun to disperse. Though the sun hadn't yet risen, the sky was already a bright azure. Her roommate, Mayano Top Gun, was still curled up under the covers, fast asleep.
But... if she were being honest, was there just a tiny sliver of doubt? Well, yes.
After all, when a lie is repeated enough, even the Prime Minister of Japan would eventually believe it. How could Tokai Teio hope to escape such a fate?
What if—just what if—it were actually true?
Teio wasn't the type to beat around the bush. If she had doubts, why not just ask directly?
Thinking this, she blinked, then pulled out her phone.
[President~ I heard there's a new transfer student coming?]
[I heard she's a pure white cutie that you personally brought, President. Can you give me a little sneak peek? I want to be friends with her~]
A true emperor faces authority head-on!
Be direct, speak plainly!
If this was the president she had always trusted, she would never evade the question—she'd answer it directly!
A moment later, her phone vibrated with an incoming message.
[Teio, where did you hear that?]
Teio's smiling face nearly fell when she read that line.
What's going on? That sounded way too much like... the drama Mayano was watching last night.
When the husband was caught in bed with his lover by his wife... he stammered out those exact words with a panicked expression.
President, you can't let those TV dramas corrupt you!
Fortunately, her phone vibrated again soon after.
[The paperwork for the transfer student should have only just reached the student council.]
Oh, so that's what she meant... Teio let out a sigh of relief.
Yeah, that's right. The same sentence can mean entirely different things depending on the context, the situation, and the tone.
Worrying about the confidentiality of student council documents—that's totally in character for the president. No issues there.
The president was still the same cool, admirable president—open-hearted and upright!
[Students have their own little channels for passing info around, you know] Teio sent back.
[You make it sound like I'm not a student anymore... By the way, since you'd like to meet the transfer student, could I ask you a favor?]
[I've been wanting to show her around the academy, help her get to know Tracen. But I've been swamped with official business these days...]
Teio's eyes lit up.
Was this her chance?
She'd been dying to meet this transfer student who was at the center of all the rumors, but she never had a good opportunity.
She couldn't just skip elective classes like Gold Ship, could she?
And she couldn't just charge up to the upper floors and wander around like she was touring an attraction, right?
She needed an opportunity—a chance to meet the transfer student face-to-face.
And now, here it was? It was like someone had handed her a pillow just as she was getting sleepy. President, I love you!
Brimming with excitement, Tokai Teio stepped out of her dorm room.
Behind her, Mayano Top Gun poked her head out from the blankets, blinked sleepily at the doorway, then curled back up and shifted position, sinking back into deep slumber.
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T/N: Type Moon x Multiverse Fic Up!
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 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.