"By the way, Trainer-san, why did you come? I thought you wouldn't. Didn't you say something about not wanting to see one of us fail before?"
Tokai Teio asked Sakura Bakushin O, holding her head from behind with both hands.
"I came to see if McQueen was crying," Sakura Bakushin O said with a smile.
"How could I?! I only fell a little behind!" Mejiro McQueen's cheeks flushed again, and she quickly said.
While Sakura Bakushin O was chatting with her team's Horse Girl, Symboli Rudolf and Maruzensky, who were standing nearby watching, also noticed Sakura Bakushin O's presence.
"Let's go say hello."
Symboli Rudolf said, then led Maruzensky and Air Groove, who had just arrived, towards where the TCB members were.
The three of them could easily be said to be among the most famous and highest-ranking Horse Girl in Tracen Academy.
Even newly enrolled students recognized these three.
The first Seven-Crown Horse Girl in history, "The Emperor" Symboli Rudolf, "The Empress" Air Groove, and the undefeated "Supercar" Maruzensky.
Their every move drew the attention of the crowds around the track, naturally also catching the eye of the TCB members who were bickering with each other.
"President!!"
Tokai Teio wouldn't fear Symboli Rudolf's powerful aura like others. After seeing Symboli Rudolf approach, she immediately waved excitedly at Symboli Rudolf, like a child who had achieved good results and was waiting for praise.
"How did I run?" Tokai Teio grinned.
"You've recovered quite well. Keep up the good work."
Symboli Rudolf looked at Tokai Teio dotingly and said with a smile.
"Pre... President!"
Although Kitasan Black had already met Symboli Rudolf at the opening ceremony, she still couldn't help but feel very nervous seeing Symboli Rudolf, who stood at the apex of Tracen Academy, at such a close distance.
Satono Diamond, as the representative of the new students, had given a speech on stage, so she had also had close contact with Symboli Rudolf.
However, seeing Symboli Rudolf approach now, she also felt a bit nervous, fearing she might do or say something wrong.
"Symboli Rudolf."
Sakura Bakushin O, on the other hand, didn't feel nervous when facing Symboli Rudolf, because she clearly knew that this "Emperor" was completely cold on the outside but warm on the inside.
In fact, she often worried that many students were afraid of her.
She usually maintained a dignified appearance because of her position as the Student Council President.
"Trainer Sakura."
Symboli Rudolf nodded at Sakura Bakushin O, but the smile she had when facing Tokai Teio earlier was gone.
"Well done. The results you've achieved have truly impressed me."
"Thank you for the praise." Sakura Bakushin O nodded slightly.
"Teio and McQueen can now be considered the middle-distance and long-distance overlords of the middle school division. Their strength in the same grade should be unmatched by ordinary Horse Girl."
"What do you mean by 'ordinary' in your statement?" Sakura Bakushin O asked with a smile.
Symboli Rudolf shook her head slightly, offering no explanation.
Only those who have activated and are aware of the existence of a Domain can perceive the changes in other Horse Girl.
Even if she explained it to Sakura Bakushin O now, it would be meaningless.
Moreover, she was just a Trainer, and Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond, who had just enrolled today, were only her third and fourth training subjects.
She had no experience in nurturing a Domain Uma Musume either.
"I'm actually quite curious about your training methods, Trainer Sakura. Mejiro McQueen's strength has truly astonished me."
Maruzensky crossed one arm over her chest, placing a finger of her other hand on her chin, her blue eyes showing a look of keen interest.
"There's nothing particularly special about it; it's just more training than other Trainers provide," Sakura Bakushin O said truthfully.
"Miss Sakura, you're so young, yet you're able to understand each track to such an extent and devise suitable strategies. It's truly surprising," Maruzensky said with a smile.
Sakura Bakushin O spread her hands, not showing the slightest bit of pride at Maruzensky's compliment.
"Trainer Sakura, you are excellent; you are an outstanding Trainer. However, I'm sure you've also noticed that McQueen and Teio's strength is becoming increasingly difficult to improve. This is a sign of reaching a bottleneck. I hope you take this seriously and don't become complacent because of the achievements they've made."
"Thank you for the reminder, President Rudolph." Sakura Bakushin O bowed slightly, thanking Symboli Rudolf for her kind reminder.
Symboli Rudolf was older and more experienced than her, so Sakura Bakushin O didn't feel the slightest bit of dissatisfaction with her reminder.
To the side, Kitasan Black, listening to Symboli Rudolf and Sakura Bakushin O's conversation, leaned close to Satono Diamond's ear and whispered in a voice barely audible, like a mosquito's hum:
"President Rudolph is a bit scary. Besides Miss Teio, I've never seen her smile at anyone else."
"Yeah, everyone says she's very serious and scary, and no one dares to joke with her..."
"Diamond, do you think our Trainer-san will bother the President?"
"No matter how strange Trainer-san is, she wouldn't dare to do anything strange to the President, right? And looking at the two of them, their conversation is very formal and polite; they definitely aren't close."
Just as Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond were whispering to each other, Sakura Bakushin O suddenly caught sight of the Spica team nearby.
She pointed at them with a serious expression and said to Symboli Rudolf:
"Symboli Rudolf, look over there."
Symboli Rudolf, as well as Maruzensky, Air Groove, and all the members of TCB, followed the direction of Sakura Bakushin O's finger.
"It's Spica. What's wrong?" Symboli Rudolf asked, puzzled.
"Look there." Sakura Bakushin O pointed at Special Week and Gold Ship.
"It's Miss Gold Ship and Miss Special Week. Is there a problem with them?"
Not only Symboli Rudolf was somewhat confused, but everyone around them, as well as the Spica members who noticed their commotion, also showed puzzled expressions.
Only Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen exchanged glances, both seeing a hint of an ominous atmosphere in each other's expressions.
Their Trainer, Sakura Bakushin O, was about to act up in front of the President!
Sakura Bakushin O kept her finger pointed at Gold Ship and Special Week, and in a voice clear enough for everyone to hear, she said:
"Golden Week."
The originally enthusiastic atmosphere around them instantly dropped to freezing point with Sakura Bakushin O's single sentence.
The voices of the Horse Girl around them instantly froze, and all conversation ceased, becoming so quiet that one could almost hear the rustling sound of the spring breeze brushing against cherry blossom petals.
Along with the sound, the expressions on everyone's faces, except for the two parties involved, also froze.
This joke was too cold.
Air Groove, who was closest, looked as if she had been struck by lightning. Her mouth was wide open, her face filled with shock.
"Wow, Diamond, the President is going to get angry... Our Trainer-san really seems to have a screw loose..."
Kitasan Black was half-dead with shock, whispering to Satono Diamond.
Satono Diamond was about to nod when she suddenly saw Symboli Rudolf's shoulders shake, letting out a "pfft" sound, unable to hold back her laughter.
"She actually got it?!"
Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond both had expressions as if they had seen a ghost, screaming in their hearts.
--
When I wrote this, I suddenly had an idea, and then spent an hour putting together a terrible joke.
I hope it can make all the readers laugh...