It was now late August.
Around the time Tokai Teio finished her training and returned safely to Tokyo, Symboli Rudolf had also begun to settle into her new life—a life without the hectic workload of the Student Council, without any of the interpersonal headaches she once faced.
Surprisingly enough, life here was rather... relaxed?
Thinking about this, Symboli Rudolf yawned, closed the household account book, and set it aside against the wall on the low table.
Having finished that, Rudolf glanced around her tiny, five-square-meter room.
She stared blankly, unsure of what to do next.
Of course, this was understandable.
After all, Rudolf had always lived a busy, structured life; suddenly finding herself with so much idle time was hard to adjust to.
She couldn't just sit around doing nothing every day, right?
Thinking this, Rudolf shifted her legs from under the low table, stood up, and stretched slightly.
Gathering a bit of motivation, she moved over to the clothing rack, casually chose an outfit, and changed. Then, passing through the entrance that included the tiny built-in kitchen, she stepped out of the apartment—the kind popular among young people in Japan nowadays.
Outside, Rudolf began to wander aimlessly through the streets.
The population of Okinawa wasn't particularly large.
Moreover, Rudolf had chosen to step out at nine o'clock in the evening.
Under such conditions, running into someone who recognized her wasn't likely.
This anonymity made life much easier for Rudolf.
At least now, she could roam the streets freely without worry.
Passing by a convenience store, however, she suddenly remembered she hadn't eaten dinner yet.
Realizing this, Rudolf entered the store—and soon emerged with nothing more than a cup of instant noodles.
Cooking wasn't exactly her strong suit, after all.
She began heading back toward the apartment.
As for whatever she'd originally planned to do? She had already forgotten.
...
Rewind to a bit earlier.
A flight from Tokyo touched down at Okinawa's largest airport.
Onboard was a certain Uma Musume.
After disembarking, the girl glanced at her watch, then pulled out her phone.
"Did Sirius give me the right address…?" she muttered quietly, taking a quick look around before swiftly leaving the terminal.
Outside, she hailed a taxi, planning to head straight to her destination.
Taxis in Japan were notoriously expensive; this was common knowledge.
But for her, taking a taxi was practically the same as riding a normal train.
After all, she was the Mejiro Family's eldest daughter and holder of the Triple Tiara. To her, taxis were nothing special.
Riding the taxi over the Irabu Bridge and arriving on Irabu Island, she eventually stopped in front of a certain apartment building.
Stepping out, the Uma Musume eyed the building before her.
"This… is Rudolf's place, huh?"
She double-checked the address Sirius had sent, then entered the building through the side entrance.
Soon, she found herself standing before Rudolf's apartment door.
She looked at the numberplate, her expression subtly shifting.
There was no surname on the doorplate.
Typically, Japanese doorplates carried surnames, but…
"Maybe it's because of the Symboli Family's reputation?"
With a quiet sigh, the girl pressed the doorbell.
No response.
No sounds at all.
It was as if nobody was inside.
Frowning slightly, she stared at the closed door, hesitated a few seconds, then rang again.
Still nothing.
Now she felt something wasn't quite right.
Once more, she took out her phone, ready to double-check Sirius's provided address—
"No wa—"
"…Ramonu?"
A familiar voice echoed softly.
Hearing this far-too-familiar voice, Mejiro Ramonu immediately turned her gaze, spotting Rudolf holding a plastic bag, staring back at her.
She froze for a moment, mostly because Rudolf's style had subtly changed—at least she didn't look quite as old-fashioned anymore.
Quickly moving past that observation, Mejiro Ramonu spoke up. "Oh, you were out. For a moment, I thought Sirius had given me the wrong address."
Saying this, Mejiro Ramonu approached Rudolf. "Went shopping?"
"Sort of."
Glancing down briefly into Rudolf's plastic bag, Mejiro Ramonu sighed gently. "Living alone now, and you still haven't learned to cook…"
Her voice held a hint of worry. Then she continued, "May I come in?"
"You can, though it's pretty cramped."
"You've never considered renting a bigger room even living alone, huh?" Mejiro Ramonu sighed again, softly turning her head away. "Well, I suppose that's just another one of your habits."
Faced with Ramonu's words, Rudolf only nodded quietly. "No one will visit me here anyway, so a small room is enough."
Saying that, Rudolf passed Mejiro Ramonu and approached the door, opening it gently. "Come in and have a look."
Hearing this, Mejiro Ramonu hesitated only briefly before stepping forward and entering Rudolf's apartment.
And then…
"This…is way too small!"
Staring incredulously at Rudolf, Mejiro Ramonu continued, "This is just barely enough space for basic living, isn't it?"
"I suppose. But it's sufficient, and at least cleaning doesn't take much time," Rudolf replied casually, placing the instant noodles on the low table before turning toward Mejiro Ramonu. "So, Ramonu, what brought you here?"
Mejiro Ramonu fell silent for several seconds before finally speaking again. "I just came to ask… when you plan on coming back."
"About that…"
Unsure how to answer, Rudolf's gaze drifted aside slightly.
To be honest, most Uma Musume families assumed Rudolf would eventually return to central society.
After all, Rudolf had orchestrated her own impeachment by the Uma Musume community.
So, Mejiro Ramonu strongly believed Rudolf would inevitably return.
Yet this belief made Rudolf herself uncertain how to respond.
After a long silence, Rudolf finally decided, "I probably won't be going back."
"Huh?! Why?"
"I don't want to."
"But—"
"There's nothing else to it. I just don't want to return. It's as simple as that."
Rudolf's direct reply cut Mejiro Ramonu off mid-sentence, her gaze calmly fixed upon the other woman.
Mejiro Ramonu silently returned her gaze.
And from Rudolf's unwavering response, Mejiro Ramonu finally realized—
Rudolf probably truly had no intention of ever going back.
---
T/N: fumbled 2 baddies jesus rudolf