"An idol..."
Symboli Rudolf tilted her head slightly, looking at Divine Starlight beside her, and said teasingly:
"I wonder if Student Starlight considers me her idol?"
"Not really. I have someone else in mind for that."
Upon hearing the answer, the upward curve of Rudolf's lips flattened. She asked seriously:
"Who is it?"
"Hmm... I'm not telling you."
Tilting her head up, Starlight instantly rejected her.
"Tch. It was just a casual question. I wasn't that curious anyway..."
Rudolf straightened up, adjusting her clothes with an air of indifference.
"You really are something, President. If you weren't curious, why ask? Besides, I noticed from the start that you seem to care a bit too much about me."
Watching Rudolf's back, Divine Starlight narrowed her eyes slightly. She pressed a finger to her lips, her tone rich with implication.
"Could it be that you actually have some... feelings for me?"
"O-Of course not. In my eyes, you're just like Teio— a junior I have high hopes for. What kind of feelings could I possibly have?"
'Darting eyes. Inappropriate little fidgeting with her hands. A face showing a hint of bewilderment...'
Taking it all in, Divine Starlight's golden eyes seemed to see through everything.
She hopped down from the railing.
The ice was slick, and her skating skills were far from mastered. Starlight's feet crossed over each other, and her body began to sway left and right, looking as if she would crash onto the floor at any moment.
But Rudolf's movements beside her were swift. She stepped forward and caught Starlight's waist with both hands, helping her steady her stance.
Having regained her balance and wearing a successful "gotcha" grin, Starlight turned her head to look at Rudolf's face behind her.
"Thank you so much, Madam President. If you weren't paying so much attention to me, I might have taken a nasty spill."
"Cough, cough... Alright, it's getting late. Let's practice the basic movements one last time and call it a day."
Circling around to stand in front of Starlight in a few steps, Rudolf held out her hand.
"The expression of liking someone can't be hidden, President. Thank you..."
After saying that, Starlight smiled and placed her hand in Rudolf's.
The two glided side-by-side across the ice. Amidst the fluttering strands of hair was that flash of golden eyes.
"...Does this count as you giving me an answer?"
"Eh~ you're overthinking it, President~ Before I give you an answer, please let me be a little selfish for a while."
"I want to fight for my own dream once. This will take a long time..."
Thump-thump, thump-thump.
The clear sound of a heartbeat echoed from her chest. Starlight's words resonated in Rudolf's ears as she stared at the ice ahead.
"I will."
Those two simple words reached Starlight's ears, making her expression freeze for a moment.
"This... what if I fall for another Uma Musume by then? Won't you have waited for nothing?"
Refusing to give her the chance, Rudolf suddenly pulled Starlight closer by the waist, her skates pivoting slightly.
The two began to spin on the ice, and Starlight's body instinctively arched backward.
Leaning down close to the other's face, Rudolf looked into those golden eyes that now reflected only her own image. She spoke very seriously, very calmly:
"You cannot fall for another Uma Musume. Only me!"
Her tone was incredibly firm, carrying a sense of command that brooked no refusal, yet to Divine Starlight's ears, it sounded a bit like she was acting spoiled.
Quickly, with another turn, Starlight was brought upright again under Rudolf's lead.
Following a guided jump and a full rotation, they landed, each tracing a wing on the ice with their skates.
As they embraced once more, the patterns on the ground merged to look like a dancing butterfly.
"Wow! How did we just do that!?"
Turning around and recalling the sensation of the jump, Starlight asked in pleasant surprise.
"A stroke of luck, perhaps. Want to try it again?"
"No, no. Let's do it again tomorrow."
By the edge of the rink, Starlight had already changed her shoes and was watching Rudolf, who remained on the ice.
"I believe the President wouldn't do something like forcing others. In my eyes... you are a great Uma Musume. Everything you do is for our sake."
Rudolf looked at the Ash-gray Uma Musume before her.
The girl hadn't been frightened by her sudden, blunt words earlier, instead, she wore a very warm smile.
That warmth seeped into Symboli Rudolf's heart, and she unconsciously let her own lips curl upward.
She turned around, seemingly wanting to dance on the ice for a while longer.
"If you're still interested, come to the Student Council office tomorrow morning. I'll find time to teach you."
"Eh? Are you going to skate a bit more, President?"
"Yes. It's a rare moment of leisure..."
Watching the figure glide away in just a few strides, Starlight shouted out in confusion:
"Then... what about the video recording!?"
The skating rink was large, so her voice echoed through the space for a long time before finally settling into silence.
"I was just scaring you. If we expelled a student every time we caught them making content like that, Agnes Digital would be a 12-time Tracen dropout."
"Just don't do it again next time."
"Ah, okay! Thanks for taking me out to play today, President. I'll head out first then—!"
Rudolf didn't turn to watch her leave. She immersed herself in her own world, dancing gracefully upon the ice under the glow of the lights.
In the evening, back in her own dorm, Rudolf stretched out to relax.
She hung her school bag on the hook by the door, changed into slippers, and walked to her desk.
"I wonder if she'll come to find me tomorrow..." she murmured to herself, recalling their time at the rink.
"Wait, is this the slip the Chairwoman gave me this morning?"
She noticed a bright blue corner peeking out from the neat stack of documents on her desk. She pulled it out, and her eyes instantly lit up.
"Winter Ice Dance Festival!?"
After the initial surprise, a flash of joy that couldn't be hidden crossed her face, and Rudolf smirked.
She turned toward the door—no, more accurately, toward the direction of Starlight's dorm.
"I'll just make it so she has to come find me~"
Thus, a private conspiracy by Rudolf began to unfold.
She recalled the summer training camp this year, where the "food" she was about to eat was snatched away right at the last second by Tokai Teio.
'This time, let's see who else invites you.'
The next morning, after finishing her morning practice, Divine Starlight rushed from the training grounds back to the classroom building.
On her way, she caught a glimpse of the notice board.
"Winter Ice Dance Festival? Looks like the Academy is hosting another series of events! Doesn't that mean no classes...? That's great—!"
However, her joyful expression soured the moment she stepped into the Student Council office.
"You're here. Then let's start preparing for training."
Ignoring her expression, Rudolf stood up and spoke matter-of-factly.
"As my teammate, we only have one goal for this: First place!"
"I say, President, what is the meaning of this?"
Divine Starlight slammed the list of participants for the Pairs Figure Skating event onto Rudolf's desk.
Looking down, she saw the very first team on the list:
It was our lovely Divine Starlight and Symboli Rudolf.
"Since our coordination yesterday was so pleasant, and considering the great chemistry between us, I went ahead and signed us up."
"Did you even ask for my opinion!?"
"It was just a matter of convenience. Surely Student Starlight won't refuse me, right...?"
With her arms crossed, Divine Starlight looked at the squint-eyed, smiling Rudolf in front of her and immediately went in for a hand-chop to the head.
"Next time you do something involving me, could you please ask for my opinion first?"
Rubbing her head, Rudolf didn't seem to mind.
She sat elegantly in her office chair, though she frowned and let out a sigh.