By evening, Starlight had already changed back into her casual clothes and returned to Tracen Academy.
As for Sirius, she seemingly had plans to play pool with some friends, so the two had parted ways.
Carrying the shopping bag with her new formal dress, Starlight glanced at it and nodded to herself.
"I finally have a set of beautiful clothes, though I probably won't wear it often. It'll need regular maintenance, which is a bit of a hassle."
Standing at her dormitory door, Starlight reached into her pocket for her keys.
Click~
Just then, the door behind her suddenly opened, and Rudolf leaned out to inquire.
"You're back?"
Starlight turned around and nodded.
"Oh, President. Yes, I just got back..."
"Did you have fun with her?"
"It was quite nice. Thanks for your concern, President. Did you get some good rest today?"
Shaking her head, Rudolf thought for a moment and said flatly:
"I was handling work today."
Starlight's hand paused on the door.
She turned to look at the other girl's face, her tone full of concern.
"Aiya, I've told you so many times— rest on the weekends. Why push yourself so hard?"
"I was free anyway. No invitations, no one to look after, so naturally, all I could do was handle work."
Rudolf looked down, her words sounding almost like she was sulking.
Seeing her acting so cute, Starlight covered her mouth and let out a soft laugh.
"Well then, does the President have time now? Would you like to come into my room for a bit? I just happened to buy some fresh tea leaves and pastries."
Rudolf's expression softened slightly as she nodded.
"Yes, alright."
Stepping into Starlight's room, Rudolf's eyes fixed on the packaging bag Starlight was carrying.
"Is that the dress you bought with Sirius?"
"Yes, I picked it out myself. I think it's quite nice... We only had a simple meal together. Is the Madam President overthinking things?"
Recalling Rudolf's earlier concern for her, Starlight explained quickly.
"Hmph, I naturally expected as much. You didn't need to tell me," Rudolf said plainly, crossing her arms.
Noticing the way Rudolf's tail was swaying back and forth behind her, Starlight didn't call her out on it.
Instead, she took out the pastries and arranged them on the table before going to brew the tea.
"Madam President, how long were you working today?"
"In private, I'd prefer you call me by my name. No need for 'Madam President'."
"Alright then... Should I call you Rudolf-chan, or Luna-chan? As I thought, Luna-chan is much cuter."
"Whatever you like."
Hearing Starlight use that nickname, Rudolf didn't mind and simply responded with a smile.
"So, Luna-chan, how long were you working today?"
"From eight in the morning until three in the afternoon. It wasn't too bad, at least half of next week's work is already finished," Rudolf said reflectively, stroking her chin.
Clack~
Setting two cups of tea on the table, Starlight suddenly took Rudolf's hands in hers.
"I've been learning hand massages online lately. You don't mind being my 'guinea pig,' do you, Luna?"
"Mmm... thank you for the trouble, Starlight-chan."
Looking at the silver-haired Uma Musume so close to her and feeling her fingers massaging her aching hands, Rudolf couldn't help but let a smile grace her lips.
"How does it feel, Luna-chan? Is it working?"
Meeting Starlight's curious eyes, Rudolf nodded with certainty.
"Yes, it's quite effective. You've done a very good job, Starlight."
"Is that so? It looks like my studying didn't go to waste~ If you ever need one in the future, Luna-chan, you can come find me."
"Okay... I'll remember that."
Time flew by, and soon it was the day of the pairs figure skating competition.
On the ice, a silver figure glided at high speed.
Under Rudolf's guidance, Starlight's basic movements had become very solid.
Following closely behind, Rudolf's gaze sharpened. She lowered her center of gravity, carving a path from a distance to circle around to the front of Starlight.
As Starlight performed a spinning jump, she landed steadily into Rudolf's embrace, and the two began to showcase their seamless chemistry on the ice.
Dressed in her silvery-white formal gown, the hem of her dress fluttered in the air.
Starlight's stunning face paired with her graceful silhouette practically cast a crowd control spell on every Uma Musume in attendance, leaving them mesmerized.
Below the stage, Agnes Digital shook her glowsticks frantically.
"Ahhh...!! Starlight-senpai is so beautiful~!"
"Ahhh!! Madam President is so dashing!!!"
Beside her, Tokai Teio held up a banner, refusing to be outdone.
The cheering from just the two of them rivaled the volume of an entire group, leaving the surrounding Uma Musume stunned.
Meanwhile, the door to the backstage area was pushed open gently, and a small Uma Musume wearing a white dress hat stepped inside.
Hearing the cheers from the arena, she clenched her fists, her gaze settling as she hurried forward.
"Starlight-senpai... she's so pretty."
Standing at the outermost edge of the spectator stands, her sky-blue eyes dazed as she watched the white figure on the ice.
"As I thought, it was the right choice to split away from the visiting group."
As the performance neared its end, Starlight clung to Rudolf, and after spinning more than a dozen times, the two slowly came to a halt and parted to take their bows.
The moment the performance concluded, the stadium erupted in thunderous applause.
In the backstage dressing room.
"You performed well today, Starlight-san."
"President~ You were amazing too. There were several times I only made it through because you were there to save the scene."
"Alright, I still have work to deal with— this is a major academy event, after all. You should go out and enjoy the festival."
"Mmm, okay~"
After seeing Rudolf off, Starlight took her time changing back into her school uniform.
Just as she pushed open the door, she spotted a cute, light-brown Uma Musume on a nearby bench.
She was sitting there, looking around somewhat anxiously.
In the next second, as their eyes met, the little Uma Musume's pupils shrank, she then scrambled to her feet and stumbled over to Starlight.
"H-Hello, Divine Starlight-senpai... I'm the fan who wrote you that letter before. Do you still remember me?"
Looking up, Cheval Grand asked with a face full of anticipation.
"Oh! It's you! Of course I remember. I even kept that letter safe and put it on my desk in the dorm," Starlight said with a smile, reaching out to pat the girl's small hat.
"T-That's wonderful~ I... I came to visit Tracen today specifically to see you."
"Really!? Ah~ for a cute fan to come all this way just for me... I'm truly touched."
Starlight knelt down and opened her arms, pulling the girl into a hug.
This move was so sudden that Cheval Grand's face instantly turned crimson, and steam practically started rising from the top of her head.
After letting her go, Starlight extended a hand in invitation.
"Come on, I'll take you on a tour of Tracen."
"Mmm... O-Okay, Starlight-senpai~"
Holding Cheval Grand's hand, Starlight seemed to think of something and asked curiously, "Why are you all alone? I remember there was supposed to be a group, right?"
"I... I got separated from them. Because I heard Starlight-senpai was in the skating competition, I came over to watch."
"Eh!? Don't do that next time, okay? What would you do if you got lost?"
Starlight took out her phone and said to the young Uma Musume:
"Do you have your phone with you? Let's add each other on LINE. If you want to come see me in the future, you can tell me in advance."
"Yes, Starlight-senpai!"
She pulled her phone out of the small satchel at her waist and hurriedly opened her account.