[A/N: It's 5 in the morning on Saturday. I woke up very, very early. Hence why I uploaded this chapter literally in the morning. Have fun reading.]
"Symboli Rudolf! Your very Triple Crown champion of this year!" The crowd roared with the announcer repeating himself in shock and excitement, two years in a row.
Two years straight! Mr C.B. was the third racer to be a Triple Crown winner, and now Symboli Rudolf is the fourth one!
"We are seeing history in action, folks!"
Echo Eclipse cheered excitedly, waving both of her arms with a big, wide grin. As Rudolf slows down before coming to a halt, panting. Staring back at Echo Eclipse before doing her signature pose with a proud smirk.
On the other end of the spectating stands, a girl with jet-black short hair tied into a short ponytail, wearing a Central Tracen Academy uniform, grinning at the scene.
"So, t'at the le'endary Symboli Rudolf," she mumbled with a countryside accent. Mejiro Palmer sighed beside her.
"You're using your accent again; city folks won't understand what you're saying," Palmer said while observing Rudolf.
"Ah, er, oops." Katsuragi Ace rubbed the back of her neck in bashfulness. Palmer chuckled while shaking her head.
"What do yer think about her? Think I can beat her in Japan Cup?" she asked her roommates, to which Palmer just shrugged.
"Don't know, I can ask Ramonu,"
"Err... Mejiro Ramonu?" Ace responded,
"Yup, just one letter from her and Rudolf will come running immediately," she chuckled before pausing, "that's at least how it used to be... But now, I don't know," Palmer rubbed her chin while turning her head and glancing at Rudolf staring at Echo Eclipse.
'... A losing childhood friend trope?' she thought, thinking back to the romance novels she read.
"I can't also ju't go and ask Mr C.B., because both of them are my obstacle," Ace's lips curled up as her eyes narrowed with immense fighting spirit. Before shaking her head and leaving, she has to amp up her training before the Japan Cup!
Mejiro Palmer sighs before following Katsuragi Ace. Ace would get lost in this big city if left alone.
Further from them, Mejiro Ramonu and Mr C.B. were watching the race. Mr C.B. hums excitedly; the Japan Cup in 4 days will be the greatest challenge for her. Mejiro Ramonu also hums, even though her physique cannot handle the heavy strain of stamina racing, her heart still yearns for the track.
A bit after, Ramonu frowned. She doesn't understand why Rudolf is still using that emperor persona.
"Aah..." she sighed, disappointed; she missed the old Rudolf.
Mr C.B. saw this and smirked mischievously, "What are you sighing about? Jealous that the Symboli Rudolf has a rival whom she cares for the most now?"
That struck Ramonu's heart, and she pouted, "So what if I am. I was the closest thing to a rival she had before enrolling on Tracen Academy..." Then she shook her head.
"No, I should be happy that at least Rudolf has someone capable of running beside her... Even if my legs cannot push me forward."
"Sheesh, you're depressing," Mr C.B. said with wide eyes, before leaning against the fence. "So? Don't restrict yourself, just go and fight Echo Eclipse for the rival spot!" She said excitedly, pumping her fist upward.
Mejiro Ramonu chuckled while shaking her head, walking away.
Mr C.B. just stood there, shaking her head; she admired Rudolf's capability as a runner, but she didn't like her commanding nature. She prefers a rival like Echo Eclipse, never restricted, never trapped, just like the wind.
She stares at the interview section before leaving.
"... Now that I think about it, is Ramonu in love with Rudolf?" She froze in shock, as if realisation had been made, but thinking deeper, she denied that thought. Ramonu never really looked for Rudolf, and does her own thing; it's more like Rudolf is just at the back of her mind, not thinking about her and spends her time running or painting.
"No way Rudolf has a messy relationship, does she?"
---
After the interviews, Rudolf, Cameroun, Mach, and Gold Way immediately ran away from the reporters, jumping into the van, which Bizen Nishiki and Echo Eclipse were waiting for them.
"Go! Go! Go!" Mach immediately shouted repeatedly, cowering from stage fright and the attention given by her fans.
Kazuo Fujisawa chuckled, "Tuck in your seatbelt!" he shouted before revving the engine and driving away.
Rudolf naturally sat beside Echo Eclipse. Echo gave a high-five to Rudolf. Rudolf's tail swayed happily from the attention.
Bizen Nishiki and Gold Way together, with Cameroun and Mach sitting in the back.
Everyone started talking and bickering; Rudolf stayed silent alongside Echo. Even when Cameroun and Gold Way were mocking the speech Rudolf made during the race, pretending her stoic, unmoving expression while laughing.
Rudolf doesn't mind; it helps to relieve the tension in the atmosphere. What happens on the track stays on the track. Do not let it affect your relationships outside the track.
Soon, a shocking thing happened.
Bizen Nishiki was so happy and eager for Gold Way to snag 2nd place that she placed her lips against Gold Way's lips in front of everybody.
Echo Eclipse and Suzu Mach's mouths dropped at the sight. Suzu Mach immediately blushed from the intimate sight and covered her face. She never knew they were dating!
Echo's reaction, however, was different; she was excited. Leaning out of the seatbelt and barraging with questions. "When did you start dating?" "How long?" "Who confessed first?" "What is your favou..." "Why di..." "..."
Symboli Rudolf stares in awe; she has never seen this side of Echo Eclipse before. So, Echo Eclipse likes love stories? And it looks like she isn't against same-sex relationships, too... Maybe she has a big chance.
Rudolf immediately began pondering ways to make Echo fall in love with her, maybe by taking a bath together? No, that's too inappropriate. Maybe take her to my house? But what if my parents disapprove? No, I can change their minds. She likes cute animals, right? I'll build an indoor zoo for her... Maybe I can convince her to stay at my house for Christmas...
Shortly after the kiss, Gold Way immediately snapped back to reality. She never expected she would melt from a mere kiss! How?! She's supposed to be logical, rational. How could Bizen Nishiki's plump lips that taste like strawberry could affect her... The faint heat on her lips still reminded her of that mere moment, which felt like eternity.
Oh no, she could write a whole essay from that kiss... Her face is becoming flushed with red, her heart thumping in her ears as she stares at Nishiki in shock.
Nishiki smirked in response, 'Damn her! She actually looks sexy, smirking like that,' Gold Way thought before turning her away. She remembers Nishiki saying she would kiss her, but she thought it was a joke! They're still roommates!
Kazuo just ignores the commotion; he is an old man who shouldn't be involved in high school girls' affairs.
Later, Gold way spoke, "W-Why did you kiss me?" she said in a low tone. Nishiki responded, "Why wouldn't I?"
For the first time in Gold Way's life, she became beet red in silence.
In the back, Onward Cameroun claps and congratulates both of them, acting all normal. Suzu Mach took the longest time to calm down; she had never really thought about dating until now. She thought that Echo Eclipse and Symboli Rudolf would date first, not Nishiki and Gold Way.
'W-Wait. They're roommates, no?' A jarring thought appeared in Mach's mind, making her even more speechless as she turned red. Embarrassed by her imagination, reverting to her prior state again.
Rudolf glanced at Echo's lips, wondering how it would feel pressing her lips against Echo. She'll wait until they date.
Symboli Rudolf nodded. She is a gentlewoman; she won't do anything that would upset Echo. It shouldn't take that long, right?