25: Chapter 24: Nature-san Is Becoming the Straight Man!
25: Chapter 24: Nature-san Is Becoming the Straight Man!
“Honey special Honey special Honey special~” Beside a small cart selling honey drinks inside Tracen Academy, Tokai Teio tapped tiny steps while humming some unknown melody.
The lyrics consisted almost entirely of the words “honey special.” Yet somehow…
It sounded surprisingly pleasant.
Meanwhile, Li Ze sat with Nice Nature, chatting.
Nature had asked why she’d come to Tracen Academy.
So Reiko explained.
“I originally came for the auditing-student evaluation.
“When I arrived, I saw Senior Emperor standing there in athletic wear.
“I froze.” Li Ze had already prepared herself to be treated as a special case.
There was only one examinee.
That meant every examiner’s attention would focus entirely on her.
Unlike normal evaluations, where attention was spread among many candidates.
But an examiner personally entering the race…
That was beyond ridiculous.
Who had ever heard of going to a job interview only for the interviewer to personally compete against you?
Compared to that…
The one-length torture barely mattered.
A loss was a loss.
What difference was there between being kept exactly one length behind for the whole race and finishing a hundred lengths behind?
“You raced the President?!” Nice Nature blinked.
“Don’t take the result too seriously, Reiko.
“That’s the President we’re talking about.
“The undefeated Triple Crown Emperor.” Li Ze never said what the result had been.
But did anyone really need to ask?
Nice Nature awkwardly tried to comfort her.
“Thanks, Nature.
“Honestly, I’m not troubled.
“Being able to run with Senior Emperor was an honor.” Symboli Rudolf…
As Student Council President, she reportedly spent ten hours a day handling school matters and another four maintaining her athletic condition.
At her current status…
She had already achieved everything.
She was practically like Oguri Cap serving as a mascot of the student council.
Yet she still seemed to be pursuing something.
Of course…
All that information came from online forums.
Internet claims tended to exaggerate.
Accuracy was questionable.
“Honey special~ It’s here!” Tokai Teio reappeared in front of them, proudly announcing the arrival of their drinks.
The tiny steps she’d been taking earlier had apparently been while waiting for the shopkeeper to finish preparing them.
“Thanks, Teio.
Sit here.” Li Ze stood and gave her seat to Tokai Teio.
Then she physically pressed the girl’s petite body onto the bench, leaving no chance to protest.
“Reiko, you can sit too!
“We can squeeze together!” “No need.
“I’ll stand.” Li Ze smiled.
She still had a man’s mind inside a woman’s body.
The bench had been wide enough earlier that she could sit beside Nice Nature without physical contact.
With Tokai Teio joining…
Three people would be packed tightly enough to touch.
Li Ze still hadn’t crossed that mental threshold.
You expected a man who had spent more than twenty years single and socially awkward to casually press bodies against girls?
Impossible.
Transforming into a woman provided the physical requirements.
Not the psychological ones.
“Nature, Teio, seriously, don’t stand up because of me.
“I just feel like standing.” After gently persuading them to remain seated, Li Ze continued chatting.
The small park was crowded.
Li Ze could constantly feel people looking in her direction.
Everyone else wore Tracen Academy uniforms.
Only she wore casual athletic clothing.
Naturally, she stood out.
Their conversation covered ordinary daily matters.
Most of the time, Tokai Teio told stories.
For example…
When teaching Gold Ship choreography, Gold Ship constantly messed around and gave everyone headaches.
Though if you were simply playing together…
Gold Ship was apparently an incredibly entertaining companion.
Originally, Nature also shared some stories.
But gradually, Tokai Teio monopolized the conversation.
Gold Ship.
Mejiro McQueen.
Special Week.
Grass Wonder.
Silence Suzuka.
One newly debuted Uma Musume after another appeared in Teio’s stories.
Energetic and childlike as Tokai Teio seemed…
She was practically a social butterfly.
She maintained connections with an astonishing number of Uma Musume.
Her phone contact list was probably absurdly large.
“Oh, right!
Right!
“I still have something I want to ask Reiko!” Tokai Teio suddenly remembered.
“What did it feel like running against the President?
“I want to run with her too!
“But every time I ask, she just smiles and says I can after I win an undefeated Triple Crown.
“The President is so biased!” Teio pouted.
She ran because she admired Rudolf.
The Emperor was the very reason she began racing.
Running alongside the Emperor was one of her dreams.
But Rudolf always refused to indulge her.
Then turned around…
And raced Natsume Reiko.
“The feeling?” Li Ze considered.
“Probably like I became Senior Emperor’s shadow on the racetrack.
“She suppressed me so completely that I couldn’t do anything.
“Beyond that…
“Not much.” “Huh?!
“That’s all?
“Wouldn’t racing the President make your blood boil?
“Even if I lost, I’d still be—” “Teio.” Nice Nature quickly tugged at her sleeve.
“Not everyone likes the President as much as you do.
“Don’t keep poking at someone’s painful memories.” Li Ze noticed Nature’s subtle movement.
Honestly…
She didn’t care about losing that race.
As a mediocre person, being surpassed by peers again and again was already normal.
Speaking of which…
What had Big Sister Tazuna said earlier?
Suddenly, she remembered.
“Now that Teio mentions it…
“I remember something.
“Do you know what Senior Emperor’s evaluation of me was?” “Evaluation?
“I remember!” Tokai Teio’s voice lowered slightly.
She remembered Symboli Rudolf’s complicated, serious expression at the finish line.
Teio could swear with both hands and feet raised that she’d never seen such an expression on Rudolf before.
When Teio approached, she had overheard Rudolf muttering: “I thought she might be a genius like that woman.
But in reality, she’s someone controlled by her own talent.
Truly…” Then Rudolf noticed Teio.
Her expression returned to normal.
And she gave a much more ordinary summary of what she’d seen.
After thinking, Tokai Teio decided not to reveal the part she’d overheard.
Instead, she repeated the later evaluation.
“The President thinks very highly of you!
“She said your aura is rigid and mechanical, has no soul, and operates entirely through instinct.” “Wait, Teio.” Nice Nature stared.
“How does any of that sound like praise?” “Nature, you don’t understand the President.
“She’s very straightforward.
“If someone performs badly, she’ll just tell them directly that they failed.
“But after the race, she didn’t even come talk to Reiko.
“Hmm…
“The President was probably a little embarrassed.” Tokai Teio rubbed her nose.
Imagining her beloved President looking guilty…
That Rudolf would be cool too.
“Senior Emperor still passed me.
“So I’m officially a Tracen Academy auditing student now.” Li Ze added.
In reality…
Everything Teio had just said pointed toward one thing.
Skills activated through the system…
Were not truly her own talents.
Being noticed wasn’t surprising.
That was the Emperor.
Being exposed by someone like her…
Could almost be considered an honor.
“What kind of logic is that?!” Nice Nature gave up trying to understand.
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