Nakajima Shin had no idea what Symboli Rudolf was thinking, but even if he did, he wouldn’t care.
Given everything she’d done wrong, he honestly looked down on her.
He saw no reason to pretend to be polite in front of the President.
To him, she was just another person.
So when he walked in and saw her attitude, he didn’t bother giving her any respect.
He treated her like a clown.
He set the teapot down after his drink and spoke flatly.
“Cut the act.
Let’s get to the point.
Why did you reject Teio’s contract?”
Rudolf leaned back in her chair and let out a cold snort.
“Luring an Umamusume with false promises.
Isn’t that reason enough to reject it?”
“Luring me?” Teio pointed at herself, frowning.
“How was I deceived?”
“You don’t know many people, so you wouldn’t realize,” Rudolf replied evenly.
“Some trainers are silver-tongued.
They can spin an Umamusume around their finger.
Plenty of girls have fallen for it, wasting their precious time and talent.”
Teio rolled her lips.
“I’m an Umamusume.
I’m born with the instinct to tell truth from lies.
Do you really think I wouldn’t know if I was being tricked?”
Rudolf slammed her hand on the desk, her eyes locking onto Nakajima Shin as he yawned.
“And that’s exactly the biggest problem!”
“Sometimes an Umamusume’s judgment gets clouded by emotion.
But more often than not, the liar doesn’t even realize they’re lying!”
“‘Easy pace,’ ‘For me,’ ‘I want nothing in return’…
Do you really think you can stick to those words?
Facing your trainee’s fragile legs, facing the possibility that she might never win a single race…
can you truly keep that calm demeanor and stay by Tokai Teio’s side for three whole years?!”
Rudolf’s eyes were sharp as blades, constantly scrutinizing the trainer who looked far too casual for his own good.
Hearing her bring up her legs, Teio’s brows furrowed.
A flash of disgust crossed her face.
“Of course he can…” She didn’t get to finish before Nakajima Shin cut her off.
He stood up, meeting Rudolf’s gaze with a calm look.
“Three years is long enough for Japan’s economic bubble to burst twice over.
Who knows what’ll happen, or if my mindset will change.
So I can only answer you…”
“No.”
“So I was right…”
“I’m not done,” Nakajima Shin snapped, slamming the desk to cut her off.
His voice was still calm, but edged with anger.
“But if I were to walk away from Teio just because of that, what would be the difference between me and you?”
“Didn’t you always talk about creating a world where every Umamusume could be happy?
Where’s that happiness?”
“Oguri Cap, whom you lured from Kasamatsu to the Central circuit, lost her dream of the Tokai Derby.
Lost the trainer who supported her.”
“She finally found a new dream in the Japan Derby, only to be barred from entering because she missed the classic registration deadline.”
“What did you actually do for her through all of that?”
“The only thing you’ve ever done is crush other people’s dreams and strip them of their happiness!”
“And you have the nerve to accuse me of lying?”
Rudolf’s expression shifted, twisting into a scowl.
The hands supporting her on the desk gripped the wood so hard it groaned, as if ready to splinter under her pressure.
But years of handling everything from minor disputes to major crises had trained her mental discipline.
She quickly reined herself in.
Her tail flicked, knocking her chair backward into a nearby cabinet with a loud bang.
The last of her anger dissipated.
She stood up, her cold eyes fixing on Nakajima Shin.
“I admit my invitation cost Oguri Cap her dream of the Tokai Derby.
But missing the classic registration was her own fault.
After that, to support her new dream, I went to the URA myself and pleaded with the head of the Central Advisory Committee to let her compete.
But that stubborn URA still refused!”
“I have never lied!
And you will not slander my ideals here!”
With that, Rudolf slammed the desk again.
A clear handprint dented the wood, and a few splinters flew off.
Looking at Rudolf’s wide, glaring eyes, Nakajima Shin just smirked in contempt.
Unfazed, he gripped his chair’s armrest, sat down leisurely, crossed his legs, and looked up at the lofty [Emperor].
The sight made Rudolf’s surging momentum falter for a second.
It reminded her of how the committee chairman had flatly denied Oguri Cap’s entry into the Japan Derby, using an unarguable tone even after her pleas.
“Fine, fine.
So you’re the Emperor of the Japanese Umamusume racing world.
With public opinion on your side and half the country as your fans, you still can’t even rally them to protest, force the URA to reflect on its mistakes, and change the rules.
What good are you?”
Nakajima Shin watched with a mocking look as Rudolf’s expression grew colder.
“But I’m not in the mood to keep talking about this.
I came here for Tokai Teio, not Oguri Cap.”
Rudolf stared coldly.
“What now?”
“Teio is your beloved junior, right?” Nakajima Shin said.
“So what have you done for her?”
“Joined in with everyone else to convince an Umamusume who hasn’t even raced yet to give up running?
To abandon her very nature?”
“Is this the happiness you promised?”
Rudolf’s voice was icy.
“Her legs suffer from habitual fractures.
This is the best arrangement for her.”
“Urara, who’s lost every single race, hasn’t given up her desire to win.
Yet you’re forcing a girl who can run normally to quit.
Do you treat Teio like she’s disabled?!” Nakajima Shin shot back.
“But aren’t you the one pushing her toward disability right now?!” Rudolf barked back.
Their cold gazes locked, sharp and unyielding.
Neither would back down.
The oppressive tension was enough to make anyone else hold their breath.
Caught in the crossfire, Teio swallowed hard.
She quickly stood up, gently urged the President to sit back down, then poured two cups of tea to ease the tension.
“Everyone, please calm down.
No need to be so fierce,” she said with a soft smile.
“I’m perfectly calm,” Nakajima Shin said, holding his cup.
“Otherwise, I’d have started cursing by now.”
“Same here.
Otherwise, he’d already be thrown out,” Rudolf added, blowing on her steaming tea.
“Can we all get along then?” Teio asked cautiously.
“Convince him to let you quit.” “Convince her to let you race.”
They spoke in near unison.
Realizing what the other had said, they both let out a cold snort and looked down at their tea.
Teio gave an awkward laugh, twisting her fingers together.
She looked at the President cautiously.
“Could we maybe…
compromise?
Like, let me make my debut in one race, and then…”
“Absolutely not!” Rudolf cut her off sharply.
“If you could suppress your instincts and promise to run at an easy pace the entire time, I’d consider it.
But that’s impossible.
No Umamusume can compete against others and hold back that urge.
You’ll go all out.”
“Heh.
That’s just trampling on the very meaning of a race.
And you call yourself an Emperor,” Nakajima Shin sneered.
Rudolf’s eyes flashed with fury.
Unwilling to yield, Nakajima Shin stared right back, matching her glare for glare.
Watching them, Teio gritted her teeth.
She realized she’d have to let go of some of her long-held principles if she wanted this to work out.
With that thought, she clapped her hands together, flashed a bright smile, and called out sweetly:
“Kaicho~”
Rudolf’s whole body jolted.
She stared blankly at Teio, her eyes unwillingly welling up.
How long has it been since she called me like that?
TL: GET HER TEIO!!
THE HACHIMI WAS BORN TO RUN!