Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Special Week had a problem. A problem that she didn’t know how to exactly deal with since this is a new situation, even for her.

She didn’t know how or when, but she had not only caught the attention of Silence Suzuka but also Grass Wonder. If Special Week was being honest with herself, she didn’t feel worthy to even receive that type of attention from the both of them.

She had always believed the hardest part of her life at the Academy would be on the track, where she strive to do what she set out to do and accomplish her dream of becoming the best horse girl in Japan.

Where the roaring crowd could be heard bearing down her ears, the strain in her legs and lungs as she pushed for the finish line.

She’d been wrong. So very wrong that it had caught her off guard. The real challenge came so quietly.

It came with warm smiles, the fleeting touches they left on her arms. The feelings that lingered in her chest long after they’d been spoken.

Silent Suzuka had always been someone she admired. She was graceful, really fast, and was the kind of horse girl who seemed born to fly.

Lately though, there has been something else there.

A brush of fingertips when they walk together in the halls. There were soft knowing glances when Suzuka thought that Special wouldn’t see. It was honestly adorable and made Special Week cover her mouth so that nobody could see her smile.

It was a closeness that made Special Week’s heart stutter. But Suzuka wasn’t the only one that made her heart stutter. There was Grass Wonder, the poised and charming girl with a voice that seemed to smooth out the sharp edges of the day.

She’d begun stopping by after training with little gifts. Things like a cup of carrot tea, a delicious carrot, or a new book about carrots she thought Special Week might like.

And every time she came, Grass Wonder would stay just a bit longer than necessary.

Now, it wasn’t that Special Week didn’t enjoy it what the two were doing. She did more than she could say. But it was also a bit overwhelming.

How do you decide what to do when your heart seems to be pulling in two directions at once?

How does one decide which person should you go for when both are doing their best.

The more Special thought about it, the more her poor suffered. Such thoughts plagued her to no end, a constant background noise that she had trouble ignoring. It started to affect her in daily training, her times getting lower than normal.

It got so bad that her trainer had sent her back early to cool off. Special Week figured he knew, especially the looks of concern that Suzuka and Grass Wonder sent her way. She was pretty sure that her friends even knew.

The events of everything piled up on her that she couldn’t stand being in her dorm and chose to pick somewhere quiet for the time being.

That’s how she found herself on the roof of the dorm building that night, hugging her knees and staring up at the faint shimmer of the stars.

Her ears twitched at the faint breeze, with her tail shaking softly. But her thoughts wouldn’t be quiet, no, not today they were. Silent Suzuka and Grass Wonder both of them had been acting different lately.

They showed her softer smiles, spent much more time with her than usual, gave her little touches that made Special Week’s tail swish without her realizing it.

It should have made her happy, and it did. It really made her happy to receive such things from two very important people to her. 

But it also scared her.

“Why?” she murmured to herself. “Why me?”

She could still picture Grass Wonder face, it was elegant and refined, handing her a mug of warm milk after a long day.

She could still feel Suzuka’s hand brushing hers when they walked back from the track, finding  comfort in her presence that made Special Week’s chest tighten. 

And yet, every time she thought about it, doubt seeped into her like rainwater.

“They’re so amazing and talented. Suzuka’s speed and Grass Wonder’s grace. And me?” She gave a humorless laugh.

“I’m just me. I trip over my own hooves. I’m not the best at keeping my promises. I’ve lost races. I always seem to mess things up.” Her chest ached at the thought.

“I should be happy.” She whispered to herself.

“But I’m just…scared. What if I mess things up again? What if I end up hurting them? What if they realize I’m not worth it?” Special Week trailed off, each idea leaving her mouth only hit her harder than the last.

“You know,” came a sudden voice from behind.

“You would get better sound resonance for a monologue if you spoke into a wall. That way your doubts can echo dramatically for all to hear.” Special Week flinched and spun around to see Agnes Tachyon. Aw, she knows of this one.

Her iconic lab coat fluttering slightly from the breeze. She was holding a mug of something that was…suspiciously bubbling.

Special Week did not dare ask what horrible drink Tachyon has made this time. 

“T-Tachyon-san?! What are you doing up here?”

Tachyon tilted her head, sipping whatever questionable concoction she had brewed.

“Merely testing a hypothesis. I am also avoiding Manhattan Cafe and Jungle Pocket. Both seem to have taken an inconvenient liking to me. It’s frankly distracting.” Special Week blinked. Did she heard that correctly?

“Wait, so you know what it’s like? Having two people like you?” Tachyon laughed, sipping more of that drink of hers. 

“Oh, absolutely. It is terribly inefficient. Splits your mental bandwidth. Creates variables you can’t easily quantify for.” She stepped closer to Special Week’s, setting her mug down on the ledge.

“But in my opinion, Spe, that is precisely what makes it fascinating.” Special Week frowned, a bit confused. “Fascinating?” Tachyon turn to her, showing that smile of hers. 

“Yes.” Tachyon crouched beside her, her eyes glittering with that mix of mischief and sincerity only she could pull off.

“Think about it. Out of hundreds of competitors, out of every possible personalities and strength, both Suzuka and Grass Wonder found you to be worth their time. It makes no logical sense, but it is significant.”

“But, what if they made a mistake?” Her voice cracked. “What if I disappoint them?” Tachyon gave a soft snort.

“Then you prove them otherwise. You grow stronger. You make them glad they chose you,  not by trying to be someone else, but by being the Special Week who never stops chasing the finish line.” Tachyon had no idea why she even speaking like this to the horse girl, maybe it’s cause her situation resembles her own.

The inconsistent behavior whenever she is with Jungle Pocket or Manhattan Cafe. It has been starting to affect her research a bit, but there has been nothing too drastic yet.

Special Week stared at her for a long moment.

“Is that advice?” Tachyon smirked. “Call it an experimental theory. Hypothesis: You are more deserving than you believe. Conclusion pending, of course, on further observation.” Despite the rather strange talk, Special Week let out a laugh a fragile one, but genuine.

“Thanks, Tachyon-san. I…think I needed that.”

“Good. Now,” Tachyon said, picking up her strange bubbling drink again.

“Let us vacate the roof before I decide to test whether or not this concoction can be used as a propulsion booster.” She didn’t have say any more as Special Week got up and nodded.

The two would together, both feeling just a little bit lighter than when they arrived on the roof.

[The Next Morning]

The faint shimmer of the sunrise crept through the curtains, painting soft stripes across the floor. Special Week’s eyes fluttered open before the alarm. Her mind still carrying Tachyon’s oddly comforting words that settle the thoughts had been plaguing her for a while now. 

She turned her head and saw Silent Suzuka in the bed across from hers, still fast asleep.

If she focus on her hearing, Suzuka’s breathing was slow, meaning that she was still asleep. Her hair slightly mussed from the pillow.

Special Week’s ears twitched. For a few quiet seconds, she simply watched her, the way the morning light seemed to cling to her, as if it were reluctant to let go.

Suzuka’s calm presence always had an effect on her, calming down Special Week from anything that plagued her. A small smile tugged at Special Week’s lips.

“I’ll do my best today.” She whispered, barely audible, before slipping out from under her blankets.

The hallway outside was cool and empty, her footsteps muffled against the floor. She’d just started heading toward the common area when a familiar voice called out.

“Ah! Morning, Special Week-chan!” Toukai Teio was standing by a window, leaning slightly against the wall.

But Special Week notice that there was something unusual, her normally boundless energy seemed muted today. 

She was staring outside, one foot tapping absently against the floor.

“Morning, Teio-chan!” Special Week greeted, her ears perking up. “You’re up early no?”

Teio blinked, as if pulled from deep thought.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Just couldn’t sleep.” She gave a quick smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Special Week tilted her head. “Is something wrong?”

Teio hesitated, then waved her hand dismissively. “Nah, it’s nothing big. Just thinking about stuff. You know, races, training, the usual stuff.” Her voice trailed off, and she quickly tried to brighten up again.

“But enough about me, what about you? You’re usually one of the first of us to get up?”

Special Week rubbed the back of her neck with a sheepish laugh. “Guess I just wanted to take it easy for a while.” She glanced at the rising sun outside. “Feels like a good morning, you know it’s my first time seeing the sun rise from inside the Academy instead of on the track.” For a moment, Teio studied her face.

Perhaps she noticed something new, before grinning properly this time. “Then let’s make it a good day, Special Week. Race you to the cafeteria?”

Special Week’s tail flicked, her smile coming out full force. “You’re on!”

And just like that, the stillness of morning broke into a flurry of footsteps and laughter, the two of them dashing down the hall as the first full rays of sunlight spilled into the Academy.

Chapter Text

The nice dream she was having had turned into a nightmare so fast that she couldn’t react in time when it did. 

In her nightmare, she could see Special Week was running, but not like she usually did. The horse girl strides were uneven. Looking at her face, Suzaka noticed it was paler than it should have been. Special Week’s voice calling out Suzuka’s name as a crowd swallowed her up.

No matter how fast Suzuka pushed herself, the distance between them only grew. The roar of the stands turning into a cold, hollow wind that sent shivers down her spine.

“Wait!” Suzuka’s voice cracked in the dream, but Special Week never looked back. The darkness separating them and keeping the orange hair horse girl from moving, while Special Week had continue walking forward.

”Spe-Chan!”

She woke with a sharp gasp, the image of such a horrible thing burning into her eyes. She could feel her skin prickled with cold sweat, her heart hammering as though she had been running for ever.

Looking around the dorm room, she saw that it was a bit dim with the early light, the morning air drifting in through the window.

Her gaze snapped over to Special Week’s bed.

It was empty. Suzuka immediately threw back her covers and stepped quietly to the door, her hand hovering on the knob. It’s fine. She told herself, she’s probably getting breakfast. Or water. Or-

No matter what she told herself, the pounding in her chest refused to stay calm.

She slipped into the hallway, being careful so that her steps wouldn’t make so much noise.

Her ears picked up on the faint traces of movement and sound.

Rounding a corner, she slowed down as she picked up voices ahead. She stopped just short of the hallway window, peeking carefully around the edge.

Special Week stood there with Toukai Teio, both of them looking out of the window and unaware of the person watching them.

“Feels like a good morning, you know it’s my first time seeing the sun rise from inside the Academy instead of on the track.” Special Week was saying, her voice soft.

Teio grinned. “Then let’s make it a good day. Race you to the cafeteria?”

Suzuka’s shoulders eased, her breath leaving her in a quiet sigh. The cold knot in her stomach began to fade. It was just a dream, just a silly, baseless fear. Special Week was safe, she was even smiling.

She turned to head back to her room, making sure to be quiet so that not one notice her. But alas, she couldn’t go unnoticed forever. 

“Out for a stroll too, Silent Suzuka?” Suzuka froze, looking up to see Grass Wonder leaning casually against the wall, her arms folded and a knowing smile on her lips.

Her light blue eyes glinted, filled with a sense of warm.

“I could ask you the same.” Suzuka replied calmly, though her fingers curled slightly at her sides.

Grass Wonder’s smile didn’t fade. “I happened to see you on my way to training, you looked a bit concerned. Bad dream?”

Suzuka glanced toward the voices of Teio and Special Week still echoing faintly down the hall.

“Something like that.” Silent Suzuka spoke in her usual tone.

Grass Wonder’s gaze lingered on her for a bit too long. There was a subtle challenge in her expression. “Well, it’s good to know we both care enough to wake early.” Both stared at each other, neither one willing to move.

The silence between them stretched, filled only by the subtle movement of other horse girls that had awoken from their sleep and were just barely starting their day. 

Finally, Grass Wonder shifted away from the wall, her arms unfolding in a graceful motion.

“Well, I suppose we both have our reasons for being here. No point in pretending otherwise.”

Suzuka’s eyes softened, though her tone remained even. “No, there isn’t.”

Grass Wonder gave a small, almost wistful smile. “I’ll take my leave, then. Enjoy your morning walk, Suzuka.”

“Likewise.” Suzuka replied.

The two stepped past each other without another word, heading in opposite directions but their thoughts didn’t stray from the same person.

For how Suzuka fell for Special Week, well it all started on the day she came to the Academy. 

She could still remember the very first time she saw Special Week, that clumsy beaming girl from the countryside. Her eyes were wide with dreams far bigger than her stride. A dream of becoming the best horse girl in Japan. A tall dream for a horse girl, especially one filled with such naïvety. 

When she watched Special Week perform her first run against other horse girls, she didn’t see much. But when there eyes, and the girl smile even brighter, she took off like a speeding car.

But it wasn’t her speed that caught Suzuka’s heart. It was her determination, the way she had tried to mimic her running style. Now that was truly surprising, to see her style mimic by some complete stranger. For a first timer, she didn’t do so bad.

The way she looked at Suzuka after it was over and she had been kidnapped by her fellow team members. It made her feel something that she has never felt before. That look lit a fire under her, wanting to live up to what Special Week sees in her. 

“That’s why.” Suzuka said softly, her lips curving in a faint smile. “She makes me want to run, run until the scenery can be see by you to.”

As for Grass Wonder, well she had met many racers, admired many talents, but Special Week…

It started with simple curiosity, a rookie with no polish, yet somehow drawing the eyes of even the most seasoned competitors.

But then came the moments in between races: the way she’d light up a room with a simple laugh, or pause mid-bite to listen to someone’s worries, as though their words were treasures worth keeping.

Grass Wonder wasn’t drawn to Special Week because she was flawless. She was drawn to her imperfections, the little cracks that showed how hard she worked for and the quiet courage it took to keep smiling. She would often comfort the girl when she was alone and just needed someone to be there. 

“She doesn’t even realize the effect she has.” Grass Wonder said softly, a faint sigh escaping her lips. “That’s part of the charm and part of the danger.” They both wanted her, but knew that only one could be the winner in this. 

But the question remains, will Tachyon’s words resonate with Special Week or will she succumb under the pressure of having to deal with two crushes that both want her.

[Meanwhile: Tachyon’s Side]

Agnes Tachyon’s dorm room looked less like a living space and more like a research lab after a caffeine-fueled hurricane. 

Stacks of notes teetered on a desk, charts were pinned to the wall with red string connecting them. In the center of it all was Tachyon herself, wearing a special type of goggles, with her lab coat flaring a bit dramatically as she scribbled into a notebook.

On the whiteboard behind her was the title in bold, slightly uneven handwriting.

PROJECT: AVOIDANCE AND ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR MULTIPLE ROMANTIC ADVANCES (P.A.E.S.M.R.A.)

 “For short, Operation Counter-Crush!” She announced to no one, speaking like she usually does. 

She adjusted her goggles, reviewing “findings.” her scenario’s had found. 

Scenario 1: The Controlled Detonation Approach

Introduce Manhattan Cafe and Jungle Pocket to a mutual distraction.

Hypothesis: Two large, irresistible cakes placed strategically will redirect emotional energy.

Risk: Jungle Pocket might eat the cake to quickly, while Manhattan would mix the cake with coffee, increasing attachment. 

Scenario 2: Feigned Scientific Obsession

Overwhelm both subjects with some relentless research talk until romantic tension collapses under sheer boredom.

Hypothesis: If I talk about equine metabolic processes for three hours straight, they will retreat.

Risk: Manhattan Cafe will listen if I provide her coffee, which I always do. While Jungle Pocket will pretend to listen just to hear her talk. The  potential for disaster: High.

Scenario 3: The Accidental Hero Bypass

Engineer situations where a third party “saves” them from minor inconveniences (e.g., stuck vending machine, runaway shopping cart).

Hypothesis: Heroic gratitude will be redirected toward third party.

Risk: Third party develops their own crush on me. Spiral of chaos begins.

Tachyon sighed as she leaned back in her chair, tapping the end of her pen against her chin.

“Hmm…all flawed. Must develop Scenario 4, the Perfect Balance: acknowledge both affections without encouraging escalation, thereby maintaining ideal social equilibrium.” She was in mid-thought when there was a soft knock at her door.

“Tachyon-san? Are you busy?” Manhattan Cafe’s  voice drifted in, bringing Tachyon out of her focus mode. 

Before Tachyon could answer, Jungle Pocket’s  voice followed. “I brought snacks, you two!”

The “mad scientist” froze, her eyes darting to the board, then to the door. Her tail and ears twitching.

“Oh dear.” She murmured. “The experiment had begun much sooner than anticipated.”

She straightened her goggles, slid the notes she was working into a folder marked CLASSIFIED, and plastered on her most neutral smile.

“Enter, my, ah, test subjects I mean, friends! We have much to discuss.” Trying to play it smooth. 

The door opened, and two very different pairs of eyes met hers, one was tired, while the other was full of playfulness. At this moment, Tachyon knew her research was about to move from theory to dangerously practical application.

She had not foreseen this possibility coming, it looks like she needs to go back to the drawing board for this. 

Chapter Text

Agnes Tachyon was leaning against a bench, her precious notebook in hand, while pretending to review her latest “emotional equilibrium” data.

Her eyes, however, were not focused on her notes but instead lingered on something else. 

A few paces away, Manhattan Cafe was speaking to Mejiro McQueen. The taller girl’s tone was met with Cafe’s soft nods and subtle smiles, the kind of rare expressions that Tachyon considered exclusive for herself only. But that wasn’t the only scene her eyes were focus on. 

Over near the fountain, Jungle Pocket was animatedly recounting some ridiculous training mishap to Narita Taishin. She had her arms waving wildly with laughter spilling out in bursts.

Tachyon’s pencil scratched across the paper in short jagged lines. Her mind was not in the condition she wanted it to be.

‘Harmless. All harmless interactions. Statistically meaningless.’ Even though she thought like this, her ears twitched with her tail flickering.

Tachyon chest’s felt tight. She didn’t know why she was feeling this tightness. It was an illogical thing to feel and she tried to return to her calculations, muttering to herself to ignore that tightness. 

“Attachment variables holding steady, no reason to-” Her attention was drawn to Cafe when she tilted her head at something McQueen said. A small smile curved her lips. One that Cafe would rarely do. 

Tachyon’s grip on her pencil tightened until it snapped. Surprising herself but the words out of her mouth shocked her even more. 

“Unacceptable data anomaly.” She glanced at Jungle Pocket, who was now leaning in toward Taishin, grinning in that wide confident way that had made Tachyon’s pulse skip the first time she saw it.

The logical voice in her head tried to intervene.

‘This is irrational. They’re allowed to talk to others. Social bonds are normal.’ But another voice, one filled with a raw and impatient tone to it, rose to drown it out.

‘They’re mine.’ Her tail lashed twice. The logic side of her brain crumbling under the pressure of that simple thought repeating over and over.

Before she fully realized what she was doing and stopped herself, she’d crossed the courtyard in a blur.

First, she reached Cafe, slipping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. The sudden contact made Cafe blink. Nearly jumping and pulling a haymaker had she not see just who it was. She didn’t resist the pull, merely tilting her head in confusion.

With one arm around Cafe, Tachyon then moved toward Jungle Pocket, snagging her wrist mid-gesture and tugging her in until she was on her other side.

The three of them now stood in an awkward but undeniably tight cluster. Because of Tachyon’s actions the courtyard had gone still. McQueen and Taishin both stared, shocked seen clearly on their faces. 

Tachyon’s eyes narrowed in a predator like way, her voice calm but held a fierce conviction to it, none of which Cafe or Jungle Pocket had ever heard before.

“They are mine. Mine and mine alone. There are my variables, my constants, no one else’s.” Her tone had a challenge to it, daring someone to say otherwise. But no one dared speak out.

Only one person seemed mildly intrigued by the display, but chose to keep her opinion to herself, less she face that possessiveness face to face. 

Cafe’s gaze softened in that blank way of hers, while Jungle Pocket smirked, as if amused by the situation that was happening. 

 Tachyon, after taking a deep breath, tightened her hold and dragged the two of them inside the academy. She was leading them to a familiar room, one where it would be just them.

[Few Hours Later]

By late afternoon, Tachyon had retreated to her lab, the only safe environment where she could restore the dignity of her reputation without any prying eyes. 

The door creaked open and Manhattan Cafe and Jungle Pocket both walked in. Their attention focused on Tachyon who was writing on the large chalkboard they had.

Tachyon glanced up from the chalkboard, where she was halfway through writing a complex diagram titled, 

“Emotional Possession Response: A Case Study in Variable Protection.”

“Oh, perfect,” she said, pointing her chalk toward them. “The two of you have arrived just in time for my explanation. I’ve concluded that earlier’s events were simply a reactive control response.

A necessary measure to safeguard key experimental constants from destabilizing external interference-“ Before she could finish, her favorite numbskull cut her off. 

“You mean,” Jungle Pocket interrupted with a wolfish grin, “when you yanked us away from two perfectly normal conversations and told the entire courtyard we were yours?”

Tachyon cleared her throat. “Yes, well that phrasing was merely a concise field declaration to-”

Cafe stepped closer, tilting her head ever so slightly. “Mm…felt more like…hugging.” Her tone was mild, but the faint upward curve of her lips carried a hint of mischief.

Tachyon adjusted her goggles. “Hugging is simply an efficient method of-“

“Marking territory?” Jungle Pocket teased, leaning in on her right side.

Cafe mirrored the motion on the left, voice low and teasing. “Claiming variables?”

Tachyon’s ears twitched, her composure slipping for just a moment. “It was a…protective reflex, nothing more.”

“Mm.” Cafe’s gaze softened in the way that made Tachyon’s tail betray her by swishing.

“Then you won’t mind if we tell people we’re yours too?”

Jungle Pocket smirked. “Fair’s fair, Tachyon.”

Tachyon opened her mouth, probably to quote some obscure paper on reciprocal social claims, but no sound came out.

Instead, she turned sharply to her chalkboard, muttering something about needing more data while both of them chuckled behind her.

For the rest of the afternoon, every time she tried to focus, she could feel them watching her “constants”, with a warmth that made scientific terminology utterly useless.

[The Next Day]

The training track was lively as usual, with the thud of hooves and the crisp calls of friends who encouraged each other to run faster.

Agnes Tachyon was stationed at the edge of the dirt path, clipboard in hand,  tracking her split times for the day.

Her “constants”, Manhattan Cafe and Jungle Pocket, were supposed to be focusing on their drills.

Keyword: supposed to.

It started off subtly. Cafe, quiet as always, drifted over during a water break, holding out a bottle to Tachyon.

“You’ve been standing in the sun too long…you should drink.”

Before Tachyon could thank her, Jungle Pocket appeared out of nowhere, sliding an arm around Tachyon’s shoulders with a grin.

“Pfft, water’s boring. Come on, Tachyon, run a lap with me. Bet you can’t keep up.”

“Running is not in the schedule for me,” Tachyon replied, prying Jungle’s arm off. “I’m here to observe-”

“Then observe up close.” Jungle teased, leaning in.

Cafe’s eyes narrowed, barely, but enough for Tachyon to notice. She calmly stepped in, placing herself between Tachyon and Jungle.

“She doesn’t have to exhaust herself more then she already has, you of all people should know that.”

“Ohhh,” Jungle smirked, tilting her head, “are you saying she can’t keep up?”

“It’s not about that.” Cafe’s voice was quiet, but her hand stayed on Tachyon’s arm. “It’s about what’s best for her.”

Tachyon felt her tail stiffen. They are actively skewing the data set she had so effortlessly put together. 

She tried to step back, but Jungle caught her other arm. Now both of them had a claim,  one on the left and one on the right.

“Oh, now you have to pick, Tachyon,” Jungle said with a sly grin.

Cafe’s gaze softened, but her tone held an edge of challenge. “I think she already has picked.”

The air between them crackled with an odd, yet playful intensity that made Tachyon’s pulse pick up.

Her clipboard slipped slightly in her grip. “This is an uncontrolled environment! You’re both contaminating my-“ 

Jungle cut her off with a laugh. “Face it, Tachyon we’re just racing for a different kind of prize.”

Cafe gave a small, knowing smile. “And I think I’m in the lead.”

Tachyon’s brain short-circuited. All she could do was stand there, both arms claimed, her so-called “experiment” collapsing into utter chaos while the rest of the track looked on with curiosity.

She realized she wasn’t going to get any useful data today.

{Bonus Scene}

A Father’s Love

The evening breeze carried the faint scent of grass from the now-empty track as Symboli Rudolf closed her notebook, satisfied with the day’s observations.

She barely had time to tuck it under her arm before a familiar, honey-smooth voice floated over from behind her.

“Well, well, if it isn’t our beloved President.”
Maruzensky purred, sauntering into view with her signature confident smile. “Still playing doting dad to little Teio, hmm?”

Rudolf adjusted her tie, clearing her throat.

“It is the responsibility of a senior to guide the younger generation toward their full potential.”

“Oh, of course,” Maruzensky said, her tone dripping with amusement. “You just happen to give her pep talks, walk her through her worries, and, let’s see, encourage her when she starts staring at McQueen “that way” ?”

Rudolf stiffened up, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“You are merely exaggerating.”

Maruzensky leaned in closer, enjoying the faint twitch in her jaw. “Oh, am I? Because I distinctly recall a certain someone giving Teio the ‘follow your heart, no matter the odds’ speech. Very poetic. If that doesn’t scream parental, then I am not sure what does.”

“That advice applies to all pursuits,” Rudolf countered, though her voice had lost some of its usual weight she had as student president.

“Mmm-hmm,” Maruzensky hummed, circling her like a cat toying with its prey.

“And what’s this I hear about you arranging their training schedules to overlap? How noble. How supportive. How shall I put this, embarrassingly obvious.”

“I will not dignify baseless rumors,” Rudolf said, though her ears betrayed the faintest hint of color.

Maruzensky’s grin widened. “Oh, I think you already have. You’re practically glowing with pride whenever Teio makes progress especially when McQueen’s involved. Face it, President, you see Teio in more than just another fan or fellow horse girl.”

Rudolf sighed, no longer having the strength to even win. “You have too much free time.”

“And you,” Maruzensky said, patting her shoulder with mock sympathy. “have too much pride to admit you’re secretly rooting for the romance. Don’t worry, I’ll keep your little father- act safe…for now.”

Her laughter followed her as she walked away, leaving Rudolf standing alone her shoulders stiff, expression neutral.

But there were traces of the faintest, most reluctant smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.