Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The sun was beating down on the training track of Tracen Academy's east wing.

You were meticulously writing lap intervals into your clipboard, comparing them with previous times while your starry-eyed trainee was jogging down the track in a cooldown lap. You've been assigned as her trainer for a few months now, and she has already enthusiastically asserted herself as the next undefeated Triple Crown champion in the Twinkle Series. You look up from your clipboard to see her canter over to you with a stride that exudes grace and confidence.

"Trainer! How did I do today?"

She looked up at you expectantly, her hands on her hips and chest puffed out in an earnest attempt to make herself appear larger. The white crescent streak of her ahoge bobs in the wind as it frames the rest of her chestnut colored hair tied up in a ponytail. Sweat from her earlier exertion is spotted across her features as her body eases into a resting pace. Her ears prick forward instantly, eager to hear whatever praise you might happen to have for her. This is Tokai Teio, the promising trainee you scouted. Or more accurately, the umamusume who couldn't leave your side the moment she saw you at tryouts.

You look at your clipboard to see her improvements in interval times compared to last week's regimen.

"A full second improvement on the last straight of this track. Exceedingly impressive, Teio. You should be proud!"

Teio's eyes went wide at the praise, taking in every word with bated breath.

"Of course, this is nothing for the invincible Teio!" She boasts, the way her body practically vibrates from excitement betraying her image of controlled haughtiness at my praise. "At this rate, the Kikuka Sho will be a piece of cake!" Her gaze lingers to the side, already basking in the glory of her fated victory. She suddenly turns back to me, forgetting I'm standing across from her as she plays out her theatrics. "Oh! And... and I couldn't do it without you, trainer." She closes the distance suddenly, pressing her face into his chest with a full-body hug.

An umamusume's body heat is one of the first things you learn about when you scout one to train. The second is their considerable strength. So, it's not hard to imagine the crushing heat of Teio's arms constricting around you right now.

"I'm so, so glad you chose me. I knew the moment I saw you that we'd make the best team!" She's beaming with joyful energy. Completely unaware of how the air is draining from your face while she squeezes you against her body, her training uniform still damp with her earlier sweat.

"I-I'm so happy too, Teio!" You stammer out the usual praise that's become routine at this point. This is how things usually are between you two. She races her heart out, drags you everywhere, needs to have you in her sight 24/7. A champion in her own right, but one which requires high maintenance to match that latent potential deep inside. "B-But your trainer's lungs need air!"

After hearing your gasped plea for air, she loosens the vice grip of her hug around you. "Oh! Sorry trainer! I was just... just excited from hearing how proud you were of me... hehe." She apologized, clasping her hands around her back in a bashful gesture. You take some deep breaths after almost becoming a statistic in uma-related fatalities.

Her cellphone vibrates in her pocket after the crushing embrace embrace. She hastily takes it out of her uniform pocket The angle she holds it lets you see her phone screen, a selfie of her and the student council president. She takes a split second to read the message, and you can see her eyes perk up again almost immediately. "TRAINER! LOOK!" She holds her phone up to your face. A message from a contact labeled as: "❤️ Kaichou! 👑" reads in the notification ribbon.

Teio, I wish to meet with you after your training today to discuss future career aspirations. I'll meet you by the east wing gate. I hope to see you there. -Symboli Rudolf

A simple, direct request from the student council president, leaning more on the side of an imperial summons rather than a typical plan for a meeting. For some reason, she even signs her text messages as if they were written letters.

You're familiar with her already, by word of mouth more than anything. And if you weren't, Teio would be there to remind you every second of every day if you forgot for even a second about how cool and amazing the class president is. She's Symboli Rudolf, the 7 crown champion Emperor of Tracen, and her reputation precedes her entirely. Stories of her ceaseless victories and ruthless competitiveness over others in her class are nothing short of legend in the halls of Tracen. And she has taken a... particular interest in your trainee since she was admitted into the academy. Or rather, the other way around. It'd be strange if Teio went a whole week without meeting with her "Kaichou" during office hours at least once.

"She wants to meet with me today! I'm getting all tingly just thinking about it!" She can hardly contain her excitement. Once her mind gets set on Rudolf, it's like everything else needs to halt for everyone to bear witness to her Kaichou's glory. Or... however she says it.

"I hope you enjoy your time with the president, Teio. Let me know how it goes." You pat her head as you send her off. Rudolf is a legend in her own right around the academy, and she has departed her wisdom to Teio many times in the past already on racing strategy and preparation. Whether you realize it or not, fulfilling Teio's dreams of also becoming an undefeated triple crown champion has become almost a joint effort between you two. Despite the amount of importance she holds in Teio's aspirations and goals, you've never gotten an opportunity to properly meet her yourself. But seeing professional photos of her in her racing silks in magazines, billboards, advertisements, and posters has already established this image of untouchable regality in your mind.

"Actually, trainer..." She pauses, turning on her heels for just a second as she looks back at you with a contemplative expression. "Since we're done training... would you like to... come with me? To meet her?" She asks you with a pensive tone. "If you're going to be my trainer, you should at least meet the legend I'm living up to yourself!" Her eyes light up at the idea of the two pillars of guidance in her racing career being able to meet for the first time. She takes your hand in hers, a gesture of trust and anticipation for her. "I mean... only if you're not busy right now... it'd be so cool for you two to meet!" She exclaims. She looks more excited for this than when she lined up in the paddock for her debut race.

You have nothing else going on after practice, so you can't help but agree to fulfill her request. The opportunity to meet the Emperor properly for the first time and not through pep rally speeches or official events is also enticing, to say the least. Teio looks up to you expectantly. You think to yourself that she's honestly really cute when she's not accidentally trying to kill you with physical shows of affection. "Sure Teio, I'd love to meet the presid—" Your words are cut off short as she immediately curls her arm around yours and drags you forward across the track.

"Ah! I'm so so glad you said yes! Kaichou is... well, you'll see! She's even more amazing in person than in all the posters and magazines and concerts and... oh I just can't wait!" Her voice is a rapid, breathless deluge of accolades attributed to Rudolf, as if she's talking about her for the first time again to you. The grip on your arm is tight as she practically tows you across the field towards the east wing gate.

"She's just so cool, you know? When you see her racing, you can really see how she lives up to that 'Emperor' title, it's like she owns the track! Um, well... I guess as the president she does? I'll have to ask her!" She continues to ramble on in front of you, completely oblivious to how your legs have given out by now and you're literally being hauled across the field by her.

"Anyway, she'll love you! Well, of course she will, you're my trainer! The best trainer! But, um, try to be formal, okay? Kaichou can really be all regal-like, so please be on your best behavior." She glances back at you now, her bright eyes still unaware to your struggling of trying to keep up with her. "Not that you aren't respectful! You're the best... just, don't embarrass me, okay?" Her voice lulls to a hushed whisper between you two as the paved gravel path of the east gate falls into view.

"I got it, Teio. Respectfulness. And I'll try not to embarrass you. Depends on how funny I think the story of you wanting to buy the entire honeyade truck would be to her." You tease, falling into a walking pace next to her as you both inch towards the meeting spot with each step.

Teio's ears pin back in mock distress, the image of her beloved Kaichou being unveiled to such an embarrassing memory is a desecration to her very image as the Monarch walking in the path of the Emperor. "T-Trainer, no! That's... that's classified information! A state secret! It would tarnish my reputation as... as..." Her voice trails off in a mumble, struggling in trying to find the right words to fit the regal, monarch-in-training persona she believes she needs to be when in the presence of Rudolf. "Ugh! Just... just be cool, okay?" She directs you with the typical fussiness in her voice you've gotten used to over time.

As the gate comes into view, Teio's steps slow just a fraction. Her expression shifts from excitement to something more... apprehensive?

"And um, trainer?" She looks up at you with a surprise amount of concern in her eyes. "Kaichou is really amazing and cool, but she has a bad habit with her... humor. If she makes a joke, please just... smile and nod, okay? It's for the best." She loosens the grip on your arm after giving you that... bizarre warning and straightens up her posture for the president as you both stand by the tall gate to Tracen's east wing. She smooths the front of her training jacket and adjusts the ribbon in her hair, her movements subtly nervous as she looks around trying to spot any signs of the President showing up.

What was that about?

As you were contemplating that strange comment, her eyes and ears immediately perked up. "Look, there she is!" She nudges your arm, urging you to look to the side where she spots her walking in the distance.

She's tall, noticeably taller than Teio. And her posture exudes that of a ruler approaching to monitor her territories rather than a chance meeting with her junior, a stark contrast to the excessively anxious umamusume standing next to you with wobbly knees. Her hair is majestically long, the late afternoon sun casting a warm glow over her, highlighting the layered chestnut brown of her hair and overcast by the noticeable white streak of her crescent ahoge. It's starkingly similar to Teio's, you've always wondered if it's just by chance Teio's own resembles it or if she styled it to look like Rudolf's. Her magenta eyes, sharp and perceptive, tracked the both of you with an unwavering focus that misses nothing. She wore the formal blue jacket and skirt of Tracen academy's students, the fabric tailored to perfection around her figure. The standard attire you've grown used to seeing on other umamusume after weeks of roaming Tracen's halls feels a tinge more intimidating when worn around her form. This is Symboli Rudolf. And she embodies, in every sense of the word, the title of "Emperor".

She approaches you both with a leisurely wave, the stern look on her face softening just a fraction.

"Tokai Teio. And you must be her trainer. It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance." Her voice is clear and direct, carrying the full weight of the position she holds in the academy. She stretches her arm out to you for a handshake, her eyes not leaving yours. She takes your hand in hers, her grip firm and controlled, shaking it with the practiced experience of a diplomat meeting a proposed ally.

"It's an honor to meet the president of Tracen in the flesh. Thank you for all the mentorship you offer for my trainee. I'm sure you know already that she can be quite a handful." You joke with her during the handshake. Her skin is surprisingly soft, belying the immense strength coiled in her frame. She holds your grip for a fleeting moment before releasing, her eyes never releasing yours. Teio grunts in disapproval next to you two after those choice words.

"The pleasure is mine, trainer. Your dedication to my junior has not gone unnoticed. Her form has improved remarkably in such a short time coupled with your guidance." Her gaze flicks briefly to Teio, who seems to be vibrating with barely-controlled excitement now from the praise, before returning to yours. "To have inspired such dedication in one so talented is no small feat. For that, you have my thanks as well, Trainer." She crosses her arms under chest, her magenta eyes sparking with a hint of mischief at seeing her junior so clearly enamored by their brief interaction.

Teio's excitement reaches its peak, a gleeful squeak escaping her as she bounces on her toes, her hands clasped together under her chin in observant enthusiasm as her ears swivel between you two, taking in every ounce of praise for her that's being aired out. "See? See! I told you, Trainer! Kaichou is amazing! And she thinks you're doing a good job training me! This is the best!" Her tail swishes in frantic, happy arcs behind her.

A soft, genuine laugh escapes Rudolf's lips, the sound as clear and refined as her disposition. Her laugh was a surprisingly warm counterpoint to her typically imposing presence. The intense focus in the corners of her eyes softened in honest amusement as she glanced between you and Teio. For just a moment, the untouchable "Emperor" your trainee admired vanished, and in her place was just an endearing and strikingly beau—

Wait, what the hell am I thinking?

You catch yourself, quickly burying that trailing thought in the back of your mind.

The moment passes by quickly, before her gaze returns to Teio with an open fondness. "Such spirited enthusiasm is precisely what fuels a champion's heart," she says, her gaze lingering on Teio with pride before returning to your eyes, "her performances in the Satsuki Sho and Tokyo Yushun reflect not just physical growth, but a significant maturation of her competitive mindset. You have cultivated a rare gem, Trainer."

The talk of Teio's career was a lifeline for your wandering thoughts. That's what the point of this meeting was in the first place. Teio's career, nothing else. "I appreciate the compliments. She's quite remarkable, I couldn't do it without your help in reining her in as well."

Rudolf's right ear twitches slightly at the comment. She pauses, her magenta eyes glinting with a sudden, playful light in them. She leans in slightly, her voice dropping to an almost mischievous tone. "Of course, all this talk of cultivation and growth... it really proves one thing." She stands tall again, a perfectly earnest and regal smile spreading across her face. "You two are quite the outstanding team. One could say you two make a... stable partnership." She delivers the pun with an absolute, unwavering seriousness. It was a perfect setup. Textbook in its timing and payoff. Literally. It was a joke she's practiced countless times in the mirror from page 84 of her novel "Comedy for Dummies: Adult humor and puns for social situations". She expected both of them to laugh, but the only thing apparent in the air was a profound, awkward silence between them all.

You watched with an almost confused expression at Rudolf's wordplay. Her soothing voice replaying in your mind to pick up what led to the sudden silence, like she was expecting a reply from you two. You tilt your head, looking downright perplexed until the reality of what she meant hit you. "Ha. Stable. Like... stablehands. That's... a good one, President." You force out the awkward appraisal of her pun as Teio looks like she's about to collapse from embarrassment next to you.

Teio's ears, which were proudly pricked forward a second ago, now pin flat against her skull in an instinctual reaction to the sheer, soul-crushing... lameness of the pun. Her once cheerful expression freezes, and fractures into a pained grimace. Her face heats up in secondhand embarrassment from just how excruciatingly... cringe Rudolf was acting. In front of her trainer, no less! "Kaichou... please," she groans, her hands pressing to her face before sliding back down. "No—no more puns in front of my trainer! Can you please just skip the wordplay when you're being all cool and regal?" She gives you an utterly betrayed expression, like you just witnessed a priceless artifact of hers being shattered before your eyes.

Rudolf's smile doesn't falter; if anything, it deepens, the corners of her eyes crinkling with amusement at Teio's dramatic distress. She reaches out and places a gentle, if patronizing hand atop Teio's head, ruffling her hair and similarly crescent-shaped ahoge affectionately. "I apologize, perhaps I still need to work on my delivery. I appreciate the attempt at sparing my dignity, trainer. Though, it seems my junior here believes I have none left to spare."

Teio's hands flew up to push Rudolf's hand away, her cheeks flushed from embarrassment. "N-No! That's not what I...! Kaichou's dignity is legendary! It's just—" She gestures wildly between you and Rudolf, her expression faltering as she notices how amused you are starting to become from her flustered reactions. "You two are meeting for the first time, and she's already...!" Her words trail off, unable to complete the thought. You chuckle to yourself at how highly Teio regards Rudolf that it looks like her whole word is falling apart from a bad, and if nothing else harmless joke.

Rudolf merely crosses her arms again, raising a brow at Teio. "Already what, Teio?" She asks in a teasing intonation of her voice. That thoughtful, measured voice. It's a sound that's starting to become deeply pleasant to your ears. Dangerously so. You find yourself watching the subtle movement of her lips as she forms each word, and the lower, warmer tone of her voice she uses when disarming Teio's flustered reactions. A traitorous part of your brain, the part not currently occupied with training and race schedules, notes how perfectly her mouth shapes the sounds. It notices the subtle softness of her lower lip, how it purses just so when looking down at Teio. It wonders how her lips would feel, if...

Stop it.

You shake that thought loose again, peeling your eyes away from Rudolf and back to Teio's frustrated form before the blush creeping up your neck can spread to the rest of your face. This is Symboli Rudolf. The Emperor. Teio's living idol. You're her trainer, for god's sake. This is a professional introduction, not an... assessment.

Yet.

Your eyes betray you still. They sneak glances at her amused gaze. The elegant line of her neck. The way her tailored uniform stretches across her breasts as she crosses her arms. The elegant curve of her hips that lead to a hint of powerful thigh that lies underneath her skirt. Those long, defined legs that end in polished school loafers. The softened contours of her face which, you imagine, would feel delightful to touch. Every inch of her body speaks to her athletic career and power restrained by regal composure. She was breathtaking. Beautiful. Striking. Every improper and unprofessional word you could think of to describe her tranquil beauty. And it was currently eating you alive from the inside.

But aside from her, you spot the lifeline you need to focus on this conversation again. Teio is right there, a veritable storm of secondhand embarrassment and devotion, and you're looking at Rudolf like she's the only thing that matters in the world. Your mind snaps back into place again.

Get a damn grip. Right now.

You manage a weak, professional chuckle, tearing your gaze away from Rudolf's irresistible allure to focus on Teio. "It's okay, Teio. The jokes are... charming. Shows a more, uh, human side of her, behind all of those accolades and accomplishments you always tell me about." You say the words, feeling a tinge of uncertainty in them.

Human side.

What does that even mean for an Uma...?

Fucking idiot.

You're panicking. You're panicking just from looking at and talking with her. What is wrong with you? Don't you realize how bad this lo—

"A more human side? An interesting choice of words, Trainer." Rudolf's voice cuts through your internal and Teio's external flailing, smooth as silk. Her eyes are fixed on you, and the amusement within them sharpening into something more perceptive, more... aware. It feels like she can see the frantic scramble of your thoughts. "I find that a touch of levity often makes leadership more approachable. Though," she smiles wryly towards Teio as she glances at her, "clearly, my attempts are not universally appreciated."

Teio groans, throwing her hands to her skull in dramatic despair. "It's not 'levity,' Kaichou, it's torture! My amazing, cool, seven-crown-winning Kaichou... reduced to... to stable jokes in front of my trainer! My whole world is crumbling! The pillars of my inspiration are made of... of pundamentally weak material!" She slaps a hand over her own mouth, her eyes going wide with horror at the unintended wordplay that just escaped her. "NO!!! I'VE BEEN INFECTED! IT'S CONTAGIOUS!" She exclaims, her eyes shutting in frustration between us.

You share a genuine laugh with Rudolf, the sound warm and natural that hangs in the air for a moment with Teio's mortified groaning as the backdrop. Your focus seemed to magnetically fall back on Rudolf across from you as Teio dug her own grave.

Beautiful

It's the one word that your mind kept coming back to as you gazed... no, stared at Rudolf. Her head tilt back slightly, exposing the line of her neck again as she laughs, the warm and rich melody implanting itself in your mind as an unforgettable memory. You imagine what it might be like to feel that laughter against your own mouth, to taste the warmth of it. Her chest rises and falls with the motions, the roundness of her breasts straining against her uniform. She shifted her weight on her legs while laughing, drawing your attention to the supple curve of her thighs underneath that pleated skirt. They must feel heavenly. She must feel heavenly.

Every detail is imprinted in your mind with a visual clarity that feels both intrusive and irresistible. The faint, clean scent of her perfume and natural scent, something floral and expensive reaches you. The way a single, loose strand of her chestnut hair caresses the side of her neck. The effortless, innate grace in her posture, even while she laughs at her adoring junior's expense. A hot, sharp spike of desire pools in your gut, wholly inappropriate and immediately shameful.

She's Teio's idol. The Emperor. You're her trainer. Get a hold of yourself.

But the way your eyes remained transfixed on her says otherwise. And, before you could even process it, for a split second, Rudolf's eyes open to meet yours.

And for the first time this whole afternoon, she saw you.

Not the responsible trainer, or the professional colleague sharing a laugh. No, she saw the man whose gaze had slipped past respectful admiration and settled into something far more... intimate. The man whose eyes had traced the lines of her body with a hunger he hadn't meant to reveal. The man who looked at a legend, and instead of gazing in astonishment at the crown, saw the woman beneath.

A sharp, clutching feeling of embarrassment and profound guilt welled up inside of you. Caught, You thought to yourself.

She's going to revoke my license.

The worst-case scenarios were already taking root in your mind. 

Teio's going to fucking kill me. She's going to fucking kill me.

She saw the way you looked at her, and knowing the Emperor's cruelty on the track from previous accounts, there was no way she would let you off easy for such a profoundly disrespectful transgression.

However,

The amused, genuine warmth in her magenta eyes you expected to flare with indignation did not vanish, but shifted. Her eyes widened, shifting into something more piercing and knowing as she met your gaze, recognizing exactly what your staring had implied. Her ears—those long, expressive markers of soft fur—swiveled forward until they were pointed directly at you, every subtle twitch betraying the sudden sharpness of her attention. The movement was an unconscious, deeply ingrained reaction, a sign of her instinctual nature focusing on a novel, and rather... significant stimulus. Her tail, which until then had been perfectly still behind her regal posture, gave a single slow and deliberate swish, the motion more pointed than any of Teio's frantic wags next to you. It was a gesture of startled awareness, an instinct she usually kept locked down tight. A faint, rosy blush crept up the column of her neck to her cheeks, a substantial contrast to her usually resplendent composure.

The single, electric undercurrent passed between you in that split second.

Her own gaze did not waver. She did not look away in flustered modesty. Instead, she met your stare head-on, the teasing confidence she'd worn moments ago dissolving into a profound curiosity. The faint hint of amusement faded from her lips, replaced by a thoughtful stillness. Nothing needed to be said. The look alone acknowledged a secret exchanged between two adults with nothing more than stolen glances. 

The silence stretched for a heartbeat. Two. In it, she saw the guilt flash across your face, the deer-in-headlights panic that was immediately obvious in your expression.

Good.

You should be panicked.

It's only fair.

At last, she broke the unspoken tension, turning her attention back toward Teio, though her ears remained ever so slightly canted in your direction.

"Teio," She announced, her voice regaining its melodic composure, though a trace of subtle warmth lingered beneath it now that she understood the true context behind your lingering gaze. "Your dedication is your greatest strength. Never lose that spirit." Her hand gives Teio's shoulder an affectionate squeeze before releasing her.

Then she turns her full attention back to you. Her imperial gaze meets yours directly, holding your eyes for a beat longer than strictly necessary. That knowing smile touches her lips again—soft, private, just for you. The smile makes your gut churn with anxiety.

"It was a pleasure to finally meet you, Trainer, but I must take my leave. Your influence on Teio is... evident. In more ways than one," Her voice remained measured, every syllable carrying the effortless composure expected of the Student Council President. Then, just as you thought she had finished, she lingered.

Her eyes held yours. 

"One could almost envy such singular attention."

She spoke the words with the same casualness as discussing the weather or track conditions.

There was no accusation in her voice.

No judgement.

No irritation.

Instead, she left you alone with a sentence whose meaning refused to sit still in your newly distressed thoughts.

She gave a slight, elegant dip of her head, a gesture that is both respectful and intimately acknowledging. "I am certain our paths will cross again. A president's duties, however, are truly never done."

The words settled over you with terrifying gentleness. You couldn't tell whether they'd been meant as a compliment, a warning, or a quiet admission. Somehow, not knowing was worse. Your pulse pounded loud enough to drown out the world around you, each heartbeat sending a rush of blood roaring in your ears.

Beside you, Teio chirped something cheerful, drawing Rudolf's attention away. The Emperor's expression softened into the fond smile she'd worn throughout their conversation. She replied with a few warm parting words of encouragement, judging by the way Teio's face lit up—but they dissolved into little more than muffled syllables beneath the pounding in your ears. 

Teio laughed, bright, familiar, blissfully oblivious, before waving enthusiastically as Rudolf turned with a fluid grace and began to walk back to the Academy.

"...See you later, Kaichou!"

Rudolf returned the wave with effortless grace before turning back toward you, her eyes landing strictly on yours one last time before she opens her mouth. "Do keep your focus sharp, Trainer. It would be a shame to... stall your progress." She delivers the final, terrible pun with perfect, regal seriousness and a glint of pure mischief in her gaze before continuing her walk, her tail giving one final, slow swish behind her as she walked away.

You stood there for a couple of seconds as you watched her walk away. Teio was still next to you, groaning about the pun, completely oblivious to the mountainous shift in the air that just occurred between you and her idol. Her voice was tuned out, your vision blurry, as you could do nothing but focus on the retreating figure in the distance that caught you in the act so blatantly it was almost disgraceful.

She saw.

She fucking saw me.

And what's worse was, she didn't look angry. She looked... intrigued. Interested. That implication was worse. Way worse. The slow swish of her tail. The way her ears locked onto you. The blush she'd failed to fully hide. The suggestive length of that final look. It all pointed towards a singular conclusion that was undoubtedly true, and very, very messy.

You blink, forcing yourself back in the present as Teio waves a hand in front of your face.

"Trainer? Helloooo?" Teio's voice cuts through the static in your head, her expression shifting from the comical despair previously to one of genuine concern. "You okay? You look kinda... red. And spacey. Was Kaichou's pun seriously that bad? I told you they were a weapon!"

Your eyes meet Teio's once again. Her bright, round, and innocent eyes a compelling contrast to Rudolf's knowing gaze. Just as you were thinking about filing for a transfer to a different academy, the feeling of guilt, sharp and immediate, slices through the haze of... whatever that was controlling you. You're Teio's trainer. You still have a duty to fulfill for her. No matter how... charming Rudolf can be.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine, Teio.", you manage, your voice sounding a tad more rough than usual. "Just... absorbing the impact of the Emperor's comedic arsenal. It's potent stuff."

She puffed out her cheeks. "Tell me about it! And that's the kinda stuff I have to hear every day! I need to go wash my ears out with soap or something. C'mon, let's get out of here before her pun-aura infects us any further!" She wraps her arm around yours again, the grip familiar and grounding, and started tugging you back toward the main building.

She leads you, but your head was still back at the gate. Back with the look. That smile.

One could almost envy such singular attention.

What the fuck does that mean? Was she mocking me? Teasing? Or...

You stifle wherever that thought was heading. If you entertain this distraction, it'll be a disaster waiting to happen. A spectacular, career-ending, heart-shattering-for-Teio disaster.

But as you walked with Teio around your arm, all you could see was the blush on her neck. The sway of her hips as she walked away. Her ears turning towards you in rapt attention. The promise in her eyes when she said their paths would cross again.

Keep your focus sharp.

She was right.

Focus.

On Teio.

On training.

On the Kikuka Sho.

Not on the feeling that you'd just been measured, found intriguing, and quietly marked by the Emperor.