A/N: Hah, bet you didn't think I will drop a chapter after 2 months. Anyways, check-ins to confirm you're still alive.
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The trainer room was half-lit by the sinking sun, the curtains left just open enough for the light to spill across the desk. This was the place where Silver Tear often snuck in when she didn't feel like dealing with people, treating it like a place to be alone more than anything else.
The lazy Uma Musume stretched across the tabletop, her upper body pressing against a stack of papers that she used as a makeshift pillow. Once she was in this state, getting her to move was close to impossible.
–Slide–
The door slid open, revealing Dante on the other side.
She didn't spare a glance at him, but her ears flicked slightly in acknowledgment to his presence.
Dante paused by the desk, glancing at the papers she was lying on. "You're going to crease those."
"They were already creased." Silver Tear muffled against the stack, completely uninterested in moving.
"Can you move a little?" Dante seemed like he was having a headache.
"No can do, Dantehh~. As you can see, I'm sealed in this stateee~" The lazy Uma Musume dragged her voice out as she yawned, not even bothering to cover her mouth.
One hand lifted half-heartedly, gesturing at herself like the explanation should be obvious. "Mm. Unless someone generously feeds me something good."
Dante was speechless by her audacity to take his desk while acting like a brat without a shred of guilt.
Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Dante grabbed her squishy cheek and pinched it.
"Wawww… Dantehh~" Silver Tear groaned, the sound soft and drawn-out, her words slurring as her cheek was stretched comedically.
Her eyes cracked open just enough to look at him, though, more put-upon than actually bothered. "You're so rudeeee…"
"Move." Dante said flatly, though there was a faint curl at the corner of his mouth as he tried his best to suppress a laugh.
'Damn it!! Her cheek is so soft it's just like mochi. Wait, hold back, Dante!! The fuck are you thinking?!'
Silver Tear didn't comply. Instead, she let her face be stretched along, as if even resisting properly required too much effort.
"You're abusing your position…" She murmured, voice still lazy, though the way her fingers twitched against the table suggested she was reaching her limit. "I should report this to prez…"
"It'd be a miracle if you can even drag yourself to her room." Dante fired back without a pause. He was completely exasperated at how a top tier Uma Musume could be this… lazy. But at least, he was somewhat adapted to her shinanigan now.
"You're so cruel…" Even though Silver Tear's eyes were glistening with tears, she still hesitated to move a single muscle.
He didn't let go.
Her eyes narrowed just a fraction, the languid act slipping for a second as she lifted a hand and caught his wrist.
"Dantehh…"
"Hurry up, I need to meet the deadline today."
Then she huffed softly, finally pushing his hand away with a small burst of effort, as if she'd decided it wasn't worth enduring any longer. Her body shifted an inch across the table, freeing the papers beneath her.
"…Evil guy. I curse you to be a single dog in this life. Oh wait, you're already one!" She muttered under her breath, though her playful expression didn't seem convincing enough.
"That's harsh?" Dante said hardly, he just took true damage with that one.
"You deserve it!" Silver Tear massaged her reddened cheek with a resentful look. Though if one were to look from Dante's perspective, that expression was not very convincing. Combined with the way her ears drooped and her puffed cheeks, she looked like a sulking child.
Dante didn't argue. Taking the opening, he slid the stack of papers completely free from her grasp.
Silver Tear boredly watched him through half-lidded eyes as he gathered everything up.
"There's a G2 Tulip Sho this weekend." Dante struck up a small talk.
Silver Tear shifted slightly on the table, resting her head on her arm, pouting cutely. "Mm. So what?"
"This year has many strong contenders. All in all, worth the effort to take a look." Dante added, setting the papers down properly.
"Go on, then. What's the point?" Her voice drifted, unhurried, like she had nowhere else to be and no reason to rush him along.
Dante glanced at her. "I'll go there to scout."
"Uh huh–" She was nodding along when she realized something was not right and to make the matter worse, Dante added. "You are going too."
That moment, Silver Tear's brain crashed. Even if she had to think with her feet, she could already figure out the meaning behind that.
She turned her head to look at him properly. One brow lifted, curiosity slipping through the usual ease.
"With you?" She asked.
"Yes." He nodded.
Then the corner of her lips curved as if she just found an interesting case. "That sounded suspicious."
"It wasn't." Dante deadpannedly denied her.
"Are you asking me out on a date?"
Dante didn't even need to think before answering. "No."
Silver Tear's eyes narrowed, making a face that basically said 'I know what you're trying to do but I can't prove it'.
"You're definitely inviting me on a date." She said, pushing herself up just enough to rest her chin on her hand, fully engaged in this debate now.
"I treat you as my trainer, and you want to go on a date with me? Dream on!!" By the time she finished, she was already on her feet. Her ears perked up sharply, tail flicking behind her in clear agitation, the earlier laziness gone like it had never existed.
Now it was time for Dante to be confused.
Dante stared at her, speechless by the leap of logic. He reached the conclusion that Silver Tear had been infected with Gold Ship Virus. The way they talked nonsense was basically identical.
To stop this from going further, he gave her a light smack on the top of her head.
"Ouch! Hey—"
He cut her off, dragging a hand down his face before forcing his expression back into place, like he was actively holding himself together.
"Did I owe you in my past life?" He said, voice tight with disbelief. "It's a race! A race!! You're coming to watch a race to learn about your opponents."
Silver Tear paused, one hand still rubbing the bump on her head, her ears dropping and making a pouty face as if she had been wronged.
"…Mm."
He exhaled through his nose. "You're coming or not?"
"Fine! Fine!! I'm going! You happy now?!" Silver Tear pulled out an energy bar out of nowhere and bit it hard as if she was expressing that she was venting her dissatisfaction at the poor snack.
"Hahh… How do I explain this? The race itself isn't the real purpose for this but the person you're going to meet." Dante sighed and paused, reorganizing it in his head to say something.
"Hmm? Then who am I going to meet?" She asked, giving him a sideways glance. Her attention remained firmly elsewhere. As far as she could tell, there was nothing about this situation that warranted such a serious introduction.
"Well…" Dante hesitated, mentally rearranging his words. "Do you remember the day you went to the Student Council?"
The question finally drew a reaction from her.
Silver Tear blinked.
"…Which one?"
"The one where you confront Rudolf against the matter related to Oguri Cap."
"Oh." The casual response nearly made Dante sigh again.
"Yes. That one."
Silver Tear stared at him for a moment before a faint sense of unease began creeping into her mind.
"Why are we talking about that?"
"Because the person you're going to meet at this race happens to be the one who approved that exception for Oguri."
The room fell silent.
Silver Tear swallowed.
Even if she had been thinking with her toes, she could tell that wasn't the sort of authority an ordinary person could wield. Someone capable of overturning precedent and pushing through an exception at that level was the kind of figure best not touched and kept herself away from a safe distance.
"…And why exactly am I meeting someone like that?"
Dante looked away.
Silver Tear immediately disliked that reaction.
"…Dante."
"They also happen to be someone I reached out for help."
The unease rapidly evolved into alarm.
"…How well do you know them?"
Dante remained silent for a second too long.
Silver Tear grabbed his shoulders in panic.
"Dante."
"A little." He averted his gaze warily.
"Are you sure about that?"
"Maybe a bit more than that?"
"Dante…"
"Fuck!! Fine! That's my aunt okay?"
"The one Rudolf usually talked about?"
Dante immediately regretted where this conversation was heading.
Unfortunately, Silver Tear was already digging through her memories.
Back then, Rudolf had only mentioned her a handful of times. Yet every mention had sounded absurd.
A board member whose authority reached across the entirety of URA.
A woman whose approval could push through decisions that would normally spend months buried in committees.
Someone even Rudolf treated with an unusual degree of caution and respect.
The sort of figure whose name occasionally surfaced whenever impossible things somehow became possible.
"…That Binah?"
"How many do you think there are?"
Silver Tear slowly turned to stare at him.
Then back at the wall.
Then at him again.
"Dante."
"What?"
"Why are you saying that like it's normal?"
"Because it isn't!"
Silver Tear tightened her grip on his shoulders.
"You've been carrying around a connection to one of the most influential people in the entire racing world this whole time?"
"I wasn't carrying around anything. I was actively trying not to get involved with her."
"That is significantly worse."
"It gets worse."
Silver Tear felt a chill run down her spine.
"What do you mean it gets worse?"
Dante buried his face in his hands.
"Because now she knows I'm over here making a complete fool of myself instead of following her plans, studying properly, and eventually becoming a board member."
Silver Tear stared at him.
Then she slowly looked toward the door.
"Dante, is it too late to change my trainer?"
For the first time that afternoon, she genuinely felt the urge to cry. Unfortunately, no tears came.
Before she could slide off the table and make a tactical retreat, Dante lunged forward and wrapped both arms around her waist.
"Absolutely not."
"Dante, let go."
"We're in this together."
"We are not."
"We are."
Silver Tear immediately began trying to pry him off.
"Dante, your family problems are not my family problems."
"They are now."
"They absolutely are not."
Dante tightened his hold.
"My partner in crime would never abandon me."
"Don't use my words against me!!"
"I help you with pushing the agenda for Oguri!"
"You did that on your own."
"You intimidated several staff members."
"They were intimidated by their own imagination."
"You also accidentally became Binah's favorite."
Silver Tear froze.
"...What?"
Dante froze as well.
The room fell silent.
Slowly, Dante realized he probably should not have said that.
"Danteh~." Silver Tear grabbed him by the collar, though, the smile on her face became increasingly awkward.
"Yes?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"I may have heard a few things."
"Dantehhh~ let's be honest with each other~"
"I am choosing to exercise my right to remain silent."
"DANTEHH~ YOU'RE SO DEAD!!"