Eternal Meteor stared at her phone, genuinely wondering if her eyesight had been damaged by using her Domain.
Her slender fingers kept scrolling—down, down, down—flipping through a chat log that looked like it had no end.
Since when did Tokai Teio turn into this?
Wasn't she supposed to be the tough, unbreakable Teio? Where did my "never-defeated Teio" go?!
She couldn't help lifting her head to glance at Rudolf, who was sitting beside her and checking her own phone. Meteor stared long enough that Rudolf finally looked back with a confused expression—only then did Meteor drop her gaze back to the screen.
First Rudolf started acting weird… now Teio too?
What, is this contagious?
Just reading the messages made Meteor's scalp prickle. If she had to sum the feeling up in two words, it would be:
Heavy.
Like she'd suddenly been promoted into someone's emotional pillar—forced to carry a weight she never asked for.
But… she hadn't even done anything to Teio, right?
By all logic, their friendship level shouldn't be that high. If anything, Teio usually got pouty whenever she saw Meteor alone with the Chairman she admired.
So maybe this time Teio was just genuinely scared—because Meteor got taken away at the finish line without saying a word. And Teio was still a student, after all.
Still…
What was with that last line?
It sounded like Meteor was about to die on the spot.
Hey, even if things are bad, I've still got a year!
And besides—Rudolf was right here. Teio and Rudolf were close; why didn't she just ask Rudolf directly?
But obviously Meteor couldn't say any of that to Teio now. Teio cared this much—Meteor wasn't about to respond with something that would stab her back.
"…Fine. I'll reply and tell her I'm safe."
While she was at it, she turned off silent mode. She'd only put it on because she didn't want her pocket suddenly blasting music mid-race. It might look cool, sure—but the cringe would kill her.
And if anyone asked, "Why didn't you just leave your phone in the prep-room locker? What if it affects the race?"
Well—Eternal Meteor had been fully domesticated by modern society.
If her phone wasn't near her, she felt physically uncomfortable.
Her fingers typed with a slight delay—subtle sluggishness that still annoyed her—then she pressed Send.
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP—!
Not even a few seconds passed before her phone vibrated like it was trying to escape reality.
Tokai Teio: That's great!!!
Tokai Teio: happy.jpg (no image—readers please imagine it)
Tokai Teio: Wait—Meteor, you're not lying to me, right?
Tokai Teio: Which hospital are you at?
Tokai Teio: Can I come see you?
Meteor exhaled and replied quickly:
Eternal Meteor (ID: "Meteor That Cuts Across History"): No, no, I'm really fine.
Eternal Meteor: And the Chairman is right next to me, so don't worry.
Only then did Teio remember—
Right.
She'd panicked so hard at the sight of the ambulance that her brain had short-circuited. She'd been so focused on "Is Meteor going to be okay?" that she hadn't even thought to ask Rudolf.
Now, reading Meteor's message, Teio promptly went to message Rudolf to confirm everything directly.
After getting Rudolf's reply, Teio finally relaxed completely—wiping tears away while smiling like an idiot.
Meanwhile, as Meteor's phone finally stopped buzzing, she cleared her throat twice—partly to reset herself, partly to pull Rudolf's attention back from her own screen.
"Chairman… when can we go back to Tracen?"
She asked carefully.
No "I'm leaving now." No "Discharge me."
She handed the decision to Rudolf—because the whole Domain situation still hadn't been explained.
Rudolf's reaction, however, wasn't anger.
It was concern.
"What's wrong? Is it uncomfortable staying here?"
Meteor thought for a moment, then decided to test the waters.
"I just… don't really want to stay in the hospital."
"When Maruzensky gets back, I'll ask the doctor," Rudolf said. "But if they insist you need to stay for observation, you'll have to endure it for now, okay?"
"…Mm."
Meteor nodded obediently.
If she's willing to ask, that's already a win.
And she mentally reminded herself:
At least until the Yayoi Sho… don't do anything stupid again.
Notably, neither of them mentioned the race.
Rudolf didn't want to stimulate Meteor right now.
Meteor, on the other hand, planned to let Rudolf relax her guard over the next couple of months.
Then Maruzensky returned with food. The moment she stepped into the room, Rudolf stood up from the chair, ready to go ask the doctor—
And then she froze.
Someone tugged her hem.
Rudolf turned—
Eternal Meteor was stretching her arm out as far as she could to reach Rudolf's clothes, leaning forward so hard her upper body was nearly tipping off the bed.
Rudolf immediately rushed back and caught her, holding her steady.
Good thing Rudolf hadn't been walking fast—otherwise Meteor might've dragged herself straight down.
"Chairman… eat a little first," Meteor said. "No need to rush. I'm fine."
This time it wasn't "acting obedient."
Meteor genuinely felt a little sorry for her.
At those words, Rudolf's arms tightened around her—just for a second—before loosening again.
"…Okay. We'll eat first," Rudolf said. "But next time, just call to me. Don't pull my clothes. That was dangerous."
"I was just… in a hurry."
But as Maruzensky fully entered and saw the scene clearly—
A flicker of suspicion passed through her eyes.
Because she had never seen Rudolf care about someone like this.
Not even Teio.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter108)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 99
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 95
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 99
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 92
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 47
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 44
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 43
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 26
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