Chapter 2:

(A/n: maybe there will some change later)

Shiro's eyebrow twitched as she watched Ren's back retreat farther down the path.

She let out a long sigh. Now it was just her and Tazuna alone.

Ugh, seriously? What a big idiot… She paused, then grimaced. Wait, no. That's me. I'm basically insulting myself. Still… he definitely got lost by now. Serves him right.

As if to prove her point, somewhere inside the academy Ren sneezed, muttered under his breath, and continued wandering aimlessly in search of the student council office.

Back to Shiro.

She followed Tazuna obediently as the woman explained the basics of the Academy system. Apparently, Shiro hadn't been assigned a room yet, so Tazuna would personally show her to it.

Wait… dorm? Then where's my luggage? Shiro frowned. Don't tell me I got isekai'd without spare clothes…

Her worries vanished when she spotted a neat suitcase waiting in front of the Ritto Dorm entrance.

Tazuna handed her a key with a reassuring smile. "Here is your dorm, Student Violet. If you have any questions, feel free to ask the Dormitory Leader. Welcome to Tracen Academy."

With a polite wave, Tazuna departed, leaving Shiro alone in front of the door.

Shiro glanced at the key, then at Tazuna's retreating figure. Huh. That was… surprisingly efficient.

Curiosity welled up inside her. I wonder who my roommates are…

She hauled her luggage inside and climbed the stairs to her assigned floor. Matching the number on her key with the plates on each door, she finally arrived at her room.

A quick knock. No answer.

"Guess no one's in…" she murmured, turning the key.

The door opened with a soft creak, revealing a modest but cozy-looking room. Two beds stood opposite each other. The one on the left was empty, clearly reserved for her. The other bed, however, immediately caught her eye.

The desk beside it was overflowing with glittery trinkets, colorful charms, and—was that a wand?

"…Magic?" Shiro blinked.

Memories stirred. If I remember correctly, there's one horse girl obsessed with magic… dreaming of becoming a magical girl, wasn't it?

Her lips curled into a small smile. Sweep Tosho, huh?

That was manageable. Much better than ending up with—

A sudden shiver ran down her spine. Gold Ship…

She hugged her arms. "Thank the heavens it's not Gold Ship."

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At last, after wandering and pestering several students for directions, Ren finally stood before the student council office.

He raised a hand and knocked.

"Come in," a calm, composed voice answered.

Ren opened the door and stepped inside. Behind the desk sat the dignified figure of Symboli Rudolf, the academy's student council president. Papers were neatly stacked to her side, but she set them aside as her gaze lifted to greet him.

"Welcome. Can I help you?" Rudolf asked, her tone both polite and authoritative.

"Good afternoon, President Symboli Rudolf," Ren said, straightening instinctively under her presence. "I'm Trainer Takahashi Renjiro. I've come to register my arrival."

"Ah, so you are the new trainer who just joined Tracen Academy." She gave a small nod, then reached for a file from the side of her desk. "One moment. I'll prepare your paperwork."

She handed the document over. "Here. You can sign at the bottom left."

"Understood." Ren accepted it and moved toward the couch, setting the papers on the coffee table before lowering himself into the seat.

As he scanned the document and poised his pen to sign, Rudolf stepped away from her desk and took the opposite seat, folding her hands gracefully on her lap.

"How has your first day been so far, Trainer Takahashi?" she asked.

Ren set the pen aside briefly. "Well… it's been wonderful, actually."

"I'm glad to hear it," Rudolf replied with a faint smile. "If you ever need assistance or have questions, feel free to come by. My door is always open and always stable."

Ren froze. Did she just—?

A chuckle slipped from his lips. "Then I'll be sure to seek your help if I ever feel… unstable."

Her approving nod told him the joke had landed.

They spoke casually for a while, the heavy air of formality lightening little by little.

But the moment was interrupted as the office door burst open.

"Prez! I just met this strange trainer. Prez?" A lively, familiar voice called out. Tokai Teio strode in, clearly intent on filing a complaint, until her eyes landed on Ren sitting across from Rudolf.

Her expression froze. Then her arm shot out, finger pointing accusingly. "It's you?!"

Ren blinked and pointed at himself. "Me?"

"Oh? You two already know each other?" Rudolf asked with mild surprise.

"I don't know trainers who play with a girl's heart," Teio huffed, arms crossing.

Ren nearly choked. "Play what now?"

Rudolf's eyes blinked slowly as she turned toward him. "Is that true, Trainer?"

"Of course not!" Ren waved his hands frantically. "Completely false accusation!"

"Hmph!" Teio puffed her cheeks and flopped down beside Rudolf. "Prez, listen to me. This trainer—he made me all excited, then just dropped a bucket of ice water on me and crushed my feelings."

"Wait, wait! Let me explain before this gets worse!" Ren pleaded, leaning forward.

A few minutes later, after his awkward explanation and Teio's defensive counterpoints, Rudolf sat in silence, nodding thoughtfully.

"I see," she finally said, her voice calm and measured. "Neither of you is entirely wrong or right. This is simply a misunderstanding." Her gaze shifted to Teio. "Teio, you mustn't interrupt others when they are speaking. It is rude and may cause the very confusion we see now."

Teio's horse ears drooped. "…Okay."

Rudolf softened her tone slightly. "Good. Learn from this."

Then she turned to Ren. "And you, Trainer. While I believe your explanation, please remember to be considerate of the horse girls' feelings. Words carry weight."

Ren bowed his head slightly. "You're right. My apologies, Tokai Teio."

Teio peeked at him from the corner of her eye, then mumbled, "…Well, I'm sorry too, Trainer." Her pout softened into a small smile.

Rudolf's lips curved with the faintest pride, like a parent satisfied with her children's reconciliation. She clapped her hands once, drawing their attention.

"Now then," she said, her voice regaining its regal edge. "Trainer Takahashi, even if this began with a misunderstanding, do you still wish to take this child under your guidance as a trainee?"

Ren leaned back, hand on his chin. "Hmm… I have been thinking about it."

Teio's ears instantly perked up, her entire posture brightening with expectation.

After all, the sooner she had a trainer, the sooner she could chase her dream. She had considered debuting without one, but if even the president recommended it, then the answer was obvious.

Just as Teio's heart leapt with the thought that Ren was about to accept her, his next words dropped like a bomb.

"…But I don't think I can, President Rudolf."

The smile froze on Teio's face. Her ears drooped, her lips pursed into a pout as she stared at him.

Ren caught the look—but deliberately ignored it, pretending to study the papers instead.

"I see," Rudolf said calmly, though her eyes sharpened. "May I ask why? If this is about her performance, I can assure you she is exceptional."

Ren shook his head. "It's not that. I know Teio is an excellent horse girl. It's just… there are plenty of more qualified trainers out there. Better than me. I don't think I'm good enough to guide her."

Rudolf listened, then smiled faintly, as though she had heard this self-doubt many times before. "If that is your only concern, then there's no need to hesitate. All I wish to know is this—will you accept this child, if she wishes it?"

Ren went silent. His gaze shifted toward Teio, who was busy pretending she didn't care, her arms crossed and her eyes fixed on some unimportant spot in the room. But her ears twitched restlessly, betraying her act.

He exhaled. "…Yes. I would accept her."

The instant the words left his mouth, Teio's ears shot up and her tail swished wildly. Her whole body radiated joy, unable to hide it.

"Then it is settled." Rudolf inclined her head with dignity. "Trainer Takahashi, please take care of Teio."

"Ehehe! Please take care of me, Trainer!" Teio beamed, grinning so wide it nearly reached her ears.

Ren chuckled softly. "Haha… yes. Please take care of me too, Teio."

A few minutes later, after the formalities and final chatter, Ren excused himself. He stepped out of the student council office, only to find Teio walking cheerfully just ahead of him.

As they strolled together, Ren broke the silence. "So, Teio, what will you do now?"

Her ears flicked at the sound of his voice. She glanced back, tail swishing lightly. "Well, first I'll head back to class and tell everyone the good news—that I finally have a trainer! But before that…" She flashed a cheeky grin. "…I need to get more familiar with you, Trainer."

"I see," Ren nodded, amused.

"And you Trainer? What will you do now?" she asked curiously.

"I need to find staff for a clubroom that we can use. And… I should get more familiar with the academy myself," he admitted. "As for your training plan, I'll explain it tomorrow."

"Got it, got it!" Teio nodded enthusiastically, as if committing his words to heart.

Then, with sudden thought, she tilted her head. "Oh—Trainer, what's your name, anyway?"

Ren blinked, then spoke. "My name is Takahashi Renjiro."

"Trainer Renjiro…" Teio repeated, as though testing the sound of it. She gave a small nod of approval.

They continued chatting lightly, step by step, until they reached her classroom.

"Here we are, Trainer!" Teio announced brightly. "I'll head in now. See you later!" She waved at him before darting through the door.

Ren raised a hand in farewell. "Alright. Study hard."

As her voice faded inside the classroom, Ren lingered a moment, then resumed his walk down the hall.

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Inside the student council office, the atmosphere was quiet save for the rustle of papers. Symboli Rudolf sat behind her desk, reviewing the file with Takahashi Renjiro stamped neatly across the cover.

The door opened with a sharp click. A horse girl with short, sleek brown hair, neatly parted to the right, stepped in.

Air Groove, the vice president of the student council.

“President,” she said in her crisp, no-nonsense tone, “aren’t you being too hasty, assigning Teio to that new trainer?”

Rudolf looked up, calm as ever. “From one perspective, yes, it might seem rushed. But after speaking with him, I found his passion for training genuine. His profile suggests he has more than enough ability to guide her. More importantly…” Her lips curved faintly. “…Teio seems to truly want him as her trainer.”

Air Groove’s expression stiffened. She folded her arms, silent for a long beat, then exhaled. “…I see. Perhaps I judged him too quickly.”

Rudolf nodded in satisfaction. “Also, he seemed to enjoy my joke.”

Her eyes lit up in rare amusement.

Air Groove froze. A shadow crossed her face. Her brow twitched.

So that’s one of the reasons she approved him…?

Suppressing a groan, she turned away, rubbing her temple. He’d better not become another president spouting puns. I’ll keep my eyes on him… Trainer Takahashi, you’d better not follow down that path.

Meanwhile, across campus—

“Achoo!”

Ren sniffled and rubbed his nose.

“Bless you,” a nearby staff member said casually.

“Uh… thanks,” Ren replied, blinking. Weird… did someone just talk behind my back? Did I already offend someone without realizing?

He shook the thought away and bent over the desk again, finishing up the paperwork to claim his clubroom.