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"And how are we doing over here?"
Rudolf startles. Their knees briefly touch as Katsuragi Ace casually squats down next to her and watches Rudolf shakily pluck a handful of weed from the soil. The noise suffices to tell that the roots fail to follow—heat pools in Rudolf's cheeks in visceral embarrassment when she catches the snicker from beside her, which is quickly masked by Ace haphazardly clearing her throat. Drawing her lips into a thin line, Rudolf quietly tosses the unwelcome vegetation into the growing pile of yard waste, unsure if she'd prefer this over Ace hypothetically chastising her, instead.
Of course, Ace doesn't—wouldn't. It is more in her element to close the distance between them with a teasing remark barely loud enough for Rudolf to hear—"Even the Emperor can't be a jack of all trades". Denying Rudolf a chance to interject, she wastes no time moving on to patiently demonstrate the task again with a condensed lecture on how to use the tools at their disposal and what to look out for, none of which Rudolf hasn't been keeping in mind. Ocean eyes glimmer under the dim light as she speaks; Rudolf nods along and periodically indicates her understanding vocally. Ace beams at her with the power of a thousand suns before returning to her part of the field, to which Rudolf appropriately responds with a polite smile of her own and a Thank you.
It is moments like this that Rudolf is torn between regret and relief that Katsuragi Ace doesn't align herself with the student council's vision. Her potential for authority extends beyond the tracks, bleeding into how she presents herself (unyieldingly ambitious and driven) and interacts with others (with raw, utmost kindness and understanding). Case in point, it certainly wasn't the way she runs that successfully detracted Rudolf from her morning duties and persuaded her into helping out with the fields—a part of the school Rudolf rarely ever patronized, let alone partook in the activities of. Even now, Rudolf struggles to pinpoint the exact instance wherein she found herself utterly incapable of saying no. Was the candid invitation the tipping point? Was it the concern followed by tactile relief over Rudolf assuring her that she got enough rest? The way blue eyes lit up before they even exchanged greetings? Or did it go way back to Ace knocking on the student council office door at barely 5 in the morning—It's Katsuragi Ace. Saw the lights were on while I was running, so I thought I'd check to see if you guys are doing alright?
There is no point in dwelling on the insignificant details—Rudolf knows that much. For her to easily give in to a trivial request without a second thought is, however, notably atypical. Her intuition has been on point: someone who wields the prowess to achieve such a feat would be a valuable addition to the student council—a powerful aide towards their journey towards bliss for all Umamusumes. Katsuragi Ace's influence is undoubtedly formidable, and simply the idea of how many would be inspired by her is more than enough to have Rudolf's heart soaring. No further proof is necessary when Rudolf herself is a living, breathing testament to which; the fact is as horrifying as it is exhilarating. Her ego threatens—a devilish whisper: what is to become of an Emperor who lets herself be effortlessly swayed, who yields to the Ace? And what is to become of Symboli Rudolf, then, if not the indomitable Emperor?
A chilly gust of autumn wind brushes past her hair before it carries her train of thought away. Rudolf discreetly sighs. She steals a glance at Ace, who is blissfully unaware of all that went through Rudolf's mind as she dutifully tends to the cabbages while humming a foreign, jolly tune, clearly in good spirits. It then belatedly occurs to Rudolf that this is the first time they are each other's sole company for matters not pertaining to any of Rudolf's expertise—as much as Rudolf would like to question why her presence is required, she has an inkling that she already has the answer within grasp. Her heart gives a little kick at the realization; Rudolf involuntarily tightens her grip on the shovel handle as warmth, unfamiliar but not unpleasant, stretches beneath her fingertips.
Dawn eventually emerges from the horizon before she knows it. Loosening the soil as taught, Rudolf manages to pry another particularly sizable weed out with its elaborated roots beautifully intact. Ace pads over again, this time only to give her handiwork a once-over and an approving thumbs-up. It is already bright when Rudolf can finally declare the rows of onions perfectly weed-free, which Ace happily assents to before offering her a hand and helping her up from the ground. Satisfying fatigue rings between Rudolf's bones the same way it does after a good run. A sense of accomplishment washes over her as she takes in the changes in the field, illuminated under the early sunlight.
Ace soon returns to her side with two water bottles in tow. "Thanks a bunch for helping out!" She pops the cap open on one and hands it to Rudolf. "The weeds would've been annoying to deal with alone, so I'm glad you came along. Did you have fun?"
"It was a nice change of pace, indeed," Rudolf admits. She pauses for a sip of water, feeling the cool liquid sliding down her parched throat. It's nice. "And an invaluable experience. I appreciate the opportunity, Katsuragi Ace."
"Perfect! We should do this again sometime, don't you think? Once you're free, maybe?"
Realistically speaking, that doesn't look very probable in the foreseeable future. Rudolf meets the anticipating smile gracing Ace's lips and can't help a chuckle, regardless. "If you would have me."
Wrapping up goes by more quickly than Rudolf initially expected. With their combined efforts, the tools are returned to the shed and the yard waste is disposed of in the blink of an eye. Ace grabs Rudolf by the shoulder to wipe the missed speck of soil from her jaw—"Can't return you to the student council with dirt on your pretty face, can I?"—before she holds a fistful of raspberries under the running water and tucks them into Rudolf's pocket with a promise of their quality. It isn't until Rudolf pops one in her mouth and commends the taste that Ace finally turns on her heels and grabs her basket of fresh harvests.
"Gonna stop by C.B.'s after school to whip something up with these big boys. You should join us, y'know? It's been a while since we all hung out and had a meal together."
There are but a few minutes before students come pouring in, and Rudolf will find herself in her office, going through the stack of documents on her desk in order of urgency. She still needs to finalize the details for Halloween and initiate any preparation for the winter activities and Christmas. Ideally, she would have most of it accounted for by the end of the week, which means a few more days of arriving early and staying back late—Rudolf tells Ace as much. Something resembling relief settles when Ace expresses her understanding, a hint of dejection coloring her azure gaze—
"——but, since you insist, I suppose I'll try to make some room for the evening…?"
Rudolf winces. The syllables have tumbled from her tongue before she could think them over; made infinitely worse by the way they are intoned as an inquiry, like she's asking for permission. Ace, bless her heart, doesn't appear to take note of the slip-up. It's a curious thing—how blindingly radiant her smile is over something as little as a vague not-confirmation. What Rudolf does know: the Emperor has fallen before the Ace again, and, somehow, it doesn't nearly upset her as much as she believes it should.
When Katsuragi Ace takes a step forward and carefully asks for permission, Rudolf cannot help but shrink a little into herself—but closes her eyes and nods nonetheless. A chaste kiss lands on her lips, going as quickly as it came; Rudolf releases the exhale she didn't know she's been holding.
Ace bids her goodbye with a closed hand around Rudolf's wrist and unfathomable fondness lingering in her eyes.