"Is that the Mr. Trainer that Teio said Sister Takamine brought home?"
In a corner of the garden, several of the Mejiro sisters had gathered: McQueen, Bright, Ryan, Yoshino, and the recently debuted Mejiro Dober. From their inconspicuous spot, they watched the interaction between Kitano, Ardan, and Takamine, their curiosity piqued by this meeting they knew nothing about.
"Teio said he was secretly invited from Tracen Academy, and that even the President didn't know," said Mejiro McQueen, sharing her intel with her sisters. As Tokai Teio's best friend, this usually prim and proper young lady was now quite interested in her older sister's gossip.
"Sister Takamine bypassed us to have Mr. Trainer meet with Sister Ardan..." Mejiro Ryan pondered. The girl, whose mind was usually occupied with training and was quite innocent in matters of romance, suddenly had a thought, her cheeks blushing. "C-could it be... a blind date?! Is Sister Takamine trying to set Mr. Trainer up with Sister Ardan?"
"No way! I heard Mr. Trainer is in very poor health, that he's suffering from a serious illness," McQueen said, shocked by Ryan's theory and quickly dismissing it. But just then, Mejiro Yoshino chimed in playfully.
"McQueen, you don't get it. Compatibility is a big deal these days. And I think Sister Ardan and Mr. Trainer are very compatible."
"Look, they're both not in the best of health, but they're both so resilient. Sister Ardan competed against seniors like Oguri Cap even when she knew her body couldn't handle it. That fighting spirit is very similar to Mr. Trainer's wish to burn his life away to train a brilliant horse girl, isn't it?"
"Ah... talking about it makes me a little jealous. It's a shame he's being recommended to Sister Ardan. If only I had a trainer like that..."
Mejiro Yoshino cast an envious glance towards Kitano. As a girl with a somewhat awkward position in the Mejiro family, she too longed for a supportive trainer. But it seemed this candidate was already reserved by her sister.
"But... looking at Sister Takamine's expression, it doesn't seem to be the case~"
At this moment, the slow-speaking Mejiro Bright keenly observed Takamine's micro-expressions. As the eldest sister, the first filly to win the Triple Crown in Japan, and the object of all her younger sisters' admiration, every Mejiro sister considered herself an expert in interpreting Takamine's subtle cues.
And now, Bright sensed something was off with Takamine. That smile that didn't reach her eyes... it didn't look like she was looking at a satisfactory brother-in-law... it looked more like she was looking at a love rival.
"Could it be—is it that classic plot? A love triangle, but where one sister steals the other's love, like in a manga?!"
Just then, the youngest sister, Mejiro Dober, was struck by a thought from a manga she had been reading. Perhaps due to the increasing competition for trainers at the academy, recent horse girl manga were full of plots like elopements, love triangles, and stolen loves.
Dober suddenly remembered something from when she was preparing for the G1 Hanshin JF. "Speaking of which, Sister Takamine brought up Mr. Trainer to me back then. It was the first time she'd ever mentioned a trainer, and from her expression... it definitely wasn't one of boredom."
"Could it be happening? A battle between Sister Takamine and Sister Ardan for him?! If so, this is huge!"
The more Dober thought about it, the more alarmed she became. Takamine and Ardan, though both her sisters, had vastly different personalities and experiences.
Takamine had an outstanding race record and was a perfect A-plus in every aspect, from a horse girl to a woman. She was strong yet elegant, dignified yet bewitching, the undisputed next head of the Mejiro family. But precisely because she was so formidable, almost no one dared to get close to her.
And Ardan... she was equally dignified, elegant, and beautiful. But as a horse girl, she was too fragile, her career lacking any standout achievements. Perhaps she was better suited to be a perfect, adored wife than a racehorse.
Both were incredibly charming in their own right. If they were to fight over the same trainer, or the same lover... not only would the situation be brutal, but the man at the center of the storm would likely be torn to shreds.
"That can't be right... Sister Takamine and Sister Ardan have always been very close. And if Sister Takamine really felt that way, she wouldn't have recommended him to Sister Ardan, would she?"
Dober's words made the others hesitate. It was McQueen who finally brought them back to their senses, and they continued to watch the trio from afar, their gossip-loving hearts still beating fast.
But... for some reason, McQueen and the other sisters felt a strange sense of déjà vu... the conversation between Kitano, Ardan, and Takamine... it felt as if it had happened many years ago... What was this feeling?
"Huh? Mr. Trainer, you have such a serious illness?"
With Takamine's help, the three finally found a topic to discuss and soon began exchanging words. A short while later, after Kitano revealed his condition, a more relaxed Ardan was shocked. "Doesn't that mean you have to endure such pain every day? And you walked all the way here to see me?"
"It's not that exaggerated. I'm used to it," Kitano said with a wave of his hand. Honestly, even with two years left to live, he was still in the final stages of bone cancer. But compared to the agony of before, where even walking was a struggle, his current pain was completely manageable. He had long grown numb to it.
"And it's our first meeting. As your future trainer, Miss Ardan, I have to make a good impression, don't I? A normal horse girl seeing a trainer in a wheelchair would probably doubt his capabilities, right? Wondering if he might just drop dead the next second."
"My condition has improved recently. Before, I couldn't walk at all and had to use a wheelchair. Now, I can walk all this way without any problems."
Kitano habitually joked about his illness. It was a method he often used to encourage his charges. Whenever they faced setbacks and lost confidence, he would use himself as an example, conveying the idea of, "Look, I've been through so much worse and I'm still here. Your little trouble is nothing."
And this tactic was most effective on Ardan.
"...It must hurt so much."
As expected, upon learning that Kitano endured immense pain yet remained so optimistic and relentless, Ardan, after a long silence, couldn't help but reach out and gently touch his arm.
Her hand closed around it, finding it thinner than she had imagined. Even Ardan felt she could encircle it with one hand.
What made her heart ache even more was the memory of her dream... where Sister Takamine had transferred Kitano to her. Ardan had thought it was because her sister felt she needed his guidance more. But once his illness was factored in, the nature of the act changed completely.
No matter how one looked at it, her sister's actions would have undoubtedly caused Kitano great harm. If Takamine had been unaware of his condition and had acted out of concern for her, it would have been one thing... But what Ardan feared more was that her sister had known about his illness, had known her actions would be a devastating blow to the terminally ill Kitano, and had still chosen to do it.
In that case... whether her sister cared more for her, or simply wanted to get rid of Kitano... would be a different matter entirely.
No, my sister wouldn't do something like that... Ardan tried to convince herself. However, even as someone who idolized Takamine, she couldn't claim to fully understand her. The true thoughts of this alpine flower had never been touched by anyone.
Rudolf, her childhood friend, could only guess. The sisters, like Ardan, could only say they "relatively" understood her. But they too had been wrong at times, thinking they understood when Takamine's thoughts were completely different.
Mejiro Takamine was so aloof, so self-contained, never revealing her thoughts or feelings. The phrase "true feelings" seemed to have been erased from her life. She was a perfect matriarch-in-waiting, but a horse girl who demanded an "unreal" level of perfection from herself.
"Even though it was just a dream... everything in it seems to be coming true. Thankfully, Sister Takamine didn't do such a thing this time."
"I hope... I hope she truly didn't know. Otherwise... otherwise..."
Ardan muttered to herself, and as if having made a decision, she rarely pursed her lips and cautiously glanced at Takamine, whose expression was normal, clearly aware of Kitano's situation.
"...Hmm? Ardan? Why are you looking at me like that?"
After Takamine shot her a questioning glance, Ardan lowered her head again. However, Takamine's gaze remained fixed on Ardan's hand, which was still gripping Kitano's wrist.
It seems my sister really did fall for Mr. Trainer at "first sight." I won't have to worry about their compatibility. If this isn't chemistry, then I don't know what is.
This way, not only will Ardan have a chance to transform, but it should also make those horse girls around Mr. Trainer behave themselves... His talent should belong to the Mejiro family. They should know when to back off.
But... ugh, why am I still not happy about this?
Takamine was now unsure of her own feelings. Joy... not really. Instead, she felt a little upset. She was the one who recommended Kitano to her sister, but now she felt like her own toy had been taken by her sister and had become her new favorite.
Unfortunately, Takamine wasn't good at confiding in others. Otherwise, she would have been surprised to find that her current feelings were quite similar to those of the memory-restored Rudolf... except Rudolf didn't see Kitano as a "toy," but as her "personal property," something she would absolutely never give up.
Just as Takamine was pondering, an attendant's figure interrupted their conversation. Takamine frowned instinctively, her voice icy. "What is it? Didn't I say not to disturb us?"
"I apologize, my lady, but we have some uninvited guests. I felt I should inform you."
The attendant swallowed hard, as if he had seen something terrifying. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "It's... it's some horse girls from the Gold family... They've forced their way in, and they're shouting about wanting to duel with the Mejiro horse girls."
"...What?"
For a moment, both Takamine and Kitano thought they had misheard. But the arrival of the Gold family signaled a change in the situation. Kitano, who had been feeling no psychological burden, now had a pained expression, guessing what was happening.
...I hope it doesn't escalate into what I'm thinking. Otherwise, the Gold family and the Mejiro family... might really get into a serious fight.
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