"I didn't know you liked such little trinkets, Mr. Trainer. Is it a hobby, or does it have some special sentimental value?"
At this moment, having confirmed that Kitano definitely possessed their past memories, Rudolf was overjoyed. But even though her earlier ecstatic expression had twisted enough to frighten Agnes Digital, she didn't point it out now, choosing instead to continue playing dumb.
Did Rudolf not want to reconcile with Kitano? Of course not. In this world, there was probably no one who wanted to mend this relationship more than her. To Rudolf, Kitano was her only light, the only thing she had to hold onto during her long and arduous childhood.
Even when she had hated and tried to escape the glow of that light, her anger and unwillingness had fueled her legend. To realize only after she thought she had lost it that she had never truly escaped its pull... After so many twists and turns, when this emotion finally erupted, it was absolutely earth-shattering.
But Rudolf held back. She used her reason to restrain herself from revealing the truth to the current Kitano, the reason being their past.
The series of disputes between them, born from misunderstanding... had been too painful. Rudolf knew that in Kitano's eyes, she was the one who had forgotten the past, who had eventually turned against him. Even though they had reconciled in the end, what had happened between them meant that even if she had acknowledged him then, their relationship could never have gone back to the way it was.
A relationship with a barrier was not what Rudolf wanted. Therefore, she chose a different method—self-segmentation.
Didn't I have a terrible, misunderstood experience with Kitano in our past life? Then in this life, I will use the advantage of him not knowing my memories have fully returned to cut away all the bad memories, keeping only the beautiful ones from our childhood.
Simply put, Rudolf would slowly reveal to Kitano that her memories were indeed returning, but "only" the memories from their childhood. She would claim to know nothing of what happened after.
Faced with a version of herself who only remembered their childhood, Kitano, with his personality, would probably not blame the "ignorant" Rudolf of this second life for the terrible experiences of the first.
By doing this, wouldn't she have completed her self-segmentation? This way, in his heart, she would be a Rudolf of only beautiful memories... This should be the outcome he wanted, right?
Then, they could slowly write a new story, starting from their happy childhood memories, weaving the trust and reliance that should have been theirs, and gradually becoming the most important person in each other's lives.
Even if her dream of becoming the first Undefeated Triple Crown winner in Kitano's life could no longer be realized, there were still many other regrets they could make up for together—like raising their "child," Tokai Teio, together, and witnessing her Undefeated Triple Crown moment.
And once Teio had grown up under their guidance, she could probably consider passing on her student council president position to her... After that, a retired her would have all the time in the world to spend with Kitano, just the two of them.
As for Kitano's lifespan... Rudolf now had a general understanding of how it worked. She would certainly not be blinded by happiness and make the same mistakes as in the past. But considering he was now designated by the Gold family, and Teio's future Triple Crown would surely restore some of his health...
A single "uma-pyoi" session should be sustainable, right? Rudolf considered herself quite proper in such sacred occasions, so it was unlikely she would end up on top of him. If she timed it right and got it in one shot...
At this thought, Rudolf's mind couldn't help but drift to her happy moments with Kitano. She seemed to have imagined some indecent scenes, a strange blush appearing on her face. She shook her head sharply, finally returning to reality.
"So, are you planning to give it to someone?"
"Hmm... honestly, I'm not sure. It doesn't really suit me anymore," Kitano mused, his full attention now on the new pendant in his hand. He naturally didn't notice the change in Rudolf's expression. "Gold Ship and Festa probably wouldn't like this kind of trinket either. If I were to give them something... something strange and quirky would probably be more their style."
Speaking of which, I remember Suzuka asked me to go shopping for clothes with her this Sunday. I should take this opportunity to buy some small gifts for Gold Ship and Festa. They've been working hard, and their G1 challenges are coming up in a few months. They could use some encouragement.
Oh, and Muteki. I wonder what she likes... Maybe I should ask Ardan? Get some advice from her.
"I don't think it suits you either, Mr. Trainer. Why not just give it to Rudolf?"
To his surprise, it was Mr. C.B. who made the suggestion. She came up from behind him, her hands resting naturally on his shoulders, her slender waist bending slightly as she leaned her head close to his ear.
Yet, C.B. performed this intimate gesture so naturally, without a hint of shyness or overstepping, and whispered to Kitano, "It doesn't really suit me either, but I think Rudolf really likes it I saw her eyes light up just now"
"...Really?"
C.B.'s words made Kitano pause, and he instinctively looked at Rudolf. Rudolf was also surprised—was C.B. actually helping her?
But it's probably just a coincidence. After all, with someone as spontaneous as C.B., you never know what she'll do. With that thought, Rudolf quickly hid her surprise and began her "performance" for Kitano.
"...C.B. is right. I don't know why, but when I saw this pendant, I felt a strange... familiarity."
A troubled expression appeared on Rudolf's face, as if she were puzzled by her own thoughts. She said with some embarrassment, "Actually, if you hadn't said anything, Mr. Trainer, I would have bought this pendant myself."
"In that case, it's yours, President." Rudolf's words made Kitano's heart leap. This was the first time in a playthrough that he had heard a familiar person speak of a past playthrough... though Rudolf's was just a vague feeling, it further confirmed the special nature of this timeline.
Faced with the pendant Kitano offered, Rudolf, despite her immense joy, showed no sign of losing control. Instead, she said with difficulty, "I'm a bit embarrassed, and I don't think it's appropriate for me to wear such a girly thing anymore..."
"It's alright, President. Even if you don't wear it, just think of it as a small gift. What do you say?"
Kitano himself didn't know what kind of psychology drove him to give this memento of their past to Rudolf... Perhaps because the Rudolf of the first playthrough held a special place in his heart, or perhaps because of some psychological effect, he hoped that this Rudolf, even without their past memories, could take back their "memento."
This would also fulfill a wish of his. The memento he had never been able to give her in person could now be returned to her in this way.
Under Kitano's somewhat expectant gaze, Rudolf's feelings were hard to contain. After a great effort to put on a show of internal struggle, she "reluctantly" said to him, "Since you insist, Mr. Trainer... I'll accept it."
The next moment, Rudolf forced herself to calmly accept the pendant from Kitano. But she didn't put it away. Instead, she wrapped the chain around her wrist several times, turning the necklace into a bracelet.
After doing this, Rudolf and Kitano's eyes met in a moment of tacit understanding. The next moment, the two, both with memories of a past life but without acknowledging it, smiled at each other, the meaning of their smiles known only to themselves.
"—Hmph, if you're giving Rudolf a gift like that, then I can't lose. Let me pick out a suitable gift for you, Mr. Trainer."
But just then, C.B. once again broke their private world. This horse girl, who had been rivals with Rudolf since their racing days, immediately made a decision very in character for her upon seeing Kitano give Rudolf a gift. She would give him one too.
Perhaps because of some inexplicable persistence, or because she was now one of his charges and didn't want to be outdone by Rudolf, C.B. turned her gaze to Agnes Digital's stall, carefully considering each trinket. "Let's see, something more eye-catching than what Rudolf received, more representative... found it~"
"Mr. Trainer, hold out your hand, please~"
"Hmm?" Kitano was taken aback, but out of trust for C.B., he instinctively held out his hand. The next moment, to the shock of Rudolf and Agnes Digital, C.B. took a small silver ring from the stall, grabbed his hand, and slowly slid it onto his middle finger...
"C.B.?! What are you doing?!"
"Hmph, don't get so worked up, Rudolf. He's my trainer, you know?"
By now, Rudolf was well aware of C.B.'s and Kitano's relationship. Though there was no formal agreement, C.B.'s constant use of "Mr. Trainer" couldn't be hidden from her. After Rudolf found out, C.B. didn't even bother to hide it anymore, calling him "Mr. Trainer" even in front of her.
But whether there was an agreement or not, C.B.'s action was a huge provocation to Rudolf. Seeing her personally place a ring on Kitano's middle finger, Rudolf's expression momentarily lost control, twisting into a snarl like an angry lion.
But C.B. was not afraid in the slightest. She even teased Rudolf. "It's just on his middle finger, and it's just a silver-plated ring, right? Nothing to get tense about."
The ring was more of a toy than a real ring, with only a thin layer of silver-like tin plating. And wearing it on the middle finger only signified that a person was "engaged." However, for the trainers at Tracen Academy, it had another meaning.
It meant that this trainer was now "reserved," that he already had his own charge. This was a secret "signal" among the horse girls of Tracen Academy. Many trainers could be seen wearing rings that their charges had tricked or cajoled them into wearing.
"But this way, when other horse girls see it, they'll know he's taken. Those less-than-steady children who want to join the team will probably think twice~"
As she spoke, C.B. turned her gaze to Kitano beside her, saying as if it were nothing, "Of course, if it's uncomfortable, you can take it off anytime~"
"This..."
Kitano looked at the ring on his middle finger, a hesitant expression on his face, which then turned into a smile.
He never thought that after Rudolf, C.B. would also do something so similar to the first playthrough—she had given him a ring again, and for such a similar reason...
"Mr. Trainer, this is for you."
"...A ring? C.B., you—"
"Hmph, don't say anything. Let me put it on for you~"
In his past memories, C.B. had also given him this startling gift, personally placing it on the middle finger of his left hand. This proposal-like ceremony had no sense of solemnity or romance. And at the time, C.B. had given the bewildered Kitano this explanation:
"This is a memento between you and me, Mr. Trainer. This way, you won't keep thinking about that childhood friend, right? From now on, you have a new charge who deserves your attention most, right?"
"Starting with this ring, let's look forward together, Mr. Trainer. This time, it's our promise."
...In a daze, Kitano returned from his past memories. Looking at the ring on his middle finger once again, his smile widened slightly. He said softly, "...No need. Since it's a gift from you, C.B., I'll accept it."
"Of course~" C.B. beamed after seeing him accept her gift. Then, as if remembering something, she turned her gaze to the stunned Agnes Digital and asked, "So, how much for this little gift, Miss Digital?"
"Ah, th-that... no charge. In fact, I think... I might have come out ahead..."
What... what did I just witness? Her head buzzing, Agnes Digital felt as if she had just seen the most dramatic scene in Tracen Academy history. Even with her boundless imagination, she could never have dreamed up such a scene actually playing out.
The battle between Mr. C.B. and the President! Could such a thing really happen?!
Though she had always focused on "Horse Girl x Horse Girl" works, in that moment, Agnes Digital felt she might have stumbled upon... a new genre...
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